MIDWAY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT employees were honored at the Sept. 16 Midway City Council meeting for their professional and empathetic work, particularly in regards to the Midway Cemetery. From left, Supervisor Nelson Wright, Bob Foley, who called himself a “Midway boy” when he spoke at the council meeting, James Downs, Robert Zanotti and Preston Swindell (Photo by Scott White)

 

Midway City Council opened its Sept. 16 meeting by honoring and expressing gratitude for the city employees in the Public Works Department. Along with Supervisor Nelson Wright, the city honored James Downs, Robert Zanotti and Preston Swindell.  

This was triggered by a request from Midway native and longtime Versailles resident Bob Foley who asked to attend the council meeting to express appreciation for how his family was so well treated by these men at the recent burial of his wife, Marian. 

Foley, who was in the funeral home business for 40 years, related how professional and caring the public works staff had been in the selection, preparation and day-of-funeral work involved in laying his wife to rest in Midway Cemetery.  

“If you haven’t been around (the funeral business) like I have, you don’t understand. . . . These guys. . . there was no talking, no smoking, no cutting up except doing their job, they did a fantastic job,” he said. “I visit every morning and evening, and when I see these guys, they always ask, ‘Is there anything we can do for you? Are you doing OK? (Do) you need anything?’ . . . When we got ready to put her stone up, I called Nelson and he said they hadn’t poured the footer yet but said, ‘We’ll get it done today.’”  

He added, “You don’t see that in other cemeteries. I just want to say how lucky and blessed the city of Midway is to have a great group of people . . . my friends . . . who take good care of your city and took excellent care of me.”  

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift agreed.  

“I know tonight we are honoring these four guys, but all of our city employees go above and beyond the call of duty, I cannot say enough about the entire (city of Midway) staff . . . but tonight we are honoring these four guys,” he said. “What amazes me is it is not in your job description to show great empathy, but you did it anyway. And nowhere in your job description does it say you are going to give great comfort and care to people on one of the worst days of their lives, but you do it anyway. And I think for that, you deserve special recognition.” 

50th Midway Fall Festival 

Midway Merchants Association (MMA) President Cortney Neikirk gave an update on the preparations for this year’s 50th annual Midway Fall Festival, which is organized and put on by the MMA. The festival will be on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22. According to Vandegrift, it is generally considered the largest community festival in the Bluegrass region and last year, it saw over 30,000 distinct cell phone pings. 

Neikirk went over the details of a new parking system which is intended to be safer, more efficient and to significantly decrease the amount of traffic in Midway. Each vehicle will be charged $20 to park in designated lots and then be shuttled downtown to the festival by school buses. The total cost to MMA to provide this parking will be $20 per vehicle and the association will need to park 666.5 cars to break even. Neikirk said $5 from each charge will be donated to St. Matthew A.M.E. Church.  

“Our number one goal is to make the festival and parking safe,” she said. “The MMA is not making any money off of the parking. And anything we do make in operating the festival is used for its charitable giving to local schools, projects, non-profits and churches.” 

She said people coming east on Midway Road will park at the James Hicks farm, located approximately across the street from the Midway Baking School (the old schoolhouse);  those traveling east on I-64 or from Leestown Pike will park at Cypress Creek farm (the old Roach farm) on east Winter Street, nearly across the street from Midway Corner Grocery; and, folks coming west on Leestown Pike or I-64 west from Lexington will park at the David Phillips Farm (Northfield). 

All 210 vendor spots have been sold. Neikirk said there is also a “great logistics plan.”  

“We have worked with the Woodford County, Versailles and Midway fire departments and Versailles Police Department to be prepared for anything,” she said, adding that this year there will be more first responders working to ensure a smooth and safe experience for those attending. 

Neikirk also made clear that neither Elisha Holt, who works as an independent contractor in obtaining the sponsors and handling the vendor application and approval process, nor MMA is being overpaid or generating substantial revenues.  

“Elisha is paid a percentage of the sponsorships and application fees while handling all of that including lining up advertising,” she said. “No one is making a lot of money on this and anything we do make is being turned right back into the community.” 

Councilmember Sara Hicks said she believed the Midway Museum could be violating the terms of its agreement with the city by closing during the festival. Hicks said the museum should remain open to provide respite space and a cooling station so “We can show off our Midway hospitality.” Vandegrift said he did not believe this violated the agreement, and the council could look into doing this at next year’s festival. 

POW-MIA Recognition Day 

Suzanne Conrad provided the council with the details on the POW-MIA Recognition Day to be held on Friday, Sept. 20 at the Woodford County Courthouse at 10 a.m. and Midway Cemetery at 1 p.m. Like last year, the event will include the “Missing Man Table” celebration and Conrad invited council members to consider participating. 

Board appointment 

Vandegrift, with the consent of the council, appointed Carl Rollins to the Midway Code Enforcement Board. 

KIA Fund B Loan 

The council approved an application for a Kentucky Infrastructure Authority loan. If approved, the proceeds will be used to construct a water pipeline under I-64 from Coach Station Road to Midway Station. This is needed for the water supply switch to the Frankfort Plant Board. 

HB 413 funds 

Councilmember Patrick Hall reported on his work to get funds for Midway under the court costs program enacted by the legislature known as HB 413 funds. Hall explained that if someone gets a traffic citation in Midway and the court assesses court costs, then the city receives a portion of that to be used for public safety. Hall said, Midway will “be getting some money back on what we pay for the police department through the interlocal (agreement) but I don’t know how much yet.” Vandegrift thanked Hall for leading on this effort.