Local News
Thanksgivings of Long Ago
I remember many Thanksgivings in the Richmond of long ago (for me, 1935-1965). Thanksgiving originally was not an annual holiday and was celebrated only if the President of the United States issued a proclamation. President Franklin Roosevelt tried to change it from the fourth Thursday in November to the third Thursday of November, but the public rose in protest and he changed it back.
In Great Britain, there is a similar celebration in October to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Food is brought forward and left at the altar in the church. Canadians celebrate a Thanksgiving like us, but they wisely celebrate it in the more temperate month of October.
At Model School, I remember dressing up as pilgrims or Native Americans and re-enacting the first Thanksgiving — as best we could. At first, only Thursday was a school holiday, then Friday was added. At Eastern, the holiday eventually was expanded to three days (Wednesday through Friday) to allow students to travel to and from their homes.
The only community celebration I remember was a joint worship service on Thursday morning. The downtown churches rotated as hosts and their pastors took turns presenting a service. In this venue, Thanksgiving was very much a thank you to God.
At home we enjoyed turkey, lima beans, pumpkin pie, etc. We also had country ham. My father bought them “green” for 50 cents a pound, peppered and seasoned them, and hung them in the basement to cure. With this ham, we enjoyed red eye gravy. My father always kept a large vegetable garden in the summer. My mother would can in season and placed row after row of Ball mason jars in the cool, dark basement. Thus we had a basement full to draw from for Thanksgiving dinner! Woe be unto the lad who dropped one of the glass jars on the way up the steps to the kitchen. My mother also prepared homemade rolls for this occasion. The dough was placed in a large bowl on the mantel so it would rise to perfection.
Football was part of our Thanksgiving tradition even back then. Louisville Male and Louisville Manual always played their ultimate game for city-wide bragging rights on that Thursday. Kentucky and Tennessee also followed this Thanksgiving Thursday tradition. Following football over the radio allows for an exercise in imagination on the part of the audience and a display of vocabulary on the part of the radio announcer that is, sadly, now largely a lost art.
One year when the big game was conducted in Knoxville, a heavy snow came on Thanksgiving Day. All of the returning U.K. fans were funneled up Main Street in Richmond, as U.S. 25 went right through the center of town and the interstate did not exist. Many cars were stuck in the snow here in town. I vividly remember one tractor-trailer truck stuck and spinning its wheels trying to get up our Main Street slope.
With hundreds of motorists stranded, the citizens of Richmond opened their homes and churches and took them in out of the cold. Richmond did well for the stranded fans and they, in turn, had much to be thankful for in the form of helpful Madison County neighbors.
Finally, back in this period, no Christmas merchandise or decorations appeared until after Thanksgiving. Those were the days.
I wish a happy and memorable Thanksgiving to you one and all.
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Arts Gala, Pottery Festival kick off autumn activities
A nearly non-stop string of festivals and other fall events starts on Friday.
The Richmond Area Arts Council will get things going on Friday with its 20th annual Arts Gala at the home of Marilyn and Ralph Hacker, beginning at 5 p.m. It will be highlighted by a 6:30 p.m. dinner show with the Cool Waters cowboy band. For tickets, visit www.artsinrichmond.org or call 624-4242.
On Saturday and Sunday, the sixth annual Great American Pottery Festival with eight potters demonstrating their craft will take place in Richmond’s Irvine McDowell Park. More than 40 arts and crafts vendors will have their wares for purchase. Although getting a chance to turn mud into a pot or vase is great fun for children of all ages, the annual Kids Fest on Saturday in the park will have loads of other entertainment for youngsters. Both events are free. -
Alford plea for two suspected in Iowa robbery
Two men accused of an Iowa bank robbery pleaded guilty Thursday in Madison Circuit Court to receiving stolen property less than $10,000, a Class D felony.
Both men entered Alford pleas. By entering an Alford plea, a defendant admits that enough evidence exists for prosecutors to convince a jury the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, but does not actually admit to performing the crime of which they are accused. -
Delinquent taxpayers given warning to pay
The City of Richmond is giving those who owe delinquent property taxes a chance to pay before their name and owed amount appear in the Richmond Register.
The names of those who owe and how much they owe the city is scheduled to be published as a legal advertisement in the newspaper Saturday, Sept. 25. The deadline to pay before the name and amount are listed is Tuesday, Sept. 21 by 4:30 p.m.
The delinquent taxes being sought are for 2009, and bills for 2010 collections will be mailed out on Oct. 1. -
Hearing delayed for 3 accused of violating graves
A mandatory state furlough day Friday delayed a pretrial conference for three people accused of damaging graves at Richmond Cemetery.
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Voting resumes for playground ‘Refresh’ grant
Supporters of a playground accessible for handicapped children at Lake Reba Park have resumed their effort to win a $25,000 Pepsi Refresh grant.
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Commissioner: No one should take credit for street paving
A recent door-to-door excursion by a Richmond city commissioner was a way to say “Thank You,” rather than take credit for city services, he said.
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Lots of choices on November’s ballot
When Madison Countians go to the polls Nov. 2, there will be plenty of choices to make.
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Hudson to retire from Pattie A. Clay
Pattie A. Clay Regional Medical Center’s president and chief executive officer will retire next year, the hospital announced Friday.
In 2010, Pattie A. Clay will complete 118 years of providing healthcare for Madison and the surrounding counties. The year 2010 will also mark the sixth and final year that Robert J. Hudson will serve as the hospital’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Hudson will be retiring next spring with 33 total years of service to Pattie A. Clay. -
Richmond man pleads guilty to robbing stores
A Richmond man accused of robbing three check cashing stores in Richmond and Berea, pleaded guilty in Madison Circuit Court on Thursday, as part of a plea agreement.
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Special response team assists with domestic assault
A situation that police said could easily have spiraled out of control was kept calm by the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies, said Nelson O’Donnell, Madison County Sheriff.
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