Live music remains a part of SomerBlast

Local News

June 26, 2009

By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Fri Jun 26, 2009, 07:53 PM EDT

Somerset — What’s a Fourth of July celebration without a little pickin’ and grinnin’?

The Somerset Parks and Recreation Department decided that the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce’s annual SomerBlast event just wouldn’t be complete without live music — so director Joe Ford and his staff set out to find a variety of bands to perform at SomerSport Park throughout the day on Friday, July 3, leading up to the much-anticipated fireworks display that evening.

Earlier this month, the Chamber of Commerce announced that SomerBlast would hold its third annual event at SomerSport this year, but that, due to the community’s economic setback, no bands — neither big nor small — would be providing concerts there.

“We didn’t feel like we could ask for that type of money right now (from local businesses),” Chamber director Jack Keeney said at the time.

In previous years, the event has featured performances by local bands as well as by nationally-known groups such as the Kentucky Headhunters, Exile and Shenandoah.

The Chamber opted to concentrate its efforts on providing a high-quality fireworks display around 10 p.m. Friday, July 3. Several local churches and other organizations offered to provide inflatable jumpers, dunking booths, a cornhole tournament, and other activities free of charge.

But the Parks and Recreation Department felt that something was still missing.

“The Chamber opted not to bring music to the event this year, and we decided to pick up the ball,” Ford said.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to do something really big next year. This year, we did the best we could with such late notice.”

Six local and regional bands will provide a variety of music styles throughout the day Friday.

Reverend John and the Backsliders will perform at 2 p.m., followed by Jupiter Jones at 3 p.m. A band called It will be featured at 4 p.m., and Upstruck will perform at 5 p.m. Kelly Caldwell and the Mountain Connection will take the stage at 6 p.m., followed by Live Fish at 8 p.m.

The fireworks, Ford said, could begin anywhere from 9:30 to 10 p.m. depending on the bands’ schedules.

“Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, and make a day of it,” Ford said. Limited seating will be available on the bleachers at SomerSport.

The city Parks and Recreation Department, along with cheerleaders from local high schools, will be selling snacks, drinks, and other items, such as glow-in-the-dark necklaces. Families and groups are also welcome to bring their own picnic lunches.

There is no admission fee, although donations will be accepted at the entrance gate “to help offset expenses,” Ford said.

Free parking will be available in the Pumphouse Road/East Somerset Church Road area, or, for a fee, those who attend the event can park at either Meece Middle School, the YMCA, or Pulaski County High School and be transported to SomerSport Park on a shuttle bus.

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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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