Paducah Life Magazine - June/July 2022

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contents 7o

Glamping at Kentucky Lake

june/july 2022 ★ from the editor page 5 ★ last word page 84

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Eating Well, Being Well with Dr. Anthony Davis

21

Fresh Fare at Your Fingertips

24

Christine Thompson Builds a Garden for Seniors

29

On the Field of Play with Cole McKeel

32

Kerry Bowes Goes Beyond Tradition

36

A Building Revived, a Home Reimagined

43

What if Paducah Had Won the MSU Competition?

49

Paducah Remote Worker Program

61

Sea Lab Experience Puts Students at the Source

64

From Kentucky with Love

68

Liz Hammonds Revels in Her New Town

74

Wandering Amid the Wonder of Reelfoot Lake

78

Krystal Watson Follows the River Home

82

When I’m Old, I’ll Wear Purple

6

Dana Amsdell Celebrates the Art of Entertaining

55

Paducah Native B.J. Farrell Takes Command

Visit us at paducahlife.com ★

2 • PADUCAH LIFE

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VOLUME 32, EDITION 3

executive editor/ P U B L I S H E R Darlene M. Mazzone

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� editorial P H OTO G R A P H Y Thomas Dean Stewart

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J UNE / J U LY 2022 • 3

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OOD OFTEN DEFINES US. Long-time readers will know by now that my husband grew up in New York City. In fact, and this will come as no surprise to him, it MIGHT have been his Soprano-style Sunday gravy that smoothed the way for this corn-fed, farm-bred girl to say YES to someone about which my mother actually asked, “Does he speak English?” He did, of course. We just couldn’t understand what he was saying.

The first time I took my fiancée home to the farm, he heaped a big ole helping of turnip greens on his plate, and nestled them up next to fresh fried corn, mashed potatoes, “white” beans topped with green onions, and fried squash.

I was so excited to see how he would like everything. I’m sure my Mother and Grandmother were also waiting with keen anticipation. After serving himself a first fork-full of our decidedly southern fare, I suddenly noticed a bit of a surprised look on his face, even though well disguised as not to alarm the natives.

Apparently, what he THOUGHT was spinach turned out to be our signature, sometimes a bit tough, and always a teensy bit bitter, turnip greens! But the brave boy who wanted the girl at any cost chowed down and smiled through this curious confusion to his Yankee palate. (Gotta say he’s still not a fan.) But we DID win him over to the likes of all the rest of the home-grown fare on his plate . . . even though okra took a bit of coaxing.

With the exception of a strange-looking and tasting “dressing” at his house one Thanksgiving, I, on the other hand have NOT had a problem warming up to his cuisine. (OK, maybe some of the raw seven fishes on Christmas Eve is still a challenge for me.) But Mama Mazzone’s veal parm, homemade lasagna, stuffed manicotti, baked ziti? BRING. IT. ON. Not to mention our obligatory foray into Little Italy for unparalleled cannoli at the famous Ferrara’s every time we’re in New York City. And of course, that’s just the preeminent prelude to ALL the exquisite Italian pastries that consistently find their way into the string-tied box we take home with us.

So the Mazzone/McPherson household has, for the last 40+ years, forged a comingled array of comestibles derived from the south of Italy and the west of Kentucky. Think of it as pasta meets peas, bolognese meets bologna, calzones meet corn. I believe in the highest order of chefdom they call this . . . fusion!

I call it a love affair with food.

Darlene M. Mazzone darlene@paducahlife.com

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 5

Artof Entertaining the

★

by S TEPHANIE WATSON

For Dana Amsdell, Entertaining Guests is Much More than Serving Dinner and Drinks. It’s an Art Form that She’s Reviving and Refining in the Heart of Downtown.

6 • PADUCAH LIFE

A Home Built for Entertaining When Dana Amsdell and her husband Joe DeJulio were asked to check out Paducah for a potential work transfer eight years ago, they arrived at the visit a little skeptical. The pair was used to the bustle of Washington D.C., and western Kentucky was a shift change to say the least. It only took one weekend of exploring Downtown, Lowertown, and the other expansive opportunities the city offers for them to decide that this would be the area that they would build their next chapter.

The couple knew they wanted to be located downtown where options for going out, meeting people, and investing locally were abundant. They rented the building on the 200 block of Broadway for two years before buying it and fully committing to the life of living in the heart of the city.

After purchasing the property, the next step was a year-long renovation that would create their dream home. The inspiration for their design was simple: they wanted a place to entertain.

“When we were designing the kitchen, I said, ‘Let’s make a bar!’” Dana explains. “Everything else followed suit. This house was designed with entertaining in mind.”

The open floor plan allows for guests to mingle while Dana’s professional grade Viking range and stainlesssteel countertops help her share five-star worthy meals without missing a beat. Mid-century industrial furniture

Rule No. 1

Plan Ahead We’ve all experienced that moment of frenzied panic minutes before guests arrive. The trash needs taking out or the meal is running behind, and God forbid anyone shows up right on time.

A great dinner party, according to Dana, is one that avoids this panic and enables both host and guests to enjoy it at all

8 • PADUCAH LIFE

stages. Dana suggests chopping and measuring ingredients ahead of time, and then storing them in the refrigerator in Ziplock bags that are clipped together according to dish

grounds the design, and unexpected eclectic flourishes such as a liquor cabinet made from a vintage phone booth and metal grid supports from a pattern factory bring a quirky flair.

A brown mohair half-moon couch in the living area contributes to the ease of conversation when entertaining while the steel façade flanking a modern fireplace add a cozy, yet elevated ambiance. Paintings from artists both local and remote fill the walls, adding the final touches to this entertainer’s paradise.

The Art of the Dinner Party Dana and Joe’s home is certainly an appropriate canvas for perfecting the art of entertaining, and dinner parties are the medium at which Dana has become particularly adept.

“We’re reinventing the fine art of entertainment” Dana says. “I think people are intimidated by dinner parties, but they don’t have to be! A few simple rules make it easy for anyone to pull off and have lots of fun while doing it.”

so that the host can focus more on her guests and less on rushing the mundane steps of prep work.

Another pet peeve: keep the sink clean.

Cleaning dishes as you go keeps the space tidy and usable. Prepping ahead of time makes this easier.

Setting the scene is another important step to complete ahead of time.

She always has appetizers ready when guests arrive and plans for them to be eaten at the bar or while

mingling in the living area so that she has room to set the table without disturbing the flow.

And despite her love of elevated experiences, you’ll never see a full formal utensil setting. “If you’re plating ahead of time, guest eyes will go to the plate and not the utensils anyway, so you’ll just be making more dishes to wash,” she notes. “It also feels more accessible and less cluttered.”

Dana also knows when

J UNE / J U LY 2022 • 9

to call in the troops and doesn’t hesitate to do so.

“It’s also helpful to know who you can call to come over early when you do get to those rushed moments,” she explains.

“We all know who we don’t mind seeing the mess and asking for help from them can even add to the fun early on.”

Rule No. 2

Don’t Rush the Apps According to Dana, appetizers set the tone, and allotting an hour of time to let people arrive, warm up to one another, and grab a drink starts the evening in a relaxed way. “It’s important to get the beginning right because it sets the tone for the whole evening,” Dana says. “Serve appetizers and don’t rush them! It gives your guests time to relax into the evening and gives you more time to cook.”

options. Fried goat cheese encrusted in walnuts drizzled in honey served as the opening act for a Mediterranean spread at a recent dinner party, and she keeps arancini (fried risotto balls) in the freezer to pull out as appetizers for Italian meals.

And if you really want to get fancy while avoiding shared plates, Dana suggests trying canapes. Small cups of Nashville hot chicken pieces wrapped in a corn meal waffle and topped with a ranch drizzle and celery sprig headlined a recent southern-themed dinner alongside shrimp and grit dollops on Asian soup spoons.

Rule No. 3

Plan for Extras and Always Have Something on Hand

Charcouterie boards and cheese trays are easy appetizer staples that most everyone enjoys, but Dana also suggests exploring more elevated

10 • PADUCAH LIFE

In Dana’s experience, when entertaining is a lifestyle, people to entertain tend to find you. “I’ve almost made too many friends here because I can no longer fit them all into one dinner party,” she jokes. “But really, it’s fun to plan parties or even have people come back to our place after a drink downtown. We often end up with a few more people than we anticipated, and that’s all part of the fun.”

Her solution to quick or impromptu entertaining?

Once again, be prepared.

When Dana cooks, she cooks big, storing leftovers in the freezer so that inspiring eats can be served on a moment’s notice. Frozen French loaves can be thawed for a quick bruschetta (she’s even used canned tomatoes in a real rush), and if she happens to make something fancy— currently she has lamb strudel in her freezer— she makes a bigger batch so it’s on hand for the next event.

“If I’m going to make bread, I’ll make four or so loaves at a time and then freeze it so that I have more on hand whenever I need it,” she explains.

“Homemade lasagna is always a crowd pleaser, and I always make multiple batches of that, too.”

Rule No. 4

Plate Well and Don’t Overdo It. While serving from the stove is easy way to get dinner on the table, for real entertaining, Dana always plates the food herself. “I serve a small portion of everything for the entrée and plate the dishes myself so I can control the combination of flavors as well as the aesthetics,” Dana explains. Extra food is served family-style on

platters so guest can start with some guidance and then add as they wish.

Parsley is another staple for adding color and texture to a plate and squirt bottles allow her to serve sauces with a little artistic flair.

“Honestly, you learn a lot from eating out at restaurants” she adds.

“Professionals tend to plate vertically rather than spread everything out on a plate. This is prettier, but it also helps to layer the flavors more evenly.”

For drinks, quality over quantity is what counts.

“I plan for two bottles of wine over the course of the evening—one shared over apps and the other with the main meal. Then we usually have an afterdinner aperitif. One of our favorites to share is a limoncello that we make ourselves.”

Rule No. 5

Finish Strong To finish the evening, Dana believes dessert is a must. And while her friend Christie is her go-to dessert queen, when she does need to do it herself, she cooks it well ahead of time. Denser desserts like cheesecakes, pies, or a ricotta cake with seasonal fruit will impress and still hold up in the refrigerator for a couple of days until the party.

“You want to finish the dinner on a good note, but there’s no way you want to be cooking at the end of a meal. Have this step finished ahead of time so everyone can wrap up the evening together,” she says.

APRIL/MAY 2022 • 11

Cross Country

Cuisine

AS ONE OF FIVE CHILDREN IN A FAMILY WHERE DINNER WAS A NIGHTLY RITUAL, Dana learned the joy of gathering around a table set for communing.

Her mother, who wasn’t the best cook but was great at adhering to the formal routine of family dinner, gave Dana her entertaining roots.

“You never knew what was going to happen and there were always extra people at the table—I mean, what’s one more if you’re already serving five kids?” she says. “It was a fun place to be, and she set an early example for me of how to entertain.”

While she learned how to entertain at an early age, it was while living in San Francisco in the mid to late 80s that Dana started the love affair with cooking that continues today. The food scene of 1980s San Francisco was bustling, headlining some of the biggest movements in a renaissance of American cuisine. Legends like Alice Waters of Che Panisse (credited with starting the farm-to-table movement) and Julia Child who lived and cooked in the area during that time, inspired a generation of cooks—including Dana—to take their skills to new heights, savoring the rewards of a well-cooked meal.

“I probably spent half my money on restaurants when I lived in San Francisco,” Dana notes. “We’d go to the most expensive restaurant and order the cheapest thing on the menu just for the experience and to learn from what they were doing.”

From her experiences in these restaurants, she learned how to combine flavor and textures, the art of plating, and the joy of spending time with others over a great meal.

This passion followed Dana as she moved around the country adding bits of each locale to her cooking repertoire. It is an art form she continues to enjoy refining in her downtown condo today.

12 • PADUCAH LIFE

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★

by S TEPHANIE WATSON

EATING

WELL, BEING WELL Dr. Anthony Davis and His Family Find a Healthier Way of Eating and Being on Their Journey Toward Good Food

Diet trends come and go, but the recommendation to “eat your vegetables” is one that stands the test of time. The plant-based eating movement has embraced this adage, making its way into mainstream verbiage in recent years and inspiring home cooks, chefs, food authors, and consumers to ground more meals in the foods that nourish us the most: living ones.

But for one local doctor and his family, eating plant-based is certainly no fad. It’s the foundation of their approach to health, and it’s filling their dinner table with a lot of good eats.

“Let Food Be Thy Medicine” —HIPPOCRATES

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D

R. ANTHONY DAVIS AND his wife Jennifer Davis BSN RN CLNC have spent years in the medical field helping people to find healthier paths. As a bariatric surgeon for Baptist Health, Anthony guides patients on weight loss journeys by using medical procedures and dietary education to help them overcome morbid obesity, a disease that can be both debilitating and life-threatening. And while Jennifer’s work as a nurse hasn’t focused on weight loss, it has given her a close understanding of the devastating effects of chronic disease.

It was their family’s own health journey, however, that helped them to fully understand the power and pleasure of plant-based eating. “Of course, we knew the basics of healthy eating,” Anthony explains. “We avoided soda and processed foods and tried to stay away from too many sweets, but it wasn’t until we started seriously tackling some of our own health challenges that we discovered we really weren’t doing enough.”

Stacks of research and health books led to a turning point for the couple as they seriously delved into the question that all of us face: Are we eating to live or living to eat?

They found that whole food, plant-based eating offered an array of health benefits, including the ability to reduce or even reverse heart disease and type 2 diabetes while improving a host of other common ailments. And for Anthony’s patients, it offered a way to keep off the weight without counting calories or measuring portions. In general, they could eat as many plants as they pleased.

Considering their findings, the couple adopted a ‘food as medicine’ philosophy, looking more seriously at what foods they needed to eliminate and which ones they needed to add. They filled their table with whole grains, leafy greens, and vitaminpacked colorful fruits and vegetables.

Mushrooms became a staple for their high concentration of antioxidants, which boost immunity and prevent cell damage.

They replaced meats with fiber-rich proteins like beans, lentils, and tofu. Anthony even found a way he could enjoy sweet

16 • PADUCAH LIFE

potatoes because of their high concentration of vitamins and minerals and low glycemic load.

Jennifer’s mother also joined the movement and avoided taking medicine for high cholesterol by adding oatmeal, brazil nuts, and other sources of healthy fats and fiber to her diet daily. The family started to feel better, look better, and see their health concerns recede.

“I’ve always been fascinated with finding health, even as a kid,” Anthony notes, “so I knew that vegetables and live foods were essential, but I didn’t know how essential they are to living life WELL: free from the diseases and dysfunctions that we so often think are just part of life.

We’ve had our own health concerns just like everybody else, but disease isn’t a given--or at least it doesn’t have to be when we fill ourselves with life-giving food.”

A Colorful Table

The food we eat is about so much more than refilling our tanks—it speaks to our traditions, our culture, and our love for the people we serve. It can be tempting to view the switch to eating more plants as a loss of traditions, or it can be viewed as the building of new ones--healthier ones that foster longevity, vibrant living, and sustainable practices for our planet.

As the busy parents of two elementary-age kids, Anthony and Jennifer take this endeavor seriously, but they’re also quick to admit that they don’t overcomplicate it. Switching chicken for chickpeas provides protein along with fiber and a host of vitamins and minerals. Tofu has the same benefits and is one of their go-to substitutes for meats in stir fries.

“Tofu is really good if you know how to cook it right,” Jennifer explains. “Cube it, toss it in some salt, pepper, and corn starch, and throw it in the oven or air fryer.

Then, toss it in your favorite sauce. We recently made it with a store-bought vegan buffalo sauce, and it was a hit with the whole family.”

Another one of Jennifer’s favorite dishes is a nutrientdense kale salad that helps her family to “eat the rainbow.” Steamed edamame and pumpkin seeds give a boost of protein while kale, shredded carrots, red bell peppers, corn, and quinoa provide just about all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals a person could possibly get in a single dish. A homemade vinaigrette pulls it together, but the real trick is one you may laugh at: massage the kale.

Pouring a little olive oil in your hands and then squeezing the chopped kale softens the tough leaves, allowing for

Jennifer’s Kale Salad SALAD 2-3 bunches of kale, chopped into bitesized pieces, remove the big stems 1-2 cups cooked quinoa (or 2 bags frozen steamed quinoa) 1-2 red bell peppers 1 bag frozen corn (cooked) 1-2 bag shelled edamame (cooked) 1 bag shredded carrots DRESSING Blend in food processor or blender 2 cloves garlic ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp dried basil ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper ½ cup olive oil ½-¾ cup red wine vinegar Massage kale with some oil (Jennifer uses avocado oil) by rubbing the oil with a tiny bit of salt in the palm of your hand. This softens the kale. Mix in the other vegetables and quinoa.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix thoroughly. Top with sunflower or pumpkin seeds when served. Will keep in the fridge for about a week.

APRIL/MAY 2022 • 17

J UNE / J U LY 2021 • 17

the feel of lettuce with the increased fiber and nutrients the plant provides.

“Making the salad is a labor of love,” Jennifer admits, “but kale doesn’t wilt like lettuce, so it lasts the whole week. We eat it on its own, as a side, or even wrapped up with hummus in a whole wheat tortilla. It’s such an energizing dish.

You can’t help but feel great after eating it.”

Anthony’s approach to cooking relies more on intuition than recipe, and he can often be found making “everything soups” or curries with whatever vegetables happen to be in the fridge. They also bring the kids in the kitchen as often as possible to instill an understanding of nutrition and an investment in meals.

Plus, it just makes things more fun!

And Anthony’s advice for those who think setting aside the processed food and meat is too great a leap is this: Get out of your own way. “People overcomplicate healthy eating,” he notes. “It doesn’t have to be hard. Even dedicating one meal or one side to a whole food, plant-based option is a great starting point. And corn and white potatoes don’t count! Grab something green or with lots of color.”

Jennifer ends with the reminder that lasting change takes time. “Your body often takes 4-5 exposures to learn to like something, so give your taste buds time to adjust and try to have some fun exploring new foods,” she advises.

“If we can live our lives with less doctor’s appointments and medications by eating better food, why wouldn’t we give it a shot?”

Anthony’s Slow Cooker Curry Stew 1 1 2 2 1

teaspoon olive oil large onion, diced ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided (plus more to taste) tablespoons curry powder inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (or sub ¼ to a ½ teaspoon ground ginger) 3 cloves garlic, minced Pinch cayenne pepper (optional) 2 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth, divided 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks 2 (15.5 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 red bell peppers, diced 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 (5 ounce) bag kale (or a few big handfuls of chopped kale) 1 (13-14 ounce) can coconut milk Heat olive oil in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt, and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the curry powder, ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper (if using) to the pan. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in 2-3 tablespoons of the vegetable broth, and scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

Pour the onion, spices, and all the liquid from the skillet into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the potatoes, the rest of the broth, chickpeas, bell peppers, tomatoes, black pepper, and another teaspoon of salt. Give everything a good stir. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 ½ - 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.

Stir in the kale and the can of coconut milk. Replace the lid and allow cook about 10 minutes more, until the kale is wilted. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Aaron & Ari’s Peach Cobbler Smoothie 2 frozen peaches, pitted but unpeeled 1 cup unsweetened almond milk ¼ cup rolled oats 1 tablespoon hemp hearts 2 Medjool dates, soaked for 20 minutes and pitted Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

18 • PADUCAH LIFE

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PRIMARY CARE FOR THE UNIVERSE OF YOU 20 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Fresh Fare at your Fingertips ★

by E LENA W RY E

“P

ROBABLY THE THING THAT STARTED IT IS JUST VARIOUS

instances that have happened in the last few years,” Harold Luscombe recalls. “The ice storm would have been the biggest one. All of a sudden you find out that you’re in your house, you can’t hardly cook, you can’t go to the grocery store unless you happened to have a pocket full of money before the storm hit. You just all of a sudden realize how vulnerable you are,” he says as he recounts his initial interest in freeze drying—a process where water is removed to preserve perishable items, with the goal of extending their shelf life.

Before freeze drying came about, however, Harold had been doing dehydrating for the last seven years in earnest. Harold was no stranger to food preservation, though, as it was a lifestyle that he grew up with.

“I’ve canned almost all my life. My mom and dad canned. And it was probably twenty years ago when we got our first dehydrator and we toyed around with it, did a few apples here and there and various things. But never really got into it until about six years ago. And then, I ran out of jars.”

Harold gives a laugh as he recalls where that sudden lack of necessities led him.

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 21

Harold

Luscombe

There were no jars, but there was a plethora of strawberries they had at the time that needed preserving. Upon researching how best to do so, he came across a gentleman who does 17th century cooking and featured how to preserve strawberries.

“Basically, it was just covering them in sugar and the sugar draws the moisture out and you have kind of a rubbery strawberry, but some really good flavor regardless. That’s what got me interested in preserving food that way. And freeze drying is just another way to preserve.”

Freeze drying is Harold’s food preservation method of choice, as he mentions the difference in shelf-life between dehydrated and freeze dried foods.

“You can do a lot of things with a dehydrator. The problem is, though, that the dehydrator takes out about 80 or so percent of the water. So, for fruits or meats you’re going to have 80 or 90 percent of the water out, but it’s going to be that jerky for meat or it’s going to be that rubbery kind of context. Which will keep, if you keep it in something that keeps most of the air out. That will keep for two or three years, but it does start losing its flavor and everything after a little bit, too.”

For the matter of planning for potential winter storms, power outages, and unexpected events though, Harold needed something with a bit more longevity.

“Freeze-drying however, takes out about 99% of the moisture, so it really helps if you want to preserve food longer term. Whether it’s five years or 30 years, it can be done. Then you can put it in a sealed environment to really protect it,” says Harold. It wasn’t long before Harold sought out a freeze dryer to call his own and began the numerous experiments that have given him the knowledge that he now has of the process.

Freeze drying things like leftovers of meals—including pork, green beans, soups, and more—has taught Harold more about the rehydration process with each attempt that he makes. The rehydration process that, depending on the food, can take as little as 5 minutes.

He notes that the nice thing about freeze drying—being that it preserves the look and the taste better than dehydrating, which will change it.

For example, apples.

“If I was going to make a pie out of it, I like dehydrated apples myself for making a pie. However, if you wanted to just eat an apple, I’d rather have a freeze dried one. It’s going to taste like a fresh apple, except it’s going to have the crunch of a potato chip,” Harold says of the contrast.

Much to his surprise, another delightful treat that has a crunch when freeze dried, is Skittles.

“It turns that almost jelly bean center into a delicate crunch. The other treat is something that has a caramel in it, like a Milk Dud. That caramel turns into having more air in it than a cheese puff. When you pop that

22 • PADUCAH LIFE 22 • PAD U CAH L I FE

Around&About thing, it blows that Milk Dud up to the size of a ping pong ball. You put it in there and it’s almost like a cotton candy feel—you crunch, and then it’s just flavor in your mouth.”

Be it drying candy to make a tasty delight, or testing the trials of freeze drying essentials such as meat and soups, Harold’s learnedness has proved to be not only remarkably intriguing, but resourceful as well.

It’s a process that he’s learned to appreciate. “Both dehydrating and freeze drying—there is a few minutes of work that you have to do, then you’ve got 20 or 30 hours that you

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TWO REALTORS ARE BETTER THAN ONE! don’t have to do anything,” Harold says with a laugh. “And right when you take it out is when you need to make sure that you’ve got the time to do it.”

With time well spent, food well cared for, and preservation well done, Harold’s hints will keep your fresh fare at your fingertips.

Leslie Heath and Roxie Jarvis are teaming up to bring you double the representation when you decide to buy or sell a home. Both Leslie and Roxie have YEARS of experience in the local market. So if you want to tap into the MOST knowledgeable realtors around, give them a call!

Leslie Heath & Roxie Jarvis EXPERIENCE REALTY

LESLIE HEATH 270.331.2506 leslieheath@kw.com

ROXIE JARVIS 270.519.9763 roxiejarvis@kw.com

3420 Park Avenue #2 / Paducah, Kentucky 42003 Each office is independently Owned and Operated

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 23

J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 23

24 • PADUCAH LIFE

Bloom Planted where you’re ★

by D USTIN W ILCOX

Christine Thompson is Growing into Her New Role as Director of the Paducah Senior Center

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 25

C

CHRISTINE THOMPSON, Executive Director of the Paducah Senior Center, said she’s always aiming to enhance the lives of her clients. As such, when the opportunity arose to plant a community garden right across the street, she pounced on it.

After the Senior Center received a $6,000 “Community Challenge” quick-action grant from AARP in July 2021 — intended to fund projects that benefit local communities — Christine knew exactly how she wanted to spend the money.

She’d previously relayed the idea of a garden to Tommy Holliman, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Paducah, but the two shelved it until they could hammer out the logistics. With funding at the ready, he helped her secure the current plot of land on the corner of North 14th Street and Atkins Avenue.

“A community garden in that space would benefit our seniors who come to the Senior Center and also his seniors who live in the senior housing unit right across the street from us,” Christine said.

Using a site plan drafted by Katie Axt, former Paducah Main Street Manager, the team began work on the garden the very next month, albeit with some road blocks along the way.

Adding a fence proved particularly difficult due to persistent adverse weather.

Christine sought sponsorships and donations from the community to supplement the AARP grant, securing every element she deemed necessary for the garden. This included senior-accessible raised garden beds, paved pathways, ramps, shading and seating.

Planting commenced on April 20. Local staple Hyuck Farms donated a good chunk of the fruit, vegetable, and flower seeds for that day, a gesture Christine noted was completely unsolicited and greatly appreciated.

WE’VE GOT THE

STEAK! And we’ve got the sizzle!

Senior Center Benefits The Senior Center offers most of its services for free or at a nominal cost, including but not limited to the following: MEALS ON WHEELS / The biggest program at present, the Senior Center delivers “It’s been really neat to see the meals to clients who are unable to leave their homes for the on-site lunch. community come together to help us with this project,” she said.

GYM AND EXERCISE ROOM / The center offers commercial-grade equipment “It’s a really beautiful space. and a thrice-weekly fitness class to keep clients healthy.

Once everything starts growing and blooming, I’m really excited ELDERLY HOMEOWNERS MAINTENANCE AND EVERYDAY SECURITY / Clients can to see what it looks like.” request labor services from trained volunteers for minor home repairs.

While it’s mainly meant for seniors to cultivate, Christine said MEDICARE COORDINATOR / An on-site coordinator can provide Medicare guidance to those who need help navigating the system. the garden is open to the public, and she’s cherished the crossRETIRED SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM / Under the AmeriCorps umbrella, generational interaction she’s seen this enables clients to get plugged into volunteer work in the community. so far from her office window across the street.

BILLIARDS ROOM / Always a popular endeavor, some clients drop “One day, when the sun was out and by for hours a day to hone their billiards skills. it was a really pretty day, I saw one of the seniors out there with their grandkid, and I got really emotional because I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s exactly what I wanted to see,” she said.

Beyond that, Christine hopes the garden will facilitate exercise, relaxation, cultural engagement, aging in place, and other benefits for her clients. She’s also interested in partnering with the schools for planting activities.

Thanks to this garden, that overarching vision may very well become a reality.

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28 • PAD U CAH L I FE

On the Field of Play ★

by D USTIN W ILCOX

Rakeem Buckles and Chris Dowe.

“It was quite an endeavor to take on,” Cole said. “I just knew that I didn’t want to go work for Cole McKeel has Leveraged His Early Love of Sports a big agency that was going to do and His Experiences at the Hands of His Entrepreneurial things unethically or put me in a Father into an International Sports Management Career position where I wasn’t proud of what I was doing.”

Scoring his bachelor’s degree in sport administration from the University of Louisville in 2011— followed by master’s In Toronto degrees in business with NBA administration client Reggie from Louisville and Hearn of the Olympic studies from Detroit Pistons. the International Olympic Academy and the University of Peloponnese, respectively—Cole’s introduction to sport business came from working for Coach Rick Pitino.

His interest in business was heavily inspired by growing up around his family’s business: McKeel Equipment Company.

Although he never worked for the business, observing its inner workings from a young age enabled him to better understand ETWEEN RUNNING HIS OWN COMPANY, WORKING business development and sales for two others, and teaching college classes, Paducah native in his eventual career.

Cole McKeel wears a multitude of hats . . . or cleats or uniforms As the Director of Partnerships or whatever symbolic sporting paraphernalia is appropriate for the Huddle Up Group sports at the time. Yet almost every role he’s held within the past consulting firm, Cole has served as 15 years has been related to sports management—signaling the primary contact for more than loudly and clearly where his passions lie.

400 sports-related clients since Since 2013, Cole has served as the vice president of GoEmpire Group—an 2021. Among these contacts locally athlete representation firm he founded alongside a Chicago-based colleague at are the Paducah Convention & the age of 23—putting him in charge of such day-to-day operations as recruitVisitors Bureau and the McCracken ment, sponsorships, and endorsements. Some of his high-profile clients include County Sports Commission.

Reggie Hearn, Tony Wroten, Quentin Snider, Tony Hicks, Ryan McMahon,

B

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 29

ColeMcKeel

“It’s fun, and it’s perfect for someone like me who gets bored easily,” Cole said. “I flew into Fort Myers Beach last night from Dallas. Two weeks ago, I was in Fort Worth. The week before that I was in Arkansas. The week before that I was in California. It’s always changing, and it’s very fast-paced, but it’s also a lot of different projects, which keeps your brain working at all times.”

The company recently launched a patent-pending, data-driven technology platform to help destinations like Paducah to attract sporting events to their locality. The “Sports Tourism Index + Scout” is now the largest event database in the sport tourism industry, covering more than 320 destinations across the country.

“A lot of people are scared by trying to develop something or build something or they are worried

Representing Team USA at the closing ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic games.

about failing,” Cole said.

“I’ve never been wired that way. I feel like I get that from growing up in a small business family. The older my dad gets, the more he’s involved with; like starting the Paducah Chiefs a few years back. He’s definitely my inspiration, so that small business startup mentality is what makes it fun for me, and it’s why I really enjoy the work that I do.”

Cole picked up another job in May as a senior business development consultant for Inside the Games, the largest outlet for Olympic- and Paralympic-based news worldwide. And if that weren’t enough, Cole is also an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, teaching sport management classes within the college of business.

Cole with friends from Chile, Puerto Rico, Argentina, France, and El Salvador at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

30 • PADUCAH LIFE

Interestingly enough, Alaska Cole McKeel at the USARussia hockey game at is one of the few states Cole has the 2018 PyeongChang not yet visited, as he connected Winter Olympics. with the university via an annual event hosted by a previous employer. Thanks to the proliferation of video-conferencing, he’s able to impart firsthand career know-how to the next generation of sport professionals without leaving his office.

“The good thing about all of my ventures right now is, it’s completely, 100 percent remote. With technology these days, a phone and laptop is pretty much all you need.”

Cole said. “So we work from wherever, whenever we need to, and I do quite a bit of traveling. I’ve been to 45 states and 54 countries, so wherever I am, whatever time zone I’m in, whatever country or state that I wake up in is my office for the day.”

Previously, Cole has worked as a sport business development manager for the U.S. Olympic Committee, as a marketing and media assistant for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, in gameday operations for the Denver Broncos and much more.

Years ago, Cole played baseball, basketball and soccer at Paducah Tilghman, sometimes being coached by his father, whom he calls his biggest advocate. Despite relocating to Colorado and now Florida, Cole still proudly calls this place home.

“Honestly, my upbringing in Paducah was everything,” he said. “All because of Paducah, I feel like I had a good opportunity to really learn the sport business but also see the opportunities that come with following your passion. I’ve figured out a way to do what I love and make a living at it.”

Cole with his business partner, Edward Grochowiak, and clients Adam Eberhard and Jaleen Smith in Heidelberg, Germany.

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 31

by Rosemarie Steele

Beyond

TRADITION Kerry Bowes has stitched her own niche as an accomplished textile artist

T

HE VIBRANT REBIRTH IN QUILTMAKING THAT began with the American Bicentennial of 1976 and the feminist movement runs a parallel path to fiber artist Kerry Bowes’ story. These historic events electrified a resurgence in quilting, basketmaking, and other functional fine craft. Women artists everywhere began breaking new ground with their formerly traditional artforms. Kerry’s personal narrative had its creative roots in these basics but has evolved far beyond tradition today.

From her early years with aprons and tea towels in 4H clubs in northern Michigan to making her own clothes as a young adult in the 60s, Kerry always knew she could sew. She even made her own wedding gown— just because she could. However, marriage, motherhood, and the everchanging cycle of life provided the natural progression from sewing, quilting, and home décor to the freedom of discovering and developing her own personal art expressions that break the mold of traditional quilting and basketmaking.

Raised in a military family, Kerry was accustomed to not staying in one location for a long period of time.

Relocation was second nature to her and her ten siblings. When her husband’s employment company went international, Kerry found herself once again globe trotting in exotic locations like Western Africa, Jamaica, and South India. Kerry loved experiencing the indigenous fabric cultures of each country and sought out the hidden batik and fabric shops. “Quilting and sewing and stitching was so beautifully portable and a great doorway to a culture,” said Kerry. “Language and cultural barriers quickly fall with such a passionate common ground.”

In earlier years, Kerry tried her hand at traditional quilting but found repetitive quilt blocks and making perfect points too restricting. “I can make perfect points, but it’s not my forte. I don’t like to follow the rules,” said Kerry.“I preferred the art quilts and the way patterns and textures and geometric progressions come

32 • PAD U CAH L I FE

J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 33

Kerry Bowes Textile Artist together. I developed some innovative approaches for working with tricky fabric such as silk, which brought me to the end result I was imagining.”

In an effort to improve her free-motion quilting designs, Kerry became interested in the art of Zentangle®, a meditative and repetitive drawing technique for creating patterned designs, and eventually became a Certified Zentangle Teacher. “Zentangle made such a difference! It gave me the freedom to just make it happen and the confidence to draw with the machine,” said Kerry.“It was so much fun!”

Kerry was introduced to coiled fabric basketry, the process of wrapping strips of fabric around cotton cording then stitching the coil around itself, at a quilt guild demo.“I thought it was a fun way to use up fabric so I just started experimenting. I pulled out my dupioni silks from India, stripped them up and made an art basket, which I named Shoreline, inspired by the Lake Michigan shore.” Over the years, she has developed her own applique method of integrating images and effects in her 3D objects.

A visit to the Art Guild of Paducah gallery at 115 Market House Square provides the perfect venue to feast your eyes on Kerry’s handiwork. Her art quilts and basketry will delight you with the innovative ways she has used fabrics, feathers, and unexpected embellishments to create objects of beauty. The influence of Kerry’s history, travels, and love of nature are evident in each objet d’art as well as Van Gogh paintings and current events that move her, such as a recent tsunami and the conflict in Ukraine. An innate Native American influence also surfaces in her coiled baskets, possibly a hint from her heritage in the Menominee tribe from the Northern Great Lakes.

So how does this cosmopolitan Michigan resident find herself in Paducah? Kerry was well aware of Paducah’s moniker of Quilt City USA® and attended several AQS QuiltWeek events over the years. There was also a family tie that endeared her to our historic

34 • PAD U CAH L I FE

FRESH FALL FARE!

Her art quilts and basketry will delight you with the innovative ways she [Bowes] has used fabrics, feathers, and unexpected embellishments to create objects of beauty.

S avor The Tastes of Summer!

rivertown. Her sister Jeanne had already taken up residence here. The concept of a separate working studio/residence in a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk art with a strong quilting and textile art presence was irresistible. By 2020, before COVID restrictions were implemented, Kerry had sold her northern Michigan studio and was safely nested in the new Acorn Cottage Studio, this time surrounded by burr and pin oaks instead of the great white oaks of Michigan.

Kerry has reached that season of her life where she can now devote much of her time to creating art with no rules and no restrictions. Just the freedom to make it happen. She scans thrift stores for clothing and items she can deconstruct and add to her fabric stash and supplies.

Now part of Paducah’s creative community, Kerry is an exhibiting member of the Art Guild and networking with other artists, including her sister and her creative cohorts who gather once or twice a week to experiment with mixed media.

For Kerry, art is an everyday habit and desire that she has given herself permission to pursue. “The things I’m making are not practical, so permission is required.” She spends most of the year in Acorn Cottage Studio where stunning textile creations emerge from her hands; however, the lure of her north Michigan home still has considerable sway, as do her granddaughters on the west coast. With travel inevitable, no doubt more inspiration awaits. Stay tuned for what the next creative season brings..

LET US DO THE COOKING AND CATERING! It’s time to celebrate the fresh tastes of summer’s bounty. Take advantage of all the new seasonal flavors with menu items from FRESH FOODIES.

270.349.8416 532 N. 32nd Street Paducah, KY J UNE / J ULY 2021 • 35

A Building Revived, A

HOME

Reimagined Amy and Logan Blewett are Bringing New Life and Beautiful Music to their Unexpected Historic Home H

by Stephanie Watson and Elena Wrye

F

OR MOST PEOPLE, THE HEART OF the home is the living room. It provides space for communion and gathering and speaks to a family’s traditions, legacies, and love. Walking into Amy and Logan Blewett’s home is, in this respect, no different. Up three flights of solemn stone steps, through two wooden Tudor-style doors, and into a space lined with textured plaster walls, ornate stained glass, and gothic chandeliers, is a room that reverberates with the memories of choirs and congregations lifting united voices in worship. The heart of the Blewett’s home is a sacred space—it is, after all, a sanctuary—that welcomes visitors to a family tradition and the unexpected life of a couple living in a church.

A Life Outside the Lines For Amy and Logan, the historic structure located in the former Mechanicsburg neighborhood just southeast of downtown Paducah, is work, home, and a passion project in living outside the norm.

“We don’t really do normal,” Amy explains. “I always wanted a large house with beautiful stonework and lots of character. I just didn’t quite get it in the way I expected!”

While the search for more space is a common reason people enter the housing market, it was the need for a particular kind of space that inspired the Blewett’s to consider a nontraditional move that could house their family and home-based music businesses.

Amy and Logan Blewett are a musical duo in the truest sense. Amy has been a music teacher since 2000 and Logan has been tuning, repairing, and restoring pianos since 2012. In 2015, and the

businesses were growing at such a rate that it was becoming too crowded for both Logan and Amy to do their respective musical work in their former home.

“There was one day when I was giving lessons to a 3-year-old while Logan was recovering the keys for a piano,” Amy recalls. “Shards from the keys were flying onto the floor and the noise was distracting. It was then that we knew it was time for a change, and we wanted a space where we could comfortably live and work.”

Thankfully the hunt for this specific type of property didn’t last long. The church went on the market in April, 2016 just as Amy and Logan were starting their search, and they were able to finalize the purchase in October of that year.

“It’s been an interesting experience, but we can’t complain, because this is exactly what we asked for. When we were walking around downtown and looking at possibilities, we kept thinking ‘there’s no parking, there’s no stage, the sound is terrible, why would we have recitals here— we need something like a movie theater, a school auditorium, or a church.’ We went home, and this popped up on Facebook! It checked all the boxes,” Logan explains.

The couple understood the stature of the building, and the repairs that it would entail. After almost a year of construction work to transform the Sunday school wing into their living quarters, Amy and Logan were able to move into their new residence in August, 2017.

Since moving in, the couple has continued renovations that restore the functionality and beauty of the building while meeting residential and commercial code. The downstairs, which once served as Sunday school rooms and a fellowship J UNE / J U LY 2022 • 37

Blewett’s Church House

Logan and Amy Blewett

“We don’t really do normal. I always wanted a large house with beautiful stonework and lots of character. I just didn’t quite get it in the way I expected!”

-Amy Blewett

38 • PAD U CAH L I FE

hall, has been converted to spaces where both group and individual lessons take place. From here, Amy teaches violin, viola, cello, recorder, and piano using the Suzuki method of music instruction. And while Amy is training students of all ages, Logan brings the piano keys back to life.

The sanctuary remains the heart of the building, providing remarkable acoustics and aesthetics for the studio’s performances. Amy and Logan also look forward to utilizing its functional aspects and structural beauty as a venue that can be rented out for weddings, events, meetings, etc.

“We’re not the only ones in the country that have done this kind of work,” Logan says. “We’re actually part of a Facebook group called I Live in a Church.

We’re one of the few who have a home and business in the same space, but when you have a facility that’s large, you can do that. Most of the people in that group have a smaller church building and they’ve converted the whole thing into a living space.”

West Kentucky Community and Technical College

to the 2022 Winners and Finalists of the 5th Annual

2022 Distinguished Faculty (Pre-K - 5th grade) Award WINNER: Cynthia S. Collins

Finalists: Keri L. Cornwell

Heath Elementary School kindergarten Jump Start teacher

Symsonia Elementary School science teacher

Brittany Riley

Morgan Elementary School 3rd grade teacher

2022 Distinguished Faculty (6th - 12th grade) Award WINNER: Courtney C. Brantley

Finalists:

McCracken County High School family and consumer science teacher

Elaine R. Farris

Lone Oak Middle School special education teacher

Robert Wade Morse

Paducah Tilghman High School English department chair

2022 Distinguished Administrator Award WINNER: Finalists: Geco E. Ross Billy Edwards Paducah Middle School principal

Mayfield High School principal

Jonathan Reid

Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary School principal

2022 Cornelia Reece Unsung Hero Administrative Staff Award Finalists: WINNER: LaToya Benberry

McNabb Elementary School Kids Co. II director

Ann Samons

Murray High School counselor

Brandon Uzzle

Fulton County Schools Family Ties (FRYSC) director

2022 Cornelia Reece Unsung Hero Support Staff Award Finalists: WINNER: Todd Moore

Paducah Public Schools maintenance supervisor

Wanda Kay Rouse

Paducah Public Schools administrative assistant-personnel

Annaka Wilson

Paducah Public Schools instructional assistant

Special thanks to our sponsors

GOLD PARTNER: Morsey Constructors

SILVER PARTNER: Community Financial Services Bank and Paducah Junior College, Inc. BRONZE PARTNER: CSI, Paducah Ford, Mr. Ken Wheeler, WPSD Local 6/The Paducah Sun, and Mr. Chuck Murphy WKCTC is an equal educational and employment opportunity institution.

J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 39

A Nod To The Past, A Plan for the Future

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While the walls hold the building’s church history—the life, legacy, and music that filled those hallowed walls and halls—Amy and Logan now hold its future with the music they create and the knowledge that they share with their students.

Amy, who comes from a musical family, has a passion for teaching others the importance and beauty of music. “Good music grows your soul” she adds. “When you play and listen to beautiful music, it gives you a beautiful heart. You can’t help but absorb some of it.”

Teaching music in a place steeped in spiritual tradition is a comfortable fit for Amy. As the daughter of a Methodist pastor, living in a church wasn’t a stretch for her. Growing up, Amy’s family lived in the parsonage next to the church her father pastored in central Illinois, and she and her brother spent their time playing in Sunday school rooms, practicing on the pianos, and digging through the craft closet to pass the time.

“I basically grew up in churches,” she explains. “My mom worked during the summer, so we would go to the church with my dad. And, if there was ever an issue that arose, church was right next door to us. Churches have always been comfortable spaces for me and being here is no different.”

“We want to honor the past while celebrating the future of this building,” Logan explains. “We love hearing the stories that have taken place here over the years, and as the next generation of caregivers we take our responsibility for this building seriously.”

Part of this past includes the strong faith and good works that produced the building. While the basement was constructed in the mid-1920s, it wasn’t until 1937 when the Great Depression was receding along with the waters from the infamous 1937 flood when Reverend C.H. Rayl brought

his family, good faith, and eye for architecture to Paducah.

The church had almost no money to contribute to the project, but Rev. Rayl proved to the congregants that with faith, God would provide. Under his leadership, the Trinity United Methodist Episcopal Church completed the structure by using stones and flooring from the recently demolished Federal Building to build the basic structure and red roof tiles from former employee homes at the Brookport Navigation Damn to build the roof.

All materials were bought at extremely low cost to the church, and volunteers provided most of the labor.

This cycle of faith continued as the church attended to the interior of the structure. With providence on his side and some personal ingenuity, Rev. Rayl was able to produce affordable materials and labor at little to no cost to complete the carpentry work, stained glass windows, gothic chandeliers, and plastered walls.

In 1939, the building was finished and appraised for $75,000—a fraction of the cost it took to build it—with the church’s investment totaling $23,000. It stands today as it did then as a symbol of faith and trust for the congregants and members of the community.

The construction of the Trinity church is a beautiful story, steeped in both faith and good works and reminiscent of the labor of love that the Blewett’s are carrying on today.

Raven & Moth

L O C A L .

S U S T A I N A B L E .

H A N D C R A F T E D .

J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 41

INTRODUCING PADUCAH'S NEW AUTOMATED, CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE SYSTEM!

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42 • PAD U CAH L I FE

by J.T. Crawford

Paducah State University?

Exploring the battle for western Kentucky’s turn of the century college

This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Murray being chosen to be home for an institution of higher education.That school would become Murray State University. Before the city was picked, however, towns across the region fought hard to get the school. A century later, we look back on the fight, imagine what might have been, and celebrate a hundred years of Murray State.

43

Murray State University History

T

Experiential

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HE ENTERPRISE OF EDUCATION IS BOTH cooperative and competitive. The value of teaching, training, and molding young minds has long been understood to be a collective effort of society. It is in the public’s interest. Like with most things, however, we want to be the best and have the best. In 1922, a grand opportunity was presented to western Kentucky. And the race was on to see which city would become home to an expansion in higher education.

By the early 1900s, an education system for children through high school was firmly established throughout our nation. And standards were rising. Throughout the 1800s, many schools only required that their teachers attain the same level of education that they were to teach. In Paducah, for example, all that was necessary to teach high school was to be a high school graduate with one year’s experience as a substitute. Some, however, saw the value of offering special training for teachers before they entered the workforce.

Normal schools started to pop up. The name came from the French école normale, which translates as “standard” or “model school.” The idea was to impart the art and science of teaching and thus create a more standardized platform for public education.

In 1906, the Kentucky General Assembly approved legislation to establish two, public normal schools in the state. One was in Richmond, and the other was in Bowling Green. Western Kentucky State Normal School (now Western Kentucky University) was created from the previously private Southern Normal School.

Local schools began to change their requirements for incoming teachers. In 1917, the Paducah school board ruled that teachers would have to attain one year’s training in a normal school. Some who entered the profession were able to go to Bowling Green and study for a year. But for many who wanted to teach, the education requirement was out of reach.

Local educators established County Institutes, co-operative extensions of the Western Kentucky State Normal school. One of the first in Paducah opened in May 1921 in Lone Oak. The school ran throughout the summer, six days a week. Teachers, both active and prospective, were able to secure professional training that helped them meet the ever-increasing requirements to be a teacher. Tuition was $10, and Lone Oak residents offered upward of 150 rooms (not to exceed $1 a day) for those who would travel to Paducah for the summer courses.

The following January, state Senator B.H. Harris of Ashland introduced a bill that would establish two more normal schools in the state — one in the east and one in the west. Not only were the two established normal schools difficult for many to attend, but they also could not adequately train all the teachers needed for the growing population.

The bill’s introduction set in motion a flurry of activity in cities and towns throughout the Purchase Region of Western Kentucky, each vying to become the home to a new school. The Mayfield Lions Club threw down the gauntlet first, constructing a rudimentary proposal within a matter of days. Paducah retorted. “It goes without saying that the logical place for such a school is the largest city in that section, and the one best suited in every way to contain it. That city is Paducah.” (The Paducah Sun-Democrat, Jan. 30, 1922) Benton, Clinton, Kevil, Princeton, and other towns formed committees, held rallies, and raised funds to build their cases for getting the school. Sometimes, the fight was ugly. A committeeman in Mayfield said that there was too much moonshine liquor in Paducah for the city to be suitable.“Lead them not into temptation but deliver them from evil,” he was quoted. He likened the fight between the cities to that of David and Goliath and felt that Mayfield would prevail because of the abundant hootch in Paducah.

Paducah’s reply was a bit more subtle. “To locate the normal school in an unsuitable city would be abnormal. The answer is Paducah.”

The advantages for whichever city that landed the school were clear.

The state estimated the school would, on average, have 500 students enrolled. And that number was projected to eventually grow to an estimated 1,500. That meant more money spent in the city where it was located. The Paducah committee, which represented publicity, health, location, education, housing, religion, and transportation, asked citizens to donate to a fund set aside for getting the school located here. Civic clubs united. Mrs. E.M. Post started a campaign to secure a list of rooms around Paducah that students and/or teachers could rent. The initial goal was 600 rooms.

Local schools asked children to write essays on why Paducah was the right choice. The Farm Bureau organized rallies in the rural parts of the county to encourage citizens to get behind the drive.

Paducah was even ready to provide the land needed for the new school.

After each community went to Louisville to make their cases, a committee came to west Kentucky to see them first hand. Paducah offered 75-acre

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Murray State University History Wallace Park, the land west of the current location of the Coke Plant. City leaders even staged a demonstration of how fast the fire department could respond to that area (three minutes for the Chief to arrive and between 4 and 4.5 minutes for the trucks).

After the pitch in July of 1922, there was nothing to do but wait for the decision of the committee. On September 1, there was a single headline with no accompanying story: “Murray Gets the Normal.” The next day, Paducah offered Murray sincere congratulations and pledged support to make the school a success. The committee had passed on Paducah stating that it was too large. They had decided early on to place the school in a smaller town. It was stated that the committee made the decision based on a balloted process. Each member cast a vote in multiple rounds, and the lowest vote-getter was dropped. Two remained on the last round: Mayfield and Murray. Murray won by a vote of 5 to 4. Paducah had been dropped in the first round.

Mayfield filed suit, contending that Murray was chosen before the committee even visited the cities. This was based on a conversation overheard on a train between a businessman and Representative Lee Clark of Calloway County. Supposedly, Clark said he had been with Murray native and state representative Rainey Wells (who would later become president of the school), helping him find the men to serve on the committee. Mayfield thus brought into question the legitimacy of the committee and even alleged that there was a deal with a “certain large coal interest” to receive “indulgence” from the State Tax Commission if the school was placed there. Wells was the Chairman of the State Tax Commission. And even though Paducah was ok to concede and support Murray, leaders here also questioned the committee, its process, and Dr. Rainey T. Wells its motives.

Founder of Murray State The focus turned to Rainey.

A group of superintendents called him a “foe to the educational process” and condemned the “work of the invisible political power” in the state stating that we needed to rid the commonwealth of the “slimy hand of control.” In the meantime, instituting the school at Murray continued

46 • PAD U CAH L I FE

with a temporary location at Murray high school. There were also questions as to how Rainey Wells would benefit from the school as a large parcel of land he owned became part of the campus.

Additionally, the selection of Morehead in the east was also questioned.

In May of 1923, an appeals court decided that the establishment of the schools in Murray and Morehead would be held as valid. The accusations against Wells were not probed. The paper reported that whistles, church bells, and the city fire alarm bell all sounded, and a celebration went on for at least an hour when the news was received. On September 24, 1923, the Normal School at Murray officially opened with thousands in attendance to mark the occasion. Rainey Wells had declared that “God placed Murray on a higher plane than any other town in west Kentucky.”

The school grew, becoming the Murray State Teachers College, Murray State College, and in 1966, Murray State University. The connection between Paducah and Murray State has always been a strong one with many residents of Paducah attaining an education at what came to feel like our home region’s university. Murray State even established a presence in Paducah.

But imagine, if you will, what the residents of Paducah envisioned in 1922. Past LaBelle Avenue and Lone Oak Road, just beyond the location of the Coke Plant, a university campus — Paducah State University.

Instead of our west end neighborhoods, there would be libraries, dormitories, and classroom and research buildings. A century later, however, we celebrate the anniversary of a regional resource that has benefited us all. And we in Paducah can proudly say, go Racers!

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Paducah’s Remote Worker Incentive Program Offers a Home Office with Hometown Amenities

I

★

by S TEPHANIE WATSON

WAS, COINCIDENTALLY, WORKING REMOTELY WHEN I first spoke with Melanie Reason and Pam Spencer about Paducah’s Remote Worker Incentive Program. The dog was barking in the background, roofers clamored overhead, and the general noises of a busy home could, no doubt, be heard over the phone. Like so many others who have had this experience over the past two years, my worlds often converge. Professional conversations take place over a computer screen in the dining room. Emails are written while walking the dog or feeding the baby.

A cat is, generally, sitting nearby.

This convergence has become commonplace. The American workplace is an ever-evolving entity, but recent years have brought changes at breakneck speed. The pandemic forced many

people into remote working overnight, and even large, slow-moving institutions like government, education, and healthcare found themselves pushing the boundaries of what work could and should mean.

We’ve adapted. And we’ve reflected.

Time at home, for many, led to an examination of whether the old models of work fit contemporary values, and in the early months of 2021, it became clear that many workers and employers were facing the question of whether to move back to those old models or push forward into a new era of work.

Paducah’s Remote Worker Incentive Program not only embraces this change but celebrates the potential it can bring to our rural Kentucky town. Melanie Reason, the city’s Business Development Specialist, and Pam Spencer, the Communications Director for the city of Paducah, are

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spearheading the initiative to bring remote workers into our area to boost and diversify our economy.

PADUCAH’S “We understand that the nature of work is changing.

REMOTE Jobs are changing, and we want to be responsive to WORKER that,” says Reason. “We also understand that a lot of tech work happens remotely, and we want them to see INCENTIVE that Paducah is a great place for that.”

PROGRAM The Remote Workers Incentive Program was just an idea in the early part of 2021, but, following the lead of many other small to mid-sized cities, the Paducah City Commission realized it needed to work swiftly to take advantage of this unique moment in time.

“We’re always tracking trends in workforce, and we understand remote work is a big part of the future,” Reason adds. “This incentive is a way to add another layer to our response to the changing ways that people are working.”

The program offers remote workers living outside of a 100-mile radius of Paducah a $6,500 incentive package to relocate and bring their work with them. This package includes a $2,500 moving allowance, a $70 per month Internet allowance, a 2% payroll tax waiver for 12 months, and a cultural and educational amenities package with a value of approximately $1,150.

The cultural and educational amenities set this package apart from ones found in many cities with similar incentives. It includes free tickets, passes, trainings, memberships, and other experiences to the places that make Paducah so unique.

“We want these workers to become immersed in our community as well as become a part of a professional network. Our package really excels beyond some offered in other cities our size because instead of just offering a financial package we attract people by our quality of life so people can feel at home and welcome. This program is complementary to several other initiatives that are working to paint a larger future for Paducah,” Reason said.

Paducah’s location is yet another attractive asset for many remote workers.

Because Paducah is driving distance from Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Louisville, and Chicago, it’s easy for a remote worker to be on location with a big-city employer when it is required. Marketing efforts for the program are targeting workers in those cities for this reason.

So why invest so much in an outsider? Spencer explains that remote workers “bring value to the community because they are connected to other communities.

This means building networking opportunities for the workers already here, exposing our city to new ideas, and putting Paducah’s name on the map as a great place to live, work, and build a business.”

Bringing in remote workers also leads to some very concrete boosts in our economy. “When you look at the requirements for the program,” Reason notes, “we’re looking at bringing in established, high-wage workers. They spend their money here and invest their money in the community. Being able to tap into that market for local businesses is a direct impact on our economy.”

Finally, Spencer notes, “We’re asking these new residents to tell our story as well. As we talk about growing our business landscape and opening ourselves to the tech world, this is how we get our feet wet. We are priming the pump so we can begin to recruit these outside companies to come in. This is the first step of many to build those connections and attract a greater workforce to build our local economy.”

So far, the response is promising. Since opening the application process in last fall, fifteen applications have been received, eight have been approved, and

one remote worker has already relocated to Paducah. This response is due, no doubt, to the fact that Reason and her team have really done their homework.

“We looked at probably 50 cities all across the country during the early stages of planning this initiative” she explains. “We looked at both large and small communities, concentrating on how they built specific incentive programs to meet the unique goals of their community.”

Spencer’s view of the program reaches far beyond the economic impacts it can bring. “Paducah is a wonderful place to live,” she explains. “We have fantastic schools, affordable cost of living, and a central location to many larger cities. We have a big city feel with a hometown welcome. You don’t have to be in Nashville or Atlanta to feel like you’re getting something special.”

As residents know, she’s neither wrong nor exaggerating. Paducah’s downtown area alone boasts 65 stores and restaurants, and its proximity to the river, Shawnee National Forest, and Kentucky Lake area, connect residents to numerous commercial and recreational opportunities. At the same time, the anonymity one experiences in a large city doesn’t really exist here— or at least not for long.

“This is one step of many on the road to helping Paducah grow.” Spencer explains. “Each new person that comes in brings new ideas, fresh thoughts, and enriches our city by bringing a diversity in the workforce from across the nation and globe. We are competitive, and we offer a great quality of life. We have no doubt that as word gets out, more and more people will see that, which can only mean our workforce, economy, and community will grow.”

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I

The Remote Worker’s Incentive Brings Professionals and Their Families to Paducah ★

by S TEPHANIE WATSON

N THE EARLY MONTHS OF 2020, FACED WITH THE uncertainty of COVID and a closing office, Luke Nowlin packed up his things and took his work home. Like many people who were used to being in the office from 9-5, he expected the transition to last a couple of months. To his surprise, he’s been working remotely ever since.

“I couldn’t have done this five years ago,” Luke explains. “The professional landscape has completely shifted for me, and two years into it, I’ve only had to visit the office five or six times.”

Along with shifting the professional landscape for Luke, more time at home and the difficulty of travel during pandemic warnings and city lockdowns also shifted priorities for his family. Luke is a native of Mayfield, Kentucky and his wife, Ashley, grew up in Paducah. After college, Luke lived in Paducah for two

52 • PADUCAH LIFE

years before the couple moved to Nashville to build their careers.

Three kids and a pandemic later, they found themselves yearning for home.

“Nashville is growing exponentially,” Luke explains. “The pandemic made it harder to visit family and made us value the quality of life we can get in a smaller town. We wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city so we can focus on what matters.”

Working remotely has allowed the move to happen without sacrifices to Luke’s career. Luke, who is one of the recipients of the Remote Worker’s Incentive Package offered by the City of Paducah, is a mortgage loan officer for the Nashville-based Capstar Bank. Luke heard about the remote workers incentive package on a trip to visit family when his mother-in-law thoughtfully cut out an ad for the program. With three children under the age of five, moving closer to family was already a frequent conversation, and the incentive package supported them in making this move a reality.

Bringing well-established professionals to Paducah who will invest in our local economy is a core goal of the incentive program, and Luke’s family serves as a prime example of how remote workers can add value to a city even when their employer is far from their home.

“Paducah is unique as an economic hub for western Kentucky.

When we look population-wise, it far outpaces itself when compared to other cities the same size,” Luke notes. “It may initially appear like we’re losing some things leaving Nashville, but, to me, my kids are gaining so much more. We are excited to invest in the community we’ve chosen to be a part of.”

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Making History on a

Historical Ship Commander B.J. (Matlock) Farrell is the First Woman to Command the Soon-to-be 225-Year-Old USS Constitution

M

★

by DARLENE M AZZONE

ORE THAN TWO CENTURIES ago, the USS Constitution was commissioned to serve the new nation’s new Navy. She was called into service under the command of Commodore Isaac Hull who served under President George Washington. In the succeeding 224 years, 76 men have either guided this historic ship into battle in the service of protecting the United States of America or have served to preserve and promote her unique heritage.

In January, 2022, however, Commander Billie J. Farrell became the first woman to take command of the nation’s oldest commissioned ship. That journey started right here in Paducah.

B.J. (Matlock) Farrell grew up on the shores of the Ohio, but her future was to be formed setting sail on the cerulean seas that make up nearly three-quarters of the earth’s surface. However, it wasn’t the pull of the wind and waves that lured B.J. to undertake a Naval career. It was an afternoon in front of her television

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 55

Commander

B.J. Farrell

when she was about 12 years old. “I was watching TV one day when I was in sixth grade and saw the ceremony for the Academy’s graduating class. I was fascinated with the tradition and ceremony and started looking into joining,” she remembers. “I could see that it could be an opportunity for a great education and a chance to serve my country.

Watching the ceremony, I could see that there were women in the class. It wasn’t a matter of IF I could, it was a matter of when. After finishing my senior year at St. Mary High School, I headed to Annapolis for my first six weeks of training.” Acceptance to one of the military academies requires a Congressional appointment. Farrell received hers from retired U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield.

But before that momentous occasion, there was another occasion on a summer trip to Boston that would prove to be prophetic. “My family took a road trip to Boston when I was 16,” Commander Farrell recalls. “But first we stopped in Annapolis so that I could see the Naval Academy. By then, I knew I wanted to join the Navy. We continued on to Boston and visited the USS Constitution. In those days, I was able to take a tour and talk to the crew. I had bought a U.S. Naval Academy hat and I wore it for the picture in front of the ship. Standing on the deck, I remember thinking about the history of this amazing ship and the realization that the Constitution is a battlefield and a place where sailors gave their lives to serve their country.”

Almost two decades later, Commander B.J. Farrell made her own history as the first female commander of “Old Ironsides.”

Commander Farrell graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2004 with a B.S. in Political Science. In 2009 she earned an M.S. degree from the University of Arkansas in Operations Management. Her first assignment was aboard the USS Vella Gulf, first as Electrical Officer and then as Navigator. She then served as Weapons Officer and Combat Systems Officer on the USS San Jacinto. Following her return to the Academy as the Deputy Director for Professional Development, Commander Farrell was assigned to the Commander of the Naval Surface Forces Atlantic as the Deputy N3. After a stint as the Executive Officer of the USS Vicksburg, she was chosen to command the historic USS Constitution.

During her noted Naval career, Commander Farrell has received two

56 • PADUCAH LIFE

Meritorious Service Medals, four Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and three Meritorious Unit Commendations.

In Command

All of that has ultimately led to this—a command of nearly 80 crew members aboard the nation’s most noted Naval vessel. Commander Farrell says she still has that temptation to “pinch herself” when she considers where her military career has brought her. Speaking of her younger self to CBS News correspondent Nancy Chen, (one of about 40 interviews Farrell has given!) Farrell said with a grin, “Even if I told her that one day she would be commanding this ship, she wouldn’t believe me. I think I would have told my younger self to keep doing her best, and she would

Opposite Page Inset: Commander B.J. Farrell is the only person commissioned to wear the Constitution’s historic commanding uniform.

Commander Farrell said she logged more than 40 interviews earlier this year after her announcement, including an on-air interview with Hoda Kotb (left and Jenna Bush (below).

find herself in some unusual places.”

The place where her new command officially started is Boston, Massachusetts, where Commander Farrell now lives with her husband, Paul, and their two children, William and Lilly. With all the pomp and circumstance deserving of this appointment, Commander Farrell took the helm of this long-revered sailing ship earlier this year for a two-year appointment with her Paducah parents, grandparents, and friends by her side.

The torch was passed to Farrell by previous Commander John Benda. “I know the crew is in great hands with Commander Farrell,” he said at the ceremony. “This historic barrier is long overdue to be broken. I cannot think of a better candidate to serve as USS Constitution’s first female commanding officer.”

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 57

Commander

B.J. Farrell

“I have to admit I did not predict or support a military career for B.J.,” says her mother, Pam Matlock. “In school, she swam competitively and took ballet. In fact, when she told Bill {her father} and I that she was planning to go to the U.S. Naval Academy, I erroneously told her that they didn’t allow women so she should keep looking!” Although we are certain that Farrell was a respectful daughter and took her mother’s advice to heart, this one time, perhaps it was in her best interest that she forged her own path.

“I really didn’t understand or appreciate the role of women in the military,” Pam now concedes. “Over the years I have happily watched B.J. excel in her environment and embrace the challenges it offers her. She has traveled the world, even navigating a guided missile cruiser through the Suez Canal. She is a role model for us all, but certainly for young women who are interested in serving in the military. And I am always moved by her patriotism and respect for our nation and the Navy. Every time she steps on the deck of the Constitution, she first turns to salute the flag.”

In 2000 when Farrell left home for the Naval Academy, there were not many females choosing military careers. And while the numbers are much higher now, it is still a solitary achievement for Paducah’s B.J. Farrell to find herself in a position that no other woman has ever been chosen to fill. “I love it that one of B.J.’s platforms will be to reach out to young people and their families to share her Naval stories and personal experiences,” her mother adds.

“I’ve had some little girls come up to me and give me a hug during tours or events,” Commander Farrell relates. “I truly love telling the story of the Navy and of the Constitution to all our guests, but particularly to the younger generation. There is so much history to convey, but there are also so many amazing opportunities to communicate to those who might be interested in a career in the Navy. Part of the reason I was interested in this assignment was to share my story with the public; to tell them where I’m from and how I arrived at this point in my career.”

On Deck

Despite the ceremonial grandeur of the change of command, (and that very cool uniform that only SHE gets to wear), Commander Farrell has a job to do aboard this storied ship. The ship must be prepared to welcome thousands of visitors who board and tour “Old Ironsides” every year, not to mention the TLC this bicentennial beauty requires to keep it afloat. “Our work on the Constitution is very much like that of other Naval vessels, but with a few more public appearances,” Farrell notes with a smile.

The Constitution takes to the sea at least seven times a year. And

58 • PADUCAH LIFE

Ceglinski ANIMAL CLINIC Vets Who Love Pets Top to bottom: Four generations of Commander Farrell’s family were in attendance at the change of command ceremony earlier this year. From left are her father Bill Matlock, grandfather Bennie Durbin, Commander B.J. Farrell, son William Farrell, daughter Lilly Farrell, her mother Pam Matlock, and grandmother Doris Durbin. (photo credit Paul Farrell) • B.J. Farrell would make a prophetic visit to the USS Constitution in 1998. • From left are Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toyo with Commander Farrell and retiring Commander John Benda, holding the plaque naming every USS Constitution Commander. • Commander Farrell renders a salute as she passes through Honor Side Boys for USS Constitution’s Change of Command earlier this year.

one of the canons is still fired twice a day. (We highly recommend following the USS Constitution on Instagram.)

But perhaps the most exciting thing facing Commander Farrell and her crew at present is happening this fall when this Naval monument to seafaring celebrates its bicenvicenquinquennial. By way of explanation, “Old Ironsides” is turning 225!

“We’re really ramping up for the big event,” Commander Farrell notes.“We’ll, in essence, be celebrating from October 2022 to October 2023 to honor the unparalleled history of this battleship that never lost a fight,” Farrell comments.

“Every day I step foot on this ship I feel humbled to have been given this opportunity,” Commander Farrell muses. “I know that I will walk away from this command with a more informed perspective of its heritage and our own nation’s history. This ship will always be a part of me now.”

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Sea Lab

Experience

Puts Students at the Source

S

OMETIMES, CONCEPTS TAUGHT IN CLASS DON’T QUITE STICK. AS STUDENTS OFTEN SAY, “When will we use this in the real world?”

That’s why, in early February, some Paducah Tilghman High School students visited a sea laboratory in Dauphin Island, Alabama. This laboratory is accessible to every university in the state, making it a rather rich destination for research and education. The trip was organized by elementary school teacher Dale Julian and middle school science teacher Dan Adams.

“During different times of the year, they allow schools to bring groups in that are interested in that to give them a feel for what it’s like doing this research and being in this environment,” Dan said.

Any student with good academic and behavioral standing — as well as adequate funds — could come along for the trip.

During this “all-inclusive” endeavor, students learned in classrooms, laboratories and a museum before applying their newfound skills to hands-on activities on a boat, by the water and beyond.

One such activity saw students pick up specimens in a salt marsh to see how they have developed differently from each

Making the trip to Dauphine Island Sea Lab were from left Dale Julian, Dan Adams, Cailey Warren, Alyssa Talbert, Taylor Hilton, Justine Hembd, Karlye Loy, (kneeling), Ishabella Mendiola, Dontae Ellis-Maxwell, Kendra Johnston, Henry Strattemeyer, Abby Brown, Liam Black, Elijah Turney, Jacob Julian, Ben Coltharp, A’nniya Harris, Isabel Roof, Paige Kight, Macy Egner, Mandy Rowton, Inessa Famina, and Sadea Shackelford.

J UNE / J U LY 2022 • 61

Sea Lab Experience other despite living in such close proximity. This involved constructing a small, motorized vehicle to send into the water.

“When the tide comes in and out, there’s a certain area of the beach that will have the tall saw grass and some other different plants,” Dan said.“You get a large concentration of snails, mussels, and some small crabs.”

Dan’s favorite memory from the trip was going out on a boat, dragging a net behind it, and pulling up a blue crab, shrimp, and fish. He saw students applying concepts they had just learned in the classroom to their real-world experiences with no prompting from adults.

“As we went through the bay, the depth of the water changed up and down, so we got a variety of fish,” Dan said.“They were able to pull these fish up and show that the shape of the mouth can tell you where they’re at in the water.”

Dale said trips like this are important so students can see the practical applications of concepts that may otherwise feel foreign in class — those which he teaches every year in class.

“The Dauphin Island Sea Lab has been one of the

most formative experiences of my high school career,” said Paige Kight. “To be able to witness first hand field work that’s similar to what I plan to work with in my career was a life-changing experience I’ll never forget.”

“There’s only so much that you can do in a classroom,” he said. “We can look at books. We can look at videos. In a lot of cases, we can even use virtual reality and 3D environments to look at stuff. But until you actually have the stuff in your hand, for a lot of students, it’s not real. It doesn’t take on the significance that it should.”

This was not the first time Liam Black, front, and Henry Paducah students have visited Strattemeyer, show off one of their marine study samples.

Alabama. Last year, a group of middle schoolers attended a space camp in Huntsville. Dan hopes to take students to Dauphin again in the future.

“They’re not going to remember what I taught in science on Thursday of whatever month,” he said.“But they will absolutely remember these trips and what they learned in the actual environment.”

Opposite Page Clockwise Top Left: Kendra Johnston and “Mr. Tentacles.” / Ishabella Mendiola with a Sea Lab instructor in the island’s marine environment.

From left are Dontae Ellis-Maxwell, Ben Coltharp, and Jacob Julian working on the underwater rover.

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With Love,

From Kentucky Karen Harris brings pride of place and an explorer’s spirit to downtown Paducah

by Stephanie Watson 64 • PAD U CAH LIFE

L

IKE MANY MOMENTS IN KAREN HARRIS’S LIFE, OUR FIRST INTERACTION HAPPENED BY chance. I was on the sidewalk of the 100 block of Broadway, staring at the soon-to-be location of a new boutique hotel and discussing with a colleague the changes that it will bring to downtown businesses. Harris was opening the doors to her new shop, unpacking boxes, and attending to the business of settling in when she decided to join our conversation. Once we realized she was in the process of opening a Kentucky-themed store in the heart of downtown, we couldn’t wait to hear more.

Call it fate, call it coincidence—whatever it is that drives Karen Harris’s life seems to continually place her in the right place at just the right time. Her arrival in Paducah is no different.

“What you might call ‘miracles’ drop into my life fairly regularly,” she laughs. “I used to question it, but now I just go with it. I find myself falling into these magnificent connections quite frequently and finding myself here seems to be the next one.”

Karen is the owner of With Love, From Kentucky, a new gift and mercantile store located just steps from the flood wall and just in time for steamboat tours, BBQ on the River, and all that encompasses Paducah’s peak travel season. Her store will sell Kentucky-themed memorabilia, local art, and handmade items, serving as part souvenir shop and part home goods store, and offering a large dose of hospitality to visitors along the way. Karen hopes her store will serve as a starting place J UNE / J U LY 2022 • 65

Karen Harris

With Love, From Kentucky for locals and visitors alike who wish to explore the area and take home local artisanal items.

“Sometimes it can be difficult to connect to what is real and authentic in a place, and I hope to be a launching point for people to discover our area,” she explains.“We will have items that show pride in the area and that tap into all that it means to be from western Kentucky.”

It may seem odd for a newcomer to become a purveyor of goods steeped in local traditions. For Karen, it is not. Finding pride of place in various locales has been a theme of her life.

Karen grew up in Iowa City, a university town tucked among rolling hills and abundant in both corn fields and intellectuals. A UNESCO Creative City (like Paducah!) and place of international influence, the city instilled in Harris a curiosity in people and a love for travel.

Karen stayed in her hometown for college, majoring in journalism and French at The University of Iowa.

After college and a year living abroad, she moved to Minneapolis where she worked as an art director for a local magazine. It was here that she had her first real taste of not only exploring, but also promoting the intricacies of a region. Then, another door opened.

“I was sitting in church listening to a sermon about reflecting on and refreshing one’s life, and I just randomly found myself thinking ‘move to

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Alaska.’ It seemed nuts at the time,” she explains. “I had no connection to that area, but the thought kept nagging at me, so I leaned into it. Door after door started opening, and before I knew it, everything was falling into place.”

Karen opened a bed and breakfast in the small town of Palmer, Alaska.

What seemed like an insane leap was an instant success, providing both respite and community. Karen’s business grew to include 23 cottages, apartments, and rooms, along with a dining hall that could seat 60 on ten acres of land en route to Denali. For 18 seasons, Karen and her partner, Kamille, welcomed travelers into their business and home before they felt it was time to ‘refresh’ their lives again.

The sale of their B&B took some time, but, eventually, Karen and Kamille fully transitioned to Yuma, Arizona—a city where they previously wintered during the off-season in Alaska. The couple wanted a location that could offer affordable living, a vibrant community, and four distinct seasons. On a threeday anniversary trip, they discovered Paducah.

“I was really grabbed by the downtown, the spirit of it, how people are balancing bringing it back while bringing in something new,” Karen explains.

“There were so many amazing people ready to stretch in new ways, and we could see a place for ourselves here, joining in that effort.”

Now, Karen sees Paducah as home. She looks forward to making connections with local artists and creators and sharing how they interpret what it

Handmade

With Love, From Kentucky

means to have life here and to be connected with both its history and future.

“Each place I’ve lived has felt like its own foreign country, and I’m approaching Paducah that way, too. I want to absorb it all. It’s pretty special to learn the intricacies of a place and its people. Everything is an exploration as we go along, and we can’t wait to share what we find.”

EMBRACING LOCAL IS A GOAL FOR WITH LOVE, From Kentucky, and bringing locally produced goods to the store is a family effort for Karen Harris and Kamille Kallas. While Karen oversees the store’s business operations, Kamille is putting her construction and wood-working talents to use in creating Kentucky-crafted, artisanal items for Karen to sell.

Kamille’s education in woodwork, building, and construction started early. Her father, who was an engineer for General Motors, remodeled cars and built houses as a hobby. Tagging along while her father completed these projects are some of Kamille’s earliest memories.

Kamille later became a nurse, with a career that spanned 35 years in various locations across the country. When she retired from nursing to join Karen’s Alaskan B&B, she engaged her construction skills once again by overseeing expansion and maintenance of the property. While living in Arizona, she also used these skills to remodel mobile homes and convert travel trailers into luxury travel units.

Now she’s working at a smaller scale, creating a variety of handcrafted products to be sold in Karen’s store. Patrons can buy Kentucky-made bourbon glass holders, cutting boards, candles, coffee trays, lamps, and more that are hand-made by Kamille in the garage of her Kevil home.

“Karen is extremely good with business and has a great business mind, but I’m having a lot of fun tinkering around in my workshop. If Karen requests it, I try to build it,” she laughs.

J UNE /J U LY 2022 • 67

H Liz Sydnee Hammonds Director of Marketing, Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau

A Proud New Resident in Her New Beautiful Place

Liz Hammonds not only found her creative place in Paducah, she’s also promoting it

I

I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE THAT MOVING TO Paducah was the best decision I ever made. They smile sweetly but don’t take me seriously; how could a move affect one’s life so dramatically? It can. And it did. For me, moving to Paducah was like coming home for the first time.

I grew up just a few minutes south of Paducah in Murray, Kentucky. I attended school there, made friends there, graduated from college there. For my friends and me, Paducah was this other-worldy cultural haven – one which promised an escape from the tedium of our rearing into a land where art, film, music, and food felt like it was made just for us. I remember spending many nights at Maiden Alley Cinema which was, to a teenage girl in love with performance art, the most beautiful place in the world.

After I finished graduate school, I landed in a job in my hometown that was convenient, if not absolutely right for me. A year and a half went by and it became clear that I was unhappy. My hometown had served me well, but it was no longer “mine.” One spring day, dreading our return home

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from a short vacation, my husband and I turned to each other and said at the same time: “What if we moved to Paducah?”

I put in my notice at work – without a new job lined up – and began packing. I get emotional thinking about those days, not because I was leaving my home but because I was about to find it. My husband and I rented a small house on Jefferson Street where I grew blackberries and took many evening walks to Midtown Market. We listened to live music at Dry Ground Brewery, just steps away from our home, and walked our dogs down Dogwood-lined paths. Until that time, I had never felt like I truly belonged in a place like I do in Paducah.

Now I spend my time teaching others about the beauty of my Creative City. What a joy it is to truly know how life-changing a place can be and use that experience to passionately share it with others. Although I joined the group later than many, I consider myself one of the proudest Paduchans around.

Join us for our annual Summer Open House July 14-16.

Stop in and try all our delicious homegrown produce and other tasty treats!

433 North 4th Street / 270.443.0858 / trouttoldtimegeneralstoreandmarket.com

J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 69

Kentucky lake

GLA M Twin Sisters with Stars in Their Eyes Have Created Glamourous Camping Alongside the Lake They’ve Loved Since Childhood ★

by S US I E F E N W I C K

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PING

R “

EACH FOR THE STARS, and let your only boundaries be your dreams.” Identical twins Sydney Vance and Whitney Vitt were apparently struck by these fortuitous words scribbled in their father’s senior yearbook.

Talk of stars and dreams, while enjoying an idyllic life growing up on the banks of Blood River, provided the perfect impetus for the family’s new venture, Kentucky Lake Glamping. Sydney and Whitney had the time of their lives growing up on the lake and early dreams and schemes always included owning their own resort so they could share Kentucky Lake with the world.

No strangers to labors of love, the young women began working in their parents’ restaurant when they were 12 years old. Their parents, Adam and Lisa Carver, bought Murray’s Sirloin Stockade the year the twins were born.

As young girls, the daughters’ first tasks in the restaurant were maintaining the salad bar. They eventually moved up to working on the cash register and waiting tables while attending college. Growing up in the hospitality industry, they knew they were not interested in careers in the restaurant business but found a love for another sector of hospitality: accommodations and lodging. Their first entree was managing Airbnbs which ultimately led to creating a dream of their own: designing a lakeside resort. It may not SOUND glamorous, but the proof is in the siting.

Whitney received her MBA at Murray State University and Sydney graduated from WKCTC as a radiologic technologist. After college, with degrees and careers in the offing, the twins could have sought separate avenues of interest, but the stars were beginning to align and it seemed to be time to pursue the dream. The duo carefully designed a business plan, plotted it out on paper, and presented it to their parents. Adam and Lisa loved the plan and were instantly on board to bring the dream to life.

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The vision from the beginning was to be a Glamping resort, as opposed to a campground. Glamping is a form of camping involving accommodations and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional outdoor adventures. It is something unique in this area, and Whitney and Sydney are excited to bring something new and different to Kentucky Lake.

Joining in the venture is Sydney’s husband, Dustin and Whitney’s husband, Austin. Any hesitation the guys had about the business endeavor gave way to a simple matter of trust in their wive’s dreams and their in-laws business experience. The family as a whole enjoys mutual respect and value each other’s ideas and opinions.

“Adding Dustin and Austin to the family has given us even more ideas and opinions to help improve and grow the business,” the women said.

Land for the glamping site in New Concord, KY, purchased in 2019, was totally wooded and overgrown. The first task at hand was clearing and developing the property. With the family restaurant closed due to the pandemic, the eager family used the extra time to get started on their adventure. With perseverance and lots of hands-on construction, the family tamed the overgrown acreage into natural perfection. Mother nature provides her own form of glamour with a stunning backdrop.

The Glamping family includes from left Austin Vitt, Whitney Vitt, Lisa Carver with grandson Carver Vance, Adam Carver, Sydney Vance and Dustin Vance.

freshly made pizza, hand dipped ice cream, muffins, brewed coffee, cinnamon rolls, breakfast sandwiches, and more.

It’s a warm, inviting anchor to the campground with corn hole boards and a communal gathering spot for those enjoying the Glampground and neighbors from the community at large. The Carvers, Vitts, and Vances, can’t say enough about community support from New Concord neighbors who have supported, encouraged, spread the word, and shopped with them regularly.

The glamp sites all include fire pits and charcoal grills.

Adirondack chairs in a rainbow of crayon colors add the perfect amount of whimsy to the natural setting.

Accommodations include charming vintage campers with names like Lucky Clover, Real Nauti, Sundrop, Wildcat, and Driftwood. The first of several tiny houses has been completed and is ready for guests. Traditional Airbnbs offer space and comfort for larger groups.

Enjoying lake life is made even more convenient with the availability of kayaks, paddle boats, Hobie eclipses, and pontoon boat rentals.

The Glamp Store and Cafe offers lake gear and serves

Info on Kentucky Lake Glamping can be viewed at www.kentuckylakeglamping.com.

Future plans for the resort include more tiny homes, geodesic domes and different unique ideas to expand rentals. Long term plans call for amenities including a swimming pool, fishing pier, and a man-made beach area for guests.

“Glamping is likely to satisfy any city slicker seeking a little refuge in nature without foregoing any of life’s luxuries,” their carefully curated website touts.

JUNE/JULY 2022 • 73

Wandering Amid the Wonder

by Susie Fenwick

Writer Susie Fenwick took an archaeological stroll of discovery in one of the region’s natural wonders

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Photo credit David Haggard

M MARCH 5TH, 2022. WAR RAGED in Ukraine and devastation marked the landscape leaving the dreadful signature of December 10th’s tornados. Reelfoot Lake white capped as if slapping at the forces of nature that long ago changed the landscape forever and formed the lake. As wars rage and natural disaster strikes, Reelfoot Lake remains a constant.

The lake, marked with a raw ancient beauty, is a portal from the present to past. Nothing illustrates the link from present to past better than the yearly Reelfoot State Park Archaeology Boat Tour and Hike leading inquiring minds to prehistoric Native American burial mounds left largely unspoiled by agriculture and land development.

The shallow natural lake in northwest Tennessee is tangible evidence of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812. The force of the quakes created the lake while making the Mississippi River flow backwards. The violent shaking was felt as far north as Quebec and rang the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

Known for bald things such as the lake’s bald cypress trees and its crowd-pleasing bald eagles snatched from the claws of extinction, Reelfoot Lake is a hunter and fisherman’s paradise. With visible evidence of prehistoric villages and mortuary or burial mounds, it is also an archaeologist’s dream Leading the March 2022 tour was State Archaeologist Bill Lawrence. Lawrence has been involved with archaeological research at Reelfoot Lake for more than 20 years and has an extensive knowledge of the prehistoric residents of the area.

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As the winds created white caps on the lake’s surface, the lake element was cancelled and the boat tour and short hike turned into a bus ride and a longer hike. In a fortunate turn of events the long hike led to a prehistoric village site covering three to five acres and an impressive group of mortuary mounds never before seen by Reelfoot Lake archaeological tourists.

Rising above the swamp waters pierced by cypress knees jutting above the water’s surface like garden gnomes, the mounds are evidence of the primitive burial habits of Native Americans who lived in the region for thousands of years before the lake was created.

The burial mounds, as customary, are located roughly 100 yards from the village site located on the banks of the Bayou De Chien River.

Inhabitants of the village are suspected to be ancestors of the Choctaw or Chickasaw tribes who were hunters and gatherers. The main attraction to the area for the villagers was the availability of deer skins valued in Europe and traded to European traders for glass beads and trinkets.

The Native Americans eventually turned to agriculture but never totally abandoned hunting and gathering since farming was a precarious proposition with the likelihood of flooding casting a shadow over agricultural endeavors.

While burial mounds around the swampy area of Reelfoot were largely untouched, the village site was plundered years ago before the protected status of archaeological sites was carefully enforced in the 1980’s.

Haphazard excavating of the site by individuals referred to as pothunters left trenches reminiscent of fox holes where instead of waging war on an enemy, the war was fought against historical preservation. By scavenging for artifacts for personal profit the potholders stole history.

Underneath a canopy of old oaks and cottonwoods rife with wind and songbirds, it was a humbling experience to walk where ancient people had trod. The passage through the portal led to a detachment from the here and now. Bits of Native American relics littered the ground despite the loss of many pieces to natural elements and to the greedy hands of scavengers. Centuries after the fact, charcoal residue remained in spots where the tribe’s women tended fires and kept a pot of sustaining food simmering throughout the day to be eaten on demand. A nutting stone lay exposed to an observant hiker. Archaeologist Lawrence easily identified the tool used to crack nuts by the presence of a divot the size of a hickory nut. The discovery went on with pieces of pottery, stone, and bone identified with their original utility.

The mound builders eventually deserted the village and moved on to parts unknown in the 1300’s. Decades of severe drought are thought to have forced them from the area onto locations with greater sustainability.

Like the mound builders, the hikers moved on with a renewed appreciation for the history surrounding Reelfoot Lake. The beauty of Reelfoot Lake State Park is unique and the history is rich. Eagles soar, fish jump, osprey call, and the sun rises and sets with a connection to a past seldom experienced in a world spinning out of control.

We SHORE Are Popular!

This year riverboats will make more than 60 stops in the river city!

That translates into THOUSANDS of visitors arriving on our beautiful shoreline.

American Queen American Countess American Duchess American Heritage American Jazz

For info on summer goings-on visit Paducah.travel J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 77

Following the

River

Home Krystal Watson brings appreciation of place and pride of industry to the River Discovery Center

H

by Stephanie Watson

T

M

THE MARITIME HISTORY OF PADUCAH RUNS as deep as its rivers’ waters, and the industry it produces continues to help new people and new commerce flow our way. Krystal Watson is one of the latest residents to follow our rivers home, and she is anchoring the next chapter of her story in Paducah as the Education Coordinator of The River Discovery Center.

A River Family For Krystal, rivers have always been more than the lifeblood of the land; they’ve also been the livelihood of her family. Growing up in the Arkansas Delta just west of the Mississippi River, boat work provided industry and income for families, including Krystal’s, who otherwise often had little opportunity.

“The Arkansas delta is a place where many people struggle to make ends meet,” she explains. “Everyone knew a river job was a good job. The riverboat industry was a guaranteed way for families to have steady income, good retirement, and strong benefits.”

Most of the men in Krystal’s family worked in the riverboat industry in some capacity or another and her grandmother even worked as boat cook. Although Krystal decided to pursue a more academic path--majoring in

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history and English and later working in museums and as an interpreter for Arkansas State Parks--her family ties to the industry remained. Eventually, she even strengthened those ties when she married her husband, Brandon Reid.

Brandon is part of the Jr. Engineering Program with Ingram Marine Group, a barge company with headquarters in Nashville and a major landing center in Paducah.

Krystal first discovered Paducah when her husband was traveling here for work. On weekend visits she would explore downtown, falling in love with the city and all that it has to offer. When Brandon was offered a promotion with Ingram that would require relocation to Paducah, the choice to move here was an easy one.

“Paducah was number one on the list of places we were thinking of moving, and I love Paducah even more now that I’m here,” she adds. “It is such an open community full of people who want to help newcomers make connections.”

Krystal’s work at The River Discovery Center combines her passion for educating people about their environment with her knowledge of history and the boating industry.

Her goal at the center is to expand programming, giving patrons--particularly children--a chance to experience first-hand the life and industry that surround the people of our region.

“Our goal with kids is to increase exposure and instill a passion for conservation of our local land and life. We try to take away the stigma of local creatures and teach children that each being has an important job in our environment.” -Krystal Watson

J UNE /J U LY 2022 • 79

@paducahlife

FOLLOW us on “When I moved here, one of the things discussed with me was that so many people live right by the river and do not even know the importance of this industry to the community,” Krystal explains.

“Creating exposure to river habitats and a growing understanding of this industry is one way that I hope to contribute to the community.”

Discovering a Destination in Your Own Backyard Most days, Krystal achieves this goal by leading lessons to the community’s children about our region’s water systems, the jobs that are tied to them, and the creatures that fill them. First graders from Lone Oak Elementary, for example, recently took a field trip to learn about biomimicry by examining the similarities between river muscles and the filter in the center’s turtle tank.

Lessons are fun, messy, and always hands-on.

Summer camps for kids cover topics ranging from reptiles in the region, “wriggly wonders” that can be found in their own backyard, and STEM discovery camps that give upper elementary-age kids a hands-on introduction

80 • PAD U CAH L I FE

“Creating exposure to river habitats and a growing understanding of this industry is one way that I hope to contribute to the community.”

Give the gift of LIFE! PADUCAH LIFE m a g a z i n e

Visit paducahlife.com or call 270.442.3338.

to work on the river, navigation, environmental science, local archeology, and more. In collaboration with Ingram Marine Group, they even offer a “skipper school” that gives kids an up-close encounter with all the facets of working on a barge.

Noting that kids often know more about animals in Africa and life in the ocean than they do about the animals and waterways in our own backyard, Krystal explains,“Our goal with kids is to increase exposure and instill a passion for conservation of our local land and life. We try to take away the stigma of local creatures and teach children that each being has an important job in our environment.”

Beyond conservation, Krystal hopes to instill an understanding of the impact of and opportunities in one of our region’s biggest industries.“We also want kids to be exposed to an industry that provides great jobs for our region’s residents,” she adds.“The tugboat industry is a multibillion-dollar industry. We have major, big-name corporations here. We hope to educate the community about the strong history of this industry in our area as well as the opportunities it is providing today.”

J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 81

When I Grow Old

by Judy Gill Milford

Because of a book, purple is popular now for those of us of a certain age.

I never wore purple when I was young-too gaudy, loud, audacious.

It was the king’s robe, Jack Horner’s thumb, the stone in the ring Johnny Tribble gave me on my tenth birthday, the near-color of Liz Taylor’s eyes.

It was the cow we never hoped to see.

Judy Gill Milford is a published author and poet, mother, grandmother, collector of rocks, and lover of books.

W

Color your world

beautiful!

Summer Plants from Sanders Nursery!

4123 Schneidman Road • Paducah • 270.443.8851

sandersnursery.com J UNE / J ULY 2022 • 83 AUGUS T / S E P T E MBER 2021 • 83

LastWord the

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

—T.S. ELIOT ★ HARRIETTA HARPER is an award-winning artist who paints in loose styles and varying degrees of realism. A native of West Tennessee, Harrietta moved to Kentucky to pursue a degree in music from Murray State University. She taught music in the McCracken County School System. After retirement, Harrietta began to paint as another outlet for her love of the fine arts. She is a member of the Paducah Area Painters Alliance and the Yeiser Art Center.

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JUNE/JULY 2022 • 84

The Perfect House is Right Here in Your Own Backyard!

Paducah has been my hometown my whole life. So there is nothing more gratifying than helping my clients find their forever home right here in our own backyard. Let me help you find your happy place with a home that satisfies your every longing. Live happily ever after with the right Realtor.

SUZY GILLAND REALTOR

270.556.3697 suzygilland@gmail.com 3225 Coleman Road Paducah, KY

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PADUCAH, KY PERMIT 44

WOW!BANKER& ENTREPRENEUR LAGAN WINN

WE’RE NOT JUST BANKERS (ALTHOUGH WE ARE PRETTY GOOD ONES).

Lagan Winn is a banker by day and an entrepreneur . . . well, all the time. She brings her understanding of small business to both her daily relationships at Paducah Bank as well as to her own fashion company.

“Most days look like working at the bank delivering our remarkable services to my bank customers. Then going to my office building and filling orders for my boutique customers,” says Lagan. “Paducah Bank supports many of your favorite small businesses and mine, too! Small business is such a core staple in our community. It’s an amazing feeling to work for a company who supports it in every way they can.”

270.575.5700 / paducahbank.com /

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