"
Businesses pitch in to rescue school
The rescue of the prized preschool program at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Center is the latest community cause to find a welcome on Manchester Street. Developer Barry McNees, whose renovated Old Tarr Distillery has become a hot spot for events ranging from the annual LexArts and Beaux Arts Balls to LexJam, has stepped forward to provide space for a multifaceted fundraising event in support of efforts to keep the preschool open.
The family event on Dec. 16 will feature everything from Santa Claus and gourmet food to performance art and Irish dancers. Pitching in to make it all happen are Langley Properties, Annette's Catering, Wood Concepts, Bryant's Rent-All, Hillenmeyer Nursery, Lynn Imaging and Cumulus Radio.
Cardinal Hill has for years shouldered an annual loss of roughly $650,000 to operate the preschool for rehabilitation patients and children with special needs. Hospital officials have determined that the losses cannot continue. They had planned to close the school on Dec. 21 but responded to an outcry from parents by agreeing to continue the program until the end of the school year, while taking a wait-and-see stance for the future as fundraisers commence.
In the meantime, parents like caterer and cafe owner Annette Jett have rolled up their sleeves. "We're going to have a brunch with an upscale menu. We're going to have a holiday shopping fair with different vendors," she said. "We'll have a silent auction, including a weekend rental of a Porsche. Jack Pattie has volunteered to be our Santa Claus. Photos with Santa will be printed on the spot and posted on the Internet with a password for those who want to order more for their families. Cumulus Radio is actually going to be doing a live remote from there. We're going to have Irish dancing and Christmas caroling. A lot of kids from high schools have volunteered to help with activities. Children's activities are going to include cookie decorating, holiday crafts and fun things like that." Jett added that a cash bar will offer mimosas and Bloody Marys.
The event is being organized by Friends of Cardinal Hill Preschool, a group of parents who don't want to see the school shutdown.
"The preschool is significant because it combines children who have don't have disabilities with children who do have disabilities," said Jett. "So it allows them to learn from their peers. I have a daughter with disability and I have a son without disability, and I want both of them to go because even my one without disability will understand that all children don't develop at the same level."
Especially valued is the preschool's integration of therapy into the actual preschool programming for children who do have disabilities, Jett said, so they're learning speech or occupational therapies while doing their everyday activities.
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. —3 p.m. on Sunday, December 16, at the Old Tarr Distillery warehouse located at 903 Manchester Street in Lexington.
Kentucky Chamber outlines '08 legislative agenda
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is making the improvement of education one of the top priorities it will focus on during the 2008 session of the General Assembly.
"Students are entitled to a world-class education that prepares them for today's globally competitive market and provides employers with highly skilled employees to do the same," said Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson.
On December 4 in Louisville, the Chamber's Task Force on Post-secondary Education will release the findings of a study launched in May. The study, which researched the strengths and weaknesses of Kentucky's college and university system, will shape the basis of the Chamber's public agenda on higher education.
Workers' compensation reform, health care cost containment, small business tax incentives and sustainable public employee benefits are also high on the Chamber's list of issues to address.
New night spot in downtown Lexington
Downtown Lexington's continuing quest to grow its nighttime economy will soon get a boost with the opening of Hugo's on Main Street, directly next door to Harvey's. The side-by-side venues are owned by the same proprietor, Avena Kiely, who plans French doors opening onto sidewalk seating during warm months.
"Hugo's is different from Harvey's in that it has more of a lounge feel, with private booths and a dance floor," noted Kiely. "We hope to gear it toward the grown-up crowd like Harvey's has — 25 and up. We'll have a patio and sidewalk seating.
"It's not large enough to be classed as a nightclub," she explained, "so I'm calling it an ultra lounge, since it does have a dance floor but has a lounge feel. My plans for now are dance music on Friday and Saturday nights and maybe a little more mellow on Sundays with live jazz or blues."
Kiely hopes to open the new venue before Christmas.
Foundation selects WEG legacy projects
The revitalization of the Third Street corridor, including the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, and a bike trail from downtown to the Kentucky Horse Park with possible public art and mini-gardens along the way were selected as priority projects by the Knight Foundation's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Legacy Initiative.
More than 200 Lexington residents representing a broad cross-section of the community participated in public workshops to reach consensus on projects that would leave Lexington with significant mementos of the 2010 international event.
There was also strong support for further community investment in the arts, with an emphasis on public art.
Organizers said their next step will be to break down the project concepts into achievable objectives and establish timetables. Efforts will be made to identify potential lead groups, volunteer experts and funding sources.
The Knight Foundation will support the implementation phase of the legacy initiative, officials said, and will also look for opportunities to partner with the community and local funding entities to make the projects happen.
Laura's Lean Beef wins major kudos in Advertising Age
Laura's Lean Beef, Inc. of Lexington is right up there with the Apple iPhone and Dannon's Activia yogurt.
The ad industry trade publication Advertising Age has selected Laura's, along with Apple and Dannon, as among the nation's top 50 marketers for 2007.
The magazine created the list to highlight companies with especially unique and effective brand marketing strategies.
Laura's Lean Beef said in a press release that its marketing strategy this year included:
A two-month WeightWatchers.com advertising campaign during grilling season,
A year-long direct mail campaign to the company's database of more than 350,000 customers and health professionals,
A targeted marketing campaign to dietitians and diabetes educators through their national organizations and conventions,
An in-store marketing campaign targeting moms and singles with quick, low-fat recipes available at point of sale,
A blog by Laura Freeman, founder, president and CEO of Laura's Lean Beef.
Freeman founded the company in 1985 with the idea of delivering natural foods to the mainstream using grocery distribution networks already in place. Today the company markets fresh beef in more than 6,500 grocery stores in 47 states and Canada. Company sales for 2007 are expected to top $150 million.
Leadership change at Habitat
Grant Phelps, who has served as executive director of Lexington Habitat for Humanity (LHFH) for nearly seven years, announced plans to refocus his work for the organization. Phelps will provide direction and help efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast, which is still in desperate need of housing because of hurricane devastation from Texas to Alabama.
Rachel Childress will succeed Phelps as executive director. Childress had served in a variety of positions at Lexington Theological Seminary and has extensive experience in Kentucky state government and held management positions with a local computer software firm.
Postal commissioner spells out new regs
Postal Regulatory Commissioner Mark Acton addressed local mailers at the Lexington Area Customer Council's fall meeting earlier this month about new regulations concerning modern ratemaking systems for market dominant and competitive products as proposed in rate case R2006-1.
Under the new system, which must be confirmed by the Postal Service Board of Governors, the Postal Service would be able to behave more competitively as a business. With rates related to the Consumer Price Index, officials said the new system would help control costs and keep postage rates reasonable and predictable by generating more efficient practices.
To read the final regulations outlined in R2006-1, visit www.prc.gov.
relocates headquarters to Frankfort
The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has moved its headquarters from Louisville to Frankfort.
The new phone number is (502) 352-2485.
Polls: Shoppers spending more money and time online
A survey commissioned by Lexmark finds that seven out of 10 people will do at least some of their shopping online during the holiday gift-giving season. 73 percent of respondents said they plan to do at least some of their shopping online this holiday season while 21 percent said they were unsure and only six percent said they would not be shopping online.
A Conference Board poll finds U.S. households will spend an average of $471 on gifts during the holiday season, up from last year's estimate of $449. In a press release, the Conference Board said the top Christmas spenders live in East South Central households (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee) who intend to spend $583 on Christmas gifts.