Urban Llama

A Loss for Us All

Posted on March 7, 2012 by theurbanllama

Veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin in 2007. Photo from Getty.

I was struck by the story on Feb. 22 that American war correspondent Marie Colvin, along with her French photographer Remi Ochlik, 28, were killed while attempting to flee from an unofficial media building that was being shelled by the Syrian Army.

Colvin, 56, was reporting for The Sunday Times from the western city of Homs on the uprising in violence by the Syrian government upon its civilian population.

I’m not particularly familiar with Colvin’s work, but something about her death stayed with me past the general morbid curiosity surrounding what happens to people placed in a war zone with only a pen to defend themselves.

I too am guilty of being desensitized to the deaths of those working in hostile destinations overseas. While I appreciate their sacrifices, there is such a high level of tragic violence every day in America and abroad, that unfortunate incidences like Ms. Colvin’s demise are met with a, “Wow, that’s awful,” and then I move on with my day.

Yet here I am two weeks later still pondering Marie Colvin. I keep thinking about the specifics of how she died; the harrowing path Colvin traveled to get into Syria; that she doubled down by returning after having exited the country safely; and balancing all that with how desperately the Syrian people needed journalists like Colvin to get the word out about what was truly happening there.

War correspondents, like the soldiers they cover, put themselves in harm’s way. It’s not shocking that fatalities befall those in this chosen career path.

Much like doctors and medics servicing the injured on the field of battle – proximity to the action is required to do their job well, and every so often the enemy disregards that red cross before shooting.

War correspondents aren’t issued weapons with their iPads, but often there is some sense of a buffer, like the Green Zone in Iraq, where coverage of a conflict may be recorded with a modimum of safety.

The problem for Colvin and all the correspondents in Syria is the government issued orders to aim at the proverbial “red cross” on the backs of all journalists.

Syria’s internal violence stems from a wider wave of revolutionary upheaval going on in the Arab nations of the Middle East, referred to as the “Arab Spring.” This awakening began in December 2010, and consists of demonstrations and protests, that in Syria’s case pertain to demands for the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, the overthrow of his government, and an end to nearly five decades of Ba’ath Party rule.

The Syrian army was deployed to quell the uprisings and has laid siege to several cities. The government spun a story that they were only attacking armed gangs, but the statistics show a different tale.

According to the U.N. and other sources, deaths range between 7,500 to 11,000, primarily of protesters, with over 400 children having died. Reports are circulating from witnesses that soldiers in the Syrian army refusing to open fire on civilians are being summarily executed. Tens of thousands have been imprisoned, and an estimated 1,000 prisoners, including children, have died from torture after being arrested.

Colvin set the scene in a phone interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN only hours before she was killed, where she reported from a neighborhood in the city of Homs that every civilian house on the street had been hit and that no military targets were near. Colvin added that the city was under constant shelling, and the idea that the Syrian army was only going after terrorist was a lie.

On the telecast there was riveting video of a two-year-old baby that had been killed in an attack on another home and Colvin had witnessed the child die.

[Watch Marie Colvin’s last report.]

I was left with this chilling quote: “It’s a complete and utter lie they’re only going after terrorists. The Syrian Army is simply shelling a city of cold, starving civilians,” Colvin said.

Why countries and governments feel the need to bully their people is anyone’s guess. In this instance we know the Syrian government didn’t want the world to see what it was doing because it banned western journalists.

We’re not talking about a country defending itself from outside attacks or even internal terrorism. These are citizens who are unhappy with their government and want the right to change it.

They hunger for democracy.

Instead of holding an election and risk losing, the Syrian government is slaughtering its citizens, an act so cold and cowardly that it demands attention from outside nations.

This is what Marie Colvin brought to the table.

Do or die situations in a hostile foreign country – when everyone else is running away, Marie Colvin was running back into the mortar fire to tell the story.

“I entered Homs on a smugglers’ route, which I promised not to reveal, climbing over walls in the dark and slipping into muddy trenches,” Colvin wrote in an article published by The Sunday Times on Feb. 19.

She knew the dangers.

Colvin’s colleague, Jean-Pierre Perrin, with the Paris-based Liberation newspaper, had been with Colvin the week before in Homs and told London’s Telegraph that the Syrian Army issued orders to kill any journalist that set foot on Syrian soil.

“A few days ago we were advised to leave the city urgently and told: ‘If they find you they will kill you,'” said Perrin. “I then left the city with the journalist from The Sunday Times but then she wanted to go back when she saw that the major offensive had not yet taken place.”

Prior to her death, Colvin appeared via satellite phone on several international programs including BBC and CNN, to describe the merciless and indiscriminate shelling and sniper attacks against civilian buildings and people on the streets of Homs by forces under the control of Bashar al-Assad.

At first it was believed the two journalists were killed by similar shelling on the makeshift media center where they sought shelter during the Homs battle.

It has since been learned through communication between Syrian Army officers, intercepted by Lebanese intelligence staff, that direct orders were issued to target the media center in which Colvin had been broadcasting, using the satellite phone signal to pinpoint her location.

If the journalists were successfully killed, then the Syrians were told to make it look as if they had died accidentally in a firefight with terrorists, radio traffic revealed.

Colvin was known for her eye-patch, which she wore after losing sight in her left eye from a rocket-propelled grenade attack while reporting on the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2001.

“Marie had fearlessly covered wars across the Middle East and south Asia for 25 years for The Sunday Times,” said Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman and owner of The Sunday Times in a prepared statement. “She put her life in danger on many occasions because she was driven by a determination that the misdeeds of tyrants and the suffering of the victims did not go unreported.”

The commitment by Colvin to a calling that neither guaranteed riches nor a favorable result is unique. This type of selfless leadership is absent in our current charged political climate, where nothing gets done without some ulterior agenda.

Colvin took matters into her own hands and left the political conjecture behind to source her own facts of injustice and allow the public to decide.

This was no tired sports cliché about how tough the battle would be in the trenches. She literally placed her life on the line for what she believed to be important, and to tell the story of those who were being needlessly slaughtered when no one else would do the job.

As I read more about Marie Colvin I consciously felt the void left behind by this amazing person, and couldn’t help but feel the world was a lesser place without her in it.

Thank you for what you did. Rest now and let others try to pick up where you left off.

Posted in News | Tagged Marie Colvin, middle-east, politics, Syria, war correspondents | Leave a comment

Mom’s 70th Birthday

Posted on February 28, 2012 by theurbanllama

The candles are lit, well wishers gathered and presents aplenty as mom prepares to make a wish at her 70th birthday party.

Last month my mom celebrated her 70th birthday. That’s a whole bunch of candles down the line. Such a momentous achievement deserves not only recognition but also a proper celebration.

We originally thought about gathering at a restaurant in Lexington for the festivities. Problem was there are 10 of us total, including four children, and it gets pricey quick, so we elected to celebrate at mom’s house, where the kids had room to rampage.

This wasn’t some huge to-do, just a gathering of our immediate family. My brother Geoff and his wife Laura both have hectic work schedules, plus two little girls they’re raising. They live 30 minutes away in Lexington, which is far enough to prevent my folks from seeing their grand-daughters as much as they might like. This makes birthdays and holidays have added meaning since it’s when we can take time to get together with each other and catch up.

Mom’s birthday celebration also held special significance because this would be the first chance for Geoff and his girls, Ainsley and Ava, to have an extended visit with my girlfriend, Maia Langley, and her two boys, Gabriel and Jacy.

They met briefly before Christmas, and the kids stayed near their siblings and familiar toys at first, but warmed up to each other as their games merged and mutated. With introductions already out of the way, we were excited to see how the kids would interact with several hours of playtime together.

Jacy savoring his coffee while patiently waiting in the barber chair for his haircut to begin.

In preparation some grooming was in order. The boys desperately needed haircuts. I joked that I’d be happy to hook them up with one such as my own, which is shaved close, and to my surprise they were down with that.

I opened my barbershop in the front of our living room, by the bay windows, so my young customers had a view of the capitol. We had a ball game on television for their viewing pleasure and I offered Sprite, coffee or Coke, in diner coffee cups, to give the boys some old-guy appeal.

The rabbits observe as Jacy gets his GQ styling completed.

Funny thing was I thought this whole ordeal would take under an hour. I expected hair to fly off like in the beginning scene of Full Metal Jacket, where those barbers are going through boys’ hair on Parris Island like a hot knifes through butter. Not the case with these two. They had hair of iron. It was dense like the Amazon jungle.

My shears were partly to blame. I’ve had them since I was in the police academy back in 2000. My hair is never more than a half-inch long, so I can buzz it right off. I tried going into Jacy’s hair and the blades struggled, tearing more than cutting his hair. This is something 7 year olds don’t like.

This meant I had to trim down both of them in layers, mixing between the electric shears, my beard trimmer and scissors, until their hair was low enough to buzz through.

Between all the different cutting methods and having to make frequent stops to clear away itchy hair – this took a couple hours. Gabe and Jacy were excellent customers and they compensated me with Rabbit Beer, which is always welcomed!

Gabriel's concern turns to inner-peace as no blood was actually drawn.

Mom’s birthday actually fell on a Thursday, but it’s no fun trying to wrangle everyone together for a late dinner during the week, so the party was set for the following Saturday.

An added bonus to all this was that I could drop by my folk’s house Thursday after work to wish my mom a quick happy birthday.

I’ve only been back in Kentucky on a permanent basis since June 2011, not that long when considering the last time I lived here was 1987.

Gabe conjures the paper to obey his commands.

I’ve stayed in touch through phone, text, e-mail and facebook, but haven’t been in my family’s or friends’ daily lives for 25 years. Usually I only see them over the holidays, when I’m constantly running between Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort, trying to squeeze in every visit imaginable.

This might be the first time in 20-plus years I could give my mom a hug on her birthday. It’s a simple thing, but really nice, and I’m not taking it for granted.

That Thursday was busy. I was up early proofing my resume and writing a restaurant review, and the legislature had us working through lunch and not out of work until after 7:00 p.m.

The natives at my house were restless for sustenance by then, and I wasn’t cooking. This was a Papa John’s night. So on my way to pick up the pizza I ran by mom’s to give her that hug and wish her a happy birthday.

While I may still be questioning the decisions that led to my returning to Kentucky, on this day I was feeling ok about it all.

For the party we were keeping things relatively simple. Kid-friendly food is always welcomed, and Kentucky Fried Chicken is a crowd favorite, but with our own sides. Mom made some country green beans and mashed potatoes (with KFC’s gravy of course).

I had designs on crafting something a little more personal and interesting for the adults, and decided to bake a crawfish pie. I had attempted this once before during Jazz Fest two years ago, when my friend Peter from Montana came down to New Orleans.

Peter is also known as Peter the Pie Guy, (www.peterthepieguy.com). He made one of his amazing from-scratch crusts and I did the filling. It turned out great, but I learned a few things along the way and modified the recipe to my liking.

Being it’s winter in the upper-South, I was concerned about finding crawfish. Shrimp does not hold up well enough and lacks the proper texture for crawfish pie.

Lo-and-behold Wal-Mart came through in the clutch. They had 12-ounce bags of Boudreaux’s crawfish tail meat (from China don’t you know, ’cause there’s lots of Boudreauxs over there in Asia), frozen for $12.

Next I needed spices. Wal-Mart was a tad light in this department but Kroger had most everything else.

Since 1969, Magee's Bakery, at 225 W. Main Street, has been providing Frankfort with the most decadent sweets.

On the morning of the party I went by Magee’s Bakery to pick up the cake I ordered. I’ve been buying pastries from Magee’s for as long as I can remember, but had never thought to try their cakes. They had the perfect size in double chocolate.

I grabbed a couple fudge-drizzled bow-ties and a glazed donut for breakfast since Gabe and Jacy were with me. The lady waiting on us said they were 2-for-1 and tossed in a couple extras on top of that. It was really sweet of her.

We took our goodies to my mom’s house so I could raid her spice rack for a few remaining items. I make this Creole spice mix that I use in all my New Orleans dishes. It packs a flavorful punch without singeing the taste buds.

Creole Seasoning:

5-Tbls. Smoked Paprika; 1-Tbls. Ground Black Pepper; 1-Tbls. Ground White Pepper; 1-Tbls. Cayenne Pepper; 1-Tbls Dried Thyme; 2-Tbls. Garlic Powder; 1-Tbls. Dried Oregano; 1-Tsp. Salt; 1-Tsp. Chile Powder and 1-Tsp. Onion Powder.

Instead of a “Pie Guy” crust I had to go with expediency and used a Marie Callender pastry crust that baked up quite well. It had to cook for 12-15 minutes, and then cool. This gave me time to slice, dice and measure my ingredients.

Crawfish Pie:

4-Tbls. butter; 1/2 cup onion; 1/4 cup scallions; 1/2 cup celery; 1/4 cup red bell pepper; 1/4 cup green bell pepper; 1-Tbls. Creole Seasoning; 1/2-Tsp. salt; 2-Tbls. Flour; 1.5-Lbs. Cooked Crawfish Tail Meat; 1/2-Tsp. Frank’s; 1-Tsp. Worcestershire; 3 Cloves Garlic; 1/2-Cup Heavy Cream; 1 Egg; 2-Tbls. Bread Crumbs; 9-Inch Pie Crust.

The finished product was even better than it looks.

To add some zing to the above recipe I increased the Creole spice, Frank’s and garlic to taste. I also felt a meat component would bring a welcomed flavor.

Andouille sausage or tasso ham have a taste that is complimentary to crawfish. I couldn’t find any tasso on short notice so went with the andouille. This French Creole smoked sausage has a dense flavor from the pepper, onions, wine and seasoning that is mixed in with the pork.

By mincing the andouille, it easily mixes with the other ingredients and becomes a binding agent. During cooking it releases these delicious fats and juices that congeal upon cooling.

Around Louisiana andouille sausage is found in as many derivations as hot dogs, but none of those brands travel this far north.

Happy Birthday mom!

Best I could do was Johnsonville’s New Orleans Spicy Smoked Sausage. It was a tad bland in comparison to true andouille, but mixed well and added the extra flavor and texture I was hoping to create.

I have since found some rather good andouille made locally by Critchfield’s (critchfieldmeats.com) in Lexington. That will come in handy next time.

This crawfish pie recipe almost makes itself. One tip I will add is the crawfish meat needs to be rinsed thoroughly. It had to find its way here from China. That’s a long time to be frozen in crawfish juice. Give it plenty of time to defrost properly and rinse it several times. That will prevent any “gamey” flavor from creeping into your recipe.

I needed two packs of the crawfish tails to make this recipe and was overly generous with the amount of onions and peppers I chopped, so when I was done assembling the pie I had a couple cups left over of the crawfish filling. I used some to make Creole omelets the next morning. Those were friggin’ good!

Mom scores an iPad.

The party came off really well. Having two boys and two girls commingling their games and toys makes for hilarious interplay. There were baby dolls doing stunt moves and attacking our ankles; Gabe has a thing for counting money, so he was perpetually walking around taking faux-dinner orders for his imaginary cafe and handing out pre-determined wads of play-money for services rendered; and the girls got everyone involved in mystery scavenger hunts that turned manic and intense, which had Quincy, my parent’s dog, all fired up.

The food was fantastic and my mom really liked her gifts. She either is a good faker or really believed we had only gotten her a book, but when she opened her Apple iPad she seemed genuinely surprised. I’m so happy to see mom is enjoying this gift and bonding with new technology.

It was a great night – very pleasant. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that are most satisfying.

“Well jambalaya an a crawfish pie, an a file gumbo; ‘Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio; Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-0; Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou.” ~ Hank Williams, from the Jambalaya Song.

The birthday crew: From left to right, back row, Laura, Geoff, Dad, and the Llama; front row, Ava, Ainsley, Mom, Jacy and Gabriel.

Posted in Events, Family, Food | Tagged Boudreaux, Boudreaux's Crawfish Tails, Crawfish, Crawfish Pie | Leave a comment

Goodbye 2011

Posted on February 16, 2012 by theurbanllama

Trimming the tree with Gabriel (left) and Jacy (right).

As the middle of February arrives, it seems time I get around to putting 2011 to bed.

In December I started a new job with the Legislative Research Commission in Frankfort, KY, working in bill tracking for the upcoming General Assembly session.

Becoming familiar with this position, while continuing to look for more permanent work and moving into a new place with my girlfriend and her two boys has kept me beyond occupied.

I never did catch up in real-time to 2011. The year began with me married and living in New Orleans. By the end, I was divorced and residing in Kentucky.

With all the turmoil, heartbreak and reflection, I spent more of 2011 in a ditch than on the road.

I eventually got some traction and steadied myself. The clean-up continues, but I’m persevering. The bright spot is I’m re-establishing some old relationships and building new ones.

Jacy soaking up the Christmas cheer at Wakefield Scearce in Shelbyville.

I am truly blessed to have such a loving family, and great friends, who’ve all taken the time to listen to what I’ve been going through, offered advice and stood by me as I regrouped.

I’m particularly thankful to Maia Langley, who has been kind enough to allow me into her life and that of her two inspiring boys, Bryn Gabriel Langley-Boaventura., 8, and Jacy Rodrigo Langley-Boaventura, 7.

We remain in a prolonged feeling out period. My life before was not particularly kid-oriented, so this is certainly a change for me, but a welcomed one.

The boys are exploring their boundaries, kind of like a T-Rex and a Velociraptor, and I’m the electrified fence. We’re learning a lot from each other as our worlds intersect.

The Leap Pad rules!

When the Christmas season arrived we hadn’t nearly settled into our new house, nor did I have much festive spirit in reserve, but we all picked out a tree and got the place decorated. It was refreshing to see Christmas through such innocent eyes, and share in the boys’ excitement.

It would have been therapeutic to stay put for the remainder of the holidays, but quickly on the heels of Christmas came a long-planned trip back to New Orleans to keep a promise I made.

I had considerable belongings in a storage facility there and needed them out before year’s end.

I was under a tight deadline due to Kentucky’s legislature coming into session on Jan. 3rd, at which point there would be no time to get away for such a trip with all the late nights and possible weekend work.

The street car on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans.

Originally Maia and I planned to head down and stay for New Year’s, but money, schedule and the possibility of karmic retribution made me decide to get in and out of the Crescent City expeditiously.

We left Wednesday, December 28th, after work. Two of Maia’s friends, Kelly and Amy, offered us a place to crash at the University of Montevallo, which is located 35 miles south of Birmingham, on the way down and back.

We arrived in Montevallo around 1:30 a.m., stayed up chatting till 4:00, slept in some, had brunch and were back on the road by noon on Thursday, December 29th.

Considering the road yet to travel we were in no hurry. There had been a 40-car pile up on I-10 west at 4:00 a.m. that morning, which claimed two lives. We ran into the residual traffic from that accident coming across the Twin Spans at 5:30 p.m., delaying our arrival into New Orleans until 7:00 p.m.

Daiquiris in the hood, located at 1401 St. Charles Avenue. Photo courtesy of Defend New Orleans.com

After a drive like that it was great to feel the energy coming off New Orleans. It doesn’t matter the day of the week, there’s always people coming here looking to get loose and New Orleans is all too happy to comply.

I figured a daiquiri would be a good way to get this visit started and help wash away the road miles. The Daiquiri Place Cafe is my preferred frozen beverage stop, or as I refer to it “Daiquiris in the Hood.”

These drinks are strong. Most have multiple 100 proof liquors involved and they come economically priced.

With names like the Brain Buster, Ass Kicker and Son of a Peach, these drinks are toxic - use caution when consuming. Photo courtesy of Defend New Orleans.com.

I especially like their White Russian – smooth and creamy with a pronounced burn. Float a shot of Bacardi 151 on top if you’re feeling dangerous. Ask for the house special and they will pour a little from each of the 12 flavors into a 32 ounce styrofoam cup. Stay away from heavy machinery if you consume this one.

We drove around town a bit to take in the cityscape, then went over to lay eyes on the storage unit so we knew the work we had ahead of us.

For dinner I had designs on eating somewhere Uptown, but our time was so limited, too valuable to be spent riding in a car or waiting for a table. We opted instead to check into our French Quarter hotel and park the car for the evening.

The view from the Canal Place Shops into the French Quarter.

This area doesn’t generally have the best food and certainly not much decent music, but the French Quarter provides exquisite atmosphere and enough quality spots within walking distance of each other, like Antoine’s, Galatoire’s, Mr. B’s, K-Paul’s and Bayona, that a great meal can be found.

More importantly we could wander, decompress and relax for a minute.

Now that my feet were on the ground in the Quarter it seemed wrong not to have a to-go drink in hand. Across Canal Street in the Central Business District is the Bon Ton Cafe (http://www.thebontoncafe.com).

With its gas-lit torches and black and white striped awnings, the Bon Ton is a classic, and offers expertly crafted Cajun food with upscale ambiance.

Like a beacon on lower Magazine Street, the Bon Ton Cafe glows in the evening dusk.

I was only seeking a cocktail this evening. The specialty drink of the house is a Rum Ramsey.

The recipe is a secret and dates to the early 1900s. It’s a smooth, flavorful concoction and packs a deceptive wallop.

Approaching the front entrance I was eagerly anticipating my first sip of this elixir of ills.

But wait the door was locked!

The lights were on.

I peered inside to see a full restaurant.

You gotta be joking?!?

Somebody was standing to give a speech.

This had all the earmarks of a corporate shindig.

The whole restaurant was rented out, preventing public access.

This aggression would not stand.

Andrew Jackson and the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square.

Here now is an anecdote for why New Orleans and its culture has a special place in my heart.

I know the Bon Ton pretty well. It barely has a bar. There’s a flat counter space in the rear of the dining room where waitstaff linger to pick up drink orders.

There just so happens to be an interior door by the bar that opens out onto the street.

We went around the side and I banged on the door. The restaurant manager opened it up and stepped outside.

I said, “sorry for disturbing your event. I see you have a corporate thing going on, but I used to live in New Orleans, I’m only in town for tonight – I was wondering if there was any way I could buy a couple Rum Ramseys off you?”

The guy stands up straight, shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and says, “sure no problem, I’ll be right back.”

That boys and girls is hospitality.

He comes back in five minutes with two double Rum Ramseys. I was planning to give him $25 as a thank you, and he tells me, “I can’t take that, don’t worry about it. They’re on me, welcome back to New Orleans, you have yourselves a good evening.”

Yeah ya right! I about hugged the guy. I love this town!

The view from Muriel's balcony overlooking the French Quarter.

Now we needed food. A few blocks down on Jackson Square is Muriel’s (http://muriels.com). It’s a picturesque contemporary Creole bistro, where candle-lit chandeliers, exposed brick and bright colors collide for a opulent dining sensation.

If you have the time, the Seance area upstairs is a fabulous place to have a cocktail. The Outer Seance was a bordello and looks as such with its couches, tapestries and pillows bathed in red light. The Inner Seance is where Muriel’s resident ghost, Pierre Antoine Lepardi Jourdan can often be found.

I highly recommend downloading the Ghost Radar app for your phone before going to Muriel’s. After a couple dirty martinis tracking the supernatural becomes endless fun.

Inside the Seance Room at Muriel's.

The Courtyard Bar is also of note, located around the corner from the main dining room. It’s over a century old and is a great location to meet a friend.

For dinner I had the Turtle Soup au Sherry, which was rich, decadent and delicious. Then the Pecan Crusted Puppy Drum, topped with Louisiana crabmeat relish and laced with a lemon butter sauce. It was exactly what I was hoping for, not the lightest meal, but it dissipates quickly so I never felt stuffed.

We finished dinner just before 11:00 p.m. After such a meal a walk is in order, so we cruised lower Decatur Street, past the vampire bars that were only beginning to creep, crossed Esplanade Avenue and into my former playground that is Frenchmen Street.

Here is where the real music can be found.

This was one of those odd nights in New Orleans. Plenty of people were out, but the town wasn’t popping. It was in that “calm before the storm” mode. With the Sugar Bowl only five days away, all the Virginia Tech and Michigan fans would begin arriving the following day, so locals were out to have New Orleans to themselves for a casual moment.

Maia and I took in the sounds of Frenchmen, met a friend of mine, then called it a night. We had a big day tomorrow.

While it was good to get a brief taste of New Orleans, I wasn’t emotionally prepared to be back here yet. It’s a beautifully broken town. They call it the Big Easy, but there is nothing easy about the place. It has so many wonderful things going for it, but the damage and dysfunction are rampant.

I was full of sadness and remembrances because of how my marriage went down – and then there’s how hard people play at night in New Orleans, every night.

I wasn’t ready to see it all again. Maybe time will heal this, maybe not. Regardless, it was time to go.

Maia is up and ready to get her "move" on.

We were up by 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 30th, to get the moving van.

Car rental agencies are good places to get a sense of whether a city is hopping or not. The Budget location on Canal Street is always drama-filled. That Budget and Avis were temporarily sharing this office only complicated matters. Add in a healthy dose of clueless Sugar Bowl fans and this location was ripe for chaos.

We checked out a 16′ truck and decided to leave it on the lot, then rode in the car to get po-boys from Mahony’s, (http://mahonyspoboys.com), before heading to the storage unit.

Maia takes down her first po-boy at Mahony's, 3454 Magazine Street.

This is a newer po-boy shop. It’s set up like one of the old corner joints, which sadly are disappearing. The chef, Ben Wicks, is a former white tablecloth guy, who has taken the classic po-boys, re-thought them, and given most a twist for the better.

Maia went with a fried shrimp po-boy, dressed (lettuce, tomatoes, mayo and pickles). A very strong selection for her first every po-boy.

I on the other hand needed the Peacemaker.

This bad boy took home the prize for best classic fried po-boy at the 2008 Preservation Po-boy Festival, (www.poboyfest.com). It features succulent fried oysters, layered with bacon and cheddar cheese, and comes dressed to please.

Oysters remain limited in size and availability since BP’s oil spill, so the Peacemaker is a “market price” sandwich, not exactly inexpensive, but you can’t find such a sandwich much anywhere else. The only place with the right bread is New Orleans and oyster prices make it prohibitively expensive outside the Gulf region.

I took the whole thing down and then was ready to move some furniture to work it off.

The wagontrain all loaded for the trip north to Kentucky.

With the temperature hovering around a swampy 85 degrees and the storage unit located on the third floor, this was going to be a sweaty operation.

It wasn’t like we were going to remotely fill this truck, but some items were bulky, and could easily eat up all the floor space, so to maximize capacity everything had to be packed precisely.

It took a couple of hours, then we had to secure Maia’s car on the trailer. Once done, my only thought was to get this rig out on the open road quickly. I wanted to clear the metro area before the Friday rush-hour took hold.

Passing the Superdome on I-10 east.

We rolled up on I-10 east without incident and made Montevallo by 10:00 p.m. I was cashed. All the hours driving took a toll.

Come Saturday, New Year’s Eve, we were strung out on fast food and putrid gas station coffee. Around 10:00 p.m., we reached Elizabethtown, KY. There we offloaded Maia’s car from the trailer and went our separate ways.

Maia drove north to Louisville to grab the boys from her sister’s house, and I took the truck the last 80 miles home to Frankfort.

We all made it under one roof just before midnight.

The entire trip ended up being a little over 1,500 miles in 77 hours.

I can’t thank my ex-wife enough for everything. I’m not going to go into that here. Suffice to say I miss her and my previous life every day, and think about both often. That’s not going to change.

On the other hand, I’m excited by the potential of the relationship between Maia, Gabriel, Jacy and myself. We still have a couple significant subplots that continue throwing us curve balls but we’re dealing with them appropriately.

Part of 2011 will haunt me forever, and that’s ok, it should, but I’m ready to take on new challenges. There’s no doubt 2012 will be momentous. I remain undaunted in my quest for discovery and understanding.

Like Don Quixote, the Llama will be out there charging at windmills, imaginary or otherwise.

Bye 2011, hello 2012!

Posted in Family, Food, Travel | Tagged Bon Ton Cafe, Daiquiri, Daiquiri Place Cafe, Mahony's, Muriel's, New Orleans | Leave a comment

The Turtleman wades through the Capitol

Posted on February 2, 2012 by theurbanllama

Kathy Thurman from my LRC office in the Capitol poses with Ernie "Turtleman" Brown, Jr., with his buddy Neal James.

A war cry was heard throughout the Kentucky General Assembly yesterday as the Turtleman swam through a sea of fans and well-wishers.

Ernie “Turtleman” Brown, Jr., pulled himself out of the murky ponds he usually inhabits around Lebanon, KY, to be recognized with resolutions in both the Senate and House of Representatives for the success of his reality-television show, Call of the Wildman, on the Animal Planet network.

Hitting the airwaves in November 2011, the show follows the adventures of the Turtleman, his faithful canine companion Lolly, and Brown’s friend and right-hand man Neal James, as they travel country roads rescuing animals.

Brown grew up exploring the woods in Washington County, and learning the ways of its occupants. His father and uncle taught him their bare-hands technique for catching snapping turtles, and after he caught a 25 pounder at the age of 7, he’s been in the animal rescue business ever since – going on 40 years.

The Turtleman’s philosophy is simple: “I don’t kill it. I only catch it. Don’t never torture nothing. That’s the name of my game. That’s how you stay into it. Keep people liking you.”

Brown does fill a societal need for the farmers and residents in the rural counties he inhabits. These large snapping turtles are a danger to livestock and small pets, and do need to be removed.

He captures about 300 turtles a year and over 12,000 during his career, managing only to get injured 33 times.

The biggest turtle he’s caught to date was a 55 pound monster snapper, nicknamed the “Loch Ness Turtle.”.

The Turtleman makes a new friend outside the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Self described as “Kentucky’s best-kept secret” and “The poorest famous guy around,” Brown not only does a difficult job, one he usually gets paid for in gas money or livestock, but goes about it with a flair and joy that resonates with the public.

A segment from a 2008 Kentucky Afield episode about The Turtleman has generated 4 million hits on YouTube.

Through his charm, good humor, and sheer love for what he does, the Turtleman has managed to parlay his Internet success into becoming a would be television star and cultural phenomenon, including guest spots on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Visualize if you can the Turtleman seated next to Eddie Murphy.

Brown cut quite the sporting figure yesterday, standing a solid 6 feet tall, wearing camouflaged fatigue pants, a black leather jacket with fringe, a crocodile-hunter hat with a feather hanging down the back, and a huge leather-sheathed Bowie knife strapped around his waist.

The Turtleman is nothing if not authentic. Brown and his sidekick, Neal James, who brought along his banjo and wore a t-shirt enblazoned with their logo “Snapper-licious,” were a hit with legislators, staff and student groups alike.

Flashing his trademark smile, which features no teeth due to a chainsaw accident, and striking pro-wrestler poses, the Turtleman drew a steady crowd for pictures. He wasn’t hard to find as his trademark “War Woop,” usually reserved for when Brown captures a turtle, echoed through the marble halls of the Capitol.

The Senate was even treated to a lo-country rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home,” as Senator Alice Forgy Kerr did the honors, accompanied by Neal James on banjo.

“I’m kind of like a warrior, like Robin Hood,” said Brown. “I bring a turtle out of this pond, put him in another where he won’t do no violence.”

Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon (left), presents a resolution honoring Ernie "Turtleman" Brown, Jr. (right), in the Kentucky Senate. Photo by LRC Public Information.

Posted in Events, News | Tagged Animal Planet, Call of the Wildman, Ernie Brown, Kentucky, Turtleman | Leave a comment

Penguin Party at the Capitol

Posted on January 26, 2012 by theurbanllama

Paula the penguin waits her turn for recognition on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Penguins were all the buzz Tuesday in both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly.

The Senate and House of Representatives each introduced resolutions “honoring the Newport Aquarium for its contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the aquatic world in general through its stewardship of sea life,” with the House recognizing January 24, 2012, as Penguin Day at the Capitol.

Speculation began the previous week that a live penguin might make an appearance to help celebrate this momentous occasion.

Word swept through the Capitol once Paula the penguin, named after Paula Abdul, was glimpsed clearing security. The halls leading to the House chamber quickly filled with penguin-crazed policy wonks, staffers and legislators hoping to catch a glimpse of this precocious tuxedo-clad critter.

Fueled by recent popular movies such as Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Happy Feet and March of the Penguins, this eternally well-dressed flightless bird is hotter than a revised budget plan, and it showed by the size and excitement of the crowd.

Paula greets her fans and poses for the cameras.

Paula, an African blackfooted penguin, was undaunted by the throng of onlookers jockeying to snap cell phone pictures or give her a friendly pat.

After leaving the House floor, she made a visit to Speaker Greg Stumbo’s office before entering the more austere Senate chamber, upon which Paula had a small accident near the desk of Senate President David Williams.

As Senate Resolution 92 was being presented to recognize the Newport Aquarium by Senate President Pro Tem Katie Stine, Williams, who was presiding over the chamber, interrupted Stine to inform her that the penguin “just defecated on the floor.”

It was unclear whether Paula’s action should be construed as a political statement or merely freedom of expression.

Paula has the run of the House. Photo by LRC Public Relations.

Posted in Events, News | Tagged Kentucky, legislature, Newport Aquarium, Penguin | 1 Comment

MEDICARE: Kentucky

Posted on November 1, 2011 by theurbanllama

STATE AGENCIES:

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) is home to most of the state’s human services and health care programs, including Medicaid, the Department for Community Based Services and the Department for Public Health.

Miller brings more than 30 years of experience to her current position, including 21 years developing and administering health care programs. Her career also includes more than 15 years of service in the former state Cabinet for Human Resources. Prior to her appointment as secretary, Miller held the position of deputy director of budget review for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. In this role, she was responsible for assisting legislators in developing budget bills for all three branches of government.

Under former Governor Paul Patton, Miller served as Public Protection Cabinet Secretary from May 2002 to November 2003, continuing in the role of commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Insurance while serving as cabinet secretary. She also has served as commissioner of the Department of Insurance and as deputy commissioner of Health Insurance in the Department of Insurance.

Jill Midkiff, Executive Director – Communications and Administrative Review | Phone: (502) 564-7042 | E-mail: jill.midkiff@ky.gov

The Office of the Ombudsman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services serves as an advocate for citizens and works to ensure those seeking various public services are treated fairly. The Office of the Ombudsman answers questions about CHFS programs, investigates customer complaints and works with CHFS management to resolve them, advises CHFS management about patterns of complaints and recommends corrective action when appropriate.

Currently, the office consists of three branches: Complaint Review, Performance Enhancement and the Institutional Review Board. The Office of the Ombudsman is working to integrate all the functions of the Ombudsman’s Office within a proactive, data-driven agency whose contributions to the Cabinet will be essential to overall quality improvement.

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services – Department of Aging and Independent Living

The Kentucky Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) oversees the administration of statewide programs and services on behalf of Kentucky’s elders and individuals with disabilities. In partnership with Kentucky’s 15 Area Agencies on Aging and Independent Living, Community Mental Health Centers, Center for Independent Living and other community partners, DAIL provides leadership and addresses issues and circumstances that stand in the way of elders and individuals with disabilities achieving the best possible quality of life.

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/default.htm

Deborah Anderson has more than 20 years of experience in the mental health, brain injuries, mental retardation and aging fields. A career CHFS employee, she most recently served as a member of the secretary’s executive policy staff and led the Kentucky Long Term Living Initiative to develop a system of care for the elderly and people with disabilities.

She also was among the architects of the state Medicaid modernization effort, Kentucky Health Choices. During the course of her career, she has earned the respect and admiration of aging and disabilities advocates and constituent organizations and is a certified mediator through the Justice Center of Atlanta.

A former case manager and journalist, Anderson has degrees in psychology and journalism. She is nationally recognized for her work on behalf of families of children with emotional disabilities and is co-founder of the Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children.

Bill Cooper, Deputy Commissioner of Department of Aging and Independent Living | Phone: (502) 564-6930 Ext. 3439 | E-mail: bill.cooper@ky.gov

In July 2004, Mr. Cooper was appointed as the Director of the Kentucky Division for Aging Services and in Oct. 2007 he was appointed as Deputy Commissioner of the new Department for Aging and Independent Living. He served as the Associate Director for Social Services for the Green River Area Development District, Area Agency on Aging from 1994 through 2004. Mr. Cooper has a Master of Science Degree with an emphasis in Community Planning and Gerontology from Western Kentucky University. He has twenty-six (26) years experience in the field including Director of Area Agencies on Aging in Kentucky and Alabama and Project Director for the U.S. Health Care Finance Administration’s National Alzheimer’s Research Project, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Carla Crane, Senior Policy Advisor of Department of Aging and Independent Living | Phone: (502) 564-6930 | E-mail: carla.crane@ky.gov

Dr. Carla Crane has served as a direct care provider, program manager and program evaluator/researcher for 20 years. She has been serving in various capacities within Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services since 1999. Dr. Crane served as the program manager of a Medicaid-funded behavioral health program with approximately 110 providers collectively serving about 4,500 recipients annually with $32 million in annual expenditures.

Dr. Crane has spent the last several years obtaining and administering various grants for the Department for Aging and Independent Living. Projects include the implementation of the Collaborative Studies for Long-Term Care initiative in partnership with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Kentucky Alzheimer’s Association to evaluate the Alzheimer’s Association Training Program for staff who work in nursing facilities. She also served as co-principal investigator and associate director of the Real Choice Systems Change Grant: State

Profile Tool for Assessing Kentucky’s Long-Term Care System. She continues her work with program specific evaluations and quality management.

Kimberly Baker, State Long Term Care Ombudsman | Phone: (502) 564-6930 Ext. 3045 | Fax: (502) 564-4595

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/kltcop.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/ltcoDistricts

The Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman program advocates for residents of nursing homes, personal care homes and family care homes. Ombudsmen work to resolve problems of individual residents and to bring about improvements in care through changes at the local, state and national levels.

Links to senior services in Kentucky Dept. of Aging and Independent Living:

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/AreaAgenciesonAging.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dcbs/dpp/Adult+Protective+and+General+Adult+Services.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/resourcemarket

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/adultday.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/ALC.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/familycaregiver.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/CDSMP.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/Consumer+Directed+Option.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dcbs/dpp/eaa

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/InstituteForAging.htm

http://chfs.ky.gov/dail/ship.htm

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services – Department for Medicaid Services

Neville Wise, Acting Commissioner | Phone: (502) 564-8196 | E-mail: nevile.wise@ky.gov

http://chfs.ky.gov/dms

Neville Wise currently serves as acting commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services, within the Cabinet for Health Services. As acting commissioner, Wise oversees management of the state’s Medicaid program, which serves more than 800,000 vulnerable Kentuckians and has an annual budget of approximately $6 billion. Prior to this role, Wise has spent more than 22 years in various positions within the Medicaid program, most recently serving as deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services. He holds

a master of public administration, as well as undergraduate degrees in agricultural economic and business administration, from the University of Kentucky.

Medicare Savings Program Information:

http://chfs.ky.gov/dms/save.htm

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services – Office of Health Policy

The Office of Health Policy, in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, ensures coordinated, timely, efficient and cost-effective health planning and policy research. The office includes Certificate of Need, which controls growth of unnecessary, duplicative and underused health care services, and Health Policy Development, which works to apply best practices and innovative strategies from the private sector and other states to benefit Kentuckians.

http://chfs.ky.gov/ohp

Carrie Banahan is the Executive Director of the Office of Health Policy where she is responsible for the administration of the Certificate of Need program and Health Planning and development for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Ms. Banahan has been employed in state government for over 28 years.

From 1982 to 1986, Carrie was a Medicaid caseworker with the Department for Community Based Services. From 1986 to 1998, Ms. Banahan worked in the Department for Medicaid Services where she drafted policy manuals and regulations, assisted with implementation of a new MMIS, and the Medicaid Partnerships.

From 1998 until 2006, she was employed by the Department of Insurance and worked in the Health Division as a Branch Manager and Division Director and also served as Deputy Commissioner. While at Insurance, Ms. Banahan was responsible for overseeing and implementing HIPPA insurance requirements, prompt pay laws for insurers, an internal and external review process for consumers, and a state risk pool for individuals who were unable or had difficulty obtaining health insurance.

From 2006 to 2008, she was Deputy Commissioner for the Department for Medicaid Services. While at Medicaid, she was instrumental in overseeing the implementation of Kentucky Health Choices and the new MMIS, as well as assisting with the development of new waiver programs.

Kentucky Department of Insurance

The Kentucky Department of Insurance regulates the commonwealth’s insurance market, licenses agents and other insurance professionals, monitors the financial condition of companies, educates consumers to make wise choices and ensures that Kentuckians are treated fairly in the marketplace. The department promotes sound, competitive insurance markets; protect the public through effective enforcement and regulation; and empower the public through outreach and education.

http://insurance.ky.gov

Sharon P. Clark, a veteran of Kentucky state government, was appointed commissioner of the Department of Insurance (DOI) in July 2008.

Commissioner Clark was the first director of DOI’s Consumer Protection and Education division, a position she held for five years. Under her leadership, the Department hired its first ombudsman, added consumer education and outreach functions, and strengthened enforcement efforts by expanding the number of consumer complaint investigators.

She currently serves on the executive committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), is chair of the NAIC’s Market Regulation and Consumer Affairs (D) Committee, is a member of the NAIC Audit Committee and serves as secretary for the NAIC’s Southeastern Zone. Commissioner Clark also is a member and secretary of the National Insurance Producer Registry board and vice chair of the NAIC’s National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB) Committee.

Prior to being named Insurance Commissioner, she worked at the Finance and Administration Cabinet. She also held positions for the Kentucky House of Representatives, the Public Service Commission and the former Workforce Development Cabinet.

Ronda Sloan, Public Information Officer | Phone: (502) 564-6098 | E-mail: ronda.sloan@ky.gov

Kentucky Health Insurance Advocate (KHIA):

http://insurance.ky.gov/home.aspx?div_id=16

Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet

http://finance.ky.gov

Lori Hudson Flanery was appointed secretary of the Kentucky Finance & Administration Cabinet on April 1, 2011. Since December 2007 she served as deputy secretary of Finance & Administration and interim chief information officer of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The Secretary serves as the chief financial officer and manager of the financial resources of the Commonwealth. The Cabinet includes the Commonwealth Office of Technology, Kentucky’s Revenue Department, and the offices of the State Controller, Financial Management and Procurement as well as the Department of Facilities.

Secretary Flanery’s former posts include deputy chief executive officer and general counsel for Kentucky Housing Corporation, commissioner of Financial Incentives for the Cabinet for Economic Development and counsel with Peck, Shaffer & Williams, LLP and Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs.

Cindy Lanham | Director of Communications | (502) 564-4240 | cindy.lanham@ky.gov

Kentucky Personnel Cabinet

Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan (KEHP) is a self-funded program providing health insurance benefits to the employees and retirees of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, local school boards, some cities and county governmental agencies. Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan currently offers coverage to approximately 285,000 employees, retirees and their dependents.

KEHP partners with Humana, Inc. as our Third Party Administrator (TPA) and Express Scripts, Inc. as our Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM). Humana administers all medical claims such as physician, hospital, durable medical equipment, etc. Express Scripts administers our prescription drug benefits. While Humana and Express Scripts are two separate companies, they work together with KEHP to provide benefits to employees and retirees.

http://personnel.ky.gov

Secretary Longmeyer brings nearly 16 years of legal experience to our cabinet. A member of the Kentucky Bar Association, he earned his BA from the University of Kentucky and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Louisville. In his role as Deputy Secretary, Longmeyer served on Governor Beshear’s Pension Working Group as chair of the Healthcare Sub-Committee and also chairs the Kentucky Group Health Insurance Board. He has also served as Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, Legislative Liaison; Division Chief, Family Court Prosecutors; and Asst. County Attorney.

Crystal Pryor, Chief Legislative Affairs and Public Information Officer | Phone: (502) 564-7430 | E-mail: crystal.pryor@ky.gov

EXECUTIVE BRANCH:

Office of State Budget Director

Mary Lassiter, Secretary of the Executive Cabinet and State Budget Director | 702 Capitol Avenue | Frankfort, KY 40601 | Phone: (502) 564-7300 | E-mail: mary.lassiter@ky.gov

http://www.osbd.ky.gov

Lassiter currently serves as the Secretary of the Executive Cabinet and State Budget Director for Governor Steve Beshear. She has been an employee of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for over 25 years, spending the last 10 years in the Office of State Budget Director in various roles, including Acting State Budget Director in 2003. She previously served as a financial analyst in the Office of Financial Management and Economic Analysis and served as a special assistant to Governors Wilkinson, Patton and Fletcher on economic development, workers’ compensation and tax policy issues. She holds both a BBA and MBA from the University of Kentucky. She served on the Board of the Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center representing the Executive Branch from 1999 to 2008.

The Office of the State Budget Director is comprised of three distinct groups:

1. Governor’s Office for Policy and Management

http://www.osbd.ky.gov/contactus/gopm.htm

2. Governor’s Office for Policy Research

http://www.osbd.ky.gov/contactus/gopr.htm

3. Governor’s Office for Economic Analysis

http://www.osbd.ky.gov/contactus/goea.htm

LEGISLATIVE BRANCH:

Kentucky Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Legislator/S036.htm

Committees: Banking and Insurance; Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources; Economic Development and Tourism; Health and Welfare (Co-Chair); Subcommittee on Health Issues and Aging (Co-Chair); Labor and Industry; Licensing and Occupations; Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee

Senator Denton was elected to the state senate in 1994 and co-chairs the Health and Welfare Committee, and Co-Chairs the subcommittee on Health Issues and Aging. At the national level, she serves on the Health and Human Services Task Force of the American Conference of State Legislators (ALEC). In 1998, Senator Denton was chosen “Legislator of the Year” by ALEC, for her work in the area of health care and affordable health insurance.

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Legislator/H030.htm

Committees: Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources; Subcommittee on Families and Children (Co-Chair); Health and Welfare (Co-Chair); Licensing and Occupations; Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection

Rep. Tom Burch served in the United States Navy and graduated from Bellarmine College with a degree in business administration. He retired after nearly 40 years with General Electric, where he worked as a production control manager. Rep. Burch was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1972 and is currently the longest serving House member. He has served as the Chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee since 1985.

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/legislator/H034.htm

Committees: Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources (Vice Chair); Childhood Obesity Task Force: Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs; Health and Welfare; Subcommittee on Health Issues and Aging (Co-Chair); Judiciary; Labor and Industry; State Government

Born September 16, 1954. Registered Nurse, Transplant Coordinator. Catholic. U of L, BS. Jefferson Co NOW, past Pres. Metropolitan Louisville Women’s Political Caucus. KY Nurses Assoc. Older Women’s League.

Committee Staff Administrator:

DeeAnn Mansfield | Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare; Subcommittee on Health Issues and Aging; Subcommittee on Families and Children | Legislative Research Commission | Capitol Annex, Room 101 | Frankfort, KY 40601 | Phone: (502) 564-8100 | E-mail: deeann.mansfield@lrc.ky.gov

Kentucky Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Legislator/H025.htm

Committees: Appropriations and Revenue; Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources (Co-Chair); Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee (Co-Chair); Rules; State Government; Transportation; Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety

Representative Lee was born March 27, 1937, and has served in the House since 1993. He is a retired auto dealer.

Interim Joint Committee on Banking and Insurance

http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Legislator/S022.htm

Committees: Appropriations and Revenue; Banking and Insurance (Co-Chair); Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources (Co-Chair); Childhood Obesity Task Force; Health and Welfare; Subcommittee on Families and Children; Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations; Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee

Senator Tom Buford has served for more than 18 years in the Kentucky State Senate. Sen. Buford made Kentucky history on the day of his inauguration to the Senate—he is the first senator ever to be sworn in as a new member and as a leader in his caucus. He served the first two years of his term as the Republican whip, and later served four years as Republican caucus chairman. Sen. Buford was recognized by Common Cause as one of the 13 most ethical legislators, and he was selected and awarded by the Republican National Committee and President Bush as one of the top 10 legislators in the United States.

Fiscal Analyst – Legislative Research Commission:

Frank Willey | House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance and Public Protection | Phone: (502) 564-8100 Ext. 316 | E-mail: frank.willey@lrc.ky.gov

ADVOCACY:

AARP Kentucky

Scott Wegenast, Media Relations | 10401 Linn Station Road, Suite 121 | Louisville, KY 40223 | Phone: (502) 394-0277 | E-mail: swegenast@aarp.org

http://www.aarp.org/states/ky

The Council on State Government

Deborah Miller, Director of Health Policy | Phone: (859) 244-8241 | E-mail: dmiller@csg.org

The Friedell Committee for Health System Transformation

Richard Heine, Executive Director | P.O. Box 920953 | Lexington, KY 40591 | Phone: (859) 221-5770 | E-mail: Richard@friedellcommittee.org

http://friedellcommittee.org

Kentuckians are concerned about their ability to obtain health care for themselves, their families and others in their communities. While specific health concerns vary among individual populations, the current fragmented and dysfunctional healthcare system does not meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s citizens.

Dr. Heine retired from state government after 30 years of service in planning, programming, policy analysis, information systems and evaluation of human service programs. His positions included Director, Division for Quality Improvement, Department for Medicaid Services, and Research Psychologist, Kentucky Cabinet for Human Resources, Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services, Division of Mental Health.

Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform

Bernie Vonderheide, president and founder | 1530 Nicholasville Road | Lexington, KY 40503 | Phone: (859) 312-5617 | Email: kynursinghomereform@yahoo.com

http://www.kynursinghomereform.org

Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform is a non-profit organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the 23,000 “Forgotten Kentuckians” in nursing homes by:

1. Educating the public about the critical need to improve the care of residents in nursing homes.

2. Advocating for laws and regulations that will ensure that nursing home residents will be safe and comfortable.

Bernie Vonderheide, was director of public relations for the University of Kentucky for more than two decades before retiring 14 years ago. Before UK, he held positions at The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times.

In retirement, Mr. Vonderheide has been an active advocate for nursing home reform. He serves on the board of the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass. He also is president and founder of Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, a citizens advocacy group.

His advocacy work helped form a task force on the state level to discuss quality long-term care and he single handedly was able to get four bills to reform nursing home care introduced in the Kentucky General Assembly.

Kentucky Association of Counties

Cathy Hancock, Information Officer | 400 Englewood Drive | Frankfort, KY 40601 | Phone: (502) 22307667

http://kaco.org

Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities

Steve McClain, Director of Public Affairs and Member Services | 9403 Mill Brook Road | Louisville, KY 40223 | Phone: (502) 425-5000

https://www.kahcf.org

Kentucky Hospital Association

Nancy Galvagni, Senior Vice-President | 2501 Nelson Miller Parkway | Louisville, KY 40253 | Phone: (502) 426-6220

http://www.kyha.com

Kentucky Medical Association

Patrick T. Padgett, Executive Vice President | 4965 US Hwy 42, Suite 2000 | Louisville, KY 40222 | 502-814-1394 | padgett@kma.org

kyma.org

Kentucky Pharmacists Association

Scott Sisco, Director of Communications & Continuing Education | 96 C. Michael Davenport Blvd. | Frankfort, KY 40601 | Phone: (502) 227-2303

http://kphanet.org

Kentucky Primary Care Association

Joseph E. Smith, Executive Director | 226 West Main Street | Frankfort, KY 40601 | Phone: (502) 227-4379

http://kypca.net

The Kentucky Primary Care Association was founded in 1975 as a private, non-profit corporation of community health centers, rural health clinics, primary care centers and other organizations and individuals concerned about access to health care services for the state’s underserved rural and urban populations. Association members are providers of primary care – first contact, broadly trained physicians, nurses and other professionals deliver that whole-person health care.

Kentucky Voices for Health

Jodi Mitchell, Executive Director | 120 Sears Avenue, Suite 212 | Louisville, KY 40207 | Phone: (502) 552-1406 | E-mail: kvhexec@kyvoicesforhealth.org

http://www.kyvoicesforhealth.org

We’re a coalition of concerned Kentuckians who believe that the best health care solutions are found when everyone works together to build them. Right now, families and businesses in every county are facing rising costs, and too many of us go without needed health care. Healthy families create healthy economies. And a healthy Kentucky economy is something we all want. So we’re working step by step to build a healthier Kentucky for everyone.

Jodi Mitchell became Executive Director of Kentucky Voices for Health in April 2010 with over ten years of health care policy and advocacy experience on both the state and federal level. A large portion of her efforts have focused on provider and consumer issues and building coalitions united to achieve common goals and grassroots mobilization.

Prior to taking the helm of the Kentucky Voices for Health, Mitchell served as a Principal for McCarthy Strategic Solutions where she assisted with the development and implementation of government relations, business development and advocacy plans for various clients. Mitchell serves on the KY Regional Extension Center External Advisory Board, KY Cancer Consortium Steering Committee, Kentuckiana Healthcare Collaborative, Child Advocacy Today Advisory Board, and Passport KCHIP Coalition Advisory Committee.

She relocated to Kentucky in 2008 from Washington, DC where she utilized her expertise in Medicare policy to position the profession of optometry for quality reporting and she was active in legislative strategy and advocacy on behalf of the American Optometric Association. Mitchell also served as Associate Director of Government Relations at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists and Director of Health Care Policy for the American Academy of Audiology. Her vast experience in providing lobbying services and strategic counseling on health care policy has also included government relations positions with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Smith, Bucklin and Associates. Mitchell began her career in the Ohio legislature working for three State Representatives as a legislative assistant covering health and education issues.

Mental Health and Healthcare Advocacy

http://www.advocacyaction.net

National Conference on State Legislatures

Mick Bullock, Director of Public Affairs | National Conference of State Legislatures | 444 North Capitol Street, N.W., Suite 515 | Washington, DC 20001 | Phone: (202) 624-3557

http://www.ncsl.org

National State Budget Officer’s Association

http://www.nasbo.org

Southern Legislative Conference (The Council on State Government)

Mikko Lindberg, Policy Analyst | Phone: (404)633-4896

Taylor-Gray Associates

Bob Gray, Partner | P.O. Box 46 | Frankfort, KY 40602 | Phone: (502) 330-2732 | E-mail: bob@taylor-gray.com

http://taylor-gray.com

Taylor-Gray Associates is a Frankfort, Kentucky-based communications and public policy consulting firm whose principals have combined experience of more than 60 years in the public arena.

Bob Gray is a veteran of more than 25 years in state government, Bob began his career with the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, where he conducted policy research and drafted legislation for the Kentucky General Assembly on issues ranging from health care to insurance reform. He has served in the Office of Attorney General as Executive Director of the Office of Rate Intervention, where his work focused on issues related to health insurance, public utility costs, and legislative policy. And he was Director of Performance Audit in the Kentucky State Auditor’s Office with responsibility for examining the efficiency and effectiveness of various state government operations.

Bob’s current focus is on public policy research and development.

John Cubine, Consultant | Taylor-Gray Associates | Phone: (502) 695-4261 | E-mail: jcubine@fewpb.net

John Cubine is a twenty-nine year veteran of Kentucky State Government, and served as director of the Division of Financial Audits in the State Auditor’s Office.

Mr. Cubine began his government service in 1975 as an Eligibility Worker in the Bureau of Social Insurance, climbing to Commissioner of the Department of Social Insurance in 1981. He rose to the post of Deputy Secretary of the Governor’s Cabinet in 1990 under Governor Wallace Wilkinson. Cubine was also Director of the Administrative Services and Chief of Staff at the Attorney General’s Office for six years under Ben Chandler. When Mr. Chandler was Kentucky’s Auditor from 1991 – 1995, Mr. Cubine served as chief of staff. Most recently he was Deputy Director for Budget Review for the Legislative Research Commission.

PROVIDERS:

Humana, Inc.

Kelli Rodman, Regional Government Relations Director | 500 West Main Street

Louisville, KY 40202 | Phone: (502) 476-5878 | E-mail: krodman@humana.com

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

Lawrence Ford, Director of Government Relations | E-mail: lawrence.ford@anthem.com

University of Kentucky Hospitals

Mark Birdwhistell, Vice President for Administration & External Affairs | Phone: (859) 323-1629 | E-mail: mark.birdwhistell@uky.edu

Julia Costich, Professor – Health Management and Policy | Phone: (859) 257-6712 | E-mail: julia.costich@uky.edu

University of Louisville Hospitals

Michael Bukosky, Chief Executive Officer | University of Louisville Physicians | 300 E. Market Street, Suite 400 | Louisville, KY 40202 | Phone: (502) 588-6000

# # #

* This was a freelance research project designed to identify persons and agencies in Kentucky involved with the Medicare program, and assemble contact information.

Published by: The Medicare NewsGroup | November 2011

Posted in News, Politics | Tagged Medicare; Cabinet for Health and Family Services | Leave a comment

Bourbon Chase Inspires Grueling Pace

Posted on October 15, 2011 by theurbanllama

WILD TURKEY TEAM, GIVE ‘EM THE BIRD, PUMPS OUT 200 MILES BETWEEN 6 DISTILLERIES

Team Give ‘Em The Bird’s first runner departs from the starting line at Jim Beam distillery.

“I love the smell of sour mash in the morning – it smells like, victory.”

That’s the thought I had as I crested a hill approaching Wild Turkey distillery last Friday. The unmistakable aroma of whiskey wafted through the peaks and valleys of Lawrenceburg, confusing my sensibilities.

Was I here for drinks or to run?

It’s 9:30 a.m., and I was meeting up with the rest of team Give ‘Em The Bird for The Bourbon Chase.

I knew this event was going to be painful, but wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I loved the idea of combining running with Kentucky’s scenic byways, the horse farms and bourbon drinking.

In preparation I’d run up to 13-miles twice, but not well. I’d been training for a half-marathon when I learned of The Bourbon Chase, but that’s an individual event. It starts at a reasonable hour of the morning and is raced from start to finish without interruption – that’s not what we’re talking about here.

The Bourbon Chase takes 12 person teams and races overnight in a relay format across the 200 miles that link the six distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour. With 36 legs in the event, each team member runs three times, some in as few as 19 hours.

This is the rub with The Bourbon Chase. It’s not the distance; the individual legs on the course average a modest 5.5 miles. It’s the repetition, hills and sleep deprivation. There’s nothing normal about running 6 miles at 3:00 a.m., especially after having run previously at 5 p.m. All the muscles in the body contract and scream to stay inside the warm van and sleep.

That’s what The Bourbon Chase is all about, doing what the body tells you not to do, and while I’m still gimping around days later, it was so much fun I’m ready to sign up for next year.

Mike Kuntz is the brainchild behind this event. The former Bellarmine University and U of L running coach brought together three of his passions in devising The Bourbon Chase: Running, Kentucky and bourbon.

Now in its third year, the event continues to grow in popularity, rising from a cap of 150 teams two years ago, to exceeding the maximum 250 entries this year.

“We thought this was the smoothest Bourbon Chase yet,” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. “Like a fine bourbon, it’s definitely getting better with age.”

Teams are split into two vans, with six in each.

First shot of the day.

Both of our vans headed to Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, where all 262 teams would begin their journey. Staggered start times were assigned each to help avoid congestion along the course.

We arrived a little before noon for a 12:30 start time on October 7. White conversion vans littered the grounds around the distillery. Obviously this was the rental van of choice for teams. I hope no one else was looking for one in the tri-state area this weekend.

Jim Beam had a festive atmosphere. The Whiskey Bent Valley Boys were picking some hot bluegrass out in front of a brilliant red barn, and a tasting booth was set up to sample two of the label’s newest additions, Red Stag and Devils Cut. I went with the latter, figuring it was going to be a long day. A little whiskey couldn’t hurt.

Being from Wild Turkey we had to represent our colors in hostile territory and the corporate boys did us proud. We had black running shirts emblazoned with “GIVE ‘EM THE BIRD,” foam turkey hats, and gobblers, that when shaken made a turkey call.

Van one was up first and carried the active status. Amidst a slew of gobbler calls our first runner left right on time.

A final shot of courage at Maker’s Mark.

After lunch at The Old Stable in Bardstown, van two headed for Maker’s Mark in Loretto. This was the scene of the first super-exchange, where the last runner in van one would hand off to the first runner in van two, signifying the switch of our van from inactive to active.

Time had moved slowly up to that point. I’d been on the road since 9:30 a.m., and it was now 5 p.m. I hadn’t even run yet. I took my last free moments to wander around Maker’s Mark, get my Kentucky Bourbon Trail passport stamped and have one last shot of whiskey, Maker’s 46.

Van two was active – and what previously was a calm passage of time became one long blur of fatigue.

Once a van is active it’s a sea of constant motion. We all jump out with the next runner and waited for the exchange. Once that was made, a few minutes were allotted to let whoever finished cool off, then we were hustling to the next exchange location.

The Cincy Bootleggers traveling in style.

It takes about five hours on average for each van to go through its six runners, but that time moves by quickly, especially as my turn approached.

It was unseasonably warm on Friday, but by 8:15 p.m. darkness fell and the temperature cooled. I faced a straight 7.1-mile run down US 150 between Springfield and Perryville.

The exchange was by a BP station next to the highway. I took the baton, which is a magnetic orange bracelet, then accepted a sweaty reflective vest, headlamp and rear blinking light as well, running off with them into the darkness, slowly adjusting everything onto my body before attempting longer strides.

It’s funny, I had the adrenaline that usually comes at the start of a race, but once I took off there’s no one to run against – I was out there mostly alone because of the staggered start.

Costumes and props were half the fun. This lucky bear was carried the whole way to the finish line.

Occasionally a runner will come past but mainly I was running for my teammate who was waiting at the next exchange. I knew he was looking at my estimated time of arrival and staring into the darkness trying to see if the next shadow approaching bore any resemblance to me.

I did alright on my first leg. I was just trying to keep my time steady and not get injured.

It’s strange running in the dark on the open road.

I kept reminding myself of something Mike Kuntz, the race director, relayed to me from the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, about how in this type of race we try to make “good time,” with the emphasis more on “good,” than “time.”

There were a lot of rolling hills on Leg 11. I knew I’d be feeling those on my next run, but I was making “good time.”

Around 9:30 p.m., after the super-exchange in Perryville, van two went inactive.

Merchant’s Row was jumping in Perryville. Bands were playing, and food booths were open late, offering steak sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and key lime pie shots.

“Whether it is Perryville or Danville, we really try to pride ourselves on offering runners a place to come where they can have a good time, get something to eat or drink and rest up,” said Adam Johnson, executive director of the Danville and Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

There’s a 10-hour window, between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., during which vans move through Boyle County. Students took advantage of this economic opportunity at Boyle County High School and raised over $2,000 for the school’s booster program through suggested donations from runners seeking warm showers and a place to crash.

This kind of enthusiasm earned Perryville the 2011 Spirit Award from The Bourbon Chase.

After checking out Merchant’s Row, we headed to Danville for the next super-exchange. There we got some pizza and sleep, but not much. By 3 a.m. van two was active again.

The course description for Leg 23 read that I would be turning off the main road and onto remote country roads.

I took the baton about 5:30 a.m.

When I say it was dark out there, I’m talking can’t-see-my-hand-in-front-of-my-face dark. Running with a headlamp only allows for a small circle of visibility. I’d start running up a hill but couldn’t see the hill or how far it went.

It was about then that I remembered a quote from An American Werewolf in London, “Boys, keep off the moors, stick to the roads.”

I had this feeling I’d left the roads. As I slowly trudged up another steep hill, I thought to myself how it wouldn’t be so bad to be eaten by a werewolf about now, so long as I don’t have to run up another hill.

It was so quiet. I could hear water rushing down below, rustling in bushes, then this dog came bounding out of its yard and onto the street behind me barking. There wasn’t much I could do but keep moving forward. I was too tired.

Mercifully this 5.3-mile run finally ended at a lonely Bluegrass Parkway overpass.

We handed off to van one at Four Roses Distillery in the early morning fog, then headed to a crash pad in Lawrenceburg where we could shower and rest.

I was leery of trying to sleep, knowing my muscles would stiffen. Besides, what was the point? We had to be moving by 10:00 a.m. anyway.

“I feel like I got hit in the back by a train,” said Cameron Talley, runner eight on team Give ‘Em The Bird.

The last super-exchange was at Woodford Reserve and the place was packed. It looks like a civil war battlefield. There were bodies everywhere, some face down on wet grass, others in sleeping bags or laying on tarps.

Runners in The Bourbon Chase get some sleep on the ground at Woodford Reserve before the last leg of the race.

It’s 11:45 a.m. when we took the exchange and the sun was coming up hot again.

My final leg paralleled Interstate 64 outside Lexington, then wound its way into Masterson Station Park over a 5.2-mile course.

By 2:45 p.m. I was fired up and exhausted at the same time, but resolved to deliver the baton to my teammate.

The course is beautiful, full of horse farms, classic black wood fencing and low stonewalls. I tried talking to the horses but they weren’t interested.

I made the handoff to our 12th runner, and van two headed for Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington. The idea was to spot our final runner coming down Main Street toward Triangle Park and for our entire team to run with him across the finish line.

At 4:24 p.m., on Oct.8, team Give ‘Em The Bird completed the 2011 Bourbon Chase. It took us 27:54:49 to cover the 200 miles, good for 62^nd place.

Team Give ’em the Bird: back row L to R: John Bradley, Umberto Luchini, Ben Coleman, Peter Wilson, Daniel Williams, Brittany Ziaja, Jonathan Jewell and Sheila Fint; front row L to R: Janine Coy, Will Coy, Cameron Talley, Chris Ziaja and David Gold.

In the end, it all goes back to making “good time” for me. It’s about spending 28 hours in a van with guys I hardly knew and all of us supporting each other and our teammates in van one.

“Logistics, organizing, renting vans, getting to meeting points, food supplies, water, this is not something that is easy,” said Umberto Luchini, team captain and group marketing director of American Whiskey and Tequila (a division of the Compari Group, which owns Wild Turkey). “This was a no-brainer doing The Bourbon Chase, it combines my work and sport – two of my personal passions.”

Thankfully now we can start drinking to help mask the pain. The Kentucky Ale tastes mighty fine.

With a van containing people from various parts of Kentucky, San Francisco and New York City, it was impossible to keep our team together long. Besides, more than 3,000 thirsty runners were beginning to cross the finish line – each entitled to six free shots of Kentucky’s finest native spirit. There was little time for reflective chatter, drinks were waiting upstairs in Victorian Square.

Hello Wild Turkey – bring on the pain therapy.

# # #

Published by: The State Journal | Frankfort, KY | 10-16-11

Posted in Events, Exercise, Food, Liquor, News, Travel | Tagged Bourbon Chase, Compari Group, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Kentucky, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Distillers' Association, Maker's Mark, Mike Kuntz, running, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve | 1 Comment

Running Update

Posted on October 14, 2011 by theurbanllama

The kick-off party last Thursday in Lexington for The Bourbon Chase at The Loft - photo by: Jim Jarman.

It’s a beautiful fall day here in Frankfort, Kentucky – sunny and 65, with a gusting breeze. I just returned from a strong 3.5 mile run around the capitol and through the downtown. My legs are still busted out from The Bourbon Chase. It’s not that those runs last Friday and Saturday were so long, (7.1, 5.3 and 5.2), but the repetition, hills and sleep deprivation jumped all over me. The back of my hamstrings and lower back are torched.

For more detail on how The Bourbon Chase (http://www.bourbonchase.com) went check out my story Sunday in Frankfort’s State-Journal. I’ll have it posted here soon.

Today was an encouraging run. After taking Sunday through Tuesday off to heal, I ran a hilly 6.3 miles Wednesday with Matt Rhody, who also is training to run the Iron Horse Half-Marathon on October 23rd, (http://www.ironhorsehalfmarathon.com), and we kicked that out in 8:30 to low 9:00 minute miles. While not exactly a thing of grace, we both ran hard up the hill on East Main Street and maintained strong strides through to the finish.

I wanted to at least stretch my legs today. I was pretty creaky walking out the door, but the training is really starting to kick in now. My legs move forward on auto-pilot, damaged or not. Even up around the capitol, which has inclines, I had impulse power available.

I kept my foot casually on the accelerator throughout and held a springing stride. My hope is The Bourbon Chase will end up serving as an extreme version of speed training. So long as my body heals, The Chase should pay excellent dividends come next Sunday.

Matt and I drove the Iron Horse course and it’s certainly full of rolling hills. Midway is horse and bourbon country, it’s gorgeous out there, but rarely flat. In fact Legs 33 and 34 of The Bourbon Chase covered the back half of the Iron Horse course, so I got a good review of it from my teammates.

It’s all good. That’s going to be a pleasure to run next weekend with the scenery, a strong field, and numerous friends to share in the suffering. Matt and I are planning to run an easy six or seven miles this Sunday. Then probably the same three mile course I did today on Tuesday, and finish with two miles Thursday, just to get the legs moving.

It’s always rewarding to see a training program come together. I’m never sure how they’re going to turn out at the start. It’s like a leap of faith. Matt and I have been on this since Aug. 1st, and while we’ve tweaked it along the way, it appears to have served us well.

This week and next are supposed to be taper weeks, low mileage, light, so all the pounding from the previous weeks recedes, muscles heal and the benefit rises to the surface. It’s awesome to feel some thunder in my thighs again. Give me next Friday and Saturday off completely and I’m ready to race 13.1 miles.

Our goal is relatively modest – just clip under two hours. That’s doable if I’m all healed up and the hills don’t get me. I’ll have my head right to take the pain. Now if I can only convince this 44 year old body to come along for the ride.

Posted in Events, Exercise, Travel | Tagged Half-marathon, Iron Horse, Midway, running | 1 Comment

Bourbon Chase the Perfect Mix for Runners

Posted on October 7, 2011 by theurbanllama

Sunset in Wild Turkey country.

MORE THAN 3,300 RUNNING WEEKEND RELAY THAT STOPS AT 6 HISTORIC DISTILLERIES

Bourbon and running – two interests not often mentioned in the same breath, but that is exactly what will be happening this Friday and Saturday across central Kentucky.

The third running of The Bourbon Chase will kick off at 8:00 a.m. on October 7^th, from the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, and finish 200 miles later on October 8^th around 3:00 p.m., as thousands of runners cross the finish line in Lexington’s Triangle Park by Rupp Arena.

This event is an overnight relay that covers 12 counties and follows the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience, which features six historic distilleries, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Makers Mark, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve.

To participate, friends, runners and corporate groups convince twelve of their intrepid buddies that forming a team to run 200 miles over 36 hours sounds like a good idea. Teams then adopt a name, often something colorful to go along with the bourbon theme, such as Menace to Sobriety, Guzzlin Gobblers or SuhBourboNites, with each member paying a $100 entry fee to join a team.

The brash names and liquor-centric theme makes it sound like this is a drinking event, and while bourbon is the tie that binds, any drinking festivities are reserved for after crossing the finish line.

The Runner Behind The Chase

“When I first pitched this idea the tourism people got it immediately, the bourbon people not so much,” said Mike Kuntz, founder of The Bourbon Chase and race director.

Whisky Creek | Maker’s Mark Distillery | Loretto, KY

Kuntz endured people joking about runners receiving bourbon instead of water at water stops, or taking shots of bourbon at every mile marker. Bill Samuels, Jr. (the former president at Maker’s Mark and brand marketing guru), was the only industry guy in the room shaking his head “yes” to the concept behind The Bourbon Chase.

“They looked at me like I had lost my mind,” said Kuntz. “There’s the athleticism, but it’s the hospitality of Kentucky that makes this event.”

Kuntz, 47, was born in Cincinnati, but moved to Kentucky when he was 4 years old, and was a runner at Southern High School and then the University of Louisville.

He went on to coach running at Bellarmine University, and then U of L, where he led the women’s distance team to their first conference championship.

The competition and wear and tear associated with constant recruiting was hard on his family life, so Kuntz earned a masters degree in health behavior counseling at U of L. This led to a successful career in government relations with the American Lung Association.

Kuntz remains on a regional advisory council with the American Lung Association, but The Bourbon Chase is his full time job.

It was out of his pursuits as a runner, coach and health professional that the idea of The Bourbon Chase came about. Some of his former student athletes formed a team to compete in the “Hood to Coast” relay race along the Oregon coastline, and asked Kuntz to run the anchor leg.

The competition and camaraderie between the team members was such a good time that Kuntz looked at importing a similar type event to Kentucky. The Bourbon Chase grew out of a marriage of three things Kuntz holds dear; running and fitness in general, the state of Kentucky and bourbon.

Kuntz felt that with the natural beauty and hospitality found in Kentucky, combined with bourbon and horse country, there was something for everyone, and he could build a boutique event that specifically catered to runners and enhanced their experience throughout the event.

It starts with a welcome reception for runners in Lexington and at Jim Beam on Thursday, the participation of all the distilleries, the use of Kentucky-centric vendors and the lavish finish line celebration, where bourbon and Kentucky Ale will be available to all.

“This is unique to any event in America,” says Kuntz. “It’s part road race, part road trip and a whole lot of fun.”

Logistics

Each team member will run three times, with several hours down time in between each leg. The distance varies on every run, but averages 5.5 miles, with one leg as short as 3 miles and one almost 9 miles. Distance, elevation and time of the run are all contributing factors into the difficulty rating of each of the 36 legs covering the 200 miles.

Teams are broken into two vans, one active and one inactive, with six members in each. Only one team member is ever on the course at any one time. The active van delivers a runner to the start of a leg, and then leaps ahead to get to the end point, where the next runner can warm up and wait for the exchange of the relay wristband from the incoming runner.

This continues until all six members in the active van have run. In the meantime, members in the inactive van sleep, eat, go on distillery tours and make their way to the super-exchange points where the active van will handoff to the inactive van, thus reversing roles so the second six team members can run their legs.

While The Bourbon Chase is not catering to only elite runners, this is a challenging event physically, and there are several teams that will be vying to win by posting times that are below 6 minutes per mile. There also are a few ultra-teams, comprised of only six members, with each running six legs.

Division winners get a large “bourbon” basket with a bottle of premium bourbon from each of the six distilleries, signed by the master distiller and filled with other goodies such as distillery branded mugs and shirts. They also receive a barrelhead with “Champ” and all the details burnt into the wood.

Growing Popularity

“Bourbon in general has skyrocketed with its popularity, and tourism of the distilleries has increased along with that,” said Niki Heichelbech, media communications manager with the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This race is just another way to experience bourbon culture.”

With Kentucky being the home of this native spirit and with bourbon’s increased popularity, it’s easy to confuse the idea of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail as being a geographic region, when in fact the trail is an adjective describing a tour.

In 1999, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association formed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail tour, with its six member distilleries, to give visitors the chance to observe the art and science that goes into crafting Kentucky’s signature spirit.

According to the KDA, about 400,000 people visited at least one of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries in 2010, a 14 percent increase in attendance from 2009. More than 1.8 million people from all 50 states and 25 countries have visited the member distilleries in the last five years alone.

In 2007, the KDA introduced its souvenir “Passport” program that rewards visitors with a complimentary T-shirt upon completing tours of all six Kentucky Bourbon Trail distilleries. More than 9,000 people received t-shirts in 2010.

This increased level of recognition and popularity surrounding bourbon has seamlessly merged with a rise in adventure tourism, and benefited The Bourbon Chase by allowing it to exceed its cap for registered teams in each of the first three years.

A Full Field

The cap for teams this year is 250, and 262 will begin the race Friday.

Maker’s Mark Distillery | Loretto, KY

This level of participation is also reaping financial gains on the communities where The Bourbon Chase passes through. Towns like Danville and Midway are keeping their communities open late, and people are lining the streets to cheer on the runners.

With over 3,500 hungry and thirsty people, along with 500 vans needing gas, vendors and communities have quickly sensed the economic opportunity this event offers, and are embracing the chance to showcase their towns to runners from 44 different states and three countries this year.

“What makes The Bourbon Chase special is 12 really charming communities and six amazing distilleries,” said Kuntz, the race director.

Even with numerous costs that must be covered, like overtime for police, port-o-potty rentals to cover the 200-mile course, along with $30,000 for the post-race festivities, Kuntz remains committed to being a good corporate citizen.

A number nearing $140,000 will be split between three signature charities, the American Lung Association, the Leukemia Society and the Hospice Foundation.

Corporate sponsorship has taken on a more personal role at several of the distilleries along the course, including Wild Turkey. The venerable brand has assembled team “Give ‘em the Bird” to compete for the first time in The Bourbon Chase (of which this reporter is one of the team members).

This is a post-race photo of my van-mates from Wild Turkey’s Team Give ‘Em The Bird: (from left) Urban Llama, Cameron Talley, Ben Coleman, Daniel Williams, David Gold, Jonathan Jewel and Sheila Fint.

Three team members are coming from the San Francisco office of Skyy vodka, which is a division of the Campari Group, along with Wild Turkey. The rest of the team is associated with the distillery in Lawrenceburg.

“The beauty is all the distilleries are selling products, but this is about the spirit of friendship and camaraderie,” said Umberto Luchini, group marketing director of American Whiskey and Tequila (a division of the Compari Group). “This is about the culture of Kentucky, and how all the distilleries come from the same land and the same history.”

As race day nears, many runners are still looking for teams to join. Kuntz knows he could increase the number of teams allowed to enter in future races, but he’s not expecting to grow the participation in this race much beyond its current level.

“Coordination of the course is a bear already – it’s a full-time job,” said Kuntz. We’re constantly finessing the course to keep it from getting blocked up, like at Four Roses, there is construction and vans can’t park on the property – that’s 530 vans and 4,000 people that have to go somewhere.”

Instead of making the race bigger and going for a money grab, Kuntz is looking to stay true to the vision and mission of The Bourbon Chase, to work the customer service and deliver a good product that takes care of its runners.

The sex appeal on this race is pretty high, bourbon, adventure tourism, scenic horse country – there’s something for everyone,” said Kuntz.

# # #

Published by: The State Journal | Frankfort, KY | 10-06-11

Posted in Events, Exercise, Liquor, Travel | Tagged Bourbon Chase, Compari Group, Kentucky, Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Kentucky Distillers' Association, Maker's Mark, Mike Kuntz, running, Team Give 'Em The Bird, Wild Turkey | Leave a comment

The Llama Brings Home The Gold

Posted on September 28, 2011 by theurbanllama

I was happy to learn recently that my story for The Iowan magazine, Indigo Rhythms, won the Gold Award in the category of Culture Feature at the International Regional Magazine Association’s 31st Annual Awards in Reno, Nevada.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-iowan-magazine/these-blues-are-solid-gold/10150375909695815

After graduating with my masters in journalism from the University of Iowa in May 2009, I remained in Iowa City working on a series of stories concerning the burgeoning blues music scene that was present along Iowa’s eastern corridor and stretched west to Des Moines.

It always struck me as impressive the quality of music as a whole that was available in Iowa, considering the stereotype about how the place was one big cornfield, yet I found vibrant live music venues throughout the state. Getting out to see live music is something valued there. It’s part of the culture and people cherish and support it. This has resulted in Iowa having a strong, talented musical community.

That being said, it remains interesting to me how the predominantly African-American genre of blues music has established such a rich history in a state like Iowa, which is one of the most non-diverse and majority-white states in the country.

A mixture of factors is responsible for this occurrence. Iowa’s eastern border rests on the Mississippi River, and the exodus of African-Americans from the South to places like Chicago brought Delta Blues into Iowa’s landscape.

It also has to do with where Iowa is located. Geographically it’s in the middle of America, near a variety of large cities, like Chicago, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Omaha, and St. Louis. As popular blues touring acts from the 1950s-60s crisscrossed the country, musicians would spend time in and around Iowa as they came through to Chicago, since it was a good spot to score another show, and close to several other major cities.

Radio also played a big part in spreading blues music around Iowa. The stations out of these large metro areas reached into Iowa, and that brand of music is what many kids grew up around.

The flavor of blues in Iowa is more of a hybrid – like a farmer’s blues, and tends to reflect the surroundings and depict life on the farm, like the hardship of a lost harvest, the joy of a strong summer rain or cooking up a batch of sweet corn whiskey.

Even though Iowa’s brand of farmer blues is less edgy than what is found in Chicago, it’s entirely unique to the area and lacks none of the dark subject matter found in regions considerably more urban.

The credit for this appears to be Iowa artists taking traditional blues foundations and laying them like a template across their state, but instead of copying them, they adapt their own subject matter and create a sound specific to their experiences.

It was with these concepts in mind that I put together Indigo Rhythms for The Iowan magazine’s Jan/Feb 2010 issue.

http://www.iowan.com/indigo-rhythms.cfm

Thanks in particular go out to: Beth Wilson, my editor, Don McLeese, my advisor at Iowa, Rick Zollo, who knows all, and musicians:

Joe and Vicki Price

http://www.joepriceblues.com/joepriceblues/HOME.html; http://www.myspace.com/joepriceblues

William Elliott Whitmore

http://www.williamelliottwhitmore.com; http://www.myspace.com/williamewhitmore

and David Zollo

http://www.facebook.com/david.zollo; http://www.myspace.com/67213825.

Posted in Music, Travel | Tagged blues in Iowa, David Zollo, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa, Joe Price, The Iowan, William Elliott Whitmore | Leave a comment

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Urban Llama

A Loss for Us All

Mom’s 70th Birthday

Goodbye 2011

The Turtleman wades through the Capitol

Penguin Party at the Capitol

MEDICARE: Kentucky

Bourbon Chase Inspires Grueling Pace

Running Update

Bourbon Chase the Perfect Mix for Runners

The Llama Brings Home The Gold

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