Lexington, KY - I didn't grow up in Lexington, but every summer when I was young I would make the onerous journey, all two hours of it, to the city to spend a week or two with my aunt and uncle and two cousins, who were the same age as me. There were a lot of things here that I didn't have access to back home in Flatwoods - laser tag, a dollar theater, a locally owned record store and, of most significance, a pool within walking distance of my family's home in the Cumberland Hill neighborhood.
Being able to walk to that pool was a foreign and liberating experience for a young and impressionable man, my cousins and I weren't at the mercy of my aunt and uncle's whims; we didn't have to wait for a ride, we could just go. And we did - the majority of my time in Lexington was spent with pruned fingers, sun-kissed shoulders and a wet towel.
These days, the laser tag arena has been turned into industrial lofts for college students and young professionals and the dollar theater (at least the one we used to go to) has run its last reel, but the Cumberland Hill Swim & Tennis Club is alive and well thanks to the toil and gumption of some industrious and dedicated neighbors.
In this issue, be sure to read about the Cumberland Hill Swimming Pool Association, a group who banded together back in February to save the recreational facility for lotion-lathered children and teens for summers to come. Somehow they were able to rescue that pool, now a lot larger than when I was doing cannonballs off the diving board to impress all the young Lexington girls, from dire straits and keep the time-honored tradition of a Memorial Day opening.
Also in this issue, editor Saraya Brewer and I scoured the city for our summer entertainment guide, which includes over a dozen seasonal series, programs, festivals and events (with dates, times and locations) compiled for easy reference to make certain you don't miss out on any of the numerous festivities scheduled in the coming months. Many you are probably already familiar with, but I bet there's a few of them in there you didn't know about. Some of the scheduled events are right around the corner, so be sure to check the guide out as soon as possible.
Time and again I hear naysayers and wet blankets complain that there isn't anything fun to do in Lexington. I hope our guide stands as a stark contrast to that sentiment. Additionally, starting this month we will be linking to Saraya's culture and events-aggregating blog, Blueline, on our Web site, as a supplement to our Pete's List calendar. If you are interested in keeping up with culture, we invite to visit it regularly as well.
But summer isn't all about festivals and time by the pool. When the heat really starts to beat down on us, the summer is also a good time for kicking back in the shade. Just ask Linda Bies, whose home we profile this month - she enjoyed the shade so much she had her entire back patio reworked to include a roof. As a teacher for over three decades, there probably aren't many that appreciate summer more than her.