Latest news with #Somerset-PulaskiCountyChamberofCommerce
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Time capsule buried by Chamber of Commerce, to be opened in 50 years
Where will we be in 50 years? That's the question that was asked at the ceremonial burial of a time capsule on the grounds of the Somerset Energy Center. The capsule was dedicated at the conclusion of Tuesday's Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce 100th anniversary luncheon, with the various attendees and past Chamber presidents migrating over from the building where the lunch was held — the Lake Cumberland Farmers Market facility at Citizens National Bank Pavilion — to the parking lot of the city administration building. The time capsule was made for the Chamber by local business Limestone Manufacturing and contained a number of items Clue solicited from businesses around the community, intended to give a snapshot of Somerset and Pulaski County as it is today. The capsule is scheduled to be opened in 50 years' time, for those alive and serving at that point to be able to reflect on what will then be the history of this community. The key to open it "is going to sit in the Chamber office — and hopefully the Chamber will still be around in 50 years," said Bobby Clue, the Chamber's executive director. "But more than anything, we're ... going to have Limestone Manufacturing build a really nice nameplate that we're going to put over (where the capsule is buried) once the grass grows back. ... It will essentially say some of the same language that's on the top (of the capsule), about opening this up in 2075. So that will be there as a constant reminder for people who walk by, hopefully for the next 50 years." So what was in the time capsule? For one thing, an image of the June Somernites Cruise stunt car jump over the Fountain Square with a note saying, "Yes, this really happened." Additionally, "a lot of the banks wanted to put unique things in there," said Clue. "I know First & Farmers put a penny in there, a brand new 2025 penny, because we've talked about eliminating the penny; who knows if that will even be with us (in the future)? ... A lot of different people have put fun, memorable things in this time capsule that hopefully will catch everybody's attention in 50 years." Food and beverages were among those things. Horse Soldier Bourbon included a special bottle of their product, and Clue said his addition was a McDonald's hamburger, to go along with a Twinkie, a product known for its temporal durability. "We've heard that Twinkies are indestructible; we'll see," said Clue. He also wanted to see how the hamburger would hold up over time; "We bought one, we put in in a Ziploc bag, and we'll see what it looks like in 50 years." Taking a picture of the time capsule District Court Judge B.J. Hardy takes a photo of a time capsule at the Somerset Energy Center before it's officially buried and covered over with dirt at Tuesday's dedication ceremony. The time capsule is made of coated aluminum, and is three feet long, 13 inches wide. Somerset Mayor Alan Keck spoke at the time capsule's dedication, while John Alexander represented Judge-Executive Marshall Todd in Alexander's role as Todd's executive assistant. "I've never really gotten in the headspace of thinking about what somebody will read 50 years from today, and it's a little odd for me to ... issue a challenge to a group of people I respect so much," said Keck to the past presidents. "You all led in our community, some of you ... before I was even in existence. A lot of you led when I was a kid. You're people I looked up to and still do, but I would ask that you think about what you want this place to look like in 50 years. "If you were writing a letter to Somerset and Pulaski County, what would it say?" he added. "What would you want them to look back and think about us and the work that we've done? And for me personally, it changed how I want to go about some things over the next weeks, months and years. ... I think that when they open this up in 50 years, hopefully what they see will will reflect that collaboration, that unity, that spirit (that local leaders display)." Said Alexander, "Look how far we've come in 100 years. Look how far we've come in just the past few years. I look over there and I can see it from here, the Virginia Theater is standing and open for business. I didn't think that was possible a few years ago. What are we going to be in 50 years? What are we going to be in the next 10 years, much less 50?" Tiffany Finley, one of the past Chamber presidents in attendance, was pleased to be on hand for the capsule's dedication. "It's wild to stand here and look at this capsule and know that in 50 years, I won't be here, or I'll be 95 at that point and who knows where I'll be, but it's just kind of special and it puts into perspective that our time here is short, and we need to do as much as we can for our community while we're here," she said. This time capsule won't be the only one being opened around that point in the future. Behind the Pulaski County Courthouse is a "time vault" place on November 11, 1976 to celebrate the nation's bicentennial, set to be opened 100 years from that point — 2076, one year after the newest capsule. The 1976 one was placed by the Somerset Woman's Club and the Pulaski County Bicentennial Commission. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State auditor gives account to Chamber luncheon crowd
One might not think the job of Kentucky State Auditor has a lot to do with children — but the woman in that role, Allison Ball, says it does. Indeed, she got her first taste of the power of the word 'audit' as a child. 'I remember going trick-or-treating with my friends (while) probably middle school age ... and one of my friends came in a suit and briefcase and on the briefcase, he had taped the letters 'IRS' and he went up to people's houses, and he would say the scariest thing he could come up with was 'Audit or Treat,'' said Ball. '(People) would laugh or giggle about it, but (I thought) 'There's something really scary about auditing.' That was what I picked up from that first encounter with my friend pretending to be an IRS agent.' The good new Ball had for the crowd was that her role in state government is not to audit everyday people as individuals but rather to protect against waste and abuse of taxpayer money, and making sure public entities are in compliance with the law. But in that role, Ball said, she finds herself frequently looking out for the interests of the youngest and most vulnerable in society. 'One thing that I have realized ... and I didn't expect, a lot of work that I'm doing and have done deals with the children,' she said. 'It's not naturally something you typically think of that comes to the auditor's office, but I've come to realize that's a big part of what I'm doing (to make sure) ... things are happening the way they're supposed to. 'It's not always about catching people doing something wrong,' she added. 'A lot of times, it's also about efficiency and making sure people are (engaged in) the best way to do something. ... It makes government better. It's exactly what you want — more transparency.' On Tuesday, Ball was the featured speaker for the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce's February membership luncheon, held at The Center for Rural Development. Celebrating the Chamber's 100th anniversary, the event also began a series of interviews with past Chamber board presidents that will run through the rest of the year; current president Laura Glover spoke with 2005 president Teresa Hail in the first videoed interview. Ball has been a fixture in Frankfort for almost a decade now, having served two terms as Kentucky State Treasurer before successfully running for the state auditor's office in 2023. A Republican and native of Floyd County, Ball was the youngest female statewide-elected official in the United States when she first took office as state treasurer in 2016 at age 34. Prior to her time in Frankfort, Ball spent four years as Assistant Floyd County Attorney, prosecuting child abuse and juvenile delinquency cases. That's just one of the many ways that Ball's career has intersected with the well-being of young people, and as she mentioned some of the significant audit projects her office has in the works, others came into focus. For instance, Ball said she expected an audit of the Kentucky Department of Education to be done this summer. She said recent numbers released by KDE regarding student progress showed 'everybody below mid-level on a variety of topics,' and Ball says the audit will seek to find out what can be done better — and may have a 'massive impact' on not just Kentucky but possibly other states as well. 'Right now, we're reviewing what they do on a lot of levels,' said Ball. 'We're looking to see the finances of course, because that's what we always do, but we're also looking at proficiency and efficiency and outcomes.' Another special project by the state auditor's office is putting a spotlight on Jefferson County Public Schools in particular, which could end up having an impact on the whole state, noted Ball, as the audit will serve as 'a wonderful model for us to look at' and other school districts may potentially look at the results to help their own students. 'We're looking at, how are you using your money? What's going into the classroom? What's going into the administration? What are the outcomes?' said Ball. '... We're also looking at safety. This is why I tell you, the auditor's office sometimes is limited to finances, but it doesn't have to be, and this is a big audit. We're looking at a lot of things, and we're going to see what's happening with school safety in Louisville. That's a great model for us to look at. They have an urban community; they have ... some rural areas. ... They have this whole mix, and we can see, 'Okay, what is the right way to make sure schools are safe (and) that the people that teach in the schoolroom are safe?'' Last year, Ball's office did a massive audit on the state's Department of Juvenile Justice that helped result in a current federal investigation, and she also referenced audits regarding water quality and treatment, and foster children in Kentucky — yet another intersection of her job and youth in vulnerable positions. 'There were several stories a couple of years ago about foster children sleeping in office buildings in Louisville,' said Ball. '... I had some concerns that this was ongoing.' That's despite information from the state's Cabinet for Health and Family services saying 'this was not happening anymore, it was limited to Louisville,' and other responses, as Ball recalled them. Ball asked the ombudsman — a position moved into her office from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services that has high availability to the public and a task to probe complaints — to look into the matter, and her office recently released a report showing that the problem still exists, and happens elsewhere in the state (Pulaski was not mentioned as such a county in the report). Plus, 'contrary to the impression that we had, it involved all ages. The average age was 13, but you had children as young as 1, 2, and 3 sleeping overnight in office buildings,' said Ball. 'This is one of those of those issues (where) you've got to find out what's going on so you can address it, and it needs to be addressed. It's a serious issue,' she added, noting that she's asked for a full-scale investigation. In fielding questions from the audience, Ball was asked if a lack of foster homes was behind the problems, and while Ball said she didn't have that answer yet, she said she suspected that was part of it, based on the state of Tennessee's investigation into similar issues, leading the state to raise the amount of money going to foster families. Ball said Tennessee also engaged the faith-based community more and arranged specific facilities for individuals who were difficult to house for a short period of time. 'We may have to do the same that Tennessee has done; it sounds like a pretty good model,' said Ball. She asked the luncheon crowd to consider what they're doing to help make a positive impact for younger people, who have 'great needs' different from those of previous generations, and to help empower them to 'become the people that they need to be' in life. 'There's a lot to be said about Gen Z, and the particular challenges that Gen Z is going through right now,' said Ball. '... There's a lot be said about the high rates of anxiety and depression that's coming out of Gen Z, but Gen Z also has tremendous potential right now. ... We have the opportunity right now to be impacting that next generation.'
