DANCING WITH OUR STARS: The American Cancer Society honors Lourdes Hospital. | 2E
Life
The Paducah Sun | Sunday, June 3, 2012 | paducahsun.com
Section
E
REBECCA FELDHAUS | The Sun
Thomas Grooms sits in his motorized wheelchair in front of a few new bikes he bought last week. Grooms, 91, said his hobby provides him with social interaction as well as
a way to pass the time.
Tinkering to pass the time
The collection of bikes Thomas
Grooms has in his garage ranges in styles and eras. He’s got
newer, lighter bikes and those
from decades past, boasting
much heavier frames.
BY REBECCA FELDHAUS
rfeldhaus@paducahsun.com
Drivers who frequent Old Cairo
Road have likely seen the menagerie of colorful bicycles dotting
the front yard of a small house.
Upon further inspection,
visitors meet Thomas Grooms.
At 91 years old, the World War
II veteran is still talkative and
cheery, eager to tell anyone about
his hobby. Grooms has been
fixing up bikes, trikes and other
person-powered vehicles for
29 years, he said. After an open
heart surgery, Grooms couldn’t
go back to his job at TVA.
He looked around and started
tinkering with his grandson’s
bicycle.
“I had worked all my life,”
Grooms said of the time after his
recovery. “You know, I’ve got to
do something.”
Although Grooms said he
doesn’t need an arsenal of tools
to keep a bike in tune, his garage
might lead you to believe otherwise. A place for everything and
everything in its place is a phrase
Grooms believes in, though his
organization is a bit unorthodox.
Lining the walls of his garage are
shelves with helmets, bike seats,
replacement pedals, baskets with
bolts and wrenches and a table
holding tire tubes, to name a few.
It doesn’t look like it, Grooms
said, but he knows exactly where
everything is.
Under a dusty carport, Grooms
displayed the bike he’s currently
working on. Much of the work is
cleaning and other easy maintenance. As he leaned forward in
his motorized wheelchair, picking up an oiled rag to polish a tire
frame, Grooms revealed a litter
of nuts and bolts resting along
the back of the foot rest. It’s easy
to see even when he’s inside
“I had worked all
my life. You know,
I’ve got to do
something.”
Thomas Grooms
on keeping busy after open
heart surgery
Just one of many buckets
containing myriad parts and
tools sit on the floor of Thomas
Grooms’ garage. The World War
II veteran has been fixing up
bikes for 29 years.
REBECCA FELDHAUS | The Sun
watching TV, bikes are never far
from Grooms’ mind.
He’ll spend about two to three
hours a day working on his
bikes. Much of his work comes
from parents who accidentally
back over their child’s bike in
the driveway. There’s a fix for
that most of the time, he said.
Other than bicycle maintenance,
Grooms passes the time by
watching TV and entertaining
visits from his daughters and
grand kids. Grooms said he
thinks he’s a workaholic. He just
needs something to do, no matter
his age.
Grooms has served as some-
what of a fill-in between bike
shop openings and closings.
He said he worked with a shop
on Kentucky Avenue before it
closed and then lent a hand to
Bike World by providing employees with used bikes to improve.
There’s not a large market in
Paducah for used bikes, he said,
and Grooms is pleased to fill that
need.
Not only has his hobby provided a bit of extra income, but also
social interaction. Grooms said
he’s made friends with people
who stop by to buy or sell bikes.
One such friend loves checkers.
Grooms now keeps a standing
REBECCA FELDHAUS | The Sun
checkers date at least once a
week.
He’s likely to give away bikes
when he knows someone can’t afford to buy one. Grooms said the
price depends on the need.
Call Rebecca Feldhaus, a
Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270575-8651.
Life
2E • Sunday, June 3, 2012 • The Paducah Sun
paducahsun.com
American Cancer
Society honors
Lourdes during
special ceremony
Contributed photo
Lourdes’ Relay For Life team has
earned the ranking as one of the top
five fundraising teams in the world, out
of 250,000 relay teams. Lourdes is also
the top Relay For Life fundraising team in
Kentucky. National representatives from
the American Cancer Society presented
the Lourdes team with an award for its
hard work. This year’s Lourdes’ Dancing with Our Stars dancing competition
raised a record-breaking $220,500. Additional fundraisers bring the Lourdes total
to $224,587 with monies still coming in.
Seated are (from left) Christina Fields,
Kay Fields, Suzanne Farmer, Rita Bailey,
Chris Hayes, Samantha Taylor. Standing
are Scott Dillard, Stephanie Elder, Mark
Rhodes, Leslie Heath, Cindy Erickson,
Chris Sims, Reuel Johnson, Becky Walker,
Kathe Aydlotte, Ayron Corbitt, and Abby
Harvey.
Super sniffer: Trained dog alerts
Riverkeeper to leaking sewage
BY LISA KAYLOR
Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Beaudreau showed off his
sewer-sniffing skills by lying
down and barking when
he smelled something foul
around a manhole cover
near the Savannah Riverkeepers’ office.
For alerting Savannah
Riverkeeper director Tonya
Bonitatibus to the smell
of human waste, the black
Catahoula Leopard Dog got
to play with his special ball.
“He only gets to play with
this toy when he’s working,” Bonitatibus said. “It’s a
game to him.”
Beaudreau has been
trained to find sewage leaks
or illegal dumping, such as
from RVs, that could contaminate storm drains and
creeks. In a city as old as
Augusta, sewer leakage is a
difficult problem to monitor.
“It’s an out-of-sight, outof-mind problem,” Bonitatibus said. “People don’t think
about the sewage that leaks
from the pipes underneath
the city.” Not only does
Beaudreau find the leaks, he
draws attention to a subject
nobody wants to discuss.
At a recent conference in
Portland, Bonitatibus said
people stopped her on the
street to ask about Beaudreau and the service he
performs. Over and over she
found herself telling people
about problems with leaking
sewage.
“It takes a very nasty subject and makes it one that
you can have a conversation
about,” she said. “He makes
it OK to talk about it, which
is fantastic.”
Bonitatibus is still working on a plan to use Beaudreau to work with the
Augusta Utilities Department. She hopes he will help
patrol areas that are already
clean to keep them that way
and to quickly identify the
source if a problem arises.
Beaudreau, now 3 years
old, is one of only three
sewer-sniffing dogs in the
country. He was trained by
Southern Canine Solutions
in Augusta, which usually
trains bomb-sniffing and
narcotics dogs.
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Life
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The Paducah Sun • Sunday, June 3, 2012 • 3E
Can you really teach a kid to become bullyproof?
How not to raise a
bully
BY BETH J. HARPAZ
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Teaching
kids to become “bullyproof”
is all the rage. Books, videos
and websites promise to
show parents how to protect their kids from being
bullied; school districts
are buying curricula with
names like “Bully-Proofing
Your School,” a wellregarded program used in
thousands of classrooms.
Even martial arts programs
are getting into the act:
“Bullyproofing the world,
one child at a time,” is the
motto for a jujitsu program
called Gracie Bullyproof.
But can you really make
a child invulnerable to getting picked on? And even if
you could, should the burden really be on potential
victims to learn these skills,
rather than on punishing or
reforming the bullies?
Parents and educators
say when bullyproofing
programs are done right,
kids can be taught the
social and emotional skills
they need to avoid becoming victims. But bullyproofing is not just about getting
bullies to move on to a
different target. It’s also
about creating a culture
of kindness, beginning in
preschool, and encouraging kids to develop strong
friendships that can
prevent the social isolation sometimes caused by
extreme bullying.
Who’s got your back?
Bullies “sniff out kids
who lack connections or
who are isolated because of
depression, mental health
issues, disabilities or differences in size and shape,”
said Malcolm Smith, a
family education and policy
specialist at the University
of New Hampshire who
has been researching peer
victimization for more
than 30 years. “So if you’re
worried about your child
being a victim, the best
thing a parent can do from
a very young age, starting
in preschool, is ask, ‘Who’s
got your back? When you’re
on the bus, when you’re
in the hall, who’s got your
back?’ If they can’t name
someone, you should help
them establish connections
to their peers.”
Smith, who is working on
a program called “Courage to Care” that’s being
tested in three rural New
Hampshire schools, cited
an example of a new boy
who was being pushed and
shoved by other boys in the
hallway. “We didn’t know
how to empower him,”
Smith said, until the staff
noticed that he’d become
friends with a girl. “This girl
is sweet but really assertive.
What are seventh grade
boys more afraid of than
anything? Girls! So having
her walk down the hall with
this boy was the immediate solution to ending the
bullying.”
Psychologist Joel Haber,
a consultant on the recent
documentary “Bully,”
says kids should also have
“backup friends” outside
school through sports,
hobbies, summer camp or
religious groups. “That’s
hugely important, especially as kids move from
elementary to middle
school.”
Emotional skills
Haber says “most kids
can learn skills to make
themselves less likely to
have the big reactions” that
feed bullies.
“Let’s say you’re one of
those kids who, when I
make fun of your clothes,
you get really angry and
dramatic. If I taught you
in a role-play situation as
a parent or a therapist to
react differently, even if you
Associated Press
Quin Suhay, now 8, tackles Bill Odom, owner of Norfolk Karate Academy, in Norfolk,
Va., in June 2010, as part of a bullyproofing class that combines jujitsu — defensive
moves only, no punching or kicking — with verbal strategies. Other types of bullyproofing programs, including guides for parents and regular classroom curricula,
seek to make kids less vulnerable to being picked on by teaching them how to deal
with teasing and how to make friends.
felt upset inside, you would
get a totally different reaction from the bully. And if
you saw that kids wouldn’t
tease you, your confidence
would go up,” said Haber
One way parents can help
is to normalize conversations about school social
life so that kids are comfortable talking about it.
Don’t just ask “How was
school today?” Ask, “Who’d
you have lunch with, who’d
you sit with, who’d you
play with, what happens
on the bus, do you ever
notice kids getting teased
or picked on or excluded?”
advises Haber, who offers
other bullyproofing tips and
resources at RespectU.com
and is co-authored of a new
book called “The Resilience
Formula.”
They talk to the bully. So
much of the time they avert
the situation because the
bully doesn’t expect them
to say, ‘I’m not scared of
you.’”
The classic bully profile is
a child who was neglected,
abused, or raised in an
authoritarian home where
punishment was the norm.
But lack of discipline is
just as bad: Children who
have no boundaries, who
feel entitled to whatever
they want, can also become
bullies.
Smith worries that misguided efforts to boost kids’
self-esteem have produced
a “sense of entitlement that
we’ve never seen before.”
He worries that we’re raising “the meanest generation” and says schools and
parents must create a
culture where meanness is
not tolerated. “Kindness,
empathy, caring and giving — you can teach those
things.”
Haber says parents and
schools can start in preschool years by discouraging hitting, pushing and
teasing: “Ask, how would
you feel if someone did that
to you?”
Children can even be
taught that being kind is
fun. “Addict your child
to kindness,” said Smith.
“There are releases in the
brain that feed endorphins
that are very positive when
you act with kindness.
Encourage your kids to go
over to a kid who’s alone
and bring them in.”
Some kids who bully
need help learning to read
social cues. “If I tease you
and you cry, most kids will
realize they crossed a line
and will apologize, but if
I’m a bully, I want more
power, more status, and I
see there’s an opportunity
to go after you,” said Haber.
“If you see your child bullying a child, the child not
only has to apologize but
do something nice, practice
atonement. Being a bully is
less exciting when you have
other skills.”
And beware the example
you set when you treat a
waitress or clerk rudely. “If
you’re the kind of person
who is constantly criticizing, you’re unconsciously
role-modeling behaviors
that kids will test out,”
Haber said.
Body language
Bullies “feed on the body
language of fear. It’s a
physical reaction — how the
victim responds, how they
hold their head and shoulders, the tone of voice,” said
Jim Bisenius, a therapist
who has taught his “BullyProofing Youth” program in
more than 400 schools in
Ohio and elsewhere.
Teaching a kid to appear confident physically
can sometimes be easier
to teach than verbal skills,
Bisenius said. “If a kid
who’s never been mean in
his life tries to fake it, or
tries to outdo a bully with a
verbal comeback, the bully
sees right through that.”
Lisa Suhay, a mom in
Norfolk, Va., said her
8-year-old son Quin was
helped by Gracie Bullyproof, a martial arts
program taught in 55 locations that combines verbal
strategies with defensive
jujitsu moves. Quin had
been bullied so much on
the playground that Suhay
stopped taking him there.
But she decided to give
the park one last try after
he completed the Gracie
training.
No sooner did Quin begin
playing on a pirate ship
than a bigger boy knocked
him down and ordered
him to leave. But this time,
as his mom watched in
amazement, Quin grabbed
the other kid around the
waist “and landed on him
like a big mattress, all while
saying, ‘That was an incredibly bad idea you just had.
But I’m not afraid of you.’”
The other boy swung again,
and Quin took him down
again, then asked, “Now
do you want to play nice?”
They played pirates for the
rest of the afternoon.
“It’s about respect and
self-confidence,” said
Suhay. “You’re not teaching
them to beat up the bully.
But they’re not cowering.
They make eye contact.
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Life
4E • Sunday, June 3, 2012 • The Paducah Sun
paducahsun.com
Anniversaries
Connie and Jerrell White
Jean and Lanny Walters
METROPOLIS, Ill. — Mr.
and Mrs. Lannis “Lanny”
Walters of Metropolis will
celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a
reception from 2 to 4 p.m.
today at the Happy Hearts
Senior Center, 701 Market
St., Metropolis. All friends
and relatives are invited.
The couple request no
gifts.
Mr. Walters and the
former Thurma Jean Reynolds were married June
1, 1962, by the Rev. O.L.
Angel at his home in Metropolis. Their attendants
were Nancy and Paul Lee,
sister and brother-in-law
of the bride.
Mrs. Walters is the
daughter of the late Belle
Stepter and the late Thurman Reynolds.
Mr. Walters is a retired
electrician with the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers Local
702 in West Frankfort. He
is the son of the late C.L.
“Curly” and Violet Walters.
They have four sons:
Steve Walters, Mike
Walters and Tom Walters,
all of Metropolis, and Jeff
Walters of Benton, Ky.;
and six grandchildren.
EDDYVILLE — Mr. and
Mrs. Jerrell White of Eddyville will celebrate their
50th wedding anniversary
Mrs. Brantley is the
daughter of the late A. Ray- with a reception hosted by
their sons and families from
mond and Mary Cameron
1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the
Jones.
Fredonia Lions Club buildMr. Brantley is retired
ing in Fredonia. All friends
from Westvaco. He is the
and relatives are invited.
son of the late F. Lendon
The couple request no gifts.
and Gertie Dillard BrantMr. White and the former
ley.
Connie Rogers were marThey have three children: Mark Brantley of Ol- ried June 8, 1962, at New
Bethel Baptist Church in
ney, Ill., Robin Creekmur
of Acworth, Ga., and Shari Lyon County.
Mr. and Mrs. White have
Gentry of Arlington, Tenn.;
served in the Baptist minisand five grandchildren.
try for more than 50 years
Mary Anne and Robert Brantley
Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Brantley of Paducah will
celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a
family trip to Gatlinburg,
Tenn.
Mr. Brantley and the
former Mary Anne Jones
were married June 2, 1962,
by the Rev. Dennis W.
Hockaday at First Baptist
Church in Durham, N.C.
Their attendants were
Doris Jones and Lendon
Brantley.
at several churches in Lyon
County, Murray, Union
City, Tenn., Fredonia and
Sesser, Ill. They continue to
serve in mission work and
as interim pastors and supply preachers.
Mrs. White is the daughter of the late George and
Helen Rogers. Mr. White is
the son of Thomas White of
Lyon County and the late
Louise White.
They have three sons:
Jeremy White of Paducah,
Jared White of Kingsport,
Tenn., and Jwain White
of Shelbyville; and nine
grandchildren.
Helen and Roy Sims
Mickie and the Rev. Eugene Burkeen
Jerry and Peggy Hale
SOUTH FULTON, Tenn.
— Mr. and Mrs. Jerry
Hale of South Fulton will
celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a
reception from 2 to 4 p.m.
Saturday at Water Valley
Baptist Church fellowship
hall. All friends and relatives are invited.
Mr. Hale and the former
Peggy Crittenden were
married June 9, 1962, by
the Rev. Norman Crittenden at his home in Fulton,
Ky. Their attendants were
Buford “Buff” Johnson and
Barbara Alderdice.
Mrs. Hale is a retired
nurse from the University of Chicago. She is the
daughter of the late W.A.
and Nadine Newton Crittenden.
Mr. Hale retired from
Ford Motor Co. He is the
son of the late Eston and
Olive Bauer Hale.
They have three sons:
Shane Hale of Homewood,
Ill., Aaron Hale of Crete,
Ill., and Todd Hale of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and
four grandchildren.
MURRAY — The Rev.
and Mrs. Eugene Burkeen
of Murray will celebrate
their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception
hosted by their children
from 2 to 4 p.m. June 10 in
the fellowship hall of Good
Shepherd United Methodist Church, Hwy. 121 south
and Cherry Corner Road,
Murray. All friends and
relatives are invited. The
couple request no gifts.
Mr. Burkeen and the
former Mickie Turner
were married June 5,
1962.
Mr. Burkeen has served
several churches in western Kentucky and west
Tennessee and is the pastor of Martins Chapel and
Good Shepherd United
Methodist churches in
Calloway County. Before
entering the ministry, Mr.
Burkeen owned and operated Gene’s Body Shop in
Murray for 25 years.
They have two sons:
Kenneth Burkeen of
Benton and Tracy Burkeen
of Puryear, Tenn.; three
grandchildren; and one
stepgrandson.
GILBERTSVILLE — Mr.
and Mrs. Roy “Lefty” Sims
of Gilbertsville will celebrate their 60th wedding
anniversary with a family
dinner.
Mr. Sims and the former
Helen Frances Rudd were
married June 7, 1952, in
Corinth, Miss.
Mrs. Sims retired from
Western Baptist Hospital.
She is the daughter of the
late Houston and Helen
Rudd.
Mr. Sims retired from
Banks Grocery. He is the
son of the late Lloyd and
Ruhama Sims.
They have four children:
Michael Sims and Janet
Vinson, both of Paducah,
and Tina Mason and Lisa
Sims, both of Gilbertsville;
four grandchildren; and
five great-grandchildren.
Life
paducahsun.com
Anniversary
The Paducah Sun • Sunday, June 3, 2012 • 5E
Engagements
Dirkes-Adair
Gerald and Mary Ida Jones
BENTON — Mr. and
Mrs. Gerald S. Jones of
Benton celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary
with a family trip.
Mr. Jones and the former Mary Ida Penrod were
married June 16, 1962, by
Norbitt Pruden in Owensboro. Their attendants
were Harold Brown and
Pat Stites.
Mrs. Jones is the daughter of the late William D.
and Elizabeth Penrod.
Mr. Jones is the son of
the late Jesse L. and Margarette Jones.
They have two children:
Ricky Jones and Robin
Deese, both of Benton; and
five grandchildren.
Engagements
Crane-Badger
Dale and Teresa Crane of
Hickory announce the engagement of their daughter,
Erinn Michelle Crane, to
Charles R. “Chance” Badger
Jr., son of Dr. Charles R.
“Chad” and LaTresa Badger
Sr. of Mayfield.
Miss Crane is the granddaughter of Don and
Glenda Gough of Hickory,
and Norm and Margaret
Davis of Mayfield. She is
a 2011 graduate of Graves
County High School and is
attending Calhoun Community College.
Mr. Badger is the grandson of Bobby and Lois Ramage of Tiline, and the late Charles W. “Chett” and Julia
Badger. He is a 2006 graduate of Christian Fellowship
School and a graduate of Murray State University. He is
employed by Northrop Grumman in Huntsville, Ala., as a
communication systems engineer.
The wedding will be at 2 p.m. June 23 at First Baptist
Church in Mayfield. All friends and relatives are invited.
Tubbs-Riley
RaKeshia RaeAnn Tubbs
and Daniel Clark Riley will
be united in marriage at
2 p.m. Saturday at Christian Fellowship Church in
Draffenville. All friends and
relatives are invited. Only
out-of-town invitations
have been sent.
Miss Tubbs is the daughter of Bryan and Andrea
Tubbs of Benton. She is
the granddaughter of Jim
and Vicki Crick of Murray,
and Eddie and June Tubbs
of Benton. She is a 2009
graduate of Christian Fellowship School and is attending Murray State University.
She is employed by IKids in Draffenville.
Mr. Riley is the son of Mike and Paula Riley of Mayfield. He is the grandson of the Rev. Larry and Judy
Starnes of Boaz, and Joe and Nancy Riley of Mayfield. He
is a 2009 graduate of Graves County High School and is
employed by Riley’s RV World of Mayfield.
Laken Deneé Dirkes and
Scott Thomas Adair will
be united in marriage at
3 p.m. Saturday at Gospel
Mission Worship Center in
Reidland. All friends and
relatives are invited.
Miss Dirkes is the daughter of Greg and Johnna
Black of Benton and David
Dirkes of Paducah. She
is the granddaughter of
Pam Howard and Kenneth
Wilson, both of Paducah,
Gloria Theiss of Kingsport,
Tenn., and David Dirkes
Sr. of Anna, Texas. She is
a 2007 graduate of Marshall County High School in Benton and a 2011 graduate
of Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in
learning and behavior disorders with a dual certification
in middle school math. She is employed by the Carlisle
County Schools.
Mr. Adair is the son of Benny and Glenda Adair of Calvert City. He is the grandson of Lorene Barnes of Benton
and the late John Edd Barnes, and Opal Adair of Calvert
City and the late Sandi Adair. He is a 2003 graduate of
Marshall County High School and earned a bachelor’s
degree in business/marketing in 2007 and a master’s
degree in organizational communications in 2010, both
from Murray State University. He is an alumnus of Kappa
Sigma fraternity and is employed by Briggs & Stratton in
Murray.
Dean-Curtsinger
Ms. Louesa Henry of
Mayfield and Mr. and Mrs.
Milton Dean of Fulton
announce the engagement
of their daughter, Lindsey
Hope Dean, to Dustin Lee
Curtsinger, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Michael Curtsinger of
Mayfield.
Miss Dean is the granddaughter of Ms. Sarah
Scott of Mayfield and the
late Rex Scott, Mr. and
Mrs. Larry Armstrong of
Clinton, and Mr. and Mrs.
David Dean of Fulton.
She is a 2008 graduate of
Mayfield High School and a
2012 graduate of Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics. She is an alumna
of Alpha Omicron Pi and is an intern at Lourdes hospital
in Paducah.
Mr. Curtsinger is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Julian
Howle of Mayfield, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Norman
Curtsinger. He is a 2005 graduate of Graves County High
School in Mayfield and a 2009 graduate of the University of Kentucky in Lexington with a bachelor’s degree in
electrical engineering. He is an alumnus of Lambda Chi
Alpha fraternity and is employed at USEC in Paducah.
Wedding vows will be exchanged at 4:30 p.m. July 7 at
First United Methodist Church in Mayfield. All friends
and relatives are invited to the ceremony and reception
following at The Lodge at Emerald Waters in Mayfield.
Only out-of-town invitations are being sent.
Smithson-Goldsmith
Todd and Trava Smithson of Cunningham announce the engagement of
their daughter, Torey Carol
Smithson, to Jon Derek
Goldsmith, son of Glynn
and Amy Goldsmith of
Milburn.
Miss Smithson is the
granddaughter of Walter
and Joyce Hays of Cunningham and the greatgranddaughter of Tom
Gupton of Cunningham.
She is a 2008 graduate
of Carlisle County High
School in Bardwell and a
2012 summa cum laude graduate of Murray State University in Murray with a bachelor’s degree in elementary
education.
Mr. Goldsmith is the grandson of Willie and Diane
Guhy of Milburn, C.W. “Sonny” Goldsmith of Benton,
and the late Kathryn Goldsmith. He is a 2005 graduate
of Carlisle County High School in Bardwell and a fourthyear apprentice employed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 816 in Paducah.
Wedding vows will be exchanged at 7 p.m. July 7 at
The Lodge, 354 County Road 1043 near Cunningham. All
friends and relatives are invited.
Hobbs-Croft
Mr. and Mrs. Bobby
Joe Hobbs of Clinton announce the engagement
of their daughter, Andrea
Jo Hobbs, to Payton Earl
Croft, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Jimmy Croft of Reidland.
Miss Hobbs is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Laddie Thomas of Fancy
Farm, and Mr. and Mrs.
Jerry Hobbs of Fulton. She
is a 2006 graduate of Hickman County High School
and a 2010 graduate of
Murray State University
with a bachelor’s degree in
elementary education. She
is employed as an elementary teacher by the Christian
County Board of Education in Hopkinsville.
Mr. Croft is the grandson of Diane Holloman of Marion
and the late Elmer Holloman, and the late J.W. and Rosa
Lee Croft. He is a 2005 graduate of Crittenden County
High School and a 2010 graduate of Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in education. He is employed
as a high school health and physical education teacher
and assistant boys basketball coach by the Christian
County Board of Education in Hopkinsville.
Wedding vows will be exchanged at 6:30 p.m. June 30
at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Fancy Farm. All friends
and relatives are invited to the ceremony and reception
following at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
Payton-King
Gary and Lisa Hoskins
of Mayfield announce the
engagement of their daughter, Rachel Faith Payton,
to James Willard King, son
of James Daniel and Sarah
King of Mayfield.
Miss Payton is the granddaughter of Bill and Betty
Haywood of Mayfield,
Margaret L. Hoskins of Arlington and the late Jewell E.
Hoskins. She is also the daughter of Stephen Payton of
Mayfield and the granddaughter of Louise E. Moss of
Memphis, Tenn., and the late Hugo Moss. She is a 2009
honors graduate of Graves County High School. She
earned an associate degree in psychology and counseling
from Mid-Continent University, where she is pursuing a
bachelor’s degree.
Mr. King is the grandson of Martha King of Water
Valley and the late James King, and Willard and Lucy
Ivy of Mayfield. He is a 2006 graduate of Graves County
High School and attended Mid-Continent University. He
served in the U.S. Army from 2007 to 2010, with one full
tour in Iraq. He is employed as a police officer for the city
of Mayfield.
The wedding will be at 3 p.m. June 23 at Trace Creek
Baptist Church. All friends and relatives are invited.
Story-Hunter
William Story and Beckie
Brittain, both of Mayfield,
announce the engagement
of their daughter, Brittany
Ann Story, to Brandon Jay
Hunter, son of Jeff and
Diane Hunter of Benton.
Miss Story is the granddaughter of Wallace
and Maxine Brittain of
Mayfield, and Mary Ann
Vaughan of Mayfield and
the late Clayton Story.
She is a 2004 graduate of
Graves County High School
in Mayfield and earned a
bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2009 and a master’s degree in nursing in 2011,
both from Murray State University. She is employed by
Jackson Purchase Medical Associates in Paducah.
Mr. Hunter is the grandson of Louise Brandon of
Benton and the late Bob Brandon, and Frances Hunter of
Benton and the late Bill Hunter. He is a 2002 graduate of
Marshall County High School in Benton and is employed
by Jet-A-Marine in Calvert City.
The wedding will be at 4:30 p.m. July 7 at Trace Creek
Baptist Church in Mayfield.
Life
6E • Sunday, June 3, 2012 • The Paducah Sun
paducahsun.com
Engagements
Robinson-Roberson
Windsor-Wrather
Whitney Robinson and
Logan Roberson will be
united in marriage at
2:30 p.m. Saturday at The
Lodge at Emerald Waters
in Mayfield. All friends and
relatives are invited. Only
out-of-town invitations
have been sent.
Miss Robinson is the
daughter of Tim Robinson of Smithville, Tenn.,
and Tammy Humphrey
of Paducah. She is the
granddaughter of Tommy
and Donna Humphrey of
Paducah, Marie Robinson
of Smithville, Tenn., and
the late Edward Robinson. She is a 2006 graduate of
Lone Oak High School and a 2012 graduate of Murray
State University with a bachelor’s degree in special education/elementary education.
Mr. Roberson is the son of Terry and Waynette Roberson of Paducah. He is the grandson of Wayne and Linda
Hendrick of Benton, and Steve and Mary Jane Roberson
of Murray. He is a 2006 graduate of Lone Oak High
School and earned a degree in diesel technology. He is
employed by Erb Equipment in Paducah.
Holder-Shoulta
Billy and Annette Harris of Mayfield and Shane
Windsor of Mayfield announce the engagement
of their daughter, Brittany
Nicole Windsor, to Jason
Keith Wrather, son of
Danny and Shelia Wrather
of Sedalia.
Miss Windsor is the
granddaughter of Keith
Cash and Barbara Barnhill,
both of Mayfield, Mavis
Harris of Mayfield and
the late Bill Harris, Vester
Windsor of Mayfield and
the late Judy Nelson. She is
a 2006 graduate of Graves
County High School and is pursuing a nursing degree
from West Kentucky Community & Technical College.
Mr. Wrather is the grandson of Ann West of Mayfield
and the late J.C. West, Dorothy Wrather of Mayfield and
the late Carney Wrather. He is a 2004 graduate of Graves
County High School and is employed by the Canadian
National Railway in Fulton.
Wedding vows will be exchanged at 3:30 p.m. June 30
at Sedalia Baptist Church in Sedalia. All friends and relatives are invited.
Costa-Garvey
Mr. and Mrs. Michael
Holder of Belleville, Ind.,
announce the engagement
of their daughter, Alicia Lucille Holder, to David Anthony Shoulta, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Steven Shoulta of
Paducah.
Miss Holder is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Cecil Holder of Indianapolis, Ind., and the late Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Arnold.
She is a 2006 graduate of
Cascade High School in
Clayton, Ind., and a 2010
graduate of Marian University in Indianapolis with a
bachelor’s degree in religious education. She is employed
by St. Mary High School in Paducah.
Mr. Shoulta is the grandson of Ms. Mary Henson of
Paducah and the late Trafton Henson, and Mr. and Mrs.
John Shoulta of Shelbyville. He is a 2004 graduate of St.
Mary High School and a 2008 graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Engineering with a bachelor’s
degree in mechanical engineering. He is employed by
USEC.
Wedding vows will be exchanged at 7 p.m. July 14 at
St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Paducah. All friends
and relatives are invited.
Evans-Swift
Amanda Nicole Costa
and Josiah Redwood Garvey will be united in marriage at 5 p.m. Saturday at
Cherokee Park in Aurora.
All friends and relatives are
invited. Only out-of-town
invitations have been sent.
Miss Costa is the daughter of Susan Byassee and
Jerry Byassee of Gilbertsville and the late Drake
Costa. She is the granddaughter of Pat Beadles of
Benton and the late Bob
Beadles, and the late Remo
and Fern Costa. She is a
2008 graduate of Marshall
County High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in
middle school education in 2012 from Murray State University, where she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma
sorority.
Mr. Garvey is the son of Norbert and Marti Garvey of
Nashville, Ind. He is the grandson of Marguerite Durkee
of Evansville, Ind., and the late William Durkee, and the
late Robert and Marian Garvey. He is a 2004 graduate of
Brown County High School in Nashville, Ind., and a 2009
graduate of Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is employed by the Kentucky
National Guard.
Adams-McKendree
Randy and Missy Evans
of Murray announce the
engagement of their daughter, Whitley Evans, to Matt
Swift, son of Terry and
Rhonda Swift of Gilbertsville.
Miss Evans is the granddaughter of Dorothy Alexander and Joe Tucker, both
of Murray, Kay Crouse of
Farmington and Loyd Evans
of Murray. She is a 2008
graduate of Murray High
School and is pursuing a
bachelor’s degree in nursing
from Murray State University.
Mr. Swift is the grandson of Marjorene Pace of Benton
and the late Meredith Pace, and the late Tarry and Novalee Swift. He is a 2002 graduate of Marshall County High
School and earned a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety
and health in 2008 from Murray State University. He is employed by Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc. of Calvert City.
The wedding will be at 4:30 p.m. June 16 at Walnut Grove
Church of Christ in Benton. All friends and relatives are
invited.
Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Adams of Paducah announce
the engagement of their
daughter, Stacy Adams, to
Russell McKendree, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Bobby McKendree of Kevil.
Miss Adams is the granddaughter of Mrs. Betty
Finnell of Paducah and
the late Charles Finnell,
and the late Mr. and Mrs.
Wade Adams. She is a 1999
graduate of Lone Oak High
School and a 2003 graduate
of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She is a
radiation therapist employed by Western Baptist Hospital.
Mr. Kendree is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs.
Clyde Woodford, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Kelzy McKendree. He is a 1990 graduate of Ballard Memorial High
School and is a carpenter employed by Ray Black & Sons of
Paducah.
A June wedding is
planned.
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CONTACT,INDA#OCKEATORVISITORWEBSITEAT
PADUCAHSUNCOMANDCLICKON&EATURES
Sister may be lying
about rekindling
abusive relationship
Dear Annie: My sister,
“Lois,” has been seeing
“Desmond” for a year.
This guy is toxic. He does
absolutely nothing for her
and expects everything in
return. He tells her how to
dress and whom she can
and cannot speak to. Lois
and her children (from a
previous relationship) lived
with Desmond until she’d
had enough. She then
asked to move in with me,
and I welcomed her with
open arms.
When Lois came here,
she was sickly looking. Her
skin was gray, and her eyes
were sunken. After some
time away from Desmond,
however, she seemed to
perk up, becoming her old,
bubbly self.
The problem is, Lois
recently has taken up with
Desmond again and is
lying to everyone about it.
She claims that she met
someone new through a
dating site, but her browser
history shows otherwise.
She doesn’t know that I
know the truth. I keep her
secret because I don’t want
to cause a problem, but I
am so afraid that she will
go back to him and take
my nephews with her. This
guy should not be a role
model for anyone. I also
believe there may be drugs
involved. If she goes back
to him, I worry that my
mother will die of heartbreak.
Lately, Lois has been
speaking of wanting her
“freedom.” I can’t understand why she would
return to someone who
treats her like his servant.
Should I tell her I know
she is lying? I don’t want to
lose what’s left of our relationship. — Sister Mess.
Dear Sister: Don’t
accuse Lois of lying.
Instead, talk to her
about her decisions.
Ask, without judgment, whether she
is seeing Desmond
again. Sympathize
with her addiction to
this guy, but point out
how much happier she
seems without him and
that her children are
better off, especially
if drugs are involved.
You could even suggest
counseling to help her
make better choices.
Unfortunately, if Lois
is determined to go
back to Desmond,
there’s not much you
can do. Make sure she
has the number of the
National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org) at 1-800-799SAFE (1-800-799-7233)
just in case his control-
ling behavior escalates.
Dear Annie: My wife’s
family is very tight with a
buck, and it’s not because
they don’t have money.
When my niece needed
a new electrical system
installed, I pulled in a favor
to get it replaced at no
charge. When my brotherin-law built a home, I spent
four very long weekends
wiring the place. I also arranged for another family
member to get a new heating system and then gave
them nearly new sporting
equipment for their kids.
However, when my wife
wanted two very inexpensive fake goose garden
statues, they required that
she pay them $18. This
makes me angry, and I’d
rather not associate with
them any more than I have
to. It seems disrespectful
to me and all that I’ve done
for them. Of course, this is
causing a problem between
my wife and me, but I can’t
get past it. How should I
handle it? — Feeling Disrespected.
Dear Feeling: People
should reciprocate
kindnesses, but that’s
not always the case.
You’ve been very
generous with your inlaws. Feel free to stop.
But please don’t force
your wife to choose
between you and them.
Accept them as they
are, and you will be
less disappointed by
their innate stinginess.
Dear Annie: Like “Bob,”
I, too, married a woman
with children. And, like
him, I love them as if they
were my own. The title dilemma was automatically
solved by the kids. They
call their father “Dad,” and
I am “Pop.” When I am
introduced to their friends,
they start with, “This is my
pop.”
I enjoy the title and the
distinction. Perhaps you
could suggest that Bob ask
the children to call him by
some other endearing family title since “Dad” seems
to be too difficult. — “Pop”
from Campbelltown, Pa.
Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@
comcast.net, or write to:
Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd
Street, Hermosa Beach,
CA 90254
Thank You
and
Magazine
“Advertising in
Magazine has
helped us grow and continue to reach new customers”
- Sherri Sisk, Dress It Up Boutique &
Dress it Up Home & Gifts.
Life
paducahsun.com
Births
Mena— Mario Giovanni
Mena, son of Mario and
Maria Amaya Mena of
Paducah, April 5, Lourdes
hospital. Grandparents
are Yolanda Dominguez
of Veracruz, Mexico, the
late Mario Mena, and
Antonia Fernandez and
Juan Amaya of Veracruz,
Mexico.
Spraggs — Jaden
Michael Spraggs, son of
Leslie Spraggs of Paducah,
April 12, Lourdes hospital.
Grandparents are Angie
Spraggs of Paducah, and
Steven and Tina Spraggs
of Reidland. Greatgrandparents are Sue and
Vernon Spraggs of Clinton, and J.C. Jackson of
Fulton.
Walters — Aiden Ray
Walters, son of Casey and
Ashley (Jestes) Walters
of Gilbertsville, April 23,
Lourdes hospital. Grandparents are Clarence and
Laura Walters of Gilbertsville, Henry and Sissel
Jestes of Benton, and
Samantha Amis of Benton.
Rudesill — Lathan
Dewayne Rudesill, son
of Matthew and Tiffany
(O’Bryan) Rudesill of
Boaz, April 24, Western
Baptist Hospital. Grandparents are Richard and
Lisa O’Bryan of Benton,
and Larry and Ruby
Rudesill of Paducah.
Great-grandparents
are Larry and Berryetta Rudesill of Paducah,
and Phyllis and Tommy
O’Bryan of Calvert City.
Smith — Tanner James
Smith, son of Ryan and
Jill (Holloway) Smith of
Lexington, May 1, University of Kentucky Chandler
Hospital. Grandparents
are Jim and Judy Holloway of Reidland, and Bill
and Jane Smith of Union.
Great-grandparents are
Tom and Van Holloway
of Mayfield, and Bob and
Jeanette Smith of Union.
Hill — Derek Morgan
Hill, son of Stephanie
Hill of Ledbetter, May
2, Western Baptist Hospital. Grandparents are
Kenneth Hill Jr. and Lori
Hill of Ledbetter. Greatgrandparents are Virginia
Cottonham of Belleville,
Mich., and Kenneth
“Rocky” Hill Sr. of Ocala,
Fla.
Smith — Chloe Jaymes
Smith, daughter of Jeremy
and Sherie (Taylor) Smith
of Vienna, Ill., May 3,
Lourdes hospital. Grandparents are Sherman and
Ann Taylor of Vienna, Ill.,
Bill and Linda O’Toole
of Davenport, Iowa, Tim
and Doris Smith of Buda,
Ill., and Glenn and Judy
Keeling of Harrisburg, Ill.
Great-grandfather is Robert Greshaw of Aurora, Ill.
Ross — Gabrielle Elise
Ross, daughter of Geco
and Ebone (Jones) Ross of
Paducah, May 3, Western
Baptist Hospital. Grandparents are Willie and Pat
Jones of Memphis, Tenn.,
and Dianne and George
Ross Sr. of Paducah.
Great-grandparents are
Morris and Katie Rubin of
Memphis, Tenn., and Fannie Mae Ross of Paducah.
Scheffer — Isaac Grae
Scheffer, son of Kyle and
Kisha (Napier) Scheffer of Paducah, May 4,
Western Baptist Hospital.
Grandparents are Richard and Juanita Tucker
of Paducah, and Russell
and Vickie Scheffer of
Paducah. Great-grandparent is Sadie Scheffer of
Paducah.
Greer — Lillie Elizabeth Greer, daughter of
Travis and Kimberly (Peters) Greer of Princeton,
May 9, Western Baptist
Hospital. Grandparents
are Steve and Debbie
Peters of Princeton, and
Greg and Virginia Mitchell
of Dawson Springs. Greatgrandparents are Jane
Creekmur of Princeton,
and Joe and Carol Vaughn
of Dawson Springs.
McMinn — Baylee
Lynn McMinn, daughter of Justin and Kathleen (Loux) McMinn of
Paducah, May 9, Western
Baptist Hospital. Grandparents are Michael and
Cheryl Loux of Phoenixville, Pa., George and Sharon McMinn of Paducah,
and Mary and Larry
Hayes of Paducah. Greatgrandparents are Nancy
Cox of Phoenixville, Pa.,
and George and Joanna
McMinn of Paducah.
Announcements
of births and adoptions are published
each Sunday in the
Sun. Notices must be
submitted in writing
within 30 days of the
birth or adoption.
Send to Births, The
Paducah Sun, P.O. Box
2300, Paducah, KY
42002-2300, or fax to
442-7859. List phone
number where you can
be reached during the
day for information
only.
The Paducah Sun • Sunday, June 3, 2012 • 7E
New Kentucky homes cut energy use
BY BILL ESTEP
Associated Press
EMLYN — If things go
as planned, Ashley Warren and Anthony Spicer
won’t pay an electric bill
at their new home in
Whitley County. They’ll
be getting a check from
the power company
instead.
The couple and their
three daughters recently
moved into a house designed to use 90 percent
less energy for heating
and cooling than a conventional home.
The house also has
solar panels on the roof
that generate power to
sell back to the electric
company.
Spicer said the electric
bill at the house they
rented before moving
averaged $350 to $370 a
month.
“It’s going to mean
everything” to get rid
of that payment, Spicer
said. “We’re going to be
able to buy things we
couldn’t normally buy
because of this.”
The couple’s home
is one of five in Whitley County designed
and built using what
are known as “passive
house” standards.
The standards incorporate techniques and
technology to cut energy
use, including a building
exterior that is virtually
airtight, super-insulation
throughout the structure, triple-glazed
windows, highly efficient
appliances and a ventilation system that recovers
energy as it circulates
air.
With the combination
of high efficiency and solar power, the homes are
considered near zeroenergy structures, meaning they are designed to
generate about as much
power as they use.
The development is
on the cutting edge of
energy efficiency. It is
thought to be the largest
collection of houses in
the state built to passive
house standards.
Associated Press
Anthony Spicer (left) and Ashley Warren pose in front of their home built with
“passive home” standards on May 24 in
Emlyn, right The home, above, is one of
five built in the Whitley County designed
to use 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a conventional
home. Much of the roof is covered with
solar panels.
Fewer than 40 structures
nationwide — and none
yet in Kentucky — have
been certified as meeting
the stringent standards,
according to the Passive
House Institute US.
“It’s certainly a unique
project,” said Michael T.
Hughes of CSC Design
Studio in Lexington, who
works as a consultant to
the developer.
The plan is to seek certification for the five new
homes in Whitley County,
which are ringed by hills in
the community of Emlyn,
south of Williamsburg.
Jerry Rickett, president
and CEO of Kentucky
Highlands Investment
Corp. in
London,
pushed to
develop
the cluster
of homes.
Kentucky Highlands
works to improve the economy in 22 Appalachian
counties in Kentucky.
Rickett has advocated
housing programs as one
way to do that.
In another project,
Kentucky Highlands commissioned the design of an
energy-efficient modular
home that could be built
at houseboat factories in
southern Kentucky.
The goal is to boost
those plants, which suf-
fered during the recession,
and component makers in
Kentucky while providing
energy-efficient housing.
Replacing homes that
are not efficient to heat
and cool is a way to create
jobs, improve local tax
rolls and cut the amount of
money homeowners have
to spend, Rickett said.
“We hope that we’ve
changed the lives of several
families” with the near
zero-energy home project,
he said.
Sponsored by:
3T\&[FNQFGQJ
The Paducah Sun has published a look back at the Racers
history-making season. The 64-page commemorative book will
include game photos throughout the season, a compilation of
season-long Sun reporting, reprints of Sun sports pages, and statistics
from the season all highlighting the Racers run to March Madness.
UJWGTTP
&UTWYNTSTKYMJUWTHJJI\NQQGJITSFYJINS
8YJ[J5WTMR¹XSFRJYTYMJ,ZJXX&SYN'ZQQ^NSL+ZSI
Books can be purchased at The Paducah Sun
and all Paducah Bank locations.
Order Form
Name_________________________
Mail To: The Paducah Sun
Address________________________
Attn: MSU Season
______________________________
P.O. Box 2300
City_________________State______
Paducah, KY 42002
Zip__________Phone_____________
Phone (270) 575-8625
Please enclose full payment. We will ship the book(s) to you for an
additional $3.00/per book.
Qty.
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A Season to Remember
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Life
8E • Sunday, June 3, 2012 • The Paducah Sun
paducahsun.com
First lady’s book: On growing seeds, healthy kids
BY NANCY BENAC
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — From
the beginning, Michelle
Obama’s kitchen garden
has been an overachiever,
churning out more peppers,
parsley and eggplant than
expected, and generating
interest that — yes, really —
crosses oceans.
Now, the first lady has
added a 271-page book to
her gardening resume, and
Americans can read all
about the planting misses
that came with the hits, get
tips on gardening at home,
and, Mrs. Obama hopes,
draw some inspiration that
just might change their
lives. Oh, and if it happens to help her husband’s
re-election campaign, that
would be nice, too.
Lofty goals for a book
about a garden.
In “American Grown: The
Story of the White House
Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America,” Mrs.
Obama holds out the raised
vegetable beds on the South
Lawn as “an expression of
my hopes” for the nation’s
children. “Just as each seed
we plant has the potential to
become something extraordinary, so does every child,”
she writes.
The $30 book, released
Tuesday by Crown Publishers, traces how a city
kid from the South Side
of Chicago who became a
working mother and then
a political spouse found
herself fretting on that first
planting day, March 20,
2009, about whether an
L-shaped stretch of soil
would prove fertile ground
for a national conversation
“about the food we eat, the
lives we lead, and how all of
that affects our children.”
The book, which answers that question with a
resounding yes, arrives just
in time for her husband’s
re-election campaign.
And while the book is
decidedly non-political,
that fits perfectly with the
Obama campaign’s view
that the first lady can do her
husband a world of good
simply by pushing the nonthreatening causes such
as healthy living that have
made her a far more popular figure than the president
himself. Mrs. Obama’s favorability rating in the latest
AP-GfK poll was 70 percent,
compared with 58 percent
for her husband.
The book’s release comes
with a flurry of media appearances. She’s already
been a TV frequent flyer to
promote her “Let’s Move”
campaign to combat childhood obesity — doing pushups with Ellen DeGeneres,
playing tug-of-war with
Jimmy Fallon in the White
House and serving veggie
pizza to Jay Leno. She says
she gets asked about the
Associated Press
First lady Michelle Obama (center) talks to Girl Scouts (from left) Gia Muto, Emma
Vonderlinn and Emily Burnham, all from Fairport, N.Y., as they plant potatoes in the
White House garden March 26 in Washington.
Associated Press
garden wherever she goes,
around the world.
“It turned out exactly as I
envisioned. It’s a beautiful
book, wonderful pictures,”
she said in an appearance
Tuesday on ABC’s “Good
Morning America.”
“It is definitely a passion. Getting the kids in
our country to eat healthy,”
Obama added. “This book
is a way to talk about our
journey” to better health,
she said.
The first lady said that her
“Let’s Move” campaign to
improve fitness, particularly
for young people, isn’t an
attempt to tell people how
to live. “That’s not really
what ‘Let’s Move’ has been
about,” she said. “This isn’t
about government telling
people what to do.”
The book is chock full of
colorful, glossy photos of
luscious-looking vegetables,
complete with a cover picture in which the first lady’s
blouse seems to be colorcoordinated with the eggplants in her bulging basket
of produce. Bo, the popular
family dog, gets plenty of
cameo appearances. There
are maps tracing the growth
of the garden over the past
three years, and stories
blah, blackberry bushes
that wouldn’t play nice with
the raspberry bushes and
an invasion of cucumber
beetles, among them. The
first lady makes clear she’s
not the one doing most of
the hoeing and weeding,
crediting school kids, White
House chefs and grounds
crew and enthusiastic
volunteers from all over the
White House chain of command with providing lots of
manpower.
And there are bits of
historical trivia woven
throughout: John Adams
ordered up the first White
House garden, but it was
never harvested after he
lost re-election. Thomas
Jefferson was obsessed with
trying to grow a four-footlong cucumber. Heiress
Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, at
101 now a figure in the John
Edwards’ corruption trial,
helped redesign the Rose
Garden for President John
Kennedy.
There are also bits of
personal history: Mrs.
Obama’s father worked as a
boy on one of the vegetable
trucks that would deliver
produce to neighborhoods,
and had a reputation for
sneaking pieces of fruit. Her
mother’s family had a plot
in a neighborhood victory
garden on the corner of an
alley, and the kids had to eat
their vegetables or go to bed
without supper.
It is a tradition for first
ladies to use books to advance their causes. Hillary
Clinton wrote the best-seller
“It Takes a Village,” about
the importance of community in raising children; and
Laura Bush collaborated
with daughter Jenna on a
picture book about a reluctant reader, with “Read All
About It!”
This is Michelle Obama’s
first book. She got no advance payment, and plans
to donate all her proceeds to
the National Park Foundation for programs that promote gardening and healthy
eating, and to help care for
the White House garden.
about community gardens
around the country. Even a
how-to on creating a compost bin.
The book is divided into
four sections marking the
seasons, and includes a
complement of recipes for
each.
There are inside stories
about planting travails
that will ring true with any
weekend gardener: pumpkins that wouldn’t grow,
cantaloupes that tasted
White House’s corn soup with summer veggies
cob, rotating and repeating
until all of the kernels are
removed. Set the kernels
aside. Do not discard the
cobs.
To make corn stock,
place the cobs in a large
stockpot. Add enough
water to just barely cover.
Bring to a boil over high
heat, then reduce heat and
simmer for 45 minutes to 1
hour, or until the water has
a rich corn flavor. Strain the
stock and discard the cobs
and any solids. Set aside.
Corn Soup with
Associated Press
Reserve 3⁄4 cup of the
Summer Vegetables
Corn soup with summer vegetables
corn kernels, then place
“This versatile soup is
the remaining kernels in a
the essence of summer. Dairy-free and nearly fat-free,
blender. Puree until smooth, about 45 seconds. If needed,
it showcases the pure, sweet taste of summer corn and
add a bit of the corn stock to help get the blender started.
can be served hot or at room temperature,” White House
Pour the puree through a mesh strainer into a medium
chef Sam Kass writes in Michelle Obama’s new book,
saucepan. Discard any bits of skin.
“American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen
Add the thyme and bring the soup to a gentle simmer
Garden and Gardens Across America.”
over medium heat, stirring constantly. Do not boil.
“A garnish of summer vegetables, grilled and cut into
As the soup heats, the starch from the corn will begin
bite-sized pieces, makes this soup your own unique
to thicken the soup. Once the soup has thickened to the
creation. Try zucchini or summer squash, tomatoes, eggconsistency of applesauce, about 3 to 4 minutes, add the
plant, peppers or mushrooms, alone or in combination.
lemon juice and the reserved corn stock a bit at a time
If you leave out the corn kernels and don’t thin the soup
until the soup reaches the desired thickness. You should
with the corn stock, this becomes a luxurious sauce for
have 4 to 6 cups of soup. Season with salt.
seafood like halibut, tilapia, or shrimp.”
Heat a small skillet over medium. Add enough olive oil
to coat the bottom on the pan. When the oil is hot, add
Start to finish: 11⁄2 hours
the reserved corn kernels. Do not stir until the corn has a
Servings: 4
nice brown color. Stir the corn, then remove it from the
6 ears of corn, husks and silk removed
heat.
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Divide the soup between serving bowls, then top each
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
serving with some of the seared corn and any other grilled
Salt
vegetables desired.
Olive oil
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 150
Grilled vegetables of your choice: zucchini, summer
calories; 45 calories from fat (30 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans
squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, mushrooms
fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 3 g fiber; 120 mg sodium.
Associated Press
Michelle Obama, the nation’s first lady and a highprofile spokeswoman for
healthy eating, has added a
new book on growing and
cooking nutritious food
to her resume. Here’s an
easy soup recipe from the
White House chefs, printed
in “American Grown: The
Story of the White House
Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.”
Carefully cut the kernels off the ears of corn. To do this,
stand each ear of corn upright on its wide end, then use
a serrated knife to carefully saw down the length of the
(Recipe adapted from Michelle Obama’s “American
Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden
and Gardens Across America”)
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