Light up the Lakes

The Patriotic Lighted Boat Parade in Grand Rivers has to be one of my favorite events of the year. I guess because it combines so many of my favorite things- lights, boats, the lakes, and a tribute to service.

This year’s parade is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 and the club wants your help in lighting the lake from shore to shore. This event is open to all boaters and vessels.

This year, CYC will award trophies and prize money totaling $800 in two categories; Vessels 20 foot and under and Vessel greater than 20 foot. Each category will include first and second place prizes for most wattage, most patriotic, and best display. There will also be a crowd pleaser award. The trophies are sponsored by Lake Realty and prize money is sponsored by Green Turtle Bay Resort. Judging will occur at the Grand Rivers Jetty by Lighthouse Landing.

So decorate your vessels with simple or complex lighting, and patriotic decorations to honor those who have given us our freedoms. Gather your family, friends, organize your pier or office, call your neighbors. Rent a barge; bring your small or large vessels with a few or many lights. Come by land or water and help light the lake from shore to shore.

Register before May 16, 2009 and be early in the lineup. For more information visit the website at cycgtb.com or contact Dave Rittenhouse, Fleet Captain at fleet captain@cycgtb.com or call 618-322-9312.

Not a boater? Join us Saturday, May 23 to view the parade at the Grand Rivers Jetty. The event time is dusk; around 8:45 or 9:00 p.m.

Quilt Man

Congratulations to Larry Krohn of Princeton, IN for taking top honors in the Grand Rivers Spring Festival and Quilt Show. Larry’s quilt won first place. Here are all the winning entries from the event:

Quilt People’s Choice Winners
1- Larry Krohn, Princeton, IN
2- Joyce Puffinbarger, Symsonia, KY
3-Kelly Culp

Wall Hanging People’s Choice Winners
1- Nancy Wilson, Arlington, KY
2- Joyce Puffinbarger, Symsonia, KY
3 - Bethel Downs - Benton, KY

Other weekend happenings included the opening of the Grand Rivers Farmers Market at Moodie Bait Company. The market features fresh seasonal plants from Local Livingston County Farmers.

And the CYC Blessing of the Fleet at Green Turtle Bay Resort. It was a gorgeous day, and the minister was the Rev. Dr. Evans. He used the historical blessings that were used particularly on the Sea of Galilee and he wore a stole that was handmade in Guatemala and used there for similar blessings.

It was another beautiful weekend at the Lakes.

In My Facebook Paducah Sun

Thank you Shelley Byrne of the Paducah Sun for including Grand Rivers in her article today on cities with Facebook pages.

If you are on Facebook, sign up to be a fan of Grand Rivers, KY. You can connect with Grand Rivers, find out what is going on, and read what others are saying - all on facebook.

Pick up today's Paducah Sun to find out what local cities are using facebook.

Quilt Show Weekend

The Grand Rivers Quilt Show opened yesterday and the Pats did an outstanding job of organizing the show and putting together all the to-die-for entries.

The show includes new and antique quilts and wall hangings from the Western Kentucky area. All of the awards in the Grand Rivers Show are Viewers Choice – the visitors to the show vote and their votes select the winners. Along with all of the beautiful quilts and wall hangings, the show includes quilt related vendors with fabrics, handmade items, embroidery, and more. My favorite booth is Miss Alma’s. She owns Days Past Antiques here in Grand Rivers and has a vast collection of antique and hand stitched quilts for sale.

The Quilt Show will be open through Saturday. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Along with the Quilt Show, Saturday is the opening of the Grand Rivers Farmers Market. They will begin the season with potted plants and they have a new location. This season the Farmers Market will be located in the parking lot of the Moodie Bait Company – a new store that just opened in Grand Rivers with bait and scooter and cart rentals.

This weekend is also the Blessing of the Fleet at Green Turtle Bay Resort. This event is hosted by Commonwealth Yacht Club but all boaters are invited to participate. To me the Blessing is the official start of boating season. Registration is at Dockers Restaurant on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

And, the weatherman is forecasting sunshine and warm temperatures throughout the week. Busy, busy, busy…it is a great weekend to be in Grand Rivers. I love my life.

Best of Show

Congratulations to our own Karen Dodson of Grand Rivers for winning Best of Show in the Woman’s Club of Paducah annual art show.

I am a big Karen fan. She is so full of warmth and positive energy and can make you feel better by just walking into the room. And she has talent, talent, talent. She is best known for her portraits; but I love everything she does.

Last year for my husband’s birthday, I commissioned Karen to do a painting for him. The painting was beyond my expectations. I love, love it. She captured visually, the affection I feel for home and family; the paining is the house my husband and I renovated together, my husband, and Carlee girl. I smile every time I look at it. I had a picture of the painting and showed to everyone for months. Now that we have the painting, I can't find the picture.

As the home of the Artist Relocation Program; Paducah has the fastest growing art district in the Nation. The Women’s Club Art Show has a 74 year history. I am proud that a Grand Rivers was recognized in the thriving art community of Paducah.

You can see Karen’s winning entry – and all the entries on display at Paducah City Hall through May 1. Exhibition hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Flawless

Recognize this beauty on the cover of the most recent 4Her magazine? It is our own gorgeous, talented, brilliant and very busy Ms Sara Minihan.

The article highlights Sara’s background and talents and also talks about the Variety Show and additional productions that Sara and her husband Bill produce right here in Grand Rivers at the Badgett Playhouse.

The fab photography is by Jeff Carty from Patti’s Photography Studio also right here in Grand Rivers. 4Her is published by KPI.

And Speaking of Birthdays...

Today is Mayor Tom's birthday.

I found this picture of Tom on the Grand Rivers Jetty at sunset. The same jetty that was in both Cosmo Magazine and Southern Living. Tom's hard work was key in the jetty project, as well as the walking trail, Badgett Playhouse, park, and more. Mayor is not a paid position in Grand Rivers. It is strictly a labor of love. I want to share with everyone the letter from Tom that will be published in our new visitors guide. It shares how he feels about Grand Rivers-

"Welcome to Grand Rivers, Kentucky; our village between the lakes. Southern Living Readers recently called Grand Rivers one of the best small towns in the south. I call her home.
I feel fortunate to have been born and raised here, married my dream girl here, and raised our son here. I am honored to serve the citizens and visitors of Grand Rivers.
This charming village is blessed with a rich history, two big lakes, an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities, and an immeasurable amount of heart. Our citizens give this small town a bigger-than-life personality full of celebration, compassion, and southern hospitality.
Grand Rivers has a special place in my heart, and I hope as our guest you will feel that connection too. Visit often. Connect with family. Make friends. Create memories. You are always welcome in my home. "

Mayor Tom Moodie

Happy Birthday to the hardest working man in Grand Rivers, our Mayor Mr. Tom Moodie.

Happy Birthday Grand Rivers!

On Monday of this week I found a paper by Mike Grimes on the History of Grand Rivers. The paper outlined the development of our little town by the Grand Rivers Company. The Grand Rivers Company was a group of investors from Boston and Nashville that saw huge potential in this area for profits in iron ore. This group developed a prospectus that outlined the potential and the plans for the development of a great city. Mike’s paper noted that the Grand Rivers city government was organized on April 8, 1890. It is kinda weird that I would read this paper on our birthday week.

I read part of the Grand Rivers Company prospectus and it seems like our founding fathers have a lot in common with our citizens today; they dreamed big and saw huge potential in Grand Rivers. Here is the closing summary paragraph from the prospectus:

“No enterprise was ever commenced under brighter auspices or with a more favorable promise of success. There is an assurance in every feature of it which commends itself to the judgment of all, of the grand results that must attend it and the feasibility of their accomplishment. The mines are there with their inexhaustible wealth, the rivers are there with their wonderful adaptability to commerce, the great West is there with its demand for cheaper and more reliable supplies of iron and coal, capital is there for carrying out its plans, and energetic action is there to bring all together in a unity that shall make the city of Grand Rivers a phenomenal success.”

I love it. Happy Birthday Grand Rivers. I hope I look as good at 118 years old.

Full Circle

I couldn’t have asked for a better day in Grand Rivers than last Saturday. As with any first time event, I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect for Stanley Walker Day. Well, the theater was packed, the music was outstanding, and we raised $2,005 for Kosair Charities.

The story of Stanley Walker day is bigger than our crowds or collections. It is the story of a man who used his talents and his day to give back. One of Stanley’s greatest loves in life is his music, and he has a true gift for playing guitar. On Saturday he shared his heart through his music with Kosair Charities. Kosair Hospital took care of Stanley as a small boy and he never forgot the kindness of this great organization. Stanley’s life has led him to a place where he could give back and help the next Kosair child. More than the amount collected, it was about the gift of sharing. Who knows what child will be helped with Stanley's kindness or what talents that child may have to share with the world.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible; WCCK and WCBL radio who did an awesome job with promotions AND donated t-shirts, Bill and Sara Minihan who donated the use of the Badgett Playhouse, Pat and Jack Jones who collected donations, Cindy Riley and Mary Ann O’Leary who sold t-shirts, Karen Ernspiker and Eric Churchill of Kosair Charities who came from Louisville to help us with the event, Jerry Carter, Thomas Michaels, and all the great and very talented musicians who provide the entertainment, our audience who donated so very generously to the cause, and to the man of the day Mr. Stanley Walker who used his day to go full circle and to help children through his music.

Extreme Weekend

Along with Stanley Walker Day and the opening of the Big Band Show, this weekend brings a new Adventure Race to the LBL Area.

Bonk Hard Racing is hosting the new LBL Challenge adventure race and they have 200 adventure racers from 19 states that have signed up to participate. This race offers 12 or 24-Hours of pure backwoods adventure racing in one of the best venues in the Midwest, the Land Between the Lakes.

Racers compete in teams and the 24-Hour course will consist of 40-60 miles of mountain biking on gravel roads, jeep roads and mostly single track trails; 15-30 miles of running, trekking and bushwhacking and 15-25 miles of paddling. The 12-Hour race course consists of 20-35 miles of mountain biking, 10-15 miles of foot travel and 5-10 miles of paddling. Both courses are completely navigation based; this means the teams must use a map (they get the map at registration tonight) and compass in order to finish the course.

I’ve never experienced an adventure race – never heard of one until I spoke with the organizers. These are extreme athletics and I look forward to visiting LBL over the weekend in hopes of seeing the racers in action. Or at least following along by visiting the Bonk Hard website. The race organizers plan to post to their blog and upload photos during the race.