Entire downtown hotel, portion of another booked for WEG
All 367 rooms of the former Radisson hotel in downtown Lexington have been reserved for the duration of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010. The Alltech Festival, a coinciding series of music events financed by the Games' principal sponsor, has booked the entire hotel, plus a smaller block of rooms at the Hilton Suites at Lexington Green.
"When the Alltech Festival concept was developed, and (Alltech founder and president) Dr. Lyons determined the caliber of artists he wanted to present, it became immediately clear that the Festival required a substantial block of rooms to accommodate the artists' needs," explained Alltech corporate counsel and festival director Tom Stephens. "Often these major groups travel with huge contingents. As an example, a traveling orchestra may require in excess of 300 rooms for a single performance."
The downtown hotel will undergo a $13 million renovation in a partnership between The Webb Companies, Interstate Hotels and Resorts and an affiliate of Madison W Properties, Inc. Once renovations are completed, the hotel will join the Hilton chain.
"With both of these properties now under the same flag," noted Stephens, "the Alltech Festival believes it has guaranteed it can provide artists with the lodging they require during the Games, while also partnering with a revered company.
ACS Signs $100 Million Deal with UMass
Things just got even busier at the Lexington operations of Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (NYSE: ACS). ACS has signed a five-year contract, totaling $100 million, with UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc., a Worcester, Massachusetts-based hospital system, to provide extensive information systems services. Health Care Solutions is one of five ACS business towers under Tom Blodgett, executive vice president and group president, Business Process Solutions.
The contract will extend an existing six-year business relationship.
Under the terms of the agreement, ACS will provide a cost-effective method of expanding UMass Memorial's IT systems through planned deployment of servers and data storage based on the hospital system's specific IT infrastructure needs. ACS will provide networking, data systems, data center hosting, desktop, help desk, telecommunications, disaster recovery, and resource planning services.
The company is in discussions with the University of Kentucky to provide similar services on a far smaller scale according to ACS spokesman Chris Gilligan.
While on the subject of ACS -
As an incentive to its sales team, ACS is offering a BMW to the first person who closes a $5 million asset acquisition deal. And not just any BMW, but a 2008 328i - one of the best and most fuel efficient (28 mpg) luxury cars in the world, according to Business Week (September 27, 2007 by Jim Henry).
Economic downturn takes toll at Georgetown College
Citing a sagging economy and its impact on philanthropy, Georgetown College has permanently slashed 14 positions.
Nine members of the private college's administrative and support staffs were notified on Wednesday that their jobs have either been eliminated or converted to part time. Those terminated include the staff of former governor Martha Layne Collins, executive scholar-in-residence at Georgetown.
In addition, six unfilled full and part-time positions have been cut from the school's operating budget.
"We've had extraordinary gifts from friends and alumni in helping us meet our operating budget, but this year through the economic downturn, the stock market and everything else, the folks who have come through before just haven't been able to do so," said Jim Allison, associate vice president for institutional advancement. "It's not pleasant," he added. "We're very sorry that any of it has had to occur. But it does mean that at this point what we're doing is streamlining, taking a look at our budgets for the future, in the way that we do business."
"There have been some people hurt and I understand that," said Frankfort attorney Guthrie True, Chairman of the Georgetown College Board of Trustees.
True said he has been focusing on reducing the amount of donor contributions used for operating expenses at the college. "What we're doing is very much in line with that emphasis because this enables us to use donations to the college, particularly large donations, the way donors want them directed. If they want to endow a chair, that's fine. If they want to use them for building renovations, that's fine. If they want to endow a professorship or a particular program at the college, then that's fine."
Allison said enrollment for the fall semester remains on target.
- By Tom Martin
KCTCS and E.ON partner on college degree for employees
Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) and E.ON U.S. formed a partnership to provide E.ON U.S. employees, with line technician or gas operations experience, the opportunity to get a college degree while working for the company.
The new program enables eligible E.ON U.S. employees to pursue an associate, bachelor's or master's degree. The employees can use the technical training hours they have already accumulated for their jobs as credit hours.
Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship's Inaugural Student Congress
Just a year after the creation of the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship (HCCS), 51 college students representing all states and the District of Columbia participated in a week-long summer program, "Resolving Conflict in a Contemporary World," inspired by the values and ideas expressed by Kentucky statesman Henry Clay. Each student, appointed by their state's senior U.S. senator, attended lectures at Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky with presentations by international diplomats and those involved in statesmanship and international affairs, including former senator Nancy Kassenbaum-Baker.
"We want these students to have an experience and dialogue that will be repeated in dormitories and at dining tables across America," said former ambassador Carey Cavanaugh, who is director of UK's Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.
Nearly three-quarters of the college juniors major in political science and many have experience in public service and government. According to HCCS executive director Mindy Shannon-Phelps, the students left with a sense that they can make a difference and have a say about how the world continues to evolve. They also left with strong connections with each other: one Colorado student, Carlin Getliffe, volunteered to work on the Center's Web site (www.henryclaycs.org), helping to design a blog where students could continue to share ideas about statesmanship and politics, and Alex Bachari, a student from Arkansas attending school in New Orleans, volunteered to host the group's reunion in 2009.
- By Janet Holloway
Seminars offer info on construction law
Stites & Harbison will host four seminars starting in Mid-August and going through September (three in Lexington and one in Louisville) on a variety of topics concerning construction law.
The first session on Wednesday, August 20, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at AGC of Kentucky (950 Contract Street) will focus on how proposed Federal law will affect the construction industry. For information on subsequent topics and locations, contact Darlene Brown at 859-226-2242 or dabrown@stites.com.
A registration fee of $100 includes a copy of the book Kentucky Construction Law, a certificate of completion to use when reporting continuing education credits for license renewal, and a box lunch.
In creative economy, there is a free lunch
A luncheon seminar, Creativity: Attracting, Selecting & Nurturing Creative Workers, will be offered by Turbocharged Leadership on Tuesday, August 19, 2008, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Commerce Lexington. This interactive seminar will discuss aspects of attracting creative workers, methods of selecting them for employment, and creating a culture that will enhance their creativity. For more information, call 859-539-6882. The seminar is offered at no charge and includes lunch. RSVP to joel@jdigirolamo.com by Sunday, August 17.
Webinar advises dairy producers on surviving high feed costs
In today's economy, the cost of feeding dairy cattle, and any livestock for that matter, is skyrocketing and leaving producers in a tailspin trying to find ways to maintain profitability. DAIReXNET, an arm of the national eXtension Initiative, will offer a Webinar aimed at helping producers survive high feed costs at 8 p.m. on August 18.
Participants will learn how to develop cost-effective strategies for feeding dairy cattle in light of increasing feed prices. Each of three speakers will offer a 10-minute lecture and then take questions at the end of all three discussions.
The event is free; however, participants must have Internet access and an enabled sound card on their computer to hear the Webinar's audio. Go to DAIReXNET's Web page at http://www.extension.org/dairy+cattle for instructions on how to log onto the Webinar and how to view archived materials.
Bike courier pedals Lexington
Lexington has its first bicycle courier. Chris Simpson has launched Package Pedalier with the slogan "cheap, clean and quick!" He offers to pedal packages, food and anything else that can be carried on a bike to any destination within New Circle Road. "I have lived here all my life, so I know Lexington like the back of my hand," he said.
Simpson, who races bikes, said "I love to ride. If I can spend eight hours of every day on my bike, I'm happy." He can be reached at 351-4181.