http://www.ironton.net/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:33:32 +0000 MyBB http://www.ironton.net/thread-288.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:26:13 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-288.html PROFILE: Sweet taste of success

By Teresa Moore | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

RUSSELL, Ky. — The quiet looking house at 214 Main St., in downtown Russell looks much like many of its neighbors — small, unostentatious and inviting, its exterior holding few clues about the richness of its interior.

But step inside and the rows and rows of chocolate just might dazzle you. For those who crave sweets, N&M Cake and Candy Supplies is Mecca.

A little history

N&M Cake and Candy Supplies was started 30 years ago by then-owner Naomi Hillman in a garage behind her house on Bellefonte Street, present-day owner Pamela Henderson said.

“I got to know Naomi through Mom, who bought her candy from Naomi. Mom worked for Naomi now and then and she and Dad worked for me up until about two years ago,” Henderson said.

Henderson bought the store 12 years ago, but candy and cakes have always been a family thing.

“Mom always made candy and I played around in it a little bit,” she said.

Then came an opportunity to do a little more than play with it.

“I hated my other job and thought this was a way out.”

Henderson had been laid off from AK Steel and was commuting back and forth to Louisa, Ky., to work at a factory there. She thought the cake and candy store would be a job she might actually love.

It didn’t turn out to be a full-time job she had hoped for but even after she returned to work at AK Steel, she kept the store.

N&M has grown and now sells an estimated 25,000 pounds of chocolate each year, not to mention all the goodies that go with it.

“Our biggest seller is the milk chocolate, followed by the white and then the dark chocolate,” manager Jenny Phillips said. She is Henderson’s sister.

A bit of everything

For the culinary artist, N&M offers just about everything you need to transform an idea into oral ecstacy.

There are pre-made candy fillings and the dry ingredients to make your own. Supplies for gourmet apples? Got it. Holiday-themed cupcake liners, candy sprinkles and cake molds? N&M has St. Patrick’s Day and Easter-themed supplies on its shelves right now. And there are molds, hundreds of them, hanging on walls and on display racks. Praying hands… Easter eggs… suckers… even breast cancer ribbon molds. There are molds to make wedding mints and, for kiddie parties, the alphabet.

For culinary artists who want to fool their guests, there are Reese cup-style molds, Heath bar-style molds and even Hershey kisses-style molds.

There are flavorings and boxes that can be decorated to give as gifts and even a fondue fountain.

For those with dietary restraints, there is sugar-free chocolate.

N&M sells supplies for hard candy, too. And there are cake boards and molds that turn batter into bunnies and southern belle dolls.

“We try to add something every year if it goes over,” Phillips said.

Don’t see it? N&M can order it.

Help for the would-be artist

N&M used to offer classes for those who wanted a good start in the art of cake and candy making, but Henderson said the business has grown so much there isn’t room or time anymore to accommodate all the people who would show up to learn.

But they do offer books and their own hand-out sheets with helpful tips. On slow days an inquirer might be taken to a back room and shown the finer points of cake or candy decorating. But there are very few slow days.

Christmas is the big season. Henderson and Phillips have to start planning for Christmas in October. After Christmas, N&M gears up for Valentine’s Day and then Easter. If Easter falls late in April, the rush can carry over to Mother’s Day.

The hours vary according to the season but are usually 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

What does Henderson like best?

“Oh, the people,” she said. “You get some bad ones but most of them are really nice. We tell them what we know and share ideas with them.”]]> PROFILE: Sweet taste of success

By Teresa Moore | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

RUSSELL, Ky. — The quiet looking house at 214 Main St., in downtown Russell looks much like many of its neighbors — small, unostentatious and inviting, its exterior holding few clues about the richness of its interior.

But step inside and the rows and rows of chocolate just might dazzle you. For those who crave sweets, N&M Cake and Candy Supplies is Mecca.

A little history

N&M Cake and Candy Supplies was started 30 years ago by then-owner Naomi Hillman in a garage behind her house on Bellefonte Street, present-day owner Pamela Henderson said.

“I got to know Naomi through Mom, who bought her candy from Naomi. Mom worked for Naomi now and then and she and Dad worked for me up until about two years ago,” Henderson said.

Henderson bought the store 12 years ago, but candy and cakes have always been a family thing.

“Mom always made candy and I played around in it a little bit,” she said.

Then came an opportunity to do a little more than play with it.

“I hated my other job and thought this was a way out.”

Henderson had been laid off from AK Steel and was commuting back and forth to Louisa, Ky., to work at a factory there. She thought the cake and candy store would be a job she might actually love.

It didn’t turn out to be a full-time job she had hoped for but even after she returned to work at AK Steel, she kept the store.

N&M has grown and now sells an estimated 25,000 pounds of chocolate each year, not to mention all the goodies that go with it.

“Our biggest seller is the milk chocolate, followed by the white and then the dark chocolate,” manager Jenny Phillips said. She is Henderson’s sister.

A bit of everything

For the culinary artist, N&M offers just about everything you need to transform an idea into oral ecstacy.

There are pre-made candy fillings and the dry ingredients to make your own. Supplies for gourmet apples? Got it. Holiday-themed cupcake liners, candy sprinkles and cake molds? N&M has St. Patrick’s Day and Easter-themed supplies on its shelves right now. And there are molds, hundreds of them, hanging on walls and on display racks. Praying hands… Easter eggs… suckers… even breast cancer ribbon molds. There are molds to make wedding mints and, for kiddie parties, the alphabet.

For culinary artists who want to fool their guests, there are Reese cup-style molds, Heath bar-style molds and even Hershey kisses-style molds.

There are flavorings and boxes that can be decorated to give as gifts and even a fondue fountain.

For those with dietary restraints, there is sugar-free chocolate.

N&M sells supplies for hard candy, too. And there are cake boards and molds that turn batter into bunnies and southern belle dolls.

“We try to add something every year if it goes over,” Phillips said.

Don’t see it? N&M can order it.

Help for the would-be artist

N&M used to offer classes for those who wanted a good start in the art of cake and candy making, but Henderson said the business has grown so much there isn’t room or time anymore to accommodate all the people who would show up to learn.

But they do offer books and their own hand-out sheets with helpful tips. On slow days an inquirer might be taken to a back room and shown the finer points of cake or candy decorating. But there are very few slow days.

Christmas is the big season. Henderson and Phillips have to start planning for Christmas in October. After Christmas, N&M gears up for Valentine’s Day and then Easter. If Easter falls late in April, the rush can carry over to Mother’s Day.

The hours vary according to the season but are usually 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

What does Henderson like best?

“Oh, the people,” she said. “You get some bad ones but most of them are really nice. We tell them what we know and share ideas with them.”]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-287.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:25:43 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-287.html PROFILE: Development, improvements in works for City of Ironton

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

From floral displays and trees to new businesses and recreational opportunities, it only takes a quick look around Ironton to discover the ways the city is hoping to grow and improve.

One such project that leaders say is improving the quality of life for many Irontonians is the relining of the city’s sewer system.

“This is a much needed project,” Mayor Rich Blankenship said. “Infrastructure often times goes neglected. It’s out of sight, out of mind.”

The work to reline the sewer system with styrene began in October.

Last summer the dilapidated sewer system wreaked havoc in some city homes, causing sewage to back up in basements.

“We’re addressing those issues and hopefully correcting those for the future,” Blankenship said.

Part of the work has involved running a camera through the pipes to check for leaks.

“We’re finding water leaks through televising the sewer system,” Blankenship said.

The engineering stage of a sewer separation project is underway for the north end of Ironton. When work is completed, that section of town will have storm drains.

With another project, the city hopes to revive the Ro-Na Theatre, which was once of a vital part of downtown Ironton.

The theater restoration is just one part of an effort to revitalize several blocks along Second and Third streets in the downtown area, something that Blankenship hopes will bring more foot traffic and businesses to town.

“I think one leads to another,” he said.

And several businesses are on their way to Ironton. A dialysis center is set to go into the former Big Lots building. King’s Daughters Medical Center has been tied to the development of a health care facility on Park Avenue though hospital officials have said they have nothing to announce at this time. And St. Mary’s Medical Center, the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization and other partners are still at work on an Ironton facility along State Route 141.

The Ironton Port Authority and other economic development entities are also hard at work to attract businesses to the city’s industrial park and several other areas in Ironton.

But the government is not the only entity working to improve the city. Civic organizations like the Rotary Club, the Friends of Ironton and Ironton in Bloom are each working on projects designed to improve the quality of life for citizens.

The Friends’ Splash Park is tentatively scheduled to open after the Memorial Day Parade this year. The Friends of Ironton are building the water playground with donated funds and grant money.

A skate park is set to be built in the park located at Fourth and Etna Streets. The city has ordered the equipment and construction crews are waiting for a break in winter weather to begin installing it, Blankenship said.

Besides skating, visitors can also have cookouts on the parks’ grills and take advantage of the playgrounds and basketball court, Blankenship said.

Last year, the Ironton Rotary club started a five-year beautification project at the fountain area at Center Street in downtown Ironton.

Rotary club members replaced the brick flooring, are working on a pergola and planted flowers in pots and hanging baskets. Each week, Rotary members pick-up litter and leaves from the fountain.

“The overall intent is just to clean up an area that was neglected for years,” Rich Mountain, community service chair for the club, said. The project aims to make the area safer and more appealing. Residents can use the space for an art showcase, a religious get-together or just to sit and read a book on a summer day, he said.

The project is just one of the ways the club attempts to live out its motto, “Service Above Self.”

“One of the ways to follow that (principle) is to find a project to improve the quality of life,” Mountain said.

“Rotary is about service and we try to do things within our community as well as internationally,” Rotary President Joe Jenkins said. “The fountain project was one of several that we discussed and it seemed to be something that we could manage relative to both time and money.

“Rotary projects are not just about making monetary donations but also about the members getting involved first hand.”

City employees have helped the fountain project along and Ironton in Bloom has helped as well, maintaining the flowers the club planted, Mountain said.

In its two years of existence, Ironton in Bloom’s mission has been to beautify the city with floral displays and landscaped areas as well as to promote a litter-free environment and plant trees.

Carol Allen, co-chair of the organization, said the beautification and tree planting has many benefits.

“It’s important for a myriad of reasons,” Allen said. “It makes people feel good when they walk out and see a clean street.”

Trees produce oxygen and the landscaping near the floodwall helps control flooding, she said.

This year the non-profit organization plans to again enter a national contest called America in Bloom. The group entered Ironton in the contest in 2008 and the city won an award for its floral displays at city entrances, the downtown area and in residential areas.

Allen said the organization focuses on the entrances to town on purpose.

“We work on entrances so (visitors) are thinking ‘Wow, this is a really nice place,’” Allen said. “That’s a really nice thought to enter or leave with.”]]> PROFILE: Development, improvements in works for City of Ironton

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

From floral displays and trees to new businesses and recreational opportunities, it only takes a quick look around Ironton to discover the ways the city is hoping to grow and improve.

One such project that leaders say is improving the quality of life for many Irontonians is the relining of the city’s sewer system.

“This is a much needed project,” Mayor Rich Blankenship said. “Infrastructure often times goes neglected. It’s out of sight, out of mind.”

The work to reline the sewer system with styrene began in October.

Last summer the dilapidated sewer system wreaked havoc in some city homes, causing sewage to back up in basements.

“We’re addressing those issues and hopefully correcting those for the future,” Blankenship said.

Part of the work has involved running a camera through the pipes to check for leaks.

“We’re finding water leaks through televising the sewer system,” Blankenship said.

The engineering stage of a sewer separation project is underway for the north end of Ironton. When work is completed, that section of town will have storm drains.

With another project, the city hopes to revive the Ro-Na Theatre, which was once of a vital part of downtown Ironton.

The theater restoration is just one part of an effort to revitalize several blocks along Second and Third streets in the downtown area, something that Blankenship hopes will bring more foot traffic and businesses to town.

“I think one leads to another,” he said.

And several businesses are on their way to Ironton. A dialysis center is set to go into the former Big Lots building. King’s Daughters Medical Center has been tied to the development of a health care facility on Park Avenue though hospital officials have said they have nothing to announce at this time. And St. Mary’s Medical Center, the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization and other partners are still at work on an Ironton facility along State Route 141.

The Ironton Port Authority and other economic development entities are also hard at work to attract businesses to the city’s industrial park and several other areas in Ironton.

But the government is not the only entity working to improve the city. Civic organizations like the Rotary Club, the Friends of Ironton and Ironton in Bloom are each working on projects designed to improve the quality of life for citizens.

The Friends’ Splash Park is tentatively scheduled to open after the Memorial Day Parade this year. The Friends of Ironton are building the water playground with donated funds and grant money.

A skate park is set to be built in the park located at Fourth and Etna Streets. The city has ordered the equipment and construction crews are waiting for a break in winter weather to begin installing it, Blankenship said.

Besides skating, visitors can also have cookouts on the parks’ grills and take advantage of the playgrounds and basketball court, Blankenship said.

Last year, the Ironton Rotary club started a five-year beautification project at the fountain area at Center Street in downtown Ironton.

Rotary club members replaced the brick flooring, are working on a pergola and planted flowers in pots and hanging baskets. Each week, Rotary members pick-up litter and leaves from the fountain.

“The overall intent is just to clean up an area that was neglected for years,” Rich Mountain, community service chair for the club, said. The project aims to make the area safer and more appealing. Residents can use the space for an art showcase, a religious get-together or just to sit and read a book on a summer day, he said.

The project is just one of the ways the club attempts to live out its motto, “Service Above Self.”

“One of the ways to follow that (principle) is to find a project to improve the quality of life,” Mountain said.

“Rotary is about service and we try to do things within our community as well as internationally,” Rotary President Joe Jenkins said. “The fountain project was one of several that we discussed and it seemed to be something that we could manage relative to both time and money.

“Rotary projects are not just about making monetary donations but also about the members getting involved first hand.”

City employees have helped the fountain project along and Ironton in Bloom has helped as well, maintaining the flowers the club planted, Mountain said.

In its two years of existence, Ironton in Bloom’s mission has been to beautify the city with floral displays and landscaped areas as well as to promote a litter-free environment and plant trees.

Carol Allen, co-chair of the organization, said the beautification and tree planting has many benefits.

“It’s important for a myriad of reasons,” Allen said. “It makes people feel good when they walk out and see a clean street.”

Trees produce oxygen and the landscaping near the floodwall helps control flooding, she said.

This year the non-profit organization plans to again enter a national contest called America in Bloom. The group entered Ironton in the contest in 2008 and the city won an award for its floral displays at city entrances, the downtown area and in residential areas.

Allen said the organization focuses on the entrances to town on purpose.

“We work on entrances so (visitors) are thinking ‘Wow, this is a really nice place,’” Allen said. “That’s a really nice thought to enter or leave with.”]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-286.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:23:49 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-286.html Reader ignores facts to try to make his points

Homer Campbell

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I was challenged for my letter stating that Bill Clinton signed NAFTA into law. Well, he did, although he had enough votes to stop it.

There were three ways to stop it. First, a veto would have stopped it. Second, the House could have voted it down. Third, the Senate could refused to bring it up for a vote.

Neither happened.

As for the letter writer’s contention that my head is in the sand, I believe someone else’s is there.

In 2009, the Democrats in the House had a 254 to 181 edge over Republicans, which mean that they can pass anything they want to pass since they only needed to have 218 for any bill. Now, in the Senate, they had a 60 to 40 vote advantage, which means the Republicans couldn't stop any bill that was brought up.

It doesn't take a genius to see that the Republicans can’t stop anything.

Now, as for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Tony Blair and most of Europe thought the same and publicly said so.

And, finally, we were told by his letter how much money was lost to rich people, (2.85 trillion) of this deficit of this only leaves ($2.15 trillion) of his deficit for this war in Iraq and Afghan for a total of 7 years, and now he is trying to say that the nearly $3 trillion of President Obama's deficit is for just one year.

What a joke!

He states the war under Bush wasn't included in the deficit. This is bunk. You try to do what President Obama is doing and see how long you live in your home or automobile or even get groceries.

Just keep spending and some day you will be OK.

Again, what a joke.

America is going broke. It is a debt that we cannot sustain.

Homer Campbell

Ironton]]> Reader ignores facts to try to make his points

Homer Campbell

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I was challenged for my letter stating that Bill Clinton signed NAFTA into law. Well, he did, although he had enough votes to stop it.

There were three ways to stop it. First, a veto would have stopped it. Second, the House could have voted it down. Third, the Senate could refused to bring it up for a vote.

Neither happened.

As for the letter writer’s contention that my head is in the sand, I believe someone else’s is there.

In 2009, the Democrats in the House had a 254 to 181 edge over Republicans, which mean that they can pass anything they want to pass since they only needed to have 218 for any bill. Now, in the Senate, they had a 60 to 40 vote advantage, which means the Republicans couldn't stop any bill that was brought up.

It doesn't take a genius to see that the Republicans can’t stop anything.

Now, as for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Tony Blair and most of Europe thought the same and publicly said so.

And, finally, we were told by his letter how much money was lost to rich people, (2.85 trillion) of this deficit of this only leaves ($2.15 trillion) of his deficit for this war in Iraq and Afghan for a total of 7 years, and now he is trying to say that the nearly $3 trillion of President Obama's deficit is for just one year.

What a joke!

He states the war under Bush wasn't included in the deficit. This is bunk. You try to do what President Obama is doing and see how long you live in your home or automobile or even get groceries.

Just keep spending and some day you will be OK.

Again, what a joke.

America is going broke. It is a debt that we cannot sustain.

Homer Campbell

Ironton]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-285.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:23:14 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-285.html Health care bill would open door to abortion expenses

Tara Gibson

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I am wondering if Tribune readers are aware that Washington is trying to pass a health care bill that is poised to be the largest expansion of abortion since Roe vs. Wade.

There is no language in the Senate version of the bill, which is the one on the table, that does anything to exclude all of us paying for abortion on demand.

Believe what you want about the lives of the unborn, but don't force me to pay for the termination of untold numbers of lives! Can there be anything more wrong than that?

Please contact Congressman Charlie Wilson and let him know how you feel.

Tara Gibson

South Point]]> Health care bill would open door to abortion expenses

Tara Gibson

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I am wondering if Tribune readers are aware that Washington is trying to pass a health care bill that is poised to be the largest expansion of abortion since Roe vs. Wade.

There is no language in the Senate version of the bill, which is the one on the table, that does anything to exclude all of us paying for abortion on demand.

Believe what you want about the lives of the unborn, but don't force me to pay for the termination of untold numbers of lives! Can there be anything more wrong than that?

Please contact Congressman Charlie Wilson and let him know how you feel.

Tara Gibson

South Point]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-284.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:22:13 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-284.html DD Awareness effort offers opportunities

Mike Nourse

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Lawrence County Early Childhood Center, Open Door School and Tri-State Industries welcome all Lawrence County residents to help celebrate Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month.

March Madness, as the NCAA touts its basketball tournament, also ushers in Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Developmental Disabilities was formerly known as MR/DD. During the month of March, the public can observe DD Awareness displays developed by the Early Childhood Center in South Point at various locations around the county.

On March 1, the Open Door School held a Balloon Launch at 10 a.m. celebrating the month. The Open Door School also had Dr. Seuss Day the entire school day on March 2.

Tri-State Industries will have their annual dance on March 9 from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Tri-State Industries Workshop.

Last March, the Open Door School hosted its first ever Science Fair. This event was such a success that a Social Studies Fair will be held this March 11. The time for this event is 1 to 4 p.m. with the awards ceremony at 6 p.m.

Two big DD events occur near the end of the month. First, the annual Chili Fest and Craft show will be held once again at the Dawson-Bryant High School Gym on Saturday, March 20, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Over 20 different chili recipes may be tasted. In addition to the crafts on display, free health information, games, and other activities will be provided.

The DD March Madness Basketball Tournament will be held on Thursday, March 25, 6 to 8:30 p.m., again at the Dawson-Bryant High School Gym. Competitors from Open Door, Tri-State Industries, and the local media will take to the hardwood.

Both the Chili Fest/Craft Show and the DD March Madness Basketball Tournament will feature door prizes available to the public.

Among those prizes will be a chance to win two club seats and parking pass to a 2010 Cincinnati Bengals home game, valued at $285.

This prize package will be offered at both events — two separate Bengal home games. Also, among the door prizes to be offered will be six Cincinnati Reds tickets for future games this season.

Good luck and hope to see all of you at all of the above events.

Finally, the DD food drive and eyeglasses collection will occur at various locations in Lawrence County in March and April.

The statewide theme in 2010 focuses on people’s similarities rather than differences among our population.

The public is encouraged to welcome individuals with disabilities into the community.

Remember, the clients under the Lawrence County Developmental Disabilities Board are “Just Like You.”

Mike Nourse is a retired educator and contributing columnist for The Tribune. He lives in Coal Grove with wife Clara Gail, also a retired educator.]]> DD Awareness effort offers opportunities

Mike Nourse

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Lawrence County Early Childhood Center, Open Door School and Tri-State Industries welcome all Lawrence County residents to help celebrate Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month.

March Madness, as the NCAA touts its basketball tournament, also ushers in Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Developmental Disabilities was formerly known as MR/DD. During the month of March, the public can observe DD Awareness displays developed by the Early Childhood Center in South Point at various locations around the county.

On March 1, the Open Door School held a Balloon Launch at 10 a.m. celebrating the month. The Open Door School also had Dr. Seuss Day the entire school day on March 2.

Tri-State Industries will have their annual dance on March 9 from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Tri-State Industries Workshop.

Last March, the Open Door School hosted its first ever Science Fair. This event was such a success that a Social Studies Fair will be held this March 11. The time for this event is 1 to 4 p.m. with the awards ceremony at 6 p.m.

Two big DD events occur near the end of the month. First, the annual Chili Fest and Craft show will be held once again at the Dawson-Bryant High School Gym on Saturday, March 20, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Over 20 different chili recipes may be tasted. In addition to the crafts on display, free health information, games, and other activities will be provided.

The DD March Madness Basketball Tournament will be held on Thursday, March 25, 6 to 8:30 p.m., again at the Dawson-Bryant High School Gym. Competitors from Open Door, Tri-State Industries, and the local media will take to the hardwood.

Both the Chili Fest/Craft Show and the DD March Madness Basketball Tournament will feature door prizes available to the public.

Among those prizes will be a chance to win two club seats and parking pass to a 2010 Cincinnati Bengals home game, valued at $285.

This prize package will be offered at both events — two separate Bengal home games. Also, among the door prizes to be offered will be six Cincinnati Reds tickets for future games this season.

Good luck and hope to see all of you at all of the above events.

Finally, the DD food drive and eyeglasses collection will occur at various locations in Lawrence County in March and April.

The statewide theme in 2010 focuses on people’s similarities rather than differences among our population.

The public is encouraged to welcome individuals with disabilities into the community.

Remember, the clients under the Lawrence County Developmental Disabilities Board are “Just Like You.”

Mike Nourse is a retired educator and contributing columnist for The Tribune. He lives in Coal Grove with wife Clara Gail, also a retired educator.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-283.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:21:27 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-283.html STAR provides success plan

By Tribune Editorial Board | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Poor decisions are at the root of nearly all of the problems facing millions of Americans who are in our criminal justice system or are battling addiction problems that lead to crime.

Understanding the consequences of actions may be the first step toward turning your life around, but where to go from there can be an intimidating or overwhelming situation.

The STAR Community Justice Center tries to provide a step-by-step approach that helps those in the program return to being productive citizens living fulfilling lives.

And although the program may not work for every individual, STAR’s success rate and benefits over traditional incarceration have been tremendous over the past eight years.

STAR offers an alternative to prison time for non-violent offenders, a solution that costs about one third of annual per prisoner costs as prison.

Plus, where prison simply locks individuals away with little to no focus given on reformation, STAR’s entire focus is on giving individuals the tools they need to put their lives back together.

Inmates — though they prefer the word “residents” — can spend a maximum of 180 days at the facility where they are taken through a four-step program designed to change behavior and build a foundation for success. The steps are: structure, therapy, advocacy and restoration.

Executive Director Eddie Philabaun summed the program up very succinctly.

“You don’t have to be smart to make it through the STAR program, you have to be determined.”

STAR can provide the roadmap but an individual’s determination will be the key to success.

But they won’t have to take those vital steps alone.]]> STAR provides success plan

By Tribune Editorial Board | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Poor decisions are at the root of nearly all of the problems facing millions of Americans who are in our criminal justice system or are battling addiction problems that lead to crime.

Understanding the consequences of actions may be the first step toward turning your life around, but where to go from there can be an intimidating or overwhelming situation.

The STAR Community Justice Center tries to provide a step-by-step approach that helps those in the program return to being productive citizens living fulfilling lives.

And although the program may not work for every individual, STAR’s success rate and benefits over traditional incarceration have been tremendous over the past eight years.

STAR offers an alternative to prison time for non-violent offenders, a solution that costs about one third of annual per prisoner costs as prison.

Plus, where prison simply locks individuals away with little to no focus given on reformation, STAR’s entire focus is on giving individuals the tools they need to put their lives back together.

Inmates — though they prefer the word “residents” — can spend a maximum of 180 days at the facility where they are taken through a four-step program designed to change behavior and build a foundation for success. The steps are: structure, therapy, advocacy and restoration.

Executive Director Eddie Philabaun summed the program up very succinctly.

“You don’t have to be smart to make it through the STAR program, you have to be determined.”

STAR can provide the roadmap but an individual’s determination will be the key to success.

But they won’t have to take those vital steps alone.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-282.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:20:35 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-282.html DAY FIVE: Defense rests, attorneys make final pleas in murder trial

By Benita Heath | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

PORTSMOUTH — With the testimony of only one witness, the defense rested its case Monday morning in the murder trial of Kara Garvin in Scioto County Common Pleas Court.

Garvin, 31, could face the death penalty if convicted in the shooting deaths of Ed Mollett, his wife, Juanita Mollett, and their daughter, Christina Mollett. The trio was murdered in their trailer on Snook Road in Franklin Furnace on Dec. 22, 2008.

Garvin, also of Franklin Furnace, allegedly had a history of buying and selling Oxycontin with that branch of the Mollett family.

The only eyewitness to the murders was the couple’s then 6-year-old grandson who testified last week in the courtroom of Judge Howard H. Harcha III that Garvin was the shooter.

However, during the 911 call made right after the murders the child told a dispatcher that he could not identify the woman who did the killings.

He later identified Garvin from a six-person photo lineup.

Without giving an opinion on the child’s testimony, the defense witness’ testimony focused on explaining that discrepancy.

Dr. Solomon Fulero, a forensic psychologist and lawyer, testified as an expert witness on eyewitness identification and the collection of eyewitness evidence.

Fulero teaches at Sinclair Community College and Wright State University, both in Dayton.

“Eyewitnesses are not as accurate and reliable as people think they are,” he told the court.

In cases that have been overturned through DNA evidence, 75 percent of those convictions came about from mistaken identification, he said.

“Memory doesn’t work like a video tape recorder. When you see something what you do is put pieces into your memory,” he said. “Then later you fill in the gaps.”

The way evidence is collected can impact memory, Fulero told the court.

Also if the eyewitness is familiar with the subject in another context he or she is more likely to pick the subject out in a lineup.

The child testified that he had seen Garvin before at his grandparents’ home.

During the afternoon session Assistant Prosecutor Jill Hutchinson offered a vigorous argument for the state’s case.

“This defendant leveled a death sentence on Ed, Juanita and Christina, leaving with Ed’s wallet and some pills,” Hutchinson told the jury.

Calling on the testimony of the child, the prosecutor said that he identified the clothes of the shooter as the same garments owned by Garvin.

The child also identified the shooter as a woman with dark hair while a surveillance tape at a local restaurant shows Garvin with blonde hair.

However, Garvin is shown in the video wearing a black cap and bandana.

“Would it appear that way wearing a black skull cap,” Hutchinson asked. “(He) had seen her before and he saw her that night. … You decide who’s credible.”

At the time of the shooting the child was shielded from gunfire by his aunt, Christina Mollett.

“(Garvin) popped her in the head, the whole time (the grandson) was staring at her face,” Hutchinson said. “(The grandson) knows what happened that night.”

Defense counsel Charles Knight went through the investigation with the jury highlighting what he contends are flaws.

“Reasonable doubt can arise from the evidence or lack of evidence. If reasonable doubt exists, Kara Garvin is not guilty,” Knight said. “This is an all or nothing case. When did the police decide Kara Garvin was the dark-haired shooter and stop doing their job? I submit they made that decision by 8 o’clock.”

That would be 90 minutes after the murders.

“There never was another person investigated after 8 o’clock,” he said.

The defense’s contention has been that the murders were linked to the efforts of a Florida-based drug dealer wanting to expand territory into Scioto County.

“Drug robbery or drug hit?” he asked. “If it is a drug robbery would the Montgomery County Coroner’s office find 500 Oxycontin pills in a baggy in Ed Mollett’s pockets. It was a message, folks. He is going to take over this lucrative drug trade. … It is not a drug robbery. It is a message we are taking over this Oxycontin traffic.”

But in the prosecution’s final statement, assistant prosecutor Pat Apel countered that the defense is blaming the investigators because it does not have evidence to support Garvin’s innocence.

“If you don’t have the evidence, blame the prosecution and the police,” Apel said.

The prosecutor said the case is based on the testimony of the grandson; Paul Balmer, Garvin’s boyfriend, who said he drove her to the Molletts; and James Damron, a neighbor who testified he saw Garvin in the car that left the scene.

It is also based on physical evidence including gloves reportedly owned by Garvin that contain her DNA and gun powder residue and the murder weapon, which was owned by the defendant.

“She said it was a drug robbery to her friends in jail,” Apel told the jury.

This morning began with Harcha instructing the jury before they began their deliberations.

If they are unable to reach a verdict today, the jurors will be sequestered for the night before returning to the jury room on Wednesday.]]> DAY FIVE: Defense rests, attorneys make final pleas in murder trial

By Benita Heath | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

PORTSMOUTH — With the testimony of only one witness, the defense rested its case Monday morning in the murder trial of Kara Garvin in Scioto County Common Pleas Court.

Garvin, 31, could face the death penalty if convicted in the shooting deaths of Ed Mollett, his wife, Juanita Mollett, and their daughter, Christina Mollett. The trio was murdered in their trailer on Snook Road in Franklin Furnace on Dec. 22, 2008.

Garvin, also of Franklin Furnace, allegedly had a history of buying and selling Oxycontin with that branch of the Mollett family.

The only eyewitness to the murders was the couple’s then 6-year-old grandson who testified last week in the courtroom of Judge Howard H. Harcha III that Garvin was the shooter.

However, during the 911 call made right after the murders the child told a dispatcher that he could not identify the woman who did the killings.

He later identified Garvin from a six-person photo lineup.

Without giving an opinion on the child’s testimony, the defense witness’ testimony focused on explaining that discrepancy.

Dr. Solomon Fulero, a forensic psychologist and lawyer, testified as an expert witness on eyewitness identification and the collection of eyewitness evidence.

Fulero teaches at Sinclair Community College and Wright State University, both in Dayton.

“Eyewitnesses are not as accurate and reliable as people think they are,” he told the court.

In cases that have been overturned through DNA evidence, 75 percent of those convictions came about from mistaken identification, he said.

“Memory doesn’t work like a video tape recorder. When you see something what you do is put pieces into your memory,” he said. “Then later you fill in the gaps.”

The way evidence is collected can impact memory, Fulero told the court.

Also if the eyewitness is familiar with the subject in another context he or she is more likely to pick the subject out in a lineup.

The child testified that he had seen Garvin before at his grandparents’ home.

During the afternoon session Assistant Prosecutor Jill Hutchinson offered a vigorous argument for the state’s case.

“This defendant leveled a death sentence on Ed, Juanita and Christina, leaving with Ed’s wallet and some pills,” Hutchinson told the jury.

Calling on the testimony of the child, the prosecutor said that he identified the clothes of the shooter as the same garments owned by Garvin.

The child also identified the shooter as a woman with dark hair while a surveillance tape at a local restaurant shows Garvin with blonde hair.

However, Garvin is shown in the video wearing a black cap and bandana.

“Would it appear that way wearing a black skull cap,” Hutchinson asked. “(He) had seen her before and he saw her that night. … You decide who’s credible.”

At the time of the shooting the child was shielded from gunfire by his aunt, Christina Mollett.

“(Garvin) popped her in the head, the whole time (the grandson) was staring at her face,” Hutchinson said. “(The grandson) knows what happened that night.”

Defense counsel Charles Knight went through the investigation with the jury highlighting what he contends are flaws.

“Reasonable doubt can arise from the evidence or lack of evidence. If reasonable doubt exists, Kara Garvin is not guilty,” Knight said. “This is an all or nothing case. When did the police decide Kara Garvin was the dark-haired shooter and stop doing their job? I submit they made that decision by 8 o’clock.”

That would be 90 minutes after the murders.

“There never was another person investigated after 8 o’clock,” he said.

The defense’s contention has been that the murders were linked to the efforts of a Florida-based drug dealer wanting to expand territory into Scioto County.

“Drug robbery or drug hit?” he asked. “If it is a drug robbery would the Montgomery County Coroner’s office find 500 Oxycontin pills in a baggy in Ed Mollett’s pockets. It was a message, folks. He is going to take over this lucrative drug trade. … It is not a drug robbery. It is a message we are taking over this Oxycontin traffic.”

But in the prosecution’s final statement, assistant prosecutor Pat Apel countered that the defense is blaming the investigators because it does not have evidence to support Garvin’s innocence.

“If you don’t have the evidence, blame the prosecution and the police,” Apel said.

The prosecutor said the case is based on the testimony of the grandson; Paul Balmer, Garvin’s boyfriend, who said he drove her to the Molletts; and James Damron, a neighbor who testified he saw Garvin in the car that left the scene.

It is also based on physical evidence including gloves reportedly owned by Garvin that contain her DNA and gun powder residue and the murder weapon, which was owned by the defendant.

“She said it was a drug robbery to her friends in jail,” Apel told the jury.

This morning began with Harcha instructing the jury before they began their deliberations.

If they are unable to reach a verdict today, the jurors will be sequestered for the night before returning to the jury room on Wednesday.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-281.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:19:42 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-281.html County to utilize stimulus funds for demolition of run down properties
Total of 33 houses will be torn down this year with $180,000 from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program

By Teresa Moore | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Contracts will likely be awarded later this week for the demolition of 12 abandoned and/or blighted houses throughout the county.

These 12 are among 33 that have been or will be torn down this year with $180,000 in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (stimulus funds) monies the county received this year.

The City of Ironton got $108,000 for the same purpose.

The money is being administered through the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization.

CAO Community Development Director Cindy Anderson said in addition to the 12 for which contracts will be awarded this week, four houses in the county have already been torn down. Another 17 houses in the county are scheduled to be demolished using county stimulus dollars.

All of the homes are being torn down with the acquiescence of the owners.

“We’re tearing them down and hopefully someone will want to come and redevelop the land,” Anderson said.

Anderson said 18 houses in the city have already been torn down or are under contract to be torn down.

At least five more abandoned and/or blighted houses within the city are scheduled to be torn down using the city’s federal stimulus monies.]]> County to utilize stimulus funds for demolition of run down properties
Total of 33 houses will be torn down this year with $180,000 from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program

By Teresa Moore | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Contracts will likely be awarded later this week for the demolition of 12 abandoned and/or blighted houses throughout the county.

These 12 are among 33 that have been or will be torn down this year with $180,000 in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (stimulus funds) monies the county received this year.

The City of Ironton got $108,000 for the same purpose.

The money is being administered through the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization.

CAO Community Development Director Cindy Anderson said in addition to the 12 for which contracts will be awarded this week, four houses in the county have already been torn down. Another 17 houses in the county are scheduled to be demolished using county stimulus dollars.

All of the homes are being torn down with the acquiescence of the owners.

“We’re tearing them down and hopefully someone will want to come and redevelop the land,” Anderson said.

Anderson said 18 houses in the city have already been torn down or are under contract to be torn down.

At least five more abandoned and/or blighted houses within the city are scheduled to be torn down using the city’s federal stimulus monies.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-280.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:19:06 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-280.html Home of the Brave
Former Rock Hill students deployed to Afghanistan

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Two Lawrence County natives are on their way to serve the nation in the war in Afghanistan.

Eric Christian and Timothy “Clayton” Reed, members of the Ohio Air National Guard, left for training last week. The Rock Hill High School graduates, along with about 300 others in the 200th Red Horse Civil Engineering Squadron will train for about a month in Texas, before heading to Afghanistan.

Timothy is the son of Tim Reed and the late Cheryl Russell.

Timothy’s stepmother, Missy, said he was excited to go.

“He was excited but it was hard when he left,” she said. “We just want him to come home safe. All of them.”

This makes 24-year-old Timothy’s second time serving in war time. In 2008, he served in Iraq.

“It was rough before but he contacted us every chance he could,” she said. “Sometimes it would be a month and sometimes it’d be two weeks, just whenever he got a chance he’d contact us.”

Timothy has wanted to be in the military since he was much younger.

“I always took him to air shows and the Dayton Air Force Museum,” Tim Reed said.

The deployment will be difficult for Timothy’s brother, Samuel, who is four years old.

“It’s hard, it’s really hard,” Missy Reed said. “You don’t know if they understand things well, but he watches the TV.

“I try to keep that from him too because a lot of it is bad.”

Timothy and Eric have been close friends for years. Besides going to school together, the two also worked together.

“They’re good boys,” Tim Reed said. “They don’t get in trouble.”

Eric joined the Air Force Reserve last year and graduated from basic training in May.

He is the son of Becky Samples and Don “Pooch” Christian.

Samples said she was at first hesitant to support her son’s decision to join the military because she was afraid he would be deployed.

Eric broke the news of his deployment to her gently and his family is supportive now of his serving.

“We just want to make sure that everyone knows how proud his parents and step parents are,” she said. “Everyone supports this 100 percent.”

Eric’s family is glad that he will have a close friend with him, at least for training. It is possible they will be split up once they leave the country.

“We were so glad that they were going to be together,” Samples said.

Timothy’s family takes comfort in the fact that their son loves the military.

“We know that he wanted to do this,” Missy Reed said. “This is what he wanted to do with his life and he must enjoy it to want to do it. So I try to think about that too.”

The troops had a call-to-duty ceremony in Mansfield last week. There, Timothy proposed to his girlfriend, Sarah Horn. The proposal came as quite the surprise to Horn as well as his family.

“I knew nothing about it,” Tim Reed said. “I though it was just for her birthday. He said ‘It’s Sarah’s birthday and when he got down there he dropped to one knee.”

Both families plan to write letters as well as e-mail their sons. The e-mails may be more difficult because the men will have limited access to computers.

Missy and Tim encourage their young son to pray for his brother.

“We tell Sam that Jesus is going to bring him home safe,” she said.

Tim encourages everyone to pray for Eric and Timothy.

“Not just them, but all of the boys over there,” he said.]]> Home of the Brave
Former Rock Hill students deployed to Afghanistan

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Two Lawrence County natives are on their way to serve the nation in the war in Afghanistan.

Eric Christian and Timothy “Clayton” Reed, members of the Ohio Air National Guard, left for training last week. The Rock Hill High School graduates, along with about 300 others in the 200th Red Horse Civil Engineering Squadron will train for about a month in Texas, before heading to Afghanistan.

Timothy is the son of Tim Reed and the late Cheryl Russell.

Timothy’s stepmother, Missy, said he was excited to go.

“He was excited but it was hard when he left,” she said. “We just want him to come home safe. All of them.”

This makes 24-year-old Timothy’s second time serving in war time. In 2008, he served in Iraq.

“It was rough before but he contacted us every chance he could,” she said. “Sometimes it would be a month and sometimes it’d be two weeks, just whenever he got a chance he’d contact us.”

Timothy has wanted to be in the military since he was much younger.

“I always took him to air shows and the Dayton Air Force Museum,” Tim Reed said.

The deployment will be difficult for Timothy’s brother, Samuel, who is four years old.

“It’s hard, it’s really hard,” Missy Reed said. “You don’t know if they understand things well, but he watches the TV.

“I try to keep that from him too because a lot of it is bad.”

Timothy and Eric have been close friends for years. Besides going to school together, the two also worked together.

“They’re good boys,” Tim Reed said. “They don’t get in trouble.”

Eric joined the Air Force Reserve last year and graduated from basic training in May.

He is the son of Becky Samples and Don “Pooch” Christian.

Samples said she was at first hesitant to support her son’s decision to join the military because she was afraid he would be deployed.

Eric broke the news of his deployment to her gently and his family is supportive now of his serving.

“We just want to make sure that everyone knows how proud his parents and step parents are,” she said. “Everyone supports this 100 percent.”

Eric’s family is glad that he will have a close friend with him, at least for training. It is possible they will be split up once they leave the country.

“We were so glad that they were going to be together,” Samples said.

Timothy’s family takes comfort in the fact that their son loves the military.

“We know that he wanted to do this,” Missy Reed said. “This is what he wanted to do with his life and he must enjoy it to want to do it. So I try to think about that too.”

The troops had a call-to-duty ceremony in Mansfield last week. There, Timothy proposed to his girlfriend, Sarah Horn. The proposal came as quite the surprise to Horn as well as his family.

“I knew nothing about it,” Tim Reed said. “I though it was just for her birthday. He said ‘It’s Sarah’s birthday and when he got down there he dropped to one knee.”

Both families plan to write letters as well as e-mail their sons. The e-mails may be more difficult because the men will have limited access to computers.

Missy and Tim encourage their young son to pray for his brother.

“We tell Sam that Jesus is going to bring him home safe,” she said.

Tim encourages everyone to pray for Eric and Timothy.

“Not just them, but all of the boys over there,” he said.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-279.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:18:24 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-279.html Tackle Box moves to South Point

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A long-time Ironton business has relocated to South Point.

The Tackle Box had been in the city for 30 years before moving to South Point within the last two weeks.

Owner Greg Drown said the business needed to find another location because the store next to it in the former Big Lots shopping center on Second Street is expanding.

The store sells mostly fishing tackle but also guns and gun accessories among other things.

With 6,700 square feet, the new location at 411 Solida Road is more than double the size of its previous location.

“We have a lot more inventory than we have in the past,” Drown said.

The business owner said he likes the new location.

“I love it,” Drown said. “The store’s so much bigger and brighter.”

The new location is also more centrally located because many of his customers come from the Huntington area, he said.

The store will be hosting a grand opening event 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 377-3474 (377-FISH)]]> Tackle Box moves to South Point

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A long-time Ironton business has relocated to South Point.

The Tackle Box had been in the city for 30 years before moving to South Point within the last two weeks.

Owner Greg Drown said the business needed to find another location because the store next to it in the former Big Lots shopping center on Second Street is expanding.

The store sells mostly fishing tackle but also guns and gun accessories among other things.

With 6,700 square feet, the new location at 411 Solida Road is more than double the size of its previous location.

“We have a lot more inventory than we have in the past,” Drown said.

The business owner said he likes the new location.

“I love it,” Drown said. “The store’s so much bigger and brighter.”

The new location is also more centrally located because many of his customers come from the Huntington area, he said.

The store will be hosting a grand opening event 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 377-3474 (377-FISH)]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-278.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:16:48 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-278.html News in Brief - 3/9/10

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Road departments seek help finding potholes

ASHLAND, Ky. (AP) — Motorists in Kentucky are being asked to help find potholes that need patching.

The Independent in Ashland reports the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the Ashland Street Department and the Boyd County Road Department want to hear where the potholes are located.

Ashland City Manager Steve Corbitt says the city sends crews out to patch potholes, but the best way to find them is for residents to report them.

Officials say a temporary patch will be put on the worst ones, but a permanent fix won't be available until the asphalt plants open next month.

Ashland's Director of Public Works Marion Russell says there's been a proliferation of potholes because of the winter weather.

Potholes on state roads and highways can be reported by call (800) PATCH-IT or online at http://511.ky.gov/ReportaPothole.html

Bexley Chamber Ensemble to perform March 27

IRONTON — The Bexley Chamber Ensemble will be performing Saturday, March 27 as a part of the Ironton Council for the arts, Lawrence County Concert Series. The series features locally, nationally, and internationally renowned musicians.

The Bexley Ensemble combines two flutes and a bassoon, creating an extraordinary blend of counterpoint and harmony.

The event is sponsored by the William Koenig Memorial Fund of the Foundation for the Tri-State Community.

The concert will be held at Ohio University Southern Campus beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at the door are $10.]]> News in Brief - 3/9/10

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Road departments seek help finding potholes

ASHLAND, Ky. (AP) — Motorists in Kentucky are being asked to help find potholes that need patching.

The Independent in Ashland reports the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the Ashland Street Department and the Boyd County Road Department want to hear where the potholes are located.

Ashland City Manager Steve Corbitt says the city sends crews out to patch potholes, but the best way to find them is for residents to report them.

Officials say a temporary patch will be put on the worst ones, but a permanent fix won't be available until the asphalt plants open next month.

Ashland's Director of Public Works Marion Russell says there's been a proliferation of potholes because of the winter weather.

Potholes on state roads and highways can be reported by call (800) PATCH-IT or online at http://511.ky.gov/ReportaPothole.html

Bexley Chamber Ensemble to perform March 27

IRONTON — The Bexley Chamber Ensemble will be performing Saturday, March 27 as a part of the Ironton Council for the arts, Lawrence County Concert Series. The series features locally, nationally, and internationally renowned musicians.

The Bexley Ensemble combines two flutes and a bassoon, creating an extraordinary blend of counterpoint and harmony.

The event is sponsored by the William Koenig Memorial Fund of the Foundation for the Tri-State Community.

The concert will be held at Ohio University Southern Campus beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets at the door are $10.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-277.html Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:16:09 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-277.html Daughters of the American Revolution donates to Briggs Public Library

By Staff Report | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

IRONTON — The Captain James Lawrence Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D. A. R.) donated a copy of “Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War” to the Ironton Branch of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library.

The D. A. R. is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism and preserving American history. Creating, publishing, and providing books and other materials concerning American patriots are just some of the many services D. A. R. chapters undertake for their communities

Their donation, “Forgotten Patriots,” an 854 page hardback book, was released in 2008. The book identifies 6,600 names of African Americans and American Indians who helped free the colonies from British rule. Researchers will find historical commentary, assorted illustrations, an extensive bibliography and details of the documented service of the patriots listed in the book. Most importantly “Forgotten Patriots” provides information on the challenges faced by researchers when trying to document their ancestor’s service.

“I am thrilled to add such an informative and helpful resource to our collection,” says Lori Shafer, adult services librarian. “This book will provide an excellent source for our genealogy researchers.”

“Forgotten Patriots” can be found in the Phyllis Hamner Genealogy and Local History Room located in the Ironton Branch of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, 321 South 4th Street.]]> Daughters of the American Revolution donates to Briggs Public Library

By Staff Report | The Tribune

Published Tuesday, March 9, 2010

IRONTON — The Captain James Lawrence Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D. A. R.) donated a copy of “Forgotten Patriots: African American and American Indian Patriots in the Revolutionary War” to the Ironton Branch of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library.

The D. A. R. is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism and preserving American history. Creating, publishing, and providing books and other materials concerning American patriots are just some of the many services D. A. R. chapters undertake for their communities

Their donation, “Forgotten Patriots,” an 854 page hardback book, was released in 2008. The book identifies 6,600 names of African Americans and American Indians who helped free the colonies from British rule. Researchers will find historical commentary, assorted illustrations, an extensive bibliography and details of the documented service of the patriots listed in the book. Most importantly “Forgotten Patriots” provides information on the challenges faced by researchers when trying to document their ancestor’s service.

“I am thrilled to add such an informative and helpful resource to our collection,” says Lori Shafer, adult services librarian. “This book will provide an excellent source for our genealogy researchers.”

“Forgotten Patriots” can be found in the Phyllis Hamner Genealogy and Local History Room located in the Ironton Branch of Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, 321 South 4th Street.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-276.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:58:30 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-276.html Tick prevention is spring necessity

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

With spring on the horizon, it will soon be time to battle those tiny, eight legged, vampires- ticks. Ticks, along with the flea, are dreaded by pet owners every year.

To properly battle a tick, we first must understand the tick.

Ticks are not insects. They are members of the same arachnid family as other eight legged creatures like the spider, mite, and chigger. Since ticks are not insects, many insecticides have little or no effect on them.

Ticks live on plants and vegetation, generally about three feet from the ground. They love to hang out in shaded, wooded, moist areas.

There are over 800 species of ticks worldwide and over 100 of them transmit many diseases like Lyme Disease, Canine Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Canine Tick Paralysis.

Some species of ticks have the ability to live over six months without food or water. The only thing ticks feed on is, you guessed it, blood.

The reason hosts are often unaware of a tick latching on them is because tick saliva contains a local anesthetic.

There are two main categories of ticks, hard and soft. Ticks do not jump on their prey; they crawl or fall on them.

There are several ways to lessen the chance of a tick “attack.” Since ticks like wooded areas, avoid these areas when possible.

If Fido loves a good hike, try to keep him on the trail and out of the weeds.

Cut your grass regularly and trim any tall weeds along yard fences.

Regularly check Fido for ticks, especially after playing outside, and quickly remove any ticks found.

Use a topical preventative that is specifically designed for tick control.

If you locate one of these blood suckers on your best friend, make sure you properly remove it.

First, protect yourself by wearing protective latex or vinyl gloves.

Grasp the tick’s head with a pair of small tipped tweezers, or a specialized tick removal tool can be used.

Try to avoid crushing the tick’s body, which could release infected blood.

With a slow steady motion pull the tick directly away from the skin. After the tick is removed clean the attachment site with soap and water and properly dispose of the tick.

Ticks and fleas are the biggest enemies a pet owner has, but with prevention and vigilance you will win the battle. Remember, every dog deserves to be a show dog.

Tony Barker, The BARKer Shop]]> Tick prevention is spring necessity

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

With spring on the horizon, it will soon be time to battle those tiny, eight legged, vampires- ticks. Ticks, along with the flea, are dreaded by pet owners every year.

To properly battle a tick, we first must understand the tick.

Ticks are not insects. They are members of the same arachnid family as other eight legged creatures like the spider, mite, and chigger. Since ticks are not insects, many insecticides have little or no effect on them.

Ticks live on plants and vegetation, generally about three feet from the ground. They love to hang out in shaded, wooded, moist areas.

There are over 800 species of ticks worldwide and over 100 of them transmit many diseases like Lyme Disease, Canine Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Canine Tick Paralysis.

Some species of ticks have the ability to live over six months without food or water. The only thing ticks feed on is, you guessed it, blood.

The reason hosts are often unaware of a tick latching on them is because tick saliva contains a local anesthetic.

There are two main categories of ticks, hard and soft. Ticks do not jump on their prey; they crawl or fall on them.

There are several ways to lessen the chance of a tick “attack.” Since ticks like wooded areas, avoid these areas when possible.

If Fido loves a good hike, try to keep him on the trail and out of the weeds.

Cut your grass regularly and trim any tall weeds along yard fences.

Regularly check Fido for ticks, especially after playing outside, and quickly remove any ticks found.

Use a topical preventative that is specifically designed for tick control.

If you locate one of these blood suckers on your best friend, make sure you properly remove it.

First, protect yourself by wearing protective latex or vinyl gloves.

Grasp the tick’s head with a pair of small tipped tweezers, or a specialized tick removal tool can be used.

Try to avoid crushing the tick’s body, which could release infected blood.

With a slow steady motion pull the tick directly away from the skin. After the tick is removed clean the attachment site with soap and water and properly dispose of the tick.

Ticks and fleas are the biggest enemies a pet owner has, but with prevention and vigilance you will win the battle. Remember, every dog deserves to be a show dog.

Tony Barker, The BARKer Shop]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-275.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:57:41 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-275.html LIBRARY NEWS 3/07/10

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

Do you want to join the trend of making new friends through an internet social networking web site? There will be a free workshop featuring the top social networking site, called “Facebook: the Basics,” at the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library’s South Point branch on Monday at 6 p.m. You’ll learn how to set up a Facebook account, add pictures, find friends, join groups and more.

Everyone’s invited to participate in a Briggs Library Book discussion group. Two groups meet this week. The South Point library group will discuss “Heart and Soul” by Maeve Binchy at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The Ironton evening group will talk about “The Lace Reader” by Brunonia Barry at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Everyone interested in learning to crochet as well as those already experienced at the craft is invited to the Crochet Club at the Southern Branch Library in South Point at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Beginners should bring a "G" or "H" hook and yarn. Experienced crafters may bring a current project. For information call (740) 377-2288.

Briggs Library is partnering with the AARP to provide free tax preparation assistance at two library branches. Volunteers for AARP Tax-Aide will be at the Chesapeake Branch Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and at the Southern Branch Library in South Point from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Assistance is provided on a first come-first served basis.

Bring the family and some snacks for a free “big screen” presentation of the hilarious animated movie, “Planet 51” at the Ironton library at 2 p.m. Thursday.

The Briggs Library children’s department offers programs for homeschooling families at two locations. On Tuesday at the Main Library in Ironton, the kindergarten through third grade class meets at 2 p.m. and the fourth through eighth grade class is at 3 p.m. The classes repeat at the same time on Wednesday at the Southern Branch Library in South Point. For information call Jan Gullet at (740) 377-2288.

The Briggs Library young children’s program schedule featuring books, crafts, songs, and games for this week is:

Storytime for ages three to five:

Ironton at 11 a.m. Monday

Symmes Valley at 4:30 p.m. Monday

Proctorville at 11 a.m. Tuesday

South Point at 11 a.m. Wednesday

Chesapeake at 11 a.m. Thursday

Symmes Valley at 11 a.m. Saturday

Toddler Time for up to age three:

Ironton at 11 a.m. Tuesday]]> LIBRARY NEWS 3/07/10

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

Do you want to join the trend of making new friends through an internet social networking web site? There will be a free workshop featuring the top social networking site, called “Facebook: the Basics,” at the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library’s South Point branch on Monday at 6 p.m. You’ll learn how to set up a Facebook account, add pictures, find friends, join groups and more.

Everyone’s invited to participate in a Briggs Library Book discussion group. Two groups meet this week. The South Point library group will discuss “Heart and Soul” by Maeve Binchy at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The Ironton evening group will talk about “The Lace Reader” by Brunonia Barry at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Everyone interested in learning to crochet as well as those already experienced at the craft is invited to the Crochet Club at the Southern Branch Library in South Point at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Beginners should bring a "G" or "H" hook and yarn. Experienced crafters may bring a current project. For information call (740) 377-2288.

Briggs Library is partnering with the AARP to provide free tax preparation assistance at two library branches. Volunteers for AARP Tax-Aide will be at the Chesapeake Branch Library from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and at the Southern Branch Library in South Point from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. Assistance is provided on a first come-first served basis.

Bring the family and some snacks for a free “big screen” presentation of the hilarious animated movie, “Planet 51” at the Ironton library at 2 p.m. Thursday.

The Briggs Library children’s department offers programs for homeschooling families at two locations. On Tuesday at the Main Library in Ironton, the kindergarten through third grade class meets at 2 p.m. and the fourth through eighth grade class is at 3 p.m. The classes repeat at the same time on Wednesday at the Southern Branch Library in South Point. For information call Jan Gullet at (740) 377-2288.

The Briggs Library young children’s program schedule featuring books, crafts, songs, and games for this week is:

Storytime for ages three to five:

Ironton at 11 a.m. Monday

Symmes Valley at 4:30 p.m. Monday

Proctorville at 11 a.m. Tuesday

South Point at 11 a.m. Wednesday

Chesapeake at 11 a.m. Thursday

Symmes Valley at 11 a.m. Saturday

Toddler Time for up to age three:

Ironton at 11 a.m. Tuesday]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-274.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:56:44 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-274.html Fire damages house in Burlington

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Monday, March 8, 2010

A fire damaged a residence in Burlington over the weekend. Chief Ryan Vaughn of the Burlington-Fayette Fire Department said the fire damaged a converted mobile home on County Road 120 Sunday afternoon.

The cause of the fire has not been determined but Vaughn said it appears to have been accidental. The fire started in the living room area of the house. One female was home at the time but escaped without injuries.

“We’re still not sure what it was (that started the fire). There are a couple of things that it could have been,” Vaughn said. “It seemed like it started on the couch.”

Burlington-Fayette, Chesapeake/Union and South Point fire departments responded to the fire.]]> Fire damages house in Burlington

By Lori Kersey (Contact) | The Tribune

Published Monday, March 8, 2010

A fire damaged a residence in Burlington over the weekend. Chief Ryan Vaughn of the Burlington-Fayette Fire Department said the fire damaged a converted mobile home on County Road 120 Sunday afternoon.

The cause of the fire has not been determined but Vaughn said it appears to have been accidental. The fire started in the living room area of the house. One female was home at the time but escaped without injuries.

“We’re still not sure what it was (that started the fire). There are a couple of things that it could have been,” Vaughn said. “It seemed like it started on the couch.”

Burlington-Fayette, Chesapeake/Union and South Point fire departments responded to the fire.]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-273.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:55:59 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-273.html STAR Center offers path to new life
Facility touts success rate

Billy Bruce

Published Monday, March 8, 2010

Franklin Furnace — Henry Ford once said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it.”

But Ford was never sentenced to STAR Community Justice Center, where residents are, quite literally, “Thinking for a Change.”

“STAR explains to residents that their best thinking led them here in the first place,” Executive Director Eddie Philabaun explained. “If they can let go of their pride and ego, and open their minds to new, positive ways of thinking, their likelihood of re-offending will be low.”

Breaking ground on Jan. 5, 2000, under the watchful eye of Dan Hieronimus, STAR opened its doors in 2002 to the common pleas courts of nine surrounding counties as a therapeutic community or TC.

According to Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Charles Cooper, the facility offers a low-cost alternative to punishment for non-violent adult male and female offenders and places a predominant emphasis on improving decision-making skills.

“By far, the best attribute of STAR is its statistics of success (in deterring crime recidivism),” Cooper said. “It is also financially easier on Ohio’s taxpayers. The cost to house offenders at STAR is approximately $8,500, compared to $26,000 when they are sentenced to prison.”

Those confined in this minimum security “TC Family” are referred to as “residents”, not “inmates”; and respect for self and others is a requisite theme.

Upon admission to STAR, new residents are immediately thrust into the spotlight. Each new resident conducts a “Who am I?” question-and-answer presentation and must then be voted into the TC family.

Once accepted, the new resident is assigned a gender-specific “Big Brother” or “Big Sister” to assist them with the myriad of regulations, standards and treatment tools they will be expected to learn during their stay.

“STAR provides residents with all the treatment tools they need to be a productive citizen once released,” Philabaun insisted, noting that it is the responsibility of each resident to use these tools to improve their lives.

“However,” he continued, “if they choose to hold on to their old behaviors and attitudes, they will soon find themselves in a worse place than STAR; I’m not talking about prison, I’m talking about six feet under.”

The following morning, their first full day of a possible 180 at STAR, new residents begin a crash course in something they may have never before experienced.

STRUCTURE

Feet on the Floor, the beginning of the TC day, arrives at 5:30 each morning, excluding Sunday, which begins at 7 a.m. Feet off the Floor, bedtime, is at 10 p.m. The 16-plus hours that fall in between, whether spent in peer meetings, behavior modification and/or GED classrooms, groups or work service, are strictly scheduled and rigorously monitored.

“Most of the people we see in court have never had structure in their lives,” said assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson. “STAR provides them the opportunity to learn how to live a productive life by challenging the way they think.”

While structure is a way of life at STAR, it is also the name of the first of four phases of commitment.

Clad in yellow phase shirts, the newly oriented Structure residents are expected to study diligently for roughly thirty days in order to pass two tests, one written and one oral, covering the extensive program content. Once they demonstrate a working knowledge of STAR principles, the residents begin another new experience.

THERAPY

“Therapy is the science of right thinking,” states the STAR philosophy for this phase, which is repeated by residents numerous times, in unison, each day. “I am responsible for maintaining my own pro-social attitudes.”

The blue phase shirts in Therapy Phase allude to the resident beginning to hold him/herself accountable for detrimental behaviors and thinking of alternative ways to handle problem situations.

“In Therapy Phase we want to see significant progress, so the residents are tested on a daily basis through learning experiences, treatment plans and assignments, groups, classes, role-plays, etc,“ Philabaun said.

Cooper added, “STAR provides therapy and tests daily to ensure that residents are not just memorizing what they are taught, but are internalizing the teachings.”

ADVOCACY

Positive actions are beginning to be the norm for the resident at this stage.

Issued a green phase shirt to signify continued progress in the program, Advocacy Phase residents are learning how to give respect to others while earning it for themselves.

Residents in this phase have successfully completed at least two individualized treatment plans and are becoming role models to the other family members.

They have learned the value of living life by the Golden Rule, which is the vital lesson necessary to reach phase four.

RESTORATION

Freedom is on the horizon in Restoration Phase, but not a guarantee.

Members of this phase must consistently uphold the rules and regulations of the community, be strong role models and demonstrate a desire, possibly for the first time in their lives, to be productive citizens.

These family members have absorbed considerable knowledge during their stay at STAR; now, it’s time to put that knowledge into action.

Speaking of knowledge, sentencing courts recognize the impact the STAR program can have in a former criminal’s life.

“In some ways, the STAR process can be described as miraculous,” Cooper said. “They take broken human beings and assist them in getting their lives back on track.”

THINKING FOR A CHANGE

STAR’s approach to rehabilitation offers a variety of behavior modification and educational programming, including courses in anger management, parenting and relationships, relapse prevention, substance abuse, reintegration, and NA/AA groups.

The flagship of behavior modification courses, however, is appropriately entitled Thinking for a Change.

This course, developed by the National Institute of Corrections, is a 22 section journey into dissecting the most basic of thoughts.

Once broken down, these thoughts are rebuilt on a stronger foundation.

Trauma classes and a multitude of group therapy sessions, overseen by staff, are also conducted for the benefit of each individual resident.

And STAR, courtesy of the dedicated teachings of Janet Travis, has one of the most successful GED programs in the state of Ohio.

BEGINNING A NEW LIFE

Looking back on their stay at STAR, many residents note that the structured environment was initially difficult to grasp.

Unlike prison, where huge chunks of each day are spent simply passing time in a cell, STAR requires discipline, initiative, responsibility, honesty and accountability.

Once they take hold of these and other core values, however, life at STAR becomes less about being uncomfortable and more about being confident.

Like Cooper, Philabaun spoke of broken lives and the miraculous recoveries he has personally witnessed in his nine years at STAR.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle to observe a broken human being, who has suffered from every type of abuse imaginable, get their life back on track and become not only a good person that has always been there hidden behind the abuse, but also a law abiding citizen.”

Then he added his most emphatic point:

“You don’t have to be smart to make it through the STAR program, you have to be determined.”

And that leads back to Henry Ford, who unwittingly stated the STAR mantra decades ago when he said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”]]> STAR Center offers path to new life
Facility touts success rate

Billy Bruce

Published Monday, March 8, 2010

Franklin Furnace — Henry Ford once said, “Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it.”

But Ford was never sentenced to STAR Community Justice Center, where residents are, quite literally, “Thinking for a Change.”

“STAR explains to residents that their best thinking led them here in the first place,” Executive Director Eddie Philabaun explained. “If they can let go of their pride and ego, and open their minds to new, positive ways of thinking, their likelihood of re-offending will be low.”

Breaking ground on Jan. 5, 2000, under the watchful eye of Dan Hieronimus, STAR opened its doors in 2002 to the common pleas courts of nine surrounding counties as a therapeutic community or TC.

According to Lawrence County Common Pleas Judge Charles Cooper, the facility offers a low-cost alternative to punishment for non-violent adult male and female offenders and places a predominant emphasis on improving decision-making skills.

“By far, the best attribute of STAR is its statistics of success (in deterring crime recidivism),” Cooper said. “It is also financially easier on Ohio’s taxpayers. The cost to house offenders at STAR is approximately $8,500, compared to $26,000 when they are sentenced to prison.”

Those confined in this minimum security “TC Family” are referred to as “residents”, not “inmates”; and respect for self and others is a requisite theme.

Upon admission to STAR, new residents are immediately thrust into the spotlight. Each new resident conducts a “Who am I?” question-and-answer presentation and must then be voted into the TC family.

Once accepted, the new resident is assigned a gender-specific “Big Brother” or “Big Sister” to assist them with the myriad of regulations, standards and treatment tools they will be expected to learn during their stay.

“STAR provides residents with all the treatment tools they need to be a productive citizen once released,” Philabaun insisted, noting that it is the responsibility of each resident to use these tools to improve their lives.

“However,” he continued, “if they choose to hold on to their old behaviors and attitudes, they will soon find themselves in a worse place than STAR; I’m not talking about prison, I’m talking about six feet under.”

The following morning, their first full day of a possible 180 at STAR, new residents begin a crash course in something they may have never before experienced.

STRUCTURE

Feet on the Floor, the beginning of the TC day, arrives at 5:30 each morning, excluding Sunday, which begins at 7 a.m. Feet off the Floor, bedtime, is at 10 p.m. The 16-plus hours that fall in between, whether spent in peer meetings, behavior modification and/or GED classrooms, groups or work service, are strictly scheduled and rigorously monitored.

“Most of the people we see in court have never had structure in their lives,” said assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson. “STAR provides them the opportunity to learn how to live a productive life by challenging the way they think.”

While structure is a way of life at STAR, it is also the name of the first of four phases of commitment.

Clad in yellow phase shirts, the newly oriented Structure residents are expected to study diligently for roughly thirty days in order to pass two tests, one written and one oral, covering the extensive program content. Once they demonstrate a working knowledge of STAR principles, the residents begin another new experience.

THERAPY

“Therapy is the science of right thinking,” states the STAR philosophy for this phase, which is repeated by residents numerous times, in unison, each day. “I am responsible for maintaining my own pro-social attitudes.”

The blue phase shirts in Therapy Phase allude to the resident beginning to hold him/herself accountable for detrimental behaviors and thinking of alternative ways to handle problem situations.

“In Therapy Phase we want to see significant progress, so the residents are tested on a daily basis through learning experiences, treatment plans and assignments, groups, classes, role-plays, etc,“ Philabaun said.

Cooper added, “STAR provides therapy and tests daily to ensure that residents are not just memorizing what they are taught, but are internalizing the teachings.”

ADVOCACY

Positive actions are beginning to be the norm for the resident at this stage.

Issued a green phase shirt to signify continued progress in the program, Advocacy Phase residents are learning how to give respect to others while earning it for themselves.

Residents in this phase have successfully completed at least two individualized treatment plans and are becoming role models to the other family members.

They have learned the value of living life by the Golden Rule, which is the vital lesson necessary to reach phase four.

RESTORATION

Freedom is on the horizon in Restoration Phase, but not a guarantee.

Members of this phase must consistently uphold the rules and regulations of the community, be strong role models and demonstrate a desire, possibly for the first time in their lives, to be productive citizens.

These family members have absorbed considerable knowledge during their stay at STAR; now, it’s time to put that knowledge into action.

Speaking of knowledge, sentencing courts recognize the impact the STAR program can have in a former criminal’s life.

“In some ways, the STAR process can be described as miraculous,” Cooper said. “They take broken human beings and assist them in getting their lives back on track.”

THINKING FOR A CHANGE

STAR’s approach to rehabilitation offers a variety of behavior modification and educational programming, including courses in anger management, parenting and relationships, relapse prevention, substance abuse, reintegration, and NA/AA groups.

The flagship of behavior modification courses, however, is appropriately entitled Thinking for a Change.

This course, developed by the National Institute of Corrections, is a 22 section journey into dissecting the most basic of thoughts.

Once broken down, these thoughts are rebuilt on a stronger foundation.

Trauma classes and a multitude of group therapy sessions, overseen by staff, are also conducted for the benefit of each individual resident.

And STAR, courtesy of the dedicated teachings of Janet Travis, has one of the most successful GED programs in the state of Ohio.

BEGINNING A NEW LIFE

Looking back on their stay at STAR, many residents note that the structured environment was initially difficult to grasp.

Unlike prison, where huge chunks of each day are spent simply passing time in a cell, STAR requires discipline, initiative, responsibility, honesty and accountability.

Once they take hold of these and other core values, however, life at STAR becomes less about being uncomfortable and more about being confident.

Like Cooper, Philabaun spoke of broken lives and the miraculous recoveries he has personally witnessed in his nine years at STAR.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle to observe a broken human being, who has suffered from every type of abuse imaginable, get their life back on track and become not only a good person that has always been there hidden behind the abuse, but also a law abiding citizen.”

Then he added his most emphatic point:

“You don’t have to be smart to make it through the STAR program, you have to be determined.”

And that leads back to Henry Ford, who unwittingly stated the STAR mantra decades ago when he said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-272.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:54:39 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-272.html Growing Everyday
Larry Pancake rocking his musical destiny

Tammie Hetzer-Womack

Published Monday, March 8, 2010

RUSSELL, Ky. — He shuts his eyes, clenching his rhythm guitar as the ballad washes over, crystal-clear, stirring up powerful memories. Swaying, he recalls rocking his son in his arms 15-years-ago. After all, he is Larry Pancake’s purpose, composition, and harmony.

At 34, the local country singer is still growing, both as a songwriter and as a Dad. In fact, the title track of his album, “Everyday” is about facing young parenthood head-on.

“I was 19 when I became a Dad. I was young and reckless,” the single parent conceded. “Back then, I had no idea what I was going to do. Things don’t always work out the way they have for me. I have been blessed. This song is that story.”

The first time Pancake sang “Everyday” on-stage, his boy, Aaron was alongside. Tears welled up in the proud father’s eyes, overcome by the lyrics.

Singing his heart out, the Russell vocalist is fostering his fan base while garnering Nashville attention after the releases of his CDs, “Lonely” and “Everyday.” With a seasoned, Grammy-winning band — many of whom traveled on world tours with Billy Ray Cyrus as Slydog — they are meshing various musical styles and sounds, creating country-rock concord with Pancake’s original verses.

On the flipside, Pancake is cultivating character in his tunes, creating a distinctive style, but never forgetting where he came from.

His musical roots are pure, built by the gospel tunes his mom and dad belted in local houses of worship and the church piano keys his sister plunked growing up. He listened to his mom’s Elvis LPs, lip-synched to Kiss, Bad Company and Eddie Money on the radio, and looked to locals like Cyrus and Mike Murphy for inspiration to sculpt his upbeat tempos.

It’s coming around, as the Flatwoods native finds himself sharing the stage with childhood idols.

“I enjoyed playing with Eddie Money and I made a friend in him. … I looked up to a lot of local musicians and now when we play together it’s great. There’s a following that comes out to see us play,” he went on, with a laugh.

“But, I do feel bad for them when we’re playing outdoors and it’s cold or wet, but they always stick around afterwards. It’s exciting to know they’ve discovered my music, just like I always listened to theirs.”

When Pancake was a student at Russell High School, Cyrus just hit the big-time and visited his alma mater for a school assembly. Pancake listened intently in the bleachers.

“He stood and told the whole student body to ‘follow your dreams,’” Pancake continued. “It sticks with me to this day.”

His sophomore year, Pancake received a standing ovation after crooning in the Beta variety talent show. Friends and family knew he had talent.

Barely out of high school, Pancake and a few friends ran an ad in the newspaper, hoping to start a rock band. Aftershock was born, playing gigs at The Country Music Highway Café in Ashland “for exposure and a free meal,” Pancake joked.

As crowds grew, Aftershock played Tri-State clubs throughout the ‘90s. Pancake later teamed with a well-established local band in 2000 as their lead singer — becoming Larry Pancake and the Pride.

By 2004, Pancake was already hard-at-work, recording his first album at the famed Hilltop Studios in Nashville, working alongside John Nicholson who produced recordings for Loretta Lynn; Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, and Dolly Parton, Pancake touted.

Today, Pancake can be heard playing large and small local venues, on Top 40 and international Indie radio stations, and on a national commercial for VAM — one of his endorsers.

When he isn’t rocking regional fairs and festivals or playing intimate, acoustic engagements, he’s busy filming local TV spots.

A perfectionist, Pancake’s always looking for ways to improve his vocal skills.

“When I need advice, I call Jamie Vendera. He’s a local guy who has trained a ton of stars and broken glass on national television with his voice. He’s wise to the voice. He has written books on it.”

He doesn’t rest on his laurels and takes the bull by the horns when it comes to success.

“I’ve learned along the way that nobody is going to do it for you. Nobody will do the work like you. You can’t give up.”

He never stops writing. A new CD is already in the works.

“There will be more CD’s long as I’m around,” Pancake promised.

Honestly, it took a while to write the 10 pieces on “Everyday,” released last June.

“Some of these tunes I’ve been writing on for sometime. Some came to me while writing the others or while I was sleeping,” Pancake detailed. “When I write, it’s not like I can make myself. It just happens.”

All of the songs on “Everyday” have personal meaning to Pancake and are true stories.

One track is about a friend’s dad who died. Another song relays the tales of the many years playing clubs — and the bar fights and beer-drinking that goes along with it, while one is just for fun, singing about the Harley-riding-woman who frequented Pancake’s Portsmouth performances.

It’s gratifying to Pancake, seeing his fans love his work.

“I look out and see people mouthing the words to a song I’ve written and that’s really cool. A lot of people tell me that I’m on their iPods. … Our number one goal is to please and have the crowd leaving the show wanting to see us again.”

Of course, it wasn’t always this simple.

“The first time I played a gig I was nervous and the place was packed with kids my age. It was a rush. But, at the same time, I knew then that I wanted to play. It’s normal now. I don’t think about the crowds. The bigger, the better.”

Those youthful experiences paid off. Pancake performed with country music legend Loretta Lynn in 2008 and opened for numerous celebrity acts.

To prepare to take the stage, Pancake waits inside his trailer or bus before the show and gets pumped-up by listening to his iPod. He has rituals – like not dressing in his show clothes until 10 minutes before the concert starts.

“Then, I’m ready and I burst out with energy. First impressions are very important.”

Pancake hopes youngsters look to him as a musical role model — just as he was mentored by the talents who also call the Country Music Highway home.

“Kids learn music from the time they are young and we need to keep music programs in schools so it gives kids an out. It stimulates the mind and the creative side of people. …Every kid is good at something musically. They just need to find what it is.”]]> Growing Everyday
Larry Pancake rocking his musical destiny

Tammie Hetzer-Womack

Published Monday, March 8, 2010

RUSSELL, Ky. — He shuts his eyes, clenching his rhythm guitar as the ballad washes over, crystal-clear, stirring up powerful memories. Swaying, he recalls rocking his son in his arms 15-years-ago. After all, he is Larry Pancake’s purpose, composition, and harmony.

At 34, the local country singer is still growing, both as a songwriter and as a Dad. In fact, the title track of his album, “Everyday” is about facing young parenthood head-on.

“I was 19 when I became a Dad. I was young and reckless,” the single parent conceded. “Back then, I had no idea what I was going to do. Things don’t always work out the way they have for me. I have been blessed. This song is that story.”

The first time Pancake sang “Everyday” on-stage, his boy, Aaron was alongside. Tears welled up in the proud father’s eyes, overcome by the lyrics.

Singing his heart out, the Russell vocalist is fostering his fan base while garnering Nashville attention after the releases of his CDs, “Lonely” and “Everyday.” With a seasoned, Grammy-winning band — many of whom traveled on world tours with Billy Ray Cyrus as Slydog — they are meshing various musical styles and sounds, creating country-rock concord with Pancake’s original verses.

On the flipside, Pancake is cultivating character in his tunes, creating a distinctive style, but never forgetting where he came from.

His musical roots are pure, built by the gospel tunes his mom and dad belted in local houses of worship and the church piano keys his sister plunked growing up. He listened to his mom’s Elvis LPs, lip-synched to Kiss, Bad Company and Eddie Money on the radio, and looked to locals like Cyrus and Mike Murphy for inspiration to sculpt his upbeat tempos.

It’s coming around, as the Flatwoods native finds himself sharing the stage with childhood idols.

“I enjoyed playing with Eddie Money and I made a friend in him. … I looked up to a lot of local musicians and now when we play together it’s great. There’s a following that comes out to see us play,” he went on, with a laugh.

“But, I do feel bad for them when we’re playing outdoors and it’s cold or wet, but they always stick around afterwards. It’s exciting to know they’ve discovered my music, just like I always listened to theirs.”

When Pancake was a student at Russell High School, Cyrus just hit the big-time and visited his alma mater for a school assembly. Pancake listened intently in the bleachers.

“He stood and told the whole student body to ‘follow your dreams,’” Pancake continued. “It sticks with me to this day.”

His sophomore year, Pancake received a standing ovation after crooning in the Beta variety talent show. Friends and family knew he had talent.

Barely out of high school, Pancake and a few friends ran an ad in the newspaper, hoping to start a rock band. Aftershock was born, playing gigs at The Country Music Highway Café in Ashland “for exposure and a free meal,” Pancake joked.

As crowds grew, Aftershock played Tri-State clubs throughout the ‘90s. Pancake later teamed with a well-established local band in 2000 as their lead singer — becoming Larry Pancake and the Pride.

By 2004, Pancake was already hard-at-work, recording his first album at the famed Hilltop Studios in Nashville, working alongside John Nicholson who produced recordings for Loretta Lynn; Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, and Dolly Parton, Pancake touted.

Today, Pancake can be heard playing large and small local venues, on Top 40 and international Indie radio stations, and on a national commercial for VAM — one of his endorsers.

When he isn’t rocking regional fairs and festivals or playing intimate, acoustic engagements, he’s busy filming local TV spots.

A perfectionist, Pancake’s always looking for ways to improve his vocal skills.

“When I need advice, I call Jamie Vendera. He’s a local guy who has trained a ton of stars and broken glass on national television with his voice. He’s wise to the voice. He has written books on it.”

He doesn’t rest on his laurels and takes the bull by the horns when it comes to success.

“I’ve learned along the way that nobody is going to do it for you. Nobody will do the work like you. You can’t give up.”

He never stops writing. A new CD is already in the works.

“There will be more CD’s long as I’m around,” Pancake promised.

Honestly, it took a while to write the 10 pieces on “Everyday,” released last June.

“Some of these tunes I’ve been writing on for sometime. Some came to me while writing the others or while I was sleeping,” Pancake detailed. “When I write, it’s not like I can make myself. It just happens.”

All of the songs on “Everyday” have personal meaning to Pancake and are true stories.

One track is about a friend’s dad who died. Another song relays the tales of the many years playing clubs — and the bar fights and beer-drinking that goes along with it, while one is just for fun, singing about the Harley-riding-woman who frequented Pancake’s Portsmouth performances.

It’s gratifying to Pancake, seeing his fans love his work.

“I look out and see people mouthing the words to a song I’ve written and that’s really cool. A lot of people tell me that I’m on their iPods. … Our number one goal is to please and have the crowd leaving the show wanting to see us again.”

Of course, it wasn’t always this simple.

“The first time I played a gig I was nervous and the place was packed with kids my age. It was a rush. But, at the same time, I knew then that I wanted to play. It’s normal now. I don’t think about the crowds. The bigger, the better.”

Those youthful experiences paid off. Pancake performed with country music legend Loretta Lynn in 2008 and opened for numerous celebrity acts.

To prepare to take the stage, Pancake waits inside his trailer or bus before the show and gets pumped-up by listening to his iPod. He has rituals – like not dressing in his show clothes until 10 minutes before the concert starts.

“Then, I’m ready and I burst out with energy. First impressions are very important.”

Pancake hopes youngsters look to him as a musical role model — just as he was mentored by the talents who also call the Country Music Highway home.

“Kids learn music from the time they are young and we need to keep music programs in schools so it gives kids an out. It stimulates the mind and the creative side of people. …Every kid is good at something musically. They just need to find what it is.”]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-271.html Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:59:57 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-271.html ACLU fighting for our fundamental rights

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

The syndicated story criticizing the ACLU’s request for documents relating to the federal government’s use of drones was grossly off-base (“ACLU has strayed far from its mission,” February 19, 2010.)

The ACLU has had a long history of ensuring government officials do not operate in the shadows and are subject to full accountability from the American people.

The right to know is perhaps one of the most fundamental rights granted under the Constitution. In order for democracy to function, the people must have unfettered access to information about government programs, policies and actions. Without consistent oversight from the people, there is a greater chance of corruption, wrongdoing or negligence.

In addition to advocating for full government transparency, the ACLU continues to address a variety of civil liberties issues in the courts, legislature and community.

Recently, the ACLU filed a legal brief in the Ohio Supreme Court arguing that cell phones cannot be randomly searched by police officers. The Court made a landmark ruling in the ACLU’s favor in late December 2009.

As the nation’s oldest civil liberties organization, the ACLU has long been on the forefront in the fight for fairness, privacy and accountability. While the nation, courts, and lawmakers may change over the years, the fundamental rights we defend do not.

Karyn Justice

Associate General Counsel

American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio]]> ACLU fighting for our fundamental rights

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

The syndicated story criticizing the ACLU’s request for documents relating to the federal government’s use of drones was grossly off-base (“ACLU has strayed far from its mission,” February 19, 2010.)

The ACLU has had a long history of ensuring government officials do not operate in the shadows and are subject to full accountability from the American people.

The right to know is perhaps one of the most fundamental rights granted under the Constitution. In order for democracy to function, the people must have unfettered access to information about government programs, policies and actions. Without consistent oversight from the people, there is a greater chance of corruption, wrongdoing or negligence.

In addition to advocating for full government transparency, the ACLU continues to address a variety of civil liberties issues in the courts, legislature and community.

Recently, the ACLU filed a legal brief in the Ohio Supreme Court arguing that cell phones cannot be randomly searched by police officers. The Court made a landmark ruling in the ACLU’s favor in late December 2009.

As the nation’s oldest civil liberties organization, the ACLU has long been on the forefront in the fight for fairness, privacy and accountability. While the nation, courts, and lawmakers may change over the years, the fundamental rights we defend do not.

Karyn Justice

Associate General Counsel

American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-270.html Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:58:53 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-270.html First Baptist’s center is great benefit to families

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

I would like to congratulate the congregation of First Baptist Church in Ironton, Pastor, Dennis Strawn and Associate Pastor Eric Barnes for their tremendous vision in building their new Family Center.

My daughter, Lilly just recently finished the Upward basketball program there and it was a tremendous success.

It was a very positive experience and each and every week it was evident that all of the kids were really having fun.

The new facility is certainly a great asset to our city. I want to also take this time to thank Mike Balestra, Jimmy Rowe and Nick Weber, for giving their time each and every week to the kids on our team.

This is the third time we have had the priviledge of having Mike Balestra coach our daughter. Mike has always been a great role model for the kids and he really makes it fun for the kids.

If you didn’t get to catch the Upward basketball league this year, I highly recommend it for next year. Again, thanks Eric Barnes for a great program for the kids of Ironton!

Jay Zornes

Ironton]]> First Baptist’s center is great benefit to families

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

I would like to congratulate the congregation of First Baptist Church in Ironton, Pastor, Dennis Strawn and Associate Pastor Eric Barnes for their tremendous vision in building their new Family Center.

My daughter, Lilly just recently finished the Upward basketball program there and it was a tremendous success.

It was a very positive experience and each and every week it was evident that all of the kids were really having fun.

The new facility is certainly a great asset to our city. I want to also take this time to thank Mike Balestra, Jimmy Rowe and Nick Weber, for giving their time each and every week to the kids on our team.

This is the third time we have had the priviledge of having Mike Balestra coach our daughter. Mike has always been a great role model for the kids and he really makes it fun for the kids.

If you didn’t get to catch the Upward basketball league this year, I highly recommend it for next year. Again, thanks Eric Barnes for a great program for the kids of Ironton!

Jay Zornes

Ironton]]> http://www.ironton.net/thread-269.html Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:57:36 -0500 http://www.ironton.net/thread-269.html Pill mills hurting our community

By Tribune Editorial Board | The Tribune

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

Everybody wants to talk about health care reform, but much of the debate overlooks perhaps the greatest epidemic facing our nation: prescription drug abuse.

And while it may be impossible to stop this crisis completely, our leaders must open their eyes to the fact that much of this problem is caused by pain clinics that are more focused on making a buck than on helping patients get healthy.

This abuse is made possible because of a flawed system that allows doctors to prescribe medicines with little or no oversight, often distributing thousands of pills before they are shut down.

Recent headlines have helped shine a light on how destructive and deadly these pill mills truly are to our communities.

A Kansas doctor and his wife have been charged with directly contributing to 21 deaths in about a five-year period. The clinic that they run has been linked to 68 fatal overdoses that come from illegally distributing prescrption drugs.

But the problem hits much closer to home and often comes from clinics that are considered legal.

While the Tri-State had and still has its share of these types of facilities, it is Florida that has earned a reputation for allowing these pill mills to operate virtually untouched.

Anyone who doesn’t think there is a direct pipeline of prescription drugs from Florida straight to the Tri-State is simply deluding themselves.

The ongoing trial involving the murder of a Franklin Furnace family has ties to prescription drug abuse and the Florida trade.

We must start taking this problem seriously and that means tougher regulations on what and how many prescriptions can be prescribed, revoking licenses of doctors who break the rules and more rehabilitation options for addicts.

But, the first step will be for our lawmakers to understand we truly have a problem.]]> Pill mills hurting our community

By Tribune Editorial Board | The Tribune

Published Sunday, March 7, 2010

Everybody wants to talk about health care reform, but much of the debate overlooks perhaps the greatest epidemic facing our nation: prescription drug abuse.

And while it may be impossible to stop this crisis completely, our leaders must open their eyes to the fact that much of this problem is caused by pain clinics that are more focused on making a buck than on helping patients get healthy.

This abuse is made possible because of a flawed system that allows doctors to prescribe medicines with little or no oversight, often distributing thousands of pills before they are shut down.

Recent headlines have helped shine a light on how destructive and deadly these pill mills truly are to our communities.

A Kansas doctor and his wife have been charged with directly contributing to 21 deaths in about a five-year period. The clinic that they run has been linked to 68 fatal overdoses that come from illegally distributing prescrption drugs.

But the problem hits much closer to home and often comes from clinics that are considered legal.

While the Tri-State had and still has its share of these types of facilities, it is Florida that has earned a reputation for allowing these pill mills to operate virtually untouched.

Anyone who doesn’t think there is a direct pipeline of prescription drugs from Florida straight to the Tri-State is simply deluding themselves.

The ongoing trial involving the murder of a Franklin Furnace family has ties to prescription drug abuse and the Florida trade.

We must start taking this problem seriously and that means tougher regulations on what and how many prescriptions can be prescribed, revoking licenses of doctors who break the rules and more rehabilitation options for addicts.

But, the first step will be for our lawmakers to understand we truly have a problem.]]>