St. Matthews Magazine January 2021

MAGAZINE

JANUARY 2021

scouting life GIRL SCOUTS OF KENTUCKIANA PERSEVERES DURING THE PANDEMIC

SHAPING UP Local Artist Uses Metal, Wood, Ice, Sand & More to Create Unique Sculptures A FRESH TAKE ON NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

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S h ap in g u p in St. Matth ews: Local Ar tist Uses Me tal, Wood , Ice, S an d & More to Cre ate U n iq u e S cu lp tu re s an d Wor ks of Ar t B u sin e ss S p otlig h t: Th in k Tan k

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Sculptor, Joe Autry

SHAPING UP IN ST. MATTHEWS LOCAL ARTIST USES METAL, WOOD, ICE, SAND & MORE TO CREATE UNIQUE SCULPTURES AND WORKS OF ART Writer / Juile Engelhardt

Whimsical wizards, slithering snakes, dramatic dragons and scaly squid statues are part of our Louisville and Kentuckiana landscape. If you’re tenacious and diligently search for them, these entertaining pieces of art can be located in many places. They may be decorating your neighbors’ backyards or possibly adorning public parks or brightening local festivals. These fun figures are courtesy of sculptor Joe Autry and his ingenious imagination, artistic ability and hard work.

Autry says. “Working in that foundry gave me a lot of experience and I began experimenting with other metals. I also worked with another bronze sculptor, David Lind. They both were great, as they had different styles of creating. I eventually went on to work in blacksmithing with another sculptor. All of this opened my world and my ability to use tools. I eventually continued on to be a manager at a foundry in Louisville, at Quality Cast.”

Once his life on the riverboat came to an end, the pull to carve wood became even stronger, experimenting with bigger, more powerful tools.

“My wife and I had trees in the backyard that were dead, and I wanted to carve those trees,” Autry says. “I wanted to use a chainsaw, but I had no experience carving with a chainsaw.

The first time I carved in wood it wasn’t much of anything. But it stayed with me, Autry attended Indiana University Southeast and I did smaller wood carvings. I started doing more research about doing this type but only stayed in school for a couple of of carving and getting the right tools for years. His yearning to learn more about the right job. I kept doing it for myself and sculpting and to create pieces had a stronger Autry is an internationally recognized eventually entered art shows. Once I had a pull than classroom studies. He also worked sculptor who began sculpting 24 years ago collection of pieces, more and more people a variety of trades while in his 20’s, doing when he was only 17 and taking art classes began to see what I’d been doing and doors everything from house remodeling to in high school. While some of his classmates working on riverboats. The waterways carried began to open up for me.” preferred working with two-dimensional him, and his imagination, along for a few art pieces, his interest was in creating three- years, traveling from Pennsylvania to Texas.

Autry began to receive requests from local dimensional objects. He spent all of his free His boat excursions offered him his first patrons to have him carve statues from the time in the art studio before school, during inspiration to start carving wood. trees on their property. The first piece was for lunch, during study hall, which caught his a friend’s father. The next year, he was asked teacher’s attention. While Autry had plans “Driftwood would wash up on the boat,” he to do more work for other people, carving of entering the military after graduation, says. “I found them to be interesting pieces. older trees. Keeping the old trees intact as his teacher guided him towards a future in I’d let them dry off and would carve them they aged was potentially dangerous, due sculpting. with a little chisel. During my last few trips is to limbs and branches possibly breaking off, but they didn’t want to cut them down when I really became interested in working “She connected me with a local bronze with wood. It became fascinating. I hadn’t completely. They wanted to keep part of the sculptor, David Kocka. I worked with him in really done any wood carving before that. I’d tree as a tribute to their family’s legacy. Most a bronze sculpture foundry for several years.” just been doing bronze.” of his work is carved from ash trees, which 6 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2021 / StMatthewsMag.com

unfortunately have been ravaged nationwide by beetles and other insects.

Autry’s woodwork has resulted in beautiful pieces ranging from abstract to fantasy pieces. He doesn’t carve bunnies, bears, raccoons or other woodland creatures.

“There’s nothing wrong with bunnies, bears and raccoons, I just prefer not to do them,” he says.

at the party suggested he participate in an ice carving competition in Perm, Russia, a Louisville sister city. After much planning, he eventually made the trip to Russia, carving on an international level with some of the world’s best ice sculptors.

“I didn’t do so well,” he admits, humbly. “I didn’t have the right tools, I wasn’t dressed properly, and I wasn’t prepared for the language,” he says.

Some of his pieces remain the color of the original wood, but he will often enhance them with different types of stain, to give them color. Once they are complete, they are sealed to protect them from the outdoor elements.

Yet, that didn’t discourage him from becoming more proficient in working with this medium.

Over the years, Autry has expanded his reach and has sculpted using salt, ice, snow and sand. His ice sculpting began as a whim.

A friend wanted to hire an ice carver for a party, so Autry gave it a try. At his next event, he carved an ice sculpture in Anchorage, Kentucky, for an AIDS fundraiser. A woman

The next year he traveled to Siberia and competed in the frigid minus-45 degree weather. But now he had the right clothes, the right tools, and he’d studied the language for several months. His preparation and diligence paid off. He was presented with the Spirit Award for his work.

“I came home and carved every day,” he adds.

After taking on ice, Autry decided to tackle snow sculpting. He and a Russian colleague teamed up and participated together in a snow carving competition in Japan in 2015. They collaborated for months via the Internet, working to develop their design. They finally decided on a piece that incorporated Autry’s vision, which was geometric and abstract forms, and human forms, which his partner wanted to include in the piece. The two met up in Japan, worked on their piece, and they won first place. They were the first American and the first Russian ever to win this competition during its 18-year run.

Autry’s love for sculpting has inspired him to use other materials. He’s traveled to Berezniki, Russia, where he was introduced to sculpting with salt but not the plain, white salt that we know. The salt was in colors — reds, blues, yellows, blacks and other shades. He has also recently constructed some large sculptures external to businesses and various buildings in St. Matthews. During the Steamboat

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Nights Festival in years past, he has set up his outdoor studio at the base of the Big Four Bridge and works for a couple days on his piece. He loads in 20 tons of sand to create his art during the Steamboat Nights festival. He sets up his outdoor ‘studio’ at the base of the Big Four Bridge and works for a couple of days on his piece. He’d like to do more with sand sculpting, hoping one day to work with high school and college students to teach them how to sculpt with this medium.

most anywhere, locally and abroad.

“I have several projects located throughout the Louisville Metro area,” he says. “They’re in Oldham and Shelby counties - in Prospect, LaGrange and Anchorage. You can also find them in the Highlands and of course in St. Matthews as well.”

If you were to cross the river, you will find his work in Utica at Bob Hill’s “Hidden Hill Nursery and Sculpture Garden.” He even Though he’s traveled the world and explored has a statue in Riga, Latvia. He, along with eight other artists had been chosen out of different methods of carving, Autry’s main 60 applicants to create their work in a public interest still lies in wood sculpting and also park in Riga. creating with metal. You can find his work

Autry is always searching for new opportunities to bring his art to the public.

“My big vision for the future is to help create a metal sculpture as large as the Statue of Liberty and place it in the Ohio River,” he states. “It would be between Louisville and Southern Indiana, and it would represent the original indigenous people of the area or represent all of the Americas united.”

He says it would be placed in the area where the Louisville Falls Fountain used to be.

“It was a real influence of wonder for me when I passed by it as a child,” Autry says.

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storytelling.

“All the things we do can feed into those social media tools,” says Blevins, noting that every client’s marketing mix is different. “We make sure we are tracking Owner Randy Blevins the results we want to achieve, and that’s not necessarily sales the needs and interests of the community, “I wanted to have a home and a dog,” for every client. Sometimes it’s brand Blevins feels the world is ready to Blevins says with a chuckle. awareness or relationship building.” embrace his brand of storytelling-focused marketing.

He remained in theater for a number of When COVID-19 hit, Blevins worked with years, learning how to run a business from small local businesses to help them pivot “We’d love to sit down with you to create the nonprofit perspective and serving as an and survive. a plan and really drill down into the ‘why’ art director for the Broadway series. When of your company,” says Blevins, noting the recession came in 2009 he was laid off, “For the clients with whom we align, I feel that the “why” is always different than the and he then entered an executive MBA like we become part of their business,” “how” and the “what” of a story. “I feel program where he befriended many CEOs. Blevins says. “They care about what they like we’ve really made a space for ourselves are doing and we care as well.” in the marketplace over the last 10 years.

“I learned a lot from them,” says Blevins, We want to partner with business owners who launched Think Tank Marketing, a Think Tank Marketing helps clients thrive who are as passionate and dedicated to Louisville-based marketing and advertising in a social world. Blevins makes sure clients the work as we are, and who are ready to agency rooted in social storytelling. remain socially connected, particularly invest in the next level of their business as an increasing number of companies journey. We’re eager to meet with you to This was back in 2011, and Blevins ramp up their online presence due to the understand your industry, your motivation recognized that social media was becoming pandemic. and your goals.” a tool that business owners can use to get people to visit their stores to purchase Blevins has found that a substantial products and services. number of Louisville companies Randy Blevins was a theater major in school, with a passion for the arts. He interned at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1996 and loved everything about it.

Though he adored performing, he decided he wasn’t cut out for the performer’s lifestyle, which often requires considerable travel. Though he loved to dream, he craved a bit more stability.

“We work with companies who have a story to be told,” Blevins says. “We help determine what that story is, and then come up with the best mix of marketing and advertising channels to tell that story and achieve their business goals.”

Think Tank Marketing is rooted in social media because it is inherently set up for

are committed to giving back to the community.

“People want to feel good about the products and services they’re using,” he says. “Even if it’s as small as, ‘That organization donates to dogs so I want to buy their popcorn.’”

As more and more businesses dial into JANUARY 2021 / 9

“WE WANT TO PARTNER WITH BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE AS PASSIONATE AND DEDICATED TO THE WORK AS WE ARE...”

scouting life GIRL SCOUTS OF KENTUCKIANA PERSEVERES DURING THE PANDEMIC

10 / JANUARY 2021

Writer / Andrew Toy Photographer / Stephanie Hair

Courage, confidence and character. These are the core elements that Girl Scouts groups focus on building in each member.

This has been their mission for more than 100 years, since the organization was started in 1912 by Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, who organized the first Girl Guide troop meeting of 18 girls in Savannah, Georgia.

Membership has grown to 3.7 million currently.

Today, as we all know, is a much different landscape compared to the early 20th century. Even in this age of COVID-19, the Girl Scouts organization is still present, like a comforting old friend, assuring girls everywhere that we can push forward through this worldwide crisis with courage, confidence and good character - and they’re still right here in our city.

Though its main headquarters is in New York, one of the Girl Scouts local headquarters is here in Louisville, off of Lexington Road. In fact, Louisville is home to the first unofficial Girl Scout troop,

which was organized in the summer of 1911, by an 11-year-old named Charlotte Went Butler. This was even before the organization was officially founded in Georgia. It wasn’t until five years later that the official Girl Scouts reached Kentucky, with the first documented troop in Scottsville. Within a year troops formed in Owensboro, and later in Paducah, Louisville and New Albany.

As for that first troop in Louisville, it had 10 girls (already forward-thinking, meeting in a group of 10 or fewer people), and it was led by a teacher in the Louisville

Developing young women of Courage, Confidence and Courage. The Girl Scout experience is as important and relevant today as it was in 1912.

To learn more about signing your daughter up to join the leading leadership organization in the world for young women, visit our website at www.gskentuckiana.org.

JANUARY 2021 / 11

school system. She was referred to as captain at that time, and the assistant leader was lieutenant. The 1920s was a good time for women and Girl Scouts, as the war had ended and women had finally won the right to vote. Girl Scouts could be seen camping in the summers along the Barren River, jumping in to ride the waves from the sternwheelers.

In 1933 day camps were held at Cherokee, Iroquois, and Shawnee city parks (neither camp exceeding 26 girls), and this is when the first training course for Brownie leaders was held. It wasn’t until 1936 during the Great Depression that the first official sale of commercially baked Girl Scout cookies occurred, despite years of cookie baking before this pivotal moment. In the 1940s Girl Scouts went international by taking part in “Bundles for Britain,” an American Red Cross project that assisted in the war effort.

The Girl Scouts organization has been

operational through the pandemic via curbside pickup (for badges earned, supplies and cookies). They’re also working hard at delivering online content for members and those seeking possible membership - or comfort.

They operate just as they have been, even without being able to gather in large groups.

Online, the organization offers programs and activities for the appropriate grade levels, including Daisy (K-1), Brownie (2-3), Junior (4-5), Cadette (6-8), Senior (9-10), and Ambassador (11-12).

Girl Scouts also hosts virtual movie nights and virtual gatherings where lessons are still taught as though everyone were learning together, and members can share activities they’ve done and ways they’ve earned new badges.

The official statement from Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana (GSK) is that “there is nothing we take more seriously than the safety

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and well-being of our girls, volunteers, and council staff.” Therefore, there are guidelines they are taking very seriously, as mandated by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

There are still fun events going on, like the “Man Enough to be a Girl Scout” competition, where members could submit their choice of a man who has shown support to girls and women, as well as the future of GSK. There are also troop and volunteer meetings and trainings taking place virtually, aside from meetings of 10 or fewer people, which may take place in person.

Troop and group day trips and outings are allowed as long as safety guidelines are being followed and practiced. However, travel out of state is not recommended if it can be avoided. These are just a few of the rules and guidelines set forth that GSK is following strictly.

GIRL SCOUTS ARE STRONGER WHEN ALL ARE INCLUDED, AND ALL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME. - MAGGIE ELDER CEO

What’s unique about GSK is that they now offer camping, a staple among Girl Scouts activities. There is COVID-specific training required for troop leaders who wish to take girls overnight, and there is still no camping allowed in households or buildings until 2021.

The GSK website has a page devoted to activities for members separated by age and rank, all COVID-appropriate.

In a statement on the GSK website, Maggie Elder, chief executive officer, said Girl Scouts are stronger when all are included, and all members are welcome “regardless of race, ethnicity, background, disability, family structure, religious

beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status.”

She went on to say that welcoming is only the first step to real inclusion, and that “we also must work hard to know each other as people, to engage with each other and respect our differences.”

This is a message that transcends Girl Scouts, and indeed the message itself attempts to add a bit of goodness into the world. Yes, Girl Scouts is still here, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be going anywhere any time soon. And that’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

For more on Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, visit gskentuckiana.org.

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BUILDING BRIDGES LOCAL WOMEN COLLABORATE ON EDUCATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK whereas Smith has written two other books, “The Perfect Shade of Pink” and “The Lost Bone: And the Found Sister.” Braden also There are eight bridges that connect makes wedding cakes, does photography Kentucky and Indiana, but many residents and puppetry, and has her own YouTube may not give them much of a thought unless channel, “Carolyn Braden’s Turning the they use them to get to their office or home, Ordinary Into the Extraordinary,” where she or simply to travel from one state to the teaches viewers how to create everything other. However, there are three Louisvillefrom a gemstone soap dispenser to a tulle area women who have given these bridges and feather fascinator hat. This is Braden’s much more than a passing glance - they’ve debut as a children’s book illustrator. delved into the history of these marvels of engineering and written a children’s book The book incorporates fiction and about them. nonfiction elements. The fiction portion Writer / Julie Engelhardt Photography Provided

The book is titled “Bridging Connections: Lessons of Life, Learning and Love.” The co-authors are Ellen (E.K.) Venhoff and Margo Smith, and the illustrations are by Carolyn Braden. Venhoff and Smith both have a background in speech-language pathology and education. This is Venhoff ’s first foray into writing a children’s book,

was written by Smith, and the factual information was provided by Venhoff. The story centers on 9-year-old Jacob and his book report assignment about Louisville bridges. The boy isn’t too thrilled with the subject matter and wishes he could write about something he’s really interested in basketball.

16 / JANUARY 2021

He keeps to his commitment and begins his report on his chosen subject. Jacob works with his grandfather as they take off in grandpa’s blue pickup truck to visit all of the bridges, and Jacob snaps photos using the new camera his grandfather gave him for his ninth birthday. As the story progresses, Jacob begins to appreciate the beauty of the structures as he learns about the different types of bridges, and he is fascinated by both their history and the connection they have to all people.

Venhoff ’s research into the bridges started several years ago while she was working with the Louisville Children’s Museum, a hands-on organization that travels to schools, libraries and other educational venues. The bridges that the authors tackle include the Sherman Minton, K&I Terminal, Fourteenth Street, Lewis and Clark, and more. The book also covers the materials and components of the bridges.

Smith and Venhoff first met at the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Hurstbourne Lane where Smith was signing copies of her first book.

Venhoff and Smith met with Braden and then sent her the story to read.

“I instantly saw the characters in my mind while I was reading it,” Braden says. “I did “We found out that we are both speech up some sketches and we met again. They therapists, we lived fairly close to each other, said they loved the pictures so that’s how it we had two children, and we realized there’s led into working together.” a need for good children’s books focusing on, especially, the history of Louisville and local information,” Venhoff says.

“After our brief meeting at the bookstore, we decided to meet again and I brought the information I’d written about the bridges for the Children’s Museum.”

Smith began working on the book and while doing so, she asked her husband Joe for his input.

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“I wrote some information about the bridges and I gave it to him to look at,” she explains. “He said, ‘It’s really good and all information is true, but it’s boring.

You need to have some kind of story.’”

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The co-authors began discussing how they could make the book more appealing to children, while still teaching them about the bridges.

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“There are all kinds of nonfiction bridge books out there, so we came up with the story about Jacob and his grandpa,” Smith says. “We used the bridges as a metaphor of how bridges bring people together and connect, and how these bridges connected Jacob with his grandfather.”

Braden, who holds a bachelor’s degree in art with an emphasis in photography, as well as a master’s degree in art education, was the next member to come on board.

She became involved with the book project via her connection with Venhoff through their shared participation with Louisville Ballet Partners. Venhoff approached Braden about illustrating the book.

“I had created centerpieces for the luncheons we were doing for the ballet dancers and she saw how creative I was,” Braden says.

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The character of Jacob came from Margo’s imagination, and the look of the grandfather came from both Braden and Smith.

“They didn’t tell me anything about the grandpa, but my father-in-law is a big supporter of mine so I kind of modeled the grandfather after my father-in-law, Ed Braden,” Braden says. “He drives a blue truck, so that’s where the blue truck in the story comes from, and he does a lot of things with his grandchildren. I knew the character needed to look like him.”

Smith also says the grandpa was based on her husband’s family friend.

Another individual involved with the book’s creation is Braden’s niece, Aubrey Messer, an Indiana resident. When the creators were working on the book, they needed to find a school-aged child who could contribute to the illustrations.

“The handwriting part you see in the

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pictures, which is supposed to be Jacob’s writing, was actually done by Aubrey,” Braden explains. “At the time we did this she was about the same age as Jacob was supposed to be. I had the wording written out and she copied it onto the art, and then I traced over it with a pen. It was fun because I was able to pay my niece to do this work.”

Writing and perfecting the book was a twoyear process, and the book was released in the fall of 2019. The authors have had the opportunity to visit area book stores and schools to share their story with the public and school children.

“The book leads us to many interesting conversations, not only about bridges, but about publishing, quality work for children, and the importance of reading,” Venhoff says. “People will also share their backgrounds. One man at the Barnes & Noble said he had worked on bridges in Florida, and he was immediately interested

in the book because of his background.”

Smith and Venhoff have plans to visit public schools, but with the outbreak of COVID-19 they’ve had to put many of their visits on hold.

“Bridging Connections: Lessons of Life, Learning and Love” can be ordered at bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com. It can also be purchased at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville.

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With each new year, people often sit down and try to figure out resolutions.

Last year was a tough one in many ways, and hopefully 2021 will hold many happy moments. Resolutions can sometimes feel overwhelming, and oftentimes disappointing. This year, let’s try a fresh approach.

For 2021, create your own bucket list of things you can feel good accomplishing.

Complete them any time during the year, at your own pace, and enjoy the moments when you are doing them. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

READ SOMETHING Every year many people decide they are going to read more, but this year let’s take it easy. Just pick something to read. Maybe you’ll start a book that you’ve been wanting to read for a while. Maybe try reading the newspaper every day. Whatever it is, don’t overcomplicate it. Read something, an entire something, and be done with it.

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COOK SOMETHING 2020 could possibly be called the year of cooking for many. Still, take time in 2021 to try a new recipe or cook as a family. Try family pizza night, or if you’ve done that, go for something harder. Your kids will love trying to make macarons or some sort of festive cake. If you really want to have fun with it, create a little competition.

VISIT SOMEWHERE Many people were stuck at home more than usual last year, exploring what’s available to them in their own backyard. Maybe it’s time to visit that state park you haven’t been to, or that new campsite. You can still travel and be safe, and it’s good for the soul - even if it’s just exploring a newly built park down the street. Get outside and visit somewhere new to you. Remember, it doesn’t have to be far.

WATCH SOMETHING Many of us have been binging on plenty of old and new TV shows lately. There’s so much out there to watch that sometimes it can be overwhelming. Take a minute to research documentaries online, and choose one that CLEAN SOMETHING covers a topic you know nothing about.

All year long things can often get shoved into closets, and now is a great time to tackle Post on Facebook asking for suggestions them one by one. You can check this one off from friends for new shows to watch. Pick something and watch it from beginning to after you’ve cleaned up a room or a closet, end, even if it’s a seven-season sitcom. or maybe reorganized a pantry. Whatever it is, pick something you’ll feel good about when you are done.

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TRY SOMETHING May I suggest yoga? Try something new that you haven’t done before, and maybe something that will help to alleviate stress and clear your head. It doesn’t have to be yoga - maybe try a new workout or starting a new routine. Think outside the box here, too. It could be a new game, a new sport or a new type of art. Whatever you choose, make it something you can continue to do throughout the new year and maybe longer.

CREATE SOMETHING Many homes were filled to the brim with artwork in 2020. Every year should be like that. Don’t always leave this to the kids, and remember, creating isn’t limited to painting or drawing a picture. It could be those mudroom lockers you’ve been meaning to build, or maybe it’s that backyard oasis that’s been on your list too.

MAKE A DONATION Choose a favorite cause, and donate or volunteer this year. There are many people and foundations in need of help after such a rough 2020, and this is the perfect time to get out there and help others. It’s never a bad idea to offer help to those in need, and you can do so in many ways. If you are very busy and can afford it, monetary donations can be helpful. If volunteering in person is more your speed, reach out to your local food bank, homeless shelter or other organization, and find out how you can serve as a volunteer. *** Hopefully these ideas have given you a start on how to rock your 2021. Wishing you the best in the new year - you’ve got this!

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SIX FITNESS TIPS FOR A HEALTHY 2021 Writer / Heather Thomas Owner & Lead Instructor, The Barre Code Louisville

Let’s do this, 2021! Following a year of unexpected challenges, my hope for you is that 2021 is filled with happiness and good health. A key component of being healthy is having a fitness routine that works for you and sets you up for success. Regardless of your age, here’s my advice for beginning a regimen or kickstarting an existing one for the new year.

START SOMEWHERE

INCLUDE VARIETY

FIND EXCITEMENT

FIT IN EXERCISE WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPEN BLOCK OF TIME

The first step is acknowledging that you want to get back into a routine.

Instead of dwelling on the past, set attainable goals that set you up for continued growth. Always remember why you started!

Try a different fitness class, create a new playlist or invite a friend to join you. Over time, your workout will be something you look forward to and it is more likely to become part of your lifestyle.

The three components for a wellrounded fitness routine are strength, cardio and flexibility. A good mix for the week could be three days of strength and two days of cardio with some components of flexibility mixed in throughout. Increase the frequency and intensity of your workouts week to week and include rest days as needed.

A 20-30-minute workout is better than no workout at all. On days that you have more time, plan to take advantage of it and walk a little further, take a yoga class or include a few more sets of strength exercises.

GET OUTSIDE WITH YOUR FAMILY

With the COVID restrictions, it’s likely that every family member has been stuck inside for far too long.

On a nice day, take a walk around the neighborhood or visit a local park.

If it’s snowing, go sledding, have a “friendly” snowball fight or build a snowman.

CELEBRATE THE SMALL VICTORIES

Change doesn’t happen overnight.

Be patient with yourself and continue to move forward at the pace that is right for you. Recognizing even the smallest changes - like making it to a workout class one day this week or scheduling 30 minutes in your day for a walk - will give you the momentum needed to reach your goals.

About the author: Heather Thomas is a Texas native who moved to Louisville in 2015. With more than 15 years in the fitness industry, she has accumulated various certifications in a variety of group fitness formats. Thomas began instructing at The Barre Code in 2015 which led her to take on a full-time position as the Studio Manager and Master Trainer. She loves the supportive community, welcoming atmosphere and killer workouts so much that she became the owner in 2018. Visit http://www.thebarrecode.com/studio/middletown/ to learn more about class formats, studio offerings and the workout community, building strength from the inside out.

StMatthewsMag.com / JANUARY 2021 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / 25

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A bald eagle diving into a creek feetfirst to bring up a fish. A great horned owl perched serenely in a maple tree dozing in the morning. A dark-brown mink industriously slipping between the roots of a sycamore tree in search of prey. These are just some of the great scenes visitors have been able to witness in our parks while hiking, biking and paddling the Parklands’ nearly 4,000 acres. Even though our forests are bursting with wildlife, we don’t often get to witness it. So how do you get to see wildlife?

1. Go out often. There is no way around it - sometimes it’s just about luck.

The more you go out, the more chances you will have to see wildlife.

2. Go in the early morning. Many of our animals just aren’t active at midday. Early in the morning you will get a chance to see nocturnal animals that are late to

Tips on How to See Wildlife

bed, diurnal animals that are early risers and crepuscular animals as well. I know this one is tough, but make a commitment to yourself and give yourself the gift of a dawn hike every once in a while.

3. Be open to anything. Look and listen in all directions. If you decide on a hike to search for a single animal like a box turtle, you will spend the whole hike looking at the ground and miss the red-tailed hawk hunting above you.

4. Be small. Make your presence as small as possible. Be quiet. Move slow and easy.

Wear neutral colors. Don’t wear scents.

5. Keep your distance. Despite your best efforts, many animals will know you’re coming and will hide. They are just doing what keeps them safe. Pick a good spot and sit there with a nice set of binoculars. Not only will wildlife begin to wander into your line of sight, but you may also start to notice animals that were there all along and are camouflage wizards.

6. Start to appreciate the little wildlife. The more you go out, the more you start to appreciate the common and the tiny. You will never be disappointed about seeing wildlife if you count all of the thousands of insects, arachnids, slugs and worms.

A gift to the Parklands not only helps to maintain our parks today, but will also positively shape the future of Louisville, and truly benefit current and future generations through access to world-class parks. To donate, please visit theparklands.org/ Member. 21st Century Parks is a 501(c)(3) organization and all gifts are tax-deductible.

StMatthewsMag.com / JANUARY 2021 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / 27

Maurice Sweeney with his wife, Jannette.

LASTING LEGACY THE SWEENEY FAMILY EXEMPLIFIES COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY 28 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2021 / StMatthewsMag.com

of public golf courses and the ability to attend the Iroquois Amphitheater in 1947, many years later Maurice led the participation of minority venders Maurice believes nothing builds character during the PGA Ryder Cup, and his like taking care of cattle and milking twice brother’s trucking company helped in the a day every day, as his mother and three siblings did after Dr. Sweeney died in 1960. reconstruction and modification of the While Maurice’s brother Deryl was a captain Iroquois Amphitheater. in the Marine Corps and his sister Phyllis Although it took years, Dr. Sweeney was was the first black teacher at Anchorage successful in his efforts, which allowed Public School, Maurice followed in his father’s footsteps, with involvement in more blacks to play golf at public golf courses and led to equal pay for black teachers. than 30 boards and commissions.

As a child Maurice had no idea that his father contributed so much to the black “A lot of people go full-circle following community in Louisville. in their parents’ footsteps,” Maurice says.

“Their dad is a lawyer, they become a lawyer One early example of Maurice’s leadership - dad’s a doctor, they become a doctor. ability was at Eastern High School. Maurice My dad was president of the NAACP in helped start and organize the Students to Louisville from 1936 to 1938 and I was president from 1983 to 1984. I thought that Promote Better Relations club and became the school’s first black student council was kind of cool.” president. Through the decades, Maurice has worked for the Kentucky Commission While Dr. Sweeney fought for equal use cattle. That same farmland now has more than 400 homes.

Writer / Beth Beckwith Photography Provided

M

aurice Sweeney is the youngest child of the late Dr. Pruitt Owsley Sweeney, who was a renaissance man born in the late 1800s in Liberty, Kentucky. Respected in the community, the doctor and his wife Susa raised their four children on their 312acre dairy farm outside of Middletown, purchased in 1947. Dr. Sweeney purchased the land after selling property he owned across from Louisville Gardens at 5th Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

That property was sold to businessman James Graham Brown. Dr. Sweeney used the proceeds to purchase the property he named Happy Hour Farm.

Before there was a Locust Creek, the subdivision in east Jefferson County, there was Happy Hour Farm. Until December of 1999, Maurice maintained 100 head of beef

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on Human Rights, National City Bank, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, where he spearheaded the governor’s management trainee program and ran his brother’s businesses when he died in 1999.

Maurice is greatly inspired by his parents, who worked diligently to bring unity and equality to his family and society at large. His mother, who was raised on her family farm in western Kentucky, obtained her home economics degree from Kentucky State University and was a home economics teacher. In addition, Mrs. Sweeney maintained the farm after Dr. Sweeney’s death, and it was her perseverance

and exemplary management skills that contributed to the farm’s success as a diary and beef cattle operation.

“I had a lady, who at the time was 101 years old, eagerly tell me stories about selling turkeys to my father,” Maurice recalls. “One time I was at the barbershop and a man told me my dad was like Michael Jordan. The guy had missed my father visiting his school for a speech, and everyone told him he’d really missed out on something special.”

Maurice learned more about his father’s humanitarian efforts when sorting through

old articles and letters after the death of his father. One of Maurice’s biggest surprises when going through his father’s scrapbook was finding a program from Churchill Downs dated May 6, 1952. It listed the seventh horse in the fourth race as Deryl’s Girl, owned by P.O. Sweeney, in his fraternity colors - black and gold.

The farm was a show place at the time, featuring the first modern milking parlor in Jefferson County. School classes would often come from the city for field trips and venture to the farm to witness how milk was processed.

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Maurice recalls a specific adventure on the farm.

“While helping a friend move to Jeffersontown in 1999, there was a drought that year and it was difficult to keep hungry cows fenced in,” he says. “My mom called me to say, ‘Maurice, you need to come home now. You have 100 head of cattle out on Shelbyville Road.’ Our neighbors had

gathered the cattle until I got there, but were unable to get them back to the field. Like the pied piper, once I got there, all 100 peacefully followed me back to greener pastures.”

Although many homes have been built around the pasture where cattle used to graze and where he hosted his famous annual goat roast, Maurice still reminisces about the farm days by spending time in the basement, where he

repurposed wood from the original house.

With the wisdom and strength of his lineage flowing through his veins, Maurice proudly pays respect to his family and their heritage on a daily basis. Over time Maurice has collected letters, articles, news clippings and photographs that document his family impact on society. He’s currently retired, but still volunteers in the community.

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