Little Bit Needs Your Vote

Little Bit is Pet #11

Little Bit is Pet #11 in the Gleaner's 2013 Newspaper in Education Pet Calendar Contest. All the proceeds are donated to Newspaper In Education Program, which provides funds to area schools to purchase newspapers. This program makes newspaper curriculum materials available to assist teachers and to encourage reading of newspapers by students, especially those who do not have access to newspapers in their homes.

You can make your vote count today. 

There are three ways to vote.

1. Mail in, postage prepaid your completed official voting form, along with a money order, credit card information or check (payable to The Gleaner Newspaper In Education) for the total amount of the # of votes you cast multiplied by 25 cents* per vote, and send to The Gleaner, PO Box 4, Henderson, KY 42419.
2. Call in your vote to 270.831.8393 and pay the total amount of the # of votes you cast multiplied by 25 cents* per vote by credit card only.
3. In-person votes can be cast by bringing your completed official voting form, along with a money order, credit card, cash or check (payable to The Gleaner Newspaper In Education) for the total amount of the # of votes you cast multiplied by 25 cents* per vote to 455 Klutey Park Plaza, Henderson, KY.

Voting ends at Noon on Friday, October 12th. So vote today!!!

I know Little BIt has lots of friends out there and she would really appreciate your help.

On This Date - Henderson History

On this date in 1930 - Henderson paid tribute to Mary Towles Sasseen as the founder of Mother's Day with an impressive ceremony at Fernwood Cemetery on Sunday May 11, 1930. Her grave was decorated with loads of flowers and a marker was unveiled. The principle address was delivered by S.O. Heilbronner, local attorney. To see more on Henderson's own Mother's Day Founder go to Netta Mullin's Mother's Day History from the Henderson County Historical & Genealogical Society.

Don't forget your Mother this Sunday!

On May 11, 1954, Leslie Reynolds, administrator of Methodist Hospital, was named by the city school board to fill the 2 1/2 year unexpired her, of C. Royden McCollom, who had recently dies.

On May 11, 1955, a twister-like storm hopscotched out of Union County hitting Morganfield with a "smashing blow". The storm made its way across the southern part of Henderson County leaving damage estimated unofficially at $125,000. The Dunbar School in Morganfield was unroofed causing injury to three children.

On May 11, 1975 it was announced that a  forum on collective bargaining for public employees sponsored by the Henderson Community College Chapter of the Kentucky Association of Community College Professors would be held in the Municipal Center the following Thursday. The forum was to provide everyone in the community an opportunity to express their opinion on collective bargaining. 

Special thanks to Frieda Dannheiser and Donald Hazelwoood for their History of Henderson County, published 1980.

More Henderson History - Mill Housing

The Mill Housing are significant historic structures. Located between 1200 and 1338 Washington Street in Henderson's Historic East End, the two story duplexes provided housing for the employees of Henderson's Cotton Mills. According to the History of Henderson County the Henderson Cotton Mills were built in 1883 and the apartment houses were built in 1885. The Cotton Mill also built a frame schoolhouse on Powell Street in 1885.

In 1922 Consolidated Textile Corporation bought the Cotton Mill and in 1931 they closed the mill. On April 24th, 1937 Bear Brand bought the cotton mill and resumed operations on June 14th of that same year. After 1937, Bear Brand gradually sold off the Mill Housing on Washington Street to private owners, but in 1941 - 1942 resumed the tradition of Mill owned homes and opened Pope Street with the construction of 14 new homes.

See the PDF scan on the Mill Housing from the Henderson Historical Homes Book published in 1985.
Mill Housing PDF

Special thanks to Frieda Dannheiser and Donald Hazelwoood for their History of Henderson County, published 1980.

More Audubon History

Frieda Dannheiser and Don Hazelwood's "History of Henderson County , KY" from 1888 to 1978 in 1980 provides additional history on the East End, including interesting information on the business climate. Please see the link below to download a PDF with more East End history.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwGWYup23ldYN01haFhpSHVrUXc

History of Henderson County, KY outlines Aududon History

Frieda Dannheiser and Don Hazelwood printed a lengthy "History of Henderson County , KY" from 1888 to 1978 in 1980.  Chapter XVII of the book outlines the history of the East End, a city within a city.

John James Audubon built a two story log cabin on a small hill which is now the site of Loeb and Shelby Streets in 1815. At the writing of this book in 1980 the editors report that Audubon had its own drugs stores, soda fountains, fire stations, barber shops, grocery stores, dry cleaning establishments and other places of businesses.  The population of Audubon in 1880 was estimated to be 60 people and 1889 the population had grown to 200. In 1913 the population of Audubon was estimated to be 3,200.

The industrial expansion began with the cotton mills which were built in 1883. The Henderson Cotton Mills remained in operation under that name until 1922.

The Audubon history in this book highlights the lives of several residents and important milestones for the community. The link below takes you to a PDF of just the sections relating to the Audubon area. It's a quick and easy read and probably has information that many long time residents don't even know.

Enjoy!

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwGWYup23ldYeDBRc0w3U2VERE0

House Renovations Are Put On Hold For Now

We spent nearly a year planning the renovation and addition for the house. The plans that Tim did are amazing. The kitchen that Suzi designed it exactly what we wanted. Unfortunately, we have decided that we will have to wait at least another year before we build. Cie Le Vie! But the project is shovel ready!!!

We did finish painting the outside. The house is in great shape and ready for whatever comes next. I guess I'll just have to focus on the gardens for now.

Finished painting  Spring of 2012

The Final Architectural Drawings

The latest kitchen design

I think we finally have a kitchen design that both Horace and I are comfortable with. Suzi has been great about updating the drawings. the new design has only two upper cabinets on the back wall flanking he Aga cooker. The current drawing has the 63 inch 4 oven Aga cooker, however, we are still debating over the adding the companion oven that will take the Aga to 80 inches. The expanded Aga will most likely result in the upper cabinets being eliminated altogether. But the front side of the bar and one of the side sections of the bar is all hidden storage. According to the cabinet maker it should give me about the same amount of storage as 17 running feet of upper cabinets.

The kitchen features a built in steamer that can be used to steam vegetables, melt chocolate for a fun dessert or keep cider ready on the cabinet for serving. The steamer will be a great party addition. There is also a built-in wine captain, a two drawer refrigerator and freezer unit and a two drawer dishwasher. The refrigerator and freezer in this design are two separate 30 inch units located on each side of the Aga cooker.

The House Today

It's hard to imagine all the changes this old house has seen. Just in the 12 years we've owned it there has been a lot of updates. But this project will bring this old house into the new millennium.

Nearly Final Drawings

We met with Tim Townsend today. He had the drawings printed on large architect paper. The project is beginning to feel real. It's hard to believe that we've been working, off and on, on these drawings for over two years. Horace went to the meeting with me and I was very glad. Tim spent most of the time explaining how the foundation and the floor joists and roofing systems were going to work. The span in the kitchen area, the hearth room and the portico are pretty large and without posts they will need some substantial beams, footers, etc. I am posting the next to the last drawings. We should have the final drawings soon!!!!!

Suzi's first option

Suzi's first option takes the cabinets to the ceiling.  It has a 60" Aga range, separate refrigerator & freezer units, a wine captain, drop down door microwave, coffee system, a standard dishwasher and a single dishdrawer.  There are 2 islands and 2 levels for seating - stools with 24" high seats & stools with 30" high seats.  The round top could be glass or wood - making it a focal point and differentiating it from the other tops. 

 She lined up the Aga with the opening between the islands so it would be visible and she flanked it with windows.  She put the prep sink in the corner so you would go from the ref., to the prep sink, to the cooking surface - a natural progression in preparing a meal.  She has pot & pan drawers flanking the Aga and spice pull outs flanking them.  The double trash cans will hold garbage in one and recycles in the other.  Suzi thinks the pull out towel bar is a must. The tall bookcase faces out into the living area, giving a decorative end to the cabinets.  The single dishdrawer is near the prep sink.  There are bars over the windows for hanging pots.  The wine captain could go under the coffee system instead of the microwave, making for a true serving/entertaining zone. 

This option would be the most expensive as far as cabinetry is concerned.

The door to the back yard is a glass door and provides a straight-thru view from the front entry hall out to the back yard.

Our First Kitchen Drawings

Suzi has been on vacation. She told me up front she wouldn't be able to start until she got back, but I was so anxious for the first drawings.

She has sent me three designs. Suzi tells me that each design is trying to show different layouts, cabinet heights, window placements, appliance options, etc.  Each option will have a floor plan with the basic details and perspective views.  She couldn't get everything I wanted in each plan but as we move forward we can figure out what's most important and needs to stay and what can go.  She didn't include the fireplace/pizza oven as they take up a lot of room and require lots of clearance (not to mention the pizza ovens are rather pricey). 

She suggested we make a few copies and write all over them - what parts we liked, what parts we could do without, what appliances are a must and which may go, etc. The plan was to mingle her ideas together and over time to come up with the perfect plan. It was a starting point.  She cautioned me that if we tried to take to cabinets up to our 13 foot ceilings that we were going to be looking at a lot of money.   The most expensive part of a cabinet is the door, so the more doors, the higher the price.  And with 13' ceilings it would require 3 doors as you go up, even if you do a large crown treatment.  

So I took the plans everywhere with me. If I had a spare moment I was studying the plans. I did exactly what she suggested, looking at the parts I liked and didn't like and tried to mesh the plans together.

Working with Tim Townsend to modify the design

The final plan for P&Z

Tim instinctively knew that the simple expansion wasn't going to give us enough room for everything Horace and I wanted in our new area. But the plans that he drew took too much space out of my garden, something Horace and I agreed was unacceptable. So one afternoon in the fall of 2010 I went to Lowes and bought engineering flags and tape and staked out my idea of how we could use the more of the side yard and less of the garden. It was basically Tim's design turned around a bit.

Knowing this is the last house we'll probably live in during our lifetime,we've spent a little more time making sure we've thought of everything. We wanted a bar area, expansive prep area, a cozy seating for two for dinner, a working fireplace, a den area, and a powder room. At least that's where the list started. Then  I realized I had the idea to add a driveway and a portico. Twelve years of parking on the street and carrying the groceries in the rain was beginning to get old.

After I got everything taped off I brought Horace out to the yard. He agrees it could work and goes back inside. I think GREAT! I call Tim and have him draw up the new ideas. The first drawing was short of what I had in mind, but the second on was right on. So I took the drawings back to Horace and he claims he had never heard this idea before. Geez! Men! Then I took him back out in the yard showed him where the tape had been several months earlier and showed him where he was standing when we discussed the changes. His memory was slowly coming back.

After Horace finally remembered how the drawings originated I told him the bad news. Tim says we'll have to get a variance because the new design gets a little to close to the street. This is where I am reminded that I am married to a former Chairman of Planning & Zoning. And tells me he thinks I'm making the project to difficult. But Tim's advice was sound. He said design the house you want and take the time and trouble to get the variance.

So I  ask Tim what do we do next. And thank goodness he knows the answer. He says call Dennie Branson. He's your go to guy. So I did.