Kentucky First Lady impressed with Pulaski County

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March 3, 2009

By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus The Commonwealth Journal Tue Mar 03, 2009, 06:05 PM EST

Somerset — Pulaski County’s new public library, the Somerset community and the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce apparently made a good impression on Kentucky’s First Lady during a visit here Tuesday.

“What a fantastic library you have!” exclaimed Jane Beshear during a brief appearance at a noon meeting of the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce. “You are very, very fortunate ... you raised the money for this fantastic building.”

Beshear appeared at the chamber session after spending the morning at the library reading to and observing first-graders ring the Literacy Bell. Students who read their first book to their teachers get to come in a group to the library and ring the Literacy Bell. Beshear read to the students while she was at the library.

“My day was made being with these young people,” she declared.

Beshear lauded the community for a petition-approved real property tax of 5.9 cents on each $100 of assessed value for the library. It paved the way for the library district to sell $10.7 million in revenue bonds to finance an almost incomprehensible rural-area library. The new complex on South Main Street opened last spring.

“You have the resources here ... the lake ... everything to grow and be vibrant,” she added. She praised Chuck Coldiron, president of the chamber, for his community development work, calling him “my hero.”

The first lady stressed the importance of individual responsibility. She said it takes both individual and community responsibility to effect change.

Beshear said her position as first lady “has been great ... we’ve learned so much about what we have in the commonwealth.”

A native of Bowling Green, Beshear is a businesswoman, educator and community leader. Presently she is an ex officio officer of the Kentucky Commission on Women, trustee of Frontier Nursing Service and an accomplished equestrian.

Beshear is currently trying to make the Governor’s Mansion more energy efficient and eco-friendly and encouraging businesses, schools and homes across the state to do the same.

The first lady and Gov. Steve Beshear have been married 39 years and have two sons and one grandson.

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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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