News & Notes
Two music-oriented workshops set for Lexington in Aug.
Legendary guitar luthier Paul Reed Smith, one of the world's leading builders of custom and quality guitars, will be making an appearance at Willcutt Guitar Shoppe for a special event on Aug. 7. For seven years, Willcutt Guitar Shoppe has been the leading retail outlet for PRS guitars, and this event will allow customers the opportunity to meet Smith, hear about his history with the business, give feedback and get autographs. Smith will be joined by guitarist and producer Howard Leese (Bad Company, Heart) and David Grissom (Dixie Chicks, Allman Brothers). This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are encouraged. For more information, visit www.willcuttguitars.com or call (859) 276-0675.
St. Claire Recording Studio, located at 2640 Spurr Rd. (off Georgetown St.), will be hosting a recording clinic on Aug. 14 - 15. Famed Nashville engineer Bob Bullock will lead the two days of "auditory enlghtenment," covering topics from microphone selection and placement to managing workflow during a session. A very limited number of spaces are available. For more information or to register, call (859) 252-7272 or write to info@kyrecordingclinic.com.
ANA wins first place at Independence Day parade
The Ashland Neighborhood Association (ANA) took home the gold as "Best Neighborhood Entry" at the city's 2009 Fourth of July Parade. The entry, which won $1,000 from the Urban County Council, featured boys in "frontiersman" costumes, ladies in "period dresses," children with pageant-like banners featuring neighborhood street names, patriotic drummers and a cut-out of Henry Clay. While the ANA hasn't quite decided what to do with their prize - "We have about $10,000 worth of ideas," said ANA vice president Steve Stolz - they are hoping to put some of it toward an entry for next year.
South Limestone construction begins
South Limestone Street, from Avenue of Champions (Euclid) to Vine Street, will be closed for approximately one year, but conditions and closures will change frequently. Northbound motorists on Nicholasville Road (Limestone) wishing to travel downtown should follow the signage which identifies detour routes. Regular updates will be posted on a Web site dedicated to the construction, www.southlimestoneprogress.com, and questions may also be directed to LexCall 3-1-1.
As part of the $13 million project, the city plans to add street trees, rain gardens, corridor identity markers, as well as bury utilities along the route, repair or replace storm and sanitary sewers and widen the sidewalks and bike lanes - all in an effort to enhance the link between downtown and the University of Kentucky.
Southsider resident snags first and second in pie contest
Barbara Harper-Bach, of Stony Brook, was awarded first and second place in the July Great American Pie Contest in the Best Overall Pie for non-professional bakers category. Her Early American Chess Pie took first place and a chocolate variation of the same pie took second. "I nearly dropped when they told me I won first after I had won second. It was so exciting," she said. "I felt greedy. They'll have to stop letting people submit two pies."
Sullivan University's Culinary Arts Program supplied five judges for the contest, which drew 52 pies this year, up from 37 last year. The pie contest kicked off a four-day Fourth of July Festival in downtown Lexington.
Early American Chess Pie
Filling: 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tsp corn meal, 1 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp good quality vanilla, 3 eggs. Fresh grated nutmeg for sprinkling top before baking.
Crust: 1 1/3 cups AP flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup shortening, 3 Tbs. ice water.
Instructions: (crust) Whisk flour and salt together for crust. Cut in shortening (with pastry cutter or fork and hands) until pea sized. Stir in water one tablespoon at a time until well blended and forming together. Gather up into a ball. Roll out to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Flute edges. Put in refrigerator until ready to fill.
(filling) Use mixer at low speed for mixing sugar and melted butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low. Add remaining ingredients, beating just enough to combine. Pour into unbaked pie shell.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put pie in oven and turn heat down to 400 degrees. Bake 15 minutes, then bake at 300 degrees for 30 more minutes, or until done. Pie will puff up and center will not jiggle when jostled. Let cool before serving. Serve with fresh blackberries in the summer. (add 3 Tbs. of cocoa powder for Chocolate Chess Pie)
East End renaissance under way
A project years in the making, a cultural renaissance on Lexington's East End is now under foot. On July 16, excited onlookers stood by the ceremonial ground-breaking for the rebirth of the Lyric Theatre Arts and Cultural Center, the once-legendary jazz venue on the corner of Elm Tree Lane and Third Street that closed its doors in 1963. The building will serve as a multi-purpose space, available for music classes and performances, film showings and art and history exhibits, with a special emphasis on African-American cultural heritage. Set to be completed in fall of 2010, the renovations coincide with the construction of the newest Art in Motion bus shelter, located just across Elm Tree and slated to be dedicated o Aug. 2 at 3 p.m. The shelter, which will feature five 2-D art mural panels designed by Joseph Tiu and a sculpture by UK Fine Arts professor Gary Bibbs, is funded by private contributions and the Urban County Council's Neighborhood Development Bond Fund.
Real Estate News and Tours
Lexington and Bluegrass home sales up in June
Lexington home sales rose 8 percent in June 2009 compared to June 2008 according to the Lexington-Bluegrass Association of Realtors (LBAR). As of June 30, there have been 1,695 reported sales, totaling over $313 million. However, median sales prices in Fayette County fell 3 percent. For the Bluegrass region as of June 30, there were 3,404 reported sales totaling over $555 million.
According to LBAR, the central Kentucky real estate market continues to outpace several national trends. The latest published national Housing Affordability Index (HAI) was 171 for May 2009, compared to a HAI of 172 for the Bluegrass. An HAI of 172 means that the median family income is 172 percent of the necessary income to quality for a median priced home using a 20 percent down, 30-year fixed rate mortgage.
Home and kitchen tours scheduled for coming months
The Home Builders Association of Lexington (HBAL) is hosting the Tour of Remodeled Homes from Aug. 22 - 23. This year's tour will feature everything from small bathroom remodels to complete home makeovers. The tour provides visitors the opportunity to find a knowledgeable registered remodeler and gain information regarding current remodeling trends. This year, 18 projects of all sizes will be featured. Visit www.hbalex.com for more information and a listing of homes (click on 'Events').
The 2009 Kitchens of the Bluegrass Tour, with proceeds benefiting Child Development Centers of the Bluegrass, will take place Sept. 12 - 13. The tour offers a unique opportunity to view some remarkable kitchens in Lexington, of all sizes. Tickets will be sold in local businesses (Joseph-Beth, all Fifth Third Bank locations, Two Chicks and Co., Best of Flowers, Cabinets and Design, Co.) for the self-guided tour and go on sale Aug. 12. For more information, visit www.cdcbg.org.
New Businesses
Downtown Family Medicine has opened its second office June, located at 416 Southland Dr. The company welcomes all new patients and strives to provide comprehensive care for all ages groups, from newborn to the elderly. Patients with or without health insurance are accepted. For more information, call (859) 313-5130.
Snaggle Foot Dog Walks & Pet Care has opened a franchise to serve Fayette County including downtown Lexington, Chevy Chase, Hamburg and Greenbriar. For more, call (859) 963-2081 or visit Lexington.snagglefoot.com.
The Lexington LearningRx Center, located at 185 Pasadena Dr., was presented with the 2009 Customer Service Award at the company's national convention in July. Learning Rx Centers help individuals of all ages and performance levels by providing cognitive skills training. For more, call (859) 373-0002.