Hunter Nichols Hits First Webster Home Run Since 2011 in Win Over Hopkinsville

This story is a copy of my Storify. I am adding it here to keep an account for Webster County history on the TWCKY e-zine. It is my goal to document thriller or record events for Webster County Sports, as much as possible.

I also want to show support for all Webster County sports (basketball, baseball, tennis, etc.), whenever I can learn about their happenings, since I believe that's important to the community and the players. I encourage Webster County citizens to always make every athlete's accomplishments important.
 

To read on Storify, see http://storify.com/DeborahRyan/hunter-nichols-hits-first-webster-home-run-since-2.

Pitching six innings in a winning game is a great experience, but when you also have an opportunity to batter up and hit a home run like Hunter Nichols did, well that's even more awesome, especially since it's the first home run for your school team in two years.

After a brief five-day vacation to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, where he watched the St.Louis Cardinals play against Arizona, sportswriter Mike Stunson's first sports story getting back in the work groove is sure to be about a great Webster game.

Rallying to help him make it to the game, Twitter users proved that the social media platform is an awesome tool to aid others when it's needed. 

Let's pick up where Mike begins his plea for directions, then see how Hunter Nichols and the Webster Baseball team pull off a win for the records -

Correction added: Reese Mitchell should be Reese Johnson. Alex Mitchell was batting.

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The Little Girl Who Never Sees Big Obstacles

Lydia Kay Wirth is a three-year old who knows how to party. Just take a look at the photo below. She and her dad, Josh Wirth, are up to their elbows in shaving cream for some Easter egg coloring fun!

Lydia is the winner of our Ready for Easter contest, receiving the most 'likes' with her favorite way to celebrate Easter photo. Way to go Lydia! TWCKY hopes you will enjoy your $15 Walmart gift card a lot.

Lydia's mom, Chelsey Zaretzke Wirth, (formerly of Providence) shared with me - "She is the happiest girl I know. She can bring a smile to your face. She loves everybody and judges no one."

About Lydia

Born as a seemingly healthy baby,  Lydia began to show signs at five months old that she was not developing at an age appropriate rate. Naturally concerned, her parents consulted her pediatrician. At that time, the doctor saw nothing that caused him concern.

One month later, Lydia's parents came back to the physician, determined that some tests be administered to find an explanation for her inability to perform age-appropriate tasks. The doctor ordered an MRI scan.

The test results showed that Lydia had hydrocephalus, a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, causing swelling and pressure. This would begin to explain the impairments of brain function and lack of development they'd seen in Lydia.

Because the disorder is potentially fatal, Lydia's parents immediately scheduled appointments at Kosair's Children's Hospital in Louisville for the following day. There she would see a team of genetic physicians.

A new diagnosis with an enduring message

Following evaluation, the doctors at Kosair's diagnosed Lydia with Rubinstein Taybi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects many organs of the body. Doctors reassured Lydia's mom and dad that nothing done by either parent had caused the syndrome, but no amount of reassurance could have bolstered them for the frightening news they heard next.

"Lydia will never walk or talk. You will have to take care of Lydia for the rest of your lives."

Research spurs second opinion, a more fitting diagnosis

Lydia began therapy and her mom began to dig deeper, to find out all she could about Rubinstein Taybi . She'd not been convinced that the latest diagnosis was correct. The gut feeling that wouldn't seem to change  finally helped her realize that it was time for a second opinion.

It had been a year since the first diagnosis. The doctor who saw Lydia this time concluded that she had cerebral palsy, most likely caused from her previous hydrocephalus, brain fluid buildup. Her mom agreed that her functional abilities most closely resembled the signs and symptoms associated with CP.

Lydia today

Lydia is on her way, achieving with her abilities. She feeds herself with her fingers and can use utensils with assistance. She sits, crawls and can walk with assistance, and she can speak and sign little words.

Attending preschool is something Lydia loves. No one has to persuade her that it's time for school. And she's part of the regular classroom there. She just gets some extra help with  physical, speech and occupational therapy.

She's even added a new adventure of physical and speech therapy at Theraplay in Madisonville to boost her skills, too.

At home, it's time for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Elmo and fun with mom and dad, but it's never time to quit (except when you simply must go to sleep of course). And there must always be room in a girl's schedule for hugs and kisses.

Her mom and dad feel especially blessed to have her. They will tell you that even the brief journey they've come with Lydia thus far has taught them so much about the richness of life. She's a little girl who doesn't give up, her mom says, "and it's only the beginning!"

 

Lydia with her parents, Chelsey and Josh Wirth of Princeton, Kentucky

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Eggstra Easter Fun Focuses on Resurrection at Sebree First Baptist

First Baptist Church of Sebree, Kentucky

-- A pleasant Saturday afternoon brought out many parents and grandparents with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and elementary age students to First Baptist Church in Sebree. They came for an eggceptional hunt of brightly-colored eggs and received much more.

Dawn Whitsell directed everyone on details of the hunt, but before she let the anxious youngsters get started for the event, she shared what the celebrated day of Easter is all about:













"The meaning of Easter is the celebration of the resurrection. 
It is the reason that we celebrate. Jesus arose from the tomb and he is alive," she emphasized, posing with a firm stance while attempting to make direct eye contact with
 as many children as possible.

The amount of time she spoke was brief, but her words and posture conveyed a strong message, which ended with a prayer of thankfulness.

Instructed on groupings and areas to search in, then given the word from leaders that it was time to begin, kids took to the grass in three separate areas to look for treasures, including a golden egg that entitled the finder to a special prize.

In just moments, all of the eggs were in happy children's baskets.

Dawn Whitsell and her four children

Afterwards, adults and children emptied most of the plastic eggs to leave them useable for a future hunt. Even though Ms.Whitsell had told them earlier that even if they decided to take them home, that was fine, too.

Children who found the 'golden egg' claimed their special prizes, and folks chatted and organized their treasures. Pastor Bob Hardison was on hand to talk with adults and children and enjoy watching the hunt.

The event had been a memorable one for me. I took my 2-year old granddaughter along, and her grandpa joined in as well. For children ages 0-2 years, the hunt was held in an enclosed area for the safety
of the children, and there was a toddler play set to enjoy after the goodies were gathered, which included a small stuffed bunny for each child.

While at the hunt, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Hardison, the pastor - to ask him a few questions about the church. He shared that the church was established in 1891. He'd been the pastor there for 33 years, and had been with the church through many changes and events, such as its 100th anniversary in 1991, as well as developments, including a building addition in 2002.

His eyes seemed to sparkle a bit, as he shared with me how delighted he was that the addition was paid off in nine years. The ninth year had been in 2011 - framed photos of the addition's groundbreaking and note burning day were on the foyer wall as a remembrance.

Groundbreaking, April 2002

Note burning,  January 2011

Dr. Hardison had also enjoyed sharing with me, over the phone recently, about the bicycle ministry. The church serves as an overnight stay hostel for cyclists along the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.

Annually, about 250 cyclists come to the accommodation, which provides amenities such as showers, washer/dryer and a recreation facility. To learn more about the ministry and the church, see http://sebreefirstbaptist.com/Bicycle_Ministry.html.

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New Song Release - Blue on Grass - Inspired by WC Native’s Rural Kentucky Lifestyle

Rachel Harvey Hill

-- When it comes to knowing what it’s like to miss a hometown and to appreciate the rural Kentucky lifestyle, Rachel Harvey Hill has gained a lot of experience. Now living in Seoul, South Korea, far from her Wheatcroft, Kentucky, roots, Rachel allows a longing for home to inspire her words for songs.

Inspired by music as a child

Rachel has had an interest in music for as long as she can remember. She says her childhood was filled with people and experiences that allowed her to develop her natural talent and skills. Her mother was the first to leave an impression, always singing to her. Rachel loved listening to her, as well as her two sisters. The three women sang together as a trio.

Ms. Joyce Price also played a big role in Rachel’s love of music. Ms. Price instructed Rachel in music, both at Clay Elementary School and at Clay First Baptist Church, where she gave Rachel piano and voice lessons.

Rachel and her mother weren’t the only family members with musical talent either. Her brother, Tim Harvey, began playing music by ear at age six. Today, Tim is an amazing gifted musician, singer, writer and recording engineer and makes the demos of the songs she writes. He is also an associate pastor/church worship leader in Cunningham, Kentucky. Rachel says Tim has taught her a lot about music.

Singing, songwriting and traveling

During high school and college, Rachel sang with and wrote some of the songs recorded in Nashville for a group called Crossroads, a Southern Gospel quartet. She says it was in this timeframe that she combined her love for music and poetry to form songs.

Rachel and her husband, Ryan, who is in the Air Force, have lived in places that include North Carolina, Arizona, and Kansas along with their current location in Seoul.

I asked Rachel how living in different places has affected her songwriting. She responded -

“I’ve met amazing musicians in each place we have lived that have challenged me and helped me develop as a musician and writer.”

Songs born out of losses

In 2005, Rachel lost her son Raphael in death, then in 2010, she lost another son, Rhett. Both sons died due to a rare genetic condition known as Zellweger syndrome. Rachel shared with me about the experiences.

“During my time of grief songwriting was my gateway to cry out to God with my hurts, questions, fears, and anger. As I would write, it seemed he met me there and answered my cries. I put some of the songs I wrote after Raphael passed away into an album called, ‘The Rafi Album.’

I hoped that it would bring comfort to grieving parents. I can’t even begin to explain the peace I found listening to myself sing about my own grief when my son, Rhett later died. Maybe sometimes being able to write songs is God’s way of communicating with me, comforting me and showing me love.”

Moving forward with expectation

Rachel now has a daughter. Having written around 200 songs, her future goals, in addition to being a wife and mother, are to continue writing songs. She says, “I’m going to write no matter what. Songs just come out of me.” Her hopes are to see some of her songs recorded by a major artist. She’d also like to see them used in films or television.

To keep up with Rachel's songwriting and hear more of her music see www.rachelharveyhill.com and Rachel Harvey Hill on Facebook. Her new song, below for your viewing via YouTube, is set to be available on iTunes and other digital media in this upcoming week of April 1-6, 2013.

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Lake Reel-em-in: Memories of a WC Recreational Area Not Forgotten

For a lot of folks that were youngsters or teens back in the 50s and 60s, you’d have found no better public place in or near Webster County to take a fun dip in the water than at Lake Reel-em-in recreational area in Dixon, Kentucky. Some say that the Sturgis Pool (formerly in Union County) and Reel-em-in’s camping, fishing and swimming spot were two of the best places for a kid to enjoy jumping off the diving board. Even better yet, was going to the snack shop for a coke and a candy bar, which you could have gotten for a quarter or less… “Those were ‘good times.’” 

Known by many as Walker Lake

The 65-acre body of water is designated as Walker Lake, a reservoir in the Kentucky Geological Survey that is within the Green/Tradewater River Basin in Kentucky (see http://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/olops/pub/kgs/mc189_12.pdf). The lake was named after Bill Walker of Henderson, who was at one time the property’s owner.

Today, Walker Lake is part of the property owned by Dixon area resident Frank Boggess along with a beautiful home there. A boat dock remains, though, no diving board. A small fishing boat rests along its shore. On the hill, there are picnic tables and a grill, most likely used for private gatherings. 

Memories of the lake recalled and shared on Facebook

Members of the Facebook group ‘If you grew up in Webster County, Ky, you remember…’ have memories of cabins there, jumping from the diving board, fishing, a playground and family picnics, as well as the delightful snack shop or store as it was often called it, too.

The Facebook group members recall when Victor and Virgil Puckett ran the place, and when Terry Franklin was a lifeguard there.

One of my most vivid memories is from a trip there with my grandmother, Bessie Owen Gardner. 

My brothers were swimming, and I was playing in the sand. Grandma, as we called her, was sitting on a bench. In those days, women wore dresses almost everywhere. Grandma had one on that day, and a full flower design apron over top. 

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the afternoon. Warm day it was… made most every living creature want at least a splashing of the lake water. Guess that’s why you could expect what happened next, but none of us were prepared for it. 

There we were, all having fun when we heard a loud ScReaM, “Oh, my God, it’s a SNAKE!!! HELP Me!!”

Next thing we knew, grandma had taken off running toward that snack shop hollerin', “It’s in my skirt…It’s in my skirt.” Of course, it didn’t take long for that snake to get out of her dress, or skirt as she was referring to it at the time. 

Weren’t we kids awful for laughing at her frightening moment?

She fared well, though. Other than a case of shaken nerves, she’d not been harmed, no bites that is to say.

A Memorial  

While performing research for this article, I felt especially grateful that my grandma's scary experience at the lake was no comparison to that of Beverly Drury's, age 19, of Utica, Kentucky, who had drown in the lake in 1952. I’d like to dedicate this article in her memory. 

All of us who had the privilege to enjoy Lake Reel-em-in and collect fond memories are indeed blessed.

Thank you members of the ‘If you grew up in Webster County, Ky, you remember…’ Facebook group for sharing your experiences with me. The people of Webster County who live there now and have lived there in the past make this e-zine a happy place to come and write.

Share your memories of Lake Reel-em-in/Walker Lake on our Facebook page.

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