Young People

Dear Editor, Customers are buying up items of different sorts, from houses to personal items, at a record pace. This, in turn, has created what we have finding us, the American public, in a financial crisis with no real cure. Yes, we can come up with a plan short term, to ease the crisis. But who is really going to have to pay, in reality, the real price tag of this crisis? The young people just starting out in life. That's who. Young people aren't helping themselves either, because they are following in their parents' footsteps when it comes to borrowing money and buying things.

Dear Editor: Please tell me that our city will not turn a deaf ear to the voices of our children. Every time I have seen in the paper about how the youth have come together to ask this city for a skatepark, I smile and I am filled with pride that they are standing up and asking for what they want. Please show them they have a voice and can make a difference. Build a skate park. Remember they are the future of our city. Michele Gay Lannum Danville

Dear Editor: I grew up in Danville and had an enormous amount of fun doing so. The problem is that about 90 percent of it consisted of loitering and trespassing due to the lack of any decent places for youths to go. The money is there, $50,000 to be exact, and the people on the city commission can't even figure out a place to put it. Where is the mayor in a situation like this? I bet if his son skated he would motivate the commission to find a spot. Come on Danville, build these kids a skate park and quit your bickering over where to put it. Doug Daugherty Lexington

You cannot step into an American community today without finding a lively conversation about educating our children. How to boost math and science learning, whether our schoolchildren are reading and writing enough, what constitutes a "quality" education - all of this figures in the national schooling debate and its thousands of local echoes. Yet with all respect, I believe this debate is missing a fundamental piece: a recognition that a well-rounded education includes the civic virtues.

Brandy Fisher had every reason not to dream. In 1996, her father shot and killed her mother, before turning the gun on himself. Brandy told a reporter recently that she was forced to move back and forth among relatives and was living on her own by the age of 17. In many ways, she grew up without a home. But she found one at the University of Kentucky - where her teachers taught and nurtured her and where she saw that determination and hard work can build a bright future. She found a way to dream.

Kim Ragland is the new Extension Agent for 4-H and Youth Development in Boyle County. It is Ragland's job to enroll young people in the program, find and train volunteers to assist the young people, support the Boyle County 4-H clubs and activities, represent the program at state and national levels, and develop more educational opportunities for the youth. "There is no end to the variety of projects available to young people through 4-H, and as a result, no end to the opportunities 4-H provides to help young people become everything they are capable of becoming," explained Ragland, who started Nov. 1. After receiving her Ph.D.

Dear Editor, We congratulate the Boyle boys and girls cross country teams on winning regions. That is the best showing by these teams since 2001. Coaches Grace Jameson and Donna Anderson have done an excellent job of building a successful program. Like the Boyle Cross Country teams, the recent successful experiences of Danville boys soccer, Boyle girls soccer, Burgin cross country, Boyle football, Boyle and Mercer bands and many outstanding academic performances by kids in our local schools have all taught young people in our communities to strive for success.

Whether it's landing a dream job, delivering a presentation or implementing community change, self-confidence is an extremely helpful personality trait for youths desiring success. Developing self-confidence from an early age helps young people exhibit more positive behaviors and can lead to positive career and life choices. For years, 4-H has aided thousands of young people in developing self-confidence through positive youth development programming. From speeches to gardening, 4-H offers hundreds of programs, projects and club activities that strive to build self-confidence in youth by building on their strengths and assets.

I had the pleasure recently of attending a performance of the Wizard of Oz pulled off with great skill by Danville High School students.  This community is truly blessed with talented and willing adults who are successful in motivating and bringing out the best in our young people. Those young people have demonstrated their many gifts.  May the arts continue to be funded by whatever means we can muster. Kathy Perros-Fuqua Danville  

The Christian church, often identified as a building rather than as the numeric total of those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, Redeemer and Lord is  witnessing the diminishing interest of those who make no effort to seek a group of believers with whom they feel comfortable.  All across America, the mainline doctrinal churches share the common denominator of falling attendance, falling financial support and falling outreach to those who have needs that need to be met with loving attitudes and welcoming embrace.

Please join us for our fifth annual 4-H Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 9, at the Boyle County Extension Office.  Hot, fresh stacks will be served from 8 to 10 a.m. by local 4-H youth and volunteers. In honor of St. Patrick's Day (and 4-H), youth can request our special green pancakes! Tickets are $5 per person and are available by calling or visiting the Boyle County Extension Office. Tickets can be reserved at the door to pick up when you arrive on Saturday morning. Call Mary Catherine or Cindy at (859)

Terrence Leo McDermott passed away peacefully Feb. 1 after a brief illness. Terry was born July 10, 1942, in Chillicothe, Ohio. He served a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy from 1959 to 1964, after which he began working at IBM Lexington in January 1965. He transferred to Austin, Texas, in July 1968 with the IBM Magnetic Card Selectric Typewriter group. He held several managerial positions in IBM Manufacturing. He retired from IBM in July 1992 and has enjoyed his retirement years, spending most of his time at the Austin Yacht Club on Lake Travis.

The Nicholasville City Commission's decision to hire Raven Warren as an administrative assistant was met with opposition from commissioner Betty Black during Monday's meeting. Warren is the daughter of Nicholasville City Clerk Roberta Warren. Black said she feels the city did not do its due diligence in advertising the position, and it eliminated candidates who exceeded qualifications. Black was the lone dissenter in the 4-1 vote. “I have nothing against Raven; I think she's a wonderful lady and does a great job, (but)

Nov. 23, 1987 The Winchester-Clark County Rescue Unit Ladies Auxiliary placed first in non-commercial floats in Saturday night's Christmas parade with its entry of a candlelight centerpiece consisting of a sled and candles, a snowman, angels, two lamplighters and six young people costumed as poinsettias. First place in commercial division floats went to Pioneer Federal Savings Bank for its version of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph having a candlelight dinner in the forest, prior to Rudolph leaving on his Christmas Eve journey.

A simple “thank you” doesn't seem to be enough for all the volunteers who helped with the Veteran's Appreciation event Monday at the Naitonal Guard Armory. Thanks also go to the sponsors, the veterans themselves, the committee members, the National Guard Members and especially Sharon Martin. No one will ever know the hours, days and months she puts into this event. We as committee members have an idea, but many thanks to her for making this event such a success. Enough cannot be said about Heritage Hospice and their involvement in making this event what it is today.

A pillar of soccer in Jessamine County stepped down from his coaching position Wednesday as East Jessamine High School saw both of its head soccer coaches resign. DeAngelo Wiser had coached the girls' program at East High for the past five seasons after coaching at Jessamine County High School and West Jessamine High School from 1992 until 2006. Tom Morgan stepped down as the coach of the boys' team after his fourth year. Wiser said his decision was influenced by “family considerations” and that it was the right move for him at this time.

Young people and groups that support their interests will come together for a rally Wednesday ahead of the Oct. 11 vice presidential debate. The Step Up for Kids Rally planned for 1-2 p.m. Wednesday on the Boyle County Courthouse lawn will feature speeches and performances by students from across the area in an effort to raise awareness about issues that impact and are important to young people. Ann Goodwin is community impact coordinator with Heart of Kentucky United Way. She said her organization took on a planning role along with Kentucky Youth Advocates, a non-profit youth advocacy organization, and the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit Every Child Matters Fund.

Dear editor, The board and members of Clark County Christian Drug Coalition say, thank you to the many individuals, businesses and churches that had a hand in praying, sponsoring, volunteering, donating or in making any other contributions that helped make COLLIDE! at GRC a huge success. We owe special thanks to the COLLIDE! at GRC coordinators and planning team. We also thank Chad Varga for investing twelve Sundays in our community to share with us his vision for such an event and for motivating so many of us to offer our services, time, and resources to reach our youth with a message of hope and purpose.