Booths available for Christmas in Columbia;

sign up with Chamber of Commerce

Christmas in Columbia, the annual festival on the square with crafts, food booths and carriage rides is getting underway now. June Parson will be the director once again.

Booths inside the historic courthouse as well as the annex are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For an approximate 10' x 10' space the cost is $20, payable to the Columbia, Adair County Chamber of Commerce. A table and two chairs are provided with each booth.

Volunteer decorators needed

Volunteers are needed to help decorate the courthouse on Monday after Thanksgiving. There are greens to be hung, cleaning chores to be done and candles to be placed in windows. The courthouse is getting a good cleaning now by county officials. Walls are being washed and painted, The bad ceiling tiles which threatened to fall on jurors have been replaced. To commit volunteer time, or to reserve a booth for the festival, call June at 384-6751.

Tree decisions in the making

Trees were the topic of discussion at a recent Heart of Adair meeting now that Columbia is an official "Tree City USA". The question was raised if we should plant all of one kind of tree so we have an identity for it, like all dogwoods or all red buds.

Billy Fudge advised that a variety is safer in case of a blight such as the one affecting locusts now.

No action was taken on the matter.

Art contests open for downtown

Artists from public schools, Lindsey, and interested

individuals are being asked for ideas to help beautify and give special identities to downtown revitalization efforts. Projects open to ideas include: (1) mural ideas being discussed for buildings-contact person is Margaret Arnold for more information, (2) a logo is needed for the Heart of Adair organization, (3) A poster design is being sought for the tree project, "Arbor Day in Columbia", -contact Jane Aaron or Billy Joe Fudge, (4) and new banners are being looked into for each season by the Chamber of Commerce.

Envision what you would enjoy seeing-words, designs and colors. For instance, would you rather see a red or blue banner with a traditional "Happy Holidays" message on lamp poles, or would you like to see something more customized?

Roughly sketch and color your ideas on 11" x 17" white paper - no need for professional drawing at this idea stage - and mail to: Heart of Adair promotions, P.O. Box 906, Columbia, Ky. 42728.

Every idea will be shown at the November meeting on the fourth Tuesday in the courthouse. Deadline for consideration is November 10.

Winners will receive certificates of recognition from Heart of Adair.

Future Chamber President Sue Stivers

calls for more positive local talk about community

Sue Stivers, Adair County Extension Agent and the present Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, has tentatively accepted the invitation to be President after David Martin's term ends.

In a recent meeting regarding the status of downtown promotions, Sue says that if she is President, she wants to see a more positive attitude reflected in our talk about the future of Columbia and Adair County.

Someone challenged her, "what do you mean 'if'?" And she explained that she might have to do like her friend, Jailer Dennis Loy, who'd also tentatively agreed to be the Chamber President at one time.

When it came time for him to take over the job, he declined.

The nominations committee said, "You can't decline, Dennis, you said you'd take the job!"

"I lied," she says that Dennis simply explained. And Sue says she may just have to follow suit. Being the Secretary allows her to get a glimpse of how hard the job is.

C of C office relocates, combines space

with Economic Development

The local Industrial Board has met its challenge to put in place a new recruiter, Sue , and she is at work promoting Adair County as we speak.

Her official title is Director of Economic Development and the Board invited the Chamber of Commerce to share the cost of the rent at the new offices just off the parkway in exchange for having an office that is open regular hours.

Sue is excited to be incorporating the Chamber of Commerce into hers.

"Everything I do will relate to growing the local economy," She says, "not just to recruiting new industry, but also to helping local businesses who want to start up and expand." She feels that goes hand in hand with the mission of the Chamber of Commerce. Monica Rodgers has just been hired as secretary to the Economic Development Director.

Part of her focus, Sue says, will also be filling vacant downtown buildings. That kind of talk definitely makes her a woman after our Heart of Adair.

She was among the 20 people in attendance at the Heart of Adair pot luck by the fountain on the square in August . She was met with questions from members who wanted to know how she intended to help our city, especially with the gray cloud of Osh Kosh's recent decision to leave.

"I don't have a magic wand," She says, "But I'll be out there working as hard as I can to fill the 90,000 square foot Osh Kosh building with a new industry with better paying jobs."

Sue Gibbens agrees with Sue Stivers that we do not need to lose hope and focus our attention on the negative just because one employer is making a change. Both say we have a lot going for us as a community.

Folks choose Adair

Many say they choose to live in Adair County, like Ann Warren who says, "I've lived in California and Connecticut, and parts in between, and I chose Adair County as the best place to raise my children."

Elaine Harvey Bennett grew up in Fairplay, and she agrees with Ann, "There's no sense in concentrating on what we don't have when what we do have is so good." Both women would like to see more of a can-do attitude here. Don't be surprised if one of them doesn't ask you what you're still doing here if you tell them you don't like Adair County.

My first husband Ed can be put in that same club with Sue, Sue, Ann and Elaine, when he says of Columbia, "It just doesn't get any better."