Special reports
GLASGOW — Dear Editor,
1. The problem.
Barren County property owners first went before the fiscal court on Oct. 6, a full 12 weeks ago, with concern that property values are being decreased by unregulated development in the county. Namely, dilapidated mobile home rental units.
The trouble is, a mistake was made when writing and typing county Ordinance 360. That mistake made a loophole big enough to tow a mobile home through. Ordinance 360 was meant to regulate uninspected, substandard units. The error allows 120 days for a person to come into conformance with the requirements — including applying for a building permit and obtaining a B-1 seal inspection.
If you stick build a house, you don’t have 120 days to get your building permit. You have to get it before you start digging or building. It seems that Ordinance 360 discriminates against folks that build homes in Barren County.
If the Fiscal Court did not intend to regulate the placement of mobile homes, why would they have bothered to write the ordinance in the first place?
2. What can we do about it?
First, if the fiscal court adopted an amendment to Ordinance 360, simply removing five little words – “for more than 120 days” — from Article 9, the codes people would be armed with the authority to order the removal of any unit that was placed within the county if there was no building permit or B-1 seal in place before it’s moved in. They wouldn’t have to wait 120 days with their hands tied behind their backs while another one of these units goes up next door to you.
Second, the codes enforcers want our magistrates to adopt the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) in Barren County. It has been adopted and is currently used in the Park City, Cave City and Glasgow city units. There is no ordinance in the rest of the county to address what are generally called nuisance issues.
The codes people feel that the IPMC has been a good tool in Park City, Cave City and Glasgow. The magistrates, county judge-executive and codes enforcement offices receive nearly daily complaints of these nuisance issues, but there is no way to do anything about them unless they occur within the Park City, Cave City or Glasgow city limits.
The IPMC seems to be feared because it would allow the “long arm of the government” to tell us what we can do with our property. The codes people feel that if we look at Park City, Cave City and Glasgow, there has been no such problem and there is no reason to think that it would be any different for the rest of the county. Sounds reasonable.
3. Where does this leave us?
We have given this information to the fiscal court. Many of us have asked our magistrates to protect our property values. We have come up with some very fair, simple measures. The great state of Kentucky says that protection of property values is the responsibility of our fiscal court.
Still, our magistrates have largely failed or refused to meet their obligation to protect the property values of all Barren County property owners. In these poor economic times, our property values are already being impacted by things like the mortgage debacle on a national level. Now, more than ever, it’s critical that our fiscal court step up and provide protections that only they are authorized and obligated to do.
There are rumblings that this is an election year and we won’t see any action on this issue in an election year. If you feel that the protection of your property value should be of primary concern to our mmagistrates and the fiscal court, their prompt resolution of this issue to your satisfaction should very well dictate how you vote.
We encourage you to call your magistrate and come to the next fiscal court meeting and tell him you want the IPMC adopted and Ordinance 360 amended. Our magistrates are not going to adopt Aany changes if you don’t show up in fiscal court and demand it.
Magistrates phone numbers as they appear on the Barren County Web site: Carlie Coe Jr., (270) 651-1100; Rickey Spillman (270) 646-4806; Carl Dickerson (270) 678-6047; Tommy Matthews (270) 453-4246; Howard Bowman Jr. (270) 678-4978; Charles Allen (270) 773-2364; and Billy Houchens, (270) 651-8443.
Robert and Donna Soper
Park City
Some things to consider about band uniforms
Dear Editor,
This letter was recently sent via e-mail to all Glasgow Independent Schools District board members.
I am e-mailing you collectively as respected board members of Glasgow Schools in regards to the Glasgow Daily Times article concerning Mr. Corey Bonds’ plans to change the competing uniform of the Glasgow Scottie Band. Being part of the fine heritage of Glasgow Schools and the Glasgow Scottie Band, I feel that, unless that article is in error or incomplete, you have been misinformed on several issues. Let me state that I do not know Mr. Bonds personally and mean this to be, in no way, a personal attack on him or his position. However, facts are facts.
First, Mr. Bonds made the claim that those who attended an announced meeting were all “on board” for this change. I never saw anything about any meeting such as this in the paper, on the Glasgow Scottie Band Facebook, or kiltedcorner.com. Perhaps I missed it as did many other Alumni and community members. I assure you, I would have attended. However, I have personally communicated with several current band boosters who are not in agreement for such a change. I also know of more than two students who disagree. In addition to them, there are scores of Glasgow Scottie Band Alumni and community supporters coming together in an attempt to keep this from happening. Our support page on Facebook currently has 426 members. We have also begun a petition that will be circulating and growing to show our support for keeping this band in the traditional uniform we have all come to reverence.
Mr. Bonds mentioned to the Glasgow Board of Education that the band boosters would come up with the money for the new uniforms. From the article, I was led to believe that the boosters had the money already or would raise it. Yet, one band booster I have spoken to tells me that only recently were they told that their bank account was very low, and that Bonds even suggested to the boosters that they could get a loan. I find that to be quite disturbing.
Next, Mr. Bonds’ apparent rationale for a move such as this is that the visual scores have been the biggest factor in preventing the Glasgow Scottie Band from making KMEA Finals. I have researched those scores and would like to place a comparison here for your review (judges’ ranks are in parentheses):
KMEA State Semi-Finals: Nov. 7, 2009
Washington County (first place): Music — 18.14 judges rank: (1); Music — 14.82 (5); Music Effect — 16.4 (3); Visual — 8.44 (2); Visual: 8.65 (1); Visual Effect: 17.2 (1). First place with a total score of 84.65!
Glasgow Scottie Band: Music — 15.58 (7); Music — 14.12 (10); Music Effect — 15.2 (8); Visual — 8.42 (3); Visual — 6.65 (13); Visual Effect — 16.1 (5). Seventh place with 76.07!
From the above post, you can see that one judge, indeed, scored visual quite low. Perhaps he was biased in some way. However, the music scores were, as a whole, lower than the visual scores. The two other visual judges ranked the band 3rd and 5th. The closest the Music scores came were 7th. When you average the Music ranks, the Glasgow Scottie Band was ranked 9. When averaging the Visual ranks, the Glasgow Scottie Band was ranked 7. To me, that indicates that the music needed work as much as, if not more than, the visual. It also indicates that a single judge’s score is being used as the springboard for a change that this community is not ready for. I also looked at the scores for the marching season. With little exception, this was the norm for the band this year from my point-of-view. You may find the scores for the marching season at http://marching. kyband.com/scores.html to view at your own discretion.
Another point that I feel you were misled on, is the age of the current uniform. The uniforms were replaced in the late 1980’s I received a brand new kilt my freshman year in 1989. They are hardly 30 years old. I would also like to point out band boosters during and since my time in band replaced uniform parts in cycles. For example, new jackets one year, kilts the next, smaller pieces the next, etc. It is also known that the current uniform is of a much higher quality than the proposed uniform and was designed for longevity.
If you do a “google” search of Glasgow Scottie Band, it will bring up a Wikipedia entry. The following is from that entry: “The Glasgow Scottie Band, traditionally wears full Scottish regalia as its uniform, and often includes bagpipe players. The band was directed by Charles B. Honeycutt for more than two decades; he later became the school’s principal, then mayor of Glasgow.” Also, on Wikipedia, the Scottie Band and its kilts are also mentioned on a page about Barren County, a page about the Highland Games, and a page about the City of Glasgow. The Scottie Band and the traditional uniform are further mentioned on several tourism sites as well! Incidentally, and no disrespect to other community bands, you will not find any other bands mentioned on Wikipedia from our local area.
With all the misleading statements from Mr. Bonds as printed in the Glasgow Daily Times and the stories that I am hearing from current band members and current band boosters who disagree with Mr. Bonds, I implore you to put an end to this entire debate by asking that the Traditional Scottish Regalia remain the only uniform of the Glasgow Scottie Band. The Alumni and community supporters on our Facebook page plan to organize and attend the next band booster meeting as well as the next school board meeting, GHS SBDM council meeting, etc. Whatever it takes to make our voices heard, we will do.
This is not “just a tradition” to us. It is a legacy. Glasgow, KY was “put on the map” because of our town’s heritage; that heritage being represented by the Glasgow High School Scottie Band.
Thanks you for your time. I hope that this letter was able to shed some light on the feelings of the Alumni and community in this matter.
Sherri Dale Hall Myers
Glasgow
It’s called private property for a reason
Dear Editor,
I read with great interest the article headlined, “Greer says codes must have teeth”
First you wanted to pass countywide zoning so you could tell us what we can do with our property, and now you want to pass the international property maintenance code so you can tell us how our property has to look.
What is it about private property you don’t understand? It means private. The citizens of this county own it, not you or the county.
You stated the county does not have the right to go on private property. That’s right, as I understand it a police officer conducting an investigation or serving papers, a utility worker who has the right to ingress or egress can enter your property unannounced. Any other situation, you are trespassing unless you are invited. Don’t worry judge executive and magistrate’s, you will not be invited to my property.
You stated that the county gets so many calls about people not taking care of their property. Do you ever think that is what the owner wants, or it is all they can afford? With today’s economy as bad as it is, you are trying to pass something that can cost the citizens more money.
People, it is all about control and money; and they want both. Do they want us to sign our property over to them and pay for the privilege to live on it? I do not know, but it seems that way.
I have no problem paying my county taxes for the services I receive, but this is ridiculous.
James Hawks
Glasgow
Celebrate mentoring month in January
Dear Editor,
The New Year can bring hope, anticipation, potential and a few resolutions for improving our lives. I believe it can also remind us that each of us as individuals, no matter our background, have something important to offer to those around us.
January is “National Mentoring Month,” a time when we can reflect on those who significantly helped us along in our life and told us that we matter. It’s also a wonderful time to consider how you may be able to provide that type of friendship and influence for someone around you.
If you’re not sure where to start, Big Brothers Big Sisters can help! We are a donor and volunteer supported organization that specializes in matching volunteers with children in our community. We ensure that volunteers from all walks of life can have a meaningful and fun-filled friendship with a child. Volunteers receive professional support and advice from our agency staff.
Recently, I spoke with a volunteer “Big Brother” who shared that people have told him he needed to sober up to the idea that he can’t save all our community’s youth, no matter how hard he tried. The Big Brother looked these people in the eye and declared “I’m not trying to save all our youth, I just want to save my Little Brother!” The great news is that even by being involved with just one person, you not only positively impact them, but the people around them, and ultimately our whole community.
Our youth need to be told that they matter and have something to offer. You can be the one to tell them by simply sharing everyday activities with one child. Volunteers, especially men, are urgently needed. To learn more, call us at (270) 781-1180 or visit www.bbbsky.com, and have a great and rewarding new year!
Brian Becker
CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central KY
