Benefit

Members of the Fire and Iron motorcycle club held a "STRIDE Ride" late last year to benefit the Clark County Associaton of Handicapped Citizens. The ride, involving 120 bikers, mostly firefighters, raised $1,650, which was spent on emergency evacuation cribs for babies and toys for children.

Dear Editor, Americans have given the Bush administration the benefit of the doubt for the past five years. On the basis of their track record, they are no longer deserving of this benefit. They told us Saddam's agents were involved in the 9/11 plot. Later this allegation was disproved by the bi-partisan 9/11 commission (whose recommendations they have ignored). Putting our national credibility on the line, they told us they knew the location of Saddam's WMD, which posed an immanent threat.

An auction to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims in St. Bernard Parish, La., will be 5 p.m. Saturday at T&L Variety, 812 Stanford Road. Items are needed for the auction, which is sponsored by T&L Variety and Emergency Communities, a non-profit orgranization. The money from the auction will be used to buy items such as diapers, cleaning supplies, and personal care items to be distributed to residents in St. Bernard Parish. The items will be distributed through the Emergency Communities distribution center in Violet, La. Household items, gift certificates, small furniture, new clothing and pehaps even a used car would be welcome.

Dear Editor: After reading the letter from the mother who was accused of abusing her child for administering discipline, I wanted to respond to her question regarding what the world is coming to and to reassure her that her actions were not only appropriate but greatly welcomed by many citizens including myself. I will answer by saying that this world and some of the parents today are still just children themselves who had no discipline themselves. I find that many parents are too concerned with being friends to their children than administering the love that is required to discipline.

The Boonesboro Lioness Lions Club is hosting its 19th annual auction and bake sale to benefit Hospice East, Friday, April 11 at St. Joseph Catholic Church Hall, 234 S. Main St. The bake sale will be from 4 to 6 p.m., and will feature home baked cakes, pies, candies, breads and related items. The auction will begin at 6:15 p.m. with Woodrow Wilson as auctioneer. Items for sale have been donated by businesses and individuals in Clark, Powell, Fayette and Madison counties. Items to be auctioned include a handmade clock, framed prints, country hams, Vera Bradley purse and glasses case, GE 6.5 quart slow cooker, garden statuary, smart set digital clock, ceiling fan, floral arrangements, therapeutic pillows, collector sets of presidents' coins, savings bond, UK floor mat, JIF peanut butter, jewelry box, various jewelry items for ladies and children, Yankee candle, clothing for men and ladies, lighted salt box house, ladies' and men's cologne, books, CD's, doll, family album and hospital memory book.

Kentucky released its 2007-08 schedule Saturday and Pikeville College will be the first unofficial opponent in the Billy Gillispie era, continuing the school's trend of playing smaller college programs during the exhibition campaign. Kentucky followers will get their first glimpse of the Wildcats' new coach, while former Mason County coach Kelly Wells and the Bears will get a chance to play in front of a full house at Rupp Arena. The game won't be just another exhibition game, it will be one that will generate a lot of excitement, especially from Kentucky's perspective and followers of the Bears.

MIDDLEBURG - The Middleburg School Preservation committee is planning a reunion and concert at the old Middleburg School on Memorial Day weekend to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the old school building, built in 1937. Everyone who ever attended the school along with their friends and families are encouraged to attend. Guests are asked to bring old pictures, yearbooks and other memorabilia to share along with lawn chairs. The reunion will be noon to 2 p.m. May 26 with visiting and tours of the school.

After an auction of birdhouses for CASA, some birds have homes that would be the envy of their fine, feathered friends ,and children in the program will be better represented. Jamie Etherton, program director at CASA, which stands for Court-Appointed Special Advocates, says a silent auction of 45 items, half of them birdhouses, made a profit of $35,000. The money helps train advocates for children in the family court system in Boyle and Mercer counties. It costs money to train volunteers and provide office support.

By Fred Petke The Winchester Sun Spending a night under the stars could help Clark County Community Services match a $50,000 grant to help local homeless families. A night of music, karaoke and food could mean the difference in some Clark County families and children having a home when school starts this fall. Judy Crowe, director of Community Services, hopes Friday's Sleepless in Winchester event will generate enough in donations and sponsorships to allow the organization to match the challenge grant from the Clark County Community Foundation.

A love of soccer, family, and the community has driven nationally certified coach Mike Vanhooser to offer free soccer clinics in Clark County. Along with former University of Kentucky men's soccer coach Sam Wooten, Vanhooser began the clinics to help Kentucky's soccer players "stay caught up" with the rest of the nation. The clinics are held each Tuesday at the Winchester Youth Soccer League Complex. With no model or program to base the program on, the clinics will serve as a building block to test ideas and build a new program.