the community issues magazine of the kentucky league of ... · michael d. miller, mayor of jackson...

The communiTy issues magazine of The KenTucKy League of ciTies spring 2006

Drug Abuse

102 spring 2006 spring 2006 1

Drug courtsKentucky's drug courts focus on getting people off of drugs and into productive lives.

B y G a r y W o l l e n h a u p t

Addiction, recovery and hopeA "one-time thing" became an 11-year struggle with addiction for a Barren County man who found his way back through a church-based counseling program.

B y a l i c e D a v i s

20

s p r i n G 2 0 0 6 • v o l . 8 • n o . 2

CITY SCAPES

2CITY buSInESS

4CITY wrITErS

5CITY SChoolS

6CITY SCEnES

14CITY CEnTEr

24 CITY PErSPECTIvE

28CITY bITS

30

Cover Illustration by Jim Edmon - Edmon.net

A destructive forceDrug abuse recognizes no borders, affecting every socio-economic class and casting its grip on people of all ages and races.

B y J o h n M c G i l l

8

16

It’s a thankless job. (And we’re proud of it). The things you don’t think about, cities

provide. Like streets, parks, utilities and safety – not to mention a greater quality of life

and economic growth. But cities can’t function with their hands tied by restrictive laws or

unfunded state and federal mandates. You can help. Support measures that give cities

options to build a better future. It’s in everybody’s best interest.

Sponsored by the Kentucky League of Cities. klc.org

2 spring 2006 spring 2006 �

I rarely stay up late any more, but not too long ago I happened to catch an episode of “Saturday Night Live.” One of the skits suggested a state in the grip of the drug problem, and although it didn’t name the state, it was set in Muhlenberg County and made a reference to the Pennyrile Parkway—both real places in Kentucky, of course. As the geeked-up characters recounted their days and nights engaged in various drug-induced deviant activities and the audience laughed along, I found it hard to laugh with them. For me, it spoke of a devastation that is all too real. The SNL folks were playing it over the top, of course, and you could argue that their parody of meth-heads demonstrated the massive level of self-deception that users of meth employ and the physical toll the abuse exacts. For a younger audience, maybe the skit sent a very clear message of how stupid it is to get involved with such awful stuff. But the drug problem figures prominently in many of the small towns I have visited and read about across the Midwest. It is often treated as a problem in and of itself rather than symptomatic of bigger issues facing these places. Speaking to small-town leadership groups, I have sought to inject some missing-in-action enthusiasm and excitement by calling for people to engage in “community patriotism.” By that, I mean a revived sense of civic engagement and commitment to strengthening a sense of community and neighborly concern for each other. In other words, I tried to encourage everyday folk to get back into the democratic process and realize they can make a difference. But in the wee hours, I wondered if my “excitement tour” would do any good at all.

In every town in which I stopped, I told audiences that excitement and enthusiasm were the elements most missing in the world of small towns today. For diverse reasons, no one feels in control of his or her destiny anymore, and the future sometimes seems very bleak. In the meantime, I tell them, your children are leaving your cities and towns for more profitable lives—although not necessarily better ones. So I implore the audiences to stand up and take back the night, the day, the optimism—whatever, really, will help

them revive their community. “A better world begins right here, in your hearts,” I tell them, “and in your own little place.” Yet I wonder. Statistics tell us that people are leaving our small places. Often it is because they want to leave the culture of a community devastated by drugs and lack of opportunity. OK, that’s the dark, wee hours stuff. Despite it all, I cling to hope. That’s because my (unscientific) observations when I’m on tour also yielded this: • In one town, I saw a number of big, burly guys frequenting the local convenience store, their work clothes covered in dust. Sandwiches and drinks in hand, they stepped aside politely to let me go to the counter first. They are the salt of the earth. • In another place, I heard about young women who work in bars to put themselves through school. And I heard reports of single moms working several such jobs in a selfless effort to do the right thing and provide for their children.• And, yes, there are still young families frequenting the pizza parlors on Friday nights.

There are other promising signs. A rally not that long ago in Manchester, Kentucky, attracted 3,000 community patriots on a cold dreary day to take a stand against the drug epidemic that threatened to take over their town. Still, such scattered signs of hope will not be enough on their own. As I travel across America, I see a sobering truth. It will take a revival of democracy at its roots to find a way for our cities and towns to survive—and for our people to thrive. We took on the idea of democracy and fairness the day we threw the tea into Boston Harbor. We can’t back

out now even if the game rules have changed, with mobility and technological innovation the current rage. Although the task is difficult and the cynical would say impossible, I disagree.

The truth is that small places can thrive with committed, involved citizens. Just ask the citizens of Manchester—and countless others who refuse to let the challenges we face dampen their spirit of community.

SNL's 'meth-heads' might be funny, but the reality would make you cry

KenTucKy League of ciTies

officers

Bradley H. CollinsMayor of Morehead, President

David L. WillmothMayor of Elizabethtown, First Vice President

Glenn V. CaldwellMayor of Williamstown, Second Vice President

David W. CartmellMayor of Maysville, Immediate Past President

Sylvia L. Lovely Executive Director/CEO, KLC

eXecuTiVe BoarD

Jerry E. Abramson, Mayor of Louisville MetroDonald E. Elias, City Administrator of MurrayDavid C. Fowler, City Attorney of Owensboro

Thomas L. Guidugli, Mayor of NewportMike Haydon, Mayor of SpringfieldTeresa A. Isaac, Mayor of LexingtonConnie Lawson, Mayor of Richmond

Richard G. Liebe, Mayor of HopkinsvilleMichael D. Miller, Mayor of Jackson

Bill Paxton, Mayor of PaducahRobert E. Shubert, Mayor of Jenkins

Everette Varney, Mayor of GeorgetownJ. P. Wiles, Mayor of Somerset

The Voice of KenTucKy ciTies.The Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) is a voluntary association of cities, created in 1927, to assist municipal officials in repre-senting the interests of cities and to provide services to members which will foster improved local government in Kentucky.

KLC provides a forum for its 357 local member cities across the Commonwealth to address their common needs, challenges and opportunities. Some service program divisions of the League include: legal assistance, group insurance plans and risk management services, capital financing and management services, training and leadership development, downtown and economic development programs, information and research services.

Editorial Staff

Publisher Sylvia L. Lovely Executive Editor Bobbie S. Bryant Editorial Services Diana Taylor Communications Advertising Information EdmonDesign 1-800-530-5678

City is published quarterly by the Kentucky League of Cities. Presorted standard postage is paid at Owensboro, Kentucky. • Postmaster: Send address changes to: City, Kentucky League of Cities, 100 East Vine Street, Suite 800, Lexington, Kentucky 40507-3700.

Web site: www.klc.org ©2006 Kentucky League of Cities

sylvia l. lovely is the executive

Director/ceo of the Kentucky

league of cities, headquartered

in lexington.

B y S y L v i a L . L o v e L y

� spring 2006 spring 2006 �

w r I t E r S

John McGill is Senior Writer for the Kentucky League of Cities. A former sports columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader, he has

written three books and has been a senior editor at AutoWeek magazine. He also was a sports writer for The Courier-Journal in Louisville.

Gary Wollenhaupt is a freelance writer based in Russell. His work has appeared in the Indianapolis Star, Plane & Pilot and Writer's Digest.

Alice Davis is a freelance writer and editor, living and working in Danville. She is a former newspaper reporter and public relations

director in the performing arts and education fields. Davis also is director of One to One: Practicing Reading with Students, a program that trains and supports adult literacy volunteers, for the Partnership for Successful Schools.

L E t t E r SCity welcomes letters and suggestions for articles from readers. Please direct your comments to the Executive Editor. Mail to: Kentucky League of Cities, 100 East Vine St., Suite 800, Lexington, KY 40507.

E-mail: [email protected]. Please include your full name and address.

City welcomes requests for reprints. If you wish to reprint an article that appears in this or another issue, please contact Executive Editor Bobbie Bryant at [email protected] or 1-800-876-4552 for permission.

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island recently switched. Starbucks, FedEx, Kinko’s, and 34 Lowe’s stores have switched, too. Some folks in Bowling Green, Hopkinsville, Franklin and Murray have also switched. In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, all of these power consumers have voluntarily changed some of their electricity consumption to “green power.” Green power is best described as electricity generated from renewable sources such as solar, wind, biomass, landfill gas and micro-hydro. Basically, it is any alternative energy source that creates less waste and has less environmental impact than such traditional energy sources as coal, oil or natural gas. Depending on location, many municipalities in Kentucky are now able to offer renewable energy

B y S a r a h r a z o r

b u s i n e s s

Switching to green in the Bluegrass Four cities make alternative energy available to residents

sarah razor is a

policy Development

research analyst for

the Kentucky league

of cities.

sources to their customers through the Green Power Switch, a program created by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The program takes power made from renewable sources,

combines it with TVA’s power mix and makes it available for customers to buy. To participate in the program, customers voluntarily pay a small fee each month with their utility bill – usually ranging from $2 to $5. The customers buy alternative energy that is added to the grid, replacing the need for power to be generated from

other types of resources. Some 14 utilities and four municipalities in Kentucky make it easy to be green and offer this purchasable alternative energy. The city utilities include Murray Electric Services, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities, Franklin Electric Plant Board and Hopkinsville Electric System. Green power became available to customers of the Murray Electric System last October. Although the program is still in its infancy, customer feedback has been positive. “We began offering the Green Power Switch because we wanted to give our customers an opportunity to help the environment,” said electric system engineer Terry McCallon. “It’s an easy way for them to use renewable resources and become stewards for the environment.” In Bowling Green, customers can not only buy green power, they can watch it being produced. A 36-kilowatt solar power plant was installed at the city’s Lover’s Lane Soccer Complex in 2001. The power plant consists of 960 solar photovoltaic modules on top of a pavilion roof that provides

shade to soccer players and fans around the perimeter of the fields. Approximately 53,900 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year are produced in Bowling Green – equaling the annual electricity demand of four typical Kentucky homes. Once the power is generated from the solar panels, it is added to Bowling Green Municipal Utilities’ power grid. Customers can buy it in 150 kilowatt hour blocks; each block purchased adds $4 to a customers’ electric bill and ensures that TVA will place 150 kwh of green power on its distribution grid. “The Green Power Switch has been a successful program for BGMU because it meets our customers’ needs,” said Miles McDaniel, a BGMU manager. “And that’s why we’re in business—to meet customer needs. This is a wonderful avenue to provide the cleaner energy that they want.” The Franklin Electric Plant Board has participated in TVA’s green power program for the past three years. Although no green power is produced in Franklin, residents have the option of buying alternative energy in blocks of 150 kwh for $4.40. There is no limit on the number of blocks they can purchase. Hopkinsville Electric System began

offering green power to customers last August. Since the program is still new to the area, electric system employees are working with the TVA to increase participation and raise awareness about the availability of the alternative energy. “The TVA has provided all advertising and promotion pieces, including speakers for local community groups like the Lion’s Club and Rotary. We are working to encourage our customers to participate in this program. It’s a neat opportunity for our customers to help the environment,” said Lynne Clark, a Hopkinsville Electric System representative. Cities that get their power through electric cooperatives can also purchase green power

through Envirowatts, a similar program offered by the East Kentucky Power Cooperative. This voluntary program, offered through 14 of Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, makes 100 kilowatt hour blocks available for $2.75 each. To participate, customers must buy the green power for one year. Many environmentalists agree that Kentucky is trailing other states in the consumption of alternative energy because traditional energy costs less here. Jim West, senior manager of Green Power Switch, works with Kentucky cities to supply green power to residents who are interested in supporting alternative energy. He acknowledges that green power is attractive to a niche market, but believes there are many people who still aren’t aware that it could be available in their community. “If city officials would like to bring green power to their areas, we would encourage them to work with their local power companies to raise awareness and see what’s available,” West said. “TVA is very excited about expanding the Green Power Switch to more Kentucky cities.”

spring 2006 �

“we began offering the

Green Power Switch because

we wanted to give our

customers an opportunity

to help the environment.”

“tVA is very excited

about expanding the

Green Power Switch to

more Kentucky cities.”

6 spring 2006 spring 2006 �

cut across all content areas and provide “a great resource.” The lessons also have a strong safety element. Willmoth said when he talks to kids he urges them not to do drugs and “to be a help to your community.” When school officials wanted to remind students to wear seat belts, they called on the police department to reinforce that point during its lesson, Chaudoin said. The sponsored group comprises eight classes at the two elementary schools. The city presenters generally spend a half day on each lesson, going from class to class during that time, Youngblood said. French said the collaboration has enhanced the already strong support the school district gets from the community. The district has attracted three other class sponsors in addition to the city and hospital, including the local newspaper, a bank and the local Red Cross chapter. French said it’s been successful on

B y M a d e L y n n C o L d i r o n

Elizabethtown city-school partnership: 'a mini-city in the works'

It’s possible that a future mayor of Elizabethtown is now sitting in a fourth-grade classroom at Morningside or Helmwood Heights elementary schools. Elizabethtown Mayor David Willmoth Jr. says he sometimes thinks about that when talking to the class of 2014, which the city “adopted” as kindergartners. “Somebody’s going to have to step up and be mayor” in the future, he said. After all, Willmoth adds with a chuckle, no one would have expected him to grow up to be mayor when he was a youngster. City government took the class of 2014 under its wing as part of the Elizabethtown Independent Schools’ Vision in Progress community engagement program. The city

will continue to work with the 200 students through graduation. “It started as part of our district strategic plan and our emphasis on community involvement and trying to involve our community in meaningful ways,” said Marlane Youngblood, the

district’s media consultant. Youngblood chaired the initial Vision in Progress committee, made up of several parents and teachers who asked the business community to

sign up for school involvement. Hardin Memorial Hospital was the first volunteer, adopting the class of 2013. “After that success we sought out the city,” Youngblood said. Since that time, the students have had age-appropriate lessons from city employees in just about every

department, Willmoth said, including the more traditional safety offerings from the police and fire departments. “I think they have been enthusiastic about it – a lot of them have children that are school-age kids. It gives them an opportunity to explain what they do every day,” he said.Among the lessons:•A session on maps by GIS staff,

who brought city maps and showed students how to find their homes.

•Civil War battles in Hardin County, co-taught by city councilman Tim Walker, a Civil War buff.

•A demonstration about water conservation, showing, among other things, how much water students waste when brushing their teeth.

“Since they’re a little bit older we’ve talked about the basic principles of government,” said City Clerk Mary Chaudoin, who coordinates the program for the city. One innovative aspect of the program is the city’s involvement in academic achievement issues. Youngblood said the city partners consult with teachers in the students’ new grade before the start of each school year to collaborate and develop curriculum. Teachers point to areas where the city volunteers can add substance to the content students will be studying, she said. “The teachers really do value the partners. I have to brag on the city – they have just really embraced it. … They have been, and are still, doing powerful things,” Youngblood said. “It is a fabulous partnership; a mini-city in the works.” Elizabethtown Schools Administrator Gary French said the city’s contributions to the classroom

“the teachers really do value

the partners. I have to brag

on the city – they have just

really embraced it. …”

more than one level. “It’s allowed the businesses and the city of E-town to come in and participate with our teachers and our students in implementing activities that focus on their expertise, but also gives our students some mentoring

S C h o o l S

Madelynn coldiron

is Manager of

communications

services for the

Kentucky school

Boards association.

opportunities with people that work for the city.” Willmoth calls the experience of interacting with the students “an eye-opener.” “It’s interesting to hear their questions,” he said. “They have no idea about city government. And that’s what education is about – to educate them and give them a broader perspective. …It’s very important that they understand what is going on, how it’s going on and give them some basic information going forward.” The decision to adopt the class was a natural one, given the focus on that topic in Elizabethtown, Willmoth said. “Every meeting I go to today always ends up with education becoming part of the conversation before it’s over.” He said the discussions usually revolve around training the workforce and job opportunities. “We cannot let anybody fail in education – not only for their sake, but for our sake.”

“It’s allowed the businesses

and the city of E-town to

come in and participate

with our teachers and our

students in implementing

activities that focus on their

expertise, but also gives our

students some mentoring

opportunities with people

that work for the city.”

The class of 2014 at Elizabethtown’s Morningside Elementary is all ears as Brian Druen, the chief operator of the city’s water plant, explains the water treatment process.

As Druen packs up the equipment for his presentation, the Morningside students continue peppering him with questions about water use and purification.

� spring 2006 spring 2006 �

Karen Engle has a nephew in Ohio who is addicted to crack cocaine and is in jail. She has another nephew in eastern Kentucky who is hooked on alcohol and Oxycontin. “You don’t have to look very far in eastern Kentucky to find the drug problem,” Engle said. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t know someone who has a problem. It’s affected every single family, including my own.” Karen Engle is the executive director of UNITE, which fights drug abuse in 29 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky._ Teresa Barton lost her brother Michael in 1989. “I don’t talk about this often,” Barton said, “but I had a brother who was killed in Florida, and I do believe he would be alive today if drugs had not been involved in his lifestyle.” Not coincidentally, Teresa Barton is the executive director of the state’s burgeoning Office of Drug Control Policy. “You need to do this for Michael,” she told herself when she was

deciding whether or not to take the position.

_ If ever there were doubts that drug abuse isn’t an equal opportunity destroyer, the stories of Karen Engle

and Teresa Barton demonstrate just how ubiquitous the nightmare has become. Drug abuse recognizes no borders, affecting every socio-economic class and casting its grip on people of all ages and races—even the relatives of people who are at the forefront in fighting the drug epidemic. And calling it an epidemic, many experts will tell you, is not an overstatement. For Engle, that realization exploded full force soon after she assumed her position at UNITE and held town meetings. “People would come just to show me pictures of children who had overdosed or daughters who were addicted or grandsons who were neglected and died because their parents were on drugs,” Engle said. “It was a very scary awakening for me. What seemed to be a career move for me at the time really has turned into a mission.” It is a mission that more and more officials say will require equal emphasis on law enforcement, treatment and education if it is to succeed.

By John McGill

Winning the war will require enforcement,

treatment, education.

Drug abuse recognizes no borders, affecting

every socio-economic class and

casting its grip on people

of all ages and races.

Drug Abuse: an equal opportunity destroyer


Lieutenant Governor Steve Pence is one the strongest advocates of the approach. “When I was U.S. attorney, I saw firsthand a lot of the drug problems that we had in the state. We prosecuted those in the western district in the early ’90s and again in 2001 and 2002,” Pence said. “It was a revolving door. We kept strengthening the penalties in the federal system, making them harsher and harsher with the idea this would somehow be a deterrent and people would stop. But it wasn’t.” In fact, it proved quite the opposite. “Even though we saw the penalties go up and the incarceration rate skyrocket, the demand (for drugs) wasn’t affected at all,” Pence said. “I came to the conclusion that this is not a problem that we can simply incarcerate our way out of. And I think a lot of people, prosecutors included, feel the same way.”_ In 2004, Pence launched an initiative that brought together a 51-member team of state, local and federal officials to conduct a 20-week assessment of drug abuse in Kentucky, a process that included numerous town meetings. The result was a recommendation by the team that Governor Ernie Fletcher create the Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP)—with a mission to encourage a three-pronged approach. Efforts would be made to improve communication and cooperation among the disparate groups that represented enforcement, treatment and education. It has not been an easy task, but progress is being made, Pence said. “These are all well-established institutions. Bringing them all together is not an easy task, nor is getting them all singing from the same hymnal,” he said. “But we’re trying to do that and, slowly, we’re making progress. We think eventually this three-pronged approach where everyone is working together will get the best results.” Incarceration alone has done little

more than paint the state into an economic corner where the expense of jailing people has become almost as problematic as drug abuse itself. In an upcoming report to be

published in the Kentucky Law Journal, University of Kentucky law school professor Robert G. Lawson notes that Kentucky, which held about 3,000 people in its prisons in the early 1970s, had 19,850 felons in custody at the end of 2005. Where it had two prisons

for men and one small prison for women, it now has 13 prisons. Barton said studies show that 70 to 80 percent of the incarcerated population is there for drug-related violations. “A lot of people who are addicted want to get off drugs,” Pence said. “They don’t need incarceration. There’s a selected group of offenders where treatment is best for them, for society and for the taxpayer.” Betty Spivack, a physician with the State Medical Examiner’s Office in the Justice Cabinet, is a trainer for educational programs offered by the Kentucky Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. She said progress is already being made in getting the three groups on the same page. “I don’t go flinging around kudos, but I think the ODCP has tackled this issue in a phenomenally good way,” Spivack said. “I think they and the Cabinet for Health and Family

Services have made cooperation across the board a priority. “A lot of states got a lot farther behind the eight ball on the drug problem than Kentucky did before they started to deal with it—and even then they didn’t do it in a coordinated manner. We have already trained more than 1,000 people. The National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children just dropped their jaw on how well coordinated this was, and I think the ODCP has been the key factor. We’ve gotten effective legislation passed, we’ve trained judges, we’ve trained cops, we’ve trained social workers, and we’re making more progress on training doctors.” _ There are currently about 1,500 beds at recovery and treatment centers in Kentucky—far short of what is needed. According to a study done for the state by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Kentucky has beds for only 2.7 percent of those who need them. Recovery Kentucky, an initiative established by the Fletcher administration, has a goal to build 10 recovery facilities, each with 100 beds. Collaborative funding efforts among several agencies and local governments will help build the facilities. Pence and the ODCP recently presented $1.5 million, obtained from coal severance tax funds, to UNITE for construction of a recovery center in Manchester and operation of an existing facility in Pikeville. Congressman Hal Rogers secured another $1.5 million in federal assistance. There are also a number of faith-based initiatives. The Christian Appalachian Project, an interdenominational nonprofit organization, announced recently its plans to invest $1 million to open long-term rehab centers in the region. In Lexington, psychologist and priest Paschal Baute recruited a group of volunteers from the non-denominational Spiritual Growth Network he founded to lead inmates at the Fayette County Detention

Center in a personal growth and rehabilitation program. It’s called “A Fierce Landscape for the Spiritual Warrior” and has been in place for three years. Because the program calls for intense self-reflection, journaling and group work with other inmates along with individual counseling, Baute believes inmates stand a better chance of turning their lives around and not falling into temptation with drugs once they’re released. “We tell them that drugs are like a snake hiding in your house,” Baute said. “You might not see it and you might think it’s gone, but it can jump out and bite you at any time if you don’t stay vigilant.” Barton welcomes the participation of such groups of civic-minded people. She says that faith-based programs are important in breaking any addictive behavior, in much the same way that Alcoholics Anonymous emphasizes members recognizing a

“higher power.” “Faith is a very critical part of recovery. Keep in mind that I didn’t say religion, but faith,” said Barton, underscoring the importance of leaving the door open for both those who find faith through organized religion and those who find it through some other form of spirituality._ As bad as the drug epidemic has been, the widespread introduction of methamphetamine has cast an even darker shadow on the situation. “It’s a scary drug,” said Spivack. “Meth scares me in a way that other

drugs have not in the past.” In terms of its production process, meth is a new moonshine of sorts. Virtually anyone can make it, and the “labs” where it is produced are often hidden away in remote rural areas. Kentucky took a big step toward curtailing meth production with a 2005 law that requires stores and pharmacies to place non-prescription drugs containing pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in making meth, behind the counter. In April 2005, just before the law went into effect, there were 84 law enforcement responses to meth labs in that month alone, an all-time high for Kentucky. In September, however, state police had only 12 responses. From

"I came to the conclusion that this is

not a problem that we

can simply incarcerate

our way out of."

"Meth scares me in a way that other

drugs have not in the past."

12 spring 2006 spring 2006 1�

June through September, the overall drop in responses was an amazing 75 percent. Pence, however, emphasized that the danger is far from over. “We were very pleasantly surprised with the results,” he said. “But we realize that if there’s a decrease in meth labs in the state, it means meth will come in from somewhere else, which means law enforcement has to step up and fight that.” While prescription drugs have been the most prominent form of addiction in eastern Kentucky, meth is starting to have similar influence. “It’s taken over several of our communities,” Engle said. “What we’re seeing now is poly-drug use. I talked to one addict who had a $600-per-day addiction to Oxycontin and couldn’t afford it. So this person started making meth for personal use, but the profit margin was so good that she started selling it to support her Oxycontin habit, and then became addicted to meth in the process.” UNITE is an acronym for Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment & Education—and its progress since being put in motion in January 2004 has made it a nationally recognized model program. UNITE has a voucher program that provides treatment for addicts who can’t afford it. “We have put through over 200 people that I honestly believe would not have gotten treatment otherwise,” Engle said. “In addition, we started 20 new drug courts. When we started there were only four. I like to refer to drug courts as forced treatment. It’s where you get a chance to stay clean and the charges are diverted and you get a clean slate. But if you continue to sell drugs or don’t get help, you’re going to jail.” UNITE’s law enforcement arm has helped arrest in the neighborhood of 1,500 people and has “a very good conviction rate,” according to Engle. “We started with an emphasis on law enforcement to get the drug dealers off the street and let the community know we were serious about the problem,” Engle said. “But we’ve now made great strides in

treatment. We know we cannot arrest our way out of the problem.” With methamphetamine, however, the way out is often nearly impossible to find. “It’s nothing like cocaine or any other drug you’ve ever imagined, because of what it does to the brain,” Barton said. “This is not just something that has a temporary effect. This is permanent and highly

addictive. There apparently is nothing that has the level of high that meth has, but there is also nothing like what it does to damage the body—the brain, the teeth, lungs, kidneys. … It goes on and on.” In addition to the very real danger of explosions that can occur when meth is made in the home, children are at risk in a number of other ways. Said Spivack: “When parents are using, they may be up for two or three days at a time. They can grow increasingly paranoid and increasingly violent, and engage in less well-considered sexual activity. Many kids in that kind of setting may become victims of physical or sexual abuse. On the other hand, when the adults do ‘crash,’ they may sleep for one or two or even three days. And

children under their care are left to their own resources to be able to meet their needs.” Parents likewise aren’t likely to provide the kind of interaction children need to develop normal social behavior. “Such kids have a higher risk factor for school failure, for drug and alcohol experimentation at a young age, a higher risk of developing addictive behaviors themselves, and a higher risk for entry into the criminal justice system,” Spivack said. While the number of meth lab seizures in Kentucky has decreased, organized crime has moved into the region to sell “ice” or crystal meth, a purer form of the drug that is produced in so-called super labs, mostly in Mexico and southern California. _ After Sylvia Lovely took a leave of absence to serve as interim executive director of the ODCP during its formation, she returned to her roles as executive director/CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities and president of the NewCities Institute with a deeper understanding of the role community building must play in curtailing drug abuse. “The drug problem we have today is emblematic of the changing world we live in,” Lovely said. “I really enjoyed helping start up the ODCP, but what I am passionate about is building communities. I think we have to build them in new ways because what is lacking is a sense of genuine connection to place.” Drug abuse and addiction seems to be on a scale so pervasive and insidious that those trying to curtail it surely have moments of doubt that the problem can ever be overcome. “I tend to agree with that,” Engle said, “but I have to believe that if everyone at every level of the community gets involved, we can beat it. Sylvia and NewCities have it right.

It takes everyone. From government to churches to nonprofits, to

schools, to community groups, to senior citizen centers—we

all have a place at the table.

It’s only going to get better if the community steps up and says, ‘We want this to stop.’ Some program from Washington or Frankfort isn’t alone going to solve our drug problem.” When Beattyville Mayor Charlie Beach and a group of concerned citizens took on the drug problem in their town a few years ago (a movement that was one of the catalysts behind the formation of UNITE), he had his detractors. “Some people felt like we shouldn’t talk about it, but what differentiated us from some other communities was that we finally said that we had a drug problem and that we were going to do something about it,” Beach said. Pence said that the state wants to meet with prosecutors, treatment facility leaders and educators on a regular basis to find out what else should be done. “One of the things I think we’ll see soon is coming up with some ideas to reach out to students to reduce demand. … Until we really address demand and production, we’re not going to succeed in this. All our victories will probably be temporary. The greatest challenge is demand reduction, but that’s also where the greatest benefit is if we’re successful.” Barton recalls when she was first approached about heading up the ODCP. “I was a little apprehensive and kind of unsure, because it is a difficult issue that has been on the forefront probably 20 or 30 years,” she said. “We’ve been talking about fighting drugs, the war on drugs, DARE over that period. … I thought, ‘If there are people brighter than me who have not solved this problem, why do I think I can come in and do anything different?’ ” What changed her mind, she said, were assurances from the governor and lieutenant governor’s offices that it wouldn’t be a case of just trying to be tough on crime and drugs. “They were trying to be smart about it,” she said, citing the inclusion of education and treatment along with law enforcement. It’s only over the long term that the effectiveness of a more holistic approach to drug abuse can be

measured, but Beach said the early returns are promising. “The drug problem is not unique to eastern Kentucky, rural Kentucky or the state of Kentucky,” Beach noted.

“It doesn’t really matter where you are—it’s drugs, drugs, drugs. It’s addiction and it’s a problem that we’re going to have to work very hard at to make sustainable progress. But I think there has been quite a bit of change in a lot of communities in the part of Kentucky where I live. “Congressman Rogers’ efforts with UNITE, I think, have given churches, neighborhoods, schools and people in general the courage to talk about it openly, to mobilize community groups and say, ‘We’re against drug dealers and we’re going to do something about it.’ And if people do want to try to turn their life around, there are tools and finances in place now to help them do it. It’s damn well made a difference.”

"The drug problem is not unique to eastern Kentucky,

rural Kentucky or the state of Kentucky."

"We have put through over

200 people that I honestly believe would

not have gotten treatment

otherwise."

1� spring 2006 spring 2006 1�

S C E N E S

Springtime in Kentucky

Images from the upcoming book by Jeff Rogers, Kentucky Wide.www.JeffRogers.com/KentuckyWide


a guilty plea, which is set aside for the duration of the program. His or her record is expunged with the successful completion of the program. Contempt of court is seen most often in family drug courts, where participants have not committed a criminal offense but have been separated from their children because of abuse or neglect. In that case, a judge could sentence someone to six months in jail for violating a court order. However, the judge may make a drug court referral instead. “It’s done to help mothers and fathers to live their life without drugs

so hopefully they can be reunited with the child as opposed to never having any chance,” Payne said. Once someone is recommended for drug court, a staff assessment determines whether he or she is truly an addict, has transportation and the family support that is necessary to complete the demanding program. “Drug court is intense, and there are a lot of requirements the defendants have to abide by,” Payne said. “If someone has no transportation and no hope of transportation, and there’s no way anybody can get them to their drug testing or their treatment meetings, we would be setting them up for failure because we don’t have the funding to provide transportation.” The first phase requires drug testing three times a week, and participants must appear in court once a week. During phase two, drug testing is conducted twice a week and a court appearance is required once every two weeks. In the final phase, drug testing is done once a week and a court appearance is required every three weeks. Participants must attend an

non-violent offenders. Most of the courts are open to felony offenders, but some jurisdictions make the process available to misdemeanor violators. A few family drug courts work to reunite children with their drug-free parents. The process involves an assessment by drug court staff to determine whether a potential candidate is a good fit for drug court and has a high probability of success. “There are no violent offenders, no sex offenders, no untreated mental illness, and they have to be an addict or we’re just not the program for

them,” said Connie Payne, drug court general manager for the state Administrative Office of the Courts, which administers the program. Defendants must be found guilty or enter a guilty plea. In Greenup County, for example, Judge Nicholls will only accept those who have entered a guilty plea. “We want to get them into treatment right away, and it normally takes six to nine months to hold a jury trial,” he said. “We don’t want to wait that long.” Payne said individuals get involved in drug court through one of three ways: probation, diversion or contempt of court. Nearly two-thirds of drug court participants are on probation. Once participants on probation complete the program, a judge may give them a conditional discharge, and they do not have to make regular appearances before a probation officer. Under the usual system, parolees must make monthly appearances for five years. Diversions are available for someone with an otherwise clean record who is charged with a Class D felony, the lowest level. The person enters

Nate Arnn was all of 20 years old and facing 16 years in prison. But his path took a fortunate turn when it crossed those of 20th Circuit Judge Lewis D. Nicholls and Julie Ilhardt, drug court coordinator for Greenup County. Arnn was soon on his way to drug court – a way to get him off drugs, clear his record and set his life on the right track. After an intensive 18-month program that included frequent drug tests and court appearances, Arnn is

drug free and employed. Some of his earnings go to pay restitution. Perhaps his biggest challenge was to convince everyone around him that he could change. “My goal was to prove everyone wrong,” he said. Arnn is one of the success stories for the 20th Circuit program, which includes Greenup and Lewis counties. The counties are among the 77 in Kentucky where drug court programs have become available since the statewide program began in 1996. ( Jefferson County’s program began

three years earlier.) The drug court process is designed to get participants off drugs and into productive lives – all at a cost that is significantly less than typical incarceration. Successful completion can mean reduced or dismissed charges for the participants. So far, more than 1,700 people have graduated from Kentucky’s drug courts.

High standards for admission Drug court is limited to addicted,

By Gary Wollenhaupt

approved, intensive outpatient treatment program, as often as five times a week in the early program stages, and frequent Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous meetings. They must also find and hold a job or attend school. If a person is not a high school graduate, many programs require them to obtain a GED. Participants must pay child-support obligations and make restitution on damages caused by their crimes. Those who fail to meet the requirement receive sanctions, such as attending additional treatment sessions, community service hours or jail time. “Sanctions depend on the local community,” Payne said. “In some programs if you have dirty urine it means 10 days in jail and in some programs it means two days in jail.” The heart of the drug court process is the staffing, in which drug court personnel, the judge, prosecutor, treatment professionals and community members discuss each participant’s progress and talk about whether to admit new prospects. In Knox County, community volunteers that include teachers,

The drug court process is designed to get participants

off drugs and into productive lives – all at a cost that

is significantly less than typical incarceration.


of funding mechanisms. However, several grants will end soon, and the AOC is seeking additional state funds to expand existing drug courts and establish new ones. “There’s not a county in Kentucky where we don’t have a drug problem,” Payne said. “We’re missing a lot of defendants who could benefit from this.” Ultimately, drug court is about fighting crime one person at a time. The experts say there’s not a surefire way to tell if someone will be successful in drug court. But perhaps a desire to get clean is the best indicator. Arnn recalled a challenge from a law enforcement officer he was all too familiar with that gave him the incentive to persevere. “One of the sheriff ’s deputies had arrested me so many times he was like a surrogate father,” he said. “My first day of drug court he said, ‘I’ll bet you $100 you won’t graduate.’ When I graduated they took my picture for the local paper of him handing me $100. Unless you’re willing to do the hard work, you won’t get through it.”

“We’ve given them an opportunity to better themselves.”

Success stories In Greenup County, crime statistics show the impact of drug court. Judge Nicholls proudly points to a 41 percent drop in criminal cases from the inception of drug court through 2005. “It takes about 18 months before you start seeing the effect, and we suddenly saw a drop in the number of cases,” he said. “We knew there was something going on, and now we’re sure.”

But more telling than statistics are the stories of the people whose lives were changed by the program. Arnn completed the Greenup County drug court in May 2006, soon after Valeri Reeves and Liz Masters. Reeves was a habitual offender, suffering from a heroin habit and committing crimes to buy drugs. She was on probation for an offense and repeatedly failed drug tests. Her probation officer called in Ilhardt, the Greenup County coordinator. Reeves wanted to keep the felony offense off her record and turn her life around. “I had tried everything in the world to come clean,” she said. “When I started this program I wasn’t really happy to be here. We stay clean because we have to at first. Somewhere along the line in the first month or two something clicks, and you know you can do this. This program does save lives, there’s not one doubt in my mind about that

because it has saved mine.” Masters is now working as a behavioral rehabilitation specialist helping addicts change their lives.

Her first job in the program was at McDonalds, where her master’s degree overqualified her for flipping burgers. “I was glad they hired me,” she said. “I worked hard for them and they worked around my testing.” The drug court participants bond over the course of the program, and the staff offers encouragement in many forms. In Greenup County, Ilhardt offers incentives such as gift cards for local stores and restaurants and holds an annual picnic for participants. “These people become one another’s family, and that really helps them make it through the tough times together,” she said.

Funding needs Since 1997, the federal government has given Kentucky $20 million for drug courts through a variety

school counselors and social services workers are a part of the team. “Especially with our juvenile court program, we have people who are aware of the problems of the whole family, not only the kids,” said Knox County Attorney Charley Greene Dixon. “We can make a much more informed decision when we have a team like this than we would if we were doing it on our own.”

Cost-efficient treatment According to Payne, drug court costs an average of $3,080 per person, including drug testing and treatment.

Paying for the program is key to its success. “The majority of criminal defendants are indigent,” she said. “If defendants had to pay for their treatments there would be few people in it because nobody could afford it.” Drug court has been effective in reducing the recidivism rate, where offenders commit another crime. According to AOC statistics, 20.2 percent of drug court graduates were convicted of a new felony in the two years after they graduated. That compares to a 57.3 percent felony conviction rate for those who did not participate in drug court but were on probation for offenses similar to those committed by drug court participants. Lowering the recidivism rate helps reduce the cost of housing inmates. One year in drug court is less than one-third the cost of one year in jail and less than one-fourth the cost of one year in prison. The average cost of incarceration is $48.41 per day per person, compared to the cost of drug court at $7.20 per day per person. But those numbers don’t tell the whole financial story. “In the program,

they’re employed, they pay their taxes, they pay their child support, they contribute to society,” Payne said.

Drug epidemic spreading When Payne was a Fayette County prosecutor, most of the drug cases involved crack cocaine. The drug of choice in many areas of the state then shifted to Oxycontin, and now the crystal meth scourge is ravaging rural and urban areas. Law enforcement agencies knew that the old system just wasn’t working and saw drug court as an attractive alternative to throwing

the same drug addicts in jail again and again. “I was reluctant about drug court at first for political reasons,” said Greenup County Attorney Cliff Duvall. “I thought the people wanted a tough prosecutor who would lock people up. But the system of correction is growing so fast it’s crazy. It’s clear the old ways weren’t working.” Advocates often have to overcome the perception that drug court is simply an easy way out for addicts. “We had that public perception, that undertone with the circuit court program that you’re slapping them on the wrist and letting them get by with it,” Dixon said. “We’ve had several public presentations about the drug court and what the process is, and we did role playing. Once people see how intense the program is, they have another thought.” For those participants who drop out of the program, the result is swift and sure. “If they fail we go back and carry out their sentence,” Duvall said.

Bell, Orr, Ayers

& MOOre, P.s.C.

Attorneys at Law

1010 College Street

PO Box 738Bowling Green KY 42102-0738

270-781-8111

www.boamlaw.com

•

George E. Strickler, Jr.Kevin C. Brooks

Timothy L. MauldinBarton D. DarrellTimothy L. EdelenDouglas W. GottPaul T. Lawless

Melanie K. CookElizabeth W. Burt

Amanda L. BlakemanWilliam T. Wade, Jr.Katherine A. Quitter

•Of Counsel

Reginald L. AyersRay B. Buckberry, Jr.

Quinten B. Marquette

“I thought the people wanted a tough prosecutor who would

lock people up. But the system of correction is growing so

fast it’s crazy. It’s clear the old ways weren’t working.”

“when I started this program I wasn’t really happy to

be here. we stay clean because we have to at first.

Somewhere along the line in the first month or two

something clicks, and you know you can do this. this

program does save lives, there’s not one doubt in

my mind about that because it has saved mine.”


By Feoshia henDerson

Jeremy Birge was a Barren County High School sophomore on Christmas break when he made a decision that would change his life forever. He decided to try cocaine. What followed the experiment that Birge says “was supposed to be a one-time thing” turned into an 11-year struggle with drug addiction, complete with arrests and prison, dropping out of college, going AWOL from the Army and losing precious time with his family. Today, at 28, Birge is a clean and sober Western Kentucky University student who made the Dean’s List his first semester. He has a part-time job at the Western’s Glasgow Regional Center. He credits his turnaround to a counseling program at a Cave City church that led him back to the church and God and away from drugs.

Birge’s mother, Tommie, is assistant to Glasgow’s mayor. They are willing to tell their story, they said, in the hope that their situation will encourage other families who face such painful challenges. Although Birge began regularly using drugs, including methamphetamine and marijuana, after that sophomore-

year experience, his family didn’t discover his problem until the night of his high school graduation – when he was stopped by the police on his way to the commencement ceremony. He was allowed to walk the graduation line that night, but returned to the police station later. The drug charge filed against him was handled in juvenile court. Tommie Birge remembers that night: “I worked at the police station, and I had no idea that my son was on drugs,” she said. What followed for her son was a short-lived college experience (“I made a decision to please my parents. …I quit going after a month.”), stints in jail and prison, several attempts at recovery through long-term rehabilitation programs, and Army service that ended abruptly.

By al ice Davis

"I worked at the police

station, and I had no idea that my son

was on drugs."

One man's story of addiction, recovery and hope


P r o g r e S S P r i n t i n g a d

All told, Birge said, he spent almost six of the 11 addicted years in jail or prison. But the incarceration wasn’t for drugs. Instead, he ended up behind bars for theft and other crimes he committed to buy drugs and for his flight from the Army halfway through parachuting school. Tommie Birge said she was “totally supportive” of her oldest son during his early times in jail and drug rehab. She wrote to him and kept in loving, constant touch. But after years of watching her son return to drugs, crime or both, she found that she could no longer bring herself to connect with him. “I later learned that my absence from his life is ultimately what helped turn him around and helped him see that he had to get clean,” she said. Taking responsibility for who he had become was Birge’s turning point. After years of unsuccessfully trying rehab programs to “please the judge” or “make myself look better,” he called the Caveland Baptist Church in Cave City to enter the Addiction Deliverance Outreach (ADO) program there. That program was full, so Birge called Ricky Bunch, an ADO minister and counselor, at the Wisdom Faith Community Church. The ADO program, founded by Caveland pastor Chad Hunt, is a faith-based counseling program staffed by volunteers. Bunch, himself a recovering addict, had gone through the ADO’s four-step program. The

result was Bunch beginning an ADO program at Wisdom in 2004. “I found out things that I had not worked through in my own recovery when I went through the program,” Bunch said. ADO uses twice-weekly, one-on-one sessions to work through the program’s four steps: acceptance, narcotics education, accountability and recovering. It stresses the Bible and looking to God for the strength to get away and stay away from drugs. Working through the program takes between two and four months, Bunch said. Birge and one other person are the only ADO graduates at Widsom so far, “but if we’ve helped one person, it was worth it,” Bunch said. And it did help Jeremy Birge. Clean and sober for more than 18 months, he attends church, goes to school and work and plans for a brighter future. When asked to describe his life before the program, Birge speaks of regret – for the life he lost and the lives he affected. He uses those same words to offer advice to anyone who thinks that trying a substance like cocaine could ever be a “one-time thing.” The drug had a powerful effect on him from the beginning, he said. “As soon as I tried it, I loved it, loved it much too much,” he said. “After that first time, I spent all of my time looking for it or finding the money to

try and get it.” His recovery started when he realized and took responsibility for that fact that he was an addict. “I was sick and I was tired. I was tired of doing the same thing every day, of always looking over my shoulder for the police, or being afraid to answer the door.” He remembered the anti-drug lectures from high school, but never thought that just one taste of cocaine would be his downfall. And he doesn’t want to describe his drug experiences too vividly, he said, because he doesn’t want to encourage anyone to try them. “It (cocaine) will make your mom stay up crying for you at night,” he said. “It will wind you up in jail or prison where you go to the bathroom or take a shower in front of 20 other people. It will rob other people of their trust in you, and it isn’t easy regaining trust. You’ll wake up one day, at 28 years old, and find that you’ve got nothing to show for it.” It isn’t just his mother’s pain that he regrets, but also the time he lost with other family members, particularly his younger brother. The focus on church attracted Birge to the ADO program. “The church services were what I got the most out of,” he recalled. “It is all about God, really. If it wasn’t for God, I know I wouldn’t be here. He’s gonna take what I went through and make something good out it, I believe that.” Birge also believes in himself. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a tax or corporate lawyer, and now majors in history and political science. He wants to go to law school, but keeps

"The biggest thing I learned from all this, and am

still learning, is to think for the long term, not just for this minute."

743 Haldeman Road • Morehead, Kentucky 40351 • www.on-siteemergencytraining.comON-Site Emergency Training

Phone: 606.207.4222 or 606.776.5861 • Fax: 606.783.1430 • Email: [email protected]

Defensive DrivingImproving Driver Skills

Advanced CPREmergency Medical Training

Safety TrainingConstruction and Industrial

Knowledge is the key to success!

At ON-Site Emegency Training, we believe education is the cornerstone of every effective and successful safety program. We provide learner-friendly training coupled with

ON-Site inspections to ferret out potential compliance concerns.The message we deliver is focused on the positive while stressing

the importance of safety in every facet of your facility.

Please call us today, or visit www.on-siteemergencytraining.com, and learn about the services and education that ON-Site Emergency Training can bring to your organization.

Join the growing list of ON-Site Emergency Training’s satisfied customers!

✔

✔

✔

Safety AssesmentsEmployee, Site, and Programatic

Regulatory ComplianceFederal, State, OSHA, DOT, EPA, etc.

Fire SafetyPrevention and Response

✔

✔

✔

Over 30 different programs - tailored to meet your needs - at your site and on your schedule.

christopherhurt.com

osetad2.indd 1 4/9/06 2:14:10 PM

the door open for other possibilities. The man who made three Fs and a D during his initial attempt at college, received two As and two Bs during his first semester at Western some nine years later. That gave him a boost of confidence and the ability to think into the future.

“The biggest thing I learned from all this, and am still learning, is to think for the long term, not just for this minute,” he said. “And those grades let me know I could do it. If I put my mind to it, watch out, world.”


Friendships, humanitarian efforts, economic partnerships and cultural exchanges provide the foundation for a growing number of Sister City programs across the nation. Kentucky is part of the trend. Twenty of the commonwealth's cities have or are developing Sister City alliances, and all but six of those are members of Sister Cities International (SCI), the Washington-based nonprofit organization that oversees the program. Sister Cities is not a new concept — in fact, the international organization celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Yet, in Kentucky, more cities are inquiring about the program.

B y v i C K i e M i t C h e L L

c e n t e r

Interest in Sister Cities growing as program celebrates 50th anniversary

vickie Mitchell is an independent writer based in Lexington.

Danville, Glasgow and Versailles are seeking their first international partners, and Owensboro hopes to finalize an agreement soon with its second Sister City. “I’m finding a lot of increase in

interest,” said Kay Sargent, a liaison between SCI and Kentucky cities, and director of Lexington’s Sister Cities program. “I think citizens now are interested in making global connections.” Cities are looking for ways to fit into the global economy, and the Sister Cities program is one way they can educate themselves about the path to take, said Tad Long, director of business development for the Kentucky League of Cities’ NewCities Institute. “If the small places that matter are going to thrive, they are going to have to figure out their place in this global economy,” he said. Sister Cities can

“raise awareness of how communities can connect.” When President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed an international people-to-people network in 1956, he saw the concept as a tool for peace, a way to warm the chill created by the Cold War. The citizen diplomacy initiative that was ultimately created, Sister Cities International, represents 2,400 community partnerships in 132 countries. Danville Mayor John Bowling considers the citizen diplomacy emphasis particularly valuable. “Here I am in government, and we see that countries can't get along. But when it gets down to the ordinary people on the street, they seem to get along wonderfully.” Sister Cities programs are run mainly by volunteers; in Kentucky, only the programs in Louisville and

Lexington have a paid staff member. Typically low-budget, programs are often supported by city governments, which provide such in-kind contributions as office space or a few thousand dollars for administrative expenses. Programs are also funded by grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations and fund-raising events. The heart of Sister Cities has always been the people exchanges

that the program makes possible. Citizens sometimes question these international journeys, viewing them as perks for politicians. “You can choose to think that way if you want, but what people need to do is look at the long-term, the interaction of cultures that come together and what can happen that’s positive for the community,” said Bowling. To prove his point, Bowling and others will visit Danville’s Sister City as soon as the city reaches an agreement with one of the European cities it is considering. Like most Sister Cities exchange participants, they will pay their own way. “We are willing to travel out of our own pocket to send a message that this is important to the citizens of this city,” he said. Some cities do pay the way of a government official to represent them on a Sister Cities exchange. Programs also raise money for scholarships to assist students who want to visit a Sister City. Host cities often keep

If the small places that

matter are going to thrive,

they are going to have to

figure out their place in

this global economy.

Fifty years ago President Dwight D. Eisenhower conceived a program aimed at promoting peace by connecting ordinary citizens at the local level. Out of this citizen diplomacy concept came Sister Cities International. Originally part of the National League of Cities, the program grew so rapidly that by 1967 it became an independent nonprofit organization. Kentucky’s largest cities were early participants in the Sister Cities effort. In 1954, two years before the program was launched, Louisville partnered with Montpellier, France. In 1957, Lexington signed its first Sister Cities agreement with another French city, Deauville. Today, Kentucky’s two largest cities also have the largest Sister Cities programs. Louisville has eight Sister Cities; Lexington has four. In all, 20 Kentucky cities and towns have partnerships with international communities; 14 of them are members of Sister Cities International. This year, Sister Cities International celebrates its 50th anniversary and has asked

members in each state to come up with ideas for the future. In early April, leaders of Sister Cities programs and others interested in citizen diplomacy gathered at 11 Kentucky Community and Technical College System campuses for a statewide summit on citizen diplomacy. Speakers for the teleconference included Tim Honey, executive director of Sister Cities International, and former Governor Martha Layne Collins. During breakout sessions, participants at each location came up with ways Kentucky can become more engaged in global awareness, strengthen global education and improve economic development and tourism. Sister Cities’ representatives will present top ideas gleaned from the summit in Washington this summer at Sister Cities International’s 50th anniversary conference. For more information on Sister Cities International call (202) 347-8630 or visit www.sister-cities.org

Vickie Mitchell

Kentucky hosts Sister Cities summit

Wheelchairs for peace dedication ceremony inYangshuo, China, Morehead’s Sister City. Morehead residents gave morethan $6,000 for 93 wheelchairs for the handicapped citizens ofYangshuo County.

One of Morehead's Sister Cities is Yangshuo in China.

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Dud

ley

Herro

n


KBEAPKentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program

The Kentucky State Summit on Citizen Diplomacy held at various sites across the state this spring was a significant step forward for many communities. For the first time, regular citizens had a local forum to discuss global issues, how these issues affect local place and how neighboring communities are planning for the future. As each community queued up via teleconference, the expansiveness of the global challenges facing our communities stood in stark contrast to the “business as usual” mentality of many of our leaders. The NewCities Institute’s 12 principles of community-building provide a framework to meet these challenges. Two principles in

particular address the challenges of globalization. Our cities will be forced to address these two choices in the near-term. Will we “embrace diversity?” Do we have the courage to “connect to the outside world?” The NewCities Institute has recognized that the manner in which a community answers these questions today will cast the die for future generations. It matters not that we resist change. It is inevitable that we will change. By embracing diversity instead of fearing it, communities and cities can experience a richer cultural life. Embracing diversity also opens our minds to new ideas and breaks down artificial boundaries. By connecting to the world, cities are challenged

to put theory into practice. It is not enough to “be wired” for the future; rather, it’s what we do with the wire that makes the difference. The NewCities Institute values the work of Sister Cities International and other international partners because of the global connections they bring to local place. The whole point of connecting to the world is to acknowledge that we are not the center of the universe, but instead are an intricate part of it.

Tad LongDirector of Business Development

NewCities Institute

NewCities principles address challenge of globalizationcosts of trips lower by supplying lodging and meals. Since Morehead paired with Ballymena, Northern Ireland, in the late 1990s, several delegations have traveled to the city near Belfast. The two cities have also exchanged musicians. “When the Ulster-Scots Orchestra visited Morehead as part of Sister Cities, they got together with local musicians for a jam session,” said Dudley Herron, a longtime volunteer with the program. Appalachian music has roots in Ulster so “although the lyrics often varied, most of the tunes were familiar to both groups.” Owensboro also exchanged Bluegrass bands with Olomouc, its Sister City in the Czech Republic. A group of Eagle Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from Owensboro will travel to the historic city, which dates to 1,000 A.D., this summer. Exchanges tend to focus on educational, cultural or economic areas. Lexington’s Sister Cities program has organized exchanges involving policemen, city planners, soccer teams, ballerinas and businesswomen. Each year, groups of high school and college students travel to its four Sister Cities in Deauville, France; County Kildare, Ireland; Shizunai, Japan; and New Market, England. The economic development possibilities posed by the partnerships have received more attention since

the arrival of Toyota and its satellite suppliers from Japan. Georgetown and Bowling Green, two cities where Japanese manufacturers have located, have paired with cities in Japan. Owensboro’s second Sister City, soon to be announced, will be a Japanese city, a nod to building a better understanding with the three Japanese-owned automotive suppliers in the region.

“Because the Japanese industry is here, we need to do something as outreach — to welcome them and allow our people to learn more about their culture,” said Bill West, director

of Owensboro’s Sister Cities program and a professor of European history at Owensboro Community and Technical College. Not all pairings have found common economic ground. Ballymena and Morehead were disappointed when high tariffs made a proposal to import and sell crafts from Northern Ireland unfeasible. And despite the similarities between Owensboro and Olomouc — both have economies fueled by agriculture and food processing — the cities have not found any business ventures to share. They haven’t given up, however. This spring, a delegation representing a larger region of the Czech Republic visited Owensboro and Frankfort. A new pairing — between the Owensboro region and a similar region in Olomouc – will be the result. With a population of 8,000, Morehead is one of the smallest cities to participate in the Sister Cities program in Kentucky, much less to take on two Sister Cities. Leaders like Herron admit they were initially hesitant to recommend that the city partner with Yangshuo, a small, poor city in a mountainous region of China that had established a relationship with Morehead State University. But after traveling to China in 2001 to establish a program for Morehead State University, Herron was sold on the idea of a Chinese sister. “We were convinced that, barring some unforeseen setback, China would become the world’s next super power,” Herron said. He and his wife came to believe “that we should capitalize on every available opportunity to know the Chinese people on a personal level in anticipation of the day when China challenges the United States in world politics.” Since the partnership was formed in 2004, the efforts have been largely humanitarian, with contingents from Morehead traveling to China to teach English, to test eyes and to help deliver wheelchairs purchased by the Morehead program. It has been difficult for citizens from Yangshou to travel to the United

States. Although several students have studied at Morehead, delegations have been rejected because of the United States’ tightening of travel visas for foreigners. Those who expect to see an immediate economic impact from a Sister Cities program are bound to be disappointed, said Morehead Mayor Brad Collins, a supporter of the Sister Cities program. “Economic benefits have to be developed over a period of time,” he said. “You don’t see that right off. The program is not just an

economic tool — it can be, but not right up front.” Throughout the United States, small communities like Morehead are becoming more involved in the program, noted Tim Honey, executive director of Sister Cities International. “We’ve observed very high interest from smaller communities in the past few years,” he said. “Whether they are large or small, all communities today realize that they are part of a global society.

“A Sister City program can help a community teach its young people about international relationships and cultures different from their own, develop its economy and trade relationships, enrich the community’s cultural life through appreciation of art and culture and improve its infrastructure through sharing ideas with another community.” Honey also described Kentucky’s programs as “very active and well-developed. There is a wonderful foundation there to build on and a tremendous network for sharing information.”

“Because the Japanese

industry is here, we need to

do something as outreach.”

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Dud

ley

Herro

n


• the Big Spring, site of the city’s beginnings

• the historic Downtown Square

•the Glasgow Municipal Cemetery, the location of many historic grave sites

•Fort Williams, a restored Civil War fortification.

Glasgow is a true Renaissance Community. In recent years, this certified city of the Renaissance on Main program has experienced a rebirth of downtown and a new enthusiasm about its historic elements. As part of the downtown revitalization effort, Glasgow has focused attention on the redevelopment and renovation of two significant features of the community: the Plaza Theatre and the Liberty Street School campus. The city hopes this work will spur private investment by making the downtown a vital, economic center. And good things are already starting to happen. Private investment in downtown is growing, and the center of the city is

In Glasgow: Downtown rebirth brings new enthusiasm

considered a great place to live, work and conduct business. As owner and operator of the Plaza Theatre, the City of Glasgow has accomplished what other communities might consider overwhelming: restoring a 1930s, 1,200-seat theater to its original glory and sparking an unprecedented level of anticipation and enthusiasm among residents. City leaders are confident the project will have a significant impact on the local economy while providing quality music and theatrical programming for the community. Under the leadership of Mayor Charles Honeycutt, the city put its renovation plans in place in 2001 with the goal of restoring the theater to provide much-needed space for the

performing arts, community events, classic movies, school functions and all types of musical performances. The $1.8 million budget made the project seem daunting. But financing came from two major federal grants, a low-interest Kentucky League of Cities loan, city funds and local fundraising. And after four years of planning, fundraising and hard work by citizens and local leaders, the Plaza Theatre reopened on April 17, 2005. The responses were consistent at the grand reopening celebration. Residents who had grown up knowing the Plaza Theatre expressed excitement and nostalgia, often with tear-filled eyes. People new to the Plaza expressed amazement that a community the size of Glasgow

had such a grand facility. The Plaza Theatre is again considered the city’s shining star – and recently earned Glasgow the Kentucky League of Cities’ 2005 Enterprise Cities Award. In 1999, Glasgow’s Renaissance Main Street program identified the Liberty Street School campus as a

major revitalization project and took the initial steps toward its renovation. Work over the past six years has included renovation of more than 90,000 square feet of space in three historic buildings on the 8.5-acre campus that is located just one block off the downtown square. The project benefited from two Renaissance on Main grants, private investment, strong leadership and a lot of creative thinking by city officials. As a result, one of the buildings, formerly known as Music Hall, has been renovated into modern, accessible office space for the Glasgow Recreation Department. The building is now home to many recreational programs for all ages. In May 2005, the Liberty School Apartments, a 20-unit senior housing development located in what once was known as the Old High School, opened its doors to the community. Work on the apartments clearly demonstrates how an older building can be converted for modern re-use to serve current and future generations. Indirect benefits to the community include increased property tax revenues and new jobs. The private development of the Liberty School Apartments by A.U. Associates involved multiple funding sources. These included Kentucky Housing Corporation HOME funds,

historic tax credits and housing tax credits. A.U. Associates’ efforts were recently recognized with the Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation’s 2005 Best Historic Preservation Award. The firm also received the 2005 Business Award presented by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Historical Confederation of Kentucky, which recognizes a Kentucky business that has performed outstanding work in preserving some aspect of the state’s history. Based on the success of the Liberty School Apartments, the city and its Renaissance program recently entered into an agreement with A.U. Associates to develop the remaining 28,000-square-foot historic school building into larger, market-rate apartments. With this phase, the Liberty Street School Campus project will be complete. The Plaza Theatre and campus renovation projects are directly tied to another initiative – the Historic Walking Trail that will link many downtown historic sites. The trail will follow a designated route and will include maps, directional signs, green space improvements and educational materials. In addition to the Plaza and the campus, the walking trail will showcase:

•the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center, housed in a 30,000-square-foot renovated warehouse, which showcases the history of the “barrens” geographic area that includes Barren, Metcalfe, Allen, Hart and Monroe counties

Display Advertisers in this issue of City:

Bell, Orr, Ayers & Moore

Brandstetter Carroll Inc.

The Clark Group

Commonwealth Credit Union

Dale Emmons

Frost, Brown, Todd

GRW, Inc.

Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program

Kentucky's Small Business Development Centers

Local Government Corporation

O'Brien & Gere

Ohio CAT/Whayne Supply

Progress Printing

Qk4

Strand Associates, Inc.

p e r s p e c t i v eB y r h o n d a t r a u t M a n

City leaders are confident

the project will have a

significant impact on

the local economy while

providing quality music and

theatrical programming

for the community.

rhonda trautman is director of the glasgow

renaissance Main Street program.

The Plaza Theatre and the Liberty Street School campus are part of Glasgow's downtown revitalization.

�0 spring 2006 spring 2006 �1

robyn Miller is Member

services Manager for the

Kentucky league of cities.

News from Kentucky communitiesCities join in ‘Millions in a Month’ campaign Cities across Kentucky participated in the Millions in a Month campaign this spring to raise awareness about hunger in the commonwealth. Sponsored by the Kentucky League of Cities and Kentucky Harvest, the campaign encouraged cities to publicize their participation and to work with businesses, community organizations, places of worship and local food banks to plan “food raisers” within their communities. Campaign participants collected and distributed 11 million pounds of food.

Mayors deliver meals Mayors from Covington, Newport and Florence recently helped deliver hot meals to elderly shut-ins as part of a national Mayors for Meals program, according to a report in the Kentucky Post. The program has recruited nearly 350 mayors across the country to accompany volunteers in the Meals

and 79th, respectively on the list. According to an account in the Lane Report, the rankings were based on economic standing, education, safety, housing affordability, taxes and real estate appreciation as well as cultural and weather-related considerations.

Bowling Green promoting DOLLAr wI$E campaign Under the direction of Mayor Elaine Walker, Bowling Green has partnered with U.S. Bank and the Daily News to join the Mayors’ National DOLLAR WI$E Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to encourage the development of local strategies to educate citizens about financial issues. With improved money management and planning skills, citizens are in a better position to accumulate and retain wealth, own homes, raise healthy families, educate their children and invest in small businesses. By joining the campaign, Mayor Walker has agreed to organize and implement local financial literacy programs in Bowling Green. The campaign will target all ages and income groups while focusing on financial education, credit card and debt management, savings strategies and home ownership. A decline in American’s personal savings, a lack of basic economic literacy among adults and skyrocketing consumer debt prompted the campaign, according to a report from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp. More information is available at: www.dollarwiseonline.org.

Somerset and Burnside receive funds Governor Ernie Fletcher and the Governor’s Office for Local Development recently announced a $1 million Community Development Block Grant for Somerset and a $473,000 state flood control grant for Burnside. Block grant funds will repair 10 homes as part of the Somerset Scattered Site Phase III Project. Burnside will use the flood control funds for its sewage transfer pump station and wastewater collection system that is being built with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

on Wheels program. Senior Services of Northern Kentucky, which operates the program in northern Kentucky’s eight counties, delivers meals to nearly 530 low-income elderly adults with funds from federal, state and local sources. About 90 volunteers deliver the meals, but the service includes more than food. “I think the visit is just as important as the meal,” Florence Mayor Diane Whalen, who accompanied a volunteer in her city, told the newspaper. “This is an opportunity to participate in part of something that makes such a difference in people’s lives. We get so caught up in the day-to-day rat race, we don’t stop to think about something as simple as having something to eat. Something most of us think is routine is so important.” Covington Mayor Butch Callery said the city has been supporting the home-delivered meals program for nearly 30 years, designating between $30,000 and $40,000 a year for it from

Community Development Block Grant funds. “It’s a good program,” Callery told the Kentucky Post. “I’ve known about it and supported it for years. But this will be the first time I get to be part of it.” Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli has joined the meals volunteers in past years. The program is more than a convenience for older people, it affects their whole lifestyle, he said. “This gives people an opportunity to stay in their homes and apartments. Otherwise, a lot of them would have to move into assisted living or find other living arrangements. This keeps people living where they want to be, and it keeps costs down, for them and for the rest of us.”

Carrollton Mayor Ann Deatherage also joined a meals volunteer. “How terrible to be in your home day after day with no contact other than seeing people go by. The visit is almost as important as the meal,” she said.

Kentucky cities ranked best places to live Two Kentucky communities have been included on Money Magazine’s list of the nation’s top 100 best places to live. Crestwood, a community near Louisville, and Burlington, in northern Kentucky, ranked 52nd

“By providing essential infrastructure services and safe, decent housing for our residents, we are working to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Burnside and Somerset,” Fletcher said. “The local officials should be commended for their hard work in pursuing these projects.” “Sewer service is essential to preserving public health and attracting new jobs and businesses,” Congressman Hal Rogers noted at the Burnside groundbreaking. Rogers later praised Somerset for its housing initiative, saying, “I commend Mayor J.P. Wiles and local leaders for working to provide good, safe, affordable housing to the people of Somerset.”

Collaboration yields Civil war museum A partnership among a small city, a large university and private foundation has led to the development of the City of Fort Wright’s James A. Ramage Civil War Museum, which opened to the public last year. The museum is named for Civil War scholar Ramage, a history professor at Northern Kentucky University. The city and NKU

collaborated on the project, which was funded by a grant from the Scripps-Howard Foundation. The museum commemorates “the greatest battle that never occurred,” according to Ramage. It marks the location of Battery Hooper, an earthwork that was part of an eight-mile curve of defensive positions protecting Cincinnati from the Confederate Army. “The Confederate Army invaded Kentucky, hoping to attack Cincinnati,” Ramage told Smithsonian magazine in a September 2005 article. “But when they discovered the Union defenses in these hills, they marched away in the night.” A Lane Report account notes that museum exhibits include northern Kentucky’s role in the Civil War, a timeline, the ongoing site excavation and the history of Fort Wright. “Once any historic site is gone, it’s gone forever, and once houses are built over it, it’ll never come back,” Ramage told the Lane Report. “Saving a Civil War site is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

If you’d like to see your city featured in City Bits, please submit newsworthy items to [email protected].

�2 spring 2006

C l A S S I f I E d

PLACE AN AD TODAY!

"The wise man in the storm prays God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

�� spring 2006

the community issues magazine of the kentucky league of ... · michael d. miller, mayor of jackson...

Documents