WHAT LEXINGTON NEEDS, by Don Pratt
September 1991 Ace
(1) A working educational farm and mink zoo.
(2) Planned, inexpensive bus shuttles to various spots ( for example, concerts / Cincinnati Zoo / Arboretum / Art Museum Science and Natural History Museum, E-town’s Coke Museum, Louisville’s Science Museum).
(3) Soccer and volleyball tournaments (year-round) for different age groups / sexes / skill levels.
(4) Shuffleboard, horseshoes, “Annie Over” frisbee, marble tournaments to bring back fun games to show our kids and to emphasize participation.
(5) More softball, basketball and football tourneys (even smaller-sized teams) to de-emphasize pro sports and increase healthy exciting activity.
(6) A covered, winterized public pool and watersides!
(7) Listing and rating (4-3-2-1) of places and things to do and see.
(8) A paid Board of Education which should be larger in number and in representation.
(9) Joint and coordinated library and recreation program for the school system and our cities.
(10) If it’s true that 200 people in our school system have salaries of $60,000 per year we need to make some cuts.
(11) Affordable health care and insurance, maybe even socialized medicine.
(12) Better sharing of available work and less paper shuffle employment and orientation of employment. Creative relaxation to with the previous-mentioned.
(13) City and state and national tax reform—A new system of sales tax only with a single collection agency based on cooperation of the three groups. No exemption system with allocation of local, state, and general funds not given by a complicated tax exemption / avoidance system.
(14) More foster parents and “friends” of kids. Greater awareness and care of kids, especially a teen center (with their ideas).
(15) Reusable container laws even reusing throwaway and / or recyclable containers.
(16) A public aquarium (water dwellers / insects / birds).
(17) Photo museum of old Lexington with slides / books / pictures of different periods of time (showing of different eras at different times of the year); a division that could travel to the schools.
(18) A “Stuff” parade (not for sale) where people bring their odd and unusual collection and viewers parade like a flea market or antique show.
(19) Cheaper Housing.
(20) Integration of country clubs, “churches” and restaurant table staff.
(21) Evangelical, left-of-center activities, not members of “Socials.”
(22) Lotteries for larger numbers of prizes (vans, cars, paid Kentucky State Park vacations, homes) so many can win, not just a few.
(23) Limited Amusement park (connect to working farm / zoo /museums / waterslides), with Mini-Mouse, bumper cars, etc.
(24) An investor for Casserole Kastle (new idea for restaurant).
(25) Another investor for another “multimillion-dollar” business idea.
(26) Greater usage of church buildings.
(27) A fast food, health food restaurant that’s cheap.
(28) Films for Richmond’s planetarium.
(29) Return of the Kentucky Theatre.
(30) Return of the public “Freddy Mills.”
(31) Return of great classic and foreign films on big screen and Dolby.
(32) Indoor horse-shows.
(33) Band performances to both sides of UK’s stadium—every game!
(34) Plans and a design to close in the taxpayers’ Commonwealth Stadium with a “Picnic for the Pops” design and other multiple usages.
(35) UK Board of Trustees with soul, heart and intelligence (representing community needs, not money-making projects’ also applies to city and state government!).
(36) 30-hour work weeks.
(37) Coordination and cooperation between the Children’s Museum and the Living Arts and Science. Take politics and financial power out of kids’ needs.
(38) “Zero growth” planning—done to stunt human abuse by profit-oriented development.
(39) Cheaper buggy rides (maybe hayride or large coach), with benefit and participation of Historic Society.
(40) Soundless TV program with caption to encourage reading. How about all cartoons? Soap operas?
(41) A yearly employee honored at UK in honor of DeVaugn Pratt, a dedicated, conscientious staff member.
(42) Promote high school and collegiate wrestling! Not pro as representing this sport.
(43) Programmed events (films, games, local talent) for PTA family fun nights and neighborhood and church group social / education event. Note: Ask Appalshop for some of their stuff.
(44) Promote canoeing and kayaking!
(45) Promote human-powered water events!
(46) Pre-prime time local programming of local speaker with educational information.
(47) Coffehouse…
(2001) Getting together and implementing some of these ideas.
(2002) Another chance at this column.
(2003) A cut-out on this page to sent readers’ ideas to ACE of “What Lexington Needs.”
