Friends
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FRIENDS OF MCCONNELL SPRINGS
Volume 21 Issue 1
Spring 2015
Annual Wine Barrel Tasting Taking Place in March
Hopefully the long winter is behind us
and it’s time to get rid of the “cabin fever blues” and take a ride in the country.
What better way to do this than participating in the 8th Annual Wine Barrel
Tasting for the Springs sponsored by
The Friends of McConnell Springs.
The event will take place on Saturday,
March 28, 2015 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
at 16 participating wineries. Many of
you have been loyal followers through
the years and we appreciate your support. For those who are new to the
scene, a short explanation. Participants
go to any of the participating wineries
to sample a barrel tasting
of wine ready for bottling.
You choose your own
starting point. For a $20/
person fee one receives
a commemorative glass
and entrance to the barrel tasting. Proceeds go
to McConnell Springs for
educational purposes and
preservation and restoration of the park. For more
Participants enjoying the 2014 Wine Barrel Tasting.
information and directions
to the wineries check out
our website at www.mcconnellsprings.org or call 859.272.0682. We
look forward to seeing you soon!!
Celebrating the Founding of Lexington in May
In a little over two months from now our 21st
Founders’ Day celebration at Lexington’s McConnell Springs Park will be coming up on Saturday,
May 16.
Two hundred forty
years ago
Lexington
and the
Bluegrass
area was
a savanna
wooded/
grassland
a “wonderland” to pioneering settlers who migrated
west seeking freedom and the chance to become
property owners. You can experience the life of
1775 for yourself by visiting Founders’ Day at McConnell Springs. We celebrate this day because,
Inside:
according to history, William McConnell and a group
of explorers were camping in the area when word
came that the colonists had won their first battle of
the Revolutionary War at Lexington, Mass. In honor
of that victory, the explorers named the site Lexington in 1779 when the town was founded.
The Founders’ Day event will be held from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. During our event we will be putting the
finishing touches on our recreation pioneer cabin
that was started two years ago. There will be music;
entertainment; guided tours of the park; colonial
crafts such as blacksmithing, woodworking, quilt
making, weaving, colonial knitting exhibit, colonial
tools, Indian artifacts and children’s activities; and a
special encampment re-enactment of pioneers who
are actually building a primitive log cabin of the type
utilized for land titles and the very colorful Kentucky
Society of Colonial Wars Drum, Fife & Flag Color
Guard.
Dear Friends, Irish Homecoming
(continued on page 6)
Friends of
Dear Friends...
John Kiefer, Chair
Welcome To Our New Chair.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Committee
Isabel Yates, Chair Emeritus
John Kiefer, Chair
Jim Rebmann, Vice Chair
Richard A. Mathy, Treasurer
Charlie Boland, Secretary
Standing Committees
Steven Rogers, Education
Annette Mathy, Events
Richard A. Mathy, Fundraising
B. J. Webb, Nominating
Reneé Williams, Promotions
& Newsletter Editor
Michael Galavotti,
Site Development
Annette Mathy, Volunteers
Jamie Millard, Webpage
At-Large Board Members
Peter Andrew
Sherrell Brown
Jon Hagee
Kelly Keefe
John Kiefer
Elizabeth Maybrier
Doug McLaren
Doc Muzzy
Franklin D. Thompson
Parks Representative
Steven Rogers
Naturalist
Steven Rogers
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Helen C. Alexander
Bill Allen
Tucker Ballinger
Bruce Cotton
Mrs. Norwood Cowgill, Jr.
Lou DeLuca
Thomas P. Dupree
Lillian B. Gentry
Bo Henry
Barbara Hulette
Tim Kelly
Freda Klotter
James Klotter
Susan Lancho
Gloria Martin
Jennifer Mattingly
Pam Miller
Roy W. Mundy II
Carolyn Murray-Wooley
Jacqueline Noonan
Greg Padgett
H. Foster Pettit
Susan Ridenour
Charles W. Stewart
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I hope you
survived the
deep freeze of
the past few weeks. Predictions are
that there is at least one more round
of polar freeze with sleet and snow to
come. But take heart. We have some
great events planned that will help you
warm up as we head into spring. Yes,
it really is coming.
Please check the newsletter for our
upcoming speakers series. Jon Hagge
has put together a great lineup of
authors.
On March 21 we have our Junior
Naturalist program, at 10 a.m., -animal
tracks- for youth K-5th grade. Learn
how to find and identify the tracks that
they leave behind. Call the park at
225-4073 to register.
Then on March 28 we have our 8th
Annual Wine Barrel Tasting. Annette
Mathy has lined up 16 great wineries
for you to visit and taste their samples
of wine in the barrel just before bottling. For $20 you can visit as many
of the wineries that you wish and
receive a souvenir glass. You can’t afford to
miss it, so call some friends and sample some
of Kentucky’s great wines. Call 859-272-0682
for information.
Mark your calendars for the 21st annual
celebration of the Founding of Lexington on
May 16. See historic reenactments, storytellers, musical entertainment, craft booths like
woodcarving, and park tours including a geology walk. And while you have your calendar
handy, don’t forget to check off June 9, the
start of the “History to Chew On” series which
leads off with Charles H. Bogart and Guarding the Kentucky Central Railroad 1861-1865.
This is an exciting story about the railroad for
Camp Nelson, attacked twice by John Hunt
Morgan’s raiders. The Battle of Cynthiana
centered around the protection of the Kentucky
Central. Got your attention yet? Keep up with
all these series and events and more on our
website www.mcconnellsprings.org or call the
number above. If you would like to contribute
to our endowment fund for maintenance and
expansion of the Science Center please submit
your gift to McConnell Springs, P.O. Box 12196,
Lexington, KY. Thanks for your support.
Business Luncheon Introduces New Oﬃcers
On January 27, 2015, the annual
luncheon meeting was held at the
Boone Center at UK, was attended
by 42 individuals, and was called to
order by Dick Mathy. Highlights of the
meeting were:
In 2014, the park had 23,459 visitors, 12,810 non-program visitations,
and 4,652 prescheduled programs
and special events, all of which were
the highest in park history. There
were 1,204 volunteer hours recorded,
most since the park’s early clean up
days. Matthew Redenbaugh earned
the 24th Eagle Scout Award at the
park for construction and installation
of bat houses. Transportation grants
were awarded to Bates Elementary
(Danville), Booker T. Washington
Academy, and Breckinridge Elementary. By
this coming spring, over 500 students will
have come to the park with the help of the
Rita’s Ride Transportation Grant.
In 2014, The Friends received $44,841
in total revenues, an increase of 40% from
2013. Sponsorships, donations, the 20th
Anniversary Celebration, and the Barrel
Tasting Fundraiser were the main source of
these revenues. Our operational expenses
for the year were $37,108, an increase
of 35% from 2013. Our biggest recurring
expenditures were our quarterly newsletter and Founders’ Day Celebration. We
transferred $20,000 from our designated
endowment to The Friends of McConnell
Springs Endowed Fund being administrated
by the Blue Grass Community Foundation.
(continued on page 4)
Thank YOU for Giving....
Many thanks are extended to the organizations and individuals who contributed to The Friends of McConnell
Springs during the November 15, 2014 through December 31, 2015 period. We are especially grateful to those
Friends who continue to support us on a regular basis. All of your contributions directly benefit McConnell
Springs Park. We apologize if there are any errors or omissions in this list, and would appreciate hearing about
them. Please contact Dick Mathy at [email protected].
Preservationist ($250+)
American Water Charitable
Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Norwood Cowgill, Jr.
Mr. Dillard Griffin
Garden Club Of Lexington
Builder ($100+)
Dr. & Mrs. Joseph P. Bark
Mr. E. Douglas Boone
Dr. & Mrs. John Boso
Mr. & Mrs. James R. Boyd
Ms. Anne M. Combs
Mrs. Robin Fishback Combs
Mr. Thomas A. Duke
Ms. Rebecca Goodman
The Mouse Trap
Mr. & Mrs. A. P. Lawing
Ms. Kathy Loeb
Mr. Timothy Kuryla
Ms. Jenny Minier
Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Seiler
Ms. Madonna Turner
Shield Environmental Assoc.
Mr. & Mrs. James W. Scott
Contributions were also
received in memory of:
Mr. Foster Pettit from the
Robert E. Milward Fund
Ms. Diana Burke from
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Mathy
Contributions were also
received in honor of:
Weezbel Sainvil from
Ms. Meg Menke
Isabel Yates from
Ms. Janet Zusman
Mr. & Mrs. Micheal Seiler from
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Mathy
Homesteader ($50)
Mr. David Bailey
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Beck
Ms. Dottie Bennett
Mr. & Mrs. Jack C. Blanton
Ms. Anne E. Bolton
Ms. Jody Bosomworth
Ms. Nancy Sue Braun
Mrs. Mildred M. Buster
Ms. Mildred Farr Cox
Mr. James Currens
Mr. & Mrs. John E. Darnell III
Ms. Kathryn Drydyk
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Dziubakowski
Mr. & Mrs. Alfred J. Gajda Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. Walter A. Hehl
Ms. Karen Higdon
Mrs. Carolyn Holmes
Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Kinkead, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James C. Klotter
Ms. Marilyn G. Machara
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mathy
Ms. Meg Menke
Ms Susan G. Neff
Marianne Overley
Mr. Steven Rogers
Dr. Donald M. Soule
Ms. Catherine Staib
Dr. Ouida Tisdall
Mr. & Mrs. Gardner L. Turner
Ms. B.J. Webb
Friend ($49 and Under)
Ms. Patsy Anderson
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Andrew
Ms. Christina Bell
Mr. & Mrs. Charles C. Bohmer
Ms. Claire Carpenter
Ms. Jennife Cecil
Mr. Jerrye Davis
Dr. Rolf Embertson
Mr. & Mrs. William P. Enright
Mr. & Mrs. Jon D. Hagee
Ms. Phyllis R. Hasbrouck
Mr. Paul Evans Holbrook
Mr. & Mrs. Clement T. Imhoff
Ms. Rachel M. Jones
Ms. Mary A. Malone
Ms. Elizabeth Maybrier
Ms. Elizabeth McGee
Mr. Fred Mills
Ms. Dixie Moore
Dr. James A. Orr, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. G. Philip Points
Mr. Mike Priddy
Ms. Barbara Quisenberry
Mr. & Mrs. William Boyd Rogers
Ms. Debbie Ross
Mr. Jonathan M. Simon
Mr. Todd Willard
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Williams
Ms. Pamela Wood
An Irish Homecoming
Sharing Our Uncommon Culture, Music & Heritage
In honor of our namesake and
deeply rooted Celtic heritage,
please join us for a conference on
the Irish/Celtic culture on Saturday, April 11, 2015, from 9 a.m. 5 p.m. at the park.
Free to all - we do ask that you
call the park (225-4073) to register so we can judge the number of
participants.
We will have drama, music, history,
genealogy and dance, as well as
workshops on Irish genealogy, history & culture. Our goal is to have
a friendly, comfortable day enjoying our enthusiasm for the Celtic/
Irish culture, meeting like-minded
people, sharing cultural knowledge and experiences. If you play
or sing Irish music, please bring
instruments if you want to join in a
traditional music session.
3
Business Luncheon (continued)
We earmarked $13,407 for future building phases at
the Park. The Friends shared in the cost of a security
monitoring system at the park, which will make the
park a safer place to visit.
New officers were introduced and are John Keifer
– Chair, Jim Rebmann – Vice Chair, Charlie Boland –
Secretary, and Dick Mathy – Treasurer.
Annette Mathy presented a 2014 Volunteer of the Year
Award to Janette Heitz, a non-board member for her
work as chair of the 20th Anniversary celebration that
began in 2013. John Keifer presented the second 2014
volunteer of the year award to Jon Hagee, a board
member who helped coordinate Founders’ Day, the
Author and History To Chew On Series, the Annual Irish
Homecoming at the park, and the log cabin construction.
Left to right: Annette Mathy, Janette Heitz, Jon Hagee and John Keifer.
Isabel Yates spoke in remembrance of Foster Pettit, who was instrumental in The Friends early fundraising
days and who was on the advisory committee. He often came to our events.
We want to thank Franklin Thompson, Sherrell Brown, Renee’ Williams, Steven Rogers, and Jim Rebmann for
helping organize this offsite luncheon. A motion was made to close the meeting and was unanimously passed.
The meeting closed.
Earth Day Celebration Held at McConnell Springs
Come join us for the first Earth Day celebration at
McConnell Springs Nature Park Saturday, April 4,
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring the whole family for
a day of educational fun. There will be food trucks,
kids games, birds of prey (live specimens!), guided
walks, sustainability workshops and more. We are
excited to be working with some local environmental
organizations like Seedleaf, Bluegrass Green Source,
Liberty Nature Center, and University of Kentucky Office of Sustainability. Through Earth Day at McConnell
Springs, we want to connect you with nature by promoting awareness of environmental and sustainability
issues. Through hikes and talks by local experts, you
will be able to better understand and appreciate the
environment. You will be able to take the information
you learn from the tables and workshops and apply it
to your daily lives so that you can make a difference.
If you are looking for an entertaining, stimulating, and
educational opportunity for people of all ages, then
this is the perfect event for you. Come learn about
the importance of the environment today so that you
can make an impact tomorrow!
For more information, contact Jason Fiebel at
[email protected]
History to Chew On Series Offers Another Great Year
We are excited to present this year’s lineup of fascinating topics and presenters. The programs start at
6 p.m. at the Education Center of McConnell Springs.
Bring a bite to eat and enjoy the presentors.
August 8
To Educate the Masses Ashlands’ 150th birthday of U.K.
June 9
Protecting the Railways in Kentucky 1861-1865
September 8
Ship of Gold” Sinking and recovery of the treasure
From the SS. Central America
July 14
Kentucky and Americas First Winery
October 13
Mary Todd Lincoln: ”First Lady of Controversy”
4
Notes from the Naturalist...
by Steven Rogers
As the winter freeze begins to lift the
spring thaw makes its way into McConnell Springs. This is a great time of year
to get out of the house, shake off the
cold, and experience nature. McConnell Springs and
our other city parks offer great trails to get people
out and moving around. Whether you want to take
a leisurely stroll or go for a long jog be sure to get
out and enjoy our natural areas in Lexington. We
also have a long list of nature based programs coming up soon to engage the entire family. Check out
our calendar of events for information on upcoming
programs and events to be held at McConnell Springs.
Author & Speaker Series - April 14 - 6 p.m.
Continuing our new Author and Speaker Series, we have excellent programs lined up for March 10 and April 14.
Events start at 6 p.m. The author(s) will be available before and after to sign books. Refreshments will be provided. The below will be presenting on April 14.
Maryjean Wall
“Madam Belle: Sex, Money, and
Influence in a Southern Brothel”
Author Maryjean Wall offers a tantalizing true story of vice and power in
the Gilded Age South, right here in
Lexington, KY! Told through the life
and times of the notorious Miss Belle
Brezing, the Southern madam
credited with inspiring the character Belle Watling in Gone with
the Wind.
Following Brezing from her
birth amid the ruins of the Civil
War to the height of her scarlet
fame and beyond, Wall uses
Belle's story to explore a wider
world of sex, business, politics,
and power.
Justin Lloyd
“The Importance of
Being Ernest: The Life of Actor
Jim Varney”
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s,
Ernest, the lovable blue-collar buffoon, was a staple of pop culture
in countless commercials, nearly a
dozen movies and an award-winning Saturday-morning TV show.
Today, millions of fans still
mourn the loss of actor Jim
Varney, who portrayed Ernest
and who died at age 50 in
2000 of cancer.
Jim's nephew, Justin Lloyd
brings the biography Ernest
fans have been waiting for
in this comprehensive work
which traces Varney's journey from a child in Lexington, KY,
with dreams of being a stage and film actor to becoming
an iconic entertainment figure.
The perfect gift idea!
Are you looking for a unique way to celebrate a special occasion? Consider giving a present that will last – an engraved paver in the
Garden Spring at McConnell Springs. When you give someone this unique present, you also help McConnell Springs, because $85 of
each $100 paver is a tax-deductible donation to The Friends of McConnell Springs.
Help support educational programming at McConnell Springs with the purchase of an 8-inch by 8-inch brick paver. The permanently
inscribed paver will be placed in the central plaza of the McConnell Springs Visitors’ Center.
Clip this form and return it with $100 payment to: Friends of McConnell Springs, P.O. Box 12196, Lexington, KY 40581-2196.
Yes, I want to support McConnell Springs by purchasing a paver. I have enclosed $100.
Name:_____________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________
City, State:_________________________________________________
Phone:____________________________________________________
E-mail:____________________________________________________
Complete boxes with message to be inscribed on paver. Please print
carefully, with one letter per box. Each box presents one character.
5
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Lexington, Ky
Permit No. 224
The Friends of McConnell Springs
P.O. Box 12196
Lexington, KY 40581-2196
Founders’ Day (continued)
Our mission
Bring your family, a picnic lunch and spend
the day at this FREE event held at the
Springs. Hotdogs, hamburgers, soft drinks,
and popcorn will also be sold on site. This
is a rain or shine event; sunscreen, rain gear
and insect repellent may be needed. Visitors taking guided tours are encouraged
to wear hiking shoes. Check our website
for a complete activity listing in mid-April.
Friends – Memberships
The Friends of McConnell Springs is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit
organization. Your tax-deductible donation supports the
preservation of McConnell Springs and educational programs
at the site. Can we count on your support in being a Friend?
If so, please mail this form to the address below.
Name: ______________________________________
Address: _____________________________________
City: _______________ State: _______ Zip:______
Donation amount:
$1000
$500
$250
$100
other: ______________
$50
$25
Complete the form above and mail it with your membership
donation to:
The Friends of McConnell Springs
P.O. Box 12196
Lexington, KY 40581-2196
Trailblazer ($1,000)
Founder ($500+)
Preservationist ($250+)
Builder ($100+)
Homesteader ($50+)
Friend ($49 - under)
No matter what membership level you give, your
generosity is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your support!
6
The Friends of McConnell Springs, an independent
not-for-profit 501 (c)(3)
organization, works in a
partnership with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County
Government Division of
Parks and Recreation, dedicated to the restoration and preservation of McConnell
Springs as:
• a national historic site, recognized as the pioneer
encampment in the naming of Lexington, Kentucky;
• an environmental and educational resource; and
• a passive recreational park.
FRIENDS is published by the
Friends of McConnell Springs
Editor: Reneé Williams
Contributors: Jon Hagee, Steven Rogers,
Sherrell Brown, John Keifer, Annette Mathy, Dick Mathy,
Jim Rebmann, Renee’ Williams
McConnell Springs is a natural and historic site at
416 Rebmann Lane in Lexington, Ky. The park has two
miles of trails that wander around the sinking springs,
vegetation, stone fences and vestiges of historic buildings. McConnell Springs boasts more than 130 species
of plants and numerous species of urban wildlife that
reside at or visit the park. The unique geologic, natural
and historic features are protected, providing environmental, cultural and historical education opportunities
for the residents of Fayette County and elsewhere.
To learn more about McConnell Springs, call
859.225.4073 or visit www.mcconnellsprings.org.