-News from Oct. 15, 2009 issue

Local News
The Crittenden Press Full Version (PDF)

Attorney General rules against county
The Kentucky Attorney General has found that Crittenden County has violated the Kentucky Open Records Law, according to a report issued Oct. 7.
According to the Open Records Decision by Assistant Attorney General Amye Bensenhaver, Crittenden County Fiscal Court failed to meet requirements of the state’s open records requirements following a request made initially in July by attorney Robert P. Moore of Madisonville. Although the attorney general’s decision did not identify Moore more specifically, The Press has learned that he is attorney for Madisonville Waste Disposal, a company that has the school system’s garbage contract and wants to solicit more business in Crittenden County.
Last month, Crittenden Fiscal Court renewed its non-exclusive franchise agreement with Freedom Waste for collecting residential and commercial garbage here. Madisonville Waste presented a bid, which provided for lower prices on residential and commercial waste pickup; however, Freedom was awarded the contract for a variety of reasons cited by the court and the county’s solid waste committee.
Moore had asked Judge Brown on July 2 for the ability to inspect and copy records relating to solid waste management in Crittenden County. According to the attorney general’s report, Crittenden County Treasurer Sue Padget notified Moore that it would take a few weeks to gather the items requested. According to the attorney general’s report, Padget told the Madisonville attorney that he could come view the records at the courthouse in Marion if he would call ahead first to make an appointment.
In August, Moore appealed to the Kentucky Attorney General, citing Crittenden County’s failure to comply with open records laws. Bensenhaver’s report said she talked by phone with County Attorney Rebecca Johnson on Oct. 5 regarding the matter. Two days later, the attorney general’s office issued its report finding the county in violation of the Open Records Act.
The attorney general’s office found that Crittenden County failed to issue a written response to Moore’s request within three days as required by law; that the fiscal court offered no explanation for its failure to properly respond; that it failed to meet the required deadline for providing records; that the county originally tried to impose unreasonable fees of 25 cents per copy for records (but later charged only 10 cents); and that the county did not make records fully accessible by failing to delegate someone in the judge’s office to find and copy the records.
Crittenden County may appeal the attorney general’s decision in circuit court. Otherwise, the decision says that the county’s obligation to the Open Records Act will not be fully discharged until it complies with Moore’s request for records. Read entire AG Decision.
Judge-Executive Brown said the county has been trying to comply with the Madisonville attorney’s request. Brown also said that County Attorney Rebecca Johnson has already replied to the attorney general’s office regarding last week’s decision.
Johnson was out of the office this week and unavailable for comment. However, Brown said the county’s response maintains that it is doing what it can to comply with the Open Records Law.
“My office is working with the county attorney in good faith to produce all of the documents Mr. Moore has requested,” Brown said.
The judge said the county is not stonewalling. Some of the records requested are already archived in another part of the courthouse. Some are in the clerk’s office, he said. It takes time to retrieve them, Brown said.

Organizers asking Christmas donors to spread cheer
Community Christmas kicks off its 35th year of philanthropy in Crittenden County, but there will be some changes this holiday season, most notably with angel trees and pick-up on distribution day.
In the past, the effort has strived to provide holiday goodwill for all family members. However, this year there are some alterations due to the economy and the strain placed on a limited number of volunteers.
Community Christmas is Crittenden County’s program to assist parents with food and gifts for children and is a project of the Crittenden County Inter-Agency Council. Officers for the council are Mona Manley, Lynda Dennis, Nancy Hunt and Mickey Myers.
Individuals in need of assistance can sign up between 9 a.m., and 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23 or from 2-6 p.m., on Friday, Oct. 30. Registration on both days will be at The Learning Center located beside Crittenden County Elementary School. Senior citizens, families and individuals without children in the household can register.
In order to qualify, individuals need to bring proof of all household income, which could be a food stamp eligibility letter from Community Based Services, pay stub, Social Security/SSI, and/or Child Support documents. The social security number for only the head of household is required.
Income will be verified at registration and must meet the USDA guidelines for participation. Anyone interested in receiving assistance from Community Christmas must sign up on either of the two dates. No late sign-up will be offered.
The main change in the program is individuals wishing to sponsor a child will be able to select the child’s angel from trees located at three sites in the community. Pamida will have angels from homes with only one child, Marion City Hall will have angels from homes with two children and the Crittenden County Extension office located at 112 W. Carlisle will have angels from homes with three or more children.
“In the past churches, organizations and families called our sponsor contact to find out information for sponsorship, but this year they only need to go to the tree sites and select their angels,” said Extension Agent Nancy Hunt. “Sponsors can start looking for the angel trees to be in place by Nov. 11 which should give people plenty of time to shop before the Dec. 17 deadline for gifts to be at the Carson B. Davidson National Guard Armory.”
Angels will include the wish list for the child which will be provided by the parent at registration. The planning committee is requesting sponsors limit the amount of spending to $100 per child. Angels will include information on where and when to return gifts. Sponsors will be asked to fill out a contact information form for each angel. This information will only be used to contact sponsors in case there is a change on the child’s information or if the sponsor’s items have not arrived on set-up day.
“In the past, we have had some very generous sponsors who were able to spend more than $100 and we are hoping this year that they will sponsor more children and keep the limit to $100,” Hunt explained.
According to Manley, “When the program was started it was set up to provide some assistance to families with food and gifts. It wasn’t designed to provide all their gifts. We know there are families in our community who can’t afford to buy anything for their children so to make it fair we are asking sponsors to share what they normally do with more children by keeping the $100 spending limit.
“We know we can’t get every child sponsored so that is why funds raised in the county for Community Christmas are crucial this year,” Manley added.
If a child isn’t sponsored, the parent will receive a gift voucher to be used at a local business. The amount of the voucher will be determined by the funds raised locally. Funds will also be used to give food vouchers for families with children which can be redeemed at local groceries.
Letters to churches, businesses and organizations asking them to contribute to Community Christmas were mailed last week.
“People who want to contribute to the program can either sponsor one or more children, make a cash donation which can be left at The Peoples Bank or donate new toys,” Hunt said.
The program will also accept canned food and paper products and these can be dropped off at Marion Baptist Church.
“This year, we will be informing families at sign-up day where they can go for clothing,” said Hunt. “There will not be new or used clothing at the armory on distribution day, but items can be donated directly to local clothes closets.”
Another change is that only families with children will come to the armory on distribution day, Dec. 18. All others will go to Marion Baptist Church for the food distribution. This is different from last year.
“When individuals come to sign-up we will explain the new distribution and they will receive an appointment time for Dec. 18,” Hunt added.
“A five member committee evaluated Crittenden County’s Community Christmas program by checking into what surrounding counties provide for families in need at Christmas. From their recommendations the Inter-Agency Council approved the changes to the program for 2009,” Hunt said.
Individuals with questions concerning how they can help with Community Christmas can contact either Manley at the Senior Citizens Center or Nancy Hunt at the County Extension Office. Questions concerning income guidelines can be answered by Kathey Penn in the PACS office.


Christmas in Marion is Saturday at Fohs
Crittenden Countians Liz Rushing and Matt Paris teamed up about a year and a half ago to carve and paint gourds. This weekend, the duo will be freshmen vendors among the skilled artisans selling their wares at the annual Christmas in Marion arts and crafts show.
Saturday marks the 22nd annual Christmas in Marion event at Fohs Hall.
There will be crafts of all kinds, including candles, purses, several jewelry vendors, monogrammed items, ornaments, to name a few, according to Kim Hunt Vince, president of Fohs Hall Community Arts Foundation.
Paris prefers working in the three dimensional art realm. He even spent a summer building his kids a life-size model of a Star Trek shuttle. He handles the carving aspect of their work, while Rushing paints the pieces.
The two became friends about three years ago, when their children wanted to hang out together outside of school. At the time, both were stay-at-home parents and found the craft to be a good way to pass time while their children played during the summer months.
Their pieces are functional and decorative, with prices ranging from $15 to $50.
“We're not exactly money-driven, if we never made a cent, we'd still be doing it,” Paris said.
It takes about a year for the gourds to dry out. Paris spends about two to two and a half hours cleaning and carving the dried gourds, using non-electric hand tools. Rushing puts four to five hours of painting into them.
“We just have a really good time making them, so we hope people enjoy their presence in their homes,” Rushing said.
The pair spent a couple hundred dollars purchasing the first batch of gourds. When they cleaned them out last year, the seeds were in Paris’ yard and now they have their own gourd patch. There's even a vine climbing up a tree with gourds strewn like Christmas lights.
Rushing and Paris have no plans to partake in other fairs, but are open to the idea.
“We’ll keep doing this even if it doesn’t go well on Saturday. But if it does, we'll consider other shows,” Rushing said.
Other memorable vendors at Saturday’s Christmas in Marion show will include Linda Wooley, who’s been there since the inception of the crafts show. Wooley makes small teacher gifts, according to Vince. Jackie Freemantle fabricates weather vanes with interchangeable tops and she will be there, too.
About 25 percent of the vendors participating in Christmas in Marion are from Crittenden and Livingston counties. Almost all of the vendors come from within three hours of Marion. Most of the money at the show goes back into the local economy, according to Vince.
Christmas in Marion has been featured in several national publications including American Profile, Kentucky Life, various newspapers and Web sites, as well as Southern Living last year.
About 60 percent of vendors return the following year, according to Vince.
She expects about 1,000 people to come out to the lower and main level of Fohs Hall to check out the offerings this year.
The Homemakers Club used to sponsor the event, but were looking to step down, so the Community Arts Foundation stepped up and took over. This is the second year the Fohs Hall Community Arts Foundation has sponsored the arts and crafts show.
The arts foundation was established in the early 1990s to promote arts within the community. It features several in-house productions, speakers, sponsors Panorama and brings one traveling production to Fohs Hall each year, among other things. It offers a variety of activities for all ages.
Some of the 100 members of the foundation will be volunteering at the show, handing out pamphlets, directing patrons and working at the Crafters’ Cafe.