This year’s featured speaker, Eastern Kentucky University President Joanne Glasser, who is a Duchess of Hazard told the group she had been made to feel like royalty in Hazard. In telling the gathering about Eastern’s progress, President Glasser thanked her predecessors in her position for their good works, and included in that group was Dr. W.F. O’Donnell, who was President of EKU until the late 1950s. Hazard’s ties to the O’Donnell family brought back good memories to many in attendance who had been friends of the W.F. O’Donnell Jr. family as well as patients of Dr. O’Donnell, who practiced medicine for many years in Hazard.
Ms. Glasser, who is seeing EKU go into its second century of serving the educational needs of this area, announced that the University’s graduating class this year will number between 1,600 and 1,800. Presently, there are 150 Perry County students enrolled at Eastern, and there are over 600 EKU alumni living in Perry County. Local attorney Paul Collins is a board member of the EKU Foundation.
President Glasser, in talking about the course offerings at EKU told the group “the next time you are pulled over by a policeman, ask if his training were gotten at EKU?” She further stated “it probably won’t get you out of the ticket - didn’t work for me, but it did get a smile.”
According to Ms. Glasser, accessible and affordable educational opportunities are now here and a quality higher education must be affordable to everyone.
After President Glasser’s talk, the program moved on to the presentation of awards, a time that is looked forward to annually by everyone in attendance.
This year, Mayor Gorman presented a Special Award to the Herman Maggard family to show the community’s respect and appreciation for their many years in business here. Receiving the award were Mrs. Maggard and her two daughters, Alice (Mrs. Mike) Caudill and her daughter Michelle of Hindman and Martha (Mrs. Mark) Birdwhistell of Lawrenceburg as well as Mr. Maggard’s sister, Grace Bowles and Mrs. Maggard’s brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Owen Barnett.
Hazard Community and Technical College Board Chairman William Fred Brashear of Hyden represented the local college in honoring former State Senator Benny Ray Bailey for his years of work and concern for education in Kentucky as well as the growth and wellbeing of the Hazard campus. In his acceptance of the award, Senator Bailey gave a remark that would be a good rule for all in politics to follow when he stated that he “used his years in politics for personal growth, not personal gain.”
Jan Gibson of the Perry County Extension Office presented the Youth of the Year and Teen of the Year Awards to Jarrett Eldridge and Stephen Melton. Young Eldridge stated that “being a good person comes from having good role models,” and for that position he honored his father whom he said had taught him if one does something right the first time, it does not have to be done again.
Melton said that he had found random acts of kindness to be very rewarding. His efforts for making this a better community for all of us include his work with CASA, which is Commodores Against Drugs and his work with PCC Interact Club, which is part of the Rotary organization. He is also a volunteer for the Salvation Army, Christmas Friends, March of Dimes and is active in the Relay for Life program as well as volunteering his time at both the Hazard Nursing Home and the Veterans Center.
Jarrett, a student at Leatherwood Elementary is the son of Michael and Ruth Eldridge. Melton is a student at Perry Central High School, and he is the son of Anthony and Julie Melton.
Danielle Morgan, who was named as Young Woman of the Year at last year’s Civic Night was the presenter of that award this year, and the one so honored was Rebecca (Mrs. John) Fletcher. The mother of two, Reece and Cade, Mrs. Fletcher’s efforts for the good of this area were recognized. In doing so, it was stated there are very few charitable events in which she is not active. She has been a tireless worker in the Christmas for Charity since its inception. She has been named co-chair for the local March of Dimes drive, and she is a member of the Advisory Committee for Medical Information at Hazard Community and Technical College. She is also active in the Housing Development Alliance House Raising Committee, a member of CHICKS as well as a supporter of Little League and local school sports events. After working for the Hazard Clinic for nine years, she was recently named Executive Director of the Revenue Cycle Management with Crown Medical Management Group.
Dr. Glen Scott Bersaglia was the presenter of the Young Man of the Year Award whose recipient this year was Chris Stall who came to Hazard from Champaign, Illinois. Locally, the Young Man of the Year is Assistant Director of the Hazard-Perry County Housing Development Alliance. He serves as their loan officer, helping low-income families qualify for loans and packaging the loan product so there is affordable housing for many families. Mr. Stall is active in his church, Hazard’s First Presbyterian where he serves as an elder as well as a member of the Christian Education Committee. The graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University is working on his Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Morehead State University and the University Center of the Mountains.
Receiving a Special Award was the group known as CHICKS, which means Citizens Helping Inspire Children to Keep Straight. The group was recognized for their active promotion of civic and family events, including outdoor movies, the Cruzin on Main Car Shows, family oriented activities at the Bobby Davis Memorial Park as well as beautification projects for downtown Hazard.
Named Woman of the Year was Perry District Judge Leigh Anne Stephens, the first female judge elected in Perry County. Kim Sparkman, who presented the award emphasized Judge Stephens’ efforts to cut down on the truancy and drug problems locally. Her work as District Judge has not stopped with her sentencing duties. After someone has gotten themselves off the illegal substances, Judge Stephens is known to help them find employment through her work with LKLP, and she is the first to congratulate one for getting themselves “clean” as well as encourage them to finish their schooling by attaining their GED.
It is thought that Judge Stephens is the only person to receive two honors at the Civic Night programs. In 1994, she was named Young Woman of the Year.
Hazard High School Principal Donald “Happy” Mobelini had the honor of presenting this year’s Man of the Year Award to Leon Hollon. Mr. Hollon, who “wears many hats” is an attorney, a career he entered when he began practicing law with his father in 1966, automobile dealer, property manager, owner of Kentucky Mountain Insurance companies and a banker. Locally he is best known as President, Chairman and CEO of Peoples Bank and Trust Company, a $270 million bank, and along with his work at Peoples Bank, he is a board member of Citizens Bank and Trust Company in Jackson and the Farmers Deposit Bank in Middleburg, Kentucky. In making the presentation, Mobelini also noted Hollon’s long and concentrated efforts to make and keep downtown Hazard an attractive place to visit and do business. Hollon, who has been instrumental in updating and expanding Peoples Bank’s properties was recognized for his latest effort in upgrading Hazard’s Main Street, and that is the Peoples Park that is presently under construction. Hazard’s Man of the Year is the past President of the Hazard Lions Club. Presently, he serves as a member of the Hazard Community and Technical College Board, and he is also a member of the Hazard Independent College Foundation. Mr. Hollon is a member of the board of the John R. Turner Foundation which provides numerous college scholarships to Breathitt County students. Hollon also is a member of the Appalachian Regional Healthcare systems Board of Trustees as well as served for several years on the local hospital’s Board of Governors.
After Chamber President Tony Whitaker’s closing remarks, Bryan Bolton led those in attendance in the singing of “My Old Kentucky Home” before the benediction was offered by First Presbyterian Pastor Ellen Peach.
This year’s Civic Night’s guest speaker and the honorees have become part of a group so honored since the first Civic Night in 1952, a review of which is composed of some of Kentucky’s most respected, accomplished and generous citizens.
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