Forkland Community Center News Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2015
Festival Preparations
The Kick-off Picnic on August 15 marked the traditional start of preparations for this year’s Festival—
now the work will begin. This year, the work days will start on Saturday, September 5 (painting
day) and be (almost, see below) every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday until the week before the
Festival, when we will work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Work days will start at 9
a.m. and go to 3 or 4 p.m., but you can come and help anytime during that period. The Festival is on
October 9 and 10, and there will be a cleanup day on Saturday, October 17. This year, we are going to
try out “work evenings” too, for those who can’t make it during the day. You can come and help on
any Tuesday evening from September 8 through October 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. (check in with Pat
Williams in the Art Room), or on a Thursday evening, September 10, 24, or October 1, from 6 to 9
p.m. (check in with John K. Gorley in the Art Room).
On Thursday, September 17, and Friday, September 18, we will be having Forkland’s Kentucky Arts
& History Day for Kids, so there won’t be regular Festival work days that week, though there will be
work days to set up for the Kids day on Monday through Wednesday, September 14–16. (If you would
like to help with this activity, e-mail Jamie Hamblin at JollyJ97@msn.com.)
To encourage more people to be involved with the Festival, we are
inviting people to submit photos they take at the 2015 Festival to be
used in publicity for next year. Please e-mail your best 2015 photos
to Emily Toadvine (emily.toadvine@gmail.com). We also would like
people to suggest a Festival theme for 2016. You can put your theme
suggestions in the box that will be located at the Welcome Table in
the brick building during the Festival, or e-mail them to Emily.
If you would like to be a vendor, have a Festival display, or can
volunteer in any way to help, please contact John K. Gorley at 859583-6344 or Thursdays at the Community Center at 859-332-7146,
or Emily Toadvine at (home) 859-332-4870 or (cell phone during
the day) 859-319-2075.
Kids enjoying watermelon at the 2015
Pig Roast. Photo by Guy Ingram
Forkland Community Center
16479 Forkland Rd., Gravel Switch, KY 40328
859-332-7146, www.forklandcomctr.org
Please send news, photos, announcements, art, etc. for the Forkland Community Center News to:
Pat Williams, 750 Black Lick Rd., Gravel Switch, KY 40328, 859-332-7606, gwill@mis.net
Forkland Contacts
President: Matthew Ellis, 859-583-0546, MatthewEllis@woodsequipment.com
Vice President: Doris Purdom, 859-332-7839
Secretary: Lorrie Westerfield, 859-332-8417, lorriewesterfield@gmail.com
Treasurer: Gail Holman, 859-332-7980
Webmaster: Kevin Adams, 859-332-1093, info@forklandcomctr.org
Museum & Gift Shop: Wayne Thurman, 859-936-7489, thurman3394@roadrunner.com
Building Rental: Gail Holman, 859-332-7980
Art Classes: John K. Gorley, 859-583-6344; Pat Williams, 859-332-7606, gwill@mis.net
Board meetings (on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m.) are open to the public
Meet the Board
By Carolyn Frank
FCC Board Member Profile: Guy Ingram
You might say that whittler Guy Ingram “carved out” his
place on the Forkland Community Center Board, since he
was not born nor schooled here. He enjoyed the privilege
of being a student in the physics class taught by Professor
Roy Ellis at Centre College. Since Professor Ellis was
working on his Ph.D. in oceanography, he enlisted
Guy’s help in building a wooden wave tank. From there
Guy went on to make carved wooden signs in his spare
time for the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge and the
Forkland Center. Thus began his involvement with the
Forkland community.
In the meantime, Guy spent time in the Army, sold property insurance, and settled into a 22-year
career at Sellers Engineering, as a “lower-case engineer,” as he puts it. He married Anna and raised
two daughters, who both live in the Bluegrass area.
You readers have already been introduced to Guy through the Creative Corner and have probably
seen his intricate and amusing carved wooden figures at the Festival. In addition, Guy takes his turn
on weekends as a Museum volunteer and helps out with FCC maintenance jobs that involve wood.
Just the other day, at the Festival Kick-off supper, he had his tools with him and stepped right up to
perform a repair on a hand rail. He also documents Forkland events with his camera. This is
just one example of how members of the community can volunteer and contribute to the continued
success of the Forkland Community Center, our social center.
Upcoming and Ongoing Events
First Festival work day: Saturday, September 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For details, see page 1.
FCC Board Meeting: Monday, September 14, 7:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Forkland’s Kentucky Arts & History Day for Kids: Thursday, September 17, and Friday,
September 18. This is an educational, interactive, hands-on, living-history experience for school
classes. Volunteers will be needed to help with this exciting new program. If you would like to
volunteer, e-mail Jamie Hamblin at JollyJ97@msn.com.
44th Annual Forkland Festival & Revue: Friday, October 9, and Saturday, October 10.
Everyone needs to help to make this Festival a success. See page 1 for more information.
Halloween Carnival: Saturday, October 31, 6 to 9 p.m. See the article about the Edgar Allan Poe
“Big Read” on page 3 for more details.
Forkland Lincoln Museum: Open Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m., or by request (call Wayne Thurman,
859-936-7489). The Gift Shop is also open whenever the museum is open, selling the new 2016
Forkland calendar, Forkland apparel, history and genealogy books, and many gift items. We hope that
you will visit the museum at some time during the year, as well as during the Forkland Festival and
other major events.
Marjory’s School of Art Classes: Thursdays at 2 p.m and 6:30 p.m. For more information, call
John K. Gorley at the Community Center (859-332-7146) on Thursdays between 2 and 8 p.m.
Homeschool Art Class: Every Tuesday throughout the school year, 2 to 4 p.m. This class is for
homeschooled children, ages 8 to 18. All kinds of art are explored—drawing, painting, clay modeling,
paper art, collage, weaving, linoprinting, and more. There is a small fee to help pay for art supplies.
For more information, contact Pat Williams, gwill@mis.net, 859-332-7606.
Art Studio: Every Tuesday throughout the school year, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This studio time is for
adults and older children with self-directed art projects. No lessons are given, but we support each
other. Some art supplies are available, but you can also bring your own. It’s a good way to set aside
some time to “do some art”! Contact Pat Williams, gwill@mis.net, 859-332-7606.
Recent Activities
Festival Kick-off Picnic: This year’s Pig Roast was held on Saturday, September 15, to kick off
preparations for the 44th Annual Forkland Festival. The delicious pork was cooked the night before
by Lynn Ellis (with several helpers). Everyone enjoyed the food, visiting with friends, and the art
shows. Unfortunately, rain after the meal prevented Tony Pike from performing for us. Thanks to all
who helped with this event! The photo below is by Guy Ingram.
Edgar Allan Poe “Big Read” Events at Forkland
The Boyle County Public Library is sponsoring a “Big Read” from September
20 through October 31 to get everyone in the area reading and learning about
the works of Edgar Allan Poe, who is well known for his spooky stories and
poems. There are dozens of events planned that relate to Poe, most of which
are free. The Kick-off celebration at the library on Sunday, September 20,
will feature a Poe book give-away, a free Photo Booth featuring costumes
and props chosen to represent Poe and his times, Bell Choir performances
coordinated to a dramatic reading of Poe’s “The Bells,” and a children’s art
activity. Other events include a Mock Trial and a Poe impersonator at the
West T. Hill Theater, a film series, a candlelight dramatic reading following
an authentic period meal prepared over an open fire at the Karrick-Parks
House in Perryville, a 19th-century tea at Warrenwood Manor, a Poe “spirit stroll” at Shaker Village, a
“Poe”try Open Mic Night at the Hub Coffeehouse, a Literary Society Re-Enactment at Jacobs Hall, lots
of book readings and discussions for all ages, and lots more. For more details, dates, and times, visit
www.neabigread.org/communities/?community_id=2228
Forkland Community Center will host two Poe-related activities. First, at the Forkland Festival, there
will be a Living History Skit about Lincoln’s relation to Poe. (They were contemporaries, but probably
never met; Poe was one of Lincoln’s favorite authors, and Lincoln even wrote poetry in imitation of
Poe’s writing.) There will also be a display in our museum about Poe from mid-September through
October. Second, Forkland is hosting the final event on the “Big Read” calendar: on October 31, we
will have our annual Halloween Carnival, this year with an Edgar Allan Poe theme. In addition to the
usual costume contests, there will be a contest for the best Poe look-alike and/or best costume related
to Poe’s poems or stories. There will be decorations related to Poe’s poems, a Poe-themed coloring
contest, a Haunted Corn Maze, and the Cake Walk with Poe-related music ... and probably some “Poe”
door prizes, and “Poe”-dogs in the Witch’s Kitchen, too.
Did You Know . . .
. . . that feed sacks in which animal feed and flour used to be sold were made into clothing, towels, and
quilts from the Twenties through World War II? Enterprising women at first turned plain cotton sacks
into diapers, underwear, and more. The feed sack companies took advantage of this: in 1925, they
started printing colorful patterns on their sacks to entice women to seek out those that could make the
most attractive garments and quilts. A few years ago, Forklander Eula Ray Kirkland came across some
old feed sacks that her family had saved but never used. She donated them to the Forkland museum,
which asked Mary Yoder, who has hand-sewn quilts for our Silent Auction, to make a quilt from the
sacks. The resulting beautiful and unique quilt is available in the Gift Shop, as shown in the leftmost
photo below. Mary also has made several quilted wall hangings
for us, some from feed sacks, which are also available in the Gift September
Shop; three examples are shown below, on the right.
- by Bonnie DeHart
Second cutting of hay is done;
The march to winter is begun.
Change is in the air.
A time between . . .
A month unsure . . .
Hot and humid?
A cooling chill?
Heavy early morning dew.
Dawn sleeps in;
Days shorten.
and yet the summer is not through.
I hear the cattle in the morning,
birds awaken, singing.
Crows are active;
Hummingbirds are feeding furiously,
preparing
for their long trip south,
and geese fly over the land.
Stars are bright on the cool, clear nights
and still,
I hear the Whip-poor-will.
Around the Fork
Forkland Corn Maze:
This year, there is going to
be a brand new activity at
the Forkland Festival and
the Halloween Carnival.
Matthew Ellis will run the
Forkland Corn Maze in
the field right next to the
Community Center.
The Corn Maze will be part
of Forkland’s Kentucky Arts
& History Day for Kids on
September 17 and 18. And
it promises to be a big draw
at the Festival on October
9 and 10, and also at the
Halloween Carnival on
October 31 (when it will be
“haunted” by the Forkland
Girl Scout Troop).
If you are going to be busy
working during the Festival,
you can visit the Corn Maze
when it is open to the public
both before and after the
Festival. Bring your friends
and relatives, too! See the
poster on the right for dates
and times.
Come to Forkland, Enjoy the Beautiful Fall Colors, and Get Lost in the
Forkland
Corn Maze
S
CRE
5 A
and Carnival Games
SN
ACK
S
Next to the Forkland Community Center
16755 Forkland Road in SW Boyle County
OPEN SEPTEMBER 18-OCTOBER 31
Fridays (5-10 pm)
Saturdays (1-10 pm)
Sundays (1-6 pm)
ALL DAY at the Forkland Festival (Oct. 9 & 10)
The Maze Will Be HAUNTED on October 30 & 31
FCC Halloween Carnival Next Door on October 31
Call 859-319-1171 for Groups or to Book Special Times & Events
Ages 5 and Up, $5; Kids 4 and Under FREE
Outhouse Blowout:
This year’s Great Outhouse Blowout at Penn’s Store in Forkland will be on Saturday, September 19,
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come see the famous outhouse race and enjoy live music and more!
Here’s the schedule: At 10 a.m. there will be registration for the Car Show, Ugly Legs Contest (for
men), and Outhouse Bachelor (for ladies). From 10 to 11:40 a.m. there will be a music “jam” featuring
Gordon Webb, Joe Craft, Leah Bugg, Ted Lavit, Steve Shepperson, Freddie Edwards, Trena Douglas,
and others. At 11:40 a.m. there will be the Parade of Privies, Port-a-Boxes (kids inside boxes decorated
as privies), and notables, followed by presentation of the 2015 Great Outhouse Blowout Awards. At
noon, the Great Outhouse 300 Races begin; they will continue throughout the afternoon. At 12:30
p.m. there will be the Ugly Legs and Outhouse Bachelor contests. At 1 p.m. the CB Band will be on,
featuring Dawn Osborn and Randy Mayes, Steve Shepperson, Freddie Edwards, and Don Combs. The
Back 40 Band will appear at 2 p.m., featuring Scott McQueary, Luke McQueary, Brian McQueary, and
Mark Hardwick. Car Show trophies will be presented at 2:45 p.m. At 4 p.m. the J Blues Project will be
on, featuring Jeff Cain, Joe Caldwell, and Jon Waters. The Championship Race will be at 4:45 p.m.,
with presentation of trophies and awards at 5 p.m.