SCC hoping for bigger, better Earth Day celebration

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April 15, 2008

By CHRIS HARRIS, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Tue Apr 15, 2008, 09:05 PM EDT

Somerset — Here on the third planet from the sun, human beings like to say that the third time’s a charm — and that’s just what what organizers of the third-annual Earth Day Celebration on the campus of Somerset Commmunity College are hoping for, after last year’s event showed potential for even bigger and better things.

The Earth Day Celebration — to be held Sunday, April 20, from 1-5 p.m. — is being hosted by SCC and environmental group East Kentucky PRIDE (Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment), with financial assistance from Kentucky Utilities. The goal of the day is said to be “to empower citizens to create a sustainable future by reducing our carbon footprint on the planet.”

Over 10 times the number of individuals participated in last year’s Earth Day Celebration over the first in 2006 — an estimated 400 Earth-minded citizens turned up, at least — and veteran festivalgoers will want to return to check out what’s new — and there’s plenty new, suggests Loris Sherman, SCC biology professor and chair of the SCC Earth Day Planning Team.

“We have many new activities planned this year as well as some returning events,” said Sherman. “We will have a nature scavenger hunt for the kids with small prizes for each one who completes the course. Kids of all ages will enjoy seeing a variety of living creatures such as snakes and amphibians, and hearing about the biology of bats, bees and trees. We will also have musicians performing at various times throughout the day.”

Just because there are fresh events on the schedule doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of things visitors will remember and want to partake in again. Once again, fitness fanatics can get off on the right foot as the day begins with “The Run for the Redbuds,” a one-mile fun run/walk starting at 1 p.m. The first 150 participants to register and complete the course will receive a free t-shirt from Kentucky Utilities and a redbud seedling provided by the Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association.

Jeff Brickley, SCC Wellness Coordinator, says that sort of physical exertion should work up an appetite for the food the festival will be serving — chicken sandwiches and vegeterian kabobs will be available for a light lunch while supplies last.

Another popular returning activity is one for those who have their head in the clouds — the planetarium star viewing. Every 20 minutes, there will be a show in the portable StarLab Planetarium from Morehead State University, a bouncy, inflatable structure much like popular diversions at carnivals but one which offers a youth-oriented message about how pollution affects the way people see up into the sky.

What’s new? Sherman put a spotlight on a couple of musical acts — including “indie” Christian-oriented The Charming Third and blues-folk performers Secondhand Smoke — which will be on campus to be heard by those at the Earth Day Celebration.

Additionally, at least 250 individuals will walk away with a reusable grocery bag made from recycled and ighly-durable Poly-Fiber material, thanks to Kentucky Utilities.

“You can recycle (the bags), but we hope that instead of doing that, people will get in the habit of taking them to the grocery store whenever they go,” said Sherman. “Because the bags are so strong, you’ll need fewer bags all together.

“KU is committed to helping each of us learn how to conserve energy and reduce global warming,” she added.

Among the other events availble to enjoy are:

• Kentucky Utilities and the Somerset High School PRIDE Club are sponsoring a light bulb exchange to encourage energy conservation in the home. One energy-saving compact florescent bulb will provided per family to be exchanged for a regular light bulb when they return home, while supplies last.

• Troops from the Wilderness Road Council of Girl Scouts of America will be at booths featuring activities related to the environment, including “Trashy Art” — that is, using items one would normally throw away to make art. Others will focus on tree planting, water conservation, recycling, and endangered species.

• For kids — and kids at heart — there will be kite making, seed planting and paper flowerpot construction. Carol Sexton of the Pulaski County Public Library will reading from children’s books with conservation themes, while parents can join in a GeoCaching activity to be led by community member Peggy Sherry and the Tree Identification and Natural History walk led by former U.S. Forest Service District Ranger Jerry Stephens. Soil Scientist Harry Evans will have information and hands-on activities related to soil conservation. PRIDE will bring a groundwater model to allow students to see how polluted water moves through a watershed.

• SCC faculty sharing their expertise during the afternoon will include biology professors Gary Sherman and Ray McDonnell presenting show-and-tell programs about bats and bees, respectively. Dr. McDonnell will bring the president of the Corbin Beekeeper Association for the presentation, and the public will have the opportunity to see bees at work in a demonstration hive.

• The Pulaski County Board of Education, with the assistance and direction of SCC biology professor Dr. Jesus Rivas and PRIDE Education Coordinator Jennifer Johnson, recently held a Green Month competition among its schools. Winners of that event will be announced and their awards will be presented in the Stoner Little Theater.

And that’s not all. Sherman said organizers “are still working on a few things that might develop” as far as attractions and activities to enjoy.

For more information about SCC’s Third Annual Earth Day Celebration contact Loris Sherman at (606) 451-6855 or e-mail loris.sherman@kctcs.edu or go to the SCC Web site at www.somerset.kctcs.edu for specific events, times and locations.

For Sherman, seeing the kind of growth the Earth Day Celebration has experienced in just its two years of existence validates the original concept behind the event.

“We had felt like Somerset needed this kind of activity, common in other communities, for several years,” said Sherman. “We want to focus on a phrase from the ‘70s — ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ — and teach it to our children every day.”

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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