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Just an hour from Lexington, Louisville, and Cincinnati, Owen County lives up to its motto
7 NEW BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: PERMANENT EDGE
Brook Chapman brings creativity and style to downtown Owenton with the opening of Permanent Edge, LLC, offering tattoo artistry, permanent makeup, lash and brow services, and more. The Chamber of Commerce celebrated the new business with a ribbon cutting on October 17.
8-11 SHEPHERDS IN BATHROBES & ORDINARY SAINTS
Shepherds in Bathrobes: A nostalgic Christmas pageant memory reveals how a small church’s humble cast taught a lasting lesson about kindness, courage, and the true spirit of the season.
Ordinary Saints: Returning to her childhood church, the author revisits the beloved story of the “shepherds in bathrobes,” discovering how their simple act of grace continues to echo through generations.
14 OWEN COUNTY WINTER ALMANAC
A thoughtful look at the quiet beauty of winter in the woods, this piece blends personal reflection with practical guidance for staying safe and prepared. From campfire solitude to cold-weather know-how, it’s an invitation to embrace the season outdoors.
16 EVENTS
This season brings a full lineup of festive happenings across Owen County, including the Merry Vintage Christmas parade, the Chamber’s Annual Dinner & Awards Night, and a variety of holiday-themed craft opportunities at the public library. It’s a cheerful collection of ways to celebrate, connect, and enjoy the winter months.
19 HONORING LOVED ONES, INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
New Funeral Homes launches its Memorial Tree initiative, inviting families to honor loved ones with engraved heart-shaped leaves while helping fund a scholarship for local students entering the skilled trades. This meaningful project blends remembrance with community support, creating a legacy that grows year after year.
22 OC FALL REWIND
A colorful look back at Sweet Owen Day 2025, capturing the vendors, food trucks, petting zoo, live music, and perfect fall weather that brought the community together. A joyful photo celebration of Owen County at its best.
25 HOUSE OF MCNALLY
Lyndsi brings her signature humor and “pantry raid” magic to this simple, soul-warming Dumpling Soup. With a few frozen shortcuts, a splash of spice, and plenty of personality, she serves up a bowl that tastes like home—without the hours in the kitchen. The perfect cozy comfort for a cold Owen County winter.
26 THE HEART OF OUR TOWN
A lively look inside the Owen County Senior Center, where fun, friendship, and lifelong learning fill each day. From games and trips to communityled activities, this story celebrates a place that keeps seniors connected, active, and fully engaged in the life of our town.
30 THE PURPLE BOX
Seventh-grader John Henry delivers a suspenseful tale about an ordinary morning that takes a mysterious turn when a classmate reveals a glowing, pulse-like box with impossible powers. Guided by MBMS writing teacher Amanda Anderson-Matthews, now in her thirteenth year, this gripping narrative follows a student whose routine is shattered the moment the Purple Box chooses him.
32 CHRISTMAS IN MAYBERRY
The Owen County Community Theater brings the beloved characters of Mayberry to life in a heartwarming holiday play, blending humor, family, and the true spirit of Christmas. This performance, part of the Council for the Arts’ ongoing efforts to celebrate local talent, promises laughter, nostalgia, and a festive start to the season.
34 STORIES TO WARM THE WINTER CHILL
Curl up this winter with a selection of captivating reads, from suspense and romance to heartfelt drama. Featured titles include The Crash, Cruel Winter With You, Onyx Storm, and Winter Garden, each offering a story to stir the imagination and warm the season.
Cover Artist, Kentucky Photographer Finds Passion for Outdoor Photography
A Kentucky native, Ron Foltz grew up hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors. Always fascinated by photography, he finally took the plunge in December 2016, initially planning to pick it up during the winter fishing off-season. What started as a seasonal hobby quickly became his favorite passion. Specializing in wildlife, rural scenes, flowers, and insects, Ron’s photography captures the beauty of nature. While some days can be slow without the perfect shot, he finds reward in simply being outside, where every month brings something new to photograph. Follow along with his 3K followers (and climbing!) on Facebook to get a glimpse of Ron’s work!
NEW BUSINESS spotlight
The Owen County Chamber of Commerce is excited to welcome Permanent Edge, LLC — Owenton’s newest tattoo and permanent makeup studio — located at 169 W Seminary Street in downtown Owenton.
Owner and artist Brook Chapman officially opened her doors on October 13, 2025, bringing a creative new energy to the community. The Chamber of Commerce celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 17, 2025, marking the official welcome of Permanent Edge to Owen County’s growing business community.
“I’ve always enjoyed drawing, and I wanted to create a space of my own to make those designs permanent,” Chapman said. “The name comes from ink being permanent — and the edge it gives you.”
Permanent Edge offers a wide range of services including tattoo artistry (specializing in black work, geometric, and traditional realistic designs), permanent eyeliner, microblading, and lip blush, as well as lash lifts, tints, and teeth whitening. The studio provides a clean, organized environment with a nostalgic ‘90s/2000s vibe, giving clients a one-stop shop for both body art and cosmetic enhancements.
Adding to the charm, Permanent Edge also features handmade beeswax candles crafted by Chapman herself, along with a selection of beautiful plants for sale, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere inside the shop.
All services over $100 include complimentary numbing cream, aftercare soap, and ointment, ensuring each client has a
comfortable and professional experience.
Operating seven days a week by appointment from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Permanent Edge makes it easy to find time for a session.
When asked why she chose to open her business in Owenton, Chapman shared that she was thrilled to build her brand locally and serve her own community. Her vision for the future includes expanding services to offer piercings, UV work, and glitter work.
Her message to clients? “Let’s Make It Permanent!”
For more information or to book an appointment, visit Permanent Edge, LLC on social media or stop by 169 W Seminary Street, Owenton.
Brook Chapman, owner and artist at Permanent Edge, LLC. (Photograph by: Morgan Thomas
So it came to pass that I learned the true meaning of Christmas from farmers wearing bathrobes and towels on their heads.
Georgia Green Stamper is a southern writer, speaker, and teacher whom grew up right here in Owen County on a tobacco farm. Her third book of essays, “Small Acreages”, is now available.
SHEPHERDS in Bathrobes
By: Georgia Green Stamper
in the Christmas pageant at our church, and I assumed the costuming was historically accurate. I wasn’t quite sure why biblical men had wrapped terrycloth towels around their heads, but since Christmas is often cold in Kentucky, I figured they probably wanted to keep their baldheads warm.
Our tiny Methodist church thought big, and we staged an elaborate re-enactment of the Christmas story every year (although the director made an annual announcement that she would never do this again.) To pull this off, everyone in the congregation was drafted into service. Even the youngest served as stable animals and the most elderly turned the light switches on and off at critical moments. Were it not for the kindness of the Baptists across the road, we would have played to empty pews. We cast them as the audience, and they obliged by dismissing their Sunday night service to help us out.
I can still recall the angels’ wings. They were shaped out of baling wire from the hayfield, and then were covered from span to span with multiple layers of ivory crepe paper. A creative, genial woman, who died much too young, tediously shaped the overlapping layers of fragile paper into thousands of feather-like ruffles. The wings
were magnificent, and I’m pretty sure God added Margaret Carr’s design to his pattern book.
Our choir of angels who sang on high was small, but their voices were fine and pure and covered every part. Mr. and Mrs. Bell could not be equaled at bass and alto, Cousin May hit the soprano notes with the skill of a trained opera singer, Bill (who later became a Baptist but got his start in the Methodist choir) sang a fine tenor, and his future wife Faye handled the keyboard with skill. There were a few other angels, too, even me, but mostly we only hummed.
Mrs. Prather was the perennial director and in real life, she was a fifth grade schoolteacher accustomed to being obeyed. Every year, about halfway through the month of rehearsals, she would have a mild breakdown, alternately crying and yelling, because no one was listening to her. Once she spoke sharply to a Wise Man who’d been hastily recruited to fill a bathrobe from the ranks of loitering boyfriends hanging around the Methodist Youth Fellowship. Admittedly, he was flirting when he should have been following yonder star, but he was so taken aback at being reprimanded that he vowed never to darken the door of a church again. I hope he didn’t keep that vow – I’d hate to think our Christmas pageant sent him straight to Hell.
ridiculous looking bathrobes in public, wrap towels around their heads, and come to play practice every Sunday afternoon. To compound their stage misery, one year Mrs. P. surprised the Shepherds at our first rehearsal by altering their perennial silent tableau. This Christmas the Shepherds would have lines to recite, she said. Then, she instructed the Shepherds to move forward one by one and read their assigned paragraphs.
When Shepherd Number Two was called upon, he gamely stepped up. He read the first word “the” but then stopped. He looked at the floor. He cleared his throat. In an instant, I understood. Shepherd Number Two could not read, at least not well. He was one of the most honorable, pleasant men I’ve ever met, hardworking and capable, too. I’m sure that in today’s schools he would have been diagnosed with dyslexia or some other synapse glitch that made reading more difficult for him than for others. But in that awful moment, he stood mute on the altar of the church.
I wasn’t quite sure why biblical men had wrapped terrycloth towels around their heads, but since Christmas is often cold in Kentucky, I figured they probably wanted to keep their baldheads warm.
Years later, though, whenever I found myself standing in the midst of pandemonium trying to lead people who did not want to be led (have you ever tried to build gingerbread houses with twenty Brownie Girl Scouts in a small room?) I would think about Mrs. Prather and carry on for her sake. I wish I’d told her when I could how much the pageants meant to me. One memory, in particular, remains vivid.
Our Shepherds were no nonsense farmers, recruited from the Adult Men’s Sunday School Class. I can only imagine how their Christian faith was tested when they were asked to don
That’s when the good thing happened. Without a look passing between them, the other Shepherds began to read the lines for him, their tongues turned to silver, and then they seamlessly moved on to their own. The Wise Men joined in too. I’ve never heard a choral reading more deftly executed. The powerful rhythm of their conjoined voices erased all embarrassment, and we went on to have the best rehearsal we ever had. By the next Sunday, Shepherd Number Two had memorized his lines, and the incident was never spoken of.
So it came to pass that I learned the true meaning of Christmas from farmers wearing bathrobes and towels on their heads. Whenever I find myself uncertain of my performance in life, I think about those good men – unsure of themselves, too, but unafraid to look ridiculous in the trying.
Editor’s note: In 2004, Georgia Green Stamper wrote “Shepherds in Bathrobes,” a piece that has been heard on NPR and reprinted many times. This year she returned to the same little church — and this new reflection felt like the natural continuation of that story. For that reason, Sweet Owen is publishing these two essays back-to-back.
ORDINARY SAINTS
grandson and his fiancé asked if they could have their August wedding and reception at our Owen County farm at Natlee. I haven’t lived there in over a half century, but it’s my homeplace and has been in my family since the beginning of time. We maintain it as best absentee landowners can. Fortunately, our clan loves it as much as I do.
It had ever been the bride’s dream, she said, to have a simple outdoor wedding and garden-party reception. Our grandson, however, soon admitted that he’d dreamed of having a church wedding and seeing his bride walk down the aisle. I suggested a compromise. “If you have the reception at the farm, would you consider having the wedding ceremony itself at the small Methodist Church a mile or so away?”
“That church holds many memories for me,” I went on to tell them. “It’s where I worshiped with my parents from the beginning of my life until I left home. It’s where I was baptized. It’s where your grandfather and I were married a lifetime ago, and where we held my daddy’s funeral. It’s also where my maternal grandparents met, where several of my great-grandfathers preached, and where my ancestors worshiped long before the Civil War.”
A Re ection by Georgia Green Stamper
It’s December again, and my old brain is searching for yet another Christmas story to share. I wrote my first one, “Shepherds in Bathrobes,” about 2004 for my then new column in The Owen County News-Herald. I have written one, sometimes two, every year since, more recently for Sweet Owen magazine. Life, like the December holidays, however, has a way of circling back around. 2025 took me home to the New Columbus United Methodist Church, the setting for my first “Christmas story.” I found myself chatting with ghosts, telling them of the reach their voices have had. But let me begin at the beginning and tell you how this came to be. Shortly before Christmas last year, our
I wanted them to grasp that this old church, like so many others of various denominations in this rural swathe of Kentucky, traces its beginnings back to the early 19th century. This Methodist congregation, for example, was organized no later than 1830, possibly earlier, and it was a latecomer in that part of Owen County compared to Mountain Island Baptist founded in 1801 and Mussel Shoals Baptist in 1817. Like all old churches, it holds volumes of memories of who we were, and are, for any who would pause to pay attention.
But they are young and more interested in making new memories than in hearing mine. They interrupted me, saying, “Yes, please ask if we could have the wedding there.”
That’s how on a weekday afternoon last January, seeking permission for their summer wedding, I found myself standing in that beautiful old church talking to ghosts.
The church is indeed beautiful in the simple way that only old and lovingly maintained buildings can be. The current structure dates to 1897, and though it has been updated with modern conveniences like restrooms, central heating and cooling, it looks much as it has always looked. Its high, tongue-and-groove wood ceiling remains unchanged. The original gracefully carved pews still line up in curved rows. The oak Gothic-Victorian style pulpit still stands on a raised platform circled by the handsome, sturdy altar rail. The arched stainedglass windows still tint the sunlight streaming in. The children won’t even have to decorate for their wedding here, I thought. Frou-frou would detract from the sanctuary’s timeworn, elegant bones .
Although I have been in the church only a few times since my father’s funeral, every nook and cranny remained as familiar to me as the house I live in today. I felt my childhood legs sticking to the varnish on the pews – they took years to dry after the Missionary Society women spiffed them up for a summer revival. I could see Omar Carr’s cornucopia of garden produce spread across the altar at Thanksgiving like a Renaissance painting. I heard the voices and laughter and prayers of people long dead, the community who helped me become – I even heard my own teenage fingers fumbling at the piano while the congregation sang the old hymns.
And then I saw them, the shepherds and wise men standing on the raised platform at the front of the church in their bathrobes with towels wrapped around their heads like turbans. The angels were there, too, draped in bed sheets and wearing wings made of baling wire covered with crepe paper feathers.
“I told people about you,” I whispered. “Of all the Christmas stories I’ve written, yours is the one that has gotten the most attention. It’s been heard on NPR and re-printed in anthologies. I’ve been asked to read it to groups hundreds of times. Why do you think your story has endured so?”
“Why do you think it has endured?” They answered in unison like an ancient Greek chorus as I had remembered their doing at that long-ago play rehearsal. In prior pageants, only a narrator’s voice had recited the familiar Christmas story, but that afternoon the director had surprised the cast by assigning individual lines. When Shepherd Number Two was asked to step forward, it became apparent that the mortified man could not read. That’s when the other men lifted their conjoined voices immediately in a spontaneous act of mercy, reading his lines, and then, to ease his embarrassment even more, proceeded to read all their own together.
But now, their voices tested me.
“Why?” I stuttered. “Well – not because of my writing.”
No, if it endures, it’s because of the compassion of the men – the grace and kindness extended without hesitation to Shepherd Number Two by farmers wearing bathrobes. It’s because of the humbleness of rural Kentuckians who could laugh at themselves wearing bathrobes in a play, but still don them, because it mattered. It’s because these ordinary saints are the best of who Christians can be, the best of who people of any faith can be, the best of what “good people” can be.
The grandchildren’s August wedding was beautiful, of course, another memory for the old church to hold close. As I turned to leave after the ceremony, however, only I heard the wise men and shepherds speaking in unison: May the best of what we are – the true spirit of Christmas – endure generation after generation.
Georgia’s grandson & wife in their Methodist Church
AIM FOR ADVENTURE AIM FOR ADVENTURE
OWEN COUNTY ALMANAC
By Josh Rodamer Sweet Owen Contributor
Battery-powered Christmas lights combat the shortened winter days as the buzz of a propane heater takes the edge off the cold inside my home away from home. Each season has so much to offer in the woods, and winter is no different. As deer season closes, rabbit, squirrel and duck hunting provide something to chase as the winter months rob us of precious light.
The winter camp — whether a hot tent with a stove or my more modern setup with a propane tank and heater — proves to be a worthwhile endeavor, bringing calm and reflection to an otherwise busy schedule. There’s something about watching a
flame dance that slows down time as the heat of the coals melts the worries of life into thin air.
’Tis the season, and my mind begins to ponder the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I think about Christmas, the birth of
Jesus, and how busy he became in his ministry. Jesus himself spent time in the wilderness — once to be tempted, but then often to withdraw to desolate places to pray and spend time with God. In a world of growing distractions, even Jesus found value in solitude.
Since this isn’t the Middle East but the Kentucky Bluegrass, here are a few helpful tips to make sure your winter adventure is enjoyable and safe. As with all our basic needs, we must attend to food, shelter and clothing. If you’re new to outdoor adventures — or especially to winter outings — planning ahead will bring comfort and keep you from serious injury or worse. Frostbite and hypothermia are very real dangers if you’re unprepared for the temperatures or run into an unexpected problem.
Food and Water
Food and water require special attention when planning your
winter adventure. If you’re camping in below-freezing temperatures, you must have a way to melt snow or keep your water from freezing. It
often surprises people to learn that dehydration is a concern in the winter. When we breathe in cold, dry air, our bodies warm and moisten that air through our mucous membranes and airways. This uses up our body’s water supply. Be sure to bring enough water or have a plan to procure more during your trip.
Shelter
When considering sleeping gear, also think about sleeping pads or another layer between you and the ground. Your body loses a great deal of heat through contact with the ground by conduction. Sleeping pads, cots or insulated mats help prevent that heat loss. Finally, your shelter should protect you from the wind. When setting up camp, look carefully for dead trees and limbs that could fall. Every year, people are seriously injured or killed by falling trees or branches.
Clothing
Shelter keeps you dry and out of the wind. As I write this, I’m sitting in a thin nylon tipi warmed by a propane heater. It’s been raining most of the day, with temperatures in the 40s. Without the heater, I’d be in a sleeping bag designed to pull moisture away from my body.
Clothing is perhaps the most important consideration. There are a few key rules for dressing in winter. First, cotton kills. Wet cotton won’t keep you warm and speeds heat loss. Instead, choose wool or synthetic materials designed to keep your body dry and insulated.
Wool has stood the test of time, keeping people warm even when wet. Today, merino wool is a
popular base layer that wicks moisture away from the skin. Over the base layer, add a midlayer of insulation — down or a synthetic alternative that traps warm air. Finally, wear an outer shell that blocks wind and moisture.
If you’re active, shed layers to prevent overheating and sweating; when you cool down, add layers back. Your clothing can also supplement your sleeping system if your bag or pad proves inadequate — those base and mid-layers can make all the difference.
Safety and Preparation
Before any winter outing, make a plan and share it with someone who isn’t going with you. If you don’t return on time, they can alert rescue teams to your location. If you fall into cold water, call for help immediately, get out of wet clothes and into dry ones, and seek warmth indoors or in a heated vehicle as soon as possible. Remember: cold and wet is a dangerous combination.
When you’re properly equipped and prepared, the winter months can be a time of peace and solitude in the outdoors. Take time to be safe — and enjoy roaming the woods and waters of Owen County.
Have an event you’d like to share? Sweet Owen Magazine accepts event listings free of charge from civic groups, volunteer organizations, churches, clubs, etc. Send your event and a brief description to editor@sweetowenmag.com by 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, for the spring edition.
HooingLoed Ones, Investing in theFutue
New Funeral Homes has introduced a heartfelt new way for families to honor their loved ones - while giving back to the community.
The funeral home recently unveiled its Memorial Tree initiative, a lasting tribute located prominently in the front yard of the Main Street facility. The tree itself was designed and crafted by local artisans Steve and Ellie Petzinger, whose work adds a meaningful local touch to the project.
Through the initiative, families can purchase an engraved, heart-shaped leaf inscribed with the name and dates of life of their loved one. Each leaf will be permanently placed on the Memorial Tree as a symbol of remembrance and love.
For a $100 contribution, participants not only create a personal memorial but also help support future generations. All
proceeds from the Memorial Tree will go toward funding a scholarship for local residents pursuing careers in the skilled trades.
“The need for trained workers continues to grow,” said representatives from New Funeral Homes. “This scholarship will help provide opportunities for locals to pursue trade school education, ensuring that each memorial leaf helps build a stronger future for our community.”
A commemorative ceremony will be held Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. to honor all individuals represented on the
Memorial Tree. For more information or to purchase a heart, contact New Funeral Homes at 502-484-2828.
Together, through remembrance and generosity, the community is helping to create a living legacy — one that honors the past while investing in the future.
Stay cozy.
MAKE PAYMENTS, MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT & REPORT POWER OUTAGES FROM THE COMFORT OF HOME.
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OC FALL REWIND
SWEET OWEN DAY 2025
Rush Lane, Moonshine Drive, and Branded Blue kept the crowd energized all day, delivering everything from highenergy favorites to hometown classics on the Sweet Owen Day stage!
From the bustling vendor booths to the laughter in the Kids Zone and the excitement of the morning 5K, Sweet Owen Day 2025 delivered another vibrant celebration of life in Owen County. Hosted by the Owen County Chamber of Commerce, the courthouse square was alive with color, energy, and community pride.
These moments from Sweet Owen Day were captured by the talented Amber Perkins of APerkins Photos, who brings every moment of Owen County to life—from family sessions and seasonal themes to Chamber events and sports—all while juggling life as a full-time working mom. Be sure to follow APerkins Photos on Facebook and Instagram to see her stunning work and upcoming availability!
LYNDSI McNALLY is a resident of Owen County, wife, and mother of two boys. She makes her living as a Harm Reduction Manager at Three Rivers District Health Department and often entertains her hundreds of Facebook followers by sharing photos of home-cooked meals.
THE PANTRY RAID
(Most of this came from Save-A-Lot)
• 2 Packs frozen pork dumplings 12 total plus the sauce packets. (The modern cheat code for Grandma’s flavors.)
• 6 Cups “Well Water” (It better be boiling - none of that cold creek nonsense.)
• 2 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Flavor
(Because the last rooster in the yard is a pet now.)
• 6 Green onions (Probably the only thing fresh from the garden this time of year.)
• 1 Cup sliced mushrooms (Pre-sliced, because you already used all your energy splitting wood.)
• 2 Cups fresh spinach ( Chopped. Added for the optical illusion of health.)
• Soy sauce, sesame see oil, chili crisp ( The exotic additions we didn’t have before the internet came to town.)
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil ( Used instead of lard, just to feel fancy.)
Dumpling Soup
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a saucepan (the one that’s been in the family since 1982), heat the olive oil. Throw in the white stumps of the onions and the mushrooms. Saute until they smell slightly better than burnt toast.
2. Push in the spinach next. Watch it shrink dramatically, much like your motivation after a long day on the tractor.
3. Add the BOILING water, the bouillon, and the frozen dumplings. (Don’t thaw! They’re tough, like a county fair judge.)
4. Bring it back to a happy boil, then rip open the two sauce packets - the true secret ingredient! Stir, think about your childhood, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Splash in the sesame seed oil. (Just a whisper)
6. Ladle the soup into your favorite chipped bowl. Top it with the green flu of the onions, a dash of soy sauce (for seasoning), and a respectable amount of chili crisp (for heat that rivals summer in a tin-roof barn)
Enjoy!
It tastes like home, but it took 1/10th of the time.
THE HEART OF OUR TOWN
By Kelly Rodamer Sweet Owen Contributor
Nestled in the heart of downtown Owenton, the Owen County Senior Center offers a unique approach to vibrant aging. With a schedule full of fun, educational and entertaining activities, there truly is something for everyone.
Director Margina King works diligently to provide a wide variety of activities for the many seniors who frequent the center. “It’s important that our seniors have a place to call their own — a place where they can come and be with friends,” she said. Whether it’s morning card games, Bible study or monthly field trips, seniors are never at a loss for something to do.
“We are all aging, but not old,” King said. “The center is a place for active seniors. Everyone who comes has a lot of life left — they’re capable of living it to the fullest. My goal is for the center to be
about fun and friendship.”
And fun is never lacking. Over the years, seniors have held dances, parties and routinely ventured beyond Owen County to explore other parts of Kentucky.
Beverly Rice said the Senior Center is important because “it brings people together. We get out of the house and enjoy ourselves.”
Karen Washburn, a regular since 2010, echoed Rice’s sentiments. “I love getting to go to different places that I don’t get to on my own,” she said. “We also have fun on-site activities like
puzzles, games and exercise.”
The Owen County Senior Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Two nights a month, seniors and their families can enjoy a game night or movie night beginning at 5:30 p.m. Activities at the center are free of charge for seniors. King stresses that accessibility is a key part of her planning.
“This is a place for our seniors to come and have fun, learn
something new and enjoy life,” she said. “That means we don’t charge for anything we don’t have to.”
The community also contributes to many of the activities. Three Rivers and St. Elizabeth provide complimentary blood sugar checks, and local banks host classes on financial planning and budgeting. Local homeschool co-ops organize crafting afternoons and bingo games, while several churches host Bible studies. While this isn’t a complete list, it highlights how people of all ages play a vital role in bringing engaging and creative programs to the center.
Many of the seniors who frequent the center have given their time, energy, money and talents to this community over the years. As they reach retirement, King said it’s important to give back to them. This year, she started a Bucket/ Resolution List and asked seniors to share what activities and trips they’d like to experience.
the Kentucky Castle. 2025 became a year of exploration for the seniors, as many of their bucket list wishes came true.
David Lilly said he enjoyed exploring different counties in Kentucky this year. “The trips, camaraderie, food, good times and different things to do” make the center enjoyable, he said. He also encouraged seniors in the county who don’t yet attend to give it a try. “The knowledge people bring would elevate our fellowship.”
“It’s important that our seniors have a place to call their own; a place where theycan come and be with friends.”
-Director, Margina King
Responses included a train ride, a doll museum, Daniel Boone’s grave, Shaker Village, the Big Bone Lick Festival and
Taking a train ride was Gayle Parsons’ request at the start of the year, and this summer he joined friends on a train ride through the Kentucky hills. In his six years of attending the center’s activities, he said it’s been the highlight of his time there. But he also emphasized that the center’s importance isn’t in the trips — it’s in the opportunity for
socialization and getting out of the house.
Having a place to go is important for all ages, but especially for seniors who find themselves isolated after retirement. Ethel Hammond has been attending the center since it first opened. She recalled fighting for a space where seniors could gather so they wouldn’t “sit at home and watch TV all day.” She encourages everyone to “get out and enjoy life before it’s too late.”
The Owen County Senior Center ensures that no senior falls through the cracks. Everyone who walks through the door will be cared for and loved. It’s a place for seniors to learn new skills, enjoy companionship and, perhaps most importantly, rediscover joy.
As a staple of the community, it might be more fitting to call it an activity center — because there’s truly never a dull moment.
Sweet Owen is proud to showcase young, local writers in our community. The following short story was written by John Henry, a 7th grade student at Owen County Middle School, as part of a narrative fiction writing assignment in Mrs. Amanda AndersonMatthews’ English class. This is Chapter One of the story he created.
THE PURPLE BOX
By John Henry
BEEP BEEP
I hear cars honking on the road as I walk into the corner store before school. The air smells like wet pavement and gasoline. A dog barks somewhere behind me, but I’m on autopilot. Every morning, same routine.
I head straight to the checkout and grab my favorite Watermelon gum—third shelf, right next to the mini chocolate bars. Jeff, the owner, looks up from a crossword puzzle behind the counter. “Hey Jeff, just the usual gum,” I say, tossing it onto the worn counter.
“Okay, John,” says Jeff with a smile. “It’s on the house today.”
I pause, surprised. “Wait, really?”
He shrugs. “You’re a loyal customer. And besides, I have a good feeling about today.”
“Thanks,” I say, a little confused but grateful. “Bye…”
As I walk out, I stuff the gum into my hoodie pocket and head to the bus stop. The sky’s still gray—early October mornings always feel a little sleepy. I lean against the stop sign and scroll through my phone. Just memes and the usual drama on our group chat. Nothing interesting.
The bus finally pulls up, its brakes hissing like a cobra. I climb aboard and scan the rows. There’s
Zach, sitting near the back with his usual messy hair and Blue hoodie. He’s always got some weird story to tell.
I plop down next to him. “Hey Zach, you want some gum?”
“Sure!” he says, smiling crookedly. He takes a piece, then looks around like he’s checking if anyone’s watching.
“I have something for you,” he says in a low voice. “But you can’t tell anyone about it.”
“Huh?” I raise an eyebrow.
“This,” Zach whispers, slipping something small and cubelike from his backpack. It’s wrapped in purple foil, almost glowing.
GASP.
“Is that—?” I stare at it, my heart starting to pound.
“Yup,” Zach says, eyes serious now. “The Purple Box.”
“NO WAY!!!” I blurt out way too loud, people start staring.
He waits a second for everyone to stop looking, “shhh” he hisses, covering my mouth. “Nobody can know…”
I look down at the box in his hands. It’s not just shiny—it’s pulsing. Like, actually glowing faintly
Illustration by
Danni Williams
from within. The foil has no writing, no logo, no brand name. Just… purple.
“I thought it was just a rumor,” I whisper. “I mean, people say it’s real, but nobody’s ever actually seen it.”
“Well,” Zach says, carefully placing the box in my hands, “Now you have.”
The moment I touch it, a strange sensation runs through my fingers. Warm. Tingly. Like static, but smoother. There’s a hum, quiet and low, like it’s alive.
I look up. “Does it work?”
Zach glances out the window, then back at me. “I think so. But my brother’s friend found it at a garage sale. Said it was hidden in a box of hot wheels he bought for his baby cousin.”
“What makes it work, magic?” I half-joke, but my voice cracks a little.
Zach nods. “Or something worse.”
The bus jolts as we turn onto Maple Street. I clutch the box tighter.
“So why are you giving this to me?”
“Because it chose you,” Zach says. “You’ll see what I mean.”
He leans back, closes his eyes, and says nothing else the rest of the ride.
I sit frozen, staring at the purple box, my mind spinning.
And somewhere in my chest, deep beneath the confusion, excitement, and fear… I feel it too.
The box is waiting.
I slipped my dollar for lunch inside. I pressed the top, and in return, two dollars popped out. My heart started beating faster and it felt like it was pushing my ribs up.
I look at Zach, but he’s still pretending to sleep—or maybe he actually is. Like this is all normal for him. Like this box doesn’t just break every law of physics we know.
I glance down at it again. The Purple Box hums faintly, as if it’s breathing.
I slip it back into my backpack, heart pounding. The bus bumps over a pothole, but I barely feel it. I’m somewhere else now. My mind is racing with possibilities.
If it can duplicate money… What else can it duplicate? Gold? Keys? Math homework? People?
I feel a sudden chill run down my spine. There’s a thin line between wonder and danger, and I’m standing right on it. Suddenly I start to sweat and the seat feels sticky.
As the bus screeches to a stop outside school, Zach finally opens one eye and says, almost casually: “Just be careful what you feed it.”
Then he’s gone, swallowed by the crowd of students.
I sit there for a second longer, the box humming quietly in my bag, heavier now—not in weight, but in meaning. I pull the strap tighter on my bag, merging with the crowd. Rule number one: Trust no one. My new routine has just started.
The bell shrieked, tearing through the quiet morning. My old routine was already over. I already knew,
Today is not going to be a normal day.
By Veronica Gayle Sweet Owen Contributor
There have always been avenues to bring the arts to Owen County residents — from music performed at local events to artisans and crafters at fairs and festivals, poetry readings, and plays at schools and churches. The county has a wealth of talented people. In recent years, the Owen County Council for the Arts has been a driving force in bringing a variety of artistic expressions to the forefront of Owen County culture.
The Community Theater, part of the Council for the Arts, brings together many facets of artistic expression. Since 2017, the holidays have been punctuated with a Christmas play. Many people in the county start their holiday season with Christmas in Mayberry.
Many of us have grown up with the cast of characters from Mayberry. We relate to their homespun humor and genuine care for friends and neighbors. We laugh at the antics of Ernest T. and Barney because their humor is lighthearted and good-
natured. And we connect with the heartwarming characters of Aunt Bea and Thelma Lou because they speak to home, family, and the true meaning of community.
The Mayberry play highlights the holiday experiences of some of the show’s most beloved characters and how the spirit of Christmas brings them together — ultimately leading to a change in the life of a crotchety store owner who has been wreaking havoc on the mental health of everyone he encounters. In the end, everyone has cause to
celebrate the true “reason for the season.”
This year’s performances will be held Friday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Owen County High School auditorium. The performances are free to the public, but donations are cheerfully accepted. Funds go to the Council’s scholarship fund and to the creation of future events.
The Mayberry play set in motion a desire for more theater offerings in the county. Fortunately, it attracted talented people whose skills went well beyond acting. Dale and Marianne Turner have emerged as outstanding members of the theater community. This year, the Community Theater offered
its first full season of plays. In response to the growing appetite for theatrical productions, Dale and Marianne wrote a new play that would be fun and relatable — The Hunting Trip. It follows the antics of five friends on their annual hunting weekend getaway. This laughterfilled play inspired the cast to create a sequel, The Fishing Trip, coming in spring 2026. The same group of friends embarks on a hilarious ice-fishing misadventure. You won’t want to miss it.
Generally, events hosted by the Council for the Arts are designed to be family-friendly. The Council has hosted events such as Arts in the Park, which gave artists and crafters a summertime venue to display and sell their unique goods at the fairgrounds for a weekend of fun, food, and excitement. Evening with the Artist combined introductions to local attractions, such as bed-and-breakfasts, with the work of local artists. Locations were strategically chosen to spotlight hidden treasures within the county.
Poetry readings take place nearly every winter, warming hearts with laughter
and friendship. House concerts, typically held in early fall, bring together food, artisans, and music. The most recent concert, held at The Ebony on Slippery Rock, featured performances by John Harrod & Kentucky Wild Horse and Honey & Houston — a night that drew enthusiastic crowds eager for an evening of entertainment with friends and family.
The Council for the Arts and Community Theater offer something for everyone throughout the year. Follow them on Facebook for updates on upcoming events. If you’re interested in getting involved, contact the Owen County Council for the Arts.
L-R: Mark McMillan as Ben Danny O’Toole as Sheriff Andy Dave Stow as Floyd the Barber
L-R: Danny O’Toole as Sheriff Andy Taylor and Mark McMillan as Ben.
STORIES TO WARM THE WINTER CHILL
The Crash
By: Freida McFadden
384 pages, $17.99
Cruel Winter With You
By: Ali Hazelwood Kindle Edition, 72 pages
By: Rebecca Yarros 527 pages, $21.00
By: Kristin Hannah 448 pages, $19.00
The Crash
By: Freida McFadden
The nightmare she’s running from is nothing compared to where she’s headed.
Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her
next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard. She never arrives at her destination.
Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle occurs: she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears. But something isn’t right. Tegan
Onyx Storm
Winter Garden
believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.
And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself and her unborn
First Published: January 28, 2025
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.70
Cruel Winter With You
By: Ali Hazelwood
All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner.
Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart.
Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.
First Published: November 12, 2024
Genres: Holiday, Friends to Lovers, Fiction
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.68
Onyx Storm
By: Rebecca Yarros
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves - her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find - the truth.
But a storm is coming... and not everyone can survive its wrath.
First Published: January 21, 2025
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.21
Winter Garden
By: Kristin Hannah
Meredith and Nina Whitson are as different as sisters can be. One stayed at home to raise her children and manage the family apple orchard; the other followed a dream and traveled the world to become a famous photojournalist.
But when their beloved father falls ill, Meredith and Nina find themselves together again, standing alongside their cold, disapproving mother, Anya, who even now, offers no comfort to her daughters.
As children, the only connection between them was the Russian fairy tale Anya sometimes told the girls at night. On his deathbed, their father extracts a promise from the women in his life: the fairy tale will be told one last time—and all the way to the end. Thus begins an unexpected journey into the truth of Anya’s life in war-torn Leningrad, more than five decades ago.
Alternating between the past and present, Meredith and Nina will finally hear the singular, harrowing story of their mother’s life, and what they learn is a secret so terrible and terrifying that it will shake the very foundation of their family and change who they believe they are.
