Author Arnow celebrated by new commission

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June 21, 2009

CJ Staff Report The Commonwealth Journal Sun Jun 21, 2009, 01:22 AM EDT

One of Pulaski County’s most well-known contributors to the arts has a new champion for her accomplishments.

This week, Pulaski County Judge-Executive Barty Bullock issued an executive order creating the "Arnow/Casada Legacy Commission," to preserve the local legacy of prize-winning author Harriette Simpson Arnow.

Arnow was born in Wayne County and spent her childhood in Burnside. For a time, Arnow and her family lived on a farm located south of Somerset in the Keno Community. During the 1940-41 school year, Arnow taught in the one-room Casada School. The building is sometimes referred to as the Indian Creek School.

Arnow was the author of the award-winning novel, “The Dollmaker,” which was made into a Hollywood film starring Jane Fonda. Some of her other novels include “Hunter's Horn” and “The Kentucky Trace.” She also wrote several social histories including the popular Seedtime in the Cumberlands.

"Arnow's stories and novels are filled with the culture of Pulaski and Wayne Counties in the early part of the 20th Century," said local attorney Bruce Singleton, who will chair the new commission. "I don't think anyone wants to let the last remnants of her life in Pulaski County disappear. With the community's help, we can make sure that doesn't happen. Increasing numbers of people are visiting historic sites, like the Casada School, so this is an opportunity to add another reason for tourists to visit Pulaski County."

One of the first orders of business for the new commission will be to help preserve the Casada School. The building is located on U.S. Forest Service property near the Arnow farm in Keno.

Recently, the U.S. Forest Service had become concerned about the deteriorating condition of the old school building and the danger to people who might visit the location. One option was to create a photographic record of the site and tear the building down.

The building has been visited annually by those attending the 7th Annual Arnow Conference on Appalachian Literature and Culture sponsored by Somerset Community College. This year, one session at the conference, focused on the condition of the Casada School and its possible loss. During that session, those in attendance decided to take action.

Bullock, who attended the Arnow Conference, offered to form the commission in an attempt to save the old building, which is a potential cultural tourism site, from destruction.

The local Forest Service Ranger Fred Noack and local Forest Service Archeologist Randy Boedy, who also attended the conference, reported that they had applied for a portion of the federal stimulus money to "weatherize" and "warehouse" the Casada School until funds could be found to bring it back to its original state and/or move it to another location. That option did not materialize.

The new Arnow/Casada Legacy Commission has contacted Fifth District Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (R) and asked for his assistance in obtaining other federal funds for the project. Chris Girdler with Rogers' Somerset Office contacted the U.S. Forest Service and expressed the congressman's support for the project.

The chair of the commission is Somerset Attorney Bruce Singleton, while the vice-chair is Somerset Community College Director of Public Relations Dave Cazalet. Other members of the commission are: Somerset/Pulaski County Tourism Director Carolyn Mounce, Cindy Thrasher, Debbie Jones, SCC English Professor Lynn Crabtree, Wanda Worley, U.S. Forest Service Archeologist Randy Boedy, Pulaski County Judge-Executive Barty Bullock and Bullock's Administrative Assistant Tiffany Finley.

Singleton is in the process of gaining federal non-profit status for the commission so that donations to the project would be considered deductable charitable contributions.

The commission plans to meet on the first Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 7, in the fiscal court room located in the Pulaski County Courthouse.

Anyone interested in assisting with the project or in obtaining more information can contact any member of the commission. Singleton can be reached at (606) 679-9261. Cazalet can be reached at (606) 451-6756 or by e-mail at cazalet@windstream.net.

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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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