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S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

2 Owensboro Living S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6

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S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Trending E D I T O R ’ S N O T E

very fall, I spend an unreasonable amount of time creating elaborate Halloween experiences for a very small audience. I’ve built escape rooms, haunted mazes, spooky scavenger hunts, and more, usually for only about eight or so of our friends. I’ll spend hours building props, hiding clues, and mapping out exactly how the night should unfold — all for an experience that might be over in a couple of hours. And almost every year, someone tells me they feel bad for me. They get to work their way through everything and discover the surprises, while I already know what’s coming. What I have to remind them every year is that I get just as much enjoyment from pulling the strings and watching it all unfold. When someone finally solves a puzzle, screams at exactly the right moment, or simply looks around and says, “This is awesome,” I get the satisfaction of knowing: I made that happen. As different as my Halloween creations are from putting together a newspaper or magazine, I often find that I’m chasing the same feeling with both. Across our Black Box publications, I’m often the man behind the curtain. Other people are frequently more visible, and I prefer it that way. Individual awards are great, and I’m proud of the ones I’ve received, but they’ve never been the most satisfying part of the job. I’d rather help create an overall product that makes someone stop and say, “Wow.” Seeing the finished product — and knowing people genuinely enjoy it — is enough for me. And I know there are people filling that same role at businesses all over our community. It’s the server who knows every regular’s name and order but will never be quoted in a story about the restaurant. It’s the longtime employee who quietly trains everyone who comes through the door. It’s the secretary who knows where everything is, who needs what and how to solve a problem before anyone else even realizes there is one — the kind of person no amount of technology could ever truly replace. They may not own the business. They may never appear in an advertisement or accept an award on the business’s behalf. But take those people away, and everyone quickly realizes just how important they were. The best business owners understand that. They may be the face of the company, but they know its success depends on the people around them. Great businesses are built by teams, including plenty of people who are perfectly content letting someone else stand in the spotlight. The special section in this issue of Owensboro Living celebrates some of those people who help make it all happen. Because some people don’t need to walk through the haunted house. We’re perfectly happy hiding behind the wall, making sure the next scare happens right on cue.

RYAN RICHARDSON, EDITOR // ryan.richardson@blackbox.media

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ryan Richardson PUBLISHERS

Jason Tanner Christy Chaney CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Do you have a story idea? We want to hear from you! Email your suggestion to ryan.richardson@blackbox.media.

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Owensboro Living is a FREE magazine because of community support. Thank you to the great group of businesses and organizations who advertise. For more information about advertising, email brock.quinton@blackbox.media, wendall.hallam@blackbox.media or call 270-297-1600.

DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE COVER

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W H AT I ’ M WATC H IN G : Spider-Man: Brand New Day

This is probably my favorite Spider-Man movie yet. Maybe part of that is because Marvel has been on a decline since Infinity War, and this feels like the start of a major ramp-up toward Doomsday and Secret Wars. But this movie also just got so much right. I purposely avoided spoilers beforehand, and I’m glad I did. The movie builds suspense and mystery extremely well leading up to the big reveal. The cinematography is a huge step up from recent Marvel projects, and the story is strong throughout. There are a few major action scenes, but much of the movie relies on good storytelling, dialogue, and strong performances from Tom Holland and the supporting cast.

6 Owensboro Living S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6

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Contents

SEPT/ OCT 2026 TRENDING

8 NEWSWORTHY

The real people, places, and events that shape our community, brought to you by the Owensboro Times

CULTURE 12 A R T

A world inside a bottle: Greg Alvey turns tiny spaces into works of art

13 I N T H E K N O W

Your guide to what’s happening in and around Owensboro

16 A R T

Stitched together: A family tradition

20 M U S I C

For the Blue Bridge Boys, the stage keeps getting bigger

LIFESTYLE 52 T R AV E L

Making magic across generations on a Disney cruise

56 S E N I O R L I V I N G

Unsung heroes: The heart behind our mission

FLAVOR 64 R E C I P E

From Owensboro to the Peach Truck

FEATURES:

24 TWENTY YEARS LATER, NICKY HAYDEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP LEGACY LIVES ON B Y D A N N Y M AY

29 BEYOND THE RACETRACK

Carrying on Nicky Hayden’s legacy B Y D A N N Y M AY

32 BUILDING HALLOWEEN

67 D I S H

Forks up! Top Five Bites

68 R E S TA U R A N T S P O T L I G H T

Ward bringing back haunted house attraction by popular demand

A taste of the Himalayas: Yak & Yeti brings something different to Owensboro

B Y R YA N R I C H A R D S O N

39 PEARL CLUB

Emerges from trying year with renewed clubhouse, growing golf traffic

SPECIAL SECTION

42 PROFILES:

BEYOND THE DESK

B Y J O H N K I R K PAT R I C K

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Trending N E W S W O R T H Y

Things we’re talking about now

Photo courtesy of LIT TLE LEAGUE BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL

Officials look beyond speed limit to improve bypass safety

Daviess County makes historic Little League Softball World Series run

Daviess County’s 12U all-star softball team made history as the first Kentucky team to reach the Little League Softball World Series championship game, finishing runner-up after a 2-0 loss to North Carolina. The run came just two years after coach JW O’Bryan helped create a local league so girls, including his daughter Avery, could pursue the opportunity. The league has since grown from about 50 players to more than 100, while the World Series team received overwhelming support from the Daviess County community.

8 Owensboro Living S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6

While the speed limit on the Wendell Ford Expressway was recently lowered to 55 mph, officials say improving safety on the bypass will require more than slowing drivers down. Crash data shows the stretch between Frederica Street and KY 54 accounts for a large share of injury and fatal crashes. Officials point to heavy traffic, merging, short ramps, and driver behavior among the concerns. KYTC is also evaluating additional signage and operational improvements near interchanges.

Brought to you by O W E N S B O R O T I M E S Photo by NATHAN SEATON

5 East 88 Buffet opens in Owensboro with Chinese favorites, sushi, hibachi

East 88 Buffet is now open off KY 54, bringing a new all-you-can-eat option to Owensboro’s east side. Located at 3500 Villa Point, Suite 103, the restaurant offers a wide selection of Chinese dishes alongside sushi, hibachi, and several American favorites. The buffet includes traditional staples such as General Tso’s chicken, lo mein, fried rice, and seafood, with customers also able to select ingredients for hibachi dishes cooked to order. East 88 Buffet offers lunch and dinner service throughout the week, with pricing varying by time and day.

Kroger to close East 4th Street store as new Marketplace prepares to open Kroger will close its East 4th Street location on or before Nov. 4 as the company prepares to open a new $35 million Marketplace on Fairview Drive this fall. The roughly 100,000-square-foot Marketplace will feature a fuel center, drive-thru pharmacy, Starbucks, sushi bar, and expanded fresh departments, along with a broader selection of groceries and general merchandise. The new store will be significantly larger than Kroger’s existing Owensboro locations and is designed as a one-stop shopping destination.

Baskin-Robbins returning as part of new Dunkin’ location in Gateway Commons

Baskin-Robbins is returning to Owensboro as part of a new Dunkin’ planned for Gateway Commons. The combined restaurant will be built along Hayden Road, just off KY 54, and will include a drive-thru. The location is tentatively expected to open in 2028 and will be operated by a different franchisee than the existing Dunkin’ on Frederica Street. Baskin-Robbins, known for its wide variety of ice cream flavors, previously had an Owensboro location but has been absent from the local market for years.

Photo by PHOENIX STEVENS

Photo by RYAN RICHARDSON

GET MORE NEWS LIKE THIS ON THE OWENSBORO TIMES APP. DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY ON THE APP STORE OR GOOGLE PLAY.

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Trending N E W S W O R T H Y

now open for 6 Nominations ‘20 in 2027’ community recognition project

Who are the people making a difference in Owensboro-Daviess County — whether through their careers, community service, leadership, creativity, or work behind the scenes? Nominations are now open for “20 in 2027,” with submissions accepted through Sept. 30 and the 20 honorees to be announced in the January issue of Owensboro Living. Owensboro Times and Owensboro Living are bringing back the recognition project after launching “20 in 2026” last year. The initiative highlights 20 local people whose work, service, or vision is helping shape the future of the community. The honorees can come from any walk of life, with the goal of recognizing a group that represents a wide range of professions, backgrounds, and

10 Owensboro Living S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6

SCAN TO NOMINATE

ways of making an impact. That could include business and civic leaders, educators, nonprofit volunteers, artists and creatives, faith leaders, young professionals, or people whose contributions often happen outside the spotlight. Nomination process and selection Nominations are open to anyone 18 or older who lives, works, or makes a significant impact in OwensboroDaviess County. Individuals may nominate themselves or someone else. Nominations must be submitted by September 30. Nomination forms can be accessed by scanning the QR code on this page. A selection committee will review the submissions and choose 20 honorees based on factors such

as community impact, leadership, professional accomplishments, service, creativity, mentorship, and future goals. Nominees will be considered in areas including: • Civic engagement • Professional experience • Religious leadership • Goals for 2027 • Additional impact • Honors and recognition

IN THE KNOW: UPCOMING EVENTS p. 13

ART: STITCHED TOGETHER p. 16

MUSIC: BLUE BRIDGE BOYS p. 20

→

Photo by DAKOTA DEGRAW

CULTURE

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Culture A R T

A WORLD INSIDE A BOTTLE G R E G A LV E Y T U R N S T I N Y SPACES INTO WORKS OF ART Written by R YA N R I C H A R D S O N Photos by J A M I E P L A I N

12 Owensboro Living S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6

t first glance, the mystery of a ship in a bottle seems almost impossible to solve. The ship is wider than the neck. Its masts stand tall, sails stretch across miniature rigging, and sometimes tiny sailors climb through a scene that appears far too elaborate to have ever passed through the opening. For Greg Alvey, figuring out how it all gets in there is part of the fun. With bits of scrap wood, homemade wire tools, plenty of planning, and even the occasional discarded surgical instrument, Alvey has spent decades building, collecting, researching, and restoring ships in bottles and other forms of what collectors sometimes call “bottle whimsies.” His collection extends far beyond ships. There are workshops, people, animals, buildings, and elaborate scenes, some created by Alvey and others dating back centuries. “You really can have a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s only limited by your imagination for the most part.” Alvey’s fascination with the unusual art form stretches back to childhood, when he remembers seeing ships in bottles advertised or pictured in comic books. But it was years later — and thousands of miles from home — that the passing curiosity began turning into something more. Alvey served in the military during the Vietnam era as a North Vietnamese language specialist. He did not serve in Vietnam but was stationed on a remote tour where entertainment options were limited. He spent plenty of time in the library. “One of the books I found there was a book by Commander Don Hubbard on putting ships in a bottle,” Alvey said. “As a kid, I remember seeing ads for ships in a bottle or little captions in comic books. So it was kind of a fascination, but I didn’t do anything about it until I got out of the military.” That came in the mid-1970s. Alvey returned home during a difficult economy, initially with few job prospects. He eventually landed a job at Brescia University, but with a young family and little disposable income, an inexpensive hobby held plenty of appeal. “I thought, you know, this is something that I could do without needing a lot of space, not a lot of expense, because most of it is scrap wood and homemade tools,” he said. So he built his first ship in a bottle. He still

has it. The display has changed slightly over the decades — Alvey later added a lighthouse and scenery because the original composition looked too empty — but the bottle remains a marker of where a hobby spanning roughly half a century began. For a while, he might build about one bottle a year. He enjoyed the process, but it wasn’t until the arrival of eBay in the 1990s that his interest took another turn. Suddenly, Alvey wasn’t limited to whatever he could find in local antique stores. He could search the world. “I started buying them real cheap, mostly,” he said. “In fact, I searched for the cheap ones because I couldn’t afford anything too good.” Then he realized he could search international versions of eBay. Alvey would sit at his computer with eBay Germany or eBay France on one part of the screen, a translation program on another, plus currency and metric conversion programs to decipher exactly what he was considering buying. “Sure enough, I could find them,” he said. “So I started buying from European countries.” Over the years, Alvey estimates he has bought or sold bottles in about 26 countries and developed friendships with collectors and artists around the world. At one point, he estimates he had owned 800 to 900 bottles. He sold roughly 400 to two brothers alone, a transaction

that nearly convinced him to leave collecting behind. Today, his collection is closer to 160 or 170 bottles. And while the sheer number is impressive, the real fascination comes from looking closely. One of Alvey’s own creations depicts the HMS Bounty. It took about three months of off-andon work and includes 17 tiny crew members climbing sails and moving about the ship. Another of his favorites depicts an Admiralty Board, inspired by the historical practice of constructing ship models for officials to examine before approving the real vessel for construction. Alvey started the piece, got perhaps 60% or 70% finished, then set it aside for nearly four years. The finished scene includes figures

personalized around his family. Alvey even hides identifying information inside some of his pieces. In the Admiralty Board scene, a miniature book identifies him as its maker. “By being in the bottle, you know it’s authentic,” he said. That attention to detail is especially evident in the Bounty. Alvey didn’t simply carve something resembling a ship and slide it through the opening. He individually planked the miniature deck with strips of wood. He made the wheel, masts, sails and rigging. He created the landscape and even made the “sea” from wood. Everything had to be planned around one unavoidable restriction: It must fit through the neck of the bottle. “Everything is scratch-built,” Alvey said. “It’s tempting sometimes

IN THE KNOW UPCOMING EVENTS TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR

1 GROOVIN’ ON THE GREEN

S E P T. 5 | OW E NS BO RO C O N V E N T I O N C E NT E R

Groovin’ on the Green returns Labor Day weekend with a free evening of rhythm and blues, jazz, and soul on the Owensboro Convention Center lawn. The fifth annual event features national and regional performers, food vendors, family activities, and entertainment.

2 OWENSBORO AIR SHOW

S E P T. 11-13 | OWB A I R P OR T A ND D OW N TOWN OWE NSB OR O

Headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the Owensboro Air Show returns featuring military aircraft, aerobatic teams, skydivers, warbirds, and demonstrations. Friday Night Flight kicks off the weekend at OWB before free performances over the downtown riverfront Saturday and Sunday.

– 10TH ANNIVERSARY 3 WAITRESS TOUR SE P T. 18 | R I V E R PA R K CE N T E R

The Tony-nominated musical Waitress comes to the RiverPark Center as part of the venue’s Broadway season. Featuring music by Sara Bareilles, the production follows pie maker Jenna as she pursues a fresh start in an uplifting story of friendship, resilience, and hope.

→

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Culture A R T to go to a dollhouse store and buy miniatures that already help. But no, everything is homemade, handmade.” Traditional ships in bottles are generally constructed so the masts and sails fold against the ship. The collapsed model can then pass through the neck. Once positioned inside, strings attached to the rigging are carefully manipulated to pull the masts upright. Then comes the small matter of cutting away the strings and finishing everything through an opening that might barely accommodate a finger. Alvey makes many of his tools himself from wire. Over the years, he has also acquired long endoscopic instruments similar to those used by surgeons. Before a piece ever reaches the bottle, Alvey may sketch the entire concept, work out individual components, and test each part against a tube the same diameter as the bottle’s neck. Sometimes the idea comes first and Alvey finds a bottle to match it. Other times, the bottle itself provides the inspiration. “You find a bottle that you think, ‘Wow, that’s beautiful,’” he said. “So you then let the bottle dictate what you might want to put in it.” The results can be playful. One of Alvey’s creations is a “can of worms” scene featuring an overturned crate, raccoons, a turtle, and other tiny details. Another depicts a small café, complete with a menu and graffiti.

For this year’s ROMP festivities, after

process,” Alvey said. “The object is to

recently joining the Owensboro Art

make it be original. You’re not trying

Guild, Alvey created a bottle featuring

to embellish it. You’re not trying to

a miniature band as part of an art

change it.”

display centered around bluegrass music. Building

Shipping

antique

bottle

art

presents an unusual problem. The one

from

scratch

glass itself can be protected relatively

isn’t necessarily the hardest part.

easily. The fragile contents inside

Restoring somebody else’s centuries-

cannot. A jolt can break century-old

old creation can be even tougher.

glue or knock miniature components

“You have to kind of replicate the

loose, leaving Alvey with the task of

IN THE KNOW UPCOMING EVENTS TO PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR

4 OWENSBORO GUN SHOW S E P T. 1 9 -2 0 | OW EN S B O RO S P O R TS C E NT E R

The Owensboro Gun Show returns to the Owensboro Sportscenter, featuring vendors with firearms, hunting supplies, military surplus, and outdoor gear. The event includes security screening, with admission costing $10 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12.

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5 BLUE BRIDGE SQUATCH FEST S E P T. 26 | K E NT U CK Y SOU ND STAG E

The inaugural festival celebrates Bigfoot, cryptids, and the paranormal with dozens of vendors, expert speakers, Bigfoot calling and costume contests, live music, food trucks, children’s activities, and photo opportunities. Proceeds will support Alzheimer’s awareness and the Brandon Mullins Foundation.

6 EDGE OF ILLUSION

OCT. 2 | R I V E R PA R K CE NT E R

Internationally acclaimed illusionist REZA is bringing Edge of Illusion to Owensboro. The family-friendly production combines large-scale illusions, comedy, storytelling, audience interaction, and close-up magic in a fast-paced theatrical show designed to bring the experience beyond the stage.

somehow putting them back into position. “I could more easily sit down and make my own bottle from scratch than restore someone else’s work,” he said. The historical side of the art form eventually became just as fascinating to Alvey as making and collecting it. One of the oldest pieces in his collection, which he calls the Cobbler’s Workshop, likely dates to roughly 1720 to 1740. Inside the green-tinted glass is a tiny scene of shoemakers apparently celebrating something. “They either sold the shop, they had a big sale, they’ve done something,” Alvey said. “We don’t know what.” The age makes the piece especially rare. Although glassmaking stretches back thousands of years, Alvey said the availability of relatively clear glass bottles came much later. Bottles remained valuable objects rather than disposable containers, making the earliest surviving examples of bottle art particularly scarce. Many pieces in Alvey’s collection date from the 1800s through the early 1900s. He said the art became increasingly prevalent in the United States as immigrants brought traditions with them and sailors created intricate pieces during long stretches away from land. During hard economic times, including the Great Depression, bottle art could also become a way to earn money. That history pushed

7 THE WIZ

O C T. 1 6 | R I V E R PA RK C E N T E R

The Wiz comes to RiverPark Center, bringing the Tony Award-winning reimagining of The Wizard of Oz to the stage. The Broadway favorite blends soul, gospel, rock, and R&B as Dorothy journeys through Oz in a vibrant celebration of courage, friendship, and home.

Alvey toward another project: documenting it. As his collection grew, he created a website devoted to bottle art. What began as another part of his hobby eventually grew into what Alvey said is now the largest website of its kind in the world, featuring artists, historical information, building techniques, and examples from around the globe. Alvey initially wondered whether the research might someday become a book. He eventually decided the internet was a better home for the information, particularly because so little has been written about bottle art compared with other artistic traditions. “You look at works of art, works of Greek — you can find books galore on any aspect of it,” he said. “I think it’s because there’s really not a lot of literature on this, that it hasn’t gotten exciting to a lot of people. They just don’t know about it.” Alvey hopes that eventually changes. While commercially produced ships in bottles can be purchased inexpensively, he sees handmade examples as something entirely different: individual pieces of folk art that carry the fingerprints — sometimes literally and sometimes figuratively — of the person who made them. Fine examples can sell for thousands of dollars, depending on age, craftsmanship, subject matter and the reputation of the artist. These days, Alvey is slowly

NIGHT: HALLOWEEN 8 OPENING CLASSICS O C T. 24 | R I V E R PA R K CE NT E R

The Owensboro Symphony opens its 202627 season with Opening Night: Halloween Classics. The concert features orchestral and cinematic favorites, music from The Phantom of the Opera, guest performer Chad Benefield, and concludes with Richard Strauss’ Death and Transfiguration.

moving in the opposite direction from the collector who once searched websites across Europe. His adult children appreciate the collection but don’t necessarily want to inherit hundreds of bottles. The exceptions are the pieces Alvey made himself, which carry a different kind of value. So he is gradually selling much of what he accumulated. That doesn’t mean he’s done creating. His interests have simply continued

expanding.

draws,

builds miniature ships, enjoys folk art, and recently started teaching himself

paint.

Joining

the

Owensboro Art Guild is another step in exploring those interests. He doesn’t describe any one medium

passion.

His

curiosity

all-consuming tends

move from one thing to another, sometimes disappearing for years before returning. “I’m almost that jack-of-alltrades kind of notion,” Alvey said. “I would lose interest too fast. I enjoy this, but I might want to put it down for eight years and then come back and do it again.” After

roughly

five

decades,

however, the bottles keep drawing him back. There is always another mystery to solve, another tiny object to carve and another seemingly impossible scene to coax through the narrow neck of a bottle. “When

I’m

working

something,” Alvey said, “I really do enjoy it.” OL

9 HALLOWEEN EVENTS

OCT. 29 -30 | M U LT I P LE LO CAT I O N S

Owensboro-Daviess County will celebrate Halloween with two nights of family-friendly trick-or-treating. The City’s 35th annual Trail of Treats returns downtown Oct. 29, followed by Daviess County Fiscal Court’s Fall Fright Night at the Village on Oct. 30 at Yellow Creek Park.

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Culture A R T

STI TC HED TOGETHER

A FAMILY TRADITION BRINGING NEEDLEPOINT TO A NEW GENERATION Written by AVA H Y L A N D / /

elly Moore and her daughter Kendall Jagoe can trace years of family memories through needle and thread. There are belts stitched for fathers and grandfathers, ornaments marking birthdays and family milestones, and travel keepsakes inspired by places visited along the way. Needlepoint has passed from Moore to her Jagoe and is now reaching a third generation through the ornaments they create for Moore’s grandchildren. These days, the Owensboro mother-daughter pair is sharing the tradition beyond their own

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Photos by J A M I E P L A I N

family. Through beginner classes and community stitch nights at Julep Home & Gift, Moore and Jagoe are introducing newcomers to a centuries-old craft that has found new enthusiasts. For Moore, that connection to needlepoint dates back to her college days at the University of Kentucky in the mid-1980s. “I started in college when everyone was making needlepoint belts and key fobs,” Moore said. “I had a little sheet of paper that showed me how to do one stitch, and I basically taught myself from there.” Although she stitched on and off

over the years, life eventually became busy enough that the hobby faded into the background. That changed about a year and a half ago, when her daughter encouraged her to pick it back up. Jagoe’s own introduction to needlepoint came much earlier. “My mom taught me when I was in late elementary school or early middle school,” Jagoe said. “We were out of town somewhere, and she bought me a little kid’s kit. That’s how I got started.” Like many young stitchers at the time, Jagoe quickly found herself making belts for family members.

“I made belts for my dad, my granddad, and pretty much anybody who wanted one,” she said with a laugh. “I also made a bunch of keychains.” As styles changed, so did her projects. “A few years ago, I started making ornaments because I don’t really wear belts anymore, and everybody I knew already had one,” she said. “Now I make a ton of ornaments.” Those ornaments have become the projects both women enjoy most. “I really like ornaments because you get that instant gratification,” Moore said. “They’re fairly quick to finish, and once you complete

one, it makes you want to start another.” While Christmas ornaments remain popular, the pair has expanded well beyond holiday decorations. Jagoe and her husband enjoy traveling, so she creates a new ornament for every city they visit. She also stitches keepsakes to commemorate the birth of family members and makes one ornament for each of her two sons every year based on a favorite interest or milestone. “For each of my boys’ birthdays, I make them an ornament that reflects something from that year of their life,” Jagoe said. “It might be their birthday

theme or something they were really into that year. It’s a way to remember those moments.” Moore has set a similar goal for herself. “My goal this year is to make one ornament every year for each of my four grandchildren,” she said. She’s also branching into larger projects, including a hand-stitched Christmas village featuring freestanding storefronts and buildings that can be displayed on a mantel or tabletop. Despite its reputation as a traditional craft, both women say today’s needlepoint world looks much different than it did decades ago.

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Culture A R T “I think it kind of ebbs and flows,” Moore said of the hobby’s popularity. “But since COVID, there’s been a huge uptick in the number of people stitching.” She believes part of that renewed interest comes from changing designs. “Years ago, people thought of needlepoint as something their grandmother did,” Moore said. “Now there are so many fresh, modern designs that appeal to younger people. There’s really something for everyone.” Jagoe has also watched the industry evolve online. “Before COVID, most needlepoint stores didn’t have well-developed websites,” she said. “You almost had to go into a store to see what they had.” As demand increased, retailers adapted. “Now it’s everywhere online,” Jagoe said. “You can browse, order supplies and discover new designers much more easily than you could before.” Ironically, growing demand has also made many supplies harder to find. “That is such an accurate statement,” Moore said. “There really is a shortage.” She explained that much of the needlepoint canvas used throughout the industry is manufactured in Germany, while many canvases are individually hand-painted before reaching customers. Thread shortages have added another layer of delays. “If you see a canvas you love, buy it,” Moore said. “Even if you can’t stitch it right away, you might not be able to find it again for a year.” Having a variety of projects waiting also allows stitchers to match their mood, she said. “Sometimes I want to work on a Christmas ornament. Sometimes I want a larger project,” Moore said. “Sometimes I need what I call a

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palate cleanser before I go back to something with really tiny holes and lots of detail.” For Jagoe, however, the greatest value of needlepoint has little to do with the finished product. “I’m a teacher, and teaching is a very stressful job,” she said. “Needlepoint helps me get my brain off everything else.” Unlike many hobbies that require constant decision-making, stitching offers a welcome mental break. “It takes very little thought, and that’s what makes it so relaxing,” Jagoe said. “It’s how I unwind at the end of the day.” Now the pair hopes to introduce that same sense of calm and

creativity to others through classes at Julep Home & Gift. They’ve already taught two beginner classes and hosted open stitch nights, with more planned throughout the coming months as Julep expands its selection of supplies. The beginner sessions use complete kits that include everything newcomers need, from the canvas and thread to scissors and needles. Open stitch nights are designed for beginners and experienced stitchers alike. “People can bring whatever they’re working on,” Moore said. “Maybe they came to one of our beginner classes and just need a little

help finishing their project, or maybe they have questions about a stitch they’re trying.” Even experienced stitchers benefit from the collaboration. “You might ask, ‘What decorative stitch would you use here?’ or ‘What do you think about this color?’” Moore said. “It’s fun to bounce ideas off other people.” Although needlepoint is often thought of as a solitary hobby, Jagoe believes the community surrounding it has become one of its greatest strengths. “It can absolutely be something you do by yourself,” she said. “But having stitch nights creates this little community. You get together with people who enjoy the same thing, and that makes it even more fun.” The classes also fill a longstanding gap for local stitchers. “For years, Owensboro hasn’t had a needlepoint store,” Moore said. “You had to travel to buy supplies.” With Julep expanding its inventory, she hopes local enthusiasts — and curious beginners — will have a place to learn, shop, and connect without leaving town. “We know there are tons of people in Owensboro who already needlepoint,” Moore said. “Having a local place to buy supplies and spend time stitching together is really exciting.” For Moore and Jagoe, the craft has always been about more than thread and canvas. It has preserved family memories, documented travels, marked birthdays, and created a tradition passed from one generation to the next. Now, through classes and community gatherings, they’re hoping to help others discover that the slow, deliberate rhythm of a needle and thread can still bring people together — one stitch at a time. OL

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Culture M U S I C

FOR THE BLUE BRIDGE BOYS, THE STAGE KEEPS GETTING BIGGER Written by R YA N R I C H A R D S O N

/ / Photos by J A S O N TA N N E R

Whether they’re playing for 10 people in a nursing home or stepping onto a festival stage in front of thousands, the Blue Bridge Boys are happy as long as they’re making music together. For the four Owensboro-area teenagers, that simple love of playing has already taken them farther than they imagined — from early performances around their hometown to viral videos, a national competition victory, and the biggest stages they’ve played yet. And they’re just getting started.

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he Blue Bridge Boys — Cruse Edwards, Noah Mason, Parker Malone, and Levi Hausner — range from 14 to 16 years old, but several of them have already been making music together for much of their lives. What started with lessons and a couple of childhood friends playing together has gradually grown into a band with an expanding sound and increasingly ambitious goals. “I know if tomorrow we didn’t have anybody in the community liking us, we weren’t famous, we’d still be playing even if it was just on one of our back porches,” Mason said. “We just love playing music.” That’s the essence of how the Blue Bridge Boys began. Edwards, 15, and Mason, 16, had known each other since they were young through church and school. Mason began taking fiddle lessons from well-known local musician and instructor Randy Lanham about a decade ago. When Edwards became interested in playing, Mason’s family pointed him in the same direction. Lanham soon helped get the two friends playing together. “We’d always been friends since we were little, and so we started playing music together,” Edwards said. At the time, Edwards was playing mandolin, and the pair called themselves the Bluegrass Brothers. There wasn’t a grand plan to turn it into something bigger. They simply enjoyed playing and took opportunities wherever they could find them, including performing for homebound residents and at nursing homes. Mason can laugh now about just how early they were in their musical development. “We were more just cute. We did not sound good,” he said with a laugh. “I mean, it was very bad to the ears.”

But they kept playing. They performed for people who were homebound, visited nursing homes, and took whatever opportunities came their way. More importantly, they kept getting better. A few years later, Lanham provided another connection. Malone, now 14, was also taking lessons from him, and the young musicians began jamming together before eventually adding him to the group on fiddle and vocals. “That was when we kind of started wanting to really start the band up,” Mason said. There was one problem: The Bluegrass Brothers name was already being used. So the group became the Blue Bridge Boys, a name with a distinctly Owensboro connection. Then came another significant addition. Hausner, 15, joined in March, expanding the band's possibilities considerably. Hausner plays piano, drums, guitar, pedal steel and accordion. Edwards plays banjo and guitar while singing and writing songs. Mason plays bass and sings, while Malone plays fiddle and sings. That collection of instruments — and musical interests — has made defining the Blue Bridge Boys increasingly difficult. “Obviously, primarily we’re a bluegrass band, but as of recently, we’ve been getting more into kind of folky stuff,” Edwards said. “We have some rock stuff that we do. I can’t really put it to one genre. I feel like it’s a mix of a lot of things that combine into one.” Americana might come closest, but the band members aren’t particularly concerned with finding the right label. Their influences are almost as varied as the instruments on stage.

Their influences stretch from the music that first inspired them to pick up an instrument to artists well outside traditional bluegrass. Edwards grew up looking to Ricky Skaggs but has more recently found inspiration in Bob Dylan and 1970s rock, particularly with his songwriting. Hausner was raised on The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and later gravitated toward Pink Floyd and other rock from the 1960s and ’70s. Billy Strings is another shared influence. “Down to the bottom of every single song, you can see a type of bluegrass,” Mason said. “Whether it’s the guitar in it, or you can tell by the end of it that there is bluegrass influence in every song. But I would say that most of our songs aren’t necessarily traditional bluegrass songs.” For Edwards, refusing to fit neatly into a category is part of the appeal. “If we were to just call ourselves a bluegrass band, we wouldn’t be able to have drums and keyboard, and it just wouldn’t be the same music,” he said. “I think it’s kind of freeing not having a specific genre.” As their sound has expanded, so has their audience. The Blue Bridge Boys initially built their following the old-fashioned way: playing around Owensboro. More recently, social media has introduced them to people far beyond western Kentucky. Earlier this year, a casual video of Edwards and Malone playing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” exploded on TikTok, eventually generating millions of views. The band has since leaned into short, energetic performance videos showcasing the speed and musicianship that have become a calling card. Hausner said some of their

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Culture M U S I C best-performing clips put the camera close to the musicians and let the music do the work. “Our first song we posted on TikTok was us on a roof playing guitar, banjo, and stuff like that, and it was super fast,” he said. “That did pretty good, and then after that, we just started posting really up-close, quick songs.” The online attention has coincided with the biggest opportunity yet for the group. Earlier this summer, the Blue Bridge Boys won the national Battle of the Banjos competition connected to the Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Edwards said his mother entered them without telling the band, and they didn’t know anything about the competition until learning they had reached the top eight. From there, they kept advancing, ultimately claiming the top spot. The victory earned them performances at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Mill Spring, North Carolina. “It’s going to be the biggest festival we’ve ever played at,” Mason said. “It’s the second festival that we’ve actually ever played at. So it’s

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a really big deal.” The competition also required public voting, giving the teenagers a firsthand look at just how many people back home were following their journey. “It just made us really realize the fan base that we have,” Mason said. “We’re just really grateful for everybody who voted and everybody who supported us through all that.” The band will get another hometown spotlight in November, when the Blue Bridge Boys serve as grand marshals of the OwensboroDaviess County Christmas Parade. This year's “Sounds of Christmas” theme celebrates Owensboro's musical heritage, with organizers saying the band's selection reflects the community's connection to bluegrass. The long-term dream is becoming clearer, too. The band has been incorporating more original material into its performances and hopes to record those songs and eventually release them on streaming platforms. A record deal would be welcome. So would a world tour, Edwards joked.

But the bigger goal is simply to see how far four friends can take this. “I think we’re going to try to go with the Blue Bridge Boys as long as possible, no matter what that means,” Edwards said. “Whether it’s recording, whether it’s the world tour — that would be insane — but just playing this with friends. I think our goals are to get our music out there to as many people as possible.” Mason said there are ultimately three things that keep them playing: the community that has supported them, their own love of music, and their faith. He said the group views its musical ability as a gift from God and wants to use it wherever the opportunity leads. “We’re gonna take this as long as God will let us go,” Mason said. “We believe our goal is to share Him throughout that gift wherever He takes us, whether it’s a really big show in front of thousands of people or it’s 10 people in a nursing home.” For the Blue Bridge Boys, either one is still a stage worth playing. OL

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Features

TWENTY YEARS LATER

Photo provided by THE HAYDEN FAMILY

NICKY HAYDEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP LEGACY LIVES ON Written by D A N N Y M AY

Nearly 20 years have passed since Owensboro’s Nicky Hayden was crowned MotoGP World Champion, a feat no American rider has matched since. The milestone — achieved on Oct. 29, 2006 — marked the culmination of a life of hard work and dedication, and the day Nicky’s childhood dream came true. Now, almost a decade after his death, Nicky’s legacy remains deeply felt in his hometown and throughout the motorcycle racing world. In this special edition cover story, Owensboro Living takes a look back at what his championship still means to his family and friends, the City of Owensboro, and the sport of motorcycle racing in America.

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he 2007 MTV Entertainment Studios documentary “Kentucky Kid” juxtaposes two sides of Nicky’s reality very well. We see sights familiar to anyone from Owensboro: the blue bridge, the Carter Road exit, the burgoo kettle outside Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. But then we see scenes most people from Owensboro never experience as Nicky flies from OWB to racetracks in places such as Qatar, Istanbul, Malaysia, Spain, and more. Cameras follow Nicky and his brothers working out at the Healthpark when he’s home, but they also show him trying to figure out life on his own overseas, in foreign countries and different cultures, without the comfort of his family and friends. One of my favorite scenes shows Nicky in a supermarket in Spain trying to buy shampoo and conditioner when no one around speaks English and everybody has their camera phones out taking pictures of the famous American. It helps explain why Nicky tells the MTV camera crew, after the whirlwind of media and sponsor appearances immediately following his title victory, that he couldn’t wait to get back home to Kentucky to celebrate. Childhood friend Brandon Gentry was among the close circle of family and friends at the welcome party the MTV cameras captured when Nicky touched down again at OWB as the reigning world champ. “That’s all he really wanted — to celebrate and share that victory with his closest friends and family,” Brandon told Owensboro Living. “He could have flown all of us out to New York or Las Vegas, but that’s not who Nicky was. He wanted to come home and celebrate here. That’s how he had fun, by getting all of us together here in Owensboro. Nothing crazy. Just typical Nicky. That’s one of the most intriguing parts of Nicky to me. He would feed off of everyone else’s happiness. He just wanted to be around people he had fun with. World famous, yes. But he still had hometown roots.” To understand how rare Nicky’s 2006 championship was, consider this: In the 77 years since MotoGP

was formed, Nicky is only the seventh American to claim the world title, and no American rider has won it since. In fact, no American has even won a MotoGP race since 2011. MotoGP is considered the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, where the best riders compete on tracks around the globe at speeds over 200 mph. Winning requires both physical endurance and mental precision to control a machine that at the time weighed 325 pounds, cranked out 250 horsepower and accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in less than three seconds. “What I still think of, 20 years later, is all the hard work he put into racing,” Nicky’s older sister, Jenny Hayden Hansler, said about the approaching 20 year anniversary of Nicky’s championship. “It was always his dream to become world champ. And he really did it.” Younger brother Roger Lee Hayden remembers Nicky writing “I will be world champion” on a piece of paper he thumbtacked to their bedroom wall when they were kids, right under posters of other motorcycle racers. According to Roger Lee, Nicky looked at it every night before bed for inspiration. “He knew what he wanted from a young age, he fought for it, and he made it happen,” Roger Lee said. Roger Lee and Tommy, Nicky’s older brother, were both there the day Nicky clinched the title. Now that two decades have passed and all three Hayden brothers are no longer racing, Tommy says he has an even greater appreciation of the accomplishment. “As time goes on, I realize more and more how tough that was, what it took to do it, and the chances of actually pulling that off,” Tommy said.

WHAT NICKY’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEANT TO HIS LEGACY Nicky had already built an impressive racing career in America before moving up to MotoGP. After coming up through dirt track, flat track and road racing in his teen years, Nicky became AMA (American Motorcycle Association) Supersport Champion in 1999 at age 18, the same S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Features year he graduated from Owensboro Catholic High School. He then became the youngest-ever AMA Superbike Champion in 2002 at age 21, the same year he won the coveted Daytona 200. Those accomplishments propelled him overseas to MotoGP, where he was named rookie of the year in 2003. Three seasons later, winning the 2006 MotoGP World Championship sealed his legacy and propelled his popularity even further. It can be hard for people in America to grasp MotoGP’s popularity overseas, where some tracks host crowds of up to 200,000 spectators. Nicky was racing at the top level of an immensely popular sport and was also a perennial fan favorite. In total, Nicky raced 14 years on the MotoGP circuit and was named a MotoGP Legend in 2015, putting him in the MotoGP Hall of Fame. He then went on to race in World Superbike, where he won a race in 2016 and was still competing at the time of his death. But the 2006 World Championship was clearly his crowning achievement. “It was a huge accomplishment,” Tommy admitted. “He didn’t really dominate his first few seasons in GP. He just worked hard and stayed consistent and it paid off in 2006 when all the pieces fell together. But globally, there’s so much more credibility in the motorsports world from becoming champion.” Roger Lee added, “To be the best at anything in the world is a feat. Not just the best in America. Or the best American at something. But the best in the world. That’s amazing, no matter what it is. From that moment on, he became a MotoGP world champion, and nobody can ever take that away from him. He’ll forever be introduced as 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden. That’s what the championship means. It sealed his legacy forever.”

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WHAT NICKY’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEANT TO MOTORCYCLE RACING IN AMERICA Fans still remember the iconic footage of Nicky carrying the American flag around the track in Valencia, Spain, during his victory lap, overcome with emotion at realizing his dream of becoming a world champion. He also carried the Stars and Stripes during victory laps at Laguna Seca, California, in 2005 and 2006 — a scene Owensboro residents will recognize as immortalized in the statue downtown. “For the people who follow MotoGP in America, with Nicky they had somebody to cheer for,” Roger Lee said. To this day, it’s common to see fans flying No. 69 — Nicky’s racing plate number — “Kentucky Kid” flags and wearing Nicky Hayden shirts and hats at MotoGP and MotoAmerica races. “Nicky’s championship set the bar for what is attainable,” longtime friend Seth Lawson said. “Nicky had tremendous talent on the motorcycle, but the trust in his mentors, confidence in the process, and his hard work is what is remembered. If you watch any of his post-race interviews, it was always a thank you to his supporters; whether that be his sponsors, mechanics, or equipment manufacturers. I believe that’s what motivates the young racers in the U.S., they know that Nicky’s path wasn’t accomplished without the support of many.” This spring, Cycle News Magazine released a throwback print issue commemorating Nicky’s 2006 championship for the MotoGP race in Austin, Texas. The special edition featured photos highlighting Nicky’s career, while some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing shared their favorite stories and memories of him. A full-page Honda ad said: “By the numbers alone, Nicky Hayden will always be remembered as one of the greatest American road racers

of all time. But his true legacy goes far beyond the victories. His work ethic, integrity, humility, and grace under pressure made him not just a champion but a hero and a role model beloved throughout the sport and beyond.” Paul Carruthers, a reporter for Cycle News who followed the Hayden brothers’ entire careers, shared about Nicky, “He was my favorite not because of what he could do on two wheels. He was my favorite because of the person he was off of them.” That was a sentiment I heard over and over in preparing this article, and it was just as true for family, friends, city officials, and media. Carruthers’ closing line of the commemorative issue summed it up perfectly: “He was loved. And deservedly so. If you didn’t love Nicky Hayden, you didn’t know Nicky Hayden.” I asked Roger Lee how his perception of Nicky’s championship has changed with time. “For us (siblings), it’s kind of hard for it to really register because to us he’s just our brother,” he said. “We grew up with him. I shared a room with him. We all had chores, and he did too, just like everybody else. I don’t always see the magnitude of his fame that the world sees, because to me he’s my big brother. But when Nicky did become World Champ, I started seeing how big he was overseas and how many fans really looked up to him. Even to this day, there are so many young riders who see Nicky as their hero. A kid that won the superbike race at the last MotoAmerica race had a Nicky No. 69 sticker on his motorcycle —20 years later. That’s really cool. Things like that happen all the time.”

WHAT NICKY’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEANT TO OWENSBORO Mark Calitri, president and CEO of Visit Owensboro, says Nicky’s championship put Owensboro on the world stage, and 20 years later his story is still introducing new people to the community.

“I came to Owensboro the year Nicky passed away, so my perspective comes from watching his legacy over the past 9 years,” he said. “Everywhere he raced, people knew exactly where he was from, and he proudly carried the name Owensboro with him. That is why his story continues to mean so much to our community.” Calitri has witnessed that firsthand. He says Visit Owensboro regularly helps visitors find the Nicky Hayden statue, the Hayden brothers’ Walk of Fame sidewalk plaque and information about the annual memorial ride. They also hear from people on social media who are planning a visit because of Nicky. “Some visitors are lifelong racing fans who make Owensboro a destination because of Nicky,” he said. “Others arrive for a sports tournament, convention, festival, or a Viking River Cruise and discover his story while they are here. Either way, they leave with a deeper appreciation

for the world champion who proudly called Owensboro home. The interest has remained strong, and that is a tribute to the impact he continues to have on people around the world.” Owensboro residents clearly remember as well. It’s common to see No. 69 decals on bumpers and windshields around town. Roger Lee believes there’s also a level of motivation and inspiration at play. “Some people might think they’re from a small town and their dream might be too big to achieve,” he said. “But then here’s Nicky, from Owensboro, Kentucky, who went on to be a world champion. So I love what that represents — that any kid with a dream can achieve it if they dream big, and they work hard, and stay committed, no matter where you’re from.” Gentry agrees that Nicky’s championship became a point of pride for Owensboro. “We have a world champion

IN HIS OWN WORDS “Racing is a way of life for us. We grew up doing it. My cousins raced. My dad’s brother, Marty, raced, and his kids raced. People ask me what I’d do if I wasn’t a racer, and that thought never crossed my mind. I never had a Plan B. From the time I literally was old enough to understand life, I knew racing was what I wanted to do.” - Nicky Hayden, from a 2014 interview with Owensboro Living “I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I have a house in California so I can train in the winter and a motor home in Europe for when I’m racing. But Owensboro is my home. I come from a big family. It’s always nice after months on the road to have a home and family to come back to.” - Nicky Hayden, from a 2014 interview with Owensboro Living

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Features from our city, who never stopped representing our town,” he said. But Gentry believes the inverse is true as well: Nicky was also a reflection of Owensboro to the world. “Nicky was a hard-working, blue-collar guy who was out there grinding,” he said. “We’re (Owensboroans) not super flashy, but we work hard. We care about our community and do right by each other. That’s what Nicky represented on a global scale, but when you break it down to the granular level, that’s who we are in Owensboro. So even as a global success he was still being true to his local roots.”

FINAL THOUGHTS: LOOKING BACK From the research and interviews I did for this article, the sentiment that still resonates most two decades later is an appreciation of the person Nicky was off the track and a respect for his work ethic. I’d like to close with four reflections. The first is a memory Roger Lee shared about the morning after Nicky became 2006 MotoGP World Champion. Instead of staying up late partying, Nicky woke Roger Lee up early the next morning to join him for a run. “He didn’t sleep in. He didn’t take the day off. He just won the world championship and still got up early the next morning to go run a few miles,” Roger Lee said. “He always put in the work. That’s the commitment he had. In his mind, he was already preparing for the next season.” The second is a comment Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson made. “Nicky was an amazing young man,” Watson said. “He’d slip into town and go work out at the Healthpark in a hoodie. He didn’t seek attention and just enjoyed what he was doing. I always admired him for that. He was just content being

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Nicky, without all the hoorah.” Then, this observation from Brandon Gentry: “Looking back 20 years later, as I’ve gotten older, wiser and now have kids, it gives me even greater perspective on his drive, his grind, his dedication, from such a young age. It’s so commendable. The Hayden brothers were out there every day riding. So to see what they did, and how they did it, is a lesson to the next generation to try to instill that grind, that hustle, because that’s what pays off. … His legacy lives on beyond the racetrack; it rides on in the people he influenced along the way.” Finally, this reflection from Tommy, the person Nicky told me himself that he always looked up to in life and chased on the racetrack growing up: “The way I look at it, the world championship was the icing on the cake, for sure. But quite honestly, as his brother, and with everything I’ve seen him do throughout the years, him winning the world championship is not the first thing that comes to mind for me. Who he was as a person is what comes to my mind the most. From living 30+ years with him, day in and day out, there’s a million stories I think of. It’s by far his biggest professional accomplishment. But I see the years and years of pieces it took to fall into place perfectly for that to happen for him in 2006. But there’s more to Nicky than that.” He continued, “So much about him stayed the same throughout his career. His competitiveness never changed. There was never complacency. Down deep it was always the same person that went overseas in his early 20s right up until the end. That’s pretty rare. That’s where that deep respect people had for him came from. What he believed in. The kind of person he wanted to be. None of that ever changed.” OL

ON THE COVER

For this special tribute to Owensboro’s own Nicky Hayden, local artist K.O. Lewis created an original painted interpretation of the iconic moment Hayden celebrated winning the 2006 MotoGP World Championship — capturing in his expressive style a moment forever etched into Owensboro history. Lewis is an Owensboro-based contemporary expressionist portrait painter whose work has been collected around the world and featured in exhibits throughout the region. An educator since 2008, Lewis has served in roles ranging from special needs instructor to administrator at both the elementary and high school levels. Lewis frequently takes his art on the road, traveling to festivals throughout the Midwest and connecting with collectors in cities including Louisville, Indianapolis, Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis. For Lewis, those connections are as meaningful as the work itself, with each collector becoming part of an extended family built through art.

BEYOND THE RACETRACK

Carrying on Nicky Hayden’s legacy Written by D A N N Y M AY / / Photos by R YA N R I C H A R D S O N

icky Hayden’s legacy in Owensboro extends well beyond what he accomplished on a motorcycle. In the years since his death, his family has worked to carry on another part of his legacy — his love for his hometown, his generosity, and his desire to give back, particularly to children. Rewatching the MTV documentary “The Kentucky Kid,” there’s something I noticed about Nicky. Any time he was signing autographs for fans or appearing at a media event, he seemed to pay a little extra attention to the younger fans. It

may have just been a fist bump or an extra second to take a picture with a kid, but it was there. Maybe Nicky remembered the way he looked up to racing heroes like Kenny Roberts. Maybe he was doing his part to plant seeds and grow the sport. I suspect a bit of both. Many examples of Nicky’s generosity went unnoticed and out of the public eye. But his support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation did garner attention. The balance bikes he donated to the Pitino Shelter here in Owensboro — and delivered

himself, I might add — are another documented example of Nicky giving back to children. I bring those examples up because they help explain the origin of what became the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation. When Nicky died in 2017, the family was understandably devastated, but they were determined to put their energy into something positive that would keep his memory alive for future generations. “We thought, what can we do? And what would Nicky want?” his

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Features sister Jenny Hayden Hansler said. “Nicky loved Owensboro. He loved kids. And he loved giving back. So we felt the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation was the best way to honor him by carrying on that mission for him.” The first initiative of the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation was the bronze “Kentucky Kid” statue installed in downtown Owensboro on the front lawn of the Owensboro Convention Center. Standing on the checkered flag pattern at the base of the statue during its unveiling, Nicky’s older brother, Tommy Hayden, said, “Our goal is to grow this [foundation] and keep giving back to continue touching people’s lives just as Nicky would have done if he was still here.” The statue was unveiled June 8, 2018. At the ceremony, Mayor Tom Watson declared June 9 — 6/09, a nod to Nicky’s No. 69 — “Nicky Hayden Day” in Owensboro. Every year since, the family has held a Nicky Hayden Memorial Ride on the Sunday closest to June 9, with proceeds going to the memorial foundation. The Memorial Ride begins and ends at the statue, and participation has not waned over the years. “We see more bikes every year,” Nicky’s younger sister Kathleen Hayden McFadden said. “We get riders from multiple states, and we’ve even had fans from other countries come to Owensboro for the ride.” Watson said it’s been amazing too see how the ride has kept going. “It’s truly taken on a life of its own,” he said. “When you talk to those riders, it’s like ‘Why wouldn’t I be here?’ It’s that type of attitude around the event. They love it. That speaks volumes about the respect people have for Nicky and the family. He comes from a family of givers.” Roger Lee Hayden said the family continues to expand the event. “We always want people to come back and tell other people about it,” he said. “We’ve added music and activities for kids to make it fun for them, too. It’s more family-friendly now. There’s something for everyone to enjoy.” Beginning at the statue, the ride leads motorcyclists to Nicky and his father Earl Hayden’s final resting place. Someone from the family or foundation board usually says a few words at the gravesite before the motorcycles roar back to the statue downtown.

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“That statue is one of the most visited pieces of outdoor art in our community,” Watson said. “I don’t think there’s ever been a time I’ve driven by when you don’t see someone visiting the statue or taking pictures with it. I think people are so respectful of Nicky, they come and reflect as they feel they need to.” Running the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation is a family effort for the Haydens. Sisters Jenny and Kathleen handle much of the coordination and logistics, while brothers Roger Lee and Tommy serve as public faces and spokesmen. Nicky’s four siblings, along with their mother, Rose, make final decisions on which charities the foundation supports. More recently, they expanded the foundation by adding three board members. “It’s nice to have the board members because they bring an outside perspective and they have new ideas we haven’t thought of,” Roger lee said. Each year, the foundation awards grants to local charities benefiting children at Christmas. Two additional community grants are awarded at the Memorial Ride in June. According to Jenny, the Nicky Hayden Memorial Foundation has awarded a total of $180,000 to more than 20 Owensboro charities that benefit children. The Memorial Ride is an annual fundraiser for the foundation, but Kathleen says contributions continue to come in from the racing community, and fans still donate in Nicky’s memory. Other grants, including a recent award from 10,000 Reasons, provide additional support. “When we started the foundation, we weren’t sure how long people would continue to support it, because things usually phase out over time,” Tommy said. “We plan to run it as long as people support it, there continues to be a need for it, and it’s still making an impact.” Tommy added, “The beauty of continuing the foundation is that it gives us the opportunity to tell his life story. As long as that story continues to impact people in a positive way, and as long as it continues to inspire people, I don’t see why this won’t keep growing and be sustainable for years to come.” “Nicky would love this,” Kathleen said about the work of the foundation and the Memorial Ride. “There are so many great causes in Owensboro. It takes a village, and we’re happy to do our part, and to do it in Nicky’s honor is very special to our family.” OL

LARGER PROJECTS

NICKY HAYDEN APARTMENTS Located directly across from the Daniel Pitino Shelter, the Nicky Hayden Apartments include 12 units, each with 640 square feet of living space, a full bathroom, and a kitchen with a refrigerator and dishwasher, plus washer and dryer hookups. The project took several years, major donations and multiple community partnerships, including funding from the Kentucky Housing Corporation. The apartments were completed during the pandemic, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held in July 2020.

HAYDEN HOME FOR GIRLS (AT ST. JOSEPH PEACH MISSION) As with the Nicky Hayden Apartments, the Hayden family purchased and cleared a property before donating it to St. Joseph’s Peace Mission for construction of the Hayden Home for Girls. The addition expanded the campus to four buildings. The Nicky Hayden Commons Area features a central landscaped green space, full basketball court, racquetball nets, and a gazebo. The gated area provides a safe, therapeutic space for children to play, relax, and enjoy the outdoors.

“Having the opportunity to work with the Hayden family has been one of the most enjoyable things I have been able to do as mayor. They are one of the most giving and caring families in our community. They are making a difference in so many lives that will endure for many years to come.” - Owensboro Mayor Tom Watson

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BUILDING HALLOWEEN WARD BRINGING BACK HAUNTED HOUSE ATTRACTION BY POPULAR DEMAND Written by R YA N R I C H A R D S O N / /

ong before the first screams echo from Daymon Ward’s front yard, people are already watching and waiting. By September, kids passing his Owensboro home start asking when the Halloween display is going up. Soon, skeleton construction workers appear in the yard — a playful warning that something bigger, stranger, and a little scarier is on the way. They have good reason to be curious.

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Photo by J A M I E P L A I N

Ward has built everything from a working roller coaster to a massive pirate ship, but this year he’s resurrecting the attraction visitors have been asking for: the haunted house. And it’s coming back from the dead bigger than ever. The roughly 2,400-square-foot attraction will feature 14 individually themed rooms, custom-built effects, and plenty of surprises for the thousands of visitors who have

turned Ward’s Halloween hobby into an Owensboro tradition. “We did the full haunted house, which was by far our most popular event,” Ward said. “Last year we did the pirate ship, and the pirate ship was a very ambitious build. Everybody said, ‘Yeah, this is really neat. But where’s the haunted house?’” Ward said he couldn’t just bring it back; he had to go bigger and better. “Nothing will be the same as it was before, so anybody that came

through it before will have a whole new experience,” he said. “There’s going to be some things that I can promise you nobody’s ever seen before because they’re things that we custom made.” It is a long way from where the tradition began. In 2020, Ward and his wife were looking for something to do during a year when normal activities had largely ground to a halt. They gathered a handful of skeletons, werewolves, and vampires, dressed them for a wedding, and arranged them around a large Victorian table Ward found on Facebook Marketplace for $50. Skeletons hung from the trees, and green lights illuminated the scene. They called it the Corpse Bride Dinner. “It was just basically something where people would stop on Thurston Dermont,” Ward said. “They would stop in the middle of the road to take pictures.”

The display grew in 2021, but Ward said 2022 was when they really began to hit their stride. That year brought one of his most ambitious creations: a working backyard roller coaster. Ward connected with another Halloween enthusiast in Chicago who had built his own yard coaster and documented the project on YouTube. The two traded notes, and Ward developed his own version with a wooden track and battery-powered car. The coaster traveled through a dark tunnel before ending inside a 10-by-20-foot tent filled with clowns. There was just one major drawback: It only traveled one direction. At the end of every ride, someone had to push it back to the starting point. “That somebody was me,” Ward said. “I had to bend over and push that thing back, you know, 75 times a night.”

The coaster only operated on weekends. “My back couldn’t take much more,” he said. The coaster was retired after one season, but pieces of it lived on. Ward repurposed its lumber as the attraction continued evolving, first with a zigzag walking maze featuring

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Features

individual scenes and animatronics, then eventually with a full 10-room haunted house. That haunted house featured black plastic walls and interactive animatronics throughout. One enclosed room used fog and lasers to create what Ward called a “laser swamp.” Then came last year’s pirate ship. Ward spent months researching how to build it, communicating with another Halloween enthusiast in New York and sourcing components from around the world. He experimented with effects including cannons and fire towers. “It took six months to find all the parts to make that,” he said. The pirate ship was impressive, but the audience had spoken: They wanted the haunted house back. Part of the challenge — and fun — is that Ward essentially starts over every year. There isn’t enough storage space to save something as large as the pirate ship or a 10-room haunted house, so the major structures are

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dismantled and the next year’s attraction is rebuilt from scratch. Construction generally begins in September and can take two or three weeks. Ward gets help from his son, daughter, brother-in-law, and several friends to frame walls, assemble animatronics and wire everything. Ward also gives passersby a little show while construction is underway. Two skeleton construction workers wearing hard hats move around the yard every few days. Sometimes they hold plans. Other times, Ward positions them as if they are helping build the latest addition. The audience notices. “If we don’t start construction in early September, we have school kids that stop by and say, ‘Where’s the Halloween stuff? We’re waiting for things to come up here,’” Ward said. “We’ve got an audience.” While building a 2,400-squarefoot temporary haunted house in a front yard might seem like an unusual hobby, Ward had some experience long before the first skeleton arrived.

He spent 18 years as manager of Towne Square Mall, where his work included large-scale marketing events and seasonal displays. He remembers building everything from holiday setups to 8-foot-tall Plinko boards for a “Price Is Right”-themed event. “I’ve always kind of been involved in building things that are large scale for the public to use,” he said. Today, Ward draws inspiration both from his own ideas and what he calls the “haunter community” online. He particularly gravitates toward the classic Universal monsters — Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy, and the Wolf Man — rather than gore. The goal is to scare people, but only so much. “We keep it rated PG scary,” Ward said. “We don’t have anything bloody. We don’t have anything satanic. We don’t have any of that kind of stuff out here.” Some weekends include live actors, which Ward admits can raise

visitors contribute. “It’s not anything we want anybody to feel obligated for,” he said. “If they feel like they want to make a contribution ... 100% of that — we don’t keep a single dime that comes in. There’s no offsetting costs, nothing like that. It all goes to the agency.” New Beginnings provides free and confidential services to survivors of sexual assault and their families across Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union, and Webster counties.

Its

counseling,

services crisis

include

intervention,

medical and legal advocacy, and prevention and education programs. Last year’s display generated roughly $1,100 to $1,400 for the organization,

Ward

estimated,

though he said the haunted house year produced more because of its the scare factor considerably. He tries to let families know in advance when actors will be involved. The attraction has also offered early low-sensory periods before the lights, sounds, and jump scares are activated. Ward said they try to make the experience accessible for wheelchairs as well, including making doorways wide enough to accommodate them, though navigating a temporary attraction built on grass can present limitations. Mostly, Ward wants people to have fun. “It should be something that’s fun and interactive that they can hopefully have good memories of when they get older, and they can remember that crazy house that had all the weird stuff at Halloween time,” he said. Ward estimates about 3,500 people visit each year. Some neighborhood children come through more than 30 times in a season, occasionally returning every night to look for new additions. The evidence is visible by November.

“My poor grass usually can’t take it by the end of the season,” Ward said. “I have nothing but a dirt path.” The attraction is free, something Ward said is important to him and his wife. They give out candy, welcome repeat visitors, and ask only that guests respect the property and the displays. Over the years, the community has started contributing in other ways, too. People have donated props, including a skeleton mermaid for last year’s pirate ship. One family donated several Halloween pieces that will be incorporated into this year’s display, and Ward plans to include a small tombstone acknowledging the contribution. There is also a more serious purpose behind the fun. After the display grew into a walkthrough attraction, Ward started accepting optional donations for New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services, where his wife Karla serves as CEO. A donation box and QR code are available, but admission remains free and there is no expectation that

larger crowds. Ward hopes to open the 2026 attraction every dry night in October, generally from

about

6-9 p.m.,

though the schedule is weather dependent. Rain and high winds can force closures because many of the electronics and displays aren’t weatherproof. And 9 p.m. is a firm stopping point, with Ward saying his neighbors deserve some quiet. For a few hours before then, however, the yard comes alive. “My wife and I really enjoy it,” Ward said. “We didn’t have anything like this when we were kids to really go to.” Seven years after putting six skeletons around a secondhand table, they now have thousands of people waiting to see what will appear in the yard next. And for Ward, that is enough reason to keep building. “We

love

hear

the

kids

screaming out there,” he said. “And the adults scream as much as the kids do.” OL S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

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Features

Pearl Club emerges from trying year with renewed clubhouse, growing golf traffic Written by J O H N K I R K PAT R I C K Photos by J A M I E P L A I N

A year after a broken fire sprinkler pipe flooded the Pearl Club’s clubhouse, owner Terry Delk can finally look around and see progress rather than damage. The flooding forced extensive repairs and eventually led to a complete clubhouse renovation. Flooring, paint, lighting, fixtures, sinks, faucets, and other features were replaced as Delk and his team worked to bring the facility back to life. The result is a brighter, more welcoming space that Delk believes better reflects what the Pearl Club offers. “Everybody who walks in the door who hasn’t been here says, ‘Wow,’” Delk said. “The reception has been excellent.” The Pearl Club’s restaurant reopened May 22 with a renovated dining room, a new chef, and an expanded menu. Chef Danyon Calloway joined the Pearl Club after previously working at a fine Italian restaurant in Texas. Callaway has added a page of Italian dishes to the menu while keeping many of the restaurant’s longtime favorites. The kitchen also offers a rotating

weekly special based largely on availability. Recent specials have featured seafood. “People seem very pleased with the product we’re putting out,” Delk said. “They love the new atmosphere in the dining room.” Although the Pearl Club offers the atmosphere and amenities often associated with a private country club, Delk emphasized that the restaurant and golf course are open to the public. He said that message has sometimes been difficult to communicate, even after more than a decade of operation. “We’ve been here 12 years, and we still struggle with people thinking we’re private,” Delk said. The restaurant offers fullservice dinner from 4-8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. A limited menu geared primarily toward golfers is available from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The course has also enjoyed a strong season, with Delk reporting that play is up significantly. He said one of the largest areas of growth has come from golfers traveling from Southern Indiana. Some tell him they can drive to Owensboro, play a well-maintained course, and return home in about the same amount of time it takes to complete a round at some courses closer to them. Late-afternoon play has also increased. Rates change at noon and again at 3 p.m., providing additional options for golfers who may not want to pay peak morning or weekend prices. “When we took over, we wanted a nice golf course that the average golfer could afford to play occasionally,” Delk said. “My goal was for the guy who plays once a year to play a couple of times a year, and for the guy who plays once in the spring and once in the fall to maybe

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Features come once a month.” Delk said that approach has helped increase traffic while allowing the Pearl Club to maintain a country club-style experience. “A lot of my public play will come in and say it’s really nice to have somewhere they can go and still get a country club feel,” he said. The course’s zoysia fairways have been a particular point of pride this year. The Pearl Club is the only course in Daviess County with zoysia fairways and one of only a small number in the region. Delk said the grass provides a thick, plush playing surface during the golf season. The zoysia was installed after the course suffered widespread winter kill shortly after Delk purchased the property in 2014. Much of the course’s Bermuda grass died during the severe winter, forcing Delk to rebuild the fairways. Rather than simply replacing what was lost, he chose to make an

improvement. “We lost all our fairways,” Delk said. “It was dead anyway, so why not improve it when we replaced it?” The memory of that difficult first year returned as Delk dealt with the clubhouse flood and other facility problems over the past year. “It has been a very trying year,” he said. “It brings back memories of the year we opened and lost all of our fairways and greens to winter kill.” Still, the club continued moving forward. Along with the course and restaurant, the Pearl Club offers pickleball courts, a driving range, a short-game area, and a large putting green. The clubhouse includes locker rooms and a golf shop stocked with balls, tees, apparel, and selected clubs. Head golf professional Dylan Hardesty also provides club fitting services and can order equipment

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based on a golfer’s needs. Membership

options

are

available for individuals, families, juniors, corporations, and social members, though a membership is not required to play the course or visit the restaurant. Delk said the goal remains to offer a high-quality course and club experience without shutting out the occasional golfer. “We are doing the best we can to walk that line where the average person can come occasionally,” he said. After by

repairs,

unexpected the

year

dominated

construction setbacks,

remodeled

and

Delk

said

clubhouse

and

increased golf traffic have provided encouraging signs. The Pearl Club may offer the feel of a private country club, but Delk wants the public to know the doors — and the first tee — are open. OL

“People seem very pleased with the product we’re putting out,” Delk said. “They love the new atmosphere in the dining room.”

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PROFILES:

BEYOND DESK the

Every successful business has people whose work may not always be the most visible, but whose impact is felt every day. They are the problem-solvers, organizers, relationship-builders, and steady hands who help keep things moving.

In this special section, local businesses are shining a light on some of those people — the team members whose talent and commitment play an important role in their success. Their jobs may look different from one business to the next, but each is a reminder that behind every great company are great people helping make it happen.

ospice nurses step into some of the hardest days a family will experience, providing not only medical care but also comfort, reassurance, and understanding. Their focus is on quality of life, managing pain, and other symptoms so patients can remain as comfortable as possible. They also care for families, explaining what to expect, answering difficult questions, and helping loved ones feel more prepared for the end of life. Hospice nurses are trained to recognize small changes that may signal decline and help families understand what those changes mean without fear. Every home, patient, and situation is different, requiring nurses to adapt quickly to each family’s needs. The earlier a patient enters hospice, the more time the team has to build relationships, provide support, and create meaningful moments, including granting patient wishes. For many families, that care changes their perspective on hospice entirely. Patients often describe their nurses as “angels” who bring comfort, calm, and compassion when they are needed most.

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ehind the comfort of a warm, cozy home in January or a cool one in the middle of a

unbearably hot attics, dark and

restoring comfort isn’t simply a

tight crawl spaces, high rooftops,

convenience. It can mean restoring

and noisy mechanical rooms. They

safety and peace of mind for a

sweltering Kentucky summer are

often work hardest when everyone

family.

skilled technicians doing work that

else is hunkered down during heat

often goes unseen. Much of what

advisories, snow, and ice storms.

Schwartz Heating and Cooling has been a locally and family-

HVAC technicians do happens out of

The job requires far more than

owned business for more than 30

sight. When they’re doing their jobs

knowing how to repair or install an

years, and its skilled technicians

well, homeowners may rarely think

air conditioner or furnace. It takes

remain at the heart of that longevity.

about the systems quietly working

technical

Their knowledge, dedication, and

behind their walls, beneath their

training, problem-solving skills,

willingness to work in difficult

floors, and above their ceilings. But

and the ability to walk into an

conditions are an investment in

when those systems fail, you notice.

unfamiliar situation and determine

their craft — and in the customers

That’s where these technicians

not only what went wrong, but why.

who have trusted Schwartz to

For the technicians at Schwartz

keep their homes comfortable for

come in.

knowledge,

continual

HVAC technicians spend their

Heating and Cooling, that expertise

days diagnosing complex systems,

also comes with a responsibility

working with electrical components,

to the people and community they

refrigeration, airflow, and controls,

serve. When an air conditioner fails

and finding solutions in places

during extreme heat or a furnace

that aren’t always comfortable —

stops working during a snowstorm,

decades.

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

Profiles B E Y O N D T H E D E S K

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ince opening its doors in 1958, Kentuckiana Animal Clinic has built its reputation on compassionate care, trusted relationships, and a commitment to staying at the forefront of veterinary medicine. While generations of local families have relied on the practice for routine wellness care, today’s clinic also offers many of the advanced diagnostic and surgical capabilities typically associated with larger specialty hospitals. One area where Kentuckiana Animal Clinic continues to invest is veterinary dentistry. Regular dental care plays a critical role in an animal’s overall health, and the clinic provides comprehensive dental services designed to prevent disease, relieve pain, and improve quality of life. Beyond dentistry, the clinic offers advanced diagnostic tools such as ultrasound and endoscopy, allowing veterinarians to evaluate internal conditions with greater precision while often reducing the need for more invasive procedures. Its surgical team is equipped to perform everything from routine procedures to emergency surgeries, including the use of LigaSure technology, which helps reduce bleeding and improve surgical efficiency. Recently added oxygen kennels also provide enhanced support for pets experiencing respiratory distress or recovering from illness or surgery. Kentuckiana Animal Clinic’s services extend well beyond dogs and cats. The practice provides ambulatory large animal care for horses, cattle, goats, pigs, llamas, and other livestock throughout the region, while rehabilitation services help pets recover from orthopedic injuries, neurologic conditions, and surgery through personalized therapy plans. Although the technology has evolved dramatically over the decades, the clinic’s philosophy has remained the same: treat every patient with the highest standard of care while building lasting relationships with the people who love them. By combining experienced veterinarians, advanced medical equipment, and a full range of services under one roof, Kentuckiana Animal Clinic continues to serve as a trusted partner for pet owners and livestock producers across the Owensboro area.

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Profiles B E Y O N D T H E D E S K

t Wills Animal Hospital, veterinary technicians play an essential role in nearly every part of patient care. In a single shift, a technician may serve as a nurse, laboratory technician, surgical assistant, anesthetist, radiology technician, educator, patient advocate, and emergency responder. They draw blood, place IV catheters, administer injections, run laboratory tests, take radiographs, perform dental procedures, and assist with surgery. Unlike human medicine, veterinary teams care for patients who cannot explain what hurts or describe how they feel. Technicians must recognize subtle changes in behavior, posture, vital signs, and body language. The work also carries an emotional responsibility. Technicians build relationships with animals and their families and are often present during difficult moments, including endof-life care. At Wills Animal Hospital, those varied responsibilities make veterinary technicians an important part of the team, combining medical knowledge, technical skills, and compassion to care for patients who cannot speak for themselves.

t Janet Rowland Family Dentistry, “Doing Dentistry Differently” reflects their approach to making dental care comfortable, personal, and convenient. For nearly a decade, the practice has served patients from its current Owensboro location, growing to more than 3,500 patients. The office combines technology, including AI-assisted digital imaging and same-day crowns, with a spalike atmosphere featuring warm lavender towels, Bluetooth headphones, and heated eye masks. The team strives to understand each patient beyond their dental needs, including their fears and stressors, while providing comprehensive care for the entire family. In 2027, the practice plans to introduce sedation dentistry for patients who experience dental anxiety. The team includes Dr. Janet Rowland, hygienist Madeline Gillim, and patient care coordinators Brittany Bowman and Sonya Hawes. Through patient care, community involvement, and educational content, the practice aims to help people smile not simply because of their teeth, but as a reflection of joy and confidence in their lives.

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At Lance & Co. Jewelers, the experience is shaped by the people behind the counter — and Kyndall, Emily and Kathryn each bring something different to the family-owned business.

Kyndall, store manager, has been part of Lance & Co. since 2022. In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations and inventory, she handles engraving and works with customers on custom jewelry designs. She is currently pursuing her GIA certification, continuing to expand her expertise. Outside the store, Kyndall recently purchased her first home and is planning her wedding for next year — giving her a personal connection to the milestones jewelry often represents.

Emily also enjoys being part of those meaningful moments, taking time to understand the story behind each purchase and help customers find the right piece. She assists with appraisals and is working toward her GIA certification while pursuing a double major in Marketing and International Business at the University of Cincinnati. When she has downtime, she’s a K-pop fan.

Kathryn brings both an eye for detail and a creative perspective to the team. Along with helping customers on the sales floor, she serves as Lance & Co.’s Social Media Manager, showcasing new pieces while sharing the personality behind the business through a mix of humor, sophistication and style. She is pursuing a degree in Business with a minor in Marketing at Western Kentucky University. Away from work and school, she enjoys true crime documentaries and spending time with her dachshund. Together, the three represent the personal approach at the heart of Lance & Co. Whether creating a custom design, helping select a meaningful gift, assisting with an appraisal or connecting with customers online, Kyndall, Emily and Kathryn help make jewelry shopping about more than the piece itself — it’s about the people, stories and milestones behind it. S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

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A LIFELINE FOR KENTUCKY B

ehind every call, text and chat to Kentucky’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a person ready to listen during what may be one of the most vulnerable moments of someone’s life. RiverValley Behavioral Health has been answering that call for more than 15 years. In 2010, RVBH began taking calls for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the predecessor to 988. That experience helped lay the groundwork for Kentucky’s statewide call center network when 988 launched in July 2022. In August 2025, RVBH expanded its role again, becoming the only 24/7 988 text and chat center for the Commonwealth. Today, 19 employees support RVBH’s crisis line operations, while 17 team members support 988 text and chat services. Their impact is significant. In 2025, the 988 team provided 418,216 minutes of support across 9,138 crisis interactions, including 2,293 988 calls. RVBH’s Crisis & Information Line answered an additional 20,595 calls, including 9,258 crisis line calls.

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“Our team meets people in moments when they may feel like they have nowhere else to turn,” said Heather Henderson, Senior Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Crisis Services. “Our job is to listen without judgment, help them find safety and remind them that they do not have to navigate that moment alone.” Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, these professionals are trained to listen, de-escalate crises, help individuals reach safety and connect them with appropriate resources. And for the vast majority of people who reach out, that compassionate connection is enough to help them through the immediate crisis. Less than 1% of all 988 contacts result in an involuntary emergency intervention, meaning nearly all contacts can be supported without the need for law enforcement or other emergency services. Instead, callers are met first with a trained crisis specialist focused on listening, understanding what they need,

and helping determine the safest path forward. The work can also carry a significant emotional weight for the people providing that support. RVBH employees have access to mental health resources and an Employee Assistance Program offering therapeutic services at no cost to employees and their families. “They spend every shift extending compassion to people they may never meet face-to-face,” Henderson said. “Their work often happens behind the scenes, but its impact can be life changing.” For the RVBH Crisis Services team, being Beyond the Desk means being there, whenever and however someone reaches out. Anyone experiencing emotional distress, a mental health or substance use crisis, or thoughts of suicide can call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline. org. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7.

S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

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TRAVEL : DISNEY CRUISE p. 52

SENIOR LIVING: UNSUNG HEROES p. 56

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LIFESTYLE

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Lifestyle T R A V E L

Making magic across generations on a Disney cruise Written by M E G H A N N R I C H A R D S O N

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I love my family. People who know me know that I talk to my parents daily. So, of course, when my family of three started planning a Disney Cruise vacation, I asked my parents if they wanted to join. Navigating

multigenerational family trip is always a delicate balancing act. Sailing with five people spanning three generations — my husband Ryan and I are 34, our daughter Emery is 5, and my parents are 67 and 70 — was certainly intense at times. But in the end, it gave us a

week’s worth of memories I will treasure for the rest of my life. Here’s what stood out most from our time at sea, and what you should know before booking your own trip.

PACING IS KEY: RESIST THE URGE TO DO IT ALL Disney cruises can be … A LOT. There is quite literally something happening every minute of the day. Between character meet-and-greets, deck parties, trivia, and kids clubs, it’s remarkably easy to fall into the trap of overscheduling.

The best strategy is simple: pick a few priorities each day and set a pace that matches your family’s energy. For us, that meant prioritizing princess and character visits, admiring the ship’s incredible details, and protecting open time in the afternoon so everyone could recharge without feeling rushed (AKA nap time).

B R OA D WAY- Q U A L I T Y ENTERTAINMENT The live theatrical productions in the Walt Disney Theatre were topnotch. While we only watched two of the three shows (The Little Mermaid and Aladdin) we loved them both. The whole family agreed they were some of the best theater productions we had ever seen, with everything from the actors and elaborate sets to the impressive animations making the shows feel like true Broadwaycaliber productions. The adaptation of Aladdin emerged as the undisputed favorite. The show featured classic songs and a standout performance by the Genie, whose humor kept everyone laughing.

ROTATIONAL DINING AND CLASSIC TREATS Disney’s signature rotational dining system keeps dinner fresh by moving guests through three distinct restaurants while keeping the same server team. The dining rooms deliver vastly different vibes. At Worlds of Marvel, dinner felt like an action movie, complete with quantum technology on the tables and a high-five from Spider-Man during dessert. Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure served up dinner theater at its finest, filling the room with live music, dancing, and a festive celebration of Anna’s engagement. By contrast, 1923 offered a sleek, nostalgic homage to the early days of Disney animation. Named

after the year Walt Disney founded his studio, the venue felt equal parts restaurant and living museum. The walls were lined with original sketch art, storyboards, and movie props, giving us a cool, behind-the-scenes look at how our favorite Disney classics came to life. One dessert trick worth knowing: You can ask for a Mickey Bar — the iconic chocolate-dipped vanilla ice cream pop — at every restaurant, even if it’s not on the menu. Best of all, you can even order them straight to your room through room service.

THE MAGIC OF ‘PIXIE DUSTING’ AND CABIN DECOR An unexpected highlight of the trip was participating in “pixie dusting,” a fan-led tradition in which guests leave small gifts or trinkets in hanging bags, often called fish extenders, outside staterooms. While our family brought a modest selection of small items to distribute, we were delighted by the generosity of fellow cruisers. Checking the cabin door bag each day for surprise gifts quickly became one of Emery’s favorite routines. Decorating our stateroom door with personalized magnets also made finding our room easy and added a fun, personal touch to the hallway. We literally spent hours

walking around the ship admiring everyone’s door decor. Some passengers went big, incorporating battery-operated lights, interactive trivia boards, and elaborate custom themes. and even dedicated “duck mailboxes” for hidden cruise ducks. Spending an afternoon strolling the halls and taking it all in proved just as entertaining as some of the planned activities onboard.

PORT STRATEGY: SKIP NASSAU, PRIORITIZE CASTAWAY CAY When it came to ports of call, the consensus was clear. While the stop in Nassau, Bahamas, was skippable for our group, disembarking at Castaway Cay — Disney’s private island reserved exclusively for cruise guests — was essential. Even with a full ship, the island’s expansive white-sand beaches never felt overcrowded. With pristine turquoise water and easy beach access, we spent hours playing in the water and sand. All three generations took turns hunting seashells, splashing in the ocean, and simply enjoying the chance to be together.

THE REAL MAGIC IS THE TIME TOGETHER At its core, traveling across three generations requires a little patience, a good bit of flexibility, and a whole lot of grace. But standing on the shore at Castaway Cay, watching Emery’s face light up as the waves splashed at her feet, seeing my parents share a laugh over the Genie’s quick wit, and stealing those quiet afternoon resets together, it all brought the big picture into focus. The Disney Wish didn’t just give us a week away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life; it gave us a rare pause in this season of life, allowing time to slow down just enough for us to build memories we’ll hold onto for a lifetime. OL S E P T E M B E R / / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 Owensboro Living

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Lace Up for a Cause T YPE 1 DIABETES 5K & FAMILY FUN MILE COMING SEPTEMBER 26

et ready to lace up your running shoes and join the community for a special Type 1 Diabetes 5K and Family Fun Mile on Saturday, September 26th! This family-friendly event will bring together runners, walkers, families, friends and supporters of people living with type 1 diabetes for a morning of fun, fitness and awareness. Whether you are an experienced runner looking to challenge yourself in the 5K, want to run the mile or to simply enjoy the mile at a leisurely pace with family and friends, there is a place for everyone. The Family Fun Mile is a wonderful way for participants of all ages and abilities to get moving together while supporting an important cause.

WHAT IS TYPE 1 DIABETES? Type 1 diabetes is typically thought of as only being diagnosed in children, but the latest statistic is that 58% of people newly diagnosed are adults. It is not a lifestyle disease. It is an autoimmune condition that makes the body unable to produce insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. This means the body’s immune system attacks itself – much like celiac disease. Converting blood sugar is the body’s main way that it gets energy so without insulin it has to break down muscle and fat stores for energy. Type 1 diabetes is neither preventable nor curable. Managing type 1 diabetes requires constant attention, from monitoring blood sugar to managing insulin, meals, physical activity and so much more. You cannot take a break from type 1 diabetes. Events like this provide an opportunity to raise awareness, celebrate those living with type 1 diabetes, and remind families that no one has to navigate the journey alone.

MORE THAN A RACE The Stronger Than 1, type 1 diabetes support group, was started by the Owensboro Health outpatient diabetes educators in April of 2024. When we first started our group, it was for children and their caregivers. We have since

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Photo provided by Owensboro Health added adults with type 1 to our group

in multiple Age groups

and have break out groups depending on

Family Fun Mile Registration $30 after Sept

our speakers and discussion. One of the

1st

goals of our group was to have an event

•

Includes:

One-mile

course;

come together and bring awareness to the

awards; Long-sleeve dry fit shirt

community. Participants are encouraged to come

Not

timed

square

for people living with type 1 diabetes to

and

•

Ages 6 and under: Free (no shirt)

•

Food Trucks: Traveling Toms, Breakfast Express, Kona Ice

out dressed in blue to show their support and help create a positive and welcoming

So mark your calendar, grab your

atmosphere for everyone affected by type

sneakers, and get ready for a morning of

1 diabetes.

fun and purpose!

BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY !

Every

The morning is about much more than

crossing

the

finish

line.

It’s

about community, connection, movement and making memories together. Bring

your

family,

invite

step

makes

difference.

Proceeds from the raise go to LOCAL diabetes programs. We hope to see you at the starting line on September 26th!

friends and encourage your coworkers

owensborohealth.org/owensborohealth-healthpark/5K

and neighbors to join you. Whether you run, walk, cheer from the sidelines or

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Retirement Letter of Appreciation Written by A M A N D A R O G E R S , Director of Parks & Recreation, City of Owensboro

Dear Citizens of Owensboro, As my final day approaches, I must say THANK YOU for allowing me the incredible privilege of serving my hometown, my family, friends, and you, the citizens of Owensboro as Director of Parks & Recreation for the City of Owensboro and the sincere appreciation I have for so many. Thank you for your trust, encouragement, collaboration, and support. Most of all, thank you for believing in the power of parks and recreation to make our community a better place. I have been reflecting on the past 28 years and the remarkable journey we have shared. I see what WE accomplished. I see volunteers, nonprofits, sports organizations, businesses, civic groups, and community partners who shared their time, resources, ideas and passion. I see city leaders and elected officials who believed in the importance of investing in parks and recreation and supported bold ideas. I see and am grateful to the Parks & Recreation staff — past and present — who have given so much of themselves. You are the people who turn ideas into reality and who make everything come alive daily. I am incredibly proud of you. I see and am grateful to our community partners who believe we can accomplish more when we work together. Together, we have strengthened the quality of life in Owensboro. Just look at some of what WE have accomplished! 2010 – Doubled park acreage through the acquisition of Ben Hawes Park and Golf Course. 2012 – Developed the Rudy Mine

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Single Track Trails in partnership with the Kentucky Southwest Mountain Biking Association. 2012 – Opened the Soap Box Track in partnership with the Owensboro Lions Club. 2012 – Opened Smothers Park, creating a transformational public space along our riverfront. 2014 – Developed a home for local skateboarders at the Travis Aubrey Skatepark. 2014 – Improved safety along the Adkisson Greenbelt by implementing an emergency marker system through the leadership of 911 Director Paul Nave. 2015 – Partnered with Owensboro-Daviess County Tennis Association to develop the Owensboro Tennis Complex, including Merchant Centre Court and outdoor courts. 2017 – Partnered with Sports Tutor and the Agisilaou brothers to repurpose the tennis court at Legion Park into a street soccer court. 2019-Partnered with the Dog Park Association and Steve Castlen, opened the Castlen Dog Park. 2020 – Converted a tennis court at York Park into four pickleball courts in partnership with River City Pickleball. 2020 – Established the Lil’ Spikers Volleyball Program in partnership with Steve Howard and KSA. 2021 – Installed fitness stations along the trails at Joe Ford Nature Park in partnership with the Joe Ford Nature Center Board. 2021 – Renovated Jack C. Fisher Park, including turf infields, a new maintenance building, playground and batting cages. 2024 – Renovated Cravens Swimming Pool, transforming it into

a modern, activity-based aquatic facility. 2024 – Completed a comprehensive 10-year Parks & Recreation Master Plan. 2025 – Transformed two tennis courts at Dugan Best Park into a multi-use space featuring street soccer, a junior half basketball court, gaga ball, and obstacle course. As I prepare to retire, I do so with tremendous gratitude and great confidence in the future. There is an incredible team in place- Kerry, Charles, Tina, JMP, Brittni, Angie, Trevor, Mike, Landon, Emily, Megan, Sam, Sammy, and Tim. This team will continue to serve with tremendous effort and passion. Thank you, Owensboro! I am grateful. I am proud. And I will always be an Owensboro Parks & Recreation supporter. It has been an honor to serve.

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From the New Director

Written by K E R R Y B O D E N H E I M E R , current Recreation Superintendent and incoming Director of Parks and Recreation.

In accepting the position as the City of Owensboro’s new Director of Parks and Recreation, it is difficult to put into words what this opportunity means to me. Parks and Recreation has been my professional home for the past 25 years, and I have been fortunate to spend that time serving a community I now call home. Throughout my career, I have worked alongside incredible colleagues, dedicated volunteers, and community partners who share a passion for making our parks, programs, and facilities places where people connect, grow, and create lasting memories. I have had the opportunity to experience firsthand the many parks, facilities, programs, and events that make up

our department, and I am excited to build our next chapter. I am lucky to be able to work alongside such a talented staff. Our team is comprised of individuals who are passionate about the work they do every day. I am confident in their abilities and truly excited to have the pleasure of leading such an exceptional group. People often remark that we have the best job – they are correct! We love what we do; we are the FUN department. I am truly grateful for the trust placed in me and for the mentors who have helped shape my journey. Amanda Rogers has left a legacy for our community and leaves our department in excellent shape – I am honored to have the opportunity

to continue her great work. As Director, I look forward to honoring the department’s mission in making Owensboro Kentucky’s number one city to live, work, and play. Owensboro’s parks are more than just places; they are where families gather, children play, friendships are formed, and traditions are created. It is a privilege to help lead an organization that has such a meaningful impact on the lives of our residents, and I am excited about what the future holds. I look forward to working with our citizens, community groups, elected officials, and city leaders in continuing to improve the lives of our residents through the power of parks and recreation.

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RECIPE: PEACH TRUCK p. 64

FORKS UP: TOP FIVE BITES p. 67

RESTAURANT: YAK & YETI p. 68

→

Photo by JAMIE PLAIN

F L AVO R

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Flavor R E C I P E

From Owensboro to The Peach Truck Recipes and photos by J A M I E P L A I N

The peaches featured in this recipe come with a special Owensboro connection. The Peach Truck was founded in 2012 by Stephen Rose, who spent his high school years in Owensboro before eventually making his way to Nashville. Originally from Georgia, Rose grew up knowing what a truly fresh, flavorful peach should taste like — and he had trouble finding anything comparable after moving to Tennessee. That frustration sparked an idea. Rose and his wife, Jessica, purchased a 1964 Jeep truck and began bringing fresh Georgia peaches to Nashville and selling them directly to customers. The response was immediate: In their first month, the couple sold more than 10 tons of peaches. What began with one vintage truck has since grown into The Peach Truck, bringing fresh peaches to customers across the country through seasonal pickup locations and home delivery, including visits to Owensboro. So, these recipes contain an extra bit of sweetness: A business built around one of summer’s most recognizable flavors has roots right here at home.

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Peach Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream SHORTBREAD TART CRUST 1¾ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt 12 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cubed 1 large egg yolk 2-4 tablespoon water VANILLA MASCARPONE CREAM 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, cold ⅓ cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon lemon zest Pinch of salt PEACH TOPPING 4–5 ripe but firm peaches ¼ cup apricot or peach preserves 1 tablespoon water OPTIONAL GARNISH Chopped pistachios Fresh mint leaves Powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS Make the Tart Crust 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. 2. In a food processor, pulse together flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Add the egg yolk and pulse a few more times. Drizzle in the ice water. If the dough looks dry and crumbly, add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until it begins clumping together when squeezed in your hand. 3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gather it together with your hands and gently press it into a thick disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour (or overnight). 4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If it is very firm, let it sit out for 10-15min. Lightly flour your countertop and rolling pin. Roll from the center outward, rotating the dough a quarter turn every few rolls. Roll about 12-inches in diameter and approximately 1/8 inch thick. If cracks appear around the edges, you can simply press them back together or patch them as you roll. 5. Carefully roll the dough around your rolling pin and unroll it over a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Lift the dough gently as you press it into the corners instead of stretching it. Press it into the fluted edges. Leave about 1/4 inch of dough extending above the rim of the pan. This extra height helps compensate

for a little shrinkage during baking. Trim any excess. 6. Place the lined tart pan in the refrigerator for 30min or the freezer for 15min. 7. Lightly spray a sheet of parchment paper, then place it (sprayed side down) onto the dough. Fill completely with pie weights or dried beans, baking sure they press against the sides. Bake for 20min. Carefully lift the parchment and weights out. If the bottom has puffed anywhere, gently prick it with a fork. Return to the oven and bake another 10-15min, until the crust is a golden brown and the bottom looks dry. Cool completely before filling. Make the Mascarpone Cream 1. In a large bowl, beat mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt until smooth and fluffy. 2. Spread the mascarpone cream evenly into the cooled tart shell. Add the Peaches 1. Slice peaches. 2. Arrange peach slices in overlapping circles on top of the mascarpone cream. 3. Warm the peach or apricot preserves with water until smooth. Brush the glaze gently over the peaches to give them a glossy finish. 4. Garnish with pistachios, mint, or a light dusting of powdered sugar if desired. 5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Flavor R E C I P E

Sweet Tea Canned Peaches INGREDIENTS 5–6 pounds fresh peaches 4 cups water 2 cups granulated sugar 4 black tea bags (you can add more for a stronger tea flavor) 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per pint jar EQUIPMENT 4 pint-size canning jars with new lids and rings Water-bath canner or large stockpot with a rack Jar lifter Canning funnel Bubble remover or wooden chopstick Clean kitchen towel

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INSTRUCTIONS 1. Wash the peaches well. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score a small “X” in the bottom of each peach and blanch for about 30–60 seconds, or until the skins begin to loosen. Transfer immediately to an ice bath. Slip off the skins, remove the pits, and cut the peaches into halves, quarters, or slices. 2. Make the sweet tea syrup: bring 4 cups of water to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Steep for about 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags. Return the tea to the pot and stir in the sugar. Heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup is hot. 3. Wash the jars, lids, and rings thoroughly. Place each into simmering water to sanitize. Keep the jars hot until ready to fill. 4. Pack the peaches into the hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each pint jar, then ladle the hot sweet-tea syrup over the peaches, maintaining the ½-inch headspace. Run a bubble remover around the inside edge of each jar to release

trapped air. Wipe the rims clean and apply the lids and rings fingertiptight. 5. Place the jars on a rack in a boiling-water canner, making sure they are covered by at least 1–2 inches of water. Cover and process pint jars for 25 minutes. When processing is complete, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the canner for about 5 minutes before carefully removing them. 6. Place the jars upright on a towel, leaving space between them. Let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check each seal. The lid should be firmly concave and should not flex when pressed in the center. 7. Label the jars with the contents and date, then store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. TO SERVE: Chill before serving for the best flavor. Tea syrup can be used in cocktails, etc. Jars of peaches are shelf-stable up to one year. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 7 days. OL

Flavor D I S H FORKS UP!

TOP FIVE BITES ON THE ROAD Photos & article by C H R I S T Y C H A N E Y

The road has been my home this summer, and these bites prove it. There are certain foods that remind you of places you’ve been and people you’ve met. You see a photo, or the air blows a memory across your face, and suddenly you’re right back in that place with those people. Food always creates the best travel memories.

Tuna Burger

SUNNY POINT CAFÉ

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

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Asheville, North Carolina, is known for its beer and its chocolate and, of course, the Biltmore. But a tuna burger? Maybe not quintessential Asheville fare, but it was one of the best bites I’ve had this year. I used to say the bacon at Sunny Point was my favorite bite on the menu, but it fell to second place on my last visit when, on a whim, I skipped the shrimp and grits and feasted on their tuna burger. Made with yellowfin tuna mixed with soy sauce, sesame, and ginger, it’s topped with fresh avocado and peppery arugula, then crowned with a scallion aioli that I ordered an extra side of to dip my fries in. Frankly, I could dip just about anything in it. Fresh and perfectly seasoned, this had everything I wanted in an afternoon lunch. And let’s be honest, I had a side of bacon, too!

Fresh Oysters

SHRIMP SHACK | 30A, FLORIDA

Nestled in the heart of 30A, in the mecca of spring break families, is Shrimp Shack. Small but mighty, I hit this little place at least twice, if not three times, every trip. A quick slurp of a dozen freshly shucked oysters, dragged through cocktail sauce and spilling over the edge of a saltine cracker, might just be a moment of beach nirvana only the perfect sunset could top. Pair it with a tart and sweet frozen margarita with a rim of salt, and you have the perfect mid-afternoon snack, lunch, dinner, or 10 a.m. start to your day. Now, to the sand!

Chicago Dog

PORTILLO’S | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

I am usually a purist. The snap of a casing, the texture of a steamed bun, no unnecessary toppings. But there are certain, shall we say, iconic hot dogs that deserve to be consumed in the form they were designed. A Chicago dog cannot be altered. If you remove one thing, you have missed the point. I don’t like mustard, but in this instance, what I like does not matter. The Chicago dog comes as it is: yellow mustard, relish, preferably very green, chopped onions, a tomato slice, a pickle spear, and a sport pepper, all sprinkled with hot dog fairy dust: celery salt. It’s messy and salty and tangy and spicy and embarrassing to eat. Too bad. It’s Chicago, baby!

Pork and Crab Soup Dumplings

D E L U X E G R E E N B O | C H I N AT O W N , N E W Y O R K C I T Y

I love a good food crawl through a finite neighborhood of New York City, and I have cultivated more than one trip through Chinatown. And while I have my rice noodle locations narrowed down, and I know where to send you to get a pork bun, I personally find myself sipping tea, crashing through crispy scallion pancakes, and devouring these particular dumplings over and over again. I have consumed them standing on the sidewalk directly out of the container in the mid-afternoon heat while the city bustles around me, and I have also partaken of these pillowy delicacies crammed into tiny tabletop seating inside the restaurant. I would eat them on a train. I would eat them on a plane. They are now, and for the foreseeable future, my favorite dumpling. Full of unctuous broth with a bite of pork and crab mixture tucked inside, they leave me desperate for my next trip to New York.

Grilled Yellowtail Collar

KISSER | EAST NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Kisser is not a secret. Michelin knows about it. James Beard hails them as a success. It’s a small, lunch-only spot serving Japanese comfort food in East Nashville. The service is warm and welcoming, the yuzu lemonade is tart and fresh, and the menu is dotted with moments that make you think, just for a second, you are sitting in the kitchen of your best friend while her parents whip up dinner. That is, if your best friend ever served you a delicious grilled yellowtail collar that you dipped in ponzu studded with shredded daikon. It’s light and fresh, and you sit there with chopsticks, picking small bits of grilled fish from the bone and wondering how something so unassuming could be the crowning jewel of your travel day.

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Flavor R E S T A U R A N T S P O T L I G H T A TASTE OF THE HIMALAYAS

Yak & Yeti brings something different to Owensboro Written by R YA N R I C H A R D S O N Photos by J A M I E P L A I N

For diners who have never tried Himalayan cuisine, Khem Raj Tamang has a simple place to start: the dumplings. At Yak & Yeti Himalayan Cuisine, they are called momos — handmade dumplings rooted in Nepalese cuisine and filled with chicken, paneer, or even yak. They can arrive steamed, fried, or tossed in a chili sauce. They are also one example of what makes the restaurant unlike nearly anything else diners will find in Owensboro. “We have Himalayan and Indian cuisine — mixed, fusion food,” said Tamang, owner of the restaurant. “Not only typical Himalayan, not only typical Indian. We have both mixed in the food.” Yak & Yeti, located at 611 Emory Drive in Wesleyan Park Plaza, combines the spices and curries associated with Indian cuisine with dishes and cooking traditions from Nepal and the Himalayan region. The result is a menu that stretches from butter chicken and lamb korma to chow mein, fried rice, and momos. Tamang is a native of Nepal who has spent more than two decades in the hospitality and restaurant industry. The Owensboro restaurant is the third Yak & Yeti location for Tamang and his partners, joining restaurants in Evansville and Fishers, Indiana. Tamang said customers from the

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Owensboro area were making the trip to Evansville for their food, giving the team reason to believe there was a market for the concept closer to home. “Everybody loves our food. They keep on coming back up to Evansville to have our food,” Tamang said. “So why not move here to Owensboro?” The team looked at multiple properties around town before choosing the building in Wesleyan Park Plaza, just off Frederica Street. Since opening, Tamang said

the response has reinforced that decision. He said one of the most encouraging signs has been seeing the same faces return — sometimes every week — after trying the food for the first time. “The food we serve is typically different because of the spices we use for the food,” he said. “People like our food. When they have our curries, they love it.” Part of making those unfamiliar flavors approachable is giving diners

control over the experience. Many dishes can be ordered at different spice levels, allowing someone new to Indian or Himalayan cuisine to ease into the flavors while giving more adventurous diners the chance to turn up the heat. “Everybody is choosing these spices in their own way,” Tamang said. While Indian cuisine may be more recognizable to many local diners, Tamang said the Himalayan half of Yak & Yeti's identity offers an opportunity to experience dishes that may be completely new to them. “Himalayan food typically reflects Nepalese food,” he said. That includes chow mein — which Tamang describes as a distinct Nepalese take on noodles — along with fried rice and momos. The dumplings in particular are a point of pride.

“You can find dumplings in the market, but the ones we make are totally different,” Tamang said. “We have handmade dumplings that we call momos.” The Indian side of the menu offers an equally broad selection, with chicken, lamb, goat, and vegetarian dishes alongside familiar options such as butter chicken, korma, curry, and freshly prepared naan. Tamang's experience with different styles of cooking goes well beyond the cuisine he serves today. He said his career has included work in a variety of restaurants and hotels, including five-star properties, and exposed him to American, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese cooking. After spending years working for others, Tamang eventually decided it was time to take that experience and build something of his own.

“I've been working a lot for others, so why not do it by myself?” he said. Tamang describes the restaurant business as one filled with “ups and downs,” but success in Evansville and Fishers gave the team confidence to try another market. Owensboro offered another advantage: Yak & Yeti brings a style of restaurant largely absent from the local dining landscape. The restaurant's name itself offers another connection to Tamang's homeland. Yak are long-haired animals adapted to life in the cold, highaltitude environments of the Himalayan region. Tamang remembers eating yak meat in Nepal and said the animal immediately connects the restaurant to the part of the world its food represents. The “Yeti,” meanwhile, comes from the legendary creature associated with the Himalayas.

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Flavor R E S T A U R A N T S P O T L I G H T

“It represents our Nepalese culture and tradition,” Tamang said. “That's why I decided to name it Yak & Yeti.” Tamang is already thinking about ways the Owensboro location could grow. The property includes outdoor space, and he said the team is considering adding patio dining in the future if customer demand supports it. For now, though, his attention remains on the food and the people walking through the doors. Tamang said the restaurant has attracted diners from Owensboro's Indian and other international communities, some of whom already know the dishes well, along with customers experiencing Himalayan cuisine for the first time. Both groups, he said, have helped make the first months in Owensboro rewarding. “Thank you so much for everyone — for Indian communities, all the American people, all the Owensboro residents,” Tamang said. “I'm very happy for them having us here, and they keep loving us. They keep coming with us.” For Tamang, that's ultimately what the expansion was about: giving Owensboro something it didn't already have and hoping people would be willing to try it. So far, he said, they have. “Everybody likes us,” Tamang said. “Most important, people love us much. We are very happy for that.” OL

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

REMEMBERING THE HEROES AMONG US A CENTURY AGO Written by L O R A W I M S AT T

This is such an inspiring edition of Owensboro Living magazine, as its pages recognize the many unsung heroes whose behind-the-scenes efforts contribute to the success of local businesses and make our community such a wonderful place to live and work. What a wonderful reminder to all of us to take time to recognize, celebrate, and honor those who make a difference in our own lives. In searching the pages of local newspapers of a century ago, there are several references to local heroes … but nearly all of those names have faded into the shadows of the past. One name that may still be familiar is that of Thomas Moseley (1767-1841), a veteran of the Revolutionary War. The May 25, 1926, edition of the Messenger-Inquirer noted that the Gen. Evan Shelby Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution — a chapter still active today — planned to unveil a marker dedicated to this local hero in the little cemetery now known as Moseley Square. You’ve seen that cemetery; it’s on the hill behind Bowen Tire, marked by a tall pole flying the “Betsy Ross” flag. Speaking of military heroes, the Bleich Theater advertised a movie sponsored by the American Legion Post No. 9. “The Lost Battalion” was advertised as “the world’s most

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astounding picture,” celebrating “A Glorious Band of Heroes! Reenacting with Vivid Realism, the Undying Story of Their Heroic Stand in the Argonne ‘Pocket.’” Among those to be depicted in this film were “Go-to-Hell” Whittlesey and, in case there was any doubt: “Cher Ami, the Historic Carrier Pigeon that carried relief message from the ‘pocket’ positively appears in picture.” Not all heroes are people. Some have wings. Also worthy of reflection are the many local individuals who were touted in newsprint a century ago for their heroic efforts in fighting fires and capturing criminals. Others upon whom the title of “hero” was bestowed included those touted for their athletic prowess and grit on the football gridiron or the baseball diamond. Little Irene Milam, age 5, was honored as a hero for attempting to save the life of her sister Eva Elizabeth, age 3, who had wandered too close to an open grate and caught her clothing on fire. Irene threw a bucket of water on her sister and “fought the remaining flames with her hands, burning them painfully before extinguishing the last of them.” Alas, those heroic efforts were futile: “No hope was held for (Eva Elizabeth’s) recovery and six hours after the tragedy, the child died.” Owensboro native Emmett

Ray died in Louisville at the age of 28 when he “gave his life … to save that of his sweetheart, Miss Sarah Burrows, 17. He and Miss Burrows were crossing a street car track when the car swooped down upon them out of a fog. Ray threw the girl off the track but was hit before he could jump aside, being fatally injured. The two were walking home from church when the accident occurred.” An anonymous contributor to the March 11, 1926, edition of the Messenger-Inquirer mused upon the definition of “hero” as part of an article announcing a nationwide essay contest in which children were encouraged to name “the World’s greatest heroes.” This writer proposed that most children would mention military heroes such as Alexander the Great, Napoleon, George Washington, and General Grant … but “not one child in ten thousand … would mention Pasteur who gave his life to science, Galileo, who went to prison and risked torture for the truth, or any of the other real heroes.” Who are your heroes? Maybe they haven’t saved your life, engaged in warfare, made a contribution to science or even won a ballgame, but if someone has made your life better, in some small but meaningful way, be a hero to them today and tell them so. OL

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