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A LEXANDRIA A LEXANDRIA RECORDER 75¢ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS Your Community Recorder newspaper serving the communities of southern Campbell County Vol. 10 No. 11 © 2014 The Community Recorder ALL RIGHTS RESERVED News ......................... 283-0404 Retail advertising ....... 513-768-8404 Classified advertising ... 513-421-6300 Delivery ....................... 781-4421 See page A2 for additional information Contact us CHRISTMAS Q&A School kids share favorite things about the holiday. A4 YES, VIRGINIA Here’s the original 1897 response to a little girl’s question “Is there a Santa Claus?” A7 In the next few days, your Commu- nity Recorder carri- er will be stopping by to collect $3.50 for delivery of this month’s Alexandria Recorder. Your car- rier retains half this amount along with any tip you give to reward good service. This month we’re fea- turing Camryn Mergenthal who is in the ninth grade. In her free time she enjoys babysit- ting, shopping and hanging out with friends. If you would like more information about the junior carrier pro- gram, call Alison at 859- 442-3460. COLLECTION TIME Mergenthal We asked, and you responded. In a big way. We asked if you knew someone who regular- ly embodies the spirit of Neighbors Who Care – maybe they brought you food during an ill- ness, or looked after your house while you were gone, or helped pick up debris after a storm – or maybe they just provide a friendly face, or listen when you need to talk to some- one. We have picked some of the best stories and will highlight these special people over the next two weeks. Thanks to you, and to them, for making our holiday editions memorable. Shining a light on Neighbors Who Care ALEXANDRIA — Diane Dea- ton, of Alexandria, is the care- giver for her 88-year-old father. Her own disability prevents her from maintaining the yard or shoveling snow. But luckily for her, she has a neighbor named Jim Young across the street, who is always there to help out whenever she needs anything. Deaton said Young also helps other neighbors when he isn’t busy bringing in her garbage cans, trimming the trees or keeping an eye on her house when her father is hospitalized. “When my mom passed away two years ago, Jim brought us food and made a donation in my mother’s name,” Deaton said. He has fixed a flat on my car, brought our mail up to the door during large snows, provided advice and anything else I might need. Young does all of this without ever asking for anything in re- turn, and will not accept pay- ments. “When I offer to pay him, he just tells me to make him cook- ies sometime ... When I take him the cookies, he tells me it isn’t necessary,” Deaton said. “I would just like to say thank you to him, and let him know how much I appreciate having him for a neighbor.” Neighbor works for cookies By Stephen Roy Wilder [email protected] BELLEVUE — “They are truly neighbors who care,” said Alice Baker of the Joseph family. The Josephs – Bernadin, Liz, Elijah, 9, and Olivia, 6 – of Belle- vue are involved in many com- munity groups and a variety of activities. From collecting coats for the homeless to baking cook- ies for Bellevue teachers, the Jo- sephs are eager to help and get others involved in helping too. “We don’t think of what we’re doing as anything special, it’s all just part of our life,” she said. “We love our neighbors and community. We want to teach our kids to love and care for peo- ple around them.” Love and care is what they do – helping Baker when her car was broken down or taking care of an elderly neighbor’s yard or MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER The Josephs: Bernadin, Liz, Elijah, 9, and Olivia, 6, of Bellevue, spend the entire year spreading cheer through community service. Spreading the love of community service See JOSEPH, Page A2 By Melissa Stewart [email protected] ALEXANDRIA — Mazie Veirs is the neighbor to call when groceries are needed or the washing machine breaks. Veirs, 74, can’t fix a washing machine, but she did offer to do a neighbor’s laundry. “It just makes me feel good,” Veirs said. Veirs said she has always enjoyed offering to get other people’s groceries because she has to go to the store anyway for herself. She also watches her grand- son each afternoon and some- times watches neighbors’ chil- dren until their parents get home from work. Neighbor Glen Ramey said Veirs is who people on Thatch- er Avenue in Alexandria turn to for help. She’s always willing to lend a hand, he said in his nomination of Veirs for “Neighbors Who Care.” “She is an angel in disguise if there ever was one,” Ramey said in his nomination letter. When people are not feeling well and can’t make it the gro- cery, Veirs makes the trip for them, he said. “She checks on neighbors that aren’t feeling well to make sure they are all rright and if they need anything,” Ramey Veirs is Alexandria street’s grocery ‘Angel’ CHRIS MAYHEW/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER Mazie Veirs watches her grandson Evan McMillian, 14, at her Alexandria home each day in addition to making grocery trips for neighbors who cannot drive themselves to the store. By Chris Mayhew [email protected] See VEIRS, Page A2 LEARNING TO WIN B1 NKU women’s basketball team won’t be intimidated

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ALEXANDRIAALEXANDRIARECORDER 75¢

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS

Your Community Recordernewspaper serving the communitiesof southern Campbell County

Vol. 10 No. 11© 2014 The Community Recorder

ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDNews .........................283-0404Retail advertising .......513-768-8404Classified advertising ...513-421-6300Delivery .......................781-4421

See page A2 for additional information

Contact usCHRISTMASQ&ASchool kids sharefavorite things aboutthe holiday. A4

YES, VIRGINIAHere’s the original 1897response to a little girl’squestion “Is there aSanta Claus?” A7

In the next fewdays, your Commu-nity Recorder carri-er will be stoppingby to collect $3.50for delivery of thismonth’s AlexandriaRecorder. Your car-rier retains half thisamount along with any tipyou give to reward goodservice.

This month we’re fea-

turing CamrynMergenthal who isin the ninth grade.In her free timeshe enjoys babysit-ting, shopping andhanging out withfriends.

If you would likemore information aboutthe junior carrier pro-gram, call Alison at 859-442-3460.

COLLECTION TIME

Mergenthal

We asked, and you responded. In a big way.We asked if you knew someone who regular-

ly embodies the spirit of Neighbors Who Care– maybe they brought you food during an ill-ness, or looked after your house while youwere gone, or helped pick up debris after astorm – or maybe they just provide a friendly

face, or listen when you need to talk to some-one.

We have picked some of the best stories andwill highlight these special people over thenext two weeks.

Thanks to you, and to them, for making ourholiday editions memorable.

Shining a light on Neighbors Who Care

ALEXANDRIA — Diane Dea-ton, of Alexandria, is the care-giver for her 88-year-old father.Her own disability prevents herfrom maintaining the yard orshoveling snow.

But luckily for her, she has aneighbor named Jim Youngacross the street, who is alwaysthere to help out whenever sheneeds anything.

Deaton said Young also helpsother neighbors when he isn’tbusy bringing in her garbagecans, trimming the trees orkeeping an eye on her housewhen her father is hospitalized.

“When my mom passed awaytwo years ago, Jim brought usfood and made a donation in mymother’s name,” Deaton said.He has fixed a flat on my car,brought our mail up to the doorduring large snows, providedadvice and anything else I

might need. Young does all of this without

ever asking for anything in re-turn, and will not accept pay-ments.

“When I offer to pay him, hejust tells me to make him cook-ies sometime ... When I take himthe cookies, he tells me it isn’tnecessary,” Deaton said. “Iwould just like to say thank youto him, and let him know howmuch I appreciate having himfor a neighbor.”

Neighbor works for cookiesBy Stephen Roy [email protected]

BELLEVUE — “They are trulyneighbors who care,” said AliceBaker of the Joseph family.

The Josephs – Bernadin, Liz,Elijah, 9, and Olivia, 6 – of Belle-vue are involved in many com-munity groups and a variety ofactivities. From collecting coatsfor the homeless to baking cook-ies for Bellevue teachers, the Jo-sephs are eager to help and get

others involved in helping too.“We don’t think of what we’re

doing as anything special, it’s alljust part of our life,” she said.“We love our neighbors andcommunity. We want to teachour kids to love and care for peo-ple around them.”

Love and care is what they do– helping Baker when her carwas broken down or taking careof an elderly neighbor’s yard or

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

The Josephs: Bernadin, Liz, Elijah, 9, and Olivia, 6, of Bellevue, spend theentire year spreading cheer through community service.

Spreading the love of community service

See JOSEPH, Page A2

By Melissa [email protected]

ALEXANDRIA — Mazie Veirsis the neighbor to call whengroceries are needed or thewashing machine breaks.

Veirs, 74, can’t fix a washingmachine, but she did offer to doa neighbor’s laundry.

“It just makes me feelgood,” Veirs said.

Veirs said she has alwaysenjoyed offering to get other

people’s groceries because shehas to go to the store anywayfor herself.

She also watches her grand-son each afternoon and some-times watches neighbors’ chil-dren until their parents gethome from work.

Neighbor Glen Ramey saidVeirs is who people on Thatch-er Avenue in Alexandria turnto for help. She’s always willingto lend a hand, he said in hisnomination of Veirs for

“Neighbors Who Care.”“She is an angel in disguise

if there ever was one,” Rameysaid in his nomination letter.

When people are not feelingwell and can’t make it the gro-cery, Veirs makes the trip forthem, he said.

“She checks on neighborsthat aren’t feeling well to makesure they are all rright and ifthey need anything,” Ramey

Veirs is Alexandriastreet’s grocery ‘Angel’

CHRIS MAYHEW/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Mazie Veirs watches her grandson Evan McMillian, 14, at her Alexandria home each day in addition to makinggrocery trips for neighbors who cannot drive themselves to the store.

By Chris [email protected]

See VEIRS, Page A2

LEARNING TO WIN B1NKU women’s basketball teamwon’t be intimidated

A2 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • DECEMBER 25, 2014

ALEXANDRIARECORDER

NewsNancy Daly Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .578-1059, [email protected] Chris Mayhew Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .578-1051,[email protected] Scalf Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .578-1055, [email protected] Melanie Laughman Sports Editor . . . . . . . . . . . .513-248-7573,

[email protected] James Weber Sports Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .578-1054, [email protected]

AdvertisingTo place an ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .513-768-8404,

[email protected]

DeliveryFor customer service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .781-4421 Sharon Schachleiter Circulation Manager . .442-3464,

[email protected] Alison Hummel District Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . .442-3460, anhummelcommunitypress.com

To place an ad in Community Classified, call 513-421-6300 or go to www.communityclassified.com

Find news and information from your community on the Webcincinnati.com/northernkentucky

NEWS

Calendar ................A5Classifieds ................CFood .....................A6Obituaries .............. B7Schools ..................A4Sports ....................B1Viewpoints .............A7

Index

said.Veirs pulls in neigh-

bor’s empty garbage cansfrom the curb on trashpickup day, Ramey said.

She also shovels neigh-bor’s snow without beingasked for an older couple,he said.

“I can’t imagine whattype of emergencies willhappen in the future, butyou can bet she will bethere willing to help,” Ra-mey said.

VeirsContinued from Page A1

securing a home improve-ment grant for their en-tire block of DivisionStreet.

And they have a way ofgetting others involved inhelping too, Baker said.

The family has theirown Facebook page, Riv-er Cities Community Out-reach, where they share

what projects they’ve un-dertaken to encourageand engage others in thecommunity to help.

“Bellevue has a strongsense of community,” Lizsaid. “It’s easy to get peo-ple on board. We treat ourneighbors like family.When we do things as afamily we want to includeour neighbors. We’re allhere for each other.”

Want to continue theconversation? Tweet@MStewartReports

JosephContinued from Page A1

MORNING VIEW — Lar-ry Maxey is proud of hisMorning View familyfarm.

He has reasons to be.Last month Maxey Val-

ley Farms won multipleawards at the North Amer-ican International Live-stock Exposition in Louis-ville. Their young bull wasnamed grand champion,the bull and his mother re-ceived the overall su-preme championship, thePinnacle Award, (this wasthe second year in a row

they’ve won this) and theyreceived the PremiereBreeder Award.

“This was a big honorfor us,” Larry said. Hesaid it feels good to re-ceive recognition for thework they’ve been doingwith the full blood Fleck-vieh Simmental breed.

“The mission I’ve beenon is to protect and pre-serve the breed,” he said.“Most breeders have ei-ther exited the business,or switched to otherbreeds, or switched toblack factored Simmen-tals. My objective hasbeen to get these cattleback in the mainstream.We’ve done it. They’re be-coming popular and thereis a demand for them.”

“Traditional” Simmen-tals, as Larry refers tothem, are based on the ge-netics originally intro-duced to the United Statesin the 1960s mostly viaCanada originating inEurope. Within the Sim-mental breed, there are

various strains to includeSwiss, French, Germanand Austrian. Each ofthese strains were devel-oped in their home coun-try for various purposesthose being either milk,meat or draft or somecombination of those. TheMaxey Farms Simmen-tals are bred for meat.

They use modernbreeding technology, reg-ularly using artificial in-semination and use em-bryo transplant on occa-sion. Of course, they usenatural service as well

and are very particular intheir sire selection.

Another aspect of thefarm for which Larry isproud is its heritage.

“Since 1693 the Maxeyname has been associatedwith agriculture in Amer-ica,” he said.

Maxey Valley Farmsderives its name from aplace in Central Kentuckyin Lincoln County, knownas Maxey Valley whereLarry’s ancestors settledhaving arrived from Vir-ginia in the early 1800s.The Maxey name can be

traced back to 1693 withthe arrival in the NewWorld of Edward Maxeyfrom England. He came asan indentured servant andby the Census of 1725 hadtaken a wife, had eightchildren and owned sever-al 400-acre patents of landin Virginia.

“Our farm (founded in1973) … like so many, afamily endeavor and hasbeen since inception,”Larry said. “Our daugh-ters were active in thelivestock side of our oper-ations over the years and

hopefully our grandchil-dren will feel an affinityfor the Maxey legacy ofland and family.”

Larry’s daughter AmyMaxey, of Taylor Mill,credits the farm’s successto her father’s “hardwork” and “dedication.”

“For us to compete atthe livestock exposition atthe level we have is a truetestament to what dad hasaccomplished here,” shesaid.

Larry said he loveswhat he does.

“It’s just something inyou to love land and tofarm,” he said. “It’s hardwork. When you’re raisinglivestock, they have tocome first. Rain, sun-shine, blizzard you stillhave to get out every dayand take care of them. Forus, it’s a family thing.”

Larry owns the farmwith his wife, Linda. Theyhave two daughters, AmyMaxey and Lori Collins,and two grandchildren.

“We’re doing this sothat we have a legacy forour future generationsmoving forward,” Amysaid. “This will always bein our family’s name andlineage.”

Want to continue theconversation? Tweet@MStewartReports

Maxey Valley Farms wins multiple awards at NAILEBy Melissa [email protected]

THANKS TO AMY MAXEY

From left are Amy Maxey, Larry Maxey, Mike Penick, Mallory Penick and Austin Penick at theNorth American International Livestock Exposition.

FORT THOMAS — Taxi-cabs have been showingup at the homes of olderadults in the city offeringto take them to withdrawmoney from the bank topay telephone callers of-fering an alleged largerprize.

It’s a scam, said FortThomas Police Depart-ment Lt. Richard Whit-ford.

So far, three residentshave complained aboutcab drivers knocking ontheir door and offering aride to the bank, Whitfordsaid. The first complaintwas Dec. 3. The latest com-plaint was reported Dec.

10, Whitford said.“One man actually had

a cab sent to his house 10times,” Whitford said.

Cabs from two compa-nies have been dispatchedto houses as part of thescam, he said. Police haveadvised taxi dispatchersof the ruse, Whitford said.

Taxi companies areworking with the police in-vestigation to identify thecalls, he said. Some callshave come from Florida,and some have come fromoverseas, Whitford said.

Police in southernCampbell County have hada similar complaint in thepast month, and there wasa complaint about cabssent for a phone scam inHebron last year, he said.

People calling the cabcompanies for the ride are

claiming to be a resident ofthe house the cab is beingsent, Whitford said.

The scam starts with aphone call to an older adultsaying they are entitled tomillions of dollars, but$400 is needed up front tostart the paperwork, theofficer said.

When the potential vic-tims say they cannot get totheir bank because of theirage, the phone callers aresending cabs to the resi-dence, according to a newsrelease from the depart-ment.

For older adults, havingthe cabs show up at theirdoor is surprising, Whit-ford said.

“They were like ‘Hey,we’ll send a taxicab toyou’,” he said of the peoplecalling asking for money.

Police warn of phone scam sending cabs to homesBy Chris [email protected]

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DECEMBER 25, 2014 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • A3NEWS

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A4 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • DECEMBER 25, 2014

Flu virus is keeping someFort Thomas IndependentSchools students at home as oth-er Northern Kentucky schoolsredouble their surface cleaningas a prevention.

Fort Thomas’ enrollment hasdipped by as much as 5 percentbelow the average daily atten-dance rate of 97 percent, Super-intendent Gene Kirchner said inan email Wednesday.

District enrollment is 3,018students, Kirchner said.

“It is fair to say that district-wide we have been running ap-proximately 200 students perday absent for the last fewdays,” he said. More typical is70-80 absences, Kirchner said.

“We are seeing quite a bit ofillness among both students andstaff,” he said.

The last day of school before

break is Friday, Dec. 19.“We are hopeful that two

weeks off will help to limit anyfurther spread of illness andthat student attendance will beback to normal in January,” hesaid.

Precautions, including en-suring surfaces are cleaned andsanitized, are being taken,Kirchner said.

Attendance rates for the pastseveral days have been between92 and 93 percent, he said.

Boone County Schools hasnot had any reports of “mass ab-sences,” according to communi-ty relations coordinator Barba-

ra Cain-Brady.“Some of our nurses are re-

porting that we are seeing an in-crease in numbers of ill stu-dents and staff, but it’s not justflu: we are seeing strep, viral-like illness with fevers, and(gastrointestinal) illness in ad-dition to those out with the flu,”she said.

Kenton County schools aresanitizing classrooms and com-mon areas to help eliminategerms, said spokeswoman JessDykes. Schools are also usingthe automated phone system toremind parents not to send stu-dents to school if they have a fe-ver or other symptoms.

Dykes also said teachers areemphasizing hand-washing andstudents with any signs of ill-ness are being sent to the schoolnurse.

Reporters Amy Scalf and MelissaStewart contributed to this article.

Flu hits Fort Thomas schools asNKY districts prepBy Chris [email protected]

Kirchner Dykes

Allen attendsCampbellsvilleUniversity

Katie Allen, of Wilder, isone of more than 1,000 newstudents attending Camp-bellsville University for the2014 fall semester.

The school is a Kentucky-based Christian universitywith more than 3,600 stu-dents.

Downard, Big Red winMiami UniversityInvitational

Conner Downard, a mem-ber of the Denison UniversityBig Red men’s swimming anddiving team, helped the teamclose out 2014 by winning theMiami University (OH) Invi-tational for the second-straight year. The Miami In-vitational is an event that fea-tures teams from all three di-vision of the NCAA.

Downard, of Fort Thomas,is graduate of Highlands

High School and currently ajunior at Denison.

The Big Red returns tocompetition in January whenthey host North Coast Athlet-ic Conference foe DePauwUniversity at the TrumbullAquatics Center in Granville,Ohio.

Schell inducted into PhiKappa Phi

Sydnie Schell, of FortThomas, was recently initiat-ed into Phi Kappa Phi.

She is pursuing a degree inaccounting at the Universityof Kentucky.

Phi Kappa Phi is the na-tion’s oldest and most selec-tive collegiate honor societyfor all academic disciplines.

Membership is by invita-tion and requires nominationand approval by a chapter.Only the top 10 percent of sen-iors and 7.5 percent of ju-niors, having at least 72 se-mester hours, are eligible formembership.

COLLEGE CORNER

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and the kids aren’t justjingle-belling, but sharing their thoughts on the Christmas seasonwith the Recorder.

From opinions on Santa Claus to presents to the meaning of theseason, children across Northern Kentucky are ready for the holi-days. Here’s what they have to say:

ChristmasQ&A

with the kiddiesAMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Q: What’s your favorite thing aboutthe holiday?A: Getting presents. One year, I gotan American Girl doll that looks likeme.

Breahna Tate, 7, of Cold Spring

AMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Q: What do you leave for Santa?A: The elves get cookies. Santa getschocolate chip cookies and milk,and the reindeer get apples.

Dawson Stacey-Huelsman, 7, of ColdSpring

AMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Q: What is your favorite thingabout the holiday?A: Being together with your family.

Gino Ramundo, 7, of Alexandria

AMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Q: Are you giving a special gift thisyear? A: Yes, I’m giving my momsomething from “Frozen.”

Lily Wefer, 6, of Alexandria

AMY SCALF/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Q: What is your favorite thingabout the holiday?A: It’s when baby Jesus was born.

Madison Bowling, 7, of Alexandria

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: How does Santa get down thechimney?A: He ... um ... well, reindeer landon the roof. He gets his bag andcomes down the chimney.

Brandt Stiles, 6, of Cold Spring

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: How does Santa get down thechimney?A: I think he uses his magical fairydust.

Charly Harwood, 6, of Burlington

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: How does Santa get down thechimney?A: We don’t have a chimney, hegets in the front door.

George Kaiser, 5, Fort Mitchell

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: How does Santa get down thechimney?A: He slides down.

Madelyn Staley, 5, of Florence

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: How does Santa get down thechimney?A: I think he uses magic to getdown there, and then magic to getback out.

Nathan Dunn, 8, of Fort Mitchell

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: Are you giving a special gift thisyear? A: Yes, I’m giving Santa a reallyspecial gift, milk and cookies.

Sarah Mitchell, 5, of Independence

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: How does Santa get down thechimney?A: I don’t know.

Thomas Roberts, 5, of Burlington

MELISSA STEWART/THE COMMUNITY

RECORDER

Q: What’s your favorite thing aboutthe holiday?A: Santa gives us presents.

Wyatt Rechtin, 5, of Fort Mitchell

SCHOOLSSCHOOLSACHIEVEMENTS | NEWS | ACTIVITIES | HONORS Cincinnati.com/northernkentucky

ALEXANDRIARECORDEREditor: Nancy Daly, [email protected], 578-1059

DECEMBER 25, 2014 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • A5

FRIDAY, DEC. 26Art Exhibits50 Years of Photojournalism inNorthern Kentucky, 10 a.m. to5 p.m., Behringer-CrawfordMuseum, 1600 Montague Road,Through selection of imagestaken by local photojournalistsworking for The Kentucky Post,The Kentucky Enquirer and theAssociated Press, premiereexhibit celebrates NorthernKentucky life and culture duringwinter season and commem-orates those who have dedicatedtheir careers to capturing com-munity’s memorable moments.$7, $6 seniors, $4 ages 3-17, freefor members. Presented byFotoFocus. 491-4003; www.foto-focuscincinnati.org. Covington.

Translations, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Covington Arts, 2 W. Pike St.,Curated by Saad Ghosn, exhibi-tion features four artists whosework examines nature of in-terpretation through use ofabstraction. Presented by Co-vington Arts District. 292-2322;www.covingtonarts.com. Co-vington.

Two Exhibitions, noon to 5 p.m.,The Carnegie, 1028 Scott Blvd.,Clay Street Press: CincinnatiPortfolio I-IV and Over Time:John Lanzador, William Messer,David Parks. Free. Through Feb.7. 957-1940; www.thecarnegie-.com. Covington.

Exercise ClassesJazzercise Classes, 9:30-10:30a.m., Edgewood JazzerciseCenter, 126 Barnwood Drive, $38for unlimited monthly classes.Through March 30. 331-7778;jazzercise.com. Edgewood.

Holiday - ChristmasHoliday Toy Trains, 10 a.m. to 5p.m., Behringer-Crawford Mu-seum, 1600 Montague Road,Layout features Lionel trains andPlasticville. More than 250 feetof track. Patrons welcome tooperate more than 30 accessoriesfrom buttons on layout. ThroughJan. 18. Included with admission:$7, $6 ages 60 and up, $4 ages3-17; free ages 2 and under.Wednesday Grandparent’s Day:one grandchild admitted freewith paying grandparent. 491-4003; www.bcmuseum.org.Covington.

Scuba Santa’s Water Wonder-land, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., NewportAquarium, Newport on theLevee, Holiday decorationsthroughout Aquarium. Un-derwater Santa show alongsidesharks, shark rays and Denver theSea Turtle. Through Jan. 1.Included with admission: $23,$15 ages 2-12, free under age 2.800-406-3474; www.newporta-quarium.com. Newport.

Light Up the Levee, 6:50 p.m.,Newport on the Levee, 1 LeveeWay, Featuring more than onemillion LED lights dancing insynchronization to holiday music.

Lights dance every 20 minutes.Through Jan. 1. Free. 291-0550;www.newportonthelevee.com.Newport.

Christmas Town, 5-8 p.m.,Creation Museum, 2800 Bullitts-burg Church Road, Featuringfree live nativity, lights and livedramas. Through Dec. 27. Free.800-778-3390; creationmuseu-m.org. Petersburg.

BRICKmas, 4-8:30 p.m., Newporton the Levee, 1 Levee Way,Features more than 13 large-scale LEGO displays includingmodels of the Roebling Suspen-sion Bridge, Music Hall andWashington Park. Also featuresinteractive area where childrencan build “brick” masterpieces,color and decorate mini-figmasks and write letters to SantaClaus. Through Jan. 1. $8. 291-0550; www.newportonthelevee-.com. Newport.

Literary - LibrariesMahjong, 1 p.m., Scheben BranchLibrary, 8899 U.S. 42, All skilllevels welcome. 342-2665. Union.

On Stage - ComedyDave Landau, 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m.,Funny Bone Comedy Club, 1Levee Way, $15-$17. 957-2000;www.funnyboneonthelevee-.com. Newport.

On Stage - TheaterStriking 12, 8-10 p.m., Mon-mouth Theatre, 636 MonmouthSt., A disenchanted young manskips a New Year’s Eve party andinstead picks up a copy of TheLittle Match Girl. He’s trans-ported to a place where thesmallest things can be mirac-ulous. Musical trio Groove Lilywrote play as holiday concert.$20, $18 students and seniors.Presented by Falcon Theater.Through Dec. 27. 513-479-6783;www.falcontheater.net. New-port.

SportsHoliday Race Meet, 11:15 a.m.,Turfway Park, 7500 TurfwayRoad, Live thoroughbred racing.Free admission, free parking.Through Dec. 31. 371-0200.Florence.

SATURDAY, DEC. 27Art Exhibits50 Years of Photojournalism inNorthern Kentucky, 10 a.m. to5 p.m., Behringer-CrawfordMuseum, $7, $6 seniors, $4 ages3-17, free for members. 491-4003;www.fotofocuscincinnati.org.Covington.

Two Exhibitions, noon to 5 p.m.,The Carnegie, Free. 957-1940;www.thecarnegie.com. Coving-ton.

Cooking ClassesSushi Rolling and Dining, 7p.m., Sushi Cincinnati, 130 W.Pike St., $25 per person, threerolls, includes training and BYOB,reservations required. Reserva-

tions required. Through Dec. 26.513-335-0297; www.sushicinti-.com. Covington.

Dining EventsManna Mission Meal, 5:30-7:30p.m., Erlanger United MethodistChurch, 31 Commonwealth Ave,Free dinner and groceries. 727-2136. Erlanger.

EducationWinter Acting Intensive withTop LA Actress and Coach, 10a.m. to 4:30 p.m., UpTech, 112 W.Pike St., $250. Registrationrequired. Presented by GaladrielStineman. 949-297-6235;www.facebook.com/officialga-ladriel. Covington.

Exercise ClassesJazzercise Classes, 8:15-9:15a.m., 9:30-10:30 a.m., EdgewoodJazzercise Center, $38 for unlim-ited monthly classes. 331-7778;jazzercise.com. Edgewood.

Holiday - ChristmasHoliday Toy Trains, 10 a.m. to 5p.m., Behringer-Crawford Mu-seum, Included with admission:$7, $6 ages 60 and up, $4 ages3-17; free ages 2 and under.Wednesday Grandparent’s Day:one grandchild admitted freewith paying grandparent. 491-4003; www.bcmuseum.org.Covington.

Scuba Santa’s Water Wonder-land, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., NewportAquarium, Included with admis-sion: $23, $15 ages 2-12, freeunder age 2. 800-406-3474;www.newportaquarium.com.Newport.

Light Up the Levee, 6:50 p.m.,Newport on the Levee, Free.291-0550; www.newportonthele-vee.com. Newport.

Christmas Town, 5-8 p.m.,Creation Museum, Free. 800-778-3390; creationmuseum.org.Petersburg.

BRICKmas, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.,Newport on the Levee, $8.291-0550; www.newportonthele-vee.com. Newport.

Karaoke and Open MicKaraoke, 8 p.m., Southgate VFW,6 Electric Ave., With DJ TedMcCracken. Free. Presented byVFW Post 3186. 441-9857. South-gate.

Literary - LibrariesCheck it Out: Family ActivityDay, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., R.C. DurrYMCA, 5874 Veterans Way, Free.Presented by Boone CountyPublic Library. 534-5700. Burling-ton.

On Stage - ComedyDave Landau, 7:30 p.m., 10 p.m.,Funny Bone Comedy Club,$15-$17. 957-2000; www.funny-

boneonthelevee.com. Newport.

On Stage - TheaterStriking 12, 8-10 p.m., Mon-mouth Theatre, $20, $18 stu-dents and seniors. 513-479-6783;www.falcontheater.net. New-port.

SportsHoliday Race Meet, 11:15 a.m.,Turfway Park, Free admission,free parking. 371-0200. Florence.

SUNDAY, DEC. 28Art Exhibits50 Years of Photojournalism inNorthern Kentucky, 1-5 p.m.,Behringer-Crawford Museum,$7, $6 seniors, $4 ages 3-17, freefor members. 491-4003; www.fo-tofocuscincinnati.org. Covington.

Dining EventsAll You Can Eat Breakfast, 8a.m. to 1 p.m., Fort ThomasMasonic Lodge No. 808, 37 N.Fort Thomas Ave, Eggs, ham,bacon, goetta, spam, bologna,potatoes, grits, pancakes andwaffles with strawberries andblueberries and whipped cream,toast, white or wheat, juice, milk,coffee, tea. $7, $4 children.Presented by Fort Thomas Ma-sonic Lodge No 808. 442-9050.Fort Thomas.

EducationWinter Acting Intensive withTop LA Actress and Coach, 10a.m. to 6 p.m., UpTech, $250.Registration required. 949-297-6235; www.facebook.com/officialgaladriel. Covington.

Exercise ClassesJazzercise Classes, 9:30-10:30a.m., 4-5 p.m., Edgewood Jazzer-cise Center, $38 for unlimitedmonthly classes. 331-7778; jazzer-cise.com. Edgewood.

Holiday - ChristmasHoliday Toy Trains, 1-5 p.m.,Behringer-Crawford Museum,Included with admission: $7, $6ages 60 and up, $4 ages 3-17;free ages 2 and under. Wednes-day Grandparent’s Day: onegrandchild admitted free withpaying grandparent. 491-4003;www.bcmuseum.org. Covington.

Scuba Santa’s Water Wonder-land, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., NewportAquarium, Included with admis-sion: $23, $15 ages 2-12, freeunder age 2. 800-406-3474;www.newportaquarium.com.Newport.

Light Up the Levee, 6:50 p.m.,Newport on the Levee, Free.291-0550; www.newportonthele-vee.com. Newport.

BRICKmas, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.,Newport on the Levee, $8.291-0550; www.newportonthele-vee.com. Newport.

Karaoke and Open MicKaraoke, 9 p.m., Molly Malone’sIrish Pub and Restaurant, 112 E.Fourth St., With DJ Will Corson.

$10 buckets and $4 grape andcherry bombs. Ages 21 and up.Free. 491-6659. Covington.

On Stage - ComedyDave Landau, 7:30 p.m., FunnyBone Comedy Club, $15-$17.957-2000; www.funnyboneon-thelevee.com. Newport.

RecreationBingo, 5 p.m., Southgate VFW, 6Electric Ave., Early games start at6 p.m., regular games at 7 p.m.Free. Presented by VFW Post3186. Through Jan. 25. 441-9857.Southgate.

SportsHoliday Race Meet, 11:15 a.m.,Turfway Park, Free admission,free parking. 371-0200. Florence.

MONDAY, DEC. 29CivicTea Party Meeting, 6-8 p.m., SubStation II, 7905 Dream St., Meetand discuss limited government,free markets and fiscal responsi-bility. Free. Presented by Grass-roots Tea Party of Boone County.586-9207; www.teapartyboone-county.org. Florence.

Exercise ClassesJazzercise Classes, 8:15-9:15a.m., 9:30-10:30 a.m., 4:45-5:45p.m., 6-7 p.m., Edgewood Jazzer-cise Center, $38 for unlimitedmonthly classes. 331-7778; jazzer-cise.com. Edgewood.

Holiday - ChristmasHoliday Toy Trains, 10 a.m. to 5p.m., Behringer-Crawford Mu-seum, Included with admission:$7, $6 ages 60 and up, $4 ages3-17; free ages 2 and under.Wednesday Grandparent’s Day:one grandchild admitted freewith paying grandparent. 491-4003; www.bcmuseum.org.Covington.

Scuba Santa’s Water Wonder-land, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., NewportAquarium, Included with admis-sion: $23, $15 ages 2-12, freeunder age 2. 800-406-3474;www.newportaquarium.com.Newport.

Light Up the Levee, 6:50 p.m.,Newport on the Levee, Free.291-0550; www.newportonthele-vee.com. Newport.

Literary - LibrariesGentle Yoga, 6 p.m., BooneCounty Main Library, 1786Burlington Pike, Learn basicpostures and flows. $25. Present-ed by Boone County PublicLibrary. 342-2665. Burlington.

Yoga, 7:10 p.m., Boone CountyMain Library, 1786 BurlingtonPike, Hatha Yoga postures. $25.Presented by Boone CountyPublic Library. 342-2665. Burling-ton.

In the Loop, 10 a.m., FlorenceBranch Library, 7425 U.S. 42, Knitor crochet in friendly company.Learn for first time or pick upnew tricks. 342-2665. Florence.

THINGS TO DO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

ABOUT CALENDARTo submit calendar items, go to Cincinnati.com/northernken-

tucky and click on “Share!” Send digital photos to [email protected] along with event information. Items areprinted on a space-available basis with local events takingprecedence.

Deadline is two weeks before publication date. To find morecalendar events, go to Cincinnati.com/northernkentucky andchoose from a menu of items in the Entertainment section onthe main page.

FILE PHOTO

All You Can Eat Breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.Sunday, Dec. 28, at the Fort Thomas Masonic Lodge No. 808, 37N. Fort Thomas Ave. Feast on eggs, ham, bacon, goetta, spam,bologna, potatoes, grits, pancakes and waffles withstrawberries and blueberries and whipped cream, toast, whiteor wheat, juice, milk, coffee, tea. Cost is $7, $4 children. Thebreakfast is presented by the Fort Thomas Masonic Lodge No808. For more information, call 442-9050.

Your Custom Closetis Within Reach

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A6 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 NEWS

I wanted to wish each of youa blessed holiday season, re-

gardless of howyou celebrate.

This littlepearl of wisdomsays it all: Re-member to focuson blessings, andput burdens inGod’s hands.That’s wherethey belong,anyway. Content-ment is not the

fulfillment of what you desire,but the realization of how muchyou already have.

Easy potato latkes forHanukkah

The secret? Drain all mois-ture out of the frozen hashbrowns and add a bit of bakingpowder.

1 generous pound frozenhash brown potatoes, thawedand drained

Minced onion to taste - Iused 1/2 of a small onion

2 eggs, lightly beaten2 tablespoons flour1/2 teaspoon baking pow-

derSalt and pepperMix everything together. Put

1/4 cup mounds of latke mixturein skillet coated with oil andheated, flattening out moundswith spatula. Fry until goldenbrown on each side.

Tip from Rita’s kitchen:Swap frozen for fresh shreddedpotatoes, drained well.

Shaker friendship soupin a jar

A healthful and much appre-ciated gift for holiday giving.You can also pack in a baggie,tied with ribbon or raffia. Astudent favorite.

Layer soup mix in quart jarin order given:

1/2 cup dried split peas1/3 cup beef bouillon gran-

ules1/4 cup pearl barley - I like

quick cooking1/2 cup lentils1/4 cup dried minced onion2 teaspoons Italian sea-

soning mixed with 1 teaspoongarlic salt and 1 teaspoonpepper

1/2 cup rice, either brownor white

Put in plastic baggie ormake pouch of:

1/2 cup very small pastaRecipe:Soup mix1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds lean

ground beef1-1/2 quarts water1-1/2 quarts beef broth plus

more if needed28 oz. diced tomatoesGarnish: Shredded cheese

Set pasta pouch aside. Filmbottom of pot with olive oil andbrown beef. Add water, broth,tomatoes and soup mix. Bringto a boil. Reduce heat; coverand simmer about 30 minutes.Add pasta and cover and sim-mer another 15-20 minutes oruntil pasta, peas, lentils andbarley are tender. Adjust forseasonings. Ladle into bowlswith garnishes and serve.Serves 8-10.

Readers want to knowabout: Chia Seeds

This time of year you see allsorts of clay items sproutingChia seeds. You can’t eat theChia greens that sprout fromthem. But you can buy Chiaseeds at the grocery for con-sumption. These miniature

black seeds are mostly flavor-less, but add a nice texture tosalads and soups.

Good for you:A single serving of chia

seeds provides a hefty dose ofantioxidants, protein, fiber,zinc, iron, and omega-3 fats-—for only 140 calories. Chia’shigh dose of omega-3s can helpreduce inflammation, treat orprevent anxiety and depression,and even slow the aging proc-ess. You don’t have to grind chiato reap the maximum benefits,and the seeds don’t spoil quick-ly, making them much moreconvenient than flaxseed.

How to eat them:Sprinkle chia seeds on cere-

al, yogurt, salads, pasta, what-ever! The seeds form a gelwhen mixed with liquid, so

they’re great for thickeningsmoothies, salad dressings, andsoups.

Sprouting your own:Yep, you can do that. Just

place in a glass canning jar andpunch holes in the lid. Pour athin layer of Chia seeds in thejar and add water to cover.Drain excess water - theyshould be moist but not swim-ming in water. Turn jar on itsside and place in sunny window.Change water and turn jar ev-ery 2 days. After several days,seeds will sprout.

Rita Nader Heikenfeld is an herb-alist, educator, Jungle Jim’s East-gate culinary professional and au-thor. Find her blog online atAbouteating.com. Call 513-248-7130,ext. 356.

Fry up some latkes, shake it up with soup

THANKS TO RITA HEIKENFELD

Latkes, or potato pancakes, are an easy, traditional treat for Hanukkah.

Rita HeikenfeldRITA’S KITCHEN

CE-000

0610

519

APR is Annual Percentage Rate. Terms and Conditions apply – APR referenced above is guidance and is based on available rates as of Dec 19, 2014 for a 30-year fi xed rate and a 15-year fi xed rate refi nance, a loan amount of $250,000 in Kentucky, at least 20% equity in the subject property, a single-family home, primary residence, minimum 720 credit score and verifi able income for the borrower(s) with a total Debt-to-Income ratio below 38%. An escrow account for property taxes is required. Rates mentioned in any advertising are guidance and are based on a sampling of available rates. Specifi c rates and terms offered to our applicants may vary. Rates are subject to change daily without notice. Not available in all states. The Principal and Interest payment on a $250,000 loan at 3.875% on a 30-year fi xed rate is $1,175.59/month and at 3.25% on a 15-year fi xed rate is $1,756.67/month.

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DECEMBER 25, 2014 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • A7

VIEWPOINTSVIEWPOINTSEDITORIALS | LETTERS | COLUMNS | CH@TROOM Cincinnati.com/northernkentucky

ALEXANDRIARECORDERNancy Daly, [email protected], 578-1059

ALEXANDRIARECORDER

Alexandria Recorder EditorNancy [email protected], 578-1059Office hours: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-FridaySee page A2 for additional contact information.

228 Grandview Drive, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017654 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas, KY 41075phone: 283-0404email: [email protected] site: cincinnati.com/northernkentucky

A publication of

(Editor’s note: We are happyto run, in its entirety, the origi-nal wording of Virginia O’Han-lon‘s letter to the New-York Sunon Sept. 21, 1897, and the news-paper’s famous response. It wasironically written in just under500 words, which as many ofyou know is our suggestedlength for guest columns. Thiscopy was obtained from theLibrary of Congress. We’re alsosharing a photo of Turkey FootMiddle School’s play staged lastweek, “Yes Virginia The Mu-sical,” based on this editorial.)

We take pleasure in answer-ing thus prominently the com-munication below, expressing atthe same time our great grat-ification that its faithful authoris numbered among the friendsof The Sun:

Dear Editor—I am 8 years old. Some of my

little friends say there is noSanta Claus. Papa says, “If yousee it in The Sun, it’s so.” Pleasetell me the truth, is there aSanta Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon115 West Ninety Fifth StreetVirginia, your little friends

are wrong. They have beenaffected by the skepticism of askeptical age. They do not be-lieve except they see. They

think that nothing can be whichis not comprehensible by theirlittle minds. All minds, Virginia,whether they be men’s or chil-dren’s, are little. In this greatuniverse of ours, man is a mereinsect, an ant, in his intellect ascompared with the boundlessworld about him, as measuredby the intelligence capable ofgrasping the whole of truth andknowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a SantaClaus. He exists as certainly as

love and generosity and devo-tion exist, and you know thatthey abound and give to yourlife its highest beauty and joy.Alas! how dreary would be theworld if there were no SantaClaus! It would be as dreary asif there were no Virginias.There would be no childlikefaith then, no poetry, no ro-mance to make tolerable thisexistence.

We should have no enjoy-ment, except in sense and sight.

The external light with whichchildhood fills the world wouldbe extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus!You might as well not believe infairies. You might get yourpapa to hire men to watch in allthe chimneys on Christmas Eveto catch Santa Claus, but even ifyou did not see Santa Clauscoming down, what would thatprove? Nobody sees SantaClaus, but that is no sign thatthere is no Santa Claus. The

most real things in the worldare those that neither childrennor men can see. Did you eversee fairies dancing on the lawn?Of course not, but that’s noproof that they are not there.Nobody can conceive or imag-ine all the wonders there areunseen and unseeable in theworld.

You tear apart the baby’srattle and see what makes thenoise inside, but there is a veilcovering the unseen worldwhich not the strongest man,nor even the united strength ofall the strongest men that everlived could tear apart. Onlyfaith, poetry, love, romance, canpush aside that curtain andview and picture the supernalbeauty and glory beyond. Is itall real? Ah, Virginia, in all thisworld there is nothing else realand abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God!He lives and lives forever. Athousand years from now, Vir-ginia, nay 10 times 10,000 yearsfrom now, he will continue tomake glad the heart of child-hood.

“Is There a Santa Claus?” reprintedfrom the September 21, 1897, numberof The New York Sun.

IS THERE A SANTA CLAUS?

THANKS TO JON MASON

On Dec. 11-13, Turkey Foot Middle School staged a production of “Yes, Virginia The Musical.”

Dec. 18 question

What is the best Christmasor holiday present you evergave? What is the best pre-sent you ever received?

“Best given: A homemadeteddy bear for a child whosename I’ll never know. I sat uphalf the night working on it sohe/she would have a gift. I amthe one who received the bless-ing! Best Received: Christmas1959 I received the most beauti-ful baby doll from my aunt anduncle. Oh the anticipation be-cause there was a ‘Do Not OpenUntil Dec. 25th’ sticker on thebox and I dared not disobey it! Istill have that doll today alongwith precious memories thatinclude my mother sewing awhole wardrobe for said dollfrom scraps where she madeour clothing!”

Juanita Locke Hogg

“My best gift was a fewyears ago when my son whowas stationed at an outpost inAfghanistan was able to comehome for the holidays.”

Bonnie Kirby Cronin

“In 2001, my daughter madea picture quilt for me. Numberone, I had no idea she was socrafty. Two, this must havebeen the best kept secret sincethe CIA, because I didn’t have aclue. One of the few gifts in mylife that made me cry. I trea-sure it still.”

Sheila Rider Lea

CH@TROOM

THIS WEEK’SQUESTION

What do you consider themost significant event of 2014 –either internationally, national-ly, locally or personally?

Every week we ask readers a questionthey can reply to via email. Send youranswers to [email protected] with Ch@troom in thesubject line.

A friend wrote a memory ofwhen she and her familywould come out to our Christ-mas tree farm in Boone Coun-ty.

For more than 20 years myhubby Sid Walters grew andshaped a large field of Christ-

mas trees,when I nolonger hadhorses in thesame field.

On WaltersChristmasTree Farm wehad big dogswho triedvery hard toease my miss-ing my horses.We had New-ton the New-

foundland and Maggie Mae,the St. Bernard, who weren’tas large as horses but nonethe-less pretty big dogs.

Those dogs loved their rolesin the Christmas tree business,too. They loved people andwere so helpful and diligent intheir jobs, even though asMaggie Mae got up in years,she felt her greatest duty wasto wait for dropped doughnuts(keeping the environmentclean) or for a customer topitch her a doughnut treat.

Newt and Maggie lovedchildren and would toleratekids rolling all over these“Christmas Tree Dogs,” rais-ing up their lips to check outcanine teeth – whatever any-one did was fine with them!

One day after we hadn’tbeen home, a lady called to tellus she had come out to get atree but didn’t see anyone.Newton met her at the gate,took her ever so gently by thehand and led her to the secondgate where the trees are. Shewas a little worried at first, she

said, especially when you havea 200-pound dog take yourhand. But she said it was gen-tle and she knew he was lead-ing her. When she got to theback gate, he just sat down,looked at the field, then at heras if to say, “OK there are thetrees. You’re on your own now,go get one!”

I was always interested ineveryone’s description of “thePerfect Christmas Tree.” Ev-eryone had a different view.Some folks wanted a very full“perfect” tree, others wanted atree that had open branchesthat you could see through.

Sid would spend manyhours throughout the summerin the Christmas tree field

shaping the trees. Yet evenwith his shaping, each treewould take on its own person-ality and appearance.

Each family had a differentritual. I have even seen fam-ilies encircle a tree, hold handsand pray around the tree asthey thanked God for the beau-ty of nature.

One day we watched ayoung newly married couplecome out to get their first tree.The hubby brought a rustyhandsaw. It began to rain, thenrained harder. They foundtheir tree; hubby was lyingdown in the cold, wet grasssawing, sawing and sawing.New wifey was standing overhim trying to shelter him withher umbrella. He was gettingnowhere with his rusty saw.

Sid finally went out with hischainsaw and asked the youngman if he would like him totake down the tree. The wifesaid, “No!” As he lay in the wetgrass, continuing to saw andgetting nowhere, Sid went outagain, wifey still adamant thather heroic husband saw downthe tree even though it wasvery apparent he was growingmore and more frustrated.Finally on the third visit fromSid, even though the sweetwife was still holding the um-

brella and still believing hubbywould conquer the staunchtree, he looked at Sid and said“Just saw down the damn treewouldja!” They came out ofthe field, Sid carrying the tree,hubby cold and wet and wifeywith a sorrowful look on herface. Wonder how that eveningwent? So much for love Iguess.

There were times when afamily wouldn’t have the mon-ey for a tree. Sid would givethem a deep discount, or per-haps just “give” them the treeat no cost. Everyone shouldhave a Christmas tree!

We always tried to addambiance in the tree field. Itold Sid searching for a Christ-mas tree was much more thanjust the search. It was aboutfamilies, tradition, experienceand adventure. We had Christ-mas music piped into the field,a roaring fire with benchesaround the fire, hot chocolate,doughnuts, sometimes havingkids roast marshmallows,bringing kids out of the fieldon the wagon tractor with“their” Christmas tree.

It was a time for families tocreate memories. Sometimesfamilies, including their owndogs, would linger in the fieldor around the fire for hours.

Not much money was madein the Christmas tree business.But it was a special time for allof us, for families and for Sidand me (even though I some-times grumbled on very coldor rainy days).

Merry Christmas to all, andmay you forever be searchingfor that Perfect ChristmasTree – and making your ownmemories.

Sherry and Sid Walters operatedthe Walters Christmas Tree Farmon Longbranch Road in Union.

Boone County Christmas tree farmholds vivid memories

SherryWaltersCOMMUNITYRECORDER GUESTCOLUMNIST

THANKS TO SHERRY WALTERS

Newton the Newfoundland transports a Christmas tree at the WaltersChristmas Tree Farm in Union.

THANKS TO SHERRY WALTERS

Maggie Mae, the St. Bernard,relaxes on Christmas Day after aseason of helping at theChristmas tree farm.

A8 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 NEWS

DECEMBER 25, 2014 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • B1

SPORTSSPORTSHIGH SCHOOL | YOUTH | RECREATIONAL Cincinnati.com/northernkentucky

ALEXANDRIARECORDEREditor: Melanie Laughman, [email protected], 513-248-7573

Boys basketball» Cole VonHandorf scored

18 points and pulled down fiverebounds to help CovingtonCatholic pull away and defeatCampbell County 60-45Dec. 18. Bo Schuh, AndyFlood and Cooper Theobaldalso scored in double digits tolead a balanced CovCath at-tack. Matt Wilson and De-ondre Jackson scored 17 and15 points, respectively, in theloss for the Camels.

» Bellevue beat Dayton60-45 Dec. 18. Zack Barretthad 24 points for the Tigers.

» Newport Central Catho-lic beat Boone County 75-43Dec. 16. Senior center DrewMcDonald scored a game-high 28 points off 12 madeshots including three of NCC’seight 3-pointers. Senior pointguard Zach Pangallo added 13points.

» Campbell County beatNewport 80-55 Dec. 16. Seniorforward Deondre Jackson ledall scorers for No. 4 CampbellCounty with 18 points. Juniorcenter Matt Wilson also had abig night in continuing hisstreak of double-doubles ineach game this season, scor-ing 17 points and grabbing 11rebounds for the Camels (6-0).Teammates Jordan Day andBlake Losey added 15 pointseach. Senior guard Paul Priceled Newport (4-2) with 14points.

» Silver Grove beat Cal-vary Christian 58-38 Dec. 16.Senior forward Billy Miller re-corded a double-double with agame-high 18 points and 14 re-bounds to lead the Big Trains.Senior guard Christian Pollittadded nine points and 12 re-bounds, while Anthony Tur-cios scored 11.

Girls basketball» Bellevue beat Dayton

53-41 Dec. 16. Junior forwardKira Ross recorded 23 pointsand 12 rebounds to lead the Ti-gers. Sophomore guard Court-ney Schmits added 17 points,helping Bellevue improve to4-2.

» Highlands beat Camp-bell County 64-51 Dec. 19. Bri-anna Adler scored a game-high 19 points, including threefrom 3-point range, and alsohad four steals. Zoie Barthhad 11 points. Haley Coffeyposted 10 points, five re-bounds and four assists. Tay-lor Clos led Campbell with 12points.

» Newport Central Catho-lic beat Lloyd 69-45 Dec. 16.Ansley Davenport had 20points. Davenport knockeddown three 3-pointers on herway to a game-high 21points ina 72-64 win over Scott Dec. 18.

Coaching News» Beechwood has an open-

ing for head varsity volleyballcoach. If interested, pleasesend a letter of interest and re-sume to Suzy Wera, AthleticDirector. Email : [email protected]

Basketball Camp» Ken Shields will have his

annual basketball shootingcamp Dec. 29-31 at Sports ofAll Sorts Mt. Zion Rd. Camp is9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Costis $100. Guests include formerNKU standout Paul Cluxton,who set the NCAA record forconsecutive free throws. Con-tact 760-7466.

Baseball Camp» Lloyd Memorial High

School is hosting a six weekbaseball camp starting Jan. 11.Lloyd head coach AaronMoore will direct the program

in conjunction with U.S. Base-ball Academy. Classes areavailable for players in grades1-12 and are limited to six play-ers per coach. Sessions are of-fered in advanced hitting,pitching, catching, fieldingand baserunning. Space is lim-ited. Registration is now un-der way. For more informa-tion, visit www.USBaseballAcademy.com, or call toll-free866-622-4487.

Bowling» Highlandsbeat Newport

in both boys and girls Dec. 18.Highlands had 2,820 pins inboys. Jake Farley rolled 535for two games (246-289).James Killen had 457 (210-247) and Andy Campbell 400(196-204). The girls team had2,115 to 1,989 total for New-port. Tessa Woody had 150 forHighlands (193-157) and Ab-bey Parrott 349 (189-160). Kat-lyn Hoeh had 425 for Newport(190-235).

TMC Notes» Thomas More senior de-

fender Alex Dean (High-lands) has been named to theNational Soccer Coaches As-sociation of America(NSCAA)/Continental TireAll-American team. Dean,who played in all 22 matchesfor the Saints, was a thirdteam selection. He anchored aSaints’ defense that posted 12shutouts, while only giving up14 goals and 181 shots, includ-ing only 77 on-goal. Dean alsohad nine points on four goalsand one assist. At the conclu-sion of the season, he has beennamed first team All-PAC andfirst team All-Great Lakes Re-gion.

Dean is the third-everThomas More men’s soccerstudent-athlete to be namedAll-American as Alex Oes-wein ’12 was named to theNSCAA All-American team in2011 and current junior for-wardAustin Juniet (NewportCentral Catholic) was namedAll-American in 2013.

The Saints finished the 2014season with a 18-2-2 overallrecord and won their sixth-straight Presidents’ AthleticConference tournamentchampionship and advancedto their sixth-straight NCAADivision III Tournament.

Catching Up» Indiana University East

senior guard Tyler Fangman(Beechwood) was one of 251basketball players across thenation nominated for the 2015Allstate NABC and WBCAGood Works teams, as an-nounced by National Associa-tion of Basketball Coaches,the Women’s BasketballCoaches Association and All-state Insurance Company.

This prestigious communi-ty service award recognizes adistinguished group of stu-dent-athletes who have dem-onstrated a commitment to en-riching the lives of others andcontributing to the greatergood in their communities.The final roster of 20 awardrecipients will be unveiled inFebruary.

Fangman was IU East’sChampions of CharacterAward winner for the 2013-14school year. Fangman has par-ticipated in annual springcleanup events and multiplevisits with local elementaryschool students during histime at IU East. He assistedwith some farm work for an IUEast staff member. He alsowas selected as one of thecommunity’s young leaders towork with middle school andhigh school students at theWayne County Youth Leader-ship Summit in October 2013.

SHORT HOPS

By James [email protected]

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS — TheNorthern Kentucky Universitywomen’s basketball team is notonly learning how to win at theDivision I level, but the Norseare also learning not to be in-timidated.

The Norse are 7-5 headinginto Christmas break, with an-other game not on the horizonuntil Dec. 30 at home againstIUPUI. NKU has won its lastthree games, two of themagainst major-conference foesin Marquette (77-68) and Cin-cinnati (66-52). The win overMarquette, from the Big East,came on the road in Milwaukee.

While MU and UC only havea combined record of 3-15, thewins have boosted the confi-dence of the Norse.

“We’ve been able to ignorethe name on the jersey and justgo out and play,” said juniorguard Christine Roush. “Wejust try to play our game and wefeel we can go out there andwin.”

The resume includes an 18-point loss at Kentucky, who isranked eighth in the country at10-1.

“I thought our kids did a goodjob of competing overall,” NKUhead coach Dawn Plitzuweitsaid that night. “I think theyplayed really hard, but we obvi-ously need to take care of theball a little better and keepthem off the free-throw line. Wedo that if we rebound a little bet-ter, but we were challenged to-night with their size, athleti-cism and speed, but that is ascenario we are going to con-tinue to work and get better at.Overall, I was really proud oftheir effort, and it was a greatopportunity to play Kentuckyon their home court.”

The Norse have beaten Dela-ware, Delaware State, UNC-Greensboro and Grand Canyon.NKU has won four games thisyear on neutral sites and two onthe opponent’s home floor. TheUC game was NKU’s first homewin.

The Norse have a pair of lop-sided losses of 30-plus points toMid-American Conferenceteams, but have grown fromthose losses with depth. NKUhas 10 players averaging 10minutes or more per game.

Senior Melody Doss leadsthe way at 12.9 points per game,including a high of 21 at IllinoisState. Doss scored 15 points on6-for-10 shooting from the floorto lift NKU to a 63-58 victoryover Delaware Dec. 19.

Doss added 11of her points inthe second half to help NKU,which improved to 7-5 with thewin, hold off a second-half Del-aware (4-5) rally.

Roush averages 12.4 a gameand had 29 at Marquette.

Senior forward Kaitlyn Ger-rety posts 7.6 a game and KelleyWiegman 6.0. Gerrety posts sixrebounds a contest.

Offensive balance has been akey in the winning streak. Eightplayers scored in the win overDelaware Dec. 19. FreshmanFaith Sanders scored a career-high 11 points off the bench.

Freshman Kasey Uetrecht,who had 10 total points in herfirst five appearances, notchedsix in both the Cincinnati andDelaware games. Against UC,she had two straight baskets,both from three-point range, ina key run late in the first half.

“Kasey Uetrecht had two

huge baskets for us,” Roushsaid.

Rianna Gayheart, a juniorguard from Owen County, hadsix straight points to give theteam the lead for good in thegame.

“Offensively, we want tofeed the hot hand,” added Plit-zuweit. “But that can be anyplayer on any given night forus. We are an equal-opportunityoffense, trying to take advan-tage of mismatches. But, I don’tthink we are totally there yet.”

The Norse have home gamesJan. 3 against Wright State andJan. 6 against Georgetown Col-lege before starting conferenceplay Jan. 10 at Lipscomb. Theseven wins so far is already ahigh for non-conference foes inthe third season of Division I,and the grind can help preparethe Norse for conference sea-

son.“It should help us because

we’ve played a lot of teams thatare bigger and stronger andthat helps us in the long run,”Roush said.

“We have our third game infive days when we take on Dela-ware,” said Plitzuweit. “Wehave one day to prep for Friday.And, playing this caliber ofteams will hopefully prepare usfor conference play.”

NKU was picked to finishthird in the A-Sun behind Flori-da Gulf Coast and Stetson. Dosswas voted by the conference on-to the 10-member preseason all-conference team, and Doss wasvoted by fans as the player ofthe year in a poll sponsored bythe conference.

Follow James on Twitter, @JWeber-Sports

NORSE LEARNINGHOW TO WINBy James [email protected]

JAMES WEBER/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

NKU senior Kaitlyn Gerrety drives against UC sophomore Marley Hill. NKUbeat Cincinnati 66-52 Dec. 17 at the Bank of Kentucky Center.

JAMES WEBER/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

NKU junior Christine Roush heads to the basket against UC freshman AnaOwens.

B2 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 LIFE

The Northern Ken-tucky Sports Hall ofFame inducted newmembers Dec. 17. In-ductees were Jeri Fish-er, Jim Ling, Mike Ling,Rich Maile and BillyRiggs. Pauline Bau-mann and Ron Schneid-er were given annualBill Cappel awards fortheir volunteer service,honoring the formerCovington legend.Guest speaker was for-mer Reds pitcher TomBrowning.

HALL OF FAME INDUCTS FIVE

JAMES WEBER/

THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

Former Reds pitcher TomBrowning was guest speakerfor the induction ceremony.The Northern KentuckySports Hall of Fame inductednew members Dec. 17.

JAMES WEBER/THE COMMUNITY RECORDER

The Northern Kentucky Sports Hallof Fame inducted new membersDec. 17. Inductees were Jeri Fisher,Jim Ling, Mike Ling, Rich Maile andBilly Riggs. Pauline Baumann andRon Schneider were given annualBill Cappel awards for theirvolunteer service, honoring theformer Covington legend. Frontrow, from left: HOF vice presidentKen Shields, Baumann, Schneider,Dennie Stieritz (sister-in-law ofRiggs), Fisher. Back row: Jim Ling,Dick Maile, guest speaker TomBrowning, Rich Maile, Mike Ling,HOF president Joe Brennan.

The holidays are niceon their own, but the sea-son without hoops kind offeels a little naughty. For-tunately, there is plenty ofaction on the hardwood forNorthern Kentucky fansto enjoy, including manychances to enjoy a full dayof hoops festivities.

The Lloyd MemorialInvitational Tournamentreturns as the area’s larg-est holiday showcase.Thirty-two games of boysbasketball start Dec. 27.Teams are Lloyd, Wood-ford County, Walton-Vero-na, Richmond Model, Con-ner, Newport, Holmes, Sil-ver Grove, Louisville Col-legiate, Boone County,Scott, Bracken County,Iroquois, Augusta, Stew-arts Creek and McCrack-en County.

Cost is $7 adult/$4 stu-

dent per day; with $1of theticket cost being donatedto the team of fan’s choice.An all-tourney pass for allfour days is $20. Gameswill be split betweenLloyd’s Scheben gym andTichenor Middle School,which is adjacent to Sche-ben.

On Saturday, actionstarts at 10:30 a.m., withthe last game at 9 p.m., allgames at Scheben. First-day schedule is Conner vs.Bracken County (10:30),Newport vs. Iroquois(12:15), Woodford vs. Wal-ton-Verona (2:00), Holmesvs. Collegiate (3:45),Boone vs. Augusta (5:30),Model vs. Scott (7:15) andLloyd vs. Stewarts Creek(9:00).

On both Sunday andMonday, first game atScheben is 2:45 and lastone at 8 p.m., and at Ti-chener, first game is 3:15p.m. and last game 8:30

p.m. On Tuesday, the firstgame at Lloyd is 2:45 p.m.with the championshipgame at 8 p.m. At Tichen-er, first game is 1:30 p.m.and the last one at 6:45

p.m.Sponsors are the Er-

langer-Elsmere Board ofEducation, Mach IIIClutch, Inc., Mazak Corp.,Nova Care, Jersey Mike’s,Parfetti Van Meller andBumble Bee Team Sports.

Highlands will play in atournament at South Old-ham Dec. 26-28.

Leading regularmatchups in the new yearFriday, Jan. 2 are the Co-vington Catholic at High-lands rivalry game in FortThomas, and DixieHeights playing at St.Henry in a 34th Districtseeding game.

Bishop Brossart playsCampbell County 7:30 p.m.Saturday, Jan. 3 in the bat-tle of Alexandria at Camp-bell County MiddleSchool.

Cooper will host an all-day weekend showcaseSaturday, Jan. 3. Cooperwill host Harrison County

8p.m. that night. St. Henrywill play Bracken Countyat 2 p.m., Holy Cross vs.Pendleton County at 4 p.m.and North Oldham vs.Ryle at 6 p.m.

In girls hoops, theschedule for the annualLaRosa’s Holiday Classicat Conner High SchoolDec. 29-31 has been re-leased. Eight teams willparticipate.

Monday: Brossart vs.Lexington Catholic (1p.m.), Boyle County vs.Highlands (2:30 p.m.),Walton-Verona vs. Owens-boro Catholic (4 p.m.),Conner vs. Bullitt Central(5:30 p.m.).

Tuesday: Boyle vs. Wal-ton-Verona (9 a.m.), High-lands vs. OCath (10:30a.m.), Bullitt vs. Brossart(12 p.m.), LexCath vs. Con-ner (1:30 p.m.), Boyle vs.OCath (4 p.m.), Walton-Ve-rona vs. Highlands (5:30p.m.), Bullitt vs. LexCath

(7 p.m.), Conner vs. Bros-sart (8:30 p.m.).

Wednesday: 7th place (9a.m.), 5th place (10:30 a.m.),3rd place (12 p.m.), champi-onship (2 p.m.).

Bellevue will host itsannual Stephanie Wilsonmemorial tournamentDec. 26-28. Teams includeBellevue, Dayton, New-port, Villa Madonna, Co-vington Latin and Augus-ta.

In regular matchups,St. Henry and DixieHeights will play their dis-trict game Jan. 2. Brossartand Campbell will playtheir rivalry/district gameFriday, Jan. 2 at CCMS.

Newport CentralCatholic and Highlandswill renew their rivalrySaturday night, Jan. 3 atHighlands, also for dis-trict seeding purposes.

Follow James on Twitter@JWeberSports

’Tis the season for holiday hoopsBy James [email protected]

JIM OWENS/FOR THE RECORDER

Emily King and her Brossartteammates play rivalCampbell County Jan. 2 atCampbell County MiddleSchool.

DECEMBER 25, 2014 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • B3LIFE

B4 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 LIFE

As “Frisch’s PresentsThe Nutcracker” cele-brates its 40th Anniversa-ry, three local studentswill perform in the Cincin-nati Ballet’s whimsicalproduction produced andchoreographed by Victo-ria Morgan, CEO and ar-tistic director of Cincin-nati Ballet, Dec. 19-27.

Performers CiCi Mur-phy, Michelle Chalk andMary Price are students inthe Fort Thomas schoolsystem.

These talented youngdancers have been hard atwork since their Augustauditions. In addition toweekly rehearsals, theycontinued to attend regu-larly scheduled danceclasses and academicstudies. These youngwomen have the uniqueopportunity to dancealongside Cincinnati Bal-

let’s professional compa-ny of dancers.

Michelle Chalk is asixth-grader at HighlandsMiddle School. This is hersecond year performingin the Nutcracker. Lastyear, she was a “partyboy” in the Christmas par-ty scene. This year she isperforming the role of“soldier” in the battlescene against the evilmice. Michelle has beenperforming since a veryyoung age. She currentlydances at Dance Expressin Fort Thomas. She is alsoa cheerleader, a memberof student council, andsings regularly at St. Cath-erine of Siena Parish.

CiCi Murphy, is afourth-grader at JohnsonElementary School. Thisis her third year perform-ing in the Nutcracker. Pre-vious roles include “bum-blebee,” “cupcake girl”and “baby mice.” Thisyear she is excited to per-form two roles, “snow-ball” and “chick.” Bothroles incorporate danceand acrobatics. CiCi hastaken dance in her young-er years, but is now a com-petitive gymnast on the

Top Flight Gymnastics’Artistic Team. She also en-joys playing basketball inthe winter Moyer Leagueand diving for HighlandCountry Club in the sum-mer.

Mary Price is a sev-enth-grader at HighlandsMiddle School. This is hersecond year in the Nut-cracker. Last year she wasas a soldier. This year sheis performing in the open-ing scene as a “deliveryboy.” She has to quicklychange costumes to re-sume her role as “soldier”in Act I. Mary has been adancer at Manyet DanceStudio for seven years.She is part of their JuniorDance Troupe and HipHop Dance Team. Mary isa member of the broad-casting club. Mary hopesto be a professional danc-er one day.

“Frisch’s Presents TheNutcracker” perfor-mances run through Dec.27 at The Aronoff Centerfor the Arts. Tickets startat $32. For ticketing infor-mation visit www.cballe-t.org or contact the Cin-cinnati Ballet Box Officeat 513-621-5282.

Local dancers cast in ‘Frisch’sPresents The Nutcracker’

PROVIDED

Michelle Chalk, CiCi Murphy and Mary Price, all of FortThomas, are performing in “Frisch’s Presents The Nutcracker.”

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Deborah HauensteinDeborah Kay Hauenstein, 63,

of Silver Grove, died Dec. 14.She was a CNA for nurses

and a member of the Alexan-dria Church of Christ.

Her parents, Charles WilliamPrice and Mildred Price; anddaughter, Lynda Price, diedpreviously.

Survivors include her hus-band, William Edward Hauen-stein Jr.; son, Jimmy Hauen-stein; daughter, Christy Hauen-stein; brothers Ron Price andChuck Price; sisters DianeKinney, Beverly Fryer, VickieTaylor, and Phyllis Penick; andeight grandchildren.

Burial was at Sunrise Ceme-tery in Cynthiana.

Memorials: In Memory ofDeborah Hauenstein, C/O atany PNC Bank.

Myrna HessMyrna Baker Hess, 72, of

Highland Heights, died Dec. 12at Baptist Convalescent Centerin Newport.

She was a retired secretaryfor the Internal Revenue Ser-vice in Cincinnati.

Survivors include her chil-dren Kevin Hess, Karen Helton,and David Hess; siblings MarthaPelfrey, Carla Steffen, andKenneth Baker; and eight

grandchildren.Interment was at Alexandria

Cemetery in Alexandria.

Ted KasselmannTed Kasselmann, 71, of Fort

Thomas, died Dec. 13 at St.Elizabeth Hospice in Edge-wood.

He was a U.S. Army veteranwho attended the First Presby-terian Church of Fort Thomas.

His wife, Carol Lynne Kassel-mann, died previously.

Survivors include his childrenMicki Spivey, Lynn Haley, TimShepherd, and Rocky Kassel-mann; and eight grandchildrenalong with 13 great-grand-children.

Burial was at Floral HillsMemorial Gardens.

Memorials: First PresbyterianChurch, 220 S. Fort ThomasAve., Fort Thomas, KY 41075.

Marie LavenderMarie Hazel Hornsby Laven-

der, 90, of Fort Thomas, diedDec. 10.

She was a retired specialeducation teacher for SaylerPark Elementary School inCincinnati and Third DistrictSchool in Covington.

Survivors include her hus-band, Louis Lavender; son, L.Michael Lavender; sister, Shirley

Hornsby Slankard; and twograndchildren.

Burial was at Forest LawnMemorial Park.

Memorials: The GideonsInternational, P.O. Box 18488,Erlanger, KY 41018.

Margaret McGinnisMargaret McGinnis, 77, of

Wilder, died Dec. 11 at St.Elizabeth in Edgewood.

Her son, Charles Clark, diedpreviously.

Survivors include her daugh-ter, Laura McIntosh; brother,Edgar McClanahan; and fourgrandchildren along with twogreat-grandchildren.

Interment was at AlexandriaCemetery in Alexandria.

Elizabeth SeiterElizabeth “Betty” Seiter, 87,

of California, died Dec. 11 atRiver Valley Nursing Home inButler.

She was a member of Sts.Peter & Paul Church in Cali-fornia and was formerly activewith their senior citizens club.

Her husband, Norbert A.Seiter; son, Jerry Seiter; andgrandson, Nathan Seiter, diedpreviously.

Survivors include her sons

DEATHS

See DEATHS, Page B6

B6 • ALEXANDRIA RECORDER • DECEMBER 25, 2014 LIFE

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DEATHS

Continued from Page B5

It’s the most wonderfultime of the year and possi-bly the most hazardous forpets.

“We’re all really busyduring the holidays,” saidJudy Taylor, an owner ofPetropolis, a Union-basedpet hotel that offers board-ing, day care, groomingand training. “But we stillhave to be very carefuland be watchful of ourpets.”

Holiday treatsTaylor said to keep

Christmas candies, espe-cially chocolate which is“highly toxic” to pets, outof reach. Other holidayfoods to avoid giving yourpet include alcohol, andrich fatty foods such asham and turkey which cancause pancreatitis.

Grapes and raisinsshould be avoided becausethey can cause kidney fail-ure in dogs. Bones shouldbe avoided, as well, be-cause they can splinterand cause an obstructionor lacerations of the diges-tive system.

When guests visit, shesaid, remind them to not

give your pet any tablescraps.

Holiday decorationsThe Christmas tree

lurks with danger for dogsand cats, Taylor said. Besure to anchor the tree se-curely. Regularly vacuumup fallen needles, for theyare sharp and can be toxic.Keep tinsels, ornamentsand ribbons out of yourpet’s reach, she said.

“Don’t let your petdrink out of the treestand,” she said. “It istreated water that haschemicals.”

Keep pets away fromtree lights. The cords areeasily chewed throughand can cause electrocu-tion. Battery-operatedlights are a good option.

Candles should beplaced high and out ofreach of wagging tails.

Taylor said dogs willsometimes eat anything.Be sure to pick up wrap-ping, small toys, and rib-bon.

Christmas plants toavoid include ivy, lilies,mistletoe, amaryllis andpoinsettias, for they arehighly toxic for pets andcan cause severe stomachpains, throwing up and

diarrhea.

Holiday weather“If your dog stays out-

side, make sure they havea covered shelter,” shesaid. “If it gets 32 degreesor below, they need to bebrought in.”

When walking pets,keep walks short in belowfreezing weather. If thedog will allow you, dressthem in a dog sweater orjacket, Taylor said. Whenreturning, wipe the pet’spaws off with a wash clothto help them stay dry andwarm.

Holiday travelingFor families who are

traveling and must leavetheir pet behind, Taylorsaid the best option is al-ways boarding at either avet or facility.

However, if that’s notan option she said to pet-proof your house and cleareach room of any potentialdangers. Ask a reliablefriend or neighbor to visitthe pet at least three timesa day to walk, feed andplay with them. For cats,she said it’s important toleave out two litter boxesper cat.

Holiday giftingA popular gift this time

of year is often a pet, saidCampbell County AnimalShelter manager LisaBowman. However, it maynot always be the best gift.

“Christmas time can bea very stressful time foreveryone so make surethat all in the family arewilling to take on this re-sponsibility of owning apet,” she said.

If everyone is willing,then make sure the pet canbe afforded.

“Be sure that everyoneis aware of the cost of own-ing a pet can be as high as$400 to $500 a year,” shesaid. “So make sure yourlifestyle and finances canaccommodate a pet.”

If you’re bringinghome a pet during the holi-day, make sure you keep aclose eye on them and pre-pare your home and holi-day decorations for its ar-rival.

Another option is topurchase a gift certificateso the family can pick outthe pet at a later time.

Want to continue theconversation? Tweet@MStewartReports

Keeping pets safe for the holidayBy Melissa [email protected]

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Question: Friendsgave me a ChristmasCactus and other holidayplants, but I’m not surehow to care for them. Dothey need a lot of lightand water? Do I need tobuy some kind of house-plant fertilizer?

Answer: In general,houseplants don’t need asmuch water or fertilizerduring the winter months,partly due to less lightthey are receiving fromoutside. Most plants re-spond favorably to beingin a south or west win-dow, or whichever roomis the brightest.

Although holiday “cac-ti” naturally floweraround Thanksgiving andChristmas, commercialgrowers take no chances– they manipulate lightlevels and temperaturesto guarantee timely flow-ering.

Holiday cacti, likeChristmas Cactus, re-spond differently thanmany other houseplants.

Theybloom inresponse toshort days(longnights)and/or cooltemper-atures. Inthe green-house or inthe home,expose

them to nine hours oflight and 15 hours of dark-ness each day, starting inSeptember, to causeplants to set flower buds.

Holding temperaturesbetween 50 and 59 de-grees F will stimulateflowering despite daylength. Kentucky garden-ers that re-flower theirholiday cactus each yearsimply leave the plantsoutdoors through Septem-ber and protect the plantsfrom frost if necessary.

When the plants arebrought indoors in earlyOctober, flower buds areset and the plants flower

around Thanksgiving (forthe Thanksgiving Cactus,which has pointed teetharound the leaf margins),or around Christmas forthe Christmas Cactus.Temperatures above 75degrees F, suddenchanges in temperatureor light levels, and over-watering plants in heavysoil will cause unopenedflower buds to fall off. Infact, during the fall andwinter months, the plantsshould be watered lessfrequently in order to getthem to bloom.

If your plant has notcome into bloom, therecould be a problem withroom temperature, fertil-ization, and/or intensityand duration of lightreceived (day length).

Thanksgiving Cactusand Christmas Cactusgrow best when keptconstantly moist, exceptin the autumn, when theyshould be watered thor-oughly but allowed tothen become moderately

dry between waterings.They prefer medium tobright light, and will formflower buds at a 55 de-gree night temperature,regardless of day length,or at a night temperatureof 63-65 degrees F. duringshort days (such as now).Flower buds may drop ifthe temperature is too

high or if the light in-tensity is too low. Noflower buds will developwhen the night temper-ature is kept too high(70-75 degrees F).

You don’t have to fer-tilize your holiday cactuswith nitrogen in Novem-ber or December, al-though a little phosphorus

and potassium will some-times encourage moreblooms. In late October orearly November, it helpsto make an application ofa 0-10-10 type liquid fertil-izer. Keep the plant in asunny window away fromdrafts. Starting in Janu-

Caring for those holiday houseplants

Mike KlahrHORTICULTURECONCERNS

See KLAHR, Page B8

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MARRIAGE LICENSES

ary, you’ll need to apply acomplete houseplantfertilizer monthlythrough May.

Water the plants two tofour days after the soilappears dry. This plantprefers to be drier thanmost houseplants but notas dry as the “true cacti”and succulents. The besttime for repotting a holi-day cactus is in the earlyspring. However, keep inmind that the plant willflower best if it's kept in acontainer where it issomewhat “pot-bound.”

Mike Klahr is Boone Countyextension agent for horticul-ture.

KlahrContinued from Page B7