Kingfish Stevens

Old Kingfish entered this discussion as a lark. However, after careful consideration, he believes that it has a great deal of potential. Now, Kingfish considers himself a Christian. But, then, he has always believed that a pitcher full of beer was less a sin than a mouth full of gossip. Also, he figures that a goodly number of his fellow Christians, many of them Southern Baptists, supported this "moist" proposal either by so voting or by refusing to vote. Therefore, Kingfish will look into finding locals in the Boyd County area to front for him and to pursue the matter on his behalf. For a number of reasons, Kingfish must remain unnamed for the present although he is willing to do the major part of the bankrolling of the endeavor. As a possible name for the watering hole (with peanut butter, cheese, and crackers as food staples) might be "Calhoun's Saloon". This, of course, would be in honor of his personal attorney (mouthpiece), Algonquin J. Calhoun. What do you Boyd Countians think?

Thank you for your endorsement. My plan is not designed to compete with Red Lobster. We will actually "compliment" each other. Red Lobster does not offer peanut butter, cheese, and crackers. And, we don't offer fish.

What does a bottle of beer cost? How about $3.00? Using that, $2.25 will be marked up as food and $.75 for the beer. We will still make plenty of money since we will concentrate on cheap saltines, cheap peanut butter, and cheap cheese. With draft beer and mixed drinks, we will do even better since the cost per drink will be far under what we are charging. The truth is that we are providing a good place for drinkers to drink and socalize. Hamburgers and pork chops merely get in the way. We are, in reality, providing a watering hole. We really don't care if you partake of the food anyway- even though it is specifically included in the price of your drink. It will work. Is anyone ready? It could be a big moneymaker for an athletic booster club.

For the "Drys": 1. Due to the one-sided vote, it would be a waste of time to appeal the court decision. 2. The petition was being circulated for months. Why did you wait until the eleventh hour to get involved? 3. Those "leading" your cause insured that you would lose. You aren't going to win with a group of hardnose, judgmental Southern Baptist preachers as your "front men". No offense meant but it is the truth. For the "Moists". 1. You were slick in how you handled the process and you "won". Your use of "upscale restaurants" was outstanding. However, I would suggest that being somewhat "upscale" in comparison to Wendy's and Rally's is not particularly "upscale". 2. However, I have always been taught that retail stores bring restaurants rather than vice versa. 3. That area needs retail stores more than it needs more chain restaurants. If you doubt this, look at downtown Ashland. It is much easier to get a bottle of beer than it is to get a pair of shoes. To use the term "pitiful" to describe the "business district" of Ashland would be a compliment. The "moist" vote won't bring any new retail outlets even though there are an abundance of empty buildings ready to house them.

I still have a goodly number of ties to the Ashland-Boyd County area so I have had an interest in the "moist" (catchy phrase) election and have followed it fairly closely. The result of this vote is that all precincts in Boyd County, including Ashland, will become wet precincts. Therefore, these "restaurants with 100 chairs" can be located anywhere zoned for business. That could possibly be limited but history indicates that such votes result in much more liberal results than expected. Therefore, don't look for any real restrictions. In reality, I suppose any of us could find a building, put up twenty-five card tables with four chairs around each table and apply for a license. We should be successful since the law sets no limit on the number of "establishments". To carry an extreme a little further, when we open, we will, of course serve liquor by the drink. But, since we need 70% food sales, we will need to offer food. How about, peanut butter and crackers and cheese and crackers? We would advertise in our menus that, the price of each drink shall be allotted 25% to the drink and 75% to the "food". That allows us to far exceed the 70%. Now, many will find this post ridiculous. However, under the law, as proposed and as worded, it would be a legal establishment. Any takers?

Congratulations to Trinity. Lacrosse is a fine sport and more schools should field a team. I was told yeaterday that Rose Hill in Ashland has considered starting lacrosse for several years but has been hesitant because of the lack of other teams in that part of Kentucky. With the price of gasoline, it would be too expensive for a small school to travel to Louisville and northern Kentucky for matches.

Did they really lose by 29 points? If so, the performance of Watts is really meaningless.

When we advertise in a newspaper, we are not nearly as concerned about the location of the other advertisers as we are about the location of the readers of the publication. We want the newspaper to cater to its circulation base and not its advertising base. After all, we are seeking more customers rather than a relationship with fellow advertisers. Obviously, if the circulation is to increase, people must have a reason to want the newspaper. They are much more likely to want the newspaper if their local interests are covered. With television, the internet, etc., we don't need the local newspaper to keep up with world or national developments. If the circulation is encouraged by having stories of interest to them, the opportunities to increase the business of advertisers increases. Therefore, I think your emphasis on the location of advertisers rather than readers is mistaken. Also, I seriously doubt that Ashland, with its shrinking population, has even remotely near a majority of subscribers to the DI. All of this means that the people at the newspaper better be less Ashland oriented and more area oriented. After all, if you have visited Ashland, you know there isn't much progress taking place there and the population is still dwindling. therefore, they better even out the coverage of major area events- athletic and otherwise.

Wrong. You obviously are an outsider looking in. Why should the LHL cover UK when UK has the Kernel right there on campus?

My company advertises from time to time in the Ashland newspaper. It is our understanding that the newspaper has become a regional publication as evidenced by the dropping of "Ashland" from its name. We were told that circulation has considerably expanded into Carter County, Greenup County, and the Big Sandy area and that the coverage would adjust to the changing customer base. If all of this is true, then it should be the Daily Independent and not the Ashland Daily Independent. Even within the Ashland city limits, I would bet that there are many who follow Fairview, Rose Hill, Holy Family, and Boyd County and who have little interest in the pursuits of Ashland's high school, middle school, and elementary schools. Assuming we have been told the truth, there appears no longer to be any valid reason to give priority treatment to Blazer and its associated schools.

Did you just check with the Daily Independent or did you include the representatives of the winning team? My source, admittedly not the same as yours, tells a different story. Remember, every story has two sides and the real truth is rarely available from just one side. I would still remind you that the state tournaments were over in mid-March. It was still a two month delay. Also, if most of the circulation is in Ashland proper, which I doubt, it must be a very small newspaper. Any reliable figures to validate your assertion? I do commend your loyalty to the cause.

Of course you don't know, LRCW. You are merely defending your favorites just as I am coming from the viewpoint of those I know in your area. This thread is a waste of time other than to illustrate that your area has a lot of disagreement that exists off the playing field as well as on it. Maybe we should leave it at that.

Come on, LRCW, respond to my first paragraph. Don't pick and choose.

This was a fine tournament and a pleasure to watch.

I know the head coach of that team through our employment. I speak to him regularly and try to keep up with the progress of his teams. I'll bet that, if you speak with him, you will learn that the delay in reporting the achievement had nothing to do with him not informing the Daily Independent. My understanding is that the newspaper was slow in getting around to reporting it. It is fine for you to be a local cheerleader. However, make sure of your facts. If my local newspaper were "suspect", I would admit it.

No, not really. It merely indicates that, in all liklihood, Blazer had no news to report at this time. Therefore, others could be covered. Seriously, LRCW, I am not trying to pick a fight. I am merely stating the perception most others around the state and, apparently, around your area have of your newspaper. My point was and is that the Euton and Jackson story is newsworthy. Why hasn't it been covered? MBWC41 offers an explanation. Possibly, he is correct. The evidence seems to point that way. Also it should be mentioned that your reference to the story on the seventh grade state tournament is disingenuous. I am familiar with that tournament because it was held locally. It was played back in March. The real issue should be in regard to why it took the local newspaper two months to report the story? Can you offer some insight?

I have often heard that that is the case. Thank you for confirming it.

This story has received a good bit of coverage in the CJ, LHL, and on WLEX. However, I pulled up the website for the Daily Independent in Ashland and found nothing. Is this typical of the locals? I'm sure there isn't much else going on up there other than your "moist vote" and Brandon Webb hasn't pitched in the last couple of days. It seems like the success of these boys would warrant something.

I understand that Euton, Jackson, and their families had a very enjoyable visit with Coach Gillispie Sunday at the new practice facility. Gillispie is pursuing our in-state boys early which is certainly an improvement over the past. All this developing fanfare for Euton and Jackson, and it is not remotely limited to UK, should make for a lot of verbal "sparing" in the 16th Region for the next three years.

Any Notre Dame home game against a Big Ten foe.

I would doubt that Coach Hicks has any interest in coaching at Greenup County. I would guess that his goal is to prevail in the law suit- a very solid possibility. I understand that there was a committee appointed to evaluate applicants for the coaching job. The "head" of that committee, from my information, is referred to in some above posts. I also understand that the work of the committee was ignored by the administration which has produced more hard feelings- as if any more were needed. Under the circumstances, Mr. Leach may need a Plan B.

Is the hiring of Coach Leach finalized or pending future developments? It would seem unlikely that Greenup County could offer the position with no possible strings attached. In any case, I wish Coach Leach, assuming he becomes "Coach Leach", the best of luck. My contacts in Greenup County indicate that he may have been the last candidate remaining in the field.

This must be fairly new. It certainly hasn't operated in this way in the past. However, if so, it is an improvement as long as KHSAA treats everyone the same and is objective rather than subjective.

True. However, it seems that Hicks is gaining credibility in the "court of public opinion".

Does anyone else have the feeling that the worm is turning in this fiasco? Hicks appears to be looking better.