Paducah Life Magazine - September/October 2015

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Sara

Bradley Hometown Girl Seasoned Chef

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

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INTRODUCING THE AREA’S FIRST

STEREOTACTIC RADIOSURGERY FOR BRAIN TUMORS. WHEN IT COMES TO CANCER, WE’RE LEADING THE WAY TO BETTER CARE. Being the first in the area to offer targeted stereotactic radiosurgery to treat brain tumors means a lot to us. And it means more to you.

It means advanced cancer care is right here in Paducah. Noninvasive for less damage to healthy tissue and faster recoveries, this new equipment represents a major leap forward in cancer treatment. Our commitment? To deliver the kind of leading cancer care our patients deserve. Baptist Health. The cancer hospital our region prefers 3 to 1.

Baptist Health Medical Group Neurosurgery (from left): Theodore E.C. Davies, MD Thomas J. Gruber, MD Graham C. Hall, MD

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5o Barb and Dawn’s Harry Halloween

c ntents

september/october 2015 ★ from the editor page 5 ★ last word page 80

New life for building, new cuisine for Paducah ............................. 16 Just one of the guys .................................... 20 Line-dried linen .......................................... 23 Sauce, smoke & solidarity ........................... 24 Discovery of LIFE on the river .................. 29 Odd fellows welcomed in Paducah.............. 33 WKCTC wins ASPEN Prize...................... 34 Rachael’s 1001 day challenge....................... 36 Gail Butler gives her final performance ...... 42 Making a list of the Columbia movies ........ 44 Showcasing arts, property and potential ..... 46 Weddings fit for Martha Stewart ................ 53 Big tunes keep on turnin’............................ 56 Scottish gathering for highland games........ 60

16 13

Designing a destiny on a dime and dream ... 64

Artist wins award for illuminating work...... 71

TIS THE SEASON of COOL

Beads of courage ......................................... 72

From performance to performer ................. 74 On becoming philosophically fit ................. 78

Jessica Brown is hitting it BIG

Visit us at paducahlife.com ★ See and hear more of the features in this issue on

2 • PAD U CAH LIFE

VOLUME 25, EDITION 5 executive editor/ P U B L I S H E R darlene m. mazzone

art D I R E C TO R scott mcwilliams

assistant art D I R E C TO R amanda hall powell

editorial P H OTO G R A P H Y james todd crawford

cover P H OTO G R A P H Y brad rankin

on the C OV E R sara bradley

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★ F RO M t he E D I TO R

T

he term creative arts is too often applied only to the obvious.

We tend to think only of painters and sculptors, singers and actors. But of late the nomenclature connected to creativity is becoming more diverse— and that’s as it should be.

Sara Bradley would tell you that digging in the dirt is a creative act, because it leads to the generation of culinary artistry. I would suggest that lifting up the stories of those who make LIFE in Paducah so unendingly interesting is a creative endeavor. I’m sure Dave Perry would concede that mastering a new billing system or designing a new delivery system demands creativity.

Undoubtedly developers like Mike Falconite know that it takes creativity to fabricate a building from pieces and parts.

We need to think about creativity beyond its historic boundaries, because these days it’s more than art, it’s business.

Evidence that arts and cultural activity are significant contributors to our state and national economies has been largely anecdotal, until recently. In 2013, the Kentucky Arts Council commissioned a quantifiable examination of the economic sectors that are rooted in creativity and innovation, arts and culture, and design and production work. These entities together make up the state’s “creative industry.”

The study found that nearly 2.5

percent of those employed in the state of Kentucky were involved in a creative arts business. This is roughly comparable to the transportation, distribution, and logistics sectors or the IT and communications sectors combined!

In a recent New York Times article, Louisville ranked number one in the nation for its ability to attract and

income-generation, job creation, and export earnings.”

This summer two visitors from Japan visited us here in Paducah to learn from our local artists and businesses how we have “created” an economy that derives much of its growth from arts and culture.

This emerging story about our rising creative industry clearly points

retain young college-educated people.

Another study ranked Lexington seventh nationally among cities that are the best places for freelancers.

Beyond the trends in Kentucky, findings of two UN reports affirm that the creative economy globally speaking is “not only one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the world economy, but also a highly transformative one, in terms of

to the opportunities that we must take advantage of. The days of massive manufacturing plants arriving on our doorstep are largely a thing of the past.

The future belongs to those who can think creatively and act entrepreneurially. Our cover story is just one example of how it can be done.

LIFE can only get better if we get creative.

Darlene M. Mazzone darlene@paducahlife.com

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO BER 2015 • 5

by Darlene M. Mazzone ★

New life for an historic building.

New Southern

CUISINE for downtown Paducah.

Sara Bradley has come home to her roots.

A

nd we mean that in every sense of the word. She has gradually ventured back to where she grew up, and she has plans to really dig into a philosophy that is founded in lifting seasonal foods right from the earth in which they grow. There are many ways to express this cultural culinary construction but the language locals have been using since Sara started toting her fares around town is “fabulous.”

From the classroom for cooks at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, NC, to the Country Club of Birmingham, AL, to the Dovetail in New York City, to the Blackbird in Chicago, IL, Sara has honed her kitchen chops in some of the best beef and bourbon backrooms east of the Mississippi.

And now Sara has made her biggest move

yet—to a kitchen she has personally designed and equipped to meet the demands of the delicacies that will soon be artfully crafted in our very own city of arts and crafts. Soon Chef Sara will join a growing line-up of young professionals (see Jan/Feb PADUCAH LIFE Magazine) who are choosing to play out their passions in a place that honors their energy and entrepreneurism.

In a building that has seen tons of fruits and vegetables pass through it’s brick walls and vaulted ceilings during the past century, comes a 21st century reincarnation of its early origins. Sara Bradley’s freight house restaurant will be housed in what was once the Paducah Freight Depot on Third Street. Sara and her architectural associates are putting a new face on a familiar Photos by BRAD RANKIN and GLENN HALL

6 • PAD U CAH LIFE

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO BER 2015 • 7

façade—one that served as a pass-through from farms and gardens around the country to the store shelves and tables of past Paducahans.

Soon the tables beneath its heavy wooden beams will be laden with the labors of Chef Sara and her team of food fabricators. The look will be fresh and the veggies and meats will be as well. Sara plans to partner with local growers and sources from around the region to harvest the bounty of the seasons and then have it delivered to discerning diners with a flare that only Paducah’s newest chef can conspire.

Q

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THIS CONCEPT OF SEASONAL COOKING? I don’t know if I chose the farm to table concept or if I just tagged it as that because it has become an easily recognizable term. When I decided to move home I made a conscious decision to use the ingredients around me to help support my community and my passion. I believe that eating is an ethical act. By supporting the people and lands around my home, I honestly feel like I’m doing the right thing. When there is an honest exchange between the producer and consumer, everyone benefits.

Q

ARE YOU A GARDENER? As a child the extent of my gardening was mowing the lawn on Saturday! And for the last 10 years I’ve lived in large cities in apartments, which meant porch tomatoes and potted herbs. Since I’ve moved home, my mother, Beverly {who will be the freight house baker by the way} have put up tomatoes, peppers, lettuces, at least 15 types of herbs, and edible flowers. I visit Little Texas Farms often and get farm updates from the owner every Monday and Friday.

Baking,beef,biscuits Bev Bradley, Sara’s mom (top left), will be Chef Sara’s “pastry chef” and well, also her mom! Sara’s other partners will be growers and producers from around the region who will supply the seasonal meats, vegetables, and fruits that will grace the tables of freight house.

8 • PAD U CAH LIFE

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO BER 2015 • 9

Q

HOW DID YOU EDUCATE YOURSELF ON SEASONAL FARM-FRESH COOKING? There is no better way to educate yourself about seasonal cooking than to put your hands in the dirt. Talk to the people that are butchering the meat. Go to the market and ask what is coming next. If I think back on what my grandmother and mother served me, I realize I have been eating this way all my life. My mother made strawberry pie in the late spring, pecan pie in the fall, then coconut cream in the winter when there were no fresh fruits. My grandmother always had apple butter to hand out in the fall and winter. She would process bushels of apples with her sisters at the peak of ripeness. A friend once told me her grandmother said, “We didn’t call it organic, we just called it food.”

Q

WHAT INSPIRES YOUR MENU SELECTIONS? There is a basic way to think about flavors. You picture them as a spider web. Pork is delicious with apples and

10 • PAD U CAH LIFE

smoke. Apples pair well with almonds and smoky things love to be paired with fat. So it just makes sense that a smoke almond yogurt would be delicious with pork. I’ve also learned that if it grows in the same season or region it will most likely taste wonderful together.

Q

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE DINE AT YOUR TABLE? I would really like to have my maternal grandmother eat at my table. Rose Silverman is the only one of my grandparents that I don’t share any food memories with. I would love to have all my grandparents to join in.

My Grandpa Bradley grew a garden

so large he supported several families.

He would be proud of me and the way I treat my products. My Gimper (what we called my paternal grandmother) was one of the best cooks I’ve ever met. She never wasted anything by picking and canning everything before it had a chance to go bad! And Bill Clinton. I don’t know why, just Bill Clinton.

Q

WHAT FOODS DO YOU MOST LIKE TO PREPARE? I love using fruits in savory dishes.

When you cook seasonally, certain items have a short period of availability, so you use it when you have it. I love radishes, but have realized not all others do! I foresee the radish making

a comeback like kale and Brussels spouts! And I’m truly happy making biscuits. Something about rubbing the butter between my hands to mixing in just the right amount of super cold milk for each batch to then patting the dough out by hand and using the same cutter I’ve been using for years, makes me happy.

Q

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE TO DATE? The restaurant I’m most proud of is Dovetail in New York City. They thought they were getting a sweet country girl that liked to cut up animals and loved veggies. They soon figured out I was an accomplished butcher with a love of seasonal cooking. I worked my way up from the bottom position in garde manage to sous chef in under three years. I learned more from working for John Fraser than from any other chef. Dovetail received its first Michelin Star while I was working there. It’s a feeling I hold dear and strive to feel again one day! Y

A Story of

SURVIVAL The freight house was built in 1925, seven years after the completion of the Ohio River bridge between Paducah and Metropolis, IL. The bridge, listed by the Encyclopedia Britannica as the longest simple truss bridge in the world, created a new gateway between the northern and western states and the southeast. Even though Paducah was the terminal of a branch line, the anticipation of a large volume of transcontinental business, was the impetus of the large building with the Division Superintendent and Dispatcher’s offices on the second floor and the local freight office and warehouse on the ground floor.

From the 1940s through the 80s, the six-track yards next to the freight house and extending two blocks back to Clark Street, were usually filled with refrigerator cars. The railcars came from produce shipping areas all over the U.S. as Paducah became a major distribution point for wholesale distributors. These companies came from a 200-mile radius around Paducah to haul direct from the cars to produce broker warehouses.

In 1974 the building was sold to the produce and food brokers who had been tenants for many years. By the 90s the remaining produce broker had switched to truck distribution due to changing conditions. In 1990 the rail lead was cut by the Paducah & Louisville Railway, and in 1994 the building was sold and used for an antique mall. In 2006 the building was sold again and sat vacant until 2012 when it was purchased by investors who gutted the two-story portion and converted the building into modern offices for the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce and Paducah Economic Development.

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO BER 2015 • 11

of LIFE in Paducah!

12 • PAD U CAH LIFE

Jessica Brown is

HittingitBIG

by Susie Fenwick ★ Wielding hammers and nails and a toolbox filled with inspired ideas, this Paducah native is building a name for herself on national TV

A

LL AROUND RENAISSANCE WOMAN, JESSICA BROWN,

jocularly proclaims, “If Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey had a love child, I would be her.”

The Heath High School graduate who excelled as a scholar, athlete, musician and artist who dominated regional art shows as a teenager is now a designer, painter, furniture maker and finish carpenter whose talents include the ability to work with a broad range of materials including wood, metal, paper, plastics, textiles and clay.

Jessica’s family encouraged her creativity at a young age. When Jessica was a crayon-and-paintbrush-wielding toddler, her mother routinely

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 13

covered the walls of their house with butcher paper providing a canvas for Jessica’s artwork. Along with Crayolas and finger paints, playtime was filled with Legos and Erector sets and a Strawberry Shortcake sewing machine.

With an inborn, insatiable desire to build and create and under her father and grandfather’s tutelage, Jessica soon learned her way around the woodworking shop. “Are you going to shake its hand or hit it in there?” was her father’s good-natured chide when the 8-year-old first attempted to drive nails. Not to be deterred by a little teasing, Jessica’s carpentry skills improved, and by the time she was 12 she was operating a table saw freehanded.

Her creativity continued to be nurtured throughout her school years by mentors such as her high school art teacher, Glenda Bittner, and acclaimed Murray State woodworking professor, Paul Sasso.

Bittner fondly recalls teaching Jessica, who became like a member of the Bittner family. “Jessica is a pretty compelling person. She was always full of energy and so exuberant. Jessica was in love with life.”

After graduating from Murray State University Jessica realized her dream of studying at the Rhode Island Institute of Design where she earned her Master of Industrial Design.

Known as Lady J, Jessica’s skills and expertise as a furniture maker landed her a spot on Spike TV’s reality show, Framework, that aired in January of 2015.

Jessica confirms what we all suspect, “Reality TV is not reality.”

Explaining some of the fallacies of the show, which is regulated by the lottery commission, Jessica recounts, “It was all scripted and all about who America is going to root for.”

Jessica explained the time element associated with televised building challenges. “What was considered 24 hours in TV time was actually 48 to 56 hours in real time,” she explains.

To the skilled craftsman, adversity presented itself in the working conditions. “It would have been difficult enough to work in unfamiliar surroundings, but it was even more difficult because the shop on the set was not up to industry standards,” she adds. “Nothing was leveled, and the machines were not calibrated.”

Jessica Brown’s blog can be found at www.jessicabrowndesign.com.

14 • PAD U CAH LIFE

“It was a bizarre experience because the producers agitated and instigated among contestants, particularly the women, to try to create drama. What they didn’t count on was that woodworking is an ancient, time-honored craft, and craftsmen share among themselves. Even though they tried to pit girl against girl, we still helped each other. That was worth more than the $100,000 in prize money.”

Although Jessica didn’t take home the prize money, she remains friends with the other contestants and is thankful for the experience and the exposure provided through the show.

Brown, who is featured in a photo gallery comprised of the movers and shakers of New England, The Cool Cats of New England; works for Hasbro, Inc. as a Product Development Manager in Licensing and runs her own furniture design/ production business out of her studio in Pawtucket, RI. Jessica Brown, the Martha Stewart/Oprah Winfrey mix, the Cool Cat of New England, the mover and shaker, dreams of making it big with Lady J becoming a household name splashed across billboards everywhere.

What motivates the ultratalented Lady J? “I was blessed with people who nurtured and taught me. I want to make the people who helped me proud.” Y

All you need is and a great . pair of

love glasses #framedandfabulous

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16 • PAD U CAH LIFE

Styled by Kathryn Byers • Photographed by JT Crawford

★ fashion

Tis the season of

COOL! Cool temps. Cool clothes. Cool attitudes.

Cape Crusaders Cuddle up with this cozy trend while still feeling like royalty. It couldn’t be easier to build this look. Simply begin with the pefect cape then pair it with complimentary colors. Dress it up with dark skinny jeans or pair with leggings for the pumpkin patch. A cape can also do double duty as a blanket when the temps dip and you need a little extra cover.

CAPE/SWEATER: Simply B • WEDGES: Steve Madden RINGS: David Yurmann and Custom/Family

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 17

Boogie Nights Channel your inner dancing queen for this 70s inspired trend. A cinched waist and flared bottoms are the key silhouette here. Keep it groovy with a little gilded glam and 70s inspired accessories such as headbands, big sunglasses, or platform heels.

Then boogie down the cobblestones in downtown Paducah to the rhythm of the city!

Frame it in Fur Although this trend might look hard to tame, it’s actually the most effortless way to add luxe and style to your fall wardrobe.

Faux is the way to go—we want to have fun with our little furry friends NOT wear them! Kathryn’s fashion brief: Fur is not the time to layer. Limit one piece per outfit, ladies!

HAT/VEST: Ribbon Chix • TOP: Jaded Layne • NECKLACE: Simply B LEGGINGS: Old Navy • PURSE: Topshop • BOOTIES: Jessica Simpson 18 • PAD U CAH LIFE

NOW AND

THEN

Our PADUCAH LIFE model for this fall fashion spread is Carson Love.

Carson is a graduate of Paducah Tilghman and the University of Missouri. She has a degree in Textile and Apparel Management with an emphasis in International Merchandising and Marketing.

And this isn’t her first rodeo— so to speak. Carson wrote an essay in our May/June 2005 edition about her other passion—horses. Welcome home Carson!

Festive Folk What a great trend to display in the “city of crafts and folk art”!

Whether you’re going to the farmer’s market or your favorite festival don’t forget to layer! Tap into your bluegrass roots by keeping the color palette natural and muted. Kathryn’s fashion brief: Don’t shy away from patterns and lots of accessories.

There’s yet another throwback to this look at current trends.

It’s a fashion flash from the past.

In the VERY FIRST edition of PADUCAH LIFE Magazine, we featured the beautiful images of Glenn Hall at the historic home of Paul and Juliette Grumley.

So we revisited that original site (just as gorgeous as it was 25 years ago) for our 2015 fashion layout.

Thankfully, some things never change.

Y

HAT/JACKET: Anthropologie • DRESS: Rustic Thread • BOOTS: Frye PURSE: B-Low the Belt • SUNGLASSES: Tahari • BOOT LINER: Jaded Layne S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 19

by Jessica Perkins

Just One of the Guys ntering a classroom filled with men and only one other female seemed a little intimidating at first. However, Shelby Warren didn’t allow that initial discomfort to deter her from receiving an education that qualifies her to work as a service technician in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industry.

An industry that has been dominated by men for decades, the HVAC field has also been slow to attract interest among qualified female technicians. Shelby is one of only a few women in western Kentucky with the education, training, and skills to service heating and air equipment.

It’s not too surprising that Shelby had an interest in HVAC. You might say it runs in her the family.

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20 • PAD U CAH LIFE

She grew up working in the office with her dad, Steve

Shelby says. “They can seal off their crawl spaces, place

Warren, at Warren Heating and Air and got a taste of the

‘dotties’ behind all of their electrical switches…things like that.”

business from watching her dad at work.

While Steve never encouraged either of his daughters to

While it took determination and hard work to get to this point in her career, Shelby admits that it took even more courage

enter the HVAC business, he is certainly proud of all that

to overcome a few of her initial fears of the job itself. “In the

Shelby has accomplished.

beginning the idea of crawling under houses and climbing

“What makes Shelby special is that she knows how to treat people with respect, and she genuinely enjoys helping people.

on rooftops was terrifying to me,” Shelby says. “There was always the threat of spiders or snakes appearing out of nowhere.

I have customers request

But I got over those fears.

Shelby as their technician all

I had to!”

the time. She is thorough in

Today, Shelby is just one of the

her work,” Steve says. ”I’m

guys. Well, maybe not exactly one

lucky that she chose a career in

of the guys. While she isn’t likely

the family business.”

to spend a lot of time painting her

While many outside of

nails these days (for obvious rea-

the HVAC world might view

sons) she still loves getting fancied

Shelby as a courageous young

up from time to time.

woman, willing to take a risk

“I may be a girl in a baggy

in a male-dominated indus-

uniform, but I still act like a girl

try, she says there really isn’t

and enjoy being treated like a

anything special about it. “I’ve

lady,” Shelby says. “The guys I

been going to some of these

work with are all very respectful

houses since I was a little girl,” Shelby says. “I think they’re sometimes a little surprised

and they’ve made my transition into this position very comfortable.

when I first come to the door, but they know me and trust me

“My parents instilled the value in me to treat people with

to do the same good work that my father has always done.”

respect and to follow through on the commitments I make,”

In fact, she’s become a whiz at educating customers on

Shelby says. “The way I treat people and the work I do is a

ways to protect their homes from rising heating and air costs

reflection of our family’s business, and I take that seriously. The

by teaching them ways to better insulate their homes. “There

best part of my job is making people happy, and I get to do

are really simple things that people can do to save money,”

that practically every day.” Y

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22 • PAD U CAH LIFE

ESSAY H by Caitlin Chester

Line-Dried Linen y mom buys the weirdest wax candle

my stomach like a stone. She’s going to be ok, but I keep

melts I’ve ever smelled. They’re all Better

thinking, what if.

Homes and Gardens scents like Cinnamon

So when I got a text that she was staying another 24

Spice and Iced Winter Cranberry and Orange Cream

hours, the panic that had been floating quietly around me

Cupcake. Which, ok: if I want my house to smell like

all day solidified into a lump in my throat and I put the

baked goods, it’s because there are in fact baked goods.

Line-Dried Linen on the burner. It’s funny; you look

But the worst of all is Line-Dried Linen. If you’ve

around at all the reminders of a person—the trappings of

never smelled it, this scent is like a field of cotton

a busy, meaningful life like they indicate permanence. You

saturated in too-sweet perfume on a windless day, where

say, that’s her fleece jacket draped over a kitchen chair;

the lack of breeze makes the scent stagnant and thick.

those are her treasured violets in the windowsill, she’s not

And mom loves it.

going to just leave them. She has to come back. But if

Every evening after dinner, my mother will drop two

there’s one thing we as humans should know, there is no

or three cubes of these wax melts into her leaf-shaped

life in things. They do not contain light, only reflect it.

ceramic warmer. She’ll settle down at the kitchen table

We can’t take them with us, and they can’t tether us here

and read the newspaper in her bifocals. (Front page,

on Earth.

Sports, Nation, Comics, and TV listings, like clockwork.)

At which point, I’ll find an excuse to leave the room.

I’m sitting here in my room right now, by the way,

Here’s what I feel, as I sit here alone: the familiar, overpowering scent of a wax melt burning in an empty house, the hum of my laptop, the now-familiar dread

because Line-Dried Linen is slowly melting in her

sinking in my stomach. And this is what I think love is:

ceramic warmer. But this time, I’m home alone.

burning a loved one’s favorite scent, throwing open the

You see, my mother is in the hospital as I write this.

The word echoes in my head, mom, settles in the pit of

windows, and praying the breeze will carry it to them and guide them home. Y

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 23

Events ★ Barbecue on the River

Sauce, Smoke, & Solidarity Behind the Scenes With a Barbecue On The River Pitmaster

Y

Story & photos by JT Crawford

YOU MAY NOT SEE THEM among the flurry of activity at Paducah’s annual Barbecue on the River. They are shrouded by layered veils of smoke emanating from barbecue pits beyond the public’s view. They toil, around the clock, for days. Many sleep at the festival, tending to slow-cooked ribs, chicken, and pork butts. They

24 • PAD U CAH LIFE

William Gilbert

are the lifeblood of one of Paducah’s biggest parties. They are the pitmasters.

William Gilbert is one of these masters of meat. He’s been at the helm of the Fraternal Order of Police team since 2003. Growing up with great uncles, a father, and grandfather who barbecued in block pits, it was already in his blood.

When the Fraternal Order of Police brainstormed about new ways to raise funds, William’s family history seemed like a natural fit with the fund-raising aspect of Barbecue on the River.

“In the past, the F.O.P.’s main fundraiser was telemarketing,” he says, “but as police officers, we’re telling people to be cautious about giving money over the phone. It didn’t feel right, and we just didn’t like telemarketing. My dad encouraged me to get into Barbecue on the River. He loaned us the equipment the first year, and now it’s become our primary fundraiser, mostly for scholarships for local schools and taking needy families Christmas shopping each year.”

In the team’s early years, they were known as Cookin’ Pigs with a uniformed pig as their mascot. With the addition of police officers and pitmasters Brian Kopischke and Nathan Young, they changed their name to The Regulators and

Design On Tap

William Gilbert and Brian Kopischke

branched out into doing catering jobs beyond the annual festival.

The pig lost its uniform but kept a badge as a nod to their profession.

“And that first year we were down here, I have to admit, we were horrible!,” laughs William. “We were next to the Buzzard Brothers, and they spent more time in our tent than they did their own. We just kept messing stuff up! Johnny Rottering really took us under his wing as did many others and taught us a lot of what we needed to know.”

As William thinks back over the help and camaraderie among the pitmasters, he wells with emotion. “Our hog pit was built

by Deputy Chad Shaw who passed away,” he says, fighting back tears.

“Barbecue brings about a lot of emotions. We’ve lost a couple of team members over the years.

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26 • PAD U CAH LIFE

Nathan Young and William Gilbert

Norman Roberts was working here on a Friday one year and went home that night and passed away. This was a pretty big event for them.” William pauses for a moment as he sits in his booth, remembering those who have touched his life through a shared passion for barbecue.

“All of us down here become family. I’ve had help with things like knife sharpening, and I’ve done things like running errands for others. So we are family. That changes a bit when we hit the competition,” he laughs, “but we are here to help one another.”

William now donates his life for a week to Barbecue on the River, raising much needed funds for the F.O.P. and helping others who are just getting started.

“Brian and I take vacation, and the police department has been gracious to allow us to do that during this busy time,” he says. “And I stay here for the duration. I have a suitcase in my truck and stay in a camper. Once I fire the pit, I don’t shut it down until Saturday afternoon.”

William, Brian, and Nathan cook case after case of meats to serve the hungry throngs. They also focus on preparing for competitions. The Regulators improved year after year, amassing trophies for categories such as pulled pork, chicken, whole hog, and sauce.

The team is fastidious about their food. They take into account looks, scent, and, of course, taste. They sample, savor, and scrutinize their work as they stand among a small labyrinth of cookers behind their booth.

The king of the the competitions is whole hog. For the 20th anniversary of

Barbecue on the River, William felt nostalgic and built a special, old-school block pit to smoke their masterpiece.

“We’ll spend all night on this,” he says. “Johnny Rottering taught me whole hog, and we won it the first year we did it. He was pretty proud of that. We actually dressed the hog in uniform and had donuts and coffee cups around it.

Danny Sims, the coroner, even came in and did a death pronouncement due to low and slow smoke. It was fun!”

Just before the judges visit their booth, The Regulators remove the cover from the pit. William spreads sauce across the hog, and the team fastidiously places lettuce, apples, pineapples, and sweet peppers around their creation.

Each piece is placed strategically. Every green leaf has its place.

The judges’ eyes grow wide with amazement as they barely contain their desire to have a taste. After a brief presentation by William, they are seated and served samples of the meat. Their silence, only broken by the occasional mmmm and oooh tell the story.

After the judging is done, the last festival-goer has gone home, and the smoke has cleared, Will, Brian, and Nathan pack up. The work is intense and they are exhausted, but they’ve added skills to their barbecue belts, and they’ve helped grow this community. It comes not only from the dollars and cents that the F.O.P. will use to help others but from the kinship strengthened among those behind the tents and booths. Among the pork, chicken, and coals, a network of family forms, and its ties are strengthened across a patchwork of people bound together by barbecue. Y

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28 • PAD U CAH LIFE

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL H by J.T. Crawford

A Personal Discovery of LIFE On The River he writing assignment was simple: tell the story of Paducah’s annual

arrived at

Dragon Boat Festival from the point of view of its

Gym with anything that would suffice as a surrogate paddle

participants. The question was unexpected: Why

(mostly broom sticks). “It’s all about timing and staying

don’t you join the team?

Jennifer Kennedy-Haines, captain of the WKCTC crew smiled as she awaited my response. Sure, why not? I’ll engage in a bit of gonzo journalism.

Then, the trepidation sat in. You mean go out in the midst of the Ohio River in a small boat packed full of strangers

WKCTC’s Haws

together,” said Jennifer. “We can have strong rowers, but if you aren’t in sequence, it won’t matter.”

We held our “paddles” and conducted a bit of air rowing.

But a rower without a boat is a sad sight. We needed the feel of the water.

In the week leading up to the race, the teams head down to

armed with nothing but a paddle? My curiosity overcame my

the foot of Broadway and meet with 22Dragons who provide

good sense and I was IN . . . the boat.

the boats, training, and a steersman for each team. That’s

The Dragon Boat Festival, which at that point was in its third year, had become one of Paducah’s premiere fall events.

where I met “The Colonel,” the steersman who would teach us the ways of the water.

Hosted as a fundraiser for the River Discovery Center, ex-

The Colonel (I still don’t know his real name) was a retired

citement over the 2500-year-old racing tradition brought out

Marine with the looks and gruff voice of a character straight out

hordes of fans.

of a military movie. Nice. I was about to be whipped into shape.

At our first team meeting I learned about race prep. I was

We donned our floatation devices, grabbed a paddle, and he

not an experienced rower, but I quickly surmised that most of

strategically placed us according to perceived ability. We gently

my teammates were in the same boat. (Pun intended.) We each

paddled our way into the murky waters of the Ohio.

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 29

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL H

Indeed timing WAS everything. With paddles held perpendicular to the water, we sliced straight into the river and pulled back. With each pull, the boat lurched forward with a burst of speed. The burst was short lived, however, thus the need for the water, I watched as downtown

rapid repetition of said movement.

When in unison, the boat sped ahead

Paducah grew smaller in my sight. The

with great gusto. When not in unison, I

sounds of the city and riverfront faded into the gentle lapping of waves against

felt a jerk and pull akin to driving a stick shift for the first time. It wasn’t about strength. It was about

our boat. We paused, not far from Owens Island, and sat for

teamwork.

a moment, motionless. The river reached to the sky in tiny

Our theme was Gilligan’s Island, complete with the Skipper, Ginger, Mary Ann, the Professor, the Howells, and

peaks, each dipped like a paintbrush in the golden hues of the sun.

our own Gilligan. We headed for the starting area, and with

We slowly paddled forward, approaching the apex of our

all of the excitement and tension built over the week, burst

city. I could imagine the very first settlers traversing the river,

out with incredible energy.

discovering that exact same spot nearly two hundred years

By the end of the first heat, our arms were worn to

ago. For two centuries since, many had come along the same

exhaustion. But we had won! A first for the WKCTC team.

path. They too had watched as Paducah rose up from the river

In a short amount of time, we’d grown into a team, working

on the banks, growing larger in their sight.

together and understanding that each person was only as

It was a peaceful, serene moment. This was about our

strong as our desire to be unified. While winning the event

heritage and our future as it springs from the life of the

would have provided great satisfaction, the joy of being on the

Ohio River. The River Discovery Center raises much-needed

water was more than sufficient. In fact, it had been during our

funds from the Dragon Boat Races, but it also affords many

practice where I found the greatest joy in what we were doing.

Paducahans an experience like none other. It is a personal

As we paddled away from shore on that very first trip into

discovery of the life, power, and majesty of the river. Y

30 • PAD U CAH LIFE

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32 • PAD U CAH LIFE

1

7/30/15

10:26 AM

{Flashback }

Odd Fellows were heartily welcomed on the streets of Paducah!

1899 was a big year for the local chapter of the International Order of Odd Fellows.

The fraternal and service organization built a new hall in the Massac area of McCracken County and dedicated it in October. Additionally, Paducah was the site of the Kentucky Grand Lodge meetings that same month. Guests, most of whom arrived via train, horse and buggy, and by river, were welcomed by a temporary archway.

The city officials offered the use of the council chamber at city hall as a meeting location, but attendance was so high that all meetings were moved to the Morton Opera House. The organization convened to conduct yearly business as well as address needs such as caring for widows and orphans.

The Paducah Sun reported that "The people of the city as well as the local brethren are giving them a cordial welcome, and in thus honoring these visitors are honoring themselves. We most heartily welcome and wish that their stay will in all respects be one long to remember." Y P H OTO S C O U RT E S Y O F T H E M A R K E T H O U S E M U S E U M

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 33

H by Caitlin Chester

the ASPEN

PRIZE Recognizing the best community colleges in the nation and WKCTC is one of them

one selects 150 of the 1,000 colleges participating based on national data that evaluates “(1) student success in persistence, degrees awarded, completion, and transfer; (2) consistent improvement in these areas over time; and (3) equitable outcomes for students of all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.” In round two the 150 finalists are narrowed down to 10 based on institutional data and practice in four areas: Completion Outcomes, Labor Market Outcomes, Learning Outcomes, and Equitable Outcomes. Finally, in round three the institute selects one winner and up to four finalists with distinction based on labor market outcomes, a learning outcomes assessment, and four-year transfer and completion outcomes.

What does all this mean for WKCTC?

or the third year since its inception,

According to WKCTC president Barbara Veazey,“Being a finalist

the Aspen Institute has named West Kentucky

for the Aspen Prize validates the quality of education students

Community and Technical College as a finalist to

receive at West Kentucky.” She goes on to say that “students graduate

the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

and transfer at rates that exceed the national average and minorities

According to www.aspeninstitute.org, the $1 million Aspen Prize,

graduate at the very same level. That is something that our

awarded every two years, evaluates candidates in four areas: student

community can really be proud of.”

learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and

Specifically, according to Janett Blythe, WKCTC’s Director of

earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and

Marketing and Public Relations, data from the National Student

low-income students.

Clearinghouse shows that WKCTC students who transfer to a four

The winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence is chosen after three intense rounds of judging. Round

34 • PAD U CAH LIFE

year university complete the four-year degree at a 48% average as compared to a 42% average of the other Aspen finalist colleges.

The institute had this to say about WKCTC in their evaluation for the 2015 Aspen Prize: The college is focused on external as well as internal improvement.WKCTC is trying to build a college-going culture in an area with low academic attainment, through dual enrollment, an early college high school for first-generation students, and a program that provides tuition and supports for anyone who achieves good grades in two local high schools that serve substantial numbers of students in poverty.

Blythe explains what continues to place WKCTC on the Aspen Institute’s Finalist list. “It is the college-wide commitment to a culture of continual review and evaluation of what it does,” Blythe says. She goes on to say that in a recent feedback report, the Aspen Institute reviewers said:

Pictured from left to right: Former US Representative George Miller (D-Ca), Dr. Veazey and Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University and former Governor of Indiana. Miller and Daniels were the presenters at the 2015 Aspen Prize Ceremony in Washing D.C. March 18, 2015.

Few, if any, community colleges in the country have done as much work as West Kentucky has to measure and understand teaching and learning in the classroom and improve based on the knowledge gained.That culture of continuous improvement is evident throughout.

One way the college has already expressed this commitment

System (KCTCS), WKCTC’s tuition was not raised this year - the only public Kentucky college that did not do so.” She concludes, “So when students come to WKCTC not only can they take advantage of the state’s lowest tuition, but they can also go to a college that offers online course options, outstanding

to the community is through a recent tuition freeze. Blythe says,

job training programs and the ability to transfer to the university

“As part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College

of their choice.” Y

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 35

H by Casey Northcutt Watson

Learning to love herself is a 1001-day challenge for Rachael Jaenichen (so is skydiving and reading 101 books) o some, life is a challenge.

That role was “Louise” in Market House Theater’s

To Rachael Jaenichen, a challenge improves life.

production of “Fox on the Fairway,” which ran in January

For the past year and a half, the McCracken County

2014. In the past year and a half, Jaenichen has also participated in the local Dancing

High School English and creative writing teacher has worked toward realizing a list of 101 hopes and dreams within the timeframe of 1,001 days.

“I feel like so many people fall into a routine, and they lose that excitement,” she says. “I feel like there’s so much this world has to offer, and I just want to do so much.”

Jaenichen first heard about the 1001-day challenge several years ago when she worked as an event

“I feel like so many people fall into a routine, and they lose that excitement,” she says.

“I feel like there’s so much this world has to offer, and I just want to do so much.”

with Our Stars, paid off her vehicle, got a tattoo, served as maid of honor in a wedding, and more.

“Sometimes, when you get it on paper, it makes it [your dreams] a little more real,” she says. “You don’t want to let yourself down by not accomplishing things, so it kind of lights a fire under you and inspires you to actually accomplish what you say you want to do in a timeline that’s manageable.”

planner in San Diego, CA, but she

Starting a blog is another item

didn’t start until January 2014. So,

on her list, which she crossed off

she has until September 2016 to

early in the challenge. Jaenichen

complete various tasks, such as

began www.lumuhand.com in

reading 101 books, taking an art

January 2014 and created a sweet,

class, attending a roller derby match

simple website to document her

and skydiving.

life and her love of self-improve-

“I tried to put things on there

ment. The site tracks her progress

that are realistic so that I can get them done, but then I liked

on the 1,001-day challenge and also keeps an archive of posts

to put things on there that are stretching outside my comfort

about her various adventures,

zone,” she says. “I never thought I would audition for a lead

including her Dancing with Our Stars stint and her home pur-

role in a community theater play, and I did. And, I fell in love

chase. The blog’s title comes from a Jaenichen family saying—

with it, but I don’t think that I would have done it if I hadn’t

Love you. Miss you. Have a nice day.—and she hopes both the

put it on my list.”

phrase and the site encourage her readers.

36 • PAD U CAH LIFE

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 37

“I just wish that people who read my blog would [see] that I’m as authentic as I can be, and I want them to laugh with me,”

that normally, and I wanted to up the game. Let’s fix Indian cuisine and watch a Bollywood movie with subtitles.”

she says.

She has even used www.lumuhand.com to encourage others to adopt more “challenging” lifestyles of their own. Throughout the month of April, Jaenichen blogged about the “A-Z challenge,” a concept she adopted from Elizabeth Noble’s novel, “Alphabet Weekends: Love on the Road from A to Z.” The idea is simple:

A single woman, Jaenichen hopes to

“I just wish that people who read my blog would [see] that I’m as authentic as I can be, and I want them to laugh with me,” she says.

a couple commits to enjoying themed

date through the alphabet herself one day, but for now, she’s content to inspire others to add variety to their lives.

“Couples in Paducah could do it,” she says. “It could be, like, a movement—a way to spice things up.”

When Jaenichen devises a challenge, she goes all out, whether it’s a hypothetical dating concept or a nearly three-year self-improvement endeavor. And it’s

dates that focus around letters of the alphabet. The point is to

hard. For her 1,001-day challenge, the teacher has stretched

“date” through the alphabet within a certain amount of time. In

and stressed herself personally and professionally. She says she’s

her blog, Jaenichen gave suggestions to fulfill the challenge using

apprehensive about skydiving and not extremely excited about

titles like “A is for Art Class” and “G is for Guns, Golf and

throwing herself into the atmosphere. She also has trouble

Go-Carts.”

keeping up with a busy schedule, so she has failed to complete a

“The hardest part for me is that I wanted to pick things that

task that required her to send a card to someone once a month

were a little bit outside the norm,” she says. “I didn’t want to just

for the duration of the challenge. She says she sometimes wants

be like, ‘Oh, let’s go to dinner’ or ‘Let’s see a movie.’ Couples do

to change her list, swapping out items to make her life easier;

38 • PAD U CAH LIFE

but that’s against the rules.

Yet, despite her fear of skydiving and despite how often she forgets to send cards, Jaenichen says the hardest item on her list is falling completely in love with herself.

“It’s a process,” she says. “I hope it comes to fruition, but I feel like we’re all working on something. It’s going to take the longest time.”

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“It’s hard to describe how great my experience was at Baptist Health,” Sherron said.

“The entire staff made sure I was comfortable and relaxed during my treatments. To this day, I make a special visit to the nurses and staff to say hello.”

Baptist Health Paducah is among the elite group of 331 hospitals who have earned the 2015 Women’s Choice Award by meeting the highest cancer care standards of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, as well as for their excellence in clinical performance with regard to patient safety measures, and for their high recommendation rate, a measure that is very important to women in choosing a hospital.

“Staying focused on the needs of our patients, providing the latest technology, and taking pride in the community are some of the reasons our hospital continues to be preferred 3 to 1 in our region for cancer care,” said hospital president William A. Brown.

The hospital has entered its fifth annual Pink Glove Dance video contest for breast cancer awareness. Voting is Sept. 9-23 at PinkGloveDance.com.

40 • PAD U CAH LIFE

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H by Caitlin Chester

A Long and Artful Career Now Stands in the Spotlight

retirement. Though her brilliant work behind the scenes as the Director of WKCTC’s Clemens Fine Arts Center may be done, Robinson-Butler’s legacy and interests bring her into the spotlight. And after making Paducah shine with quality arts entertainment for nearly 30 years, it’s a well-deserved respite.

After graduating from Paducah Community College and Murray State University, earning a Bachelor’s of Independent Studies in Communication, Gail Robinson-Butler returned to

ail Robinson-Butler is no stranger to

WKCTC. She was the Coordinator for the Government Access

putting on a great show—from initially booking the

Channel at WKCTC until 1993, when she became Chair of the

act to marketing, to setting up a stage at 8 am and

Arts in FOCUS Performance Arts Series. From there, she rose to

finally closing down at midnight, she’s done it all.

become theatre manager at WKCTC and finally, Director of the

Under her direction, Paducah Summer Festival has hosted such

Clemens Fine Arts Center in 1999. There, she worked to bring

acts as Lorrie Morgan, Trace Atkins and Vince Gill, the latter

the arts into focus for Paducah in an affordable way.

of whom will be performing at the Arts in FOCUS series at

“It’s really been important to me during my career to present

WKCTC for the 2015-2016 season in September. Now, after

quality entertainment to the entire community,” Robinson-But-

serving as Director of the Clemens Fine Arts Center at WKCTC

ler says. One of the biggest challenges of her career, she explains,

and directing the successful riverfront concert series at the

has been keeping the entertainment fresh and new by “staying in

Paducah Summer Festival, she’s embarking on a new adventure:

tune with the audiences and what people want to see, as well

Clockwise: Gail and husband Tom Butler at the 2012 patron party; at the 2015 season preview party; Paducah 2 TV crew in the early days included Rick Alvey, Jeff Prater, Mark Clemens, Bob Shy, (front) Tom Butler and Gail; The Band Perry backstage with Gail in 2011.

42 • PAD U CAH LIFE

as [giving them] a chance to see things they may not get to see

“I hope that I’ve been a proponent for the arts, and to help its

somewhere else.”

growth in Paducah. Arts education is extremely important to our

Over the years at WKCTC, this has come to include such acts

community, to WKCTC and to me.”

as the musical Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, the Moscow Festival

Indeed, anyone who has seen a performance at the Clemens

Ballet’s Swan Lake, and The Band Perry, just to name a few. Under

Fine Arts Center or the Paducah Summer Festival over the span

Robinson-Butler’s direction, the Clemens Fine Arts Center has also

of Robinson-Butler’s noteworthy career will agree that Paducah

featured Rhythmic Circus’ Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, the Punch Brothers

shines even brighter for her effort.

and New York Times Bestselling author, Jeannette Walls.

Looking to the future, Robinson-Butler shares some of her

Now, reflecting on retirement, Robinson-Butler says she

retirement plans. “I’ve already started writing a book, and I hope

will miss everything about her work. She explains the creative

that I can finish it,” she says. After a career spent working with

process of choosing and booking an act, as well as marketing and

both famous and up-and-coming acts in Paducah, and all the

putting on a show, is challenging yet very rewarding. Take the

recognition and awards it entails, she is sure to have some stories

successful crowd-favorite The Buddy Holly Story for example.

to tell. She is also looking forward to spending more time with

“When you look at people leaving the theater singing and danc-

her grandson and traveling.

ing and applauding with standing ovations,” she explains, “all the

Reflecting on her career, Robinson-Butler summarizes a

hard work comes into perspective.” Robinson-Butler says for her,

sentiment Paducah can certainly appreciate. “I retire hoping

those are the moments when she realizes, “this is why I do it.”

that I’ve made a difference to the arts by the time that I’ve spent

“I hope that I’ve brought joy to a lot of people who have seen the shows that we have done,” Robinson-Butler concludes.

doing this. We all want to make a difference in the things we’re passionate about.” Y

Gail and Chris Everett in the college’s production of Night Mother and Gail interviewing UK basketball player Sam Bowie.

S EJA P TNUA E MB RY ER / F/ O EC B RUARY TO B ER 2015 • 43

Memories in Movies Discovering the History of Paducah’s Columbia Theatre Week by Week es Houser often takes short strolls during work breaks.

He moves along at a steady pace, finding solace among the sights and sounds of downtown Paducah. But one building usually makes him stop in his tracks.

He pauses before the facade of the Columbia Theatre. Gazing at the ornate tiles, columns, and busts of Greek goddesses, his eyes come to rest on an empty frame that once proudly displayed all the movie posters that called this theater home.

“I loved this building as a kid,” he says.

“Just to go in was something. It was the old-time experience of going to a movie.

There was the plush carpeting, the art deco; it was an event. I miss that.”

Wes loves cinema. He worked at the first multiplex in Paducah and managed several theaters in other cities. As he stares at the empty frame, he imagines

44 • PAD U CAH LIFE

the movies that once graced the Columbia screen.

Wes remembers many of the movies he saw at the Columbia, and he recalls other movies from the theater’s heyday.

He often wonders about certain films, curious if they were shown here.

His curiosity ultimately drove him to the microfiche files at the McCracken County Public Library and an ambitious project that will tell the story of the Columbia Theatre at it’s heart: a comprehensive list of the movies and events that took place there.

“We know that It with Clara Bow was the first movie. But who knows the second or the third? Right off the bat, the story gets interesting. Affair at the Follies was supposed to play the second weekend, but there was a train delay, and the film didn’t arrive on time. So they screened See You in Jail instead.”

Wes goes through the files, looking at every newspaper from every day.

He finds information on each week’s movies as well as other events and general history on the theater.

“It can get a bit tedious at times,” he admits, “but it is fascinating. I can go through about six months of history in a few hours. I am looking forward to movies that I remember, like when I went to see Empire Strikes Back.

That was huge! The line stretched around the block.”

For Wes, it truly is a labor of love.

“Many of these movies can’t be found,” he says. “Look at this,” he laughs, as he pauses on another page at the library.“It’s Hoot Gibson in The Silent Rider. Film preservation in the early days wasn’t so good, so things like this may never be seen again. And that line of movies helps tell the story of the Columbia.”

Wes is in the infancy of his project, now up to 1929. “I am two years and one week into the history. Only 58 years to go!” Y

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 45

SHOWCASING ARTS, PROPERTY, and POTENTIAL

by Darlene Mazzone

was sitting next to a young college student at Dry Ground recently who graduated from Paducah Tilghman several years ago. The young woman turned to me and said, “You know, Paducah is pretty cool. I could totally come back and live here.”

Just in the past two months Paducah has promoted its “cool factor” along with its many available properties and its active arts community to a whole HOST of interested parties.

Paducah Main Street’s Meet the Artists event logged more than 1200 guests, but that was just the folks who signed in. “We believe that we had many more who attended the event but who didn’t take the time to sign our register,” said Melinda Winchester, Main Street Manager. There were 53 artists who participated, and guests came from all around the country.

In July, Showcase Paducah allowed potential owners and developers to take a look at available properties in downtown and Lower

46 • PAD U CAH LIFE

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Town. Several hundred people walked through both residential and commercial properties during the day-long special event. “To date we are aware of three sales as a result of Showcase Paducah,” Melinda Winchester said. “The building at 405 Broadway, the “Stranded Cow” house, and space in the property at the corner of

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Water Street and Broadway were sold. We’ve had many other follow-up conversations so we are optimistic that we may see more acquisitions in the coming months.” Y

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S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 47

H

Paducah’s native son, Alben Barkley, is remembered in images and artifacts at the Market House Museum

Alben Barkley loved his hometown. As a U.S. Senator and later Vice President under Harry S. Truman, he always called Paducah home.

In tribute to this storied native, the Market House Museum presents a display

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The Barkley Room is a permanent display which contains a variety of items

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initiated after an Executive Order by President Truman.

Other items are more personal. Barkley's mailbox, pipe, wedding photo, and much more are on hand. Family artifacts such as his grandparents' quilt and furniture are displayed. Some of Barkley's clothing hangs in his wardrobe, and a the Market House Museum home. Y For more information, visit markethousemuseum.com.

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S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 49 To book a tour of our NEW community, call 270.442.6884 or visit SuperiorCareHome.com

Barbara and Dawn Conjure Up A Harry

A

Halloween

s the sun descends on Jefferson Street, the magic becomes palpable. It’s Halloween, and midtown is abuzz with a horde of colorfully costumed trick-or-treaters.

They are wide-eyed with wonder at the enchanted worlds created by many of the homeowners. Their amazement approaches its zenith as the home of Dawn and Barbara Evans comes into view. There, the kiddos are transported to a place of enchantment; a place of pure imagination.

“We loved coming over to Jefferson to visit friends on Halloween,” says Barbara, “but then we moved here in 2007.”

“Our friends said it would be fun to do the group costume thing,” adds Dawn “We agreed!”

For their first theme, Dawn and Barbara chose The Addams Family.

“We’ve done mostly Disney-type themes because there are a lot of little kids, and we wanted this to be for them. Later on, we did the Wizard of Oz, and after that, we were like, ‘Oh, what did we just do?!’ It was getting bigger and bigger, and we experienced the paparazzi effect. I knew we had something when moms handed me their babies so they could take a photo!”

In subsequent years, the couple staged full-yard sets for Snow White, Willy Wonka, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland.

“Every year it just got bigger and bigger, and we wondered how we could top the year before,” says Dawn. “Some very artistic friends came along and built sets because they wanted to be involved. We’ve done some neat things like the magic mirror for Snow White.

50 • PAD U CAH LIFE

We figured out a way to do that with light shining one way through mylar.”

“And I have an upstairs full of costumes with rack after rack of clothing and a group of organized wigs,” says Barbara. “My family always had a costume closet, so this thing is real and runs deep! It’s just what we do!”

For Alice in Wonderland, Matt Jaeger was slated to play the caterpillar. The group wondered how to properly transform him into the otherworldly creature. “One day he showed up at the door with a bright blue sleeping bag,” says Barbara. “We converted it, and now it’s a part of the collection!”

Last year, Dawn and Barbara staged the most ambitious set to date: Harry Potter. “The cast was so big!” laughs Barabara. “We had different sets such as Diagon Alley and Hogwarts. And there were challenges on this one. I wanted to do floating candles, so I had to figure out a way to suspend some that were battery operated. I strung up some bird netting, and, by the time the sun went down and the wind blew, we had floating candles!”

The result was the transformation of a front yard into the world of Harry Potter. Lines formed as eager children sought to meet the characters. “People come back year after year and tell us that they look forward to visiting,” says Dawn.

“It is truly magical!” Y

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 51

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& ourtney Two Curators Martha

C

of

Wonderful Weddings ★

By Kaylan Thompson

T

O PUT IT SIMPLY, COURTNEY SPENCER IS A CURATOR AND ENVISIONIST OF BEAUTIFUL

things. Daughter of Mayor Gayle Kaler and Paducah native, Courtney is a southern girl through-and-through.

She breathes nuance into tradition and pulls off big-flare weddings with level-headed grace and sturdy determination. And when we say big-flare we mean it. • Last autumn Courtney heard from Martha Stewart Magazine. There was no explanation as to why, only a questionnaire and a return label. The questions, she said, were pretty technical, concerning the number of her employees, the number of weddings coordinated each year and how long she had been in business. • “I knew they were fishing for something,” she said. “But I didn’t really know what for.” • Then in December, an editor from the magazine contacted her and said she had been selected as one

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2 0 1 5 • 53

of the Martha Stewart Weddings Top Wedding Planners.

On top of that, a wedding she previously coordinated was featured in the Summer 2015 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and her production assistant’s wedding is spotlighted on Martha Stewart Weddings online.

To the small business bureau, Courtney is a full-scale planner. To the bride-to-be with a binder-full of laminated pictures of peonies, wedding dresses and hors d'oeuvres, she’s a welcome anchor.

Having been in the wedding business for over seven years, Courtney has planned, coordinated and lost hair over countless weddings. Her wedding planning business, Merriment Events, is the one constant through every wedding timeline.

While brides-to-be may be enamoured by combinations of beautiful flowers, heartshaped necklines and tearjerking father-daughter dances, Courtney takes her clients by the hand and walks them through the overwhelming world of wedding logistics.

The planning process of an event this large, she said, can be siloed into multiple phases. She starts initial planning with the clients usually before they have even booked a venue. She tackles the administrative details including (but certainly not limited to) schedules, the wedding planning

timeline, and every intricacy in the procedural framework.

The second phase is what she terms “design.” This includes defining the look and feel of the event and identifying vendors who will deliver that aesthetic. Production is the final step in the timeline.

This is the implementation of all the plans that have been made throughout the process. On set-up day, the Merriment Events team is the first in and the last out.

Being involved in the set-up process on the day of the wedding is “a blessing and a curse.” Pulling off a wedding for 200-plus guests with a team of 40-80 vendors, caterers, designers and florists in a tight timeframe and equally tight venue can be hectic.

“You think you’re going to die halfway through because it’s so intense,” she said. “But it’s also rewarding to see something you’ve been planning for well over a year come to life.”

While she humbly attributes some of her success to just the “dumb luck” of getting noticed and connected in awesome ways, it’s obvious her elegant, sophisticated tastes and her graceful planning and management skills are getting her noticed.

“You never know how long the attention is going to stick around, but for now it’s really nice,” she said. “All my hard work has paid off.”

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Her goals for the future are undetermined and wide open.

She focuses each day simply on managing her business and taking care of her three year-old daughter.

“I feel successful every day I make it through dealing with clients while taking care of my family,” she said. “I don’t know what will happen in the future, but at the end of the

day I know it’s just a privilege and an honor to be involved in someone’s marriage. I mean, I’m working to unite people and bring families together in a really beautiful, memorable way.” Y

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S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 55

KEEP ON

River Songs Keep On Churnin’ In our May/June issue, we asked you to put your feelings for Paducah in song and submit them for our Sing A Song Of Paducah contest. You did not disappoint!

We posted six of them on Facebook and asked our followers to vote. After a month of listening and deliberation, you chose our winner: J.D. Wilkes with his song Paducah, Jewel on the Ohio.

Here are profiles of all our songwriters and their songs. You can still listen to these odes to Paducah on our PADUCAH LIFE Youtube page. A big THANKS to everyone who submitted an entry.

56 •

D U CA H LIFE

PA-

J.D. Wilkes Paducah, Jewel on the Ohio J.D. Wilkes is a wellknown name both locally and abroad. As lead of the Legendary Shack Shakers, who celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, he’s made a career of music.

You’ve seen him locally with the Shack Shakers, The Dirt Daubers, and various ensembles for events such as square dances.

“I basically wrote the tune in one sitting using chord structures common in old Tin Pan Alley jazz songs,” says J.D. “The lyrical imagery covers my favorite things about the area: farmland, riverboats, and southern history.

“I wanted language to be playful in the same way movie musicals and jazz standards are. Silly, wordy phrases like ‘pulchritudinous tableau’ could be something you’d hear in the Wizard of Oz. That early 20th Century-era of songwriting was my favorite.”

Suzi Renaud

Oh Paducah, On the Ohio!

Suzi simply loves Paducah. As owner of the Yoga Room, she’s taught Paducah the meditative benefits of the exercise for twelve years. She’d never written a song before but received encouragement to try her hand at crafting a tune.

“A friend of mine sent me an email with the notice of the contest,” says Suzi.“The email simply read, ‘Suzanne Renaud, you can do this.’ That put a

Nathan Blake Lynn/Bawn in the Mash Docked in Paducah Again

With the release of their first album, Welcome to the Atomic City in 2006, Bawn in the Mash took Paducah by storm. Most every song is an homage to our city and this region.

“I was living in Land Between the Lakes while working at the Homeplace,” says Nathan. “I drove to Paducah on my day off to junk shop. I stopped for lunch at Whaler’s where I started the song. I went down to the riverfront and back to my truck and sketched out the rest.

“It was a part of a group of songs that told the story of a young man who left his

fly in my bonnet, and the words just came. A Yoga client said he had an old buddy that was in a band years ago and maybe he could help. That’s when I was introduced to Mark and Max Dodd, two brothers, part of an old band called The Rivals. It took us one weekend and five recordings, and the last one was perfect. It was a great experience and hard work.”

home in the LBL to work on the river. Some of those songs made it onto Welcome to the Atomic City.”

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 57

Joe Hansen Paducah True

Joe Hansen grew up in a family with a great love for music and married into a similar family in Paducah.

His wife is Liz White Hansen, who is the daughter of Barron and Zelma White. Barron authored the books I Remember Paducah When and My Paducah, and he would be especially proud that Joe has written a song to honor the history and spirit of the community he loved so much “Paducah True is a song that reflects the upbeat, positive, forward-thinking spirit of Paducah,” says Joe. “Our community is rich in history, and that history is highlighted in verse one. The cornerstones of commerce here have been the rivers and the railways, and that fact is featured in verse two. Commerce and culture have diversified, and The Quilt (the “crazy quilt,” in particular) is verse three’s metaphor for a city that pieces all of its gifts together to build a beautiful future.”

The Wheelhouse Rousters Back to Ole Paducah

The Rousters (Nathan Lynn, Josh Coffey, Eddie Coffey) are steeped in Paducah

George Coryell & Mike Jones Paddlewheels

history. They draw not only their moniker and musical style from the river and

“The song is about my experi-

its industry, but their ebb and flow of energy as well. Focusing on long forgotten

ences growing up in Paducah in

river songs gathered by Mary Wheeler of Paducah, the Rousters give a new twist

the 400 block of South 4th street

to old tunes.

in the 50’s and 60’s,” says George.

“Back to Ole Paducah is an old-time number loosely based on numerous expe-

“I was a member of the Moxies

riences we have had living in downtown Paducah,” says Nathan.“’Barbecue chick-

band from 1964 till 1968 and

en is the best ole meat’ is a line taken from an old roustabout song called Ham’s

then formed the Family Portrait

the Best Old Meat. It’s kind of an advertisement for a night on the riverfront.

group from 1969 until 1972.

“Regionalism seems to be a reoccurring theme for J.D., me, and a number of

“I and fellow songwriter, Mike

other songwriters

Jones of Murray, wrote numerous

from the area. The

songs together, including Paddle-

rivers have brought

wheels, and many were recorded at

so much culture

various studios from Hollywood

into far western

to Nashville. In 1971 the Paducah

Kentucky, and it

Tilghman Swing Choir recorded

shows in all of the

Paddlewheels, and it was a part of

entries to the con-

their album, ‘Part II: Another Shade

test. We are a proud

of Blue’ recorded at the RCA

group of people.”

Victor Studio in Nashville.” Y

58 • PAD U CAH LIFE

The Chocolate Factory

Doe’s Eat Place

Flower + Furbish

Step through the door of the Chocolate Factory and take a step back in time. The old fashioned shop is sweetly reminiscent of a days gone by candy store. Jar after jar of homemade chocolates will greet you in almost every combination. A large variety of goodies lie nestled in layers of chocolate waiting for discovery.

Doe’s Eat Place is a prominent steak house known for our elite hand-cut steaks. Add to that our superb homemade sides, our live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, a great selection of beers, and all the good vibrations of a hometown place in downtown Paducah.

We’re open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. And don’t forget the tamales!

If you’re downtown drop in at Doe’s!

Our ultimate love is flowers. We are a floral design studio or as we like to say ‘a new fashioned florist’. We buy the freshest and most beautiful flowers available to create bouquets that showcase our clients’ style and personality.

You imagine it, we create it. Every day, every occasion, every moment . . . captured with Flowers + Furbish.

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Jo’s Baskets

The Rustic Thread

At Italian Grill on Broadway, we make everything FROM SCRATCH EVERYDAY - FOR YOU. From fresh bread to homemade sauces, we offer a wide selection of delicious meals including build-your-own pizzas and pastas. Our award-winning bartenders are always mixing up amazing cocktails so stop by our bar. If a night out isn’t on the agenda, call in for carry out!

New look, new items! Browse our new gift basket wall. Shop our Natural Gemstone Jewelry, Garden Décor, Home Décor, Bereavement Items and large selection of Ty Beanie Boos.

Purchase a balloon or balloon bouquet to say thinking of you, happy birthday or get well soon. Come buy your next affordable gift at 404 Broadway and receive free gift wrapping.

314 Broadway • 270-443-5222 italiangrillonbroadway.com

404 Broadway 270.444.7699

The Rustic Thread Boutique in Lower Town offers an assortment of trends and items you won’t find anywhere else. The shop offers an eclectic mix of clothing, jewelry, accessories, chalk paint, furniture and gifts. We have something wonderful to offer in our product lines, but our true focus is on providing our customers with an exceptional shopping experience.

Italian Grill on Broadway

516 Jefferson Street • 270.415.5909

Paducahs' DOWNTOWN DESTINATIONS!

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 59

N A CRISP, AUTUMN MORNING IN M URRAY, THE

distant sound of bagpipes floats along the otherwise uninterrupted and silent air. It beckons and draws one to Central Park where the world has been transformed into a little piece of Scotland at the Murray Highland Festival.

The park drive is lined with an abundance of flags, each representing a different clan. The 17th Lancers Pipe Band practice, readying themselves for the opening of the heavy athletic games. Men and women, clad in an array of kilts, toss stones on the grass, warming up in hopes of proving their clans’ physical prowess. The aroma of traditional, Scottish cuisine permeates the burgeoning activities.

60 • PAD U CAH LIFE

On the last Saturday of October, Murray finds itself to be a bit Scottish.

The Western Kentucky Highland Society, which hosts several events throughout the year, culminates its activities in grand style.

Clans set up booths, showcasing their tartans and heritage. They answer questions from visitors, many of whom are amazed to find some Scottish lineage in their own families.

Others are surprised to see how much Scotland touched and influenced American culture and life.

At the Scottish Heavy Athletic events, men and women participate in traditional games, most of which are

derived from agricultural roots.

There’s the sheaf toss, where a bag of straw wrapped in burlap is pitchforked and flung over a bar high over the competitor’s head. There are the throws such as the hammer toss where something akin to a sledgehammer is sent hurling as far as possible as well as the stone toss, a forerunner of shot put. The caber toss pits participants against a long, pine pole, something close to a shortened telephone pole.

Their aim is to hold it upright and throw it, causing it to fly end over end.

The food generates some of the most curiosity. Scotch eggs are a staple. Hard boiled eggs are wrapped in sausage, then breaded, then deep fried. Haggis is also on tap. The traditional Scottish dish never caught on as an American staple due to its unconventional ingredients. The Murray Highland Festival is the first chance for many to try it, and we recommend you don’t shy away.

Musicians provide the soundtrack as they perform traditional and new folk tunes, and dancers stay true to

Scottish dancing games as they jump and fly. Sheep are heard bleating on the ball field as a shepherd and his sheep dog perform demonstrations, converting the small baseball diamond into a Scotland meadow.

For many, this is a bit of heaven and home. For others, it is a way to learn about Scottish heritage. It is a fall event that should be on your calendar.

Pretty soon, you may be saying A’d like tae veesit Scotland ae day (I’d like to visit Scotland one day). Y

This year’s Murray Highland Festival is on October 24. More information can be found at murraykyhighlandgames.com.

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B E R 2015 • 61

All you need is and a great pair of

love sunglasses. #framedandfabulous

West Kentucky Community and Technical College announces the 2015-16 FOCUS season t’s all about the music this fall as WKCTC opens its FOCUS series at the Clemens Fine Arts Center.

The series opens on September 19 with The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill, Kenny Sears and “Ranger Doug” Green. The

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multi-Grammy nominated 10-piece western swing band includes talented Nashville musicians who have made major contributions to country music. The Washington Post noted, "The band’s jaw-dropping performance put their storied chemistry front and center, as members traded solos with

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62 • PAD U CAH LIFE

The Time Jumpers

BARBARA McGINTY LOVES an improvisational bravado more commonly experienced in jazz clubs than honky-tonks.”

Guests will get an evening of

I love Paducah Life Magazine because it spotlights the best of Paducah and the surrounding area. It introduces me to new people, reveals the hobbies and varied interests of friends, and highlights the success of many of my former students. It is a quality publication that has provided interesting reading for 25 years.

blues with Quinn Sullivan and his band on October 10. Sixteenyear-old Sullivan is quickly gaining a reputation among today’s most respected guitar players and musical artists. He has been touring the world with his mentor and friend, Buddy Guy, promoting his latest CD, Getting There.

Since the age of 7, Quinn has been sharing stages with legendary players like Buddy Guy,

Happy Anniversary,

Eric Clapton, Los Lobos, Joe Bonamassa, and BB King at

PADUCAH LIFE!

iconic venues including the Holly-

~ Barbara McGint y

wood Bowl, Madison Square Garden, and Red Rocks. Y

Roxie

KNOWS REAL ESTATE!

Roxie knows me, and I know Roxie.

She knows her business and what is on the market. She represented me as a buyer in this deal, but if I wanted to sell something, I would first look to Roxie. She is the hardest working, most diligent sales person I know. ~ Wi ll iam Howerton

“Bill had asked me to look for farm land some 4 years ago... when this listing came up, I knew it was perfect for him!

He was thrilled!”

Thank you Bill!

Roxie Jarvis, R E A L T O R

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S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 63

H by Susie Fenwick

started my business on a dime and a dream,”

stint, which morphed into a 14-year career ending in a supervisory

Rocia Keeling explains about the inception of Rocia’s

position requiring relocation and placing too much time and

Exquisite Designs at 2104 Broadway in her hometown

space between Rocia and her large extended family.

of Paducah. With a dime, a dream, the sunny disposition of

Acknowledging the postal service provided a good job with

a people pleaser, and miscellaneous items left from her

a great compensation package, Rocia recalls her feelings as a

daughter’s wedding, Rocia set out to make her dream a reality.

supervisor. “It just wasn’t who I was. I felt like it was always a

What she lacked in traditional assets she compensated for

pull and tug to get things done. It turned me into someone I

with hard work, ingenuity, and human capital to provide event

didn’t want to be.”

planning, coordinating, decorating, and rental of items needed to make any occasion special.

A Tilgham High School graduate, Rocia planned to continue

It was no job for a people pleaser.

Besides the fact Rocia didn’t feel comfortable in her own skin, her heart was always with her family and friends in Paducah.

her education at the local community college. Instead, opportunity

A couple of years ago a trip home to celebrate the 4th of July

knocked and what she accepted was a short-term mail carrier

turned into a permanent move.

64 • PAD U CAH LIFE

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S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 65

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With a smile outshining her signature lighting effects and

success and corresponding growth exceeded her original dime

capable of illuminating the largest ballroom, and her mother,

and dream. Contributing to Rocia’s emotional capital is Pastor

Theodosia, always at her side, Rocia tackles events ranging

James L. Hudson from Harrison Street Baptist Church. Rocia

from weddings to galas sponsored by the Paducah Chamber

credits Rev. Hudson with being a great counselor.

of Commerce, the American Cancer

“When I’ve been in a tizzy and felt

Society, and the Charity League,

like throwing the towel in, he calls or I

to mention only a few. She enjoys

call him. He listens but never tells me

taking her skills to a wide array of

what to do. He just lets me talk. Some-

venues.

times, I have to ask, “Are you there?”

In her business, she considers the digital pin board, Pinterest, both a

He lets me talks things out so I find the answers.”

blessing and a curse. Laughingly Ro-

It’s all about family for Rocia.

cia says, “Pinterest is great for all the

When “her brides become like daugh-

ideas but sometimes the creativity

ters,” it is the ultimate expression of

exceeds budgets.”

customer service. She finds herself tear-

Her uncle, Gus White, a wood-

ing up if she thinks the bride/daughters

worker and electrician, is quick to

are anything less than delighted with

utilize his expertise on projects.

their wedding day. After an event, she

Rocia has learned not to ask her

may be exhausted and not able to feel

uncle if he “can” make something.

her feet and legs but her heart is full of

Instead she just tells him what she

pride.

needs. According to Rocia a typical

Expressing the importance of each

exchange is, “Uncle Gus, this is what I need.” To which, he

bride’s unadulterated happiness, Rocia elaborates, “It means so

replies, “I got it.”

much to me for every girl to have her dream day and many times

Rocia prides herself on being responsive to her clients

probably costs me some money . . . but it’s worth it. “ Y

and feels it has contributed to the growth and success of her business. As her business grew and the need for more capital became apparent, two very important men invested in Rocia.

Her father, Shelley Keeling, Sr. stepped up when Rocia’s

Rocia Keeling can be reached by email at cs@rociasexquisitedesigns.com

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 67

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he 2015 edition of THE WEDDING BOOK is on newsstands now. This edition, like the many that preceded it, brings to life the glorious weddings and special ceremonies of brides in western Kentucky and the surrounding area.

Now in its eighth edition, the WEDDING

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destination weddings, or lighthearted moments of joy.

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special story for the next edition of the WEDDING BOOK. Submissions are being accepted now for the 2016 publication.

If you have a special ceremony, celebration, party, proposal, or honeymoon that you'd like to share with the world,

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send us all the fabulous details.

In this edition we've asked brides and grooms to share with us their stories of proposals, planning, preparations, and a full potpourri of how to design a wedding that is

5% of my commission

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Look at a home and your children can pick out a toy

68 • PAD U CAH LIFE

uniquely theirs. Many rise to the occasion in every edition—the occasion of their vows and the subsequent celebrations that follow.

We are always grateful for their generosity.

For information on how to submit your wedding for inclusion in the 2016 WEDDING BOOK, go to paducahlife.com and click on the WEDDING BOOK or contact Kathryn Byers at 615.428.6097. Y

95

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ns

Portraits of PADUCAH Paducah is blessed with artistry of every sort in our fair city.

PADUCAH LIFE Magazine invites you to share that with us.

If you have a beautiful, creative, unique, exceptional, one-momentin-time photo of people, places, or things around our distinct destination, we'd love for you to SHARE it with us!

The image needs to be a high-resolution jpeg file (300 dpi).

You can send color or black and white or a computer-enhanced creation.

Please include with your image a narrative about the photo or the event or the moment when the photo was taken. Tell us something about what the image meant to you at the moment of its capture. Or give us some history of the subject if that would be meaningful.

SHOW us your take on LIFE in Paducah and we'll share it with the world.

Send your photo submission to darlene@paducahlife.com. Y S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 69

70 • PAD U CAH L I FE

H

by Casey Northcutt Watson

Area artist wins award for illuminating work ohn Romang creates magic on Plexiglas acrylic sheets—he drops bright hues of ink and resin onto these surfaces and watches them blend and bend and swirl. Now, they have won him an award.

The Tanne Foundation, based out of Boston, recently published the winners of the 2015 Tanne Awards on its website, listing only NINE ARTISTS from around the country. Romang’s work, along with a biography and portrait, was included.

The Paducah resident and elementary school art teacher believes this means his hard work has paid off.

“It made me feel vindicated, I guess I should say, for having my artwork recognized outside of western Kentucky,” he says.

Romang’s technique churns ink and resin together to make abstract maelstroms of color. He then illuminates his pieces in light boxes so the colors burn brightly. His website, johnromang.com, lists numerous exhibitions in Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina and Pennsylvania.

He says he does it for the kids.

“I always had this theory that you have to be a good artist to teach art,” he says. “A lot of people, when they become teachers, they stop doing art, and I refused to let myself … personally, I was more committed to continuing this exploration of my degree.”

A happy accident helped Romang develop his technique. Five or six years ago, he mainly worked with mixed media. At one point, he says, he was using polyurethane to seal a collage, and he dropped ink onto his work to add color. It reacted chemically to the sealant, and the color almost came alive, swirling and spreading on its own. Intrigued, Romang quit his other pursuits and focused exclusively on ink. He’s switched the polyurethane to resin but he continued to explore the magic of chemical reactions.

After several years, that exploration has now won recognition from the Tanne Foundation. Andee Rudloff, a foundation trustee, loves his pieces and his work with children, and she presented him to the organization for award consideration. According to its website, the Tanne Foundation desires to encourage artists and is grateful for their passion and commitment. Through this award, it has thanked Romang personally.

In doing so, it has also fueled his quest to be the best teacher possible by being the best artist possible. Y S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 71

With no family history of cancer or experience with cancer, Kerie was starting from scratch. “I didn’t know that language.

It was a matter of doing what I had to do.

OF

COURAGE

What’s the next step? What do I have to do to get through this? I’d have a bad day from time to time, but my friend would remind me that I was doing what needed to be done to survive.’”

Within six weeks, Kerie underwent four surgeries including a double mastectomy, and she is now in the process of twenty weeks of chemo-therapy. In the midst of the surgeries, procedures, and doctor’s appointments, Kerie was introduced to a program called Beads of Courage. “I was shown the bead room at Dr. Howard’s office.

I thought, ‘that’s kind of cute.’ I didn’t think much more about it.”

The Beads of Courage program came to life in Arizona as an arts-in-medicine project for children coping with serious illness. The beads were a way for the kids to better tell the story of their journey. For many years, it remained a children’s program. When it was expanded to adults, the Lourdes Women’s Center in Paducah created a pilot program for women being treated for breast cancer.

Kerie scheduled an appointment to get

Telling The Story Of Breast Cancer One Bead At A Time hen Kerie Crawford turned 40, she didn’t

started. “Different beads represent different things, and I have a special bead for each of my closest supporters. Every blue bead represents a doctor’s visit. The black ones are

give the number much thought. An active cyclist and travel

pokes and sticks. There are lots of those. The

enthusiast, she anticipated no major changes to her lifestyle

beige ones are biopsies. The aqua ones are

just because of age.

drains. The rainbow beads are for therapy.

Her doctor reminded her of the importance of mammogram

I even have a special bead that was commis-

tests, however, especially considering that the rate of diagnoses of breast cancer

sioned by Dr. Howard’s office. And I got one

in women increases with age. “I got that done, and his nurse called me and said

to show I got my diagnosis on April Fool’s

I needed to do another mammogram,” says Kerie. “I had the second and an

Day. But my favorites are the ones that

ultrasound. The nurse came in and said, ‘I have some bad news.’I had a pretty

represent the people in my life.”

good idea that I had cancer.

“I got the official diagnosis on April 1st. That’s just how the universe works

In no time, Kerie had amassed a long string of beads, each with a different story.

in my life. It was stage two invasive lobular cancer. It doesn’t make lumps, so

She keeps them in chronological order with

there’s no way I would have found it with self exams until it was pretty far

month dividers. Kerie also has special beads

progressed. So I wouldn’t have known without the mammogram.”

that represent particularly difficult days.

72 • PAD U CAH LIFE

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The beads remain a way to tell the story of her journey to others as well as herself. They put into

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sight and feel how much a person facing breast cancer deals with and how life-altering the process of treatment can be. “When people ask me what I’ve been through, I pull out my beads. It shows the story, and sometimes I even forget all that has happened until the beads remind me. And when I go to the office to get my beads, I can share and vent with the nurse navigator. That helps a lot.”

Her strand of beads is far

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from complete, but she looks

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forward to the day she puts on one very special bead. “When it’s over I’ll get a completion bead. Then I get a bead for every year that I’m cancer free. It will continue for the rest of my life.

“For me, it’s more than just memories. Each bead of courage represents a milestone in my breast cancer treatment. It’s therapeutic for me to be able to look at each bead and see how far I’ve come in my journey to beat this.” Y

Lonnie Crowdus • crowdus3@aol.com

270.444.6477 • 6145 Keaton Lane • Paducah S E P T E MB E R / O C TO BER 2015 • 73

On the weekends, however, you’re more likely to find him wearing a rhinestone suit and singing his heart out in a Nashville honky tonk.

“I’ve been in Nashville and run into parents and superintendents who have no idea that I sing, and they are more than

How One Local Education Czar Finds Escape In The Nightlife Of Nashville Honky Tonks

surprised,” laughs Craig. “I saw a couple of parents come into a place where I was performing, and when they saw me on stage, they froze! Their jaws dropped open,

ome of us know Craig Carter as a consummate education

and all they could say was, ‘Mr. Carter?!’”

professional dedicated to improving the performance of academics in the

Performing is not new for Craig. The

state. As the KEA Director for Kentucky’s first district, he spends his

Marshall County native has been singing

weekdays in the halls and offices of our school systems, assessing and

his whole life and performing since he was

fixing problems, moving the education of our children forward.

eight years old at talent shows and

74 • PAD U CAH LIFE

'The Store of Wonder and Imagination'

has MOVED on up the track to

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the Kentucky Opry. He was even invited by Porter Waggoner to sing at Opryland after winning a Nashville contest. He’s managed, until now, to keep that side of himself fairly secret in Paducah.

“It really is therapy for me,” says Craig. “I work hard all week, and on the weekends I can escape through songwriting and performing. It’s one of my favorite things in order to get away and sort of transform into something different.”

Craig describes his style as rockabilly, rooted in the lofty

S E P T E MB E R / O C TO B ER 2015 • 75

sounds of Sun Records in the 1950s. Sometimes similar to early Elvis recordings, it

Jesus loves me. Yes, my Jesus loves me. But

is deeply entrenched in the burgeoning days of country music, often showcasing the

nobody else gives a damn!”

sound that developed when country met rock and roll.

“Sounds from the past stir my soul,” he says. “As an artist, I am compelled to share that music with a new generation.”

“I do like to write lyrics that are shock factors,” says Craig. “That one goes over well in Nashville!”

And it’s in Nashville where Craig spends most of his time. He plays at places like the

On his most recent album, Master of Disguise, he sings arrangements of songs by

Bluebird Cafe, Wildhorse Saloon, Nashville

some of his heroes. There’s You Win Again and Take These Chains From My Heart by

Palace, Tootsies, and others. He rounds out his

Hank Williams, Sr. Craig also performs The Grand Tour and He Stopped Loving Her

songs with an onstage persona that is often

Today from George Jones.

decked out in Nudie Cohn designed attire.

Peppered among renditions of his favorite songs are Craig’s originals such as

“He did a lot of western outfits for

Master of Disguise. “That one’s about a past relationship. It’s a typical cheater song,”

country stars,” he says. “Porter Wagoner

laughs Craig.

was known for wearing suits from Nudie.

His song Jesus Loves Me begins much as one would expect but takes a decidedly country turn. As an organ softly plays, Craig’s voice enters: “Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes,

76 • PAD U CAH LIFE

He even designed Elvis Presley’s famous gold suit. So maybe it’s the antique

Small school advantages. Big school opportunities.

PADUCAH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CLEAN EATING MADE EASY collector in me, but I am always on the lookout for his clothing.

And it really does pair well with the music.”

With every performance, Craig’s heart is into every song. “It is a chance to stir and instill emotion,” he says. “I loved using music in the classroom, and I still have former students mention that to

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H by Kate Larken

On Becoming Philosophically Fit t the tender age of 55,

since I hit the trail, I am especially fond

unhealthy priorities. This is an

I ran away from home. I highly

of one of those concepts in particular:

especially difficult adjustment for

recommend this, especially if

a germ of an idea that would evolve into

women, for many of us have a history of

you do it later in life, for only

what we now know as The Notebook: A

tending to other people and neglecting

now that I am older am I fully capable

Progressive Journal about Women & Girls

ourselves.

of appreciating what this sort of expe-

with Rural & Small Town Roots.

Maybe that’s why The Notebook,

rience can teach. Once we pass those

The dominant voices in the world

which deals with many different topics,

tedious years of thinking we know it all,

have already been heard—many times

is never focused on traditions alone—

we actually become able to learn. I can’t

over—so now it’s our turn, and The

though you’ll find some vivid ones

stress strongly enough the joy (espe-

Notebook is our platform. We are those

represented here. What we’re really

cially for an artistic soul) of escaping a

rural and small town women who don’t

about is bringing up unique flavors,

groove that has become a rut.

fit any clumsy old stereotype. Up to

expanding tastes beytond beloved

now, whenever we offered our insights

memory, illuminating a diversity of

within the platforms “they” control,

interests and activities and ideas and

they have turned a deaf ear. They think

beliefs (or lack of them) that today’s

they know us by our geography—but

rural and small town women embrace,

the truth is that they don’t even know

create, struggle with.

our geography, much less us.

So I am giving this concept a chance.

There are people who want only to

I trust that those who take it further

interact with narrow ideas to which they

will respect what it stands for and will

already cling, who want only to parrot

preserve its spirit as they grow it.

the talking points their psychological

Oh, and if you get a chance, do try

masters feed them, and there certainly

running away from home, even if you

exist media and social outlets galore that

can only do it figuratively, even if only

will satisfy that craving. What we believe,

temporarily. You’ll grow. I promise. Y

on the other hand, is that a simultaneous convergence and divergence of voices and ideas is a good thing.

There’s a caveat: you really shouldn’t

One thing I started doing these past

have much of a plan when you run

few years is to question every idea I

away, lest you miss all the good stuff

swallowed over a lifetime of being force-

along the path. For me, the path has

fed the beliefs of others. I found far too

been both urban and rural, both

many of those ideas toxic.

external and internal.

This led to an epiphany: I need to

Many fascinating and productive

become more philosophically fit. To

things came out of my ramble. Of the

become more fit we must be careful

myriad visions, creations, examinations,

what we feed ourselves. In my case, I

and realizations that have come my way

had to stop swallowing other people’s

78 • PAD U CAH LIFE

Kate Larken is a former journalism teacher at Paducah Tilghman and a curmudgeonly recluse 88% of the time.

During the other 12%, she attempts to interact with people, some of whom she actually likes. (Editor’s Note: Kate and PADUCAH LIFE Publisher Darlene Mazzone were co-editors of their high school newspaper.)

For information or submission guidelines www.GrassrootsWomenProject.org

The Power of Pencils C L E A N I N G

C O M P A N Y

Window cleaning FOR HOMES AND BUSINESSES!

Pencils speak to our sense of nostalgia. The feel of the simple instrument in hand, gentle graphite inscriptions on paper, the smell of the wood casing after sharpening; they are among some of the first tools each of us learn to master in our formative years.

Marketers use them to spread their messages far and wide. The sides of a pencil are a blank slate to engrave advertisements, creating name recognition.

We recently discovered such a set of half-used pencils in the depths of the Columbia Theatre. Each reminded us of places such as Wiggin's Market, the Paducah Drive-In Theatre, Franklin Jr. High School, and Paducah Junior College.

We also wondered what jottings were etched with these simple writing devices. Did they offer notes for performers on stage? Did they take orders for theater supplies? Did they mark down phone numbers from important calls?

These devices, meant to be simple, disposable tools, are now a source of memory, taking us back, still writing a story. Y

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H

thelast word

Oh, thou art fairer than the evening air Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars.

- Christopher Marlowe, 1564-1593

Scott Morris has been painting since 1975 and is a member of PAPA. He particularly enjoys depicting the lively and colorful nightscapes of downtown Paducah.

His art is available at the PAPA Art Gallery, The Right Angle, and at Studio 19 in Ft. Lauderdale.

80 • PA DUCA H L I F E

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Take some WOW with you!

This land is your land. This land is my land. From California to the New York islands. From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters, this land was made for exploring.

If you and your family are planning to take in the sights of this great land of ours, don't forget to get some WOW before you head out on the highway. With your WOW! Perks checking account, you get many great benefits like dining and travel discounts, cell phone protection, personal identity protection, PLUS free roadside assistance.

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