City Clerk

HARRODSBURG - Pete Presley, representing the Mercer Ministerial Association and Rally on Main, requested that the downtown area be blocked for the March Against Drugs on May 10. The area would be blocked from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The street closure will take place between Poplar Street and Mooreland Avenue. Both Poplar and Mooreland will remain open for traffic, Presley said. The march also will cross U.S. 127, he said. The organization had already received a permit from the Kentucky Highway Department to close U.S. 127 for about 30 minutes.

Peggy Rose Walker Clarke, 73, of Shelbyville, died Sunday, Nov. 4 at Jewish Hospital. A native of Shelbyville, she was born June 17, 1934 to the late Ezra Lee Walker and Vella Caswell Walker. She lived most of her school age years in Stanford, was an administrative assistant in state government, city clerk for the city of Beuchel, and a member of the Eastern Star. She was also preceded in death by brothers, Robert Hanson Walker and Charles Leland Walker; and sisters, Leatha Walker Upton and Mary Ruth Walker Toone.

The Nicholasville City Commission held a public hearing Monday afternoon for the purpose of proposed use hearing regarding Local Government Economic Assistance program and the municipal road aid. No one from the public showed up to speak at the hearing. City clerk Roberta Warren said the city would receieve an estimated $9,000 from LGEA funds. That sum would be added to the $1,000 already in that fund for a total of $10,000. Warren said $9,000 would be earmarked for parks-and-recreation projects.

Dear Editor: I am Councilman Donnie Goode and I would like to share with the community of Junction City what really took place because this little town is a hard place to find the truth. I had approached the city clerk and was made aware after I explained my situation to her, that I don't have a business in Junction City because I am an agent for an attorney out of Louisville. I was made aware that I don't have to have a business license in Junction City. But sometime between me leaving town on Jan. 30 for a three-week vacation and the time I returned, it was quoted on the front page of the paper that I needed a business license and had been sent a first notice to purchase one. But the funny thing about the whole thing is that the letter of warning is dated Jan. 12, 2004.

Sharleen Rodgers has seen many changes in the city of Liberty since she began as city clerk 11 years ago. She has worked with five mayors and more City Council members than she can remember. She also has been involved in moving City Hall offices and records three times. A city clerk in a small town does more than just handle accounts and records. Sometimes things get a little hectic. A few days ago, she helped care for an city employee who became ill. She is always behind her desk at City Hall when the 20 city employees need help, and she's there on Fridays when the payroll checks are handed out. Her regular duties are to keep up with payroll and accounts payable and take minutes of City Council meetings.

STANFORD ? Selected only a few weeks ago to be the city's arts director, Sandy Swett picked an obvious target for her first project: updating the city's Web site. Swett said with the World Equestrian Games coming to Lexington next fall, it was important to update the site with a new look and important information to take advantage of increased, worldwide interest in Kentucky. "People coming here for the games are looking for information on Kentucky, and I want them to know what a hidden gem Stanford is," Swett said.

Dear Editor: I served as an elected official on the Harrodsburg City Commission for six years before moving to Louisville in 2001. On Tuesday, the Harrodsburg City Commission and mayor could take a vote to change the commission meeting to noon on the second and fourth Monday of each month. That would be a slap in the face to taxpayers. Monday at noon would be the worst time of the week to hold a city business meeting. As a past commissioner, I'll be the first one to say that at about 80 percent of the meetings in the six years I served as commissioner, there were very few people at the meetings.

Dear Editor, First of all, I would like to apologize for the confusion regarding the water rates and bills during the last few months. I understand large rate increases are a burden for our customers, but this increase is something that we were not planning to apply to our citizens. However, the city of Harrodsburg is planning an expansion on the water treatment plant; thus, our purchase price was increased by 40 percent, and we had to pass the adjustment on to our customers.

LIBERTY - The late Alene McAninch, a public servant most of her life, was remembered Wednesday by the City Council. She did a little of everything that pertained to city business. She even went as far as being a firefighter back when few women were on the fire squad. "She was on the roster more than 20 years," said Donald Wilson, chief of Liberty Volunteer Fire Department. She took part in required training sessions. Wilson said McAninch showed up at every fire. If she didn't help, she would bring coffee in the winter or cold refreshment in the summer.

PERRYVILLE ? Perryville City Council halted plans Thursday to enact a 1 percent payroll tax on city workers while a new ordinance ? which could include a net profits tax ? is drafted. The ordinance, passed in September, levied a 1 percent tax on all city workers who filed W2 or 1099 tax forms, including those who are self employed. However, City Attorney Bill Stevens said questions had arisen over complications in administering the tax. "Mona (Followell, city clerk) started running into problems we didn't anticipate," Stevens said.