June, 2008
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Dr. Donna Snell Smith, who brought learning to life both as a teacher and administrator, died Monday in Lexington after a short illness. She was 78.
She was the wife of J. Phil Smith, Chairman of the Board of the First National Bank of Jackson, and her career in business was just part of a long and distinguished life that touched many people in Breathitt County and the world. She became Branch Manager and Vice President of First National in 1990, setting up a new branch on Highway 15 North and naming it The Lester Smith Parkway Branch, after her late son, former Jackson Mayor Lester H. Smith. Dr. Smith became a member of the bank’s Board of Directors in January 1992, and retired from First National in May 2004.
Her loss was deeply felt by friends and co-workers at both bank locations on Tuesday. “Donna was one of the most remarkable people I have ever known. She was a wonderful mentor to me when I began serving on the Jackson Independent Board of Education,” said Greg Lemons, who a Jackson City School Boardmember and President/CEO of the First National Bank of Jackson. “I truly enjoyed working with her at the bank. She was a perfectionist, and I was fortunate to have been able to learn a great deal from her. She was a true lady, and a very much respected one. I will miss her greatly, but she will forever be in my heart and mind.” 
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Under the shade of a picnic shelter’s canopy, people came to honor the family members they loved - and lost.
There in the heat of the afternoon, they gathered to express their thoughts, their feelings, and to celebrate the lives that were taken away from them recently, or from years back.
“It’s a special memorial observance that we open to the community each year at this time,” said Kimberly Eldridge, who’s the Development Officer of Hospice of the Bluegrass - Mountain Community. She and about 20 others came to Kiwanis Park last Thursday to help survivors share their memories of those who’ve passed on. “We feel like it supports the families, and we want to make sure the families have someone they can lean on in their time of need.”
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
A lack of available funding has cancelled the “Father’s Day Out” event this year at Douthitt Park.
The Breathitt Family Violence Prevention Council agreed to that conclusion at Tuesday’s meeting, held inside Jackson City Hall.
“It didn’t work out this year, because we couldn’t get the grant to fund the event,” said Scott Turner of UK’s TAP (Targeted Assessment Program) to those who attended the group’s monthly session. “We’re hoping we can secure funding so we can do it for next year.”
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
There’s nothing Mary Bowling likes better than playing a game of softball.
It’s something about the crack of the bat, the smell of the glove and the action on the field in the afternoon or evening that brings out the best in her.
“I just love it. I love softball. Lord, I’ve played softball since I was little,” said Mary inside her office last Thursday. A Senior Support Service Associate for 15 years at the Breathitt County Health Department, it’s said that if there’s a softball diamond nearby, Mary’s there. “I play Old-Timer’s League, Co-Ed League, and Women’s League down at the parks. Both Douthitt Park and Kiwanis Park. I play until the snow flies.”
But that passion for playing was almost stifled four years ago, when a routine checkup showed something that put chills down her spine. “It was in 2004, when my son Zach was in the 6th Grade. He was taking an end-of-the-year school trip, and I was going to ride the bus. That required a school physical, in order for me to be a chaperone.” She went to Dr. Clemente Zuletta, who had already checked her over with her physical. “At first, he said, ‘Everything was fine.’ Then, out of the blue, he asked me, ‘Do you care if I check your neck?’ And I said, ‘No’.”
In a recent article, my good friend James Fugate strongly implied that perhaps my opposition to Barack Obama and his radical associates might be motivated by racism and religious prejudices. His attempt, however, to introduce racism and religious bigotry into this campaign will not camouflage nor divert the facts that Barack Obama and his radical associates are the most radical and racist individuals that have ever sought the presidency of the United States. As parents and teachers we advise young folks they become and are known by the company they keep. This is also true for adults as well. Contrary to what Obama is now saying, about his former associates, for political expediency, he and his associates are not your average patriotic American Joe, seeking the presidency of the United States. Let’s review only a few of his friends.
Last week in the Cincinnati Enquirer, tucked away in a minor news column, was an article about a Judge in California who had a picture on his web site of an aroused farm animal pursuing a human. He had apparently put it there as a joke, but when a blogger picked up the story, he blocked access to his location.
To be sure, there have been crude jokes about bestiality that circulate from time to time, and there is no doubt that it has occurred and will continue to occur. But the startling dimension to this episode is our acceptance of deviance as normal, that there is neither right nor wrong, that it matters not what one does if he or she does not get caught. And, to have a judge, who is supposed to be a pillar of our society, engage, even on a humorous level, lends an acceptance to this practice that is discomfiting, to say the least.
During the Democratic Primaries, an issue that kept echoing throughout the media and debates between the candidates is talking (negotiating) with countries without “preconditions.” Now, we all heard this word so much I’m sure you were just as sick of it as I was. However, they never mentioned what those preconditions would or could be.
In any relationship, whether it be personal, business, or (in this case) country to country, communication is the key. Without communication, everything seems to break down. Things become misunderstood, people become offended, and before you know it you have a fight on your hands and have no idea why. Communication is vital to success. That being said, opening talks with other countries is very important to regaining trust and friendship with other countries.
For the past few years the Supreme Court has upheld Bush in most court cases brought against his administration’s unconstitutional acts. Since 9-11, the Bush Administration has claimed the right to change the laws to fit their wants in the name of homeland security. If the Constitution was standing in the way, his Congress only had to change the law. The Supreme Court has bent over backward to rule most controversial cases in Bush’s favor. One issue which the Court has held rather firm on is the Guantanamo prison camp and the rights of the detainees being squandered.
Seldom was his name called; when it was, it was usually the last one uttered—with disdain. The young fellow hated the process of choosing up teams, since he was the one nobody wanted in their lineup. He was always the last one taken, if taken at all. In all reality, he wasn’t very athletic…the process simply drew attention to that fact.
Regardless of his attempts to get their attention, hardly would any of his teammates throw him the ball; when they did, it was a last resort. He basically just took up space. When he did eventually find the ball in his hands, his teammates were more than eager to get it back. On the playground his name was synonymous with failure, ineptness, incompetence and hopelessness.
“God gives us richly all things to enjoy”. The birds at Slick Rock Hollow offer endless enjoyment and entertainment. Several new sightings: I hear but seldom see, a Yellow Billed Cuckoo. “Caw! Caw! Caw!” With a Kentucky accent. I think he is gorging on Cicadas. And I saw a Gnat Catcher, a pretty little thing, flitting around like a butterfly, catching those tiny gnats and flies. Also, a pair of Cedar Waxwings are building a nest in the Maple Tree, within sight from my deck chair! I told them it’s a little late to be building, isn’t it?
