By Al Owens 

Meeting in regular session last week the Lewis County Fiscal Court heard a request from Anthony Toller to solve a problem involving access to property he owns on Meadows Road off KY 344 near Petersville. 

Toller alleged that the other property owner has installed concrete blocks and posts along the road so close that he cannot get his farm equipment and dozer onto his land. He said that the space between the blocks is only nine feet wide. 

According to First District Magistrate Milt Stanfield the road is in the county road system. Members of the court were not certain of the county's right-of-way at that location. County Attorney Clayton "Buddy" Lykins Jr. informed the court that if the county does not have a legal right-of-way there then the county could take appropriate action to obtain one by getting an easement or a deed to the right-of-way. If the county already has the right-of-way then an enforcement action can be taken to widen the road at that point. Lewis County Judge Executive Steve Applegate told Toller that the court would look into the matter and check the status of the right-of-way and then go from there. 

The court denied a request to close a portion of Union Hill road above the home of Rick Blankenship. Road Foreman Dane Howard recommended that the court keep the road open. The Electric Plant Board of the City of Vanceburg also sent the court a letter asking that the road be kept open because the company has some easements for waterlines along the road and will need access to that area. John Chinn appeared before the court to ask that the road remain open for the sake of safety. He said some time ago a little boy fell in a well and had the folk been forced to take the long way around rather than using that road the child could have been killed. 

The court approved the first reading of an ordinance regarding flood damage prevention in Lewis County. The county attorney told the court that the ordinance applies to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the county as identified by the Federal Insurance Administration. It mandates that no structure on land in those areas can be located, extended, converted or structurally altered without compliance with the ordinance's provisions. The ordinance requires the obtaining of a permit from the Floodplain Administrator and the Kentucky Division of Water. Manufactured homes will be permitted in the floodplain areas under certain conditions. The permit will require that all new construction and substantial improvements be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood damage, and that the lowest floor of any residential structure built or substantially improved in the flood hazard area be elevated to or above the base flood elevation or the floor must be floodproofed. The ordinance also provides for penalties of $250 or imprisonment of not more than ten days for each day a violation of the ordinance continues. The court will give second reading to the ordinance at the court's next regularly scheduled meeting. 

Lewis County Emergency Management Director Carl Chaney informed the court that the new floodplain maps now show, not only the floodplain areas, but also all the dwellings in those areas. 

Melissa Hardy from the Buffalo Trace Area Development District updated the court on the centerline and maintenance process for county roads. Hardy said that Underwood Lane has been renamed Commonwealth Road. Lynn Wood subdivision has been added to the map of Lewis County and shows both Rayburn Lane and Keith Way. Buckner Lane and Thurman Lane have also been added to the map. She also noted that CR-1247 Bane South has been changed to South Bane; CR-1353 South Bane has been changed to North Bane; and CR-1342 has been changed to Lions Club Road. 

Hardy added that in Bentleyville in Garrison Bentley Alley is now Wilburn Lane, and PV-1002 is now CR-1002. The last part of Bentley Circle has been changed to Bentley Street, and Estill Street and the last part of Bentley Circle have been changed to Bentley Lane. 

Fiscal Court Clerk Kathy Dillow told the court that a Homeland Security Grant of $14,000 each for the city and county must all go through the Fiscal Court. She said that the county must purchase the special equipment with the grant money and then give it to the city. She referred to repeater equipment for the radios for local law enforcement. The court moved to approve the advertising of bids for that equipment. 

In quick succession the court approved the Jail Commissary Financial Report, the treasurer's report and the claims and transfers for the General, Road and Bridge and Jail Accounts. 

Stanfield asked to the court to consider doing something about Hamlin Lane. He said that about ten children have to walk down that lane to get on the school bus and sometimes it's real muddy. He also requested that some maintenance work be done on River Hill at Sand Hill. Stanfield said that high water often boxes the residents in, and in case of an emergency that could be dangerous since the folk would have no way to get out or to get help. 

Stanfield had one other request. He asked if the fiscal court could not do something to get a bank account opened for donations to help the victims of the recent tsunami in Asia that took the lives of at least 150,000 people and has left millions homeless and destitute. Applegate responded to each request in the affirmative saying that the court would do what it can about each matter. Stanfield went to a local bank after the meeting to see about opening an account to receive donations for aid to be sent to the tsunami victims. 

Before adjourning Applegate announced that the next regular session of fiscal court will be on Valentine's Day, February 14, at 9:30 a.m. in the third floor courtroom in the Lewis County Courthouse.

By Al Owens 

Meeting in regular session Monday night the Lewis County Board of Education began by electing officers for the year. All the current office holders were quickly re-elected so Joe LeMaster remains board chairman, Jack Sapp vice-chairman, Maurice Reeder Jr. secretary and Joe Kennedy treasurer. 

The board learned that the Boys and Girls Club of Lewis County will begin this week. The school district is providing after school transportation for the program. The club is a joint effort between the Lewis County Fiscal Court, the Board of Education and some of the local churches. 

Reeder said, "Hopefully this will give some of the kids around here a place to go and something to do other than what they've got right now." Reeder added that Michael Kennedy is in charge of the program. 

The superintendent told the board that he had hoped to report that so far this school year the district has missed no school days but water is over the road in six or seven places and right next to the road in several others and school was called off Monday and Tuesday. He said the water usually goes down rather fast but this time he understands that won't be the case with more rain in the forecast for the week, but he expressed hopes that school could resume on Wednesday. 

Principals of two of the elementary schools attended the meeting to give progress reports on their efforts to improve education in Lewis County in order to meet the goals set by the state and the No Child Left Behind initiative of the federal government. 

Jerry Bloomfield, principal at Laurel Elementary, told the board that Laurel had ordered the KASC Toolkit on Gap Analysis in October 2004 and had used that kit and the data from two early release days to review all the assessment data from school testing. The kit helps discover the learning gaps between different categories of students. Bloomfield reported that no significant learning gaps exist at Laurel. However, the educators did identify some areas for growth. The girls perform at a higher level than the boys in the area of the Arts and Humanities. Social studies was also identified as an area for growth. He listed several programs that have been implemented to help the students improve. They include the Arts and Humanities Toolkit, the Econ and Me Program, Math Trailblazers for the fourth and fifth grades, the Connected Math Program for the sixth grade and the "Reading and Writing Connections To Teach Idea Development" program in grades four through six. 

Bloomfield said that the staff conducts scrimmage activities weekly and will do so until testing begins. CATS Blitz will be conducted just prior to testing. He said that staffing changes have been made to enhance student achievement and instruction, and grades four through six have been departmentalized. Primary students are regrouped as needed to address individual needs. Bloomfield pointed out that the staff works in conjunction with Mary Campbell, the State Reading Coach for the Reading First Program, and with Belinda Forman to administer the Grade Assessment in Kindergarten through the third grade. Campbell also helps the school develop strategies to ensure that all students in the Primary Program meet with early success. He stated that as principal he monitors instruction on a daily basis. Scrimmage activities, open-response, on-demand writing and the writing portfolios are monitored on a weekly basis. 

Mildred Richardson, principal at Garrison Elementary told the board that all the teachers at Garrison participated in the two one-half days of released time last October. Their data analysis identified several areas of concern. Their research addressed the gender gap in learning because the girls out perform the boys. They also looked at differentiation of instruction to find ways to meet the needs of all of the students. 

The data analysis revealed that in all areas of content the students score much lower on open response questions than on multiple choice questions. The students, therefore, need to be taught a method to write proficiently and above on open response answers. The analysis showed that students need more hands on activities in science, and they need to be more active learners in all academic areas. Also critical vocabulary needs to be taught to students in all content areas. Richardson said that the gap analysis showed a gender gap where the girls perform better than the boys in Arts and Humanities and in Practical Living and Vocational Studies. 

She added that comparing free and reduced lunch students to non-free and reduced lunch students showed gaps in reading, math, science, arts and humanities and in practical living and vocational studies as well. 

Richardson elaborated on her school's plans for improvement. They include training all teachers in grades four through six in reading-writing connections in order to teach idea development for open response questions to the students. They were also trained to teach and model the four column method using a step-by-step approach to ensure students can make connections and elaborate on ideas. Teachers are using strategies from the book "How Boys and Girls Learn Differently". The Math Trailblazers program is being used in grades four and five and the Connections Math Program in grade six. The school is also setting high expectations for the students and is making the students aware of their goals. The Reading First program is being implemented in the primary grades and History Alive is being used in fifth grade social studies. Garrison is also using the KET toolkits for drama and dance in arts and humanities. 

Richardson informed the board that for the third time Garrison Elementary has been selected to participate in the National Achievement Education Progress testing in math, reading or science. She said the school perfectly fits the demographics the state is looking for and studying. She closed her presentation by saying that the school is doing a lot of new things to improve education and to help the students achieve at a high level and reach their goals. 

The board turned to some annual and routine business matters and took care of them rather quickly. The board retained the same place, time and date for the monthly board meetings and approved that decision. The board also approved the semi-annual report of the District Comprehensive Improvement Plan that simply informs the state on what the district is doing to improve education in order to meet the schools' goals as set by the state. The board approved the annual staffing allocation formula. Reeder said that the formula is based on the class cap size and varies in the elementary schools but is set at a 24 to one ratio in the secondary schools. 

The district report card was approved. Forman told the board that the report will be put on the state's school web site as well as the local web site and will be published in the local newspaper. 

The board approved the draft budget for the 2005-2006 school year. This is the first of three steps in setting that budget. Reeder explained that without the legislature setting a budget for the state setting a draft budget was a lot of guesswork. He did point out that expenses are increasing and funding is not. 

Reeder said that natural gas, gasoline and electricity costs will all increase in addition to a state mandated but unfunded mandatory three percent raise for all employees. That employee salary increase alone will cost the local district about $300,000 more than this past year. He said the only way the district can meet that budget is to make some more cuts. Regarding the one percent raise this year he said that everyone will get their money but they will not all get it at the same time due to the different schedules between 12 month employees and those that work only nine and a quarter months of the year. 

The board approved the annual non-resident contracts. Again all the surrounding districts have an any and all contract except Mason County that has a one for one contract.

Bivens gathered enough evidence at the two locations to charge Honea with two counts of second degree burglary. 

Lewis said some of the items reported taken from the two homes were discovered in the vehicle Honea had been operating. He said other burglaries were reported in the Little Cabin Creek and Sullivan Ridge area and added that many of the items had been recovered by deputies within a few days of the incident. 

Polley and Bivens are continuing the investigation.