Wow, What a Day!!!

Thursday, February 9, 2010...what a morning this day brought. We headed to City Hall in Sadieville this morning. We left early enough to do our banking and post office chores in Sadieville. Then we walked down to City Hall. Brian Reese was out sweeping the snow off the sidewalk. Claude brought our snow shovel which made clearing the sidewalks in front of City Hall a bit easier. We got about 3 inches of snow overnight. This sounds pathetic compared to our friends in the Washington, DC area and their 28 inches with forecasts of 10 - 20 more inches tomorrow. The City Commission had their meeting from 9:30am to 10:30am. Claude conducted it. On the agenda was the resignation of Mayor Rob Wagoner. He had given Rand Marshall, the City Attorney, is letter of resignation. The City Commission accepted that letter and Rob's resignation. Then they nominated Claude as the next Mayor of Sadieville to fill out the remainder of this year's term. This office is up for election this fall. Claude was going to run on the November ballot. This just makes it happen a lot sooner. Claude accepted their request that he fill the Mayor position. Before the meeting was over, Rand Marshall executed the Oath of Office and when the meeting was done Claude was the new Mayor of Sadieville. Amazing. Now, I had my camera in my crochet bag. I had taken pictures of the Main Street portion of Sadieville in the snow. When all this transpired and I realized they were going to swear Claude in, I quickly reached into my bag to get the camera to take a picture. I couldn't find the silly camera. It had nestled itself in between several balls of crochet thread and I just couldn't see it. I finally found it and turned it on while they administering the oath but the camera was too cold to warm up quickly. It was ready to take the picture just as Claude put down his right arm. Hopefully there will be a picture in tomorrow's Georgetown newspaper. The reporter was there for what was to transpire after the City Commission monthly meeting. Toyota was making a most generous grant to the City of Sadieville to help with the restoration of the Rosenwald School. The president of Toyota in Georgetown was there with a big photo session check replica. In the picture below Steve Angelo, President of Toyota is on the left and Claude Christensen, Mayor of Sadieville is on the right. Claude gave a quick talk thanking Toyota for supporting our community in this wonderful way. Steve gave a quick talk explaining that in these economic times Toyota had looked at its charitable donations. They determined this one needed to be made because the Rosenwald School is a huge part of Scott County, Kentucky history but it is also a huge part of the history of the United States.

This is a picture of the Rosenwald School. These schools were built many years ago as a philanthropic effort providing schools for black children who had no school buildings. These schools were often built near the church. I've blogged about the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Sadieville and this Rosenwald School. The City of Sadieville bought them and plans to refurbish them as close to their original state as possible. They have been listed on the State Register of Historic places. Our Friends of Sadieville Renaissance, Inc., of which I am Secretary/Treasurer this year, was organized to raise funds for these two buildings and to identify and refurbish other old structures of historic significance in our little community. The picture on the left is the Rosenwald School. The picture on the right is Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church.

Sadieville is inextricably connected to Nicodemus, Kansas. Many years ago there was land to be given to people who could get themselves to Kansas. The African-American people living in the Scott County and Lexington area were told that for $5 they could have passage on a train to Nicodemus, Kansas where an all black community was being established. They would be given land to homestead. Sadieville was a railroad stop of significance in those days and these people all met and left from Sadieville. This Rosenwald School and Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church were buildings for the African-American population living here during these years. They are treasures to us and a great part of American History. We are having a Railroad Festival this October and plans are being laid and grant money obtained to have people from Nicodemus, Kansas return for a re-enactment of this important moment in history.

The picture below is the interior of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. The guests from Toyota drove in a Toyota caravan to see the Rosenwald School inside and out. Then we walked down the hill on the concrete steps between the two buildings and viewed the interior of the Mt. Pleasant Church. This church has a beautiful wooden podium in the front and gorgeous windows that are pointed at the top. Really would have been a lovely building.

The Toyota guests headed back to the Georgetown Toyota plant. Claude and I headed back to City Hall. The reporter interviewed Claude about the school and the church. Then we headed to Wendy's for a celebration lunch. When we got home the Jeep left ruts in the snow. I got a quick shot of the front of our home. Claude is headed to the mailbox.

So we had a very full morning. I'm happy for Claude and for Sadieville. Claude really wants to do his best with this responsibility. He'll be a great Mayor. I told him before this ever happened when we were discussing the possibility of him running for Mayor in November that I would need a new wardrobe if I was going to be the 1st Lady of Sadieville. Claude asked me what that meant (I think concerns for the pocket book were mounting). I assured him that in Sadieville that meant I get a new pair of jeans!!!