No Title 2346
Cookbook for farmers market fans
Time Capsule: 50 years ago in Kentucky Living
East Kentucky Power seeks rate increase
Marie Mitchell, her husband, Mason Smith, and her sister, Rebecca Mitchell Turney, have made writing a family affair as they develop story lines and put ideas to paper together. The distance between their Richmond and northern Kentucky homes does nothing to stop this creative team, and is obviously working well for them. The sisters’ historical fiction novel Road to Pleasant Hill (Motes Books, $7.95) was recently selected for the 2011 Kentucky Bluegrass Awards Master List for grades three through five, a list of just 10 books recommended to all Kentucky school children in those grades.
Road to Pleasant Hill introduces students to Shaker life as 10-year-old Betsy Johnson and her younger brother Tad are taken to live with the Shakers at Pleasant Hill following the death of their parents. Mitchell and Turney say their goal with this work, the first of a series, was to write Kentucky girls into history while teaching students about their Kentucky heritage, much like the American Girl series has done with its characters.
About their writing partnership, Turney says, “I can talk a good idea to death, then go play in my herb garden or strum my dulcimer or pick up my quilting hoop. Marie is an Energizer Bunny who juggles more plates (all of them full) at once than ever seen on Ed Sullivan and she nudges us all to be equally productive. Without Marie, I’d still be re-writing chapter one.” Mitchell responds with, “Rebecca reminds me of Betsy in Road to Pleasant Hill because she’s always been a strong, resourceful person who recognized her own gifts early on. She can make words dance on a page…There are times we drive each other crazy but somehow a story emerges that we’re both satisfied with.”
Mitchell and Smith also paired their writing efforts recently releasing 48 Hours (The Clark Group, $14.99), the story of one family’s effort to write, shoot, and edit a detective movie in 48 hours as part of the 48 Hour Film Project.
Penny Woods for Joseph-Beth booksellers, pennymouse1@yahoo.com,(800) 248-6849, www.josephbeth.com.
Properly hooking up your clothes dryer can help save on energy costs. The outdoor dryer exhaust door should close when the dryer is off. Check to make sure the dryer vent hose is tightly connected to the dryer and also to the inside wall fitting. The vent hose should not be kinked or clogged.
Cookbook for farmers market fans
With farmers markets in full swing across the Commonwealth, Kentucky cooks may need new recipes for fresh produce. Check out a recently released Southern Living cookbook described as the ultimate guide to local farmers markets, seasonal recipes, and test kitchen tips. Farmers Market Cookbook: A Fresh Look at Local Flavor features more than 200 recipes and retails for $29.95. Available at bookstores.
The eighth annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green on June 18-20 promises speed, hot rods, and automotive enthusiasm. Families can enjoy plenty of racing as well as vintage and historic car displays, commercial exhibits, and a swap meet for used cars and automotive parts. Every year, hundreds of muscle cars, hot rods, trucks, classics, and customs make the pilgrimage to Bowling Green for the reunion. Chris “The Greek” Karamesines still drag races at age 81 and will be honored at the reunion. For the weekend schedule and ticket information, visit www.museum.nhra.com.
Time Capsule: 50 years ago in Kentucky Living
Electric bonuses
by Tom Shirley, Technical Editor, Rural Kentuckian
Cool comfort is another “bonus” which electrically-heated home owners will receive during summer months. The well-insulated walls which are installed when the electrically-heated home is designed, also serve to make air-conditioning more effective and economical.
East Kentucky Power seeks rate increase
East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), the not-for-profit electric power supplier to 16 member cooperatives, filed an application near the end of May with the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking a base rate increase that could go into effect Jan. 1, 2011. EKPC is seeking to increase annual revenue by approximately $49 million.
If approved by the PSC, the proposed wholesale rate increase would be passed to retail members and would add about $5 to $6 to the monthly bill of the average residential co-op member. The increase would enable EKPC to continue building equity and to continue meeting its debt covenant requirements.
Big Sandy RECC, Blue Grass Energy, Clark Energy Cooperative, Cumberland Valley Electric, Farmers RECC, Fleming-Mason Energy, Grayson RECC, Inter-County Energy, Jackson Energy Cooperative, Licking Valley RECC, Nolin RECC, Owen Electric Cooperative, Salt River Electric Cooperative, Shelby Energy Cooperative, South Kentucky Rural Electric, Taylor County RECC
Situated in a picturesque setting in Bardstown, the Blue Grass Entertainment and Expo Complex is a family business offering lots of family fun.
Two years ago, new owners Charlie and Sandra Walls set out to re-energize the facility that had been an entertainment mainstay in Bardstown.
“We wanted family oriented entertainment that everybody could enjoy,” says Sandra. “We wanted to create a family atmosphere, an opportunity for families to spend time together and have fun.”
Every Friday night, the Bardstown Opry features country music with noted house musicians The Sound Stage Band, with special guest Pat Portman and backup singers Christy Miller and Tiffany Puckett. A show with music from the 1950s and 1960s takes the stage the third Saturday of every month. Sandra and Charlie, who is a songwriter and has an independent record label, travel Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee for the best talent to appear at the Bardstown Opry.
The Wallses’ two sons, daughter-in-law, and grandson also pitch in—selling tickets, working the concession stand, landscaping, and decorating. “It’s truly a family affair,” Sandra says.
The complex is also a popular wedding venue, especially when the site’s white-blooming Bradford pear trees are in their prime. The center is the site for many local events, including an annual bridal fair, corporate meetings, and, last year, a traveling circus from Florida.
For a show schedule, visit www.musicmansoundstage.com. Call (859) 336-9839 for ticket information.
