SPD to adjust traffic flow patterns for SomerBlast

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June 30, 2009

By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Tue Jun 30, 2009, 09:03 PM EDT

Somerset — If you’re planning on attending this weekend’s SomerBlast event at SomerSport Park, take note: The Somerset Police Department is making some changes to traffic flow patterns and parking lot accommodations this year.

Beginning at 2 p.m. Friday, Pumphouse Road will be restricted to one-way for northbound traffic from the Ky. 80 Bypass to East Somerset Church Road. Macedonian Way and East Somerset Church Road will also be restricted to one-way traffic westbound from Pumphouse Road to Lisa’s Way.

“The one-way system should make it easier to ensure that everyone who is departing the event can do so in a safe, efficient way,” said Somerset Police Public Information Officer Det. Shannon Smith.

Parking will be permitted in the field adjacent to Pumphouse Road and in the East Somerset Baptist Church parking lot. Overflow cars will be directed to park in the westbound lanes of Macedonian Way and East Somerset Church Road.

Police officers will be stationed at various points to direct traffic.

Fourth of July festivities begin at 2 p.m. Friday at SomerSport Park. 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.

A fireworks show will begin around dark.

There will be no parking on the east side of SomerSport Park near the Pulaski County Animal Shelter as in previous years because that area will be used by the fireworks technicians.

If you’d rather avoid the parking dilemmas, shuttle buses will be transporting attendees from Meece Middle School (off East Ky. 80 on Barnett Street) and the Pulaski County High School/YMCA area (at Ky. 39 and University Drive) at a cost of $1 per person.

Some individuals will opt to park along Ky. 80’s roadside to watch the fireworks display Friday evening. Smith says parking on the roadside is not prohibited, but he hopes families, especially those with young children, will be aware of the dangers of parking near a highway. Traffic will not be blocked on Ky. 80 during the fireworks show.

Admission to SomerBlast is free, although donations will be accepted at the entrance gate to help offset expenses.

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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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