Page 2 - Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - The Gallatin County News, Warsaw, Ky. TheTheGallatin County NewsNews Scenic Gallatin County Established 1880 An Independent Weekly Newspaper Member Kentucky Press Association Winner, KPA General Excellence Award Charles G. Warnick, Publisher 1975-1984 Denny Kelley-Warnick, Publisher Kelley Warnick, Editor Clay Warnick, Advertising Director TerryTerry Combs-Caldwell,Combs-Caldwell, OfOfficefi ce ManagerManager BobbieBobbie Hendrix,Hendrix, Assistant Manager Manager MarkMark Gray, Gray, Sports Sports ReporterReporter Mike Dickerson, News Reporter Edie Bain. News Reporter SubscriptionSubscription rates: rates: In Gallatin In Gallatin and surrounding and surrounding counties, counties,$26 per year; $26 Elsewhere per year; in Kentucky,Elsewhere $28 in per Kentucky, year; Out-of-State, $28 per $30year; per Out-of-State, year; Senior Citizens$30 per receive year; 10%Senior off; StudentCitizens rate, receive $19 per 10% year off;(nine Student months). rate, Website: $19 perwww.thegallatincountynews.com year (nine months). Telephone: Telephone (859) (859) 567-5051 567-5051 • Fax: • Fax:(859) (859) 567-6397 567-6397 • Email: • Email: [email protected] [email protected] Kentucky Derby has long, colorful history As every blue-blooded Kentuckian knows, this Sat- urday will be the 138th running of “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”. Today, the Kentucky Derby is as famous for its spectators’ large, colorful hats and raucous revelry as it is for being the nation’s second oldest Thoroughbred horse race or the fi rst leg of the U.S. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Since 1875, the race — also re- ferred to as the “Run for the Roses” — has taken place at Louisville’s Churchill Downs on the fi rst Saturday in May. The race was the brainchild of Col. M. Lewis Clark, who toured France and England from 1872 to 1873 with several of the day’s prominent horseracing lead- ers. During his travels, Clark devised a plan to establish the Louisville Jockey Club and build the racetrack that would eventually be known as Churchill Downs upon his return to Kentucky. Over the following decades, the Kentucky Derby ex- panded and modernized, attracting increasingly large crowds of spectators. The Kentucky Derby Festival, a two-week-long citywide celebration that precedes the race, was launched in 1935. In 1952, the race was fi rst televised and two years later, the purse exceeded $100,000 for the fi rst time. In 1973, Secretariat broke the two-minute mark and still holds the record for the fastest time ever run in the Derby. During its 134-year history, the Kentucky Derby has come to be associated with several traditions, including the blanket of roses draped over the winning jockey, the playing of Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home” as the horses parade in front of the grandstands, and the drinking of mint juleps. While the raucous rev- elry takes place in the infi eld, an area inside the track that serves as “party central,” Churchill Downs’ cel- ebrated box seats, known as “Millionaire’s Row,” draw wealthy, well connected and celebrity spectators. Jolly Roger sighting Here’s hoping you pick a winner. Th e Jolly Roger skull and cross bones fl ag was fl ying over Gallatin County on Sunday but there were no pirates around. Th e fl ag was on the Belle of Cincinnati which was in Warsaw to Our Readers Write help Russell “Bubby” Hall celebrate his 90th birthday. Photo by Kelley Warnick Ham Radio is not Kentucky Commentary headed for extinction Dear Editor: “The fi rst quarter of Politics is king of Kentucky road funding Regarding last week’s 2012 saw a high level of To fully understand the latest blow- governor, but that hadn’t changed the old Beshear a reason to cancel the change editorial, “Things Headed Amateur Radio license up in the legislature and the evolution game of political back-scratching, favor- order, and that was the beginning of bad For Extinction in Amer- exam sessions . These of politics in Kentucky road building, trading and patronage that had gotten blood between Beshear and Williams. ica”, I disagree with in- numbers out-paced the let’s start at Manntown in southern roads built for 60 years. With the new So, it was no real surprise when Wil- cluding ham radio opera- 2011 fi rst quarter results Russell County, which was never re- power to approve and change the plan, liams added to the plan almost $27 mil- tors on that list. by 30 percent . Sta- ally a town (many Manns lived there) lawmakers had more leverage. lion for the U.S. 127 project and tried to As an amateur (ham) tistics over the last 13 but is where state Senate President After Paul Patton became governor force Beshear to sign it before the Senate radio operator and emer- years reveal that these David Williams wants to build a road in 1995, he negotiated an understanding would approve the transportation bud- and a bridge, so those points are the with legislators that was intended to give gency coordinator for are the highest numbers get, prompting the standoff that caused beginning and end of our story. due weight to the technical experts in the a special session. Gallatin County, I can re- that we’ve ever seen for Sometime around 1930, a com- Transportation Cabinet, who based road Williams wasn’t the only legislative port this activity is alive the total number of U.S. mittee wanted to extend Tennessee’s decisions mainly on traffi c counts, con- leader with big money in the plan. House and well. amateurs. Now there are Alvin York Highway northward as a gestion, safety and cost. Theirs is not a Speaker Greg Stumbo’s Floyd County is Allow me to quote more than 704,000 radio route to connect Chicago and Atlanta. perfect formula. It gives little weight to getting $79 million for a road to cross the from a recent report from amateurs in the U.S.” That would have been a more direct the potential for economic development. mountainous ridges that separate Right the American Radio Re- John Bennet route than those in general use today, For example, U.S. 127 is a major, feder- Beaver and Left Beaver creeks and the lay League: Hillandale but bigger places got the big roads. ally numbered north-south route with a Big Sandy River. The project will pro- In 1938, when Congress autho- 21-mile bottleneck at a huge tourist at- vide a modest shortcut between Pikeville rized a dam to create Lake Cumber- traction that is the largest lake by volume and Hazard, but at a high per-mile cost. It land, prospects improved. Wolf Creek in the eastern U.S. It’s a security risk to may be done in conjunction with moun- Talent show was a hit Dam would provide a river crossing have a highway running across it. taintop-removal mining to limit its cost, and put an end to the fording and fer- and number of acts was a Enter Williams, who became Senate but that’s a crapshoot. Dear Editor: ries. The Army Corps of Engineers president in 2000. In 2007, he scored The worthiness of these projects can Congratulations to all pleasant surprise. built the tortuously winding access a huge project to rebuild the two main be debated, but there’s no doubt politics the students who partici- Many thanks to the stu- roads to the dam site in the 1940s and highways in his home of Cumberland trumps fairness in the building of Ken- pated in the elementary dents and teachers for put- it became Ky. 35, but that’s the last County, and in the fi nal days of Gov. Er- tucky roads. There is no way to remove school talent show last ting on a great show! time any real road building has been nie Fletcher’s term won an $11 million politics from the system, but we should Friday. Stacy Tainsh done in northern Clinton or southern change order that made the contract even look for ways to make it less political. The variety of talent Sparta, Ky. Russell counties — despite promises bigger. over the last 65 years. Fletcher left the Road Fund with little Al Cross is Director of the In the late 1950s, when the road money about the time its fuel tax reve- Institute for Rural Journalism at became U.S. 127, which ran south to nue was slipping, giving new Gov. Steve The University of Kentucky Chattanooga, folks thought the fed- We welcome eral label would make improvements more likely. When Louie Nunn was your letters! governor, he concentrated on build- Mail them to: ing roads to and through his home- town of Glasgow. He proposed a toll Gallatin County News road from Elizabethtown to Albany P.O. Box 435, Warsaw, KY 41095 but when Wendell Ford was elected Or email them to: governor, he nixed the road. [email protected] In 1987, Wallace Wilkinson prom- ised that, if elected governor, he would rebuild U.S. 127 all the way to the border of Tennessee but he did not The Gallatin County News keep his promise. The General As- ©©2012 2008 sembly started taking a bigger role in [USPS 213-160] roads during this time. After Wilkin- 211 Third Street, P.O. Box 435 son crossed swords with legislators, Warsaw, Kentucky 41095 the General Assembly took ultimate USPS 213-160. Published each week except New Year's week at 211 Third Street, Warsaw, Kentucky 41095 by the Gallatin County control of the plan. News, Inc. Telephone {859} 567-5051. Periodicals Postage paid at Legislators had required a plan Warsaw, Kentucky 41095.