WEBVTT
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Welcome, thanks for joining us.
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This is James Spraggins, and this is mildly amusing.
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Um very excited about um I think I probably say that every single time.
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I need to come up with a better way of saying that I'm happy or something about this guest.
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But but I am excited and happy.
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Um our guest today is Diane Mattingley, uh, who is the founder and probably I guess the president of Beautify Loreto.
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We're gonna talk about her life, her bio, her military service, and her her advocacy for uh her hometown of Loreto, right here.
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And everybody knows where Loreto is.
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And if they listen to this podcast, you know, I'm obsessed with Loreto, apparently.
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This will be number five, I guess, um, podcast that um um about Loreto.
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So anyway, for whatever reason, I guess I'll never stop being interested in it.
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Anyway, and uh another thing that I am truly excited about is this is our first sponsored podcast.
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Um I am so grateful to Steve Brady and Donna Mattingley, who have seen fit to um underwrite today's podcast.
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I think they did not even know that I was interviewing Donna's first cousin, but I am.
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And so Steve and Donna, thank you so much.
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I really do appreciate your interest in uh underwriting this, but also you're both very kind to say nice things to me about it.
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So anyway, um thank you to them.
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And thank you all for listening.
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We'll be right back with Diane Mattingley.
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We're back.
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This is James Spraggins, and you're um joining us here for something that is hopefully gonna be slightly more than mildly amusing.
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Um our guest today, uh Diane Mattingley, thank you so much for for coming in and uh agreeing to take part in this.
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Um the reason that I've asked you, I've gotten to know you a little bit in the last few years.
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Um we are on the preservation uh committee, together, society board together, and we've really gotten to kind of know each other through that.
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And um I have been an admirer of things you've been doing in Loreto.
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Um you started a thing called Beautify Loretto, and it has um tangibly improved things in Loreto, and I admire it, and um uh I just wanted to hear kind of your story about that, and uh but also learn a little bit more about you.
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I know that you are a veteran and uh thank you for your service.
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Um Do you kind of hate it when people say that?
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I've heard that some people like roll their eyes, like, alright.
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Um it's just hard to know what to say in response to that.
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Thank you for your your support, I suppose.
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Yeah, it is appreciated though.
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Okay, yes, okay.
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All right.
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Um, very good.
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Well, I mean it.
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So um thank you for coming on.
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And let's start with give me a little bit of your biography.
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I know that you are a Mattingley.
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And I'd I'd like you to name every one of your relatives and give me a little bit about what you think about them.
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No, um I know you're a cousin of a good friend of mine uh named uh Donna Mattingley.
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And um who is uh she and her husband are the sponsors of this of this podcast, our very first sponsors, and uh we're much appreciative for that.
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Uh so Diane, t tell us a little bit about yourself.
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Start at the beginning.
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Well, I grew up in Loretta.
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My mom was one of thirteen and my dad was one of twelve.
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That sounds so familiar.
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How many people in Loretta have a similar uh I'd say quite a few when we were growing up.
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Now not so much.
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Um but back then, back in you know the sixties and seventies, families were really big.
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Yeah.
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So uh grew up in Loretta, graduated from Marion County High School.
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Um and not long after graduation, a friend of mine um talked me into joining the army.
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That was never anything that I foresaw in my future.
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Um so uh that was 1982.
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Well why did why do you think they talked you into that?
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Um well she had been in discipline.
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Probably, probably.
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Uh she was uh in high school ROTC.
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Uh I was not.
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And so um so I did that, and um she never made it through basic training, and and here I am with that.
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It's a bait and switch.
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Yeah.
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Here I am decades later, um retiring.
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Um so uh it was a good thing for me.
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Uh absolutely a good thing.
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Tell me a little bit about that.
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What was so you went through the ROTC.
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Tell me about your your service.
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Where did you go?
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What you know, tell me a little bit about what it was like.
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Well, I I joined the reserve.
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Um so when I joined the reserve a reserve unit here in Lebanon, uh, no longer here, uh it um closed down during a reorganization back in I think the early early 90s.
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Um so when um when it closed down, uh we moved um we moved to Fort Knox.
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All of the uh members of this unit here uh went to different units mainly on Fort Knox.
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So I ended up in a reserve unit in Fort Knox.
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Uh at one point I went on um active duty, active guard reserve.
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Uh that was with uh U.S.
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Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox.
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And um when I was released from active duty, um I went to moved down to Bowling Green and went to Western.
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Um after I graduated there, I went back to Fort Knox as a civilian, back into the reserve, and um have retired from both uh the Army, Reserve, Army, and uh my civilian job at Fort Knox.
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Okay, okay.
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What's your civilian job at Fort Knox?
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Um my last civilian job was working uh at um at the Human Resources Command at Fort Knox.
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I was working for the Foreign Foreign Area Officer Assignment Branch, and that's basically officers who are out in embassies worldwide.
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Uh I was working working there for about 12 years.
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Prior to that, I was in the public affairs office at Fort Knox uh as a community relations officer, and um before that I was the um associate editor of the Fort Knox newspaper.
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Oh wow.
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Yeah.
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So I've I've had some great jobs.
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Now what got you into that?
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Did you work on the on the uh on the shield when you were here or I I actually I did not.
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Um I actually majored in photojournalism, uh double double majored in photojournalism and uh English writing down there at Western.
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So wow.
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Yeah.
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So um that's how I ended up working for the newspaper at Fort Knox.
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Um got promoted into the community relations officer position and um you know went from there.
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What kind of writing did you do?
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Like feature stuff or um Yeah, that was my favorite thing was features writing.
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Yeah, I bet yeah.
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I wasn't much into sports writing or uh yeah.
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So you just r mentioned something.
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So you when you started you were the Lebanon Lebanon had its own uh reserve unit here.
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Yes, it was out there on Fairgrounds Road.
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On Fairgrounds Road.
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And you know what's funny?
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So where the extension office is now, that was our armory.
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Yes.
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Um which I had like totally forgotten that until a couple of years ago I drove by and I was like, wait, I just had a flash.
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I can remember when it was the armory.
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Um why did we uh lose that?
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I think does Springfield still have a well it wasn't actually an armory, it was it was an Army Reserve Center.
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Um uh Springfield, as far as I know, National Guard's still over there.
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Um but through one of the Army's reorganizations, um they closed they closed our battalion down.
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Okay.
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Uh, you know, it was happening all over the country, you know.
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So um so we lost it.
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Um and that's when, you know, like I said, we moved to Fort Knox.
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Where all did your service take you?
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Geographically.
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Geographically, like I said, well, you know, most of my reserve reserve time was um stateside.
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Uh-huh.
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Um, so but my civilian job actually took me more places than my reserve job.
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Okay.
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Um I went to conferences, um, you know, that last job I had was the best job.
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Sent me to Monterey, California twice a year took conference.
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Oh my gosh.
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Um, so um we would explore the, you know, sometimes my husband would come with me, and sometimes my daughter.
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We would explore the uh um the coast.
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Um one of my favorite things to do was visit the missions there.
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There are missions um that were settled there by the Spanish, I think, like in the 17 and 1800s.
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Right.
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Um, those were really cool.
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Um, so that job also took me to uh conferences in Germany and Italy.
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Um my daughter, um, you know, I think she got the little travel bug with me.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Uh traveling with me, so she she really loves to travel too.
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So um so was there a point?
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Did you I I have a cousin who she's married to a Marine, and it's he was in it straight out of college.
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And um there was like a time he said, well, okay, I'll do five years, or whatever a term is, what you know, 35 years later he's still there.
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Was that ever did you think I'm in this long term, or did you think, well, I'll go another step, Seattle's.
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I'll go another step, Seattle's, or what was it like for you?
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I never had a plan.
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I I never like I said, I never planned to join the army.
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Um it was just something that sort of happened.
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Just the wind blew you there.
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It just it just did, but I never really had a plan, but I I definitely didn't have a plan, you know, to stay for, you know, th 40 years.
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Um between my um, you know, my reserve job and my civilian job, I was with the Army in one capacity or another, uh either reserve, active duty, or Department of the Army civilian for for 40 years.
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So throughout all this, you were, you know, not too far away.
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So were you all the time coming back to see family in Loreto?
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Well, when when you're in reserve, I mean you can basically live, you know.
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Live wherever.
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Yeah, I mean, my my job was at Fort Knox.
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I was carpooling with I don't know if you're But you lived in Etown for a long time, right?
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I d I lived in E Town um after I got off of active duty, yes.
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Okay.
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Um do you all still live over there?
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Um we have a house in E Town and a house in Loretta, yes.
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I knew you had the house in the house.
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My family home, yeah.
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My family home is the one I renovated in Loretta.
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Oh, very good, very good.
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Yeah, and you've done a really nice job.
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Not that I've been invited to the inside, but as any citizen can, I've driven by.
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You're welcome to be able to do that.
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That's the closest I've ever gotten to come.
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But um, so okay, so you never lost your interest in things going on in your hometown.
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Um you um what so you have started this thing that you called Beautify Loretto?
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Um, which is aptly named because that's what you aim to do.
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And uh what got you thinking about doing that?
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And um how did you how did you s how did you get get the ball rolling?
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Um well that was back at the end of if I'm remembering correctly, 2017.
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Um I was about to my my dad had passed away in 2014, and I was about to start renovation of my family home there in Loreto, and I just thought um looking around that that you know maybe we could start this little committee and make improvements around town.
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Um it's just something something that I I thought would might work.
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Yeah.
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Well, like one thing that started that galvanized the preservation society that you're you and I are both part of, um is worry about what was gonna happen with our court courthouse here in Lebanon.
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Right.
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And that we had already lost the Ray House on Main Street, a historic home.
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Um and we were like saying somebody's gotta do something, you know.
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So were you galvanized by some did something get torn down?
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Uh were you galvanized by any anything?
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Very often that's what happens.
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Not at the very beginning, um, but there were a couple of um buildings that were torn down that I would have loved to have seen be saved, um, but it all came down to uh with everybody else, it all came down to a um a financial issue.
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Uh you know, how much is it gonna cost to to renovate this property and and get it back to the way it was versus you know tearing it down.
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So you don't always win those.
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And that's before the state really expanded their historic tax credits, which are pretty substantial now.
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But right.
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I mean you kind of can't blame folks for throwing in the towel for these old.
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It's tough.
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It it's it's a tough job to to, you know, when you take on that, you know, total renovation of of a property, it's it's a big job.
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So uh did you go out and like uh find kindred spirits and say, hey, we need to start this thing, we're gonna we need to stand athwart this decline or something.
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Or what were you Well it was a little tough in the beginning.
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Um we had, you know, an unexpected um cash flow.
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Um I had gone to to Judge D'Arty asking for help.
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Um Mayor Tom Brom, who was there at the time, uh asking for help.
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And uh I still remember the day, you know, Judge D'Arty called me to tell me that uh there was one I think it was one point two one point one two five million, I think it was, um uh that was that had been donated.
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And I'm like, donated to who?
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Who are you talking about?
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He said to you, to your organization, and I like, are you serious?
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Um yeah, it just so he had worked with um, you know, uh Makers Mark um and Independent Stave and Busick Construction Company um to um secure those donations.
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And you know, those were donations that were, you know, 75,000 each over the period of five years, which uh, you know, it's been I think three or four years now since that ended uh that we did receive all of those donations.
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So um, you know, that's pretty remarkable.
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He undertook this without even you didn't even know it.
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No, I did not.
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Uh it was a complete shock to me when he called me.
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I was actually at work that day at Fort Knox when he called me uh to tell me that.
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I still remember sitting there, I'm like, okay, who are you talking about?
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Who's got you know a million dollars?
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Um so uh yeah, so it was quite a shock.
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And then, you know, um it was you'd think that'd be a total good thing, but everybody had, you know, at the at the time, everybody had an idea of how how that money should be spent.
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And we were, you know, we were bringing in Lincoln Trail, doing all of these surveys and community meetings, and just fry trying to find out, you know, what the overwhelming majority of people wanted to do with that money.
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You were trying to build consensus.
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Right, right.
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What do people actually want?
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Because it's hard to lead when you don't have people behind you following you.
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So so you know, there was there was some hard times there, and there was uh, you know, a lot of backlash for certain things, and um, but you know, we were trying to do the right thing and we were trying to get it on the right track, and um, you know, we did do um for the first, I think, four years uh pressure washing program where um you know Beautify Loretta would pay half of um you know pressure washing costs for for um homes and businesses in the in the Loretta City limits and uh you know.
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The ones that are affected by the whiskey.
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Right, right.
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Right.
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But you know, we're not able to do that anymore.
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We don't have the funds to to keep doing that anymore.
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But but um I assume that's why you were able to get this kind of donations suburban sector.
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That was only part of it.
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Um that's only part of the reason why Beautify Loretta was started.
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There were, you know, other reasons just you know looking around town and um you know it when you when you I think when you move away and you come back, you see you know, you when you live somewhere and you you you I think you stop seeing things.
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Yeah.
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Uh because you see them every day.
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You know what I'm saying?
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Because it's gradual, it's like the the frog in the pot of boiling water.
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Right, right.
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Yeah.
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Um right.
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So what so give me some an idea of what were some of your initial goals when you started this?
00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:28.240
You're like, okay, we have a problem of sort of like benign, not so benign neglect, but some neglect and decay.
00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:29.759
You were trying to stand up with that.
00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:33.359
Well, what were some of your tangible goals when you started the organization?
00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:41.680
Um, well, we we came up with a list from, you know, all of the community meetings and surveys that we did.
00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:45.680
We came up with a list of what people wanted to see.
00:17:46.079 --> 00:18:04.880
Um so one of the first things we did was um we there were a lot of trees planted, there was a mural um done on the that wall beside um the parking lot at Cozy Corner where we we actually we own the property beside that.
00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:08.000
Um Cozy Corner actually owns the mural.
00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:15.200
Um and we did um pots of flowers flowers around town.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:16.559
Um we did that.
00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:21.119
Um we did the pressure washing program that I mentioned.
00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:30.799
Um and then at some point um we decided to do our first really major project, which was the clock tower.
00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:33.359
Okay, yeah, and I want I definitely want to talk about that.
00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:40.240
That's I won't call it your crowning achievement because you're not finished, but it's a really impressive talk about it.
00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:43.200
And I know you've won an award for it, but tell us tell us about that.
00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:50.000
Well, we started we started the um planning process for that right before COVID hit.
00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:53.119
So COVID slowed us down a lot.
00:18:53.680 --> 00:19:00.240
Um the planning Is it built on excuse me, is it built on who owns That's city property.
00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:01.519
So the city already owned this.
00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:02.160
City property.
00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:10.160
What we're talking about is some city property uh kind of across from Loretta Foodland, is that kind of roughly?
00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:12.400
To to the yeah, to the right.
00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:13.039
Yeah.
00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:13.680
Okay.
00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:21.359
Um and you've turned it into kind of a a park and you've erected this really nice clock tower.
00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:22.640
So go ahead.
00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:26.720
Um so um we had, you know, just a small team at the time.
00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:28.480
We had five members.
00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:32.160
So we're trying to get through this design process.
00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:34.720
Um, you know, a lot of things we don't understand.
00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:40.960
Uh, in we had and we hired a design consultant who assisted us.
00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:50.720
Um before that, we had actually hired uh an engineering and architecture firm to do a master plan for the city, uh, and that was Hare Hare Construction Company.
00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:53.759
Um they are out of, I think their headquarters are in West Virginia.
00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:56.720
Oh, they have offices in Lexington too, though.
00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:07.359
Um so we had hired them to do um to create a master plan, and from the master plan is actually what we um what we drew that clock tower project out of.
00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:14.960
Um so we took that out of the master plan and and that's what we started that major project with was that.
00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:22.240
Um and it took, like I said, took longer than expected because that right before COVID, which slowed us down.
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:29.279
So it was about three years in in the making, I guess, um, before it finally got completed.
00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.000
So that's pretty remarkable.
00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:40.960
I know that Lebanon uh the Lebanon's uh tourism commission twenty-five years ago or something, commissioned something similar.
00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:44.720
And uh frankly it has sat in a file drawer ever since.
00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:52.880
But th that's pretty uh ambitious for a town the size of Loreto to have sought this out and had this wider vision.
00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:59.039
What were some of the other elements of it and what are some of the things you think you can you can achieve out of it?
00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:07.279
Um well that that that actually there's actually f supposed to be three phases to this project.
00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:10.559
Um the clock tower, what's out there now is actually phase one.
00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:20.799
Um and you know, for that phase, we were I mean we were doing things like picking out pavers, the color of pavers, and and you know, what kind of clock you want in there and what kind of dials you want.
00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:31.039
Every little detail um we were we were um you know reviewing and and selecting and um but that was actually supposed to which phase one of uh the project.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:35.920
Phase two would be the military memorial, which is what we're fundraising for now.
00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:46.079
Um and that became um you know a goal after um we uh participated in the Smithsonian traveling exhibit with the Loretta Motherhouse.
00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:46.480
Right.
00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:59.279
Uh and as part of that exhibit um I worked on a military um on a military display for that project, and the response was overwhelming.
00:21:59.440 --> 00:21:59.759
I had
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:07.920
No idea that you know small Lor Loretta and the western end of the county had so many veterans, had no clue.
00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:14.319
So that became um phase two of the project, which is what we're working on now, the fundraising.
00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:17.759
Um we haven't started the design, we're getting ready to start the design on that.
00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:31.359
And then phase three, uh, if we make it that far, you know, that's pie in the sky kind of thing, uh, is a an all-inclusive venue behind the clock tower, um, which you would be able to use during the summer and the winter.
00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:37.599
You could, you know, during the winter you could pull the doors down uh and it would be heated.
00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:38.000
Right.
00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:39.200
That type of venue.
00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:43.519
In the summer, you could use it as farmers market or what it yeah.
00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:46.319
And like maybe entertainment stuff too?
00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:47.200
Sure, sure.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:47.680
Yeah.
00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:48.319
Huh.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:48.880
Okay.
00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:50.559
Did you have a model in mind?
00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:55.279
Did you have you visited other towns and who were doing some interesting things like this?
00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:58.000
And that's where our master plan came in.
00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:01.279
Um it it's actually part of the master plan.
00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:03.839
Um the renderings are in the master plan.
00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:09.680
Are you tapping out a distress signal as you hit the table, all these with all your gesticulations?
00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:17.279
I'm just curious because I'm gonna I'm gonna get somebody who knows Morse code and find out exactly what you were saying about me about all this tapping tapping.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:23.119
No, I'm just seeing we we give we always give our guests a little reminder, please don't nervously tap the tape.
00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:24.400
Typ I'm typing over here.
00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:26.079
That's right.
00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:26.880
That's right.
00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:29.680
I think you're saying help me, help me.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:33.920
Um, I'm guilty of it myself occasionally.
00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:34.880
Um Okay.
00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:41.680
So what what do you see as like the what do you see as what are you looking forward to now?
00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:53.759
What are you what are you all in what's in process, what's what's later, what you know, what's what's what's the kind of intermediate future hold for the organization?
00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:03.920
Well, we don't have other than you know the plans right now that we're working on for the military memorial, that's that's our that's our main focus right now.
00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:11.200
The military memorial you uh if I if you said this uh excuse me, but the military memorial will go where in conjunction with the clock tower.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:15.200
Like it it will go in the immediate vicinity.
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:19.119
We're not exactly sure which part of it though.
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:24.880
Or um we'd also like to include a first responder memorial with that.
00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:37.920
Um these are things that I would assume you'd could with some ease find some funding partners for who would like to help with like the military are we're hopeful.
00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:39.119
Yes.
00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:50.400
We have a uh mutual friend with the um American Legion who is very good about funding local things and uh so looking at you, Tom Sparks.
00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:56.000
Um they do a great job out there um supporting the local community at the American Legion.
00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:56.720
Yeah, right.
00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:59.359
I'm actually a member of the American Legion, so right.
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:01.039
Yeah, yeah, I knew you were.
00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:01.599
Okay.
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:16.799
Um as your what do you see personally as you are you gonna remain involved in the uh beautify Loreto organization, or um are you thinking of well, what are your thoughts?
00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:21.759
Well, it it's been over eight years now.
00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:30.240
Um so I'm hoping that maybe um, you know, in the near future one of my other board members will step in and and take over.
00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.359
Um you know, more how many people do you have on your board?
00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:36.079
Um there are eight of us right now.
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:37.440
Okay, that's a good number.
00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.559
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:39.920
So what's it been like?
00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:50.480
Do you feel like it's been pulling teeth, or do you feel like you've had a surprisingly positive response to the things you wanted to get done?
00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:57.519
Not everybody I have learned in life just immediately share your vision, uh whatever it is.
00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:04.640
But did you feel like you know you put the call out and people just showed up, or what do you like, what's it been like?
00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:07.440
Are are you talking about as far as getting volunteers?
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:15.759
Getting volunteers, getting people who share your vision, people who are currently on your board or have been on your board and might carry it forward, you know.
00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:17.119
Right.
00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:27.759
Well, um community sport has been, you know, great, especially since, you know, the beautify the bluegrass contest, um, which you know was a complete shock to us.
00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:29.519
Okay, tell us about that.
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:35.839
Um so I had been wanting to enter that for a couple of years.
00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:42.400
Um so when they f finished the clock tower, I thought, well, you know, this is a good year to do that.
00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:46.160
And um we were selected as one of the five finalists.
00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:48.400
So I'm like, oh, this is really cool, you know.
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:51.839
We we already won, you know, one of the five finalists.
00:26:52.319 --> 00:27:02.640
Um so we have to go to Louisville, and of course the the Capitol is closed for renovation, so the ceremony was held at the Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt.
00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:11.200
So that's where we went for um the presentation, and you know, we're up against these large everybody's larger than us, larger communities.
00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:15.119
Um, one of them had like 750 volunteers on one of their projects.
00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:17.920
I'm like, there's no way we're gonna win.
00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:19.839
Um, absolutely no way.
00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:25.279
And when they called our name out as the winner, I'm I'm like, it didn't register to me.
00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:26.480
I'm just sitting there.
00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:33.839
And when it finally did register, I look over and my former vice president sitting beside me, bawling her eyes out.
00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:36.559
So I'm like, don't look at her anymore.
00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:46.160
And then Tammy, um, you know, our secretary beautiful is trying to pull me out of my chair, and then they shoved me in front of the microphone, and I'm like, oh my god, I had no nothing to say.
00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:49.519
Um I had no idea other than what you know was in the video.
00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:52.240
I had no idea what I said up there because it was complete shock.
00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:53.680
I think they recorded it.
00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:58.000
Yeah, I just I told everybody there's no way we're gonna win.
00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:00.960
You know, there's too many other volunteers on these other projects.
00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:04.799
Um so you know, it was such a blessing for us to be up there.
00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:14.799
Uh and it was validation, I think, for all of the hard work of our board members uh who poured their heart and souls in into this project for you know three years.
00:28:14.960 --> 00:28:16.880
So um it was pretty awesome.
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:17.519
Yeah.
00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:20.480
Validation is the exact word I was thinking.
00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:35.680
You're you your volunteers need it, but it it kind of um um confirms your vision and that you weren't it wasn't just some wild-eyed, wild-eyed scheme.
00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:38.000
And um, but go back a little bit.
00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:51.279
Were there I'm not exactly how to ask sure how to ask this, but were there some episodes on this journey that were particularly challenging?
00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:57.680
Like were did you piss off uh enough people or anybody that Oh sure.
00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.079
Okay.
00:28:58.480 --> 00:28:59.119
Sure, sure.
00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:07.759
Um, you know, you're gonna have you're gonna have always people who um there, you know, I think there was a group of people who fought us the whole way.
00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:13.359
Um this is stupid, you're spending too much money, um, you know, one thing after another.
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:17.279
Um and we took a lot of um heat for that.
00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:22.240
Um but it you know we also had a lot of support along the way.
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:41.680
So, and again, you know, we tried from the beginning to to do the right right, do it the right way, do what the community wanted, you know, with all of those community meetings and um surveys that we did, we were trying to do to go in the right direction, what the majority wanted, and we were trying to do a good thing.
00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:50.640
Um so um, you know, we just you know, um you get if you don't have tough skin, you you you're gonna you're gonna grow it.
00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:52.079
So yeah, that's right.
00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:52.880
That's right.
00:29:53.119 --> 00:30:05.119
Um I assume one of your hopes is that your efforts will uh spur individuals, private individuals.
00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:08.880
And you have also, as we mentioned, you've put your money where your mouth is.
00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:14.400
You have maintained your family home, which is right on the main drag, and you're maintaining it.
00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:16.640
It's a beautiful place, and you've done good work on it.
00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:17.440
Thank you.
00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:27.279
And um I assume your hope is and maybe there are some other examples where some in where some private individuals have done that, have kind of followed suit.
00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:34.960
But I assume that's also just your general hope that that this is gonna get a ball rolling and then other people are gonna pick up the right, right.
00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:36.400
That was the hope from the beginning.
00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:36.799
Right.
00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:44.160
So um, and you know, we have seen, you know, a few other improvements through town and and hope to see, you know, keep seeing more.
00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:59.440
Um one of the um one of the things that I did, I guess it was a couple of years ago, um, was when uh the I was looking at the space in our senior center.
00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:03.920
Uh I just want to give a shout out to Jamie about this because she Jamie.
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:06.559
Uh Jamie Collins, who is the library director.
00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:21.920
Um there was a space in the senior center uh in Loretto and that wasn't getting getting used, and there were books on the shelves, and there was books there were books and boxes and books everywhere, and I'm like, um, it was just a wasted space.
00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:27.680
Um so I called Jamie and I'm like, can you come down and look at this and see if there's something you can do with this?
00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:35.680
So Jamie came down to Loretta and looked at it, and she could have said, No way, this is a mess, you know, I don't want to have anything to do with this.
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:43.039
But um she brought in uh, you know, a couple of her library employees and they they had to go through literally thousands of books.
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:44.640
I don't know about Where did the books come from?
00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:45.599
Where were they originally from?
00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:50.480
I think they were originally donations because that was supposed to be a library in the beginning.
00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:56.480
Um It was supposed to be uh its own library or an off or a satellite of this library, the Marion County Public.
00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:58.559
I was I have I don't know.
00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:02.079
The public administrator in at Lincoln Trail who worked on that grant.
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:06.559
Um I had spoken to her multiple times and she was a little disappointed that it that it hadn't been.
00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:07.920
It kind of peered out.
00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:08.960
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:22.319
So um so I mean that was a big job in itself just going through the books because you know there were they were full of mouse droppings, and I remember Sanding t Sandy telling me that she found a chicken bone in one of them.
00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:24.880
I'm like, was that a bookmark or what is that?
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:27.279
A voodoo ritual, I'm thinking.
00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:39.279
But uh but in just a matter of months, um Jamie and her staff had completely um reimagined that space, and you know now it's it's a wonderful library.
00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:46.079
So um so thank you, Jamie, for all of that hard work, Sandy and and the other employees at the at the library.
00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:47.039
Wow.
00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:50.000
And so I do they have who staffs it?
00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:52.640
Does this library, American Public Library staff?
00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:53.279
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:56.240
Well that's not because there's been talk for years about doing that.
00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:06.079
I can remember it was the one of the planks of uh a guy that is no longer on fiscal court, but it was ran at one time said, I want to see a library branch in Loreto.
00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:17.839
And maybe that's what kind of got it started, and then it's well yeah, I think the the original grant um to renovate that building uh down there was was what um was when that came into being.
00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:20.720
Um and now they're um unicorps with Dr.
00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:24.000
Sims, there there's a medical clinic, free medical clinic.
00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.599
Um Right, talk about that.
00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:26.799
I just met him recently.
00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:28.160
Tell me about this guy.
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:30.000
So um Dr.
00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:33.599
Sims is a um military veteran.
00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:38.240
Uh he also had his own practice, which he retired from, I believe.
00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:55.920
And um he he came into the city council meeting one uh I guess it was a few years ago, um try I guess trying to find out if there was any space available for him to offer his services free of charge.
00:33:56.000 --> 00:34:04.079
Um so you know, he it's pretty awesome and you uh he's not you know you don't have to be from Loretta or even Marion County to use this free clinic.
00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:06.160
You can be from anywhere.
00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:19.199
Um but uh so to have that um you know service available for you know people who don't have insurance or don't have good insurance or uh it's pretty awesome.
00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:21.599
Of course, you know there's only so many things he can do there.
00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:23.760
He can't do like x-rays or any of that down there.
00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:24.880
Right, right.
00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:31.199
But uh So it's kind of like a free urgent care center or something, clinic.
00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:32.000
Sort of.
00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:33.119
How often is he there?
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:34.000
How often is it open?
00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:41.199
Uh he is open on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I think from eight to eleven thirty or noon, something like that.
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:41.840
Mm-hmm.
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:46.559
So he uh he's his clinic runs in the same building as the library.
00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:47.119
Correct.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:47.599
Okay.
00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:47.920
Correct.
00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:48.320
All right.
00:34:48.480 --> 00:34:48.719
Wow.
00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:50.000
And who owns that building now?
00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:51.199
Uh the the city owns it.
00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:53.440
Um the city was able to get the grant for that.
00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:58.800
And the the basement uh part of the reason I think for that grant is the basement is a storm shelter.
00:34:59.039 --> 00:34:59.280
Oh.
00:34:59.519 --> 00:34:59.840
Yeah.
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:02.159
So okay, very good.
00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:05.199
Uh maybe he sounds like somebody we should bring on the podcast.
00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:06.559
I just made myself a note.
00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:08.639
Um, yeah, we'll work on that.
00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:08.960
Dr.
00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:12.159
Sims, if you're out there, we're coming to get you.
00:35:12.400 --> 00:35:22.800
Um so uh the other thing is uh there's some some banking activity has happened there as US Bank has flown the coupe.
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:27.360
Uh People's Bank is moving in.
00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:27.760
Right.
00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:31.840
And then just the other day I saw that Farmers National Bank had put in a branch out there.
00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:32.719
Kind of a drive-thru.
00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:35.519
It it's like an uh I think it's an ITV though.
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:36.400
IT right.
00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:36.800
Right, right.
00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:40.239
ITM or something in intelligent, whatever.
00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:44.880
Which it really tested my intelligence the first couple times I tried to use the one here in town, you know.
00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:47.119
But I'm starting to get the hang of it.
00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:50.159
Uh so yeah, that's that's that's pretty positive.
00:35:50.480 --> 00:35:56.800
What would you say what is the official roughly population of Loretto?
00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:03.760
I think in the in the 2020 census, I think it was like 723.
00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:04.480
Okay.
00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:06.320
Uh within the city limits.
00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:09.599
Uh that's not everybody with our zip code, but that's the city limits.
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:10.639
Right, right.
00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:22.000
But I'm assuming like these banks are seeing Loreto as the center of some kind of I guess you'd call it like a catchment area, like folks who are in Manton, folks who are in Holy Cross, or St.
00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:25.599
Francis, and maybe even Ray Wick will come there.
00:36:26.239 --> 00:36:26.559
Okay.
00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:27.519
All right.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:30.639
Is there anything else you want to say to me, Diane?
00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:33.519
Is there anything I've uh failed to ask about?
00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:44.400
Is there anything that you're currently ruminate ruminating on that you'd like to talk about or you haven't mentioned the Preservation Society of Marion County.
00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:46.079
I mentioned it two or three times already.
00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:53.679
You haven't mentioned that you are you are the president and you are doing a wonderful job in trying to I did fail to mention the wonderful job I'm doing.
00:36:53.840 --> 00:36:54.159
You're right.
00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:55.199
Thank you for reminding me.
00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:58.239
People, you wouldn't believe the wonderful job I'm doing with this thing.
00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:06.960
No, um I'm I look at your organization as kind of a model and an inspiration for what we're trying to do.
00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:15.280
You've been doing it longer, but we want to countywide um yeah, people have heard a little bit about this.
00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:25.679
I have talked about this uh a little bit, but um, you know, uh change the atmosphere and appreciation of our built historic environment.
00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:27.440
That makes sense.
00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:38.239
And um, you know, you all have done some really tangible things, and um if um if we could do a little bit of what you've done, I'd be fair be pretty pleased.
00:37:38.400 --> 00:37:50.239
But you know, I felt like as soon as we kind of got put the call out, we've had people that just have been showing up for the meetings ever since, and we're two and a half years or I don't know how long going.
00:37:50.639 --> 00:37:54.159
And I'm always kind of amazed when we have a meeting and people just show up.
00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:55.679
Yeah, there's quite a few members now.
00:37:56.000 --> 00:37:57.039
There are quite a few, yeah.
00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:59.039
Yeah, yeah, so it's doing very well.
00:37:59.280 --> 00:37:59.440
Yeah.
00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:03.920
People people are very um very interested in historic preservation.
00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:04.880
I think so.
00:38:05.039 --> 00:38:05.360
I think so.
00:38:05.519 --> 00:38:06.800
And we've got some things going.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:15.599
We've applied for uh some funding from the state legislature, and I haven't heard no yet, so maybe I should check my email.
00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:18.800
So but uh uh so we're still hopeful about that.
00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:24.159
But uh this you know, we're hoping that we can uh get something positive done with the old courthouse.
00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:26.320
And um, so anyway.
00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:36.480
Well, thank you for mentioning that, and thank you for being um our faithful and dutiful treasurer of the Preservation Society.
00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:39.199
Um all right, was there anything else?
00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:43.039
Anything else I you think I'm doing a wonderful job at that you'd like to talk about?
00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:44.239
No, I'm sure there's more.
00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:45.039
I'm at least.
00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:46.559
There's got to be.
00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:48.719
I should bring my wife Wendy into this.
00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:52.239
She could probably just we might have to have a two-parter, you know.
00:38:52.559 --> 00:38:52.800
Okay.
00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:54.159
For all my wonderfulness.
00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:54.639
Yeah.
00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:55.840
It might take that long.
00:38:56.239 --> 00:38:56.880
It just might.
00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:57.599
It just might.
00:38:57.679 --> 00:38:58.000
Yeah.
00:38:58.239 --> 00:39:01.679
Well, listen, um thank you very much for coming.
00:39:01.840 --> 00:39:08.079
I really appreciate what you're doing, and I appreciate your being involved in our preservation group and what you're doing in Loreto.
00:39:08.400 --> 00:39:10.880
And um I'm gonna I hope this wasn't too painful.
00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:12.159
Well, thank you for having me.
00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:12.960
I appreciate it.
00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:13.840
Yes, yes.
00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:23.199
And if there's anything else you have going on that you'd like to come back on and talk about, like some specific project or some such, or uh you're always welcome.
00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:26.000
So Well, we do have a couple of events coming up.
00:39:26.239 --> 00:39:27.679
Well let's I'd like to mention those.
00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:28.320
Please.
00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:36.000
Um we are working with uh Mervin Smith at the uh Loretta Lumber and Hardware on another car show, this uh cruise in specifically.
00:39:36.159 --> 00:39:39.599
The big cruise in on May the 30th uh in Loretto.
00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:46.159
Um and we are uh working with him possibly maybe having another one in the fall.
00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:47.280
And what will that be like?
00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:49.039
Obviously everybody knows a cruise in.
00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:51.760
People bring their interesting and old and antique cars in.
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:52.800
Right, right.
00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:53.280
Okay.
00:39:53.599 --> 00:39:59.519
Um we did we worked with uh Mervyn last year on the first one, um, which was a huge success.
00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:03.119
Um, you know, we thought, oh, you know, 40, 50 cars show up.
00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:05.440
You know, we had more than twice that many show up.
00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:05.920
Really?
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:07.280
Yeah, it it was huge.
00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:08.880
It was it very successful.
00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:10.079
Now where did you hold it?
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:12.639
Uh at the Loretta Park.
00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:16.400
Um so the car is parked inside the big ball field.
00:40:16.719 --> 00:40:17.199
Oh, okay.
00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:17.440
Yeah.
00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:18.000
Gotcha.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:19.280
Yeah, yeah, that's neat.
00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:22.079
So we're doing that again on May the 30th.
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:26.079
Uh then on September the twelfth, I believe it is.
00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:30.239
It's on a Saturday, we are um bringing our Patriot Day ceremony back.
00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:33.360
Beautiful Loretta's doing that, uh hosting that.
00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:40.480
Um we had one um in 2021 and 2022 or 22.
00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:42.480
We skipped the last couple of years.
00:40:42.559 --> 00:40:45.360
Um but this weren't very you weren't feeling very patriotic?
00:40:45.679 --> 00:40:46.480
No, that's not it.
00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:47.280
Oh, okay.
00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:52.639
This is the 25th anniversary of 9-11, so we wanted to bring it back this year.
00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:53.119
Okay.
00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:55.199
Um and describe it, what is it?
00:40:55.519 --> 00:41:07.679
Um it's basically a 9-11 remembrance ceremony, um, you know, kind of like the ones you'll see on TV or um um our Loretta Fire Department is involved.
00:41:07.840 --> 00:41:15.280
We're actually having it um inside the Loretta Fire Department this year, which is worked out great the last time we had it.
00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:20.639
Um so the Loretta Fire Department is involved, um, the honor guard is involved.
00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.679
Hopefully, we can get JROTC out there again.
00:41:23.760 --> 00:41:34.719
Yeah, um, we honor um Adam Hughes, um who who um was lost in Iraq in 2005, and Anthony Rakes.
00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:43.119
And of course, we will honor Brian Hatt um add him you know to the unfortunate list of of honorees this year.
00:41:43.280 --> 00:41:52.400
But um we are very uh proud to have the ceremony and we hope that people will will join us for I reckon they will.
00:41:53.199 --> 00:41:56.400
Any other events on your agenda right now?
00:41:56.719 --> 00:41:57.280
Let's see.
00:41:57.519 --> 00:42:01.599
Um Of course there'll be the fireworks show uh in August.
00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:02.239
Okay.
00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:04.719
Um and now why are they having that in August?
00:42:04.960 --> 00:42:06.559
They used to have it on the fourth, right?
00:42:06.800 --> 00:42:10.480
Um that's that's under the City of Loreto.
00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:12.719
Um I I wasn't I don't know.
00:42:12.800 --> 00:42:15.440
And you're the kind of person who minds her own business and doesn't sure.
00:42:16.559 --> 00:42:16.719
Okay.
00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:18.880
Uh yeah, I'm not exactly sure.
00:42:19.039 --> 00:42:26.800
The city of Loretta, um, of course, um Josh Ballard um is um the the main person who manages that.
00:42:26.960 --> 00:42:30.639
So I don't I don't recall the reason why they changed that.
00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:35.519
Um it's if anybody hasn't gone, it's remarkable.
00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:42.079
It is we did not go this past year, but we've gone, I don't know, I had five times probably.
00:42:42.320 --> 00:42:48.079
It's like you if you think you're gonna see some rinky dink fireworks show, you're you know, you're mistaken.
00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:51.440
It's yeah, it's it's um yeah, Josh actually got certified.
00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:52.800
Right, right.
00:42:53.039 --> 00:42:58.000
Um so um that'll be in August, and of course the uh St.
00:42:58.159 --> 00:43:00.079
Francis picnic is in July.
00:43:01.199 --> 00:43:07.679
Um which it's my understanding has gone down from three days to one day.
00:43:08.320 --> 00:43:09.840
Um rides.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:10.639
I'm sorry.
00:43:10.960 --> 00:43:11.760
And no rides.
00:43:12.400 --> 00:43:19.679
And no rides um that's weren't able to um get the rides this year, but hopefully that'll change next year.
00:43:19.920 --> 00:43:20.320
Yeah.
00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:27.760
Um and so uh I think that's all the events I can think of right now.
00:43:28.480 --> 00:43:32.559
Um but oh the um Loretta Street Fair.
00:43:32.800 --> 00:43:36.719
Um Nicole Mattingley is actually managing that.
00:43:37.280 --> 00:43:42.320
Um this one will be the fifth or sixth, I think, time that we've had that.
00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:45.360
Uh and that is June twenty-seventh, I believe.
00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:46.000
Oh, okay.
00:43:46.239 --> 00:43:48.800
Yeah, so I mean there are a lot of events coming up in Loretta.
00:43:48.960 --> 00:43:49.039
Okay.
00:43:49.360 --> 00:43:51.679
Of course we know we had Cozy Corner opened back up.
00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:52.480
Yes, yes, yes.
00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:54.000
And everybody's loving that.
00:43:54.159 --> 00:43:54.559
Mm-hmm.
00:43:54.880 --> 00:43:56.559
So I think they're doing very well.
00:43:56.639 --> 00:43:59.440
We went we made the mistake of going like the first weekend.
00:44:00.000 --> 00:44:01.519
And it was just I mean the place was slammed.
00:44:01.760 --> 00:44:02.239
Absolutely crap.
00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:02.800
I don't know why.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:04.079
I mean and I know better than that.
00:44:04.320 --> 00:44:07.840
You never go on the when it first opens, but but anyway, but no, it's great.
00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:10.880
And yeah, that's a big that's a big, big positive for Moretto.
00:44:11.119 --> 00:44:11.679
Yes, it is.
00:44:11.840 --> 00:44:12.559
Yes it is.
00:44:12.800 --> 00:44:13.840
Um yeah.
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:17.199
And they're gonna do live music and stuff as well, right?
00:44:17.440 --> 00:44:17.679
Right.
00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:18.559
That's what I thought.
00:44:18.880 --> 00:44:19.039
Right.
00:44:19.199 --> 00:44:19.440
Right.
00:44:19.599 --> 00:44:20.480
So that's good.
00:44:20.800 --> 00:44:21.039
Yeah.
00:44:21.280 --> 00:44:26.960
Go get you a ribeye and bottle of beer and put on your dancing boots and yeah.
00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:28.239
And boot scoot.
00:44:28.480 --> 00:44:29.280
Dancing boots.
00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:30.159
Yeah, that's right.
00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:33.119
Hey, Diane Mattingley, thank you so much for being here.
00:44:33.280 --> 00:44:34.480
Uh, we'll get you back sometime.
00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:35.760
I really appreciate you being here.
00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:36.559
Thank you, James.
00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:37.199
Appreciate it.
00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:37.840
We'll be right back.
00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:41.199
This is James Spraggins, and this has been mildly amusing.
00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:46.719
Not everyone needs a full-time or even part-time assistant.
00:44:46.880 --> 00:44:51.599
Sometimes you need help for a few hours, for a week, or once in a blue moon.
00:44:51.760 --> 00:44:52.880
That's where I come in.
00:44:52.960 --> 00:44:56.880
I'm your personal assistant for both creative and organizational support.
00:44:57.119 --> 00:44:59.840
Hi, I'm Amy Osborne of Main Assist.
00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:02.960
Local, reliable, and here when you need me.
00:45:06.400 --> 00:45:06.800
We're back.
00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:09.679
This is James Spraggins, and it's been mildly amusing.
00:45:09.920 --> 00:45:17.440
Um I want to say again thank you so much to our sponsors for this episode, Steve Brady and Donna Mattingley.
00:45:17.599 --> 00:45:30.320
They are great supporters of this endeavor, but also longtime personal friends of mine, and I'm uh grateful for that friendship, but also for for their interest in mildly amusing.
00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:35.679
Uh, but I also wanted to um just I'm just gonna lay this out there.
00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:42.320
There's a lot going on in um uh uh the the parishes of St.
00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:44.239
Francis Holy Cross.
00:45:44.559 --> 00:45:51.199
Um I just an hour ago learned that Holy Cross Church is closing.
00:45:51.360 --> 00:45:52.239
Is that possible?
00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:55.679
Um that's the first Catholic church west of the Alleghenies.
00:45:55.920 --> 00:45:58.480
Old granddad's buried in the cemetery, I think.
00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:04.639
Uh I mean that just can't be, but I understand it was announced uh in church.
00:46:04.880 --> 00:46:14.159
Um so we got, you know, just kind of a lot of things, temperatures maybe slightly uh rising um in the St.
00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:22.400
Francis Holy Cross community, and uh some of it, maybe a lot of it, having to do with um changes in this year's St.
00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:23.360
Francis picnic.
00:46:23.679 --> 00:46:29.840
But anyway, so I just wanted to put out there, if anybody, I I've been trying to find someone who might like to come on and talk about it.
00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:31.840
Maybe even multiple people.
00:46:32.000 --> 00:46:44.239
Um so if you would be one of those interested people or know someone, reach out to us on uh the mildly amusing Facebook page, send us a message, and um we'll talk.
00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:53.039
And maybe you'd like to come on and and give us your point of view on it and help to educate us on what all the heck is going on there.
00:46:53.360 --> 00:46:55.760
Um anyway, thank you all so much for listening.
00:46:55.920 --> 00:47:04.239
Thanks again, Steve and Donna, and uh we hope you'll come back next week for another episode of Mildly Amusing.
00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:09.039
Welcome, thanks for joining us.
00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:13.439
This is James Spraggins, and this is mildly amusing.
00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:17.600
Um very excited about um I think I probably say that every single time.
00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:23.359
I need to come up with a better way of saying that I'm happy or something about this guest.
00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:25.760
But but I am excited and happy.
00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:34.399
Um our guest today is Diane Mattingley, uh, who is the founder and probably I guess the president of Beautify Loreto.
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:45.520
We're gonna talk about her life, her bio, her military service, and her her advocacy for uh her hometown of Loreto, right here.
00:00:45.679 --> 00:00:47.679
And everybody knows where Loreto is.
00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:50.880
And if they listen to this podcast, you know, I'm obsessed with Loreto, apparently.
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.880
This will be number five, I guess, um, podcast that um um about Loreto.
00:00:57.119 --> 00:01:00.640
So anyway, for whatever reason, I guess I'll never stop being interested in it.
00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:08.879
Anyway, and uh another thing that I am truly excited about is this is our first sponsored podcast.
00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:18.319
Um I am so grateful to Steve Brady and Donna Mattingley, who have seen fit to um underwrite today's podcast.
00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:22.959
I think they did not even know that I was interviewing Donna's first cousin, but I am.
00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:25.439
And so Steve and Donna, thank you so much.
00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:34.000
I really do appreciate your interest in uh underwriting this, but also you're both very kind to say nice things to me about it.
00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:37.280
So anyway, um thank you to them.
00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:38.799
And thank you all for listening.
00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:41.280
We'll be right back with Diane Mattingley.
00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:50.079
We're back.
00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:58.879
This is James Spraggins, and you're um joining us here for something that is hopefully gonna be slightly more than mildly amusing.
00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:06.640
Um our guest today, uh Diane Mattingley, thank you so much for for coming in and uh agreeing to take part in this.
00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:12.159
Um the reason that I've asked you, I've gotten to know you a little bit in the last few years.
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:22.400
Um we are on the preservation uh committee, together, society board together, and we've really gotten to kind of know each other through that.
00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:28.879
And um I have been an admirer of things you've been doing in Loreto.
00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:47.039
Um you started a thing called Beautify Loretto, and it has um tangibly improved things in Loreto, and I admire it, and um uh I just wanted to hear kind of your story about that, and uh but also learn a little bit more about you.
00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:51.199
I know that you are a veteran and uh thank you for your service.
00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:54.719
Um Do you kind of hate it when people say that?
00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:57.120
I've heard that some people like roll their eyes, like, alright.
00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:00.240
Um it's just hard to know what to say in response to that.
00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:02.080
Thank you for your your support, I suppose.
00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:04.240
Yeah, it is appreciated though.
00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:05.520
Okay, yes, okay.
00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:06.159
All right.
00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:07.840
Um, very good.
00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:09.039
Well, I mean it.
00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.199
So um thank you for coming on.
00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:14.159
And let's start with give me a little bit of your biography.
00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:16.400
I know that you are a Mattingley.
00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:21.039
And I'd I'd like you to name every one of your relatives and give me a little bit about what you think about them.
00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:26.400
No, um I know you're a cousin of a good friend of mine uh named uh Donna Mattingley.
00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:36.240
And um who is uh she and her husband are the sponsors of this of this podcast, our very first sponsors, and uh we're much appreciative for that.
00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.199
Uh so Diane, t tell us a little bit about yourself.
00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:40.560
Start at the beginning.
00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:42.479
Well, I grew up in Loretta.
00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.439
My mom was one of thirteen and my dad was one of twelve.
00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:47.120
That sounds so familiar.
00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:51.840
How many people in Loretta have a similar uh I'd say quite a few when we were growing up.
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:53.039
Now not so much.
00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:58.560
Um but back then, back in you know the sixties and seventies, families were really big.
00:03:58.719 --> 00:03:59.039
Yeah.
00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:02.960
So uh grew up in Loretta, graduated from Marion County High School.
00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:10.159
Um and not long after graduation, a friend of mine um talked me into joining the army.
00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:13.840
That was never anything that I foresaw in my future.
00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:17.920
Um so uh that was 1982.
00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:20.639
Well why did why do you think they talked you into that?
00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:23.439
Um well she had been in discipline.
00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:26.480
Probably, probably.
00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:30.160
Uh she was uh in high school ROTC.
00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:31.519
Uh I was not.
00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:39.439
And so um so I did that, and um she never made it through basic training, and and here I am with that.
00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:40.480
It's a bait and switch.
00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:40.959
Yeah.
00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:44.800
Here I am decades later, um retiring.
00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:47.439
Um so uh it was a good thing for me.
00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.600
Uh absolutely a good thing.
00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:50.879
Tell me a little bit about that.
00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:53.120
What was so you went through the ROTC.
00:04:53.439 --> 00:04:55.199
Tell me about your your service.
00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:56.560
Where did you go?
00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:58.800
What you know, tell me a little bit about what it was like.
00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.360
Well, I I joined the reserve.
00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:14.079
Um so when I joined the reserve a reserve unit here in Lebanon, uh, no longer here, uh it um closed down during a reorganization back in I think the early early 90s.
00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:21.360
Um so when um when it closed down, uh we moved um we moved to Fort Knox.
00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:27.360
All of the uh members of this unit here uh went to different units mainly on Fort Knox.
00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:30.079
So I ended up in a reserve unit in Fort Knox.
00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:35.040
Uh at one point I went on um active duty, active guard reserve.
00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:36.399
Uh that was with uh U.S.
00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:38.720
Army Recruiting Command at Fort Knox.
00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:47.600
And um when I was released from active duty, um I went to moved down to Bowling Green and went to Western.
00:05:48.000 --> 00:06:01.439
Um after I graduated there, I went back to Fort Knox as a civilian, back into the reserve, and um have retired from both uh the Army, Reserve, Army, and uh my civilian job at Fort Knox.
00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:02.399
Okay, okay.
00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:04.800
What's your civilian job at Fort Knox?
00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:12.560
Um my last civilian job was working uh at um at the Human Resources Command at Fort Knox.
00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:21.120
I was working for the Foreign Foreign Area Officer Assignment Branch, and that's basically officers who are out in embassies worldwide.
00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:24.160
Uh I was working working there for about 12 years.
00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:34.720
Prior to that, I was in the public affairs office at Fort Knox uh as a community relations officer, and um before that I was the um associate editor of the Fort Knox newspaper.
00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:35.519
Oh wow.
00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:36.000
Yeah.
00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:37.920
So I've I've had some great jobs.
00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:39.360
Now what got you into that?
00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:44.879
Did you work on the on the uh on the shield when you were here or I I actually I did not.
00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:51.920
Um I actually majored in photojournalism, uh double double majored in photojournalism and uh English writing down there at Western.
00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:52.639
So wow.
00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:52.879
Yeah.
00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:56.560
So um that's how I ended up working for the newspaper at Fort Knox.
00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:03.279
Um got promoted into the community relations officer position and um you know went from there.
00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:05.199
What kind of writing did you do?
00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:09.439
Like feature stuff or um Yeah, that was my favorite thing was features writing.
00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:10.800
Yeah, I bet yeah.
00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:14.959
I wasn't much into sports writing or uh yeah.
00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:16.959
So you just r mentioned something.
00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:22.160
So you when you started you were the Lebanon Lebanon had its own uh reserve unit here.
00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:23.839
Yes, it was out there on Fairgrounds Road.
00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:24.639
On Fairgrounds Road.
00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:25.519
And you know what's funny?
00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:29.920
So where the extension office is now, that was our armory.
00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:30.720
Yes.
00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:38.079
Um which I had like totally forgotten that until a couple of years ago I drove by and I was like, wait, I just had a flash.
00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:40.079
I can remember when it was the armory.
00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:43.199
Um why did we uh lose that?
00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:49.040
I think does Springfield still have a well it wasn't actually an armory, it was it was an Army Reserve Center.
00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:53.199
Um uh Springfield, as far as I know, National Guard's still over there.
00:07:53.839 --> 00:08:00.800
Um but through one of the Army's reorganizations, um they closed they closed our battalion down.
00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:01.199
Okay.
00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:04.879
Uh, you know, it was happening all over the country, you know.
00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.519
So um so we lost it.
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:12.079
Um and that's when, you know, like I said, we moved to Fort Knox.
00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:15.040
Where all did your service take you?
00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:16.959
Geographically.
00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:25.920
Geographically, like I said, well, you know, most of my reserve reserve time was um stateside.
00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:26.399
Uh-huh.
00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:32.240
Um, so but my civilian job actually took me more places than my reserve job.
00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:32.720
Okay.
00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:39.279
Um I went to conferences, um, you know, that last job I had was the best job.
00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:42.159
Sent me to Monterey, California twice a year took conference.
00:08:42.320 --> 00:08:42.799
Oh my gosh.
00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:48.960
Um, so um we would explore the, you know, sometimes my husband would come with me, and sometimes my daughter.
00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:52.480
We would explore the uh um the coast.
00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:56.639
Um one of my favorite things to do was visit the missions there.
00:08:56.720 --> 00:09:02.080
There are missions um that were settled there by the Spanish, I think, like in the 17 and 1800s.
00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:02.639
Right.
00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:04.720
Um, those were really cool.
00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:10.480
Um, so that job also took me to uh conferences in Germany and Italy.
00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:15.919
Um my daughter, um, you know, I think she got the little travel bug with me.
00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:16.720
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:20.399
Uh traveling with me, so she she really loves to travel too.
00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:24.799
So um so was there a point?
00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:32.879
Did you I I have a cousin who she's married to a Marine, and it's he was in it straight out of college.
00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:43.519
And um there was like a time he said, well, okay, I'll do five years, or whatever a term is, what you know, 35 years later he's still there.
00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:49.440
Was that ever did you think I'm in this long term, or did you think, well, I'll go another step, Seattle's.
00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:52.480
I'll go another step, Seattle's, or what was it like for you?
00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:54.559
I never had a plan.
00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:58.080
I I never like I said, I never planned to join the army.
00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:01.039
Um it was just something that sort of happened.
00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:02.320
Just the wind blew you there.
00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:11.600
It just it just did, but I never really had a plan, but I I definitely didn't have a plan, you know, to stay for, you know, th 40 years.
00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:27.200
Um between my um, you know, my reserve job and my civilian job, I was with the Army in one capacity or another, uh either reserve, active duty, or Department of the Army civilian for for 40 years.
00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.559
So throughout all this, you were, you know, not too far away.
00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:34.080
So were you all the time coming back to see family in Loreto?
00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:39.759
Well, when when you're in reserve, I mean you can basically live, you know.
00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:40.879
Live wherever.
00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:43.759
Yeah, I mean, my my job was at Fort Knox.
00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:47.600
I was carpooling with I don't know if you're But you lived in Etown for a long time, right?
00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:51.519
I d I lived in E Town um after I got off of active duty, yes.
00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:52.000
Okay.
00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:55.679
Um do you all still live over there?
00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:58.960
Um we have a house in E Town and a house in Loretta, yes.
00:10:59.120 --> 00:10:59.840
I knew you had the house in the house.
00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:01.039
My family home, yeah.
00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:03.279
My family home is the one I renovated in Loretta.
00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:04.480
Oh, very good, very good.
00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:06.000
Yeah, and you've done a really nice job.
00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:10.000
Not that I've been invited to the inside, but as any citizen can, I've driven by.
00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:11.120
You're welcome to be able to do that.
00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:12.720
That's the closest I've ever gotten to come.
00:11:13.360 --> 00:11:21.440
But um, so okay, so you never lost your interest in things going on in your hometown.
00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:28.240
Um you um what so you have started this thing that you called Beautify Loretto?
00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:33.039
Um, which is aptly named because that's what you aim to do.
00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:36.799
And uh what got you thinking about doing that?
00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:42.480
And um how did you how did you s how did you get get the ball rolling?
00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:48.000
Um well that was back at the end of if I'm remembering correctly, 2017.
00:11:48.720 --> 00:12:07.519
Um I was about to my my dad had passed away in 2014, and I was about to start renovation of my family home there in Loreto, and I just thought um looking around that that you know maybe we could start this little committee and make improvements around town.
00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:12.720
Um it's just something something that I I thought would might work.
00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:13.519
Yeah.
00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:25.120
Well, like one thing that started that galvanized the preservation society that you're you and I are both part of, um is worry about what was gonna happen with our court courthouse here in Lebanon.
00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:25.360
Right.
00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:29.679
And that we had already lost the Ray House on Main Street, a historic home.
00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:33.360
Um and we were like saying somebody's gotta do something, you know.
00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:36.799
So were you galvanized by some did something get torn down?
00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:39.759
Uh were you galvanized by any anything?
00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:41.200
Very often that's what happens.
00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:59.679
Not at the very beginning, um, but there were a couple of um buildings that were torn down that I would have loved to have seen be saved, um, but it all came down to uh with everybody else, it all came down to a um a financial issue.
00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:11.279
Uh you know, how much is it gonna cost to to renovate this property and and get it back to the way it was versus you know tearing it down.
00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:13.360
So you don't always win those.
00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:20.320
And that's before the state really expanded their historic tax credits, which are pretty substantial now.
00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:21.039
But right.
00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:26.799
I mean you kind of can't blame folks for throwing in the towel for these old.
00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:28.320
It's tough.
00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:36.799
It it's it's a tough job to to, you know, when you take on that, you know, total renovation of of a property, it's it's a big job.
00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:48.559
So uh did you go out and like uh find kindred spirits and say, hey, we need to start this thing, we're gonna we need to stand athwart this decline or something.
00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:51.679
Or what were you Well it was a little tough in the beginning.
00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:56.399
Um we had, you know, an unexpected um cash flow.
00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:00.240
Um I had gone to to Judge D'Arty asking for help.
00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:06.159
Um Mayor Tom Brom, who was there at the time, uh asking for help.
00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:23.600
And uh I still remember the day, you know, Judge D'Arty called me to tell me that uh there was one I think it was one point two one point one two five million, I think it was, um uh that was that had been donated.
00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:25.519
And I'm like, donated to who?
00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:26.639
Who are you talking about?
00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:30.720
He said to you, to your organization, and I like, are you serious?
00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:46.240
Um yeah, it just so he had worked with um, you know, uh Makers Mark um and Independent Stave and Busick Construction Company um to um secure those donations.
00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:59.600
And you know, those were donations that were, you know, 75,000 each over the period of five years, which uh, you know, it's been I think three or four years now since that ended uh that we did receive all of those donations.
00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.320
So um, you know, that's pretty remarkable.
00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:05.120
He undertook this without even you didn't even know it.
00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:06.399
No, I did not.
00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.799
Uh it was a complete shock to me when he called me.
00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:14.159
I was actually at work that day at Fort Knox when he called me uh to tell me that.
00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.960
I still remember sitting there, I'm like, okay, who are you talking about?
00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:19.679
Who's got you know a million dollars?
00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:23.120
Um so uh yeah, so it was quite a shock.
00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:35.039
And then, you know, um it was you'd think that'd be a total good thing, but everybody had, you know, at the at the time, everybody had an idea of how how that money should be spent.
00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:46.879
And we were, you know, we were bringing in Lincoln Trail, doing all of these surveys and community meetings, and just fry trying to find out, you know, what the overwhelming majority of people wanted to do with that money.
00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.480
You were trying to build consensus.
00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:49.200
Right, right.
00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:50.879
What do people actually want?
00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:53.679
Because it's hard to lead when you don't have people behind you following you.
00:15:53.840 --> 00:16:23.759
So so you know, there was there was some hard times there, and there was uh, you know, a lot of backlash for certain things, and um, but you know, we were trying to do the right thing and we were trying to get it on the right track, and um, you know, we did do um for the first, I think, four years uh pressure washing program where um you know Beautify Loretta would pay half of um you know pressure washing costs for for um homes and businesses in the in the Loretta City limits and uh you know.
00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:25.679
The ones that are affected by the whiskey.
00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:27.039
Right, right.
00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:27.679
Right.
00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:29.600
But you know, we're not able to do that anymore.
00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:32.559
We don't have the funds to to keep doing that anymore.
00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:40.639
But but um I assume that's why you were able to get this kind of donations suburban sector.
00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:42.240
That was only part of it.
00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:46.159
Um that's only part of the reason why Beautify Loretta was started.
00:16:46.240 --> 00:17:01.840
There were, you know, other reasons just you know looking around town and um you know it when you when you I think when you move away and you come back, you see you know, you when you live somewhere and you you you I think you stop seeing things.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:02.399
Yeah.
00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:04.160
Uh because you see them every day.
00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:04.799
You know what I'm saying?
00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:08.160
Because it's gradual, it's like the the frog in the pot of boiling water.
00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:09.200
Right, right.
00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:10.240
Yeah.
00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:12.319
Um right.
00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:19.440
So what so give me some an idea of what were some of your initial goals when you started this?
00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:28.240
You're like, okay, we have a problem of sort of like benign, not so benign neglect, but some neglect and decay.
00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:29.759
You were trying to stand up with that.
00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:33.359
Well, what were some of your tangible goals when you started the organization?
00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:41.680
Um, well, we we came up with a list from, you know, all of the community meetings and surveys that we did.
00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:45.680
We came up with a list of what people wanted to see.
00:17:46.079 --> 00:18:04.880
Um so one of the first things we did was um we there were a lot of trees planted, there was a mural um done on the that wall beside um the parking lot at Cozy Corner where we we actually we own the property beside that.
00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:08.000
Um Cozy Corner actually owns the mural.
00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:15.200
Um and we did um pots of flowers flowers around town.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:16.559
Um we did that.
00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:21.119
Um we did the pressure washing program that I mentioned.
00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:30.799
Um and then at some point um we decided to do our first really major project, which was the clock tower.
00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:33.359
Okay, yeah, and I want I definitely want to talk about that.
00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:40.240
That's I won't call it your crowning achievement because you're not finished, but it's a really impressive talk about it.
00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:43.200
And I know you've won an award for it, but tell us tell us about that.
00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:50.000
Well, we started we started the um planning process for that right before COVID hit.
00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:53.119
So COVID slowed us down a lot.
00:18:53.680 --> 00:19:00.240
Um the planning Is it built on excuse me, is it built on who owns That's city property.
00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:01.519
So the city already owned this.
00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:02.160
City property.
00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:10.160
What we're talking about is some city property uh kind of across from Loretta Foodland, is that kind of roughly?
00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:12.400
To to the yeah, to the right.
00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:13.039
Yeah.
00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:13.680
Okay.
00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:21.359
Um and you've turned it into kind of a a park and you've erected this really nice clock tower.
00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:22.640
So go ahead.
00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:26.720
Um so um we had, you know, just a small team at the time.
00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:28.480
We had five members.
00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:32.160
So we're trying to get through this design process.
00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:34.720
Um, you know, a lot of things we don't understand.
00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:40.960
Uh, in we had and we hired a design consultant who assisted us.
00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:50.720
Um before that, we had actually hired uh an engineering and architecture firm to do a master plan for the city, uh, and that was Hare Hare Construction Company.
00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:53.759
Um they are out of, I think their headquarters are in West Virginia.
00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:56.720
Oh, they have offices in Lexington too, though.
00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:07.359
Um so we had hired them to do um to create a master plan, and from the master plan is actually what we um what we drew that clock tower project out of.
00:20:07.680 --> 00:20:14.960
Um so we took that out of the master plan and and that's what we started that major project with was that.
00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:22.240
Um and it took, like I said, took longer than expected because that right before COVID, which slowed us down.
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:29.279
So it was about three years in in the making, I guess, um, before it finally got completed.
00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.000
So that's pretty remarkable.
00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:40.960
I know that Lebanon uh the Lebanon's uh tourism commission twenty-five years ago or something, commissioned something similar.
00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:44.720
And uh frankly it has sat in a file drawer ever since.
00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:52.880
But th that's pretty uh ambitious for a town the size of Loreto to have sought this out and had this wider vision.
00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:59.039
What were some of the other elements of it and what are some of the things you think you can you can achieve out of it?
00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:07.279
Um well that that that actually there's actually f supposed to be three phases to this project.
00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:10.559
Um the clock tower, what's out there now is actually phase one.
00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:20.799
Um and you know, for that phase, we were I mean we were doing things like picking out pavers, the color of pavers, and and you know, what kind of clock you want in there and what kind of dials you want.
00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:31.039
Every little detail um we were we were um you know reviewing and and selecting and um but that was actually supposed to which phase one of uh the project.
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:35.920
Phase two would be the military memorial, which is what we're fundraising for now.
00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:46.079
Um and that became um you know a goal after um we uh participated in the Smithsonian traveling exhibit with the Loretta Motherhouse.
00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:46.480
Right.
00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:59.279
Uh and as part of that exhibit um I worked on a military um on a military display for that project, and the response was overwhelming.
00:21:59.440 --> 00:21:59.759
I had
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:07.920
No idea that you know small Lor Loretta and the western end of the county had so many veterans, had no clue.
00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:14.319
So that became um phase two of the project, which is what we're working on now, the fundraising.
00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:17.759
Um we haven't started the design, we're getting ready to start the design on that.
00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:31.359
And then phase three, uh, if we make it that far, you know, that's pie in the sky kind of thing, uh, is a an all-inclusive venue behind the clock tower, um, which you would be able to use during the summer and the winter.
00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:37.599
You could, you know, during the winter you could pull the doors down uh and it would be heated.
00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:38.000
Right.
00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:39.200
That type of venue.
00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:43.519
In the summer, you could use it as farmers market or what it yeah.
00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:46.319
And like maybe entertainment stuff too?
00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:47.200
Sure, sure.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:47.680
Yeah.
00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:48.319
Huh.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:48.880
Okay.
00:22:49.200 --> 00:22:50.559
Did you have a model in mind?
00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:55.279
Did you have you visited other towns and who were doing some interesting things like this?
00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:58.000
And that's where our master plan came in.
00:22:58.160 --> 00:23:01.279
Um it it's actually part of the master plan.
00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:03.839
Um the renderings are in the master plan.
00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:09.680
Are you tapping out a distress signal as you hit the table, all these with all your gesticulations?
00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:17.279
I'm just curious because I'm gonna I'm gonna get somebody who knows Morse code and find out exactly what you were saying about me about all this tapping tapping.
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:23.119
No, I'm just seeing we we give we always give our guests a little reminder, please don't nervously tap the tape.
00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:24.400
Typ I'm typing over here.
00:23:25.519 --> 00:23:26.079
That's right.
00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:26.880
That's right.
00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:29.680
I think you're saying help me, help me.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:33.920
Um, I'm guilty of it myself occasionally.
00:23:34.079 --> 00:23:34.880
Um Okay.
00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:41.680
So what what do you see as like the what do you see as what are you looking forward to now?
00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:53.759
What are you what are you all in what's in process, what's what's later, what you know, what's what's what's the kind of intermediate future hold for the organization?
00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:03.920
Well, we don't have other than you know the plans right now that we're working on for the military memorial, that's that's our that's our main focus right now.
00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:11.200
The military memorial you uh if I if you said this uh excuse me, but the military memorial will go where in conjunction with the clock tower.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:15.200
Like it it will go in the immediate vicinity.
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:19.119
We're not exactly sure which part of it though.
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:24.880
Or um we'd also like to include a first responder memorial with that.
00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:37.920
Um these are things that I would assume you'd could with some ease find some funding partners for who would like to help with like the military are we're hopeful.
00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:39.119
Yes.
00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:50.400
We have a uh mutual friend with the um American Legion who is very good about funding local things and uh so looking at you, Tom Sparks.
00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:56.000
Um they do a great job out there um supporting the local community at the American Legion.
00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:56.720
Yeah, right.
00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:59.359
I'm actually a member of the American Legion, so right.
00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:01.039
Yeah, yeah, I knew you were.
00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:01.599
Okay.
00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:16.799
Um as your what do you see personally as you are you gonna remain involved in the uh beautify Loreto organization, or um are you thinking of well, what are your thoughts?
00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:21.759
Well, it it's been over eight years now.
00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:30.240
Um so I'm hoping that maybe um, you know, in the near future one of my other board members will step in and and take over.
00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.359
Um you know, more how many people do you have on your board?
00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:36.079
Um there are eight of us right now.
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:37.440
Okay, that's a good number.
00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.559
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:39.920
So what's it been like?
00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:50.480
Do you feel like it's been pulling teeth, or do you feel like you've had a surprisingly positive response to the things you wanted to get done?
00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:57.519
Not everybody I have learned in life just immediately share your vision, uh whatever it is.
00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:04.640
But did you feel like you know you put the call out and people just showed up, or what do you like, what's it been like?
00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:07.440
Are are you talking about as far as getting volunteers?
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:15.759
Getting volunteers, getting people who share your vision, people who are currently on your board or have been on your board and might carry it forward, you know.
00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:17.119
Right.
00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:27.759
Well, um community sport has been, you know, great, especially since, you know, the beautify the bluegrass contest, um, which you know was a complete shock to us.
00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:29.519
Okay, tell us about that.
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:35.839
Um so I had been wanting to enter that for a couple of years.
00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:42.400
Um so when they f finished the clock tower, I thought, well, you know, this is a good year to do that.
00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:46.160
And um we were selected as one of the five finalists.
00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:48.400
So I'm like, oh, this is really cool, you know.
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:51.839
We we already won, you know, one of the five finalists.
00:26:52.319 --> 00:27:02.640
Um so we have to go to Louisville, and of course the the Capitol is closed for renovation, so the ceremony was held at the Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt.
00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:11.200
So that's where we went for um the presentation, and you know, we're up against these large everybody's larger than us, larger communities.
00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:15.119
Um, one of them had like 750 volunteers on one of their projects.
00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:17.920
I'm like, there's no way we're gonna win.
00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:19.839
Um, absolutely no way.
00:27:20.079 --> 00:27:25.279
And when they called our name out as the winner, I'm I'm like, it didn't register to me.
00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:26.480
I'm just sitting there.
00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:33.839
And when it finally did register, I look over and my former vice president sitting beside me, bawling her eyes out.
00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:36.559
So I'm like, don't look at her anymore.
00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:46.160
And then Tammy, um, you know, our secretary beautiful is trying to pull me out of my chair, and then they shoved me in front of the microphone, and I'm like, oh my god, I had no nothing to say.
00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:49.519
Um I had no idea other than what you know was in the video.
00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:52.240
I had no idea what I said up there because it was complete shock.
00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:53.680
I think they recorded it.
00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:58.000
Yeah, I just I told everybody there's no way we're gonna win.
00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:00.960
You know, there's too many other volunteers on these other projects.
00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:04.799
Um so you know, it was such a blessing for us to be up there.
00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:14.799
Uh and it was validation, I think, for all of the hard work of our board members uh who poured their heart and souls in into this project for you know three years.
00:28:14.960 --> 00:28:16.880
So um it was pretty awesome.
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:17.519
Yeah.
00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:20.480
Validation is the exact word I was thinking.
00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:35.680
You're you your volunteers need it, but it it kind of um um confirms your vision and that you weren't it wasn't just some wild-eyed, wild-eyed scheme.
00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:38.000
And um, but go back a little bit.
00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:51.279
Were there I'm not exactly how to ask sure how to ask this, but were there some episodes on this journey that were particularly challenging?
00:28:51.440 --> 00:28:57.680
Like were did you piss off uh enough people or anybody that Oh sure.
00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.079
Okay.
00:28:58.480 --> 00:28:59.119
Sure, sure.
00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:07.759
Um, you know, you're gonna have you're gonna have always people who um there, you know, I think there was a group of people who fought us the whole way.
00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:13.359
Um this is stupid, you're spending too much money, um, you know, one thing after another.
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:17.279
Um and we took a lot of um heat for that.
00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:22.240
Um but it you know we also had a lot of support along the way.
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:41.680
So, and again, you know, we tried from the beginning to to do the right right, do it the right way, do what the community wanted, you know, with all of those community meetings and um surveys that we did, we were trying to do to go in the right direction, what the majority wanted, and we were trying to do a good thing.
00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:50.640
Um so um, you know, we just you know, um you get if you don't have tough skin, you you you're gonna you're gonna grow it.
00:29:50.720 --> 00:29:52.079
So yeah, that's right.
00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:52.880
That's right.
00:29:53.119 --> 00:30:05.119
Um I assume one of your hopes is that your efforts will uh spur individuals, private individuals.
00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:08.880
And you have also, as we mentioned, you've put your money where your mouth is.
00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:14.400
You have maintained your family home, which is right on the main drag, and you're maintaining it.
00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:16.640
It's a beautiful place, and you've done good work on it.
00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:17.440
Thank you.
00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:27.279
And um I assume your hope is and maybe there are some other examples where some in where some private individuals have done that, have kind of followed suit.
00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:34.960
But I assume that's also just your general hope that that this is gonna get a ball rolling and then other people are gonna pick up the right, right.
00:30:35.039 --> 00:30:36.400
That was the hope from the beginning.
00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:36.799
Right.
00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:44.160
So um, and you know, we have seen, you know, a few other improvements through town and and hope to see, you know, keep seeing more.
00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:59.440
Um one of the um one of the things that I did, I guess it was a couple of years ago, um, was when uh the I was looking at the space in our senior center.
00:30:59.839 --> 00:31:03.920
Uh I just want to give a shout out to Jamie about this because she Jamie.
00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:06.559
Uh Jamie Collins, who is the library director.
00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:21.920
Um there was a space in the senior center uh in Loretto and that wasn't getting getting used, and there were books on the shelves, and there was books there were books and boxes and books everywhere, and I'm like, um, it was just a wasted space.
00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:27.680
Um so I called Jamie and I'm like, can you come down and look at this and see if there's something you can do with this?
00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:35.680
So Jamie came down to Loretta and looked at it, and she could have said, No way, this is a mess, you know, I don't want to have anything to do with this.
00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:43.039
But um she brought in uh, you know, a couple of her library employees and they they had to go through literally thousands of books.
00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:44.640
I don't know about Where did the books come from?
00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:45.599
Where were they originally from?
00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:50.480
I think they were originally donations because that was supposed to be a library in the beginning.
00:31:50.640 --> 00:31:56.480
Um It was supposed to be uh its own library or an off or a satellite of this library, the Marion County Public.
00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:58.559
I was I have I don't know.
00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:02.079
The public administrator in at Lincoln Trail who worked on that grant.
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:06.559
Um I had spoken to her multiple times and she was a little disappointed that it that it hadn't been.
00:32:07.039 --> 00:32:07.920
It kind of peered out.
00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:08.960
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:22.319
So um so I mean that was a big job in itself just going through the books because you know there were they were full of mouse droppings, and I remember Sanding t Sandy telling me that she found a chicken bone in one of them.
00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:24.880
I'm like, was that a bookmark or what is that?
00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:27.279
A voodoo ritual, I'm thinking.
00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:39.279
But uh but in just a matter of months, um Jamie and her staff had completely um reimagined that space, and you know now it's it's a wonderful library.
00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:46.079
So um so thank you, Jamie, for all of that hard work, Sandy and and the other employees at the at the library.
00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:47.039
Wow.
00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:50.000
And so I do they have who staffs it?
00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:52.640
Does this library, American Public Library staff?
00:32:52.960 --> 00:32:53.279
Yeah, yeah.
00:32:53.440 --> 00:32:56.240
Well that's not because there's been talk for years about doing that.
00:32:56.319 --> 00:33:06.079
I can remember it was the one of the planks of uh a guy that is no longer on fiscal court, but it was ran at one time said, I want to see a library branch in Loreto.
00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:17.839
And maybe that's what kind of got it started, and then it's well yeah, I think the the original grant um to renovate that building uh down there was was what um was when that came into being.
00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:20.720
Um and now they're um unicorps with Dr.
00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:24.000
Sims, there there's a medical clinic, free medical clinic.
00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:25.599
Um Right, talk about that.
00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:26.799
I just met him recently.
00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:28.160
Tell me about this guy.
00:33:28.640 --> 00:33:30.000
So um Dr.
00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:33.599
Sims is a um military veteran.
00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:38.240
Uh he also had his own practice, which he retired from, I believe.
00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:55.920
And um he he came into the city council meeting one uh I guess it was a few years ago, um try I guess trying to find out if there was any space available for him to offer his services free of charge.
00:33:56.000 --> 00:34:04.079
Um so you know, he it's pretty awesome and you uh he's not you know you don't have to be from Loretta or even Marion County to use this free clinic.
00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:06.160
You can be from anywhere.
00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:19.199
Um but uh so to have that um you know service available for you know people who don't have insurance or don't have good insurance or uh it's pretty awesome.
00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:21.599
Of course, you know there's only so many things he can do there.
00:34:21.679 --> 00:34:23.760
He can't do like x-rays or any of that down there.
00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:24.880
Right, right.
00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:31.199
But uh So it's kind of like a free urgent care center or something, clinic.
00:34:31.599 --> 00:34:32.000
Sort of.
00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:33.119
How often is he there?
00:34:33.280 --> 00:34:34.000
How often is it open?
00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:41.199
Uh he is open on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I think from eight to eleven thirty or noon, something like that.
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:41.840
Mm-hmm.
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:46.559
So he uh he's his clinic runs in the same building as the library.
00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:47.119
Correct.
00:34:47.440 --> 00:34:47.599
Okay.
00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:47.920
Correct.
00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:48.320
All right.
00:34:48.480 --> 00:34:48.719
Wow.
00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:50.000
And who owns that building now?
00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:51.199
Uh the the city owns it.
00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:53.440
Um the city was able to get the grant for that.
00:34:53.519 --> 00:34:58.800
And the the basement uh part of the reason I think for that grant is the basement is a storm shelter.
00:34:59.039 --> 00:34:59.280
Oh.
00:34:59.519 --> 00:34:59.840
Yeah.
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:02.159
So okay, very good.
00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:05.199
Uh maybe he sounds like somebody we should bring on the podcast.
00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:06.559
I just made myself a note.
00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:08.639
Um, yeah, we'll work on that.
00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:08.960
Dr.
00:35:09.119 --> 00:35:12.159
Sims, if you're out there, we're coming to get you.
00:35:12.400 --> 00:35:22.800
Um so uh the other thing is uh there's some some banking activity has happened there as US Bank has flown the coupe.
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:27.360
Uh People's Bank is moving in.
00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:27.760
Right.
00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:31.840
And then just the other day I saw that Farmers National Bank had put in a branch out there.
00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:32.719
Kind of a drive-thru.
00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:35.519
It it's like an uh I think it's an ITV though.
00:35:35.840 --> 00:35:36.400
IT right.
00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:36.800
Right, right.
00:35:37.119 --> 00:35:40.239
ITM or something in intelligent, whatever.
00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:44.880
Which it really tested my intelligence the first couple times I tried to use the one here in town, you know.
00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:47.119
But I'm starting to get the hang of it.
00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:50.159
Uh so yeah, that's that's that's pretty positive.
00:35:50.480 --> 00:35:56.800
What would you say what is the official roughly population of Loretto?
00:35:58.159 --> 00:36:03.760
I think in the in the 2020 census, I think it was like 723.
00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:04.480
Okay.
00:36:04.800 --> 00:36:06.320
Uh within the city limits.
00:36:06.480 --> 00:36:09.599
Uh that's not everybody with our zip code, but that's the city limits.
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:10.639
Right, right.
00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:22.000
But I'm assuming like these banks are seeing Loreto as the center of some kind of I guess you'd call it like a catchment area, like folks who are in Manton, folks who are in Holy Cross, or St.
00:36:22.159 --> 00:36:25.599
Francis, and maybe even Ray Wick will come there.
00:36:26.239 --> 00:36:26.559
Okay.
00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:27.519
All right.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:30.639
Is there anything else you want to say to me, Diane?
00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:33.519
Is there anything I've uh failed to ask about?
00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:44.400
Is there anything that you're currently ruminate ruminating on that you'd like to talk about or you haven't mentioned the Preservation Society of Marion County.
00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:46.079
I mentioned it two or three times already.
00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:53.679
You haven't mentioned that you are you are the president and you are doing a wonderful job in trying to I did fail to mention the wonderful job I'm doing.
00:36:53.840 --> 00:36:54.159
You're right.
00:36:54.320 --> 00:36:55.199
Thank you for reminding me.
00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:58.239
People, you wouldn't believe the wonderful job I'm doing with this thing.
00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:06.960
No, um I'm I look at your organization as kind of a model and an inspiration for what we're trying to do.
00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:15.280
You've been doing it longer, but we want to countywide um yeah, people have heard a little bit about this.
00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:25.679
I have talked about this uh a little bit, but um, you know, uh change the atmosphere and appreciation of our built historic environment.
00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:27.440
That makes sense.
00:37:27.760 --> 00:37:38.239
And um, you know, you all have done some really tangible things, and um if um if we could do a little bit of what you've done, I'd be fair be pretty pleased.
00:37:38.400 --> 00:37:50.239
But you know, I felt like as soon as we kind of got put the call out, we've had people that just have been showing up for the meetings ever since, and we're two and a half years or I don't know how long going.
00:37:50.639 --> 00:37:54.159
And I'm always kind of amazed when we have a meeting and people just show up.
00:37:54.400 --> 00:37:55.679
Yeah, there's quite a few members now.
00:37:56.000 --> 00:37:57.039
There are quite a few, yeah.
00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:59.039
Yeah, yeah, so it's doing very well.
00:37:59.280 --> 00:37:59.440
Yeah.
00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:03.920
People people are very um very interested in historic preservation.
00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:04.880
I think so.
00:38:05.039 --> 00:38:05.360
I think so.
00:38:05.519 --> 00:38:06.800
And we've got some things going.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:15.599
We've applied for uh some funding from the state legislature, and I haven't heard no yet, so maybe I should check my email.
00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:18.800
So but uh uh so we're still hopeful about that.
00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:24.159
But uh this you know, we're hoping that we can uh get something positive done with the old courthouse.
00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:26.320
And um, so anyway.
00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:36.480
Well, thank you for mentioning that, and thank you for being um our faithful and dutiful treasurer of the Preservation Society.
00:38:37.360 --> 00:38:39.199
Um all right, was there anything else?
00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:43.039
Anything else I you think I'm doing a wonderful job at that you'd like to talk about?
00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:44.239
No, I'm sure there's more.
00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:45.039
I'm at least.
00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:46.559
There's got to be.
00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:48.719
I should bring my wife Wendy into this.
00:38:48.800 --> 00:38:52.239
She could probably just we might have to have a two-parter, you know.
00:38:52.559 --> 00:38:52.800
Okay.
00:38:53.039 --> 00:38:54.159
For all my wonderfulness.
00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:54.639
Yeah.
00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:55.840
It might take that long.
00:38:56.239 --> 00:38:56.880
It just might.
00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:57.599
It just might.
00:38:57.679 --> 00:38:58.000
Yeah.
00:38:58.239 --> 00:39:01.679
Well, listen, um thank you very much for coming.
00:39:01.840 --> 00:39:08.079
I really appreciate what you're doing, and I appreciate your being involved in our preservation group and what you're doing in Loreto.
00:39:08.400 --> 00:39:10.880
And um I'm gonna I hope this wasn't too painful.
00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:12.159
Well, thank you for having me.
00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:12.960
I appreciate it.
00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:13.840
Yes, yes.
00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:23.199
And if there's anything else you have going on that you'd like to come back on and talk about, like some specific project or some such, or uh you're always welcome.
00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:26.000
So Well, we do have a couple of events coming up.
00:39:26.239 --> 00:39:27.679
Well let's I'd like to mention those.
00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:28.320
Please.
00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:36.000
Um we are working with uh Mervin Smith at the uh Loretta Lumber and Hardware on another car show, this uh cruise in specifically.
00:39:36.159 --> 00:39:39.599
The big cruise in on May the 30th uh in Loretto.
00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:46.159
Um and we are uh working with him possibly maybe having another one in the fall.
00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:47.280
And what will that be like?
00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:49.039
Obviously everybody knows a cruise in.
00:39:49.280 --> 00:39:51.760
People bring their interesting and old and antique cars in.
00:39:52.480 --> 00:39:52.800
Right, right.
00:39:53.039 --> 00:39:53.280
Okay.
00:39:53.599 --> 00:39:59.519
Um we did we worked with uh Mervyn last year on the first one, um, which was a huge success.
00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:03.119
Um, you know, we thought, oh, you know, 40, 50 cars show up.
00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:05.440
You know, we had more than twice that many show up.
00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:05.920
Really?
00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:07.280
Yeah, it it was huge.
00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:08.880
It was it very successful.
00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:10.079
Now where did you hold it?
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:12.639
Uh at the Loretta Park.
00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:16.400
Um so the car is parked inside the big ball field.
00:40:16.719 --> 00:40:17.199
Oh, okay.
00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:17.440
Yeah.
00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:18.000
Gotcha.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:19.280
Yeah, yeah, that's neat.
00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:22.079
So we're doing that again on May the 30th.
00:40:22.480 --> 00:40:26.079
Uh then on September the twelfth, I believe it is.
00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:30.239
It's on a Saturday, we are um bringing our Patriot Day ceremony back.
00:40:30.320 --> 00:40:33.360
Beautiful Loretta's doing that, uh hosting that.
00:40:33.440 --> 00:40:40.480
Um we had one um in 2021 and 2022 or 22.
00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:42.480
We skipped the last couple of years.
00:40:42.559 --> 00:40:45.360
Um but this weren't very you weren't feeling very patriotic?
00:40:45.679 --> 00:40:46.480
No, that's not it.
00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:47.280
Oh, okay.
00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:52.639
This is the 25th anniversary of 9-11, so we wanted to bring it back this year.
00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:53.119
Okay.
00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:55.199
Um and describe it, what is it?
00:40:55.519 --> 00:41:07.679
Um it's basically a 9-11 remembrance ceremony, um, you know, kind of like the ones you'll see on TV or um um our Loretta Fire Department is involved.
00:41:07.840 --> 00:41:15.280
We're actually having it um inside the Loretta Fire Department this year, which is worked out great the last time we had it.
00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:20.639
Um so the Loretta Fire Department is involved, um, the honor guard is involved.
00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.679
Hopefully, we can get JROTC out there again.
00:41:23.760 --> 00:41:34.719
Yeah, um, we honor um Adam Hughes, um who who um was lost in Iraq in 2005, and Anthony Rakes.
00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:43.119
And of course, we will honor Brian Hatt um add him you know to the unfortunate list of of honorees this year.
00:41:43.280 --> 00:41:52.400
But um we are very uh proud to have the ceremony and we hope that people will will join us for I reckon they will.
00:41:53.199 --> 00:41:56.400
Any other events on your agenda right now?
00:41:56.719 --> 00:41:57.280
Let's see.
00:41:57.519 --> 00:42:01.599
Um Of course there'll be the fireworks show uh in August.
00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:02.239
Okay.
00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:04.719
Um and now why are they having that in August?
00:42:04.960 --> 00:42:06.559
They used to have it on the fourth, right?
00:42:06.800 --> 00:42:10.480
Um that's that's under the City of Loreto.
00:42:10.960 --> 00:42:12.719
Um I I wasn't I don't know.
00:42:12.800 --> 00:42:15.440
And you're the kind of person who minds her own business and doesn't sure.
00:42:16.559 --> 00:42:16.719
Okay.
00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:18.880
Uh yeah, I'm not exactly sure.
00:42:19.039 --> 00:42:26.800
The city of Loretta, um, of course, um Josh Ballard um is um the the main person who manages that.
00:42:26.960 --> 00:42:30.639
So I don't I don't recall the reason why they changed that.
00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:35.519
Um it's if anybody hasn't gone, it's remarkable.
00:42:35.679 --> 00:42:42.079
It is we did not go this past year, but we've gone, I don't know, I had five times probably.
00:42:42.320 --> 00:42:48.079
It's like you if you think you're gonna see some rinky dink fireworks show, you're you know, you're mistaken.
00:42:48.159 --> 00:42:51.440
It's yeah, it's it's um yeah, Josh actually got certified.
00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:52.800
Right, right.
00:42:53.039 --> 00:42:58.000
Um so um that'll be in August, and of course the uh St.
00:42:58.159 --> 00:43:00.079
Francis picnic is in July.
00:43:01.199 --> 00:43:07.679
Um which it's my understanding has gone down from three days to one day.
00:43:08.320 --> 00:43:09.840
Um rides.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:10.639
I'm sorry.
00:43:10.960 --> 00:43:11.760
And no rides.
00:43:12.400 --> 00:43:19.679
And no rides um that's weren't able to um get the rides this year, but hopefully that'll change next year.
00:43:19.920 --> 00:43:20.320
Yeah.
00:43:21.039 --> 00:43:27.760
Um and so uh I think that's all the events I can think of right now.
00:43:28.480 --> 00:43:32.559
Um but oh the um Loretta Street Fair.
00:43:32.800 --> 00:43:36.719
Um Nicole Mattingley is actually managing that.
00:43:37.280 --> 00:43:42.320
Um this one will be the fifth or sixth, I think, time that we've had that.
00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:45.360
Uh and that is June twenty-seventh, I believe.
00:43:45.599 --> 00:43:46.000
Oh, okay.
00:43:46.239 --> 00:43:48.800
Yeah, so I mean there are a lot of events coming up in Loretta.
00:43:48.960 --> 00:43:49.039
Okay.
00:43:49.360 --> 00:43:51.679
Of course we know we had Cozy Corner opened back up.
00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:52.480
Yes, yes, yes.
00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:54.000
And everybody's loving that.
00:43:54.159 --> 00:43:54.559
Mm-hmm.
00:43:54.880 --> 00:43:56.559
So I think they're doing very well.
00:43:56.639 --> 00:43:59.440
We went we made the mistake of going like the first weekend.
00:44:00.000 --> 00:44:01.519
And it was just I mean the place was slammed.
00:44:01.760 --> 00:44:02.239
Absolutely crap.
00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:02.800
I don't know why.
00:44:02.880 --> 00:44:04.079
I mean and I know better than that.
00:44:04.320 --> 00:44:07.840
You never go on the when it first opens, but but anyway, but no, it's great.
00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:10.880
And yeah, that's a big that's a big, big positive for Moretto.
00:44:11.119 --> 00:44:11.679
Yes, it is.
00:44:11.840 --> 00:44:12.559
Yes it is.
00:44:12.800 --> 00:44:13.840
Um yeah.
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:17.199
And they're gonna do live music and stuff as well, right?
00:44:17.440 --> 00:44:17.679
Right.
00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:18.559
That's what I thought.
00:44:18.880 --> 00:44:19.039
Right.
00:44:19.199 --> 00:44:19.440
Right.
00:44:19.599 --> 00:44:20.480
So that's good.
00:44:20.800 --> 00:44:21.039
Yeah.
00:44:21.280 --> 00:44:26.960
Go get you a ribeye and bottle of beer and put on your dancing boots and yeah.
00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:28.239
And boot scoot.
00:44:28.480 --> 00:44:29.280
Dancing boots.
00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:30.159
Yeah, that's right.
00:44:30.320 --> 00:44:33.119
Hey, Diane Mattingley, thank you so much for being here.
00:44:33.280 --> 00:44:34.480
Uh, we'll get you back sometime.
00:44:34.639 --> 00:44:35.760
I really appreciate you being here.
00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:36.559
Thank you, James.
00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:37.199
Appreciate it.
00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:37.840
We'll be right back.
00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:41.199
This is James Spraggins, and this has been mildly amusing.
00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:46.719
Not everyone needs a full-time or even part-time assistant.
00:44:46.880 --> 00:44:51.599
Sometimes you need help for a few hours, for a week, or once in a blue moon.
00:44:51.760 --> 00:44:52.880
That's where I come in.
00:44:52.960 --> 00:44:56.880
I'm your personal assistant for both creative and organizational support.
00:44:57.119 --> 00:44:59.840
Hi, I'm Amy Osborne of Main Assist.
00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:02.960
Local, reliable, and here when you need me.
00:45:06.400 --> 00:45:06.800
We're back.
00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:09.679
This is James Spraggins, and it's been mildly amusing.
00:45:09.920 --> 00:45:17.440
Um I want to say again thank you so much to our sponsors for this episode, Steve Brady and Donna Mattingley.
00:45:17.599 --> 00:45:30.320
They are great supporters of this endeavor, but also longtime personal friends of mine, and I'm uh grateful for that friendship, but also for for their interest in mildly amusing.
00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:35.679
Uh, but I also wanted to um just I'm just gonna lay this out there.
00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:42.320
There's a lot going on in um uh uh the the parishes of St.
00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:44.239
Francis Holy Cross.
00:45:44.559 --> 00:45:51.199
Um I just an hour ago learned that Holy Cross Church is closing.
00:45:51.360 --> 00:45:52.239
Is that possible?
00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:55.679
Um that's the first Catholic church west of the Alleghenies.
00:45:55.920 --> 00:45:58.480
Old granddad's buried in the cemetery, I think.
00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:04.639
Uh I mean that just can't be, but I understand it was announced uh in church.
00:46:04.880 --> 00:46:14.159
Um so we got, you know, just kind of a lot of things, temperatures maybe slightly uh rising um in the St.
00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:22.400
Francis Holy Cross community, and uh some of it, maybe a lot of it, having to do with um changes in this year's St.
00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:23.360
Francis picnic.
00:46:23.679 --> 00:46:29.840
But anyway, so I just wanted to put out there, if anybody, I I've been trying to find someone who might like to come on and talk about it.
00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:31.840
Maybe even multiple people.
00:46:32.000 --> 00:46:44.239
Um so if you would be one of those interested people or know someone, reach out to us on uh the mildly amusing Facebook page, send us a message, and um we'll talk.
00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:53.039
And maybe you'd like to come on and and give us your point of view on it and help to educate us on what all the heck is going on there.
00:46:53.360 --> 00:46:55.760
Um anyway, thank you all so much for listening.
00:46:55.920 --> 00:47:04.239
Thanks again, Steve and Donna, and uh we hope you'll come back next week for another episode of Mildly Amusing.
