News from December 22, 2005 issue



Christmas giving big in Marion
It was supposed to be a slow year for charitable giving.

Not so in Crittenden County.

Despite a forecast of dismal returns for charitable organizations nationwide, local giving has been brisk, according to coordinators of two local programs.

Community Christmas set a record for donations this year and the Support a Soldier program raised a great deal more than its original goal.

Mickey Myers, one of three coordinators for Community Christmas, said he was just as surprised as everyone else.

"I just got back from the bank and couldn't believe it," he said after counting more than $10,000 in cash contributions. "Everyone was saying that donations were going to be down this year so when I got the total I almost fell on the floor.

"That's the most we've ever received," added Myers, who has worked with the Community Christmas program for the past 23 years.

Community Christmas, which benefits hundreds of families throughout the county, was originally started in the 1970s. Myers said the previous record was $9,600 several years ago when the program held its radiothon.

Myers, Mona Hodges and Shelia Jenkins coordinate the program. It will continue accepting donations at Peoples Bank.

"We'll still get donations to trickle in, sometimes even after Christmas," Myers said.
In addition to cash, the project received donations of gifts valued at more than $10,000.

"It's been an incredible year," Myers said.

Distribution of items and cash is based on need and was held last week at St. William Catholic Church.

National Guard home for holidays
Community members in Marion and Leitchfield pooled resources to more than triple the money needed to bring Marion's Company B 123rd Armor home Thursday for 10 days.

The 40-member unit was expected in Marion between 5-6 a.m., Thursday (today) on a chartered bus funded by the two communities.

Only about a half dozen soldiers who are expected to deploy to Iraq early next year are from Crittenden County and the surrounding area. The remaining guardsmen are from elsewhere in western Kentucky.

Shannon Quinn, Family Readiness Group leader for Bravo Company, was overwhelmed by the financial support shown the unit. They had hoped to raise just over $4,000 to pay for the bus ride home for Christmas. Instead, generous donations amounted to greater than three times the goal, more than $12,200.

"We are very proud. I want to say a great big thank you and God bless to everyone who donated a little, medium or big amount," said Quinn, a mother of three whose husband is deployed.

The excess funds will remain at Peoples Bank and will be used to assist families of deployed soldiers. A committee of Marion officials will review and either grant or deny requests for assistance, explains Col. Mike Farley.

"Some soldiers take a pay cut when they go on active duty," Farley explains, "and some families may not be able to pay a bill or a soldier may need phone cards."
He says requests for assistance must be made in writing to Judge-Executive Fred Brown who will pass them along to the committee.

Quinn received notes from people accompanying some of the donations. "One was from a retired veteran who said he knew what it was like to be away at Christmas.
"Christmas is such a special and important time of year and we are so grateful for all the support."

City has more improvement plans
Marion City Administrator Garry Barber says there are several more projects in the planning and development stages that will greatly improve the looks of downtown Marion.

In addition to the recently renovated city hall building and the new sidewalks and street dressings on the east side of Main Street, Barber said the city and other groups are writing grant requests to build a terminal, administrative building and refueling depot at the airport; a downtown revitalization project for East Bellville Street's sidewalks; another Streetscape project for the west side of Main Street; and the city is finalizing plans for its parking lot at the new city hall building.

The parking lot at what's now called Marion Commons (formerly English Manor Shopping Center) will include landscaping and improved traffic flow and parking.
"We should have some design plans for the parking lot ready for the city council to look at in January," Barber said.

The city administrator also said plans are being reviewed and refreshed to install public restrooms as part of city hall building that's still under development.

McKinney honored for enforcement
Kentucky State Trooper Sean McKinney of Henderson, formerly of Marion, was recently recognized during the 2005 Governor's Impaired Driving Enforcement Awards ceremony at Lexington. McKinney, who works in the Post 16 area and received the award for the second straight year, was one of 185 officers recognized statewide. During the past year, officers throughout Kentucky made roughly 27,874 impaired driving arrests, and the 185 officers recognized were responsible for 6,164 of those citations.