500 EACH
By George Lewis
News Reporter
george~bathconewsoutlook.com
Members of the
Owingsville City Council
started 2011 by making
a list of what could be
considered New Year s
resolutions.
The council didsoMonday
evening with the help of
human resources consultant
Paul Combs of Georgetown.
Combs was a familiar face
to council members, having
helped them set goals in
years past.
Combs began the informal
session by distributing to
council a summary of the
goals the governing body
had listed from 1999 to
2009. Some items, such as
increased police patrol and
more youth activities, were
perennial, while others
cropped up only once or
twice.
Council members Nancy
Purvis, Laura Johnson,
Faith Corbin Jim Davis,
Roberta Bashford and
Mayor Gary Hunt each
contributed to a list of 25
goals the council wanted
to accomplish during the
next few years. Councilman
Gary Bealert did not attend
the session.
The council members
then individually whittled
the 25 goals down to 10
apiece, ranking them in
order of importance. Combs
will take the council's
recommendations and
distill them into one ' mp
10" list, which Hunt will
distribute Monday at the
council's regular meeting.
Hunt listed as one
of his top priorities the
completion of the sewer-
back." Hunt said he will
meet with project engineers
from Bell Engineering next
Wednesday to encourage
them to complete the
project. "On .my first day
in office, I had two calls on
this," Hunt said.
Some of the goals the
councilplaced onits 2011 list
included the establishment
of new businesses; seeing
the ongoing "streetscape
project to fruition ('Itql
get started one of these
days," Hunt said); economic
development more
recreation opportunities
for everyone, not just
youth; more Christmas
decorations; cleanliness
efforts in the ,community,
including a street sweeper
(human ()r machine?
Combs quipped); inter-
extension project along: local agreements involving
U.S. 60. 'That will affect beth the city and county
a lot of people," Hunt saick governments; increased
'%Ve need to get that off our grant applications; a
ordinance
that is enforced; free
Internet service; efforts to
increase tourism; a more
visible welcome sign at the
city limits; and improved
downtown parking.
During discussion of
the goals, two points of
persistent displeasure came
to light. One involved police
patrols at night; another,
somewhat related, issue
involved the congregating of
young people in the middle
school parking lot at night.
Bashford said she has
observed that police rarely
patrol "al r a certain
hour."
Johnson, noting that the
middle school parking lot
is '])art of the problem" of
youths ruiming loose at
night, asked, '%Vhat other
school system in the state
lets kids openly drink
(It should be noted that
Johnson's husband, Joe
Johnson, is an outspoken
critic of the school system
and has been banned by the
and do drugs7' on school school system from entering
property, school property.)
New
said neitherthe school
system nor the police
department will take
responsibility for controllin 'g
what goes on at the parking
lot at night.
O
By George Lewis
News Reporter
georg~barhconewsoutlook.com
Dennis Midkiff,
a paramedic with
extensive emergency-
medicine experience,
has been named director
of the Bath County
Ambulance Service.
Midkiff takes over
for Gary Bealert, who
was named interim
director after former
director Donna Jamison
was fired as a result of
an investigation into
allegations of missing
ambulance service
funds.
Midkiff has 21
years' experience as a
paramedic. He's certified
in critical care and is
a licensed respiratory
therapist. He has 10
years of management
experience and has been
with the ambulance
service for six years.
File Photo by George Lewis
Paramedic Dennis Midkiff has been named director
of the Bath County Ambulance Service.
Midkiff said his goals
are to "first and foremost
get the service back on
its feet financially."
County officials have
said investigations have
revealed that the total
known and suspected
fraud-at the ambulance
service to be in excess of
$150,000 over five years.
The amount of known
and suspected fraud
from the continuing
payroll service
investigation has yet
to be determined but to
date is estimated to be
around $100,000 over
three calendar years.
A fraud audit
performedby a Louisville
firm that specializes in
such things has been
concluded and, although
it's public record, has
not been released
because it is part of
an investigation by
Kentucky State Police.
Most people want their morning, asked that his
phone number kept out phone numbers be listed
of the newspaper. But so his constituents can
Millard Petitt III, whoreach him. His home
took the oath of office as number is 247-2156, and
Bath County's newest his cell number is 336-
'commissioner Monday 1013.
m
OLI:) PIOTUI --E6
with old pictures, please bring them
the 200 Year Anniversary of Bath County.
ne that has any old stories etc. is i
:;i
Bath County's birth
date is recorded as Jan.
15, 1811. But the county
plans to celebrate its
bicentennial all year long,
and plans are under way
to mark this milestone in
the county's history.
Integral in the
celebration is the newly
formed Bath County
Historical Society,
which will produce a
walking map of the
Owingsville downtown
area indicating historical
landmarks, buildings and
homes. Members of the
historical society have
been asked to nominate
structures that have
historic significance,
architecturally speaking.
Additionally, in
conjunction with the
bicentennial, the
historicalsocietywillwork
with the Bath County
Parks and Recreation
Department and other
civic organizations to
restore the Old Slate
Furnace and picnic area.
(Volunteers are needed.
Anyone interested in
helping with the cleanup
and repair should contact
Kenny Williams at the
OwingsvillePost Office.)
Complementing the
historical society's
bicentennial efforts,
Owingsville City Council
will, on Monday, go about
naming a bicentennial
committee that will
include representatives
of county government.
"It will give us another
chance to work with the
county," said Councilman
Jim Davis at an informal
planning session the
council held Monday
evening (see related
story, this issue).
Gary Hunt,
Owingsville's newly
installed mayor, has
placed recognition of the
county's bicentennial
among his priorities.
If you would like to
become a member of the
Bath County Historical
Society, which is a non-
profit organization, you
may choose from among
the following options:
individual membership
$25, family $35, or a
senior citizen/student
$15. To become a patron
of the society, you may
contribute $100, a
benefactor $500, and a
lifetime member $1,000.
Activemembers will
receive free admission
to allof the society's
events. Contributions
may bemailed to The
Bath County Historical
Society, P.O. Box 333,
Owingsville, KY 40360.
Membership dues are tax
deductable.
Advertising Executive
, (859) 473-2825
t)e .arli rmrp
Above- Do you know
any of these people?
If so, contact Patsy
at 606-674-9994.
Source: The Kentucky
American History and
Genealogy Project.
