RECC to host lineman rodeo

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July 18, 2008

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Anonymous The Commonwealth Journal Fri Jul 18, 2008, 06:31 AM EDT

South Kentucky RECC will play host to the 2008 Kentucky Lineman Rodeo, to be held in Somerset on July 24 and 25.

The Kentucky Lineman Rodeo is a competitive event that draws linemen, other electric utility workers, and their families, from across the state of Kentucky. It gives utility linemen the chance to match their skills to others from across the state with the focus on safety, enhanced job skills, job knowledge, developing inter-company relationships and improved teamwork and attitude.

The rodeo will kick-off on July 24 with a special exhibitor’s event at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. The exhibition, which begins at 2 p.m. EDT, is open to the general public, free of charge.

Approximately 40 vendors will be on hand, as well as rides for the children and other things to interest people of all ages.

Ruby Patterson, vice president of member services and public relations for South Kentucky RECC, says the exhibition and rodeo is a great experience for the whole family to attend.

“This will be a very ‘family-friendly’ event, and I would encourage everyone to make plans to attend. This will be a very educational, as well as enjoyable, trip for the children, and a great opportunity to attend an excellent local event. I would also highly encourage the public to make plans to attend the actual rodeo on Friday, July 25. It truly gives insight as to what a lineman does, and if anyone is interested in pursuing the field of line work, or attending the new lineman training school being constructed in eastern Pulaski County, this would show them what is involved.”

South Kentucky RECC lineman Barney Singleton has participated for many years in various lineman rodeos, including the state rodeo. In 2007, he won the overall individual journeyman lineman award and overall senior award at the Tennessee Valley Lineman Rodeo.

Singleton says there are several advantages to participating in the rodeos.

“Rodeos give us (linemen) an opportunity to match our skills with skills of other linemen from around the state or surrounding states, and it gives us an opportunity to observe different ways of doing various jobs. In turn, it also gives others a chance to see how we work. It also allows us to see new technology and equipment that is being developed or used in the field.”

More than 80 linemen are expected to compete, and this will be the first time that South Kentucky RECC has hosted the event.

The rodeo will be held at the co-op’s annual meeting site on West Ky. 80, 3/4 mile past the Fishing Creek Bridge in Pulaski County.

For more information about the 2008 Kentucky Lineman’s Rodeo and Exhibit, contact South Kentucky RECC at 800-264-5112.

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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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