I had an office in Louisa for several years. The drug abuse rate was similar to most appalachian counties. And there are many who abuse the welfare system. One of my patients explained it best when I asked what he did for a living and he said he was an artist, and I said "Really?" and he explained "Yep, I'm on the draw". No joke. He was pretty proud of it. I will say this, the folks of that town are staunchly proud of the fact that they are from there. There is a majority of people there that are not in the category portrayed in the article. Frankly, it's not hard to find a shanty with an outhouse. And FWIW, that's typically by choice. Some fall in that lifestyle and never have any desire for anything else. And the "handouts" from the Appalachian center,,,,wow. There's some creative journalism. If you want to see handouts, see how many folks are fed and clothed just up the river in a town called Durbin where a local church feeds and clothes 115 families a month. That's all free. Ah,,,Louisa, not as bad as advertised.

I live within a few miles of Lawrence County, and travel through the county daily, and I for one have never seen conditions such as the ones mentioned in the article, as other posters have stated there are poorer areas in the county but it's no different than area's you would see in Lexington or Louisville or any other county or state. The article mentions where coal mines have played out and mining companies have pulled out, Lawrence County was never a large coal producer, as a mater of fact the only coal camp that I know of was located in Richardson Ky. which is about 10 miles south of Louisa and is located near the Martin County line, and if my memory serves me right that camp closed down back in the 1940's or early 1950's. Many of the residents are either employed by coal companies in surrounding counties, or the power plant that's located within 5 miles of Louisa, many also work in the Oil and Gas fields, and many more work in Boyd County and Wayne County West Virginia.

 

As far as kids not receiving high school diplomas, Lawrence County's graduation rate is 81.5% percent, while the state's average is 82.9%.

 

I realize that Justin's heart is in the right place, it just seems to me that he or someone else would research the area in detail before taking on such a project.

If you think Louisa is a nice little town, please visit Fallsburg. Heavenly out that way!!!

If you think Louisa is a nice little town, please visit Fallsburg. Heavenly out that way!!!

 

I agree fokf, and personally I think the whole county is that way.

 

Spindoc, I have travelled all over LC and my brother was a deputy sheriff and he never mentioned outhouses. I know they may still exist, but to say there are Not hard to find? Please tell me where.

As for the what the Durbin Church does they have been doing that for a long time and you see God rewarding them with the growth they have had in recent years so they can help even more families.

 

I know the article speaks of Louisa and Lawrence County nestled in the Appalachian Mountains (which is not true, actually the foothills not the mountains ) but IMHO opinion it is talking about the whole region it just so happens that Louisa is where the St. Jude Mission is located.

I received an email today from the Middletown Press saying they was going to publish my letter to the editor. Also I may add that over 35 people as of Saturday had commented on the newspapers website.

 

Most of the responses were that although Louisa and the surrounding area have poor people it isn't bad all over like the article said and that all over America there is places just like Louisa. I would say that people in Mississippi and Louisiana that have suffered through Hurricane Katrina have it alot worse than Louisa.

I spent a few days in Louisa back in the mid '90's. I thought it was a nice little town. A little dog-eared in spots, but what small town isn't? Had a diner with great pie that I can't remember the name of. My wife and I similarly toured the countryside aroudn there and marveled at what awesome landscapes the folks there got to wake up to every day. Every county had poor spots, and it ain't limited to Eastern Ky.

 

Now, I've been to Wolfe County, too, and Wolfe County is poor. I don't know how to say it any plainer than that.

 

That all having been said, I think this boy should be commended and welcomed whenever he comes. Sometimes we lose sight of the forest for the trees, and this boy is reaching out and his hand should be taken. If the local folks want to get stewed at someone, get stewed at the mission director.

I've been to Louisa and Lawrence County several times...Like every other part of KY there are some poor parts of Lawrence County but for the most part I think it is a very nice city/county. All I know is that every house I have visited in the county has had more than acceptable living standards and the people I have met from there have been great...I'm sure they face the same problems that every other part of Appalachia faces but I don't think Lawrence County is any worse than the other areas, at least it isn't from my experiences.

I agree fokf, and personally I think the whole county is that way.

 

Spindoc, I have travelled all over LC and my brother was a deputy sheriff and he never mentioned outhouses. I know they may still exist, but to say there are Not hard to find? Please tell me where.

As for the what the Durbin Church does they have been doing that for a long time and you see God rewarding them with the growth they have had in recent years so they can help even more families.

 

I know the article speaks of Louisa and Lawrence County nestled in the Appalachian Mountains (which is not true, actually the foothills not the mountains ) but IMHO opinion it is talking about the whole region it just so happens that Louisa is where the St. Jude Mission is located.

I used to travel from Louisa to Inez (Turkey Creek) and frankly forgot the route number (292??) and there is a stretch of several miles where folks still have outhouses. FWIW, I'm not bashing the county. I enjoyed it there and still have many friends there.

I am a member of that Durbin church and yes they have been blessed for their ministry to those less fortunate in southern Boyd and Lawrence county. The food pantry director and her husband are Lawrence countians. I wasn't trying in anyway to hack on the county.

To start with I will say that my fathers family is from Blaine, in Lawrence Co. I have never lived in Lawrence Co, but my dad's family has and some still do. Lawrence Co is a great place and has many great people. They do have some poor areas, like most places. My father's family was part of that poor area, when I was 10 we traveled to see some of his family. We were an average middle class family, and no more well off then most of my friends. But, when we visited my father's family I learned that we were wealthy in many ways. My father's family did not have much of what we had.

 

With that being said, I have come to meet and know many people from Lawrence Co since then and they are normal people with the same amount or more money then I have. I am sure that there are people in Lawrence Co who do not have much in the terms of monetary wealth, but there are also many people in Lawrence Co who do have a great deal of monetary wealth. It is no different then anywhere else in the country.

 

I saw an interview with Jeff Foxworthy, and he was asked where he got his material for the redneck jokes, was it from Texas, Appalachia, West Virginia, or where. And he said that there were rednecks everywhere, not just in rural areas. He said there were rednecks in down town Chicago, in the Mid-West, in the East, and in the far West. I began thinking about that, and I agree, every area of the US has rich people, poor people, middle class, and yes, rednecks. They may not talk with a twang and use slang all the time, but they are outcast from the mainstream, and simple people, not simple minded, but just simple people.

 

So does Lawrence Co, Kentucky have more poor people, more people without running water, more people without electricity, more people with outhouses then anywhere else in Kentucky, or the country? I doubt it. They may have more per capita, then a lot of places, but population does not really matter in this situation.

 

I would venture to say that if you went to New York City, you would find a great deal of people without running water, without electricity, without proper food, because they can not afford it. You will even find more homeless people in New York then Lawrence Co has people. I guarantee with the quality of people in Lawrence Co, there will not be homeless people or people without food to eat, the people of Lawrence Co will see to that.

 

I am in houses in Ashland everyday that do not have running water, and are in deplorable condition. That is in the largest city this side of Lexington. Some of these houses are just shells, that people sleep in the floors. Please, do not take this wrong people form Ashland, but it is true. I have been in houses in Lawrence Co that had dirt floors, and those houses were kept very neat and clean. You don't have to have a lot, but you can take care of what you have.

 

Don't judge people by what they have, if you have to judge them, then judge them by what they are.

To start with I will say that my fathers family is from Blaine, in Lawrence Co. I have never lived in Lawrence Co, but my dad's family has and some still do. Lawrence Co is a great place and has many great people. They do have some poor areas, like most places. My father's family was part of that poor area, when I was 10 we traveled to see some of his family. We were an average middle class family, and no more well off then most of my friends. But, when we visited my father's family I learned that we were wealthy in many ways. My father's family did not have much of what we had.

 

With that being said, I have come to meet and know many people from Lawrence Co since then and they are normal people with the same amount or more money then I have. I am sure that there are people in Lawrence Co who do not have much in the terms of monetary wealth, but there are also many people in Lawrence Co who do have a great deal of monetary wealth. It is no different then anywhere else in the country.

 

I saw an interview with Jeff Foxworthy, and he was asked where he got his material for the redneck jokes, was it from Texas, Appalachia, West Virginia, or where. And he said that there were rednecks everywhere, not just in rural areas. He said there were rednecks in down town Chicago, in the Mid-West, in the East, and in the far West. I began thinking about that, and I agree, every area of the US has rich people, poor people, middle class, and yes, rednecks. They may not talk with a twang and use slang all the time, but they are outcast from the mainstream, and simple people, not simple minded, but just simple people.

 

So does Lawrence Co, Kentucky have more poor people, more people without running water, more people without electricity, more people with outhouses then anywhere else in Kentucky, or the country? I doubt it. They may have more per capita, then a lot of places, but population does not really matter in this situation.

 

I would venture to say that if you went to New York City, you would find a great deal of people without running water, without electricity, without proper food, because they can not afford it. You will even find more homeless people in New York then Lawrence Co has people. I guarantee with the quality of people in Lawrence Co, there will not be homeless people or people without food to eat, the people of Lawrence Co will see to that.

 

I am in houses in Ashland everyday that do not have running water, and are in deplorable condition. That is in the largest city this side of Lexington. Some of these houses are just shells, that people sleep in the floors. Please, do not take this wrong people form Ashland, but it is true. I have been in houses in Lawrence Co that had dirt floors, and those houses were kept very neat and clean. You don't have to have a lot, but you can take care of what you have.

 

Don't judge people by what they have, if you have to judge them, then judge them by what they are.

 

 

Spoken like a true gentlemen! Thanks for the kind words.:thumb:

Spoken like a true gentlemen! Thanks for the kind words.:thumb:

 

:thumb:No problem, I have to take up for my Lawrence Co friends.