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News Outlook
Heaven Is
A Lot Like
Kentucky
By Charles Mattox
“Hey Daddy, will you
teach me to swim this sum-
mer?” My five, going-on-
six-year—old-son, Cassidy
asked me the other night
“And when I learn to swim
will you take me to get my
swimming license?”
His mother, Amber, and
I exchanged a quick glance
and smiled.
I am reminded of how
my oldest brother, Kenny,
taught me to swim in Flem—
ing Creek in 1971, at Mar-
tha Mill,s at what is said
to be the deepest hole of
water in Fleming Creek:
The Garr Pond. Kenny’s
methods were time tested
and amounted to him un-
ceremoniously throwing
me into the deep end that
memorable day.
My first official swirn—
ming lesson was a success
and I have been an avid
swimmer since. When I fi-
nally made it to the creek
bank, and then finally
stopped throwing rocks at
him and asked him about
his training methods,
How heartwarming; It’s
one thing to be terrified of
deep water and thinking
your drowning; It’s quite
another to see a brother
laughing uncontrollably
each time you break the
surface of the water and
gasp for another mouthful
of half water and half air
before... down you sink
again.
To be fair, I asked a lot
of questions growing up
and more than once the
answer to my questions
was, “Well, here Bub, let
me show you,” and a few
moments later one of my
three older brothers would
be laughing and I’d typical-
ly be rubbing another sore
spot or nursing my humili-
ation and embarrassment.
Cassidy is loaded with
questions each and every
day and his desire to learn
about... well... all things,
is somewhat astounding.
I’m guessing he gets
that naturally.
Your Hometown Newspaper
OPINIONS
The opinion page does not reflect the views of the KyNewsGroup.
LICENSED T0 SWIM
He’s also learning a lot
on his own, particularly
anything involving tech-
nology and video games.
“I’m a gamer now,” he
says with real pride in his
eyes as he manipulates
Sonic the Hedgehog or
a Super Mario-type char—
acter with one of his Nin—
tendo switch or tablet con-
trols.
“Hey Daddy, let me tell
you something,” he’ll say
about 500,000 times a day
when describing in detail
some new aspect of avideo
game or some trivial ob-
servation on life. “Daddy
when you get to this level
on Super Mario and go
down through your inven—
tory and then do this, you
can teleport to another
dimension,” he said while
demonstrating the other
day; Teleport to another
dimension, indeed.
When I was his age I
felt lucky to find the right
length of broken tobacco
stick to play with as my
make believe rifle and I
had a forked stick for a
pistol and a corncob for
a scalping knife, as I pa-
trolled the wild west that
was in reality the backyard
of our farmhouse at Mar-
tha Mills, and I didn’t take
any guff off of any crurnby
bandit roosters or Apache
warrior chickens neither.
Notice, earlier that I said
“broken” tobacco stick...
we didn’t get to play with
any complete tobacco
sticks in my day, no sir
doggy; There wasn’t any
days like that when I was
growing up.
I think I had one plas-
tic truck with only three
wheels that had been
handed down to me after
years of use by my older
brothers when I was Cas-
sidy’s age. But Cassidy has
his own room and it’s full
of Hot Wheels and build-
ing blocks and technology.
Although Cassidy does
enjoy technology and
videogames (he actually
watches a TV show called
‘Player Select’ which helps
him learn about other
video games. The people
who play the games are all
young adults in their early
205 so when Cassidy plays
the same games as good
as they do, he really feels
like he’s a ‘Big Boy.’) But
he is also very much of a
blossoming country boy
who enjoys spending time
in the great outdoors.
Throwing rocks into any
stream or especially into
Fleming Creek at the in-
famous Garr Pond, is one
of his favorite things on
Earth. And it should be
noted that his creativity
and his imagination aren’t
limited to either this planet
or this period in time, as he
sometimes expresses his
desire in possible future
career choices as an adult
when he wants to be, and
I proudly quote, “An Astro-
naut Firefighter.”
But, in the mean time,
in our current little corner
of the world, he’s eager to
start gardening this year,
and he had a pretty suc-
cessful year last year with
peppers, tomatoes, onions,
beans and flowers.
Watering plants and
harvesting vegetables are
right up there with the best
things in life, according
to him. That, and picking
flowers for his Mommy.
When I was his age I
was holding the back legs
of rabbits while my father
cleaned and butchered
them, but, as Amber is a
Yankee, Pacifist, Vegetari—
an; My and Cassidy’s hunt-
ing expeditions have been
zilch so far, although Am-
ber does dangle the prom-
ise of fishing adventures
in front of us on occasion
when we are both on our
best behavior.
And yeah, she’s a catch-
and—release fisherman at
that... But “Happy wife
equals happy life,” and I
am above all things a very
happy man and it’s totally
because of her and Cas-
sidy.
I have thus far success-
fully negotiated the un-
steady terrain of culture
shock between the three of
us in our little home, which
we share with three fixed
and fat female cats: Honey
Bee, Black and Little Bitz,
but in my heart and soul,
and much to Amber’s cha-
grin, I remain a Neander-
thal’s Neanderthal.
“We have some money,
Charles,” Amber tells me
emphatically once a week
or so. “So you don’t have to
hunt and we don’t have to
eat any animals’ faces.”
But, oh Baby, it’s not al-
ways the kill, it’s the thrill
of the chase that gets a
Neanderthal’s blood go-
ing; That and taking a big
March 18, 2021
bite out of some deer ten-
derloin that has been slow
roasting over hickory coals
and marinating in onions
and green peppers and...
and .... .. never mind, I’m
just torturing myself now.
If Cassidy decides he
wants to hunt or fish, it
will likely be game over for
Amber, because she can’t
deny our child anything
(neither can I but at least
I put on the conservative-
daddy front sometimes).
Cassidy does love chicken
and ham so the battle isn’t
all uphill in the hunting
and fishing department
Amber doesn’t push her
Vegetarian ways on Cas-
sidy and I refrain from
most of my Neanderthal
ways in his presence ex-
cept for typical guy stuff,
like preparing wood for
the wood stove and other
‘man chores’ like that. We
feel like Cassidy’s doing a
pretty good job at finding
his own comfortable path
in life as a little boy right
now.
He’s very healthy and
very happy and so too, are
we.
A lot of kids are growing
up pretty quick and losing
their innocence much ear-
lier than those of days gone
by, but if the Good Lord is
willing, and his mother,
and I remain strong, Cassi-
dy will enjoy being a little,
innocent, country boy for a
while longer. .
That’s the plan for now,
anyway.
By Cecil Lawson
I think it was ten years
ago this week that I re-
sponded to an online help
wanted ad for the Bath
County News-Outlook.
Things were very differ—
ent for me back then. I was
housesitting for a couple
in the Preston community
while they were winter-
ing in Florida. I had been
doing that. since October
from the previous year, and
they had recently informed
me they were going to stay
through April.
It was just my late dog
Max and me, and we had
survived a long winter,
mostly by ourselves.
In some ways back then
was reminiscent of the cur-
rent pandemic, where I
spent long hours by myself
throughout the day.
Back then, as now, I had
plenty to keep me busy, es-
pecially with writing each
day. I had just undertaken
a deep study through the
winter of Native Ameri-
can traces across this re-
gion of the stateand had
planned on a spring trip
to visit those sites. I had
also ‘started writing up
some of my research on
the Warrior’s Path, a por-
tion of which led through
Bath County. That would
wind up becoming one of
my first history articles for
the News-Outlook a few
months later.
. I had also published an
article about my grandfa-
ther in the Kentucky Ex-
plorer.
It had snowed a little that
winter and had remained
cold until March, when
things began thawing out.
I remember witnessing 'he
return of the. song birds to
the home’s back yard, ard
I kept close watch each
day as the sun morn'ng
light began to shine more
through the east-facing
bedroom window as it rose.
I had returned to Ken—
tucky just a couple of years
before that after finish-
ing up graduate school in
Massachusetts. It was the
Great RecessiOn, so find-
ing work in my field was
pretty hard. I got pretty
discouraged during that
time, as I’m sure a lot of
others did as well.
I was ready to come
out from that dark time
by March 2011. I had co-
cooned through the winter,
and a .new creature was
ready to emerge.
I remember meeting
with then-owner of the
) US 60 East road closure next week
USGOinRowanCountywillbe'
closed ONLY ON TUESDAY now -
one day only to reduce the lengthy
detours and other traffic impacts (like
avoiding the first day back to school) of
the previously announced drainage re
pairs. We still must dig through the road
and replace a pipe just east of Bramble
wood Lane (that’s 1.5 miles past Christy
Creek), and traffic won’tbe able to pass
But, the road will only be closed Tues
day8amto6pm,weatherpemritting.
Thanks to our highway engineers and
to our contractors with Frederick &
May Condruction who discussed the
issues and worked hard to adjust the
Francis Ray Reed passes
away on March 13, 2021 at
the VA Hospital in Lexing-
ton, KY. He was 81 years
old. He was a native of
Bath County, Ky' and grad-
uated from Sharpsburg HS
in 1959. Francis was an
Army Veteran, a longtime
reside of Lexington, KY
schedule. And, thanks.to you all who
asked us to ease the traffic burden. We
hope this helps.
The work is part of a $2.2 million
Highway Safety Improvement Program
project along seven miles of US 60,
from Brarnblewood lane to the Carter
County line, that will widen shoulders,
remove trees and other roadside ob
stacles, add better signage and guard—
rail, improve curves, and provide new
blacktop, amorg other improvements.
Two other culvert replacements will
also require temporary closures this
spring. We will announce work as it is
scheduled.
ROWAN COUNTY
wanna;
x.
Ciseee New faraway QM?
. US 6010 Close East of Morehead
For drainage repairs, detour via #64
OBITUARIES
FRANCIS RAY REED
and worked at manypro—
fessions, such as a courier
I ' driver and factory work.
After his retirement, he en—
joyed traveling and many,
many friends in Lexington.
He was preceded in death
by his parents, Mr. Rich-
ard ‘Dick’ Red and Mrs.
Ida Mae Jackson Reed. He
is also preceded in death
by 5 brothers and sisters,
Virginia Traylor, Robert
‘Bobby’ Reed, Mary Vivian
Reed, James Reed and Carl
Reed. A lifelong bachelor,
he is survived by his sister,
Beulah Griffith of Lexing-
ton, and so many nieces
and nephews, too many
too mention. He was loved
and will be missed by all.
Arrangements are pending
at this time due to COVID.
United
Gentry '
Rest Estate
5g ,.
. s
if“.
1.),“ .X
Land & Lifestyle Realty
Farms, Hunting 8r Recreational Properties
Robert Snedegar— Broker— 606-336-0494
www.unitedcountry.com
wwwrealtreeuccom
10+ billion of land sold in 2020
" Trim trees, cut down trees, grind
stumps and will haul off
Tear down houses, barns and will haul off
Cut driveway in ' Dig basements Clean fence rows
Drive fence posts ' Tear old fences down
Track Hoe work Skid Steer Grading Water lines
Mow around lakes onds and creeks '
MIKE MERS -
606.272.1 31 1
MARKO COPHER - 606.336.4193
A DECADE
newspaper, Chris Mage-
hee, who apparently found
me interesting enough of
a character to give me a
chance. He told me what
he expected from me, and
turned me loose to tail with
another reporter at the
time.
It was a crash course like
no other, and I’m not sure
I’ve ever truly recovered
from it. I’m still learn-
ing even today to not be a
workaholic or push myself
so much.
Some psychologists say
we spend the second half
of life undoing the mis—I
takes we made in the first
half. Having turned 50 re-
cently, I crossed that sym-
Moore's Ferry Pay Lake 3
Under new ownership
First Thursday of
March the lake will
be stocked.
Will open March 25th
By Mark Thomas
bolic threshold, although
,I’ve tried diligently for
years to mitigate the ef-
fects of mid-life regrets. “:1
still remain determined to
not be a crotchety old man,
although I’m sure my girl-
friend Lori thinks other-
wise at this point.
Ten years on the job
has given me perspective,
something I value rrright—
ily. It’s been hard won,
and there have been many,
many bumps along the
way. As one wise saying
goes, you don’t lose —— you
learn.
Try our Pancake Platter
Shrimp is BACK!
Try in a basket or individual
Rotassire Chicken
Bites are back!
Blizzard of the Month
Mint Oreo Blizzard
Don't forget to get you a COOL LARGE DRINK in
our LARGE $1.00 Styrofoam Cup
At Owingsville and both Morehead locations
NOW HIRING
Hiring event this Saturday, March
