by: Katlyn Bullock, Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator, Edmonson County Public Library
June is upon us and we are so excited to invite the youth of Edmonson County to take part in all of the adventures we have planned for Youth Summer Reading: Adventure Begins at Edmonson County Public Library! We are making a few exciting changes this year and we want to make everyone aware. First, we would like everyone to know that we are incorporating youth registration forms for each of our programs in June YSR. You can register and find out EVERYTHING about YSR at our website: www.ecplibrary.com. The shift to registration forms was done so that we can better plan the supplies needed and hopefully allow more youth to participate in programing that is age specific. We also have very limited space and cannot allow an unsafe attendance number for fire safety. We do not wish for anyone to feel excluded. We hope that offering a broader range of programs that are recommended for various age groups will help compensate for this shift. We invite everyone to sign up and participate in what interests their child the most. This year’s Youth Summer Reading includes more programs, educational opportunities, and ways to get involved with the Library!

Another new addition to Youth Summer Reading is our T-shirt Design contest that will run until June 14th, 2024! We would love to invite and ask all our creative youngsters to participate! Ages 17 years and under are welcome to compete and should email their design to [email protected] & [email protected]. Voting will take place online and in-person the week after the deadline! The winner will receive a fabulous prize as well as bragging rights (since each YSR Reading Log Participant will receive a shirt with the winning design on it in July!)

Next up is our YSR Scavenger Hunt! We have partnered with the EC Tourism Commission for an Edmonson County Wide Scavenger hunt that spotlights some of the best we have to offer! This is a low-pressure way to get out and adventure with your family while still supporting our community! You can pick up your adorable EC Map, Checkbox List, and Passport at the Youth Summer Reading Kickoff (please, register to attend on ecplibrary.com). Snap a picture at your Scavenger Hunt stops then post and tag us: Edmonson County Public Library and Edmonson County Tourism! You can also use the hashtag #ECAdventuresYSR2024 . Each checkbox list returned to the library by July 31st will be entered to win a special prize! The EC Scavenger Hunt Adventure Map was designed by EC Tourism Commission and we are so very thankful for all their hard work on this project.

Next, we would like to mention another partnership that has sprung up this summer with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. They have allowed ECPL to be a loaner pole station! We have 10 fishing poles that are available for checkout. We do ask that you bring your fishing license if you have one when you check them out. Ages 16 and older are required by law to have a fishing license to fish in Kentucky, however adults without a fishing license can still borrow a pole to take and teach your child how to fish. This would be a wonderful summer adventure and learning experience to share! We would also like to mention that the KDFWR sells fishing licenses online and we can help you purchase yours at any time. They are sold by season or as a day pass!

Lastly, and certainly not least, we want to bring up our new Youth Summer Reading Log Adventure Challenge! This year prizes will be given at random instead of by reading minutes! We do not want to discourage our beginning readers from competing and feel that the addition of our Reading Adventure Challenge (with the requirement of completing 12 checkboxes) will bring some excitement to logging those reads! Each participant who turns in their log by July 1st will receive a YSR T-shirt designed by our YSR T-Shirt Design Competition Winner, YAY! They will also be entered to win a fabulous prize to be drawn for and announced in July as well!

We are so excited for our community to come and participate in all of the fun we have planned at the Library! Be sure and stay tuned to our Website, Facebook page, Instagram, Edmonson Voice, and Edmonson News to hear new announcements about Youth Summer Reading and Adult Summer Reading, which is coming up in August 2024! 

Morris Blanton,  a member of Brownsville VFW Post 6937,  has been selected as Kentucky’s VFW Member of the Year for 2024, according to a statement from VFW 6937. 

Blanton will receive his award at the Kentucky State VFW Convention on June 21st at the Holiday Inn at Bowling Green.  Blanton has been a Post member since 1996, and eligible for VFW  membership because of his service overseas in the Post WWII Occupation of Germany.

According to Post 6937, following his overseas service, he served as a Park Ranger (LEO) and retired from the Park Service as the Chief of Maintenance in 1991.  He mentored America’s youth through the Civil Air Patrol for over twenty years, retiring as a CAP LtCol with over a thousand hours of flight time.  As a Boy Scout in 1948, he played Taps at the internment of WWII fallen soldier Raymond Bullock, then he played it for him again 60 years later (in 2018) as the Post helped dedicate a road in Bullock’s honor. 

"At age 93, Blanton remains active in every aspect of the VFW Post’s service activities which include 15 to 20 service member interments per year in every kind of weather," the Post said in a statement. "He particularly enjoys helping teach Edmonson’s fourth graders flag etiquette. Morris Blanton is a superb representative of the Veterans Of Foreign Wars and of Edmonson County and we are proud of his selection for this honor."

Madison Doyle, story:
Edmonson County will see the first copies of the community's first full feature magazine this weekend at the Big Brownsville Bash, presented by the Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce.

The magazine, which will be available in a short run this weekend, highlights Edmonson County Chamber members, including businesses and organizations, along with attractions and feature articles about happenings of the county.

"We were approached by Edmonson County Tourism Commission Director Vanessa Ulm, who discovered these types of publications were very popular in some of our surrounding counties, and she recommended we take a look at doing something like this for our community," said Darren Doyle, President of the Edmonson County Chamber.

Doyle said after some brainstorming sessions with the Chamber Board of Directors, it didn't take long for the board to start putting together ideas and content for the magazine.

The publication will feature articles that highlight Edmonson County High Schools fast-growing trade programs, local popular tourist attractions, helpful local government and utility information, and more. The magazine also features the full directory of Chamber members with contact information.

Doyle said several Chamber members financially supported the project by placing ads that showcase their business and organization offerings. He also said the Chamber was more than happy to cover the majority of the cost of the publication.

"We have really strengthened our annual budget over the last three years and our priority is highlighting our members. We feel the best way to do that is concentrate on marketing those members where and how we can, and providing more value to them. It's a small way we can help reward those members that also strengthens our business community," Doyle said.

Doyle added that even more opportunities are on the horizon for Chamber members since the local Chamber joined forces with the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Small Business Development Center - South Central.

"We are excited about recently beginning work with the BG Chamber and their SBDC. This is a free service to all our Chamber members that provide guidance and resources that could help secure financing, help with marketing and promotion, and it provides a business coach you can meet or speak with to discuss your current business needs."

He said that someone is Brittanie Dawson, a seasoned veteran from the Bowling Green area that serves as the main business coach for the BG Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber will decide how often new editions will be printed in the months to come, depending on the reaction of response of the community. Doyle said despite the declining demand of printed media, the magazine is a change of pace for the county that will have interests to many.

"Come on out to the Bash this weekend. Enjoy the events and take a look at the magazine," Doyle said. "We really feel like our community will enjoy it and look for ways to be part of future editions."

submitted flyer:

Be sure to click on the Edmonson Voice Facebook Page or our YouTube Channel on Saturday, May 25th at 2PM for this year's Edmonson County High School Graduation Ceremony, live only through the Edmonson Voice.

This year's stream is brought to you by Shauna Gravil, Realtor, Patton Funeral Home, Bank of Edmonson County, and Alford's Pharmacy.

As always, our sponsors make our content possible and we are very grateful for our relationships in our community. Thanks for reading, watching, and listening to the content on the Edmonson Voice, Edmonson County's number one source for local news and information.

On Friday, May 31st, the Edmonson County Chamber of Commerce will welcome all Bash-goers to the 4-H and Arts Guild displays at the Heritage Centre throughout the day. That afternoon, they will present their first-ever truck cruise on the square, sponsored by Alford's Pharmacy.

It's free to participate, just bring your truck. Trailer parking is limited so please pre-register with Mark Wardlow, 270-991-2972. Open to all classes, old and new. You can also enjoy some food trucks and get an early jump on the arts, crafts, and vendor fair inside the Community Center that will continue the next day.

Kentucky Living Magazine is now tallying votes for their annual contest "Best In Kentucky," and a local landmark has once again made the ballot.

The Historic Reed-Dossey House in Brownsville has been nominated in the top three of Kentucky's best bed and breakfasts/specialty lodging for the second year in a row.

Owners Tony and Sharon Zagaros purchased the home in 2018 after retiring early as they sold their Victorian home in Minnesota and living what they thought was their best life on the road in an RV, touring the U.S. for three years.

"After three years of living in a tin can, Sharon wanted a proper garden, a proper kitchen for baking and canning, and her own room for crafting, sewing, etc.," Tony said. "We were in Tucson Arizona for November & December of 2017, and started looking for a permanent place. We loved Kentucky right away when we started our RV adventure, traveling the Bourbon Trail for six weeks. We figured that we were done with the north, too hot in the deep south, hurricanes and storms on the east coast, and dry and pokey on the west coast. Looking on the internet in Kentucky, we found the Reed-Dossey House for sale and proceeded to drive directly from Tucson to Brownsville to look at it and subsequently buy it."

The couple opened the property as a bed and breakfast in April 2019 with a single room with attached private bathroom suite. Afterwards, Tony said he began the process of trying to convince his lovely wife to expand their services which included stocking the bathroom with towels and supplies, remodeling the bathroom, and having multiple discussions about what would make the home the most comfortable and elegant stay for travels.

We have been invited into their home for gourmet coffee and a sampling of Sharon's canned goodies, all of which were superb. Guests enjoy these goodies along with the historic and warm atmosphere of the property, along with the beautiful hospitality of the Tony and Sharon.

The Edmonson Voice live weather forecast each morning from wxORnotBG's Landon Hampton has a live view from the Reed-Dossey house that overlooks Brownsville. The camera view is available 24/7 on the Weather Page of Edmonsonvoice.com.

The Zagaros' are facing a challenge with the other two nominees, who each have huge social media followings. They are encouraging their Edmonson County friends to vote, and vote often for their property. It's super easy and you can vote once per day, per email address, but you better hurry as voting ends on May 31, 2024.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

You can follow their FB page here.

The house is also part of the National Registry of Historic Places and has been awarded as a Kentucky Landmark designation by the Kentucky Heritage Council.

The Edmonson County Homemakers are scheduled to host a fundraising bake sale this Saturday, May 11th, according to President Tammy Sanders.

"We will  use funds from this sale to conduct activities in our county," she said. "We go into Edmonson Health Care Center and provide fun activities for the residents.  We also provide items such as clothing to the Youth Service Center at ECHS for students who need some assistance."

The event is set to take place at the Family Dollar parking lot in Brownsville from 9AM to noon.

Edmonson Voice Report:
Miss Abigail Vincent of Chalybeate, was a winner of a $1000 scholarship on Saturday, May 4th at the King Kat kids' fishing tournament in Owensboro.

King Kat is a national tournament circuit that also offers special tournament events just for kids. Saturday's event was held at Yellow Creek Park in Owensboro.

After her parents, Cody and Emily Vincent saw a flyer promoting the event, the family decided to take the trip up the road for a little fun. Despite the fact that Abigail wasn't able to land the big one, the event drew three names out of 215 participants for the scholarship, where Abigail was named as one of the winners.

The scholarship is good at any college or trade program of her choice, when the time comes, and she also received her own rod and reel.

She is a second grade student at South Edmonson Elementary in Mrs. Emily Cassady's class.

Edmonson Voice Report:
The Edmonson County Water District has announced they will host a public town hall meeting along with Local, State, and National government officials, at the Community Center in Brownsville, KY on Thursday, May 9th at 5:30 p.m.

"This meeting will be utilized to provide and share information about the upcoming complete removal of Lock/Dam #5 on Green River, and to discuss short-term and long-term plans for the Water District to maintain water service to Edmonson, Grayson, Hart, and other counties that are supplied by the Edmonson County Water District," the Water District said in a statement.

Edmonson Voice Report:
Belle Key Church and Cemetery is in need of some repairs and its trustees are seeking help from the community.

Brandon Cowles, a trustee and treasurer for the church says about $1300 is needed for repair of vinyl siding that was installed 30 years ago. The doors and porch are also in need of repair and/or maintenance.

Rick Carroll and Janet Dennison also serve as trustees.

Donations are being accepted and you can send to:
Brandon A. Cowles,
333 Roseberry Circle
Bowling Green, KY 42104

You can visit their Facebook Page Here.