News

Program will help get money back to owners

By Dennis Brown

Several Lewis County residents have some money they didn’t know they had. Kentucky State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach wants to reunite them with it. All $156,000 of it.

Hollenbach was at the Lewis County Courthouse last week to publicize and finalize plans for a program to get the money back into the hands of its rightful owners.

Hollenbach said the funds are mostly from unclaimed property of some sort, usually amounts from insurance companies and banks who were unable to locate the intended recipient and are required, by law, to turn the funds over to the state.

The program, Treasure Finders, will be set up in the E-911Center on Court Street in Vanceburg on Friday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Hollenbach said local officials and volunteers will be contacting Lewis County residents who are on the list of those having funds held by the state to let them know about the funds and will tell them how to go about claiming their money.

“Some 1,100 Lewis County citizens have unclaimed funds,” Hollenbach said last week. “We want to reunite them with their money.”

He said a telephone bank will be set up at the dispatch center and volunteers will be going through the list to contact Lewis County residents on file as having unclaimed funds.

He stressed the program was at no additional cost to taxpayers since his office is partnering with the city and county, along with volunteers, to provide the service.

“This is not our money, it belongs to the original owner,” he said, adding there is no time limit on claiming funds that had been turned over to the state. Heirs are also entitled to funds which were due to someone who may have passed away.

He said physical property turned over to the state is held for a time and then sold at auction. The original property owner is entitled to the proceeds from the sale. After a while the money goes into the state’s general fund as a contingent liability. It is paid out when the rightful owner is found.

Some of the physical property kept in the state treasurer’s vault includes firearms and jewelry which had been in bank safe deposit boxes. Other items in the vault, he said, included a set of false teeth, an urn containing cremains, and a recent addition, gold bullion.

Hollenbach said a website has been created to allow Kentucky residents to check and see if their name is on the list of unclaimed property owners. He urges everyone to check online at www.kytreasury.com. While no amounts are included online, the amounts will be available Friday on the computer database located at the E-911 Center.

He said response for claiming the property is up more than 400 percent with the program which will be offered in each of the Commonwealth’s 120 counties.

Hollenbach said Lewis County is one of the top 30 counties in the state being targeted in the program. “We want to make sure you know we’re working as hard as we can to push the program out to you,” he said. “We’re looking forward to making this a successful program in Lewis County.”

“Each year about 20 percent of the unclaimed property is returned to owners,” he said. “That percentage is far to small. That’s why I created the Treasure Finders Program.”

Hollenbach said treasury staff will be on hand Friday to assist local officials and potential claimants with the claim process.

He said upon contact, officials and volunteers will suggest the potential claimants travel to the E-911 Center or contact the Kentucky State Treasury Unclaimed Property Division at 800-465-4722 or by e-mail at treasury.web@ky.gov to begin the claims process.

Hollenbach said treasury staff will also train a designee of Vanceburg and Lewis County to research and fill out forms for unclaimed property so there will be a local contact for the public.

“This will be an ongoing service at no cost to taxpayers,” Hollenbach said.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to assist Friday may contact Greta May at the Lewis County Courthouse, 606-796-2722.

Sewer project moving along in Vanceburg

By Al Owens

Meeting in regular session last week Vanceburg City Council heard a report on the ongoing sewer project in the city.

Council member Denver Moore told council that workers are installing plastic devices under the culverts and manhole covers to keep the rain water separate and out of the system.

Mayor Angie Patton added that camera work was scheduled to get underway on Monday, October 11. According to Kevin Cornette from the Buffalo Trace Area Development District (BTADD) the camera work will take from six to eight weeks to complete.

Cornette also addressed the sewer project as well as the Fire Station Project and the new Public Library Project.

He said that cameras would be run through the lines and when the lines are cleaned out the system should work much better. After this is done, from an engineering standpoint, officials will have a better idea about what it will take to fix the system.

Cornette stated that all the budget figures so far are preliminary but implied they would be more accurate after the camera work is done.

He added that right now the engineering and design are set to be completed sometime the first of the year.
Cornette told the council, “With that being said we did receive to the city an ARC grant, which is the Appalachian Regional Commission, in the amount of $189,000.”

The Electric Plant Board also has a STAG grant, basically a federal appropriation, of $291,000. The Plant Board is putting up the match of $120,000. That totals $600,000 for planning and design.

That planning and design includes the Combined Sewer System and the Sanitary Sewer System, but the focus and concern right now is the CSO system downtown.

Cornette said that he and Eric Bloomfield, former Plant Board Supervisor, had also pre-applied last November for $2.5 million of State Revolving Loan Funds for the city. Those are loan funds with a low percent interest rate over a period of 30 years at 1.0 percent interest with 30 percent principal forgiveness. So the grant amount for the life of the loan is $750,000 of the $2.5 million.

He asserted they will have word on the SRF application sometime in December. After that, the plan is to get the design completed and start bringing the grant money to the table.

Cornette said they are still looking at a budget of about $6 million until the planning and design are received. That statement implies that the budget may have to be adjusted at that point. However, construction will probably not start until the spring or summer of 2012 depending on what the engineers find.

Cornette then turned his attention to the grant for the fire station/community center. He said the project is progressing well although slower than anticipated. The survey on the property is now completed.

He told Patton that he was requesting council’s approval on a line of credit for $225,000 to go ahead and purchase the land.

Cornette in formed the council they will have to have a clear title and purchase of the land before they can get release of funds for the grant money from the state.

He said, “We have approval to go ahead and purchase the land environmentally. So what we are expecting to do is to take on a line of credit for the city of $225,000 to purchase the land, get the clear title to the land and then reimburse that with the grant money that’s in the project.”

In about four weeks the plans for the fire station will be approved by the state, and then the city can advertise for bids for the project.

At this juncture council moved to approve the line of credit for the project.

Referring to the new Library Project, Cornette told council that sealed bids for the new library will be opened on Tuesday, October 12 at 11:00 a.m. He noted that he is informing council of the project because it is inside the city limits.

According to Cornette, construction on the library building should start sometime in December and the building should be finished about 10 months later.

During that time period the street in front of the post office, right in front of the library location, will need to be closed because of the big trucks carrying in gravel and construction materials.

He said another thing that may involve the city is through the regional Brownfields Committee. Vanceburg does have a brownfield location, and that is the old war surplus building. Some potential hazards have been identified there and a Phase I Environmental Study is being done. Once that is completed there will be a better idea of what needs to be done to clean that property up. A lot of concerns about safety have been raised regarding the property.

Cornette told council that he wanted to let them know the issue is being addressed. After the Phase I Study is done, BTADD will come back to council with some recommendations on some action to be taken as far as ownership and what can and cannot be done to the property to get in and get it cleaned up.

In a matter of annual routine business council approved the yearly contract with the Mason County Landfill at a cost of $2,600, unchanged from last year.

Council gave first reading for the tax rates for 2010. They also remain unchanged from 2009.

The mayor announced that Trick or Treat this year will be held on Saturday, October 30 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Council entertained a complaint from Richard Mansefield who is a resident of 96 Rowley Street.

Mansefield said his neighbors had asked him to come to the council and speak for them too. He said an auto repair business across the street from his house is revving up engines and pounding and hammering until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. and then waking folk up early on Sunday mornings too.

Patton told Mansefield that Police Chief Joe Billman had talked to the men running the business earlier that very day. She said her office has received several complaints about the noise. She also plans to notify the landlord about the situation.

Council entered a closed session to discuss an employee and possible litigation. Upon returning to open session no action was taken.

The council approved the minutes of last month’s meeting and the mayor voiced her sorrow over the city’s loss in the passing of Edward “Snook” Hickle. Council affirmed that statement.

She also informed council, as well as the public, that the city plans to purchase some new dumpsters. Some have been repaired but others are beyond repair, she noted.

With no other business on the agenda the council adjourned the meeting.

Snook Hickle dies following short illness

By Dennis Brown

A fixture in Vanceburg since WWII died last week following a short illness, just months after the building his business had been located in was sold.

Edward “Snook” Hickle, 82, died Monday, October 4. He and his father, Lawrence Hickle, opened Hickle’s Pool Room on Second Street in Vanceburg in 1945.

Snook Hickle arrived by 5:00 a.m. each day to put on coffee for the early morning regulars and always had a pot of chili ready. The hamburgers were cooked to order and the pool tables were heavier than some new cars.

There were three condiments for the burgers, not including cheese; pickles, onions and mustard.

The breakfast menu, like the lunch menu, was available any time the doors were open and included bacon, sausage, toast and eggs, cooked to order.

On occasion, and when Junior Sizemore had a successful fishing trip, he would fry fish and serve them up with brown beans and fried potatoes.

He made the chili with the same recipe his father used and mostly with the same pots, pans and dishes that survived since the bustling days of the 40s, 50s and 60s in Vanceburg.

The interior of the pool room changed little over the years. The counter was worn in front of each stool where bowls of chili and cold drinks had been placed for customers. The entry at the front door is also eroded by the many steps taken in and out of the business by patrons over the years.

The building’s two floors had separate owners since being constructed more than 100 years ago. Hickle rented the first floor for the pool room. The building sold to a new owner last year and Hickle sold the business to Junior Sizemore, who is in the process of relocating it to a building on Main Street.

After he sold the business, Hickle only semi-retired and continued to walk from his home on John Street each morning to the pool room, don his trademark apron, put on the coffee, fire up the grill and catch up on the latest news until mid-morning when Sizemore would come in to operate it for the remainder of the work day.

Hickle’s Pool Room on Second Street closed for business at the first of August.

Services were conducted Wednesday at Gaydos Funeral Home in Vanceburg.

Todd Ruckel is candidate for Mayor of Vanceburg

By Dennis Brown

Todd Ruckel has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Vanceburg in the November 2 General Election.

“It is a critical time for the City of Vanceburg to work together in moving our community in the right direction,” Ruckel said. “I will work with all other local, state and federal offices by being a part of the team of people who are interested in bringing progress and development to our community.”

Ruckel said the city must continue to provide and improve dedicated and hard-working employees of the city’s police, fire and sanitation departments with updated equipment and training to more efficiently provide the services needed by citizens.

“If elected mayor, I will be able to utilize my experience, education and work ethic to bringing new ideas, focus on solving problems and creating opportunities,” he stated.

“We must elect a candidate that will develop and maintain our city’s beauty, create a professional atmosphere and be aggressive in promoting our natural resources to attract quality industry,” he added.

Ruckel has been in the financial services industry for 16 years. He has managerial experience of 12 years and is a former Lewis County Magistrate. He is a member of numerous clubs and organizations including the Vanceburg Lions Club and the NRA.

He is a 1990 graduate of Lewis County High School and attended Maysville Community College. He is a life-long resident of Lewis County and is the son of Jerry and Donna Ruckel of Vanceburg.

File Photo

Todd Ruckel is a candidate for Mayor of Vanceburg..

He has lived in Vanceburg for 15 years with wife, Sandy, and their three sons, Adam, Brett and Cameron.

“I am humbled by the support I have already received in the campaign process,” he said.

He added he is making every effort to meet everyone and would like to take this opportunity to ask for your vote and support in the upcoming election. “Feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or support at any time.”

York is candidate for State Representative

By Dennis Brown

State Representative Jill York has announced her re-election campaign and says she looks forward to the future.

“An entire term in office would allow me time to accomplish so much more for the people here in Lewis County,” she said.

York, the Republican candidate, was elected to the seat during a special election in December of 2009. She says she feels she has been a quick study and an effective advocate for the people of Lewis and Carter Counties.

During the past regular session, York said the liberal thinkers in the General Assembly wanted to push the state into an additional $1.3 billion in debt to service Majority members’ pet projects. “They gave it a catchy name and worked hard to hide the fact that the bill would prove to be a job-killer when it placed its burdens on businesses and the taxpayers,” she said.

York says she stood firmly against the legislation, voting no on that budget for two reasons: to protect jobs and fiscal responsibility. “The state is overextended and government spending practices have to change. It’s as simple as that,” she added.

“When you find yourself in a hole you think you may never get out of -- the smart thing to do is to quit digging. You must stop doing things that make the situation worse.”

York is endorsed by the NRA and Kentucky Right to Life. She says she provides a conservative voice in the General Assembly.

She said her faith and belief in family led her to be one of the members who fought to bring an important piece of pro-life legislation, SB 38 sometimes called the “Ultrasound Bill,” to the floor of the House.

York said she is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights and voted in favor of opening and conserving public hunting lands and to allow a law-abiding gun owner to carry a handgun for self-defense during bow hunting season. And, she has a CCDW permit herself. “I will always defend our right to firearms for defense, hunting and target shooting,” she said.

York says she knows her committee postings will factor prominently in influencing legislation for Lewis and Carter counties. She serves on the House Committees for Education, Natural Resources & Environment and Tourism Development and Energy.

She said she continues to be a champion for children and public education. The Kentucky Education Association (KEA) announced their support for York by endorsing her for the general election.

York said she thinks finding solutions to our area’s illegal drug problems must be a priority and believes that the recent success of securing a grant of $171,000 will allow local law enforcement to continue their fight toward that end.

She said that while that grant will work behind the scenes, another project she says she has helped along is much more visible. The long awaited brown tourism signs to direct tourists from the AA Highway and into places of interest in Vanceburg have been installed.

File Photo

Jill York is a candidate for State Representative.

She said more good news arrived when the local Conservation District was awarded $300,000 in agricultural funding that can help Lewis County farmers grow their businesses.

She added that she continues to push cellular providers into studying how they can improve coverage or partner with other companies to correct difficulties encountered in Lewis and Carter Counties.

She said that over the past 10 months she has enjoyed forging relationships within the county and the region with those who share her desire to work toward shared goals for Lewis County.

She said those partnerships with local officials, area agencies and citizens who want to share their concerns and ideas have kept her informed and in-touch.

“I learn something new in every conversation. My job is to listen and see how I can best assist a given situation,” she said. “Sometimes it’s something simple like honoring a couple on their golden anniversary while other times it might mean delving into policies, laws, permits or agencies.”

York said it is an honor to serve as a link to state government. She asks that voters choose her in the upcoming election as she feels she has just gotten started and there is lot more work to do.

“Our people, our communities and our natural resources are unmatched. As representative, my role is to promote what we have and learn how we can capitalize on every opportunity that arises,” she stated.

York may be contacted by calling 606-474-7263 or 502-564-8100 Ext. 602.

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