Benefit for Peking’s ‘Sally’ on June 22 includes auction; more auction items needed

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Meredith Oakes, 10, (left) and her sister, Caroline Oakes, 5, are shown with the beautiful doll house hand made and donated by Joyce Clark to be auctioned to benefit a fund-raising event on behalf of Arceli “Sally” Nonato on Monday evening, June 22, at the Denham Street Baptist Church’s Activity Center. The event begins at 6 p.m. and includes food, music and both silent and live auctions. The Oakes girls are daughters of Dr. Rodney and Christie Oakes of Somerset.

June 15, 2009

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Anonymous The Commonwealth Journal Mon Jun 15, 2009, 02:48 PM EDT

The Monday evening, June 22, benefit for Arceli “Sally” Nonato who is so well known to Somerset diners from her work for the past 22 years at the Peking Restaurant, will include numerous auction items – both silent auction items and a live auction.

Sally suffered a stroke on May 20 and her many Somerset friends are working to raise money for her hospitalization and rehabilitation since she does not have any insurance. The June 22 benefit will be held at the Denham Street Baptist Church’s Activity Center (400 Denham St.) and will begin at 6 p.m.

In addition to the Chinese food being donated for sale by Peking Restaurant, and the live music being planned, numerous items for auction are being solicited from the community. Planners say that many more auction items are needed for the benefit to be successful.

“The first person to call me following last Sunday’s article in the Commonwealth Journal was Joyce Clark who has donated one of her gorgeous hand-made doll houses. It is just a treasure and I hope someone who appreciates both its beauty and Joyce’s generosity will bid high to get it!” laughed Gloria Sams, one three organizers of the event.

Sarah Cook (West Somerset Truck Parts) and Libby Chang (co-owner of Peking Restaurant) are also helping plan the event.

Some of the other items donated so far include a family weekend pass to the Master Musicians Festival, UK basketball tickets, a series of Lake Cumberland Kennel Club dog training classes, jewelry, two Chinese silk paintings, a very collectible Barbie, a framed weaving, several prints, profes-sional teeth whitening products – and more is expected during the week prior to the event.

Although anything which will bring a good donation is appreciated, donors might consider art, baked goods, hand-made items, collectibles, small decorative household items, travel-related donations, prints or wall art, goods or services of any kind, tickets to special events, a night on a houseboat, special clothing, weavings or quilts, pottery, music or musical instruments, jewelry, baskets, gift baskets with any variety of contents, sports-related activities or events, coffee table books, potted plants or gardening items.

Auction items may be dropped off at either the Kentucky Cancer Program at 501 College St., Suite C, in downtown Somerset or West Somerset Truck Parts at 381 West Ky. 80, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Donations may also be brought to the Denham Street Baptist Church’s Activity Center the day of the event between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m.

Donations may also be sent by mail with checks payable to the “Sally Fund” and addressed to: Libby Chang, Peking Restaurant, 1004 South U.S. 27, Somerset, KY 42501.

For more information contact any of the three ladies organizing the benefit:

• Gloria Sams, (606) 875-1442

• Sarah Cook, (606) 679-4829

• Libby Chang, (606) 679-2781.

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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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