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8th Annual Celebration of The Bluegrass – October 13, 2021

 
Bluegrass Tomorrow Moving Forward with 8th Annual Celebration of the Bluegrass
 Wednesday, October 13 at the Historic
 Round Barn at the Red Mile.

  WKYT’s Sam Dick and Land Use Advocate Gloria Martin to be honored. Get your Tickets Today! 
PRESENTED BY: 


 
PRESENTING GOLD SPONSORS

 

 
 
 
PRESENTING SILVER SPONSOR
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
HONOREES
Sam Dick
Gloria Martin
VISION SOCIETY
Corporate Partner Members
Checks should be made out to Bluegrass Tomorrow Inc.
PO Box 34185
Lexington, KY  40588
Contact Rob Rumpke: rob@bluegrasstomorrow.org

Bluegrass Tomorrow Executive Committee Votes to Move Forward with Event.
With only one month until Celebration of the Bluegrass ’21, the Bluegrass Tomorrow Executive Committee passed a motion at its last meeting to move forward with the in-person event on Wednesday, October 13.
The festivities of the evening will be presented in the safest way possible as we gather to honor Sam Dick and Gloria Martin. Sam and Gloria will be presented with the
Bluegrass Legacy and the Josephine Abercrombie Awards, respectively–the most prestigious of Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Vision Awards.

The Round Barn was once an actual barn giving us many opportunities to create a safe floor plan. Weather permitting, the doors of the barn will be open for dinner and we will offer the cocktail reception outside.
While we are not requiring proof of vaccination, Celebration of the Bluegrass is best enjoyed vaccinated or with a recent negative COVID test.  We will follow local, state, federal masking guidelines as recommended for October 13.  You will receive more information upon registration as changes may occur as the event approaches.
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Bayou Bluegrass, Locally Owned & Operated Business, Catering a Sumptuous Bourbon & Kentucky Themed Dinner.
Bayou Bluegrass is a Lexington, Kentucky based, offering full-service catering and event planning to the Bluegrass and surrounding areas. With one owner from Louisiana and the other from the heart of Kentucky, you can get the best of both worlds with a little Bayou in the Bluegrass.  The catering company has two exclusive venues, Copper Roux and The Round Barn, and does year-round catering for events and weddings.
MENU
 
Hors d’oeuvres
Country Ham and Pimento Cheese Mini Biscuits, Tomato Parmesan Tarts
 
Salad
Mixed Harvest Greens with Homemade Ranch and  Balsamic Vinegar dressings
 
Main Course
Grilled Chicken with Crimini Mushroom Sauce & Bourbon Spiced Pork Loin.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Sriracha Aioli, 
and Herb Roasted New Potatoes
 
Dessert
Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
 
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Sam Dick, long-time News Anchor at WKYT and Land Use Planning Advocate Gloria Martin to be Presented with Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Featured Vision Legacy Awards.
Sam Dick, has spent 34 years as News Anchor at WKYT-TV. Gloria Martin is a long-time land use planning advocate and the current chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board. Each will be honored with the featured awards at Celebration of the Bluegrass on Wednesday, October 13, at the Red Mile’s Historic Round Barn.
Dick, who retires at the end of the year from WKYT, will receive the Bluegrass Legacy Award. Martin, who has also served as a LFUCG Council Member and initiated minimum lot size in Fayette Country rural areas from 10-40 acres, will receive the Josephine Abercrombie Award.  These are the two highest Vision Awards honors that Bluegrass Tomorrow bestows each year.
The annual Vision Awards are a time-honored tradition paying tribute to the best of the 18-county Bluegrass Region each year, related to improving quality of life and place, Bluegrass Tomorrow’s mission.  The dinner event fundraiser is open to the public and tickets can be purchased using the link at the bottom of this email.

***
The Board of Directors of Bluegrass Tomorrow cordially invites you to a special evening where we will present our most distinguished Vision Awards honoring Sam Dick of WKYT with the Bluegrass Legacy Award, and Gloria Martin long-time land use planning advocate, chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board and former LFUCG Council Member, with the prestigious Josephine Abercrombie Award.
The evening will include cocktails and a wonderful dinner, live music, a fabulous auction and more.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
The Historic Round Barn
1200 Red Mile Road
Reception & Cocktails at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Business or Cocktail Attire
Table Sponsorship (8 guests) $1,000
Individual Tickets:  $100
Individual Ticket & One Year Membership:  $150
Presenting Sponsors (includes table of 8) – $1,500
Silver Sponsor:  $750
Bronze Sponsor:  $500
Ticket Donation for those not able to attend: $50.

Historic Round Barn at the Red Mile location for Celebration

 
Sam Dick and Gloria Martin to Be Honored 
at 8th Annual Celebration of the Bluegrass
Wednesday, October 13 at the Historic
 Round Barn at the Red Mile.

Register Now!
PRESENTED BY: 


 
 
 
SPONSORSHIP
VISION SOCIETY OPPORTUNITIES
 
 
Corporate Partner
Platinum Sponsor 
$5,000
 
– All of the privileges accorded to a Bluegrass Tomorrow Partnership Trustee
– Logo on Save the Dates, invitations, e-mails, e-news, websites and all other collateral materials.
– Logo on Powerpoints and Event Signage
– Preferred Table of 8
– Full Page in Vision Report Magazine, Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Annual Report and Celebration event program
 
Presidents Trustee 
Gold Sponsor
$2,500
 
– All of the privileges accorded to a Bluegrass Tomorrow Trustee
– Logo on invitations, e-mails, website and all other collateral materials
– Logo on Powerpoint & Event Signage
– Preferred Table for 8
– Full Page in Vision Report Magazine
Checks should be made out to Bluegrass Tomorrow Inc.
PO Box 34185
Lexington, KY  40588
Contact Rob Rumpke: rob@bluegrasstomorrow.org
 

 
 
Sam Dick, long-time News Anchor at WKYT and Land Use Planning Advocate Gloria Martin to be Presented with Bluegrass Tomorrow’s Featured Vision Legacy Awards at Celebration of the Bluegrass this Fall.
Sam Dick, has spent 34 years as News Anchor at WKYT-TV. Gloria Martin is a long-time land use planning advocate and the current chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board. Each will be honored with the featured awards at Celebration of the Bluegrass on Wednesday, October 13, at the Red Mile’s Historic Round Barn.
Dick, who retires at the end of the year from WKYT, will receive the Bluegrass Legacy Award. Martin, who has also served as a LFUCG Council Member and initiated minimum lot size in Fayette Country rural areas from 10-40 acres, will receive the Josephine Abercrombie Award.  These are the two highest Vision Awards honors that Bluegrass Tomorrow bestows each year.

Everything You Didn’t Know About the Historic Round Barn-
From Civil War to Renowned Architect to Floral Artists to Bookies.
Located in the heart of Lexington, the Round Barn Stable of Memories is one of Lexington’s historic landmarks and architectural treasures. Built adjacent to the track in 1882, the four-story barn was designed as an exhibition hall then later used to house horses and tack for the races. After being restored as a museum, The Round Barn became a unique, historic location for special events. A stunning chandelier suspended through the center creates a warm, welcoming ambiance for special events.
The Stable of Memories, Inc. is the custodian non-profit organization dedicated to protect and preserve the “Round Barn,” the historic structure which has stood as the gateway to The Red Mile harness racing track since 1880.
The building was originally built through a $25,000 grant from the United States Congress, for damages Union troops caused to the old fairgrounds in Lexington during the Civil War. The KY Agricultural and Mechanical Fair Association used the grant money to purchase new land and then commissioned the state’s most prominent architect, John McMurtry, to design a floral exhibition hall.
Completed in 1882 at a cost of $5,000, the resulting structure was named Floral Hall and had a two-story rotunda in the center of the octagonal building. In 1883 an interior third level was added to house art exhibits. It was designed with its center open so judges could see all the exhibits on three levels and compare entries easily.
Four sides of the building featured doors and were set off with decorative woodwork popular during the Victorian era. The roof of the third floor was originally flat and encircled by a railing. In 1896 the distinctive cupola was added. Sometime between 1918 and 1944, the red brick building was painted white.
Although the building is constantly undergoing repairs to protect and preserve it, any changes since this time to the exterior appearance have been modest. Early on, Floral Hall was called into service for gambling. In the post-Civil War period, bookmaking in Lexington centered in its finest hotel, the Phoenix Hotel.  By the 1880s however, criminal elements were entering the picture and forming “betting rings” around the country.
Known as one of the “grandest bookie enclosure” in the country was Floral Hall at Lexington’s Red Mile.   Trotting horse races began at the Red Mile track in 1875; eventually the Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders Association acquired the track and Floral Hall.  Betting followed the races of course. When Lexington outlawed gambling inside the city limits in the late 1800s, the bookies had to leave the Phoenix and downtown hotels.  Floral Hall, however, was just outside the city boundary; the track itself was not.  The bookies moved their operations into Floral Hall and the betting pools for the fall trotting meet were held there.
In 1896, the grounds were purchased from the fair association by trotting horse enthusiasts and Floral Hall was used for stabling. Stalls were built on the first and second floors and the third floor housed the grooms, or the horses’ caretakers.
Immortal Hall of Fame trainer, Tom Berry, stabled horses there, including the 1930 Hambletonian and Kentucky Futurity winner, Hanover’s Bertha. Other great horses stabled there included Greyhound, Wing Commander, and Merrie Annabelle.
The “Round Barn” stands as the gateway to The Red Mile and is an iconic Lexington landmark. The Stable of Memories was incorporated in 1972 to preserve the building and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places and The Blue Grass Trust.

***
The annual Vision Awards are a time-honored tradition paying tribute to the best of the 18-county Bluegrass Region each year, related to improving quality of life and place, Bluegrass Tomorrow’s mission.  The dinner event fundraiser is open to the public and tickets can be purchased using the link at the bottom of this email.
The Board of Directors of Bluegrass Tomorrow cordially invites you to a special evening where we will present our most distinguished Vision Awards honoring Sam Dick of WKYT with the Bluegrass Legacy Award, and Gloria Martin long-time land use planning advocate, chair of the LFUCG Rural Land Management Board and former LFUCG Council Member, with the prestigious Josephine Abercrombie Award.
The evening will include cocktails and a wonderful dinner, live music, a fabulous auction and more.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
The Historic Round Barn
1200 Red Mile Road
Reception & Cocktails at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner at 7:00 p.m.
Business or Cocktail Attire
Table Sponsorship (8 guests) $1,000
Individual Tickets:  $100
Individual Ticket & One Year Membership:  $150
Presenting Sponsors (includes table of 8) – $1,500

A Conversation With the Region on Healthy Living

Registration is now open for
A Conversation with the Region on Healthy Living
 
Presented by:

In cooperation with:
Bluegrass Local Food & Beverage Council
               
          
October 29-30, Zoom Webinar
 
Free and Open To the Public
 
REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO RECEIVE LINK
 
 
Also available on Facebook Live.
This motivating and interesting webinar will share
important information and raise awareness of key health and wellness
issues in our region and we’ll have some fun too….
  • Former University of Kentucky Basketball Star Ramel Bradley, and investor in
    the AppHarvest $50 million greenhouse project in eastern Kentucky, with a
    healthy living and eating Q&A.
  • For the Kids and Families: A Get Up and Move session by the YMCA, and a Farm Bureau Cooking with the
    Kids segment, both after school on Thursday.
  • CHI Saint Joseph Health will present four important health presentations on heart health,
    diabetes, cancer, and quality of life during and after the Covid 19 crisis.
  • Sullivan University’s Culinary Program will present October Smoke: Grilling Smoking and Preserving the Very Best of Local Fall Ingredients and Baking Healthy: Alternatives to Traditional
    Baking….
  • Fayette County Farm Bureau will also present programs
    on: Farmer’s Markets, Finding Local Food in the Bluegrass, Local Foods
    are Worth It, and Food Insecurity & Healthy Communities.
  • And, so much more.
I can’t make it
Conversation with the Region on Healthy Living
Schedule at a Glance
(Full Schedule & Descriptions of each session to be released soon)
Thursday, October 29
  • 3:30 p.m. Former U.K. Basketball player, Ramel Bradley Welcome & Opening Comments
  • 3:35 p.m. Get Up & Move Exercise Session for Kids & Families, presented by YMCA of Central Kentucky
  • 4:00 p.m. Get Outdoors Session, presented by YMCA of Central Kentucky
  • 4:30 p.m. Farmers Markets in the Bluegrass, presented by Fayette County Farm Bureau
  • 5:00 p.m. Cooking with the Kids, presented by Fayette County Farm Bureau
  • 5:30 p.m. Ramel Bradley Q&A on healthy living & eating, presented by AppHarvest
  • 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Heart Health & Beyond, Dr. Michael Wayne Schaeffer) and Q&A, presented by CHI Saint Joseph Health
Friday, October 30
  • 9:00 a.m. Exercise Program, presented by YMCA of Central Kentucky
  • 9:30 a.m. Finding Food in the Bluegrass with Dr. Ashton Potter Wright, LFUCG Local Food Coordinator.
  • 10:30 a.m.
    Quality of Life During the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond, Q&A with
    Dana Stephens, Market Director of Infection Prevention and Control at CHI Saint Joseph Health,, and Gladys Cornn, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Saint Joseph London and Berea
  • 11:30 a.m. Break – Grab a lunch and get ready for Chef Foster during your lunch break.
  • 11:45 a.m.
    October Smoke-Grilling Smoking and Preserving the Very Best of Local
    Fall Ingredients with Chef John Foster, presented by Sullivan University
  • 12:15 p.m.
    Local Foods are Worth It, Dr. Allison Davis, Executive Director of the
    Community and Economic Development Initiative at U.K. and Jan Knappage,
    Food System Specialist with the U.K. School of Human Environmental
    Science.
  • 12:45 p.m. Tomorrow’s
    Cancer Care Today with Dr. Jacqueline Matar, Dr. Jessica Jones Croley
    & Greg Bodager, R.N., presented by CHI Saint Joseph Health
  • 1:45 p.m. Break
  • 2:00 p.m.
    Baking Healthy: Alternatives to Traditional Baking Ingredients and
    Methods… Glueten Free, Dairy Free, and Reduced Fat Choices that Still
    Satisfy with Chef Melissa Armstrong, presented by Sullivan University
  • 2:30 p.m.
    The Cost of Diabetes in Kentucky Today with Claudia Burnett, Registered
    Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and Dr.
    Jason Hamrick, Pharmaceutical Care Specialist, presented by CHI Saint
    Joseph Health
  • 3:15 p.m. Food Insecurity & Healthy Communities, presented by Farm Bureau.
  • 3:45 Adjourn
I can’t make it

 

GOLD SPONSORS:


 

Conversation with the Commonwealth—What Does the Future of Kentucky Education Look Like?

LT. GOVERNOR JACQUELINE COLEMAN HEADLINES BLUE RIBBON PANEL

This virtual event will examine several key focus areas and topics/issues of discussion:

  • What does the future of Kentucky education look line, from P-12 through higher education considering the pandemic and post-pandemic considerations?
  • Issues in on-line education, the digital divide in Kentucky.  How do we create a level playing field?  How do we engage students on-line, as if they were in the classroom? How do we keep students motivated and deal with barriers such as procrastination, feelings of isolation, and absence of support? — as well as disengaged teachers and professors.
  • Race & Class-socioeconomic issues in education. From Black Lives Matter and minority challenges to socioeconomic class, poverty, household level of education, clothes, food insecurity and more.
  • The goal of this Conversation is to envision significant takeaways and strategies that will  begin to change the narrative on the importance of all forms of education in Kentucky, and create a better synergy and collaboration between K-12 and higher education —  university presidents, superintendents, principals and the business community.

Virtual Event is free and Open to the Public but registration in advance will be required. Please watch your inbox for registration opening information.

University Presidents, K-12 Superintendents, Principals will be able to engage in conversation and questions and answers with panelists.

EVENT SPEAKERS, PANELISTS, & MODERATOR

Jacqueline Coleman

Lt. Governor

Aaron Thompson, President

Council on Postsecondary Education

Kevin Hub, Superintendent

Scott County Public Schools

 

 

Jason Glass, Commissioner

Kentucky Department of Education

David McFaddin, President

Eastern Kentucky University

Moderator

 

EVENT SPONSORS

REGISTER NOW!

This event is FREE but registration is required!
Register Now

Stewart Home & School Receives 2019 Vision Award for Human Services

Stewart Home & School occupies the historic campus of the old Kentucky Military Institute and its adjoining 850 acres of serene rural farmland in Frankfort, Kentucky.  The campus provides a beautiful setting for its current and beautiful purpose.  Now on the National Register of Historic Places, the school offers a one-of-a-kind community where those with intellectual disabilities are truly appreciated and respected. Stewart Home currently serves 340 adolescent and adult students who are from 38 different states and 5 different countries. Students have the opportunity to work, go to school, participate in a range of extracurricular and athletic activities, and live life to its fullest! 

When Dr. John Quincy Adams Stewart founded Stewart Home & School in 1893 on the campus of his own school, the Kentucky Military Institute, people with intellectual disabilities were often denied an educational opportunity in the public schools.  He was a pioneer in the field of special education as he set about to institute a school for people of all ages to be given that opportunity.  Over its 126-year history, Stewart Home & School has been owned and directed by five successive generations of the Stewart family.  Dr. John Poague Stewart, of the fourth generation, led the school for over 58 years with love, devotion, service, and the continuation of his families’ legacy.  Today, Dr. John D. Stewart, Jean Ann Stewart Banker, Cathy Stewart Brown, and Charles W. Stewart, continue the tradition of the school’s remarkable past and extend its dynamic mission into the future.  The school continues to provide a campus community for individuals who want to continue to learn and who need a very special educational environment in which to maximize their potential. 

View a Video About Stewart Home & School Here

 

Regional Stakeholders Discuss Future of Regional Land Use Partnership

Seventy-seven regional stakeholders, elected officials, planning commissioners and planning directors met at the Regional Land Use Partnership Summit at the U.K. Hilary J. Boone Center on December 5 and the take-away was a myriad of strategies and action items to begin to develop a strategic plan for the partnership focusing on communication and collaboration between cities, counties, agencies and organizations.

A Vision Statement for the Plan was also thoroughly vetted at the summit and will be released early in 2020.

The Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUP) which was organized and is managed by a collaboration through Bluegrass Tomorrow, the Bluegrass Area Development District, the Bluegrass Land Conservancy, Fayette Alliance, Woodford Forward and Farm Bureau, has created great momentum in a the form of a mutually agreed upon resolution, which contains land use principles of agreement, and has been passed by LFUCG, Bourbon County Fiscal Court, the Lexington/Jessamine Metropolitan Planning Organization, the City of Midway, the Scott County Planning Commission, and a myriad of others in the works.

The Strategic Plan will be discussed, vetted and drafted by the RLUP committee in the first quarter of 2020.

Mary Berry founder and CEO of the Berry Center, and daughter of Wendell Berry, was the keynote speaker, and focused on advocating for farmers, land-conserving communities, and healthy regional economies.  A series of TED talks on Advocacy, Food, Growth and Housing featured David Tomes developer of the Norton Commons, Ashton Potter Wright of Bluegrass Farm to Table and Brittany Rothemeier of the Fayette Alliance.

Local, State and National Perspectives on land use planning were provide by Billy Van Pelt of American Farmland Trust, Tom Hutchenson from Atalo Holdings on the hemp industry, and Chris Woodall of LFUCG Division of Planning.

58 Faculty & Staff Complete 5th Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium Academic Leadership Academy

The Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium has announced that 58 Fellows have completed its sixth Bluegrass Academic Leadership Academy recently at Kentucky State University, announced the chair of the consortium President M. Christopher Brown II of Kentucky State University.

The Academic Leadership Academy is a presidential initiative, led by the 12 presidents represented in the consortium, to build future academic leaders in the Bluegrass Region. 265 Fellows have now completed the program in six years. The purpose of the academy is to encourage faculty and staff to consider leadership career paths and to provide guidance in developing the skills that are requisites for effective institutional leadership to ensure a sound and successful future for their institution and the Bluegrass Region. This year, through a partnership with the Council on Postsecondary Education, the academy was made available to all of the public universities in the state outside of the Bluegrass Region footprint, and Murray State, the University of Louisville, Northern Kentucky University and several campuses of the Kentucky Community & Technical College System also participated.                        

The 58 faculty and professional staff from our Kentucky colleges and universities who completed the curriculum as fellows in the Class of 2019 are: Lewis Willian of Asbury University; Mia Brown, Randolph Cullum and Shannon Hankins of Ashland Community & Technical College; Shannon Phelps of Berea College; Laura Lynch and David Sturgill of Bluegrass Community & Technical College; Candace Wentz and John Harney of Centre College; Dominic Ashby, Joseph Carucci, Stacey Korson, James Maples and Derek Paulsen of Eastern Kentucky University;

Stashia Emanuel, Shuo Han Walter Malone III, Nikki McZee, Candace Raglin and Jamar Simmons of Kentucky State University; Jennifer Robinson and Brian Weldon of Midway University; Flint Harrelson, Michele Paynter Paise, Daryl Privott, Sherif Rashad and Lexius Yarbrough of Morehead State University; Susan Contreras Bloomdahl, Dina Byrers; Maeve Lewis McCarthy, Drew Seib, Melony Shemberger of Murray State University; Matthew Albritton, Joe Cress, Vanessa Hunn, Cecile Marczinski, Julie Moses and Carolyn Noe of Northern Kentucky University;

Jamie Cress, Tiffany Evans, Ian Hester and Anchalee Steele of Sullivan University; Jennifer Bird-Pollan, Brian Lee, Y. Charles Lu, Gia Mudd-Martin, Gitanjali Pinto-Sinai, Steven Schwarze, Asha Shenoi, and Sarah Wackerbarth of the University of Kentucky; Lynn Boyd, Meg Hancock, Amy Higdon, Thomas Rockaway, Michelle Rodems and Beth Willey of the University of Louisville.

The fellows participate in two full days of training where university presidents, vice presidents, provosts, deans and other key academic leaders present keynote addresses, panels and workshops. The final session was highlighted by keynote presentations by President Jay Box of KCTCS, and a popular opening keynote panel discussion with Presidents Christopher Brown of Kentucky State University and John Roush of Centre College.

Fellows also complete a research project for their specific institution between the spring and fall sessions. Completed Campus Projects were presented in four concurrent sessions at the final session at Kentucky State. Those presented were: Asbury successfully engaging incoming students, Ashland Community & Technical College “Connect: Establishing a Protocol for High Quality, Online Advising;” Bluegrass Community & Technical College “Community Resource Innovation;”  Berea College …”Building a Peer Health Education Program;” Centre College… “Digital Badging;”

 Eastern Kentucky University “The Impact of Advising Models on Student Success;” Kentucky State University “Mentorship/First Year Students;” Midway University “Inquiry-based Faculty Development on Assessment;” Morehead State University “Eagles of All Cultures” to involve all faculty and staff in cultural competencies; Murray State University “Recognizing and Supporting Faculty;” Northern Kentucky University “Provost’s Leadership Fellowship: Professional Development;” Sullivan University “Smashing Barriers: Strategies to Address Retention and Engagement;” University of Louisville “Program-level Advisory Boards: Best Practices for Recruiting… Employer Feedback, Financial Support and Community Engagements,” and the University of Kentucky “University of Kentucky Abbreviations and Acronyms” centralized access.

The Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium and the Academic Leadership Academy is managed by Bluegrass Tomorrow.  Member institutions include: Asbury University, Berea College, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, Centre College, Eastern Kentucky University, Georgetown College, Midway University; Morehead State University, Kentucky State University, Sullivan University, Transylvania University,  and the University of Kentucky.                        

Planning Our Tomorrow- Finding A Balance in Danville/Boyle County

As an outgrowth of the Regional Land Use Partnership, Bluegrass Tomorrow is beginning to offer its expertise to other communities on smart growth principles, and worked with the City of Danville Planning & Zoning and Mayor Mike Perros to facilitate and plan a conference planning for growth, economic development and farmland preservation at Centre College on November 1.

A standing room only crowd of over 100 Boyle County citizens attended this professional conference which focused on providing a unique opportunity to learn more and be part of the process to boldly grow Boyle County in a sustainable, planned manner, discussing strategies to help explore new opportunities for economic development, reimagining downtown Danville, and preserving agriculture.

The event was highlighted by keynote speaker Holly Wiedemann of AU Associates, noted for adaptive reuse projects across Kentucky that have been catalysts for vibrancy in smaller cities and rural communities and opportunities for residential and commercial accelerators.

Dr. Ned Crankshaw of the University of Kentucky Dept. of Landscape Architecture opened the conference with a overview of the principles of smart growth, which was followed by a panel discussion moderated by the American Farmland Trust’s Billy Van Pelt.  Panelists included David Tomes developer of Norton Commons, Clint Quarles from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and Brian Howard Owensboro Planning Director.

Two Concurrent Session periods included choices on Rural Downtown Revitalization, Housing Options, Transportation and Farmland Considerations, Infill Development in Surburan Areas, County-wide Development: Balancing Small Business and Industry Needs, and Reimagining Downtown Danville.  As Downtown Danville is at the beginning of the process of a new downtown master plan, this session was popular and timely.

Report outs and discussion from the concurrent sessions led to facilitated discussion on setting priorities.

“Experiential” IdeaFestival Student Day at Morehead State University Hosts 430 Students From the Region.

IdeaFestival Student Day at Morehead State University was one of the best yet, hosting 430 regional middle and high school students and perhaps the best Career Maker Faire to date.

The Career Maker Faire, which is one half of the program, was unique in that exhibitors truly embraced the “Maker” creative concept, giving students the opportunity to see, touch, feel, hear, a more experiential event.

Over 40 exhibitors participated in the faire with Kentucky Utilities/LG&E stealing the show with the most popular exhibit which featured two poles and electrical infrastructure necessary for a technician/linesman to understand.  The Morehead Craft Academy boasted numerous experiences including virtual reality, a rover challenge, a rubics cube competition and more.

The STEM, Manufacturing & Business Cluster featured the BCTC Advanced Manufacturing program, Morehead State Space Science Center, Messer Construction, and East Kentucky Power among others.

Eastern Kentucky University brought several academic programs including the College of Business & Technology, the College of Health Services and the College of Justice and Safety.

Asbury University proudly displayed its Communications program, Midway University its Equine Program and the liberal arts programs at Georgetown College.  Health Services and Human Services were also well represented by BCTC, MSU and EKU.

In the TED-style talks program Connor Tilford dazzled the audience with his performance at the piano and his talk “Dream Big-You Never Know Where it Will Take You,” and Beth Price gave an inspiring keynote talk “Theatre Made Me.”

This was the second IdeaFestival Student Day program of the year, following the April event at the University of Kentucky for approximately 400 Fayette County high school juniors, featuring renowned Space Shuttle Astronaut Story Musgrave with the keynote.  In April 2020, IF Student Day is being planned for Kentucky State University.

Robert Clay Receives Bluegrass Legacy Award at Celebration of the Bluegrass.

Robert Clay, founder and CEO of Three Chimney’s Farm for decades, was joined by several former Bluegrass Tomorrow Board Members from the first decade of the organization, when he was awarded the Bluegrass Legacy Vision Award at the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Bluegrass on October 10 at Fasig-Tipton. The Bluegrass Legacy Award is one of Bluegrass Tomorrow’s most prestigious Vision Awards and is presented for life-long service and dedication to the Bluegrass Region.  He was presented the award by his long-time farm manager at Three Chimneys, Dan Rosenberg.

Clay, who was Bluegrass Tomorrow’s first President for 10 years, was joined at the 30th Anniversary Celebration reunion from the original Board of Directors from 1989-1999:  Alex Warren, first Chair of Bluegrass Tomorrow-then President of Toyota (who also made comments), Joe Graves first secretary, Buckner Woodford first treasurer; Board Members:  Bill Hamilton, Hank Graddy, Tim Kelly, Farra Alford, Helen Alexander.  First Executive Director Jean Ward Scott was also in attendance.

All former Chairs of Bluegrass Tomorrow were also present and were introduced including Ben Fister, Bob Hewett, Nelson Maynard, Larry Jones, Kathy Plomin, and current chair Claude Christensen. Chef Ouita Michel also made comments and catered the delicious farm to table meal. She was recognized for winning the Josephine Abercrombie Vision Award two years ago, as she was not able to attend that event.

Robert N. Clay is President CEO of Clay Holding Co, and past president/CEO & Founder of Three Chimney’s Farm in Midway, which he established with his wife Blythe in 1972. One of the founding fathers and first chairman of Bluegrass Tomorrow in 1989, Robert was also a driving force in the creation of the Bluegrass Conservancy and served on its original Board of Directors.  He was also integrally involved in the development of the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program which began in discussions at Bluegrass Tomorrow and the Bluegrass Conservancy. Since the Vision Awards did not begin until the second decade of Bluegrass Tomorrow in 2001, Robert has never been honored with a Vision Award.  The Vision Awards Committee thought it appropriate, in our 30th Anniversary year, that he be presented with The Bluegrass Legacy Award.

 Widely known as one of the world’s preeminent horse farms, Three Chimneys has been home to a number of famous horses including U.S. Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew, U.S. Filly Triple Crown champion Chris Evert, as well as Silver Cham, Chief’s Crown, Genuine Risk, Point Given, Slew o’ Gold, Capote, Smarty Jones, and Big Brown. Always on the cutting edge, Three Chimneys was the first thoroughbred breeding farm to advertise on the Internet.   Robert has also been chair of the Lexington School, member of the Jockey Club, the Keeneland Association Advisory Board, and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Board of Directors, among many others.

Fittingly, the event took place in the Seattle Slew Room at Fasig-Tipton, historically one of Three Chimney’s most important sires.   Over 200 attended the event, and the fund-raiser raised over $14,000 for Bluegrass Tomorrow.