So we can bring Shelby County Life to more people, we are now including the pages online, FREE of charge.
  To see the entire November/December issue, just click the  >>>>SCL Online! link in the menu on the left. If the page looks a little unclear, click on it and get a larger, sharper image.
  We'll continue to send the printed issue to subscribers and sell them at our 28 retail outlets at the very modest price of $8 per year for subscriptions or $1 on the stands.
  Thank you, loyal readers, and whether you get the new e-version or the printed version, enjoy what's coming up!

  Shelby County Farm Bureau was recognized for outstanding membership and program achievement during the recent 92nd Kentucky Farm Bureau annual meeting in Louisville. In this photo, Shelby County Farm Bureau Foundation Chairman Gene Witt, center, accepts the award from David S. Beck, right, Kentucky Farm Bureau executive vice president, and Bradley R. Smith, left, executive vice president of Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Companies, during the Dec. 2 recognition and awards program. 

  Beth Floyd and Katherine Tingle, co-chairs of the Shelby County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee (left), accept the 2011 Gold Star Award of Excellence from Phyllis Amyx, chair of the Kentucky Farm Bureau state Women’s Committee (right).

  Matt Gajdzik, center, and Shane Courtney, second from left, Young Farmer chairs for Shelby County Farm Bureau, accept the Gold Star Award of Excellence from Mark Haney, Kentucky Farm Bureau President (left). Also pictured are Gene Witt, President of Shelby County Farm Bureau, second from right, and David S. Beck, Kentucky Farm Bureau executive vice president, far right.

By James Mulcahy
  Charlie Frazee, longtime director of the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, was honored recently upon his retirement with a surprise reception at the EMA building on 7th Street. Frazee, who for 25-plus years was an area director for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management, became local director in 2002 after Jack Samples retired for medical reasons.
  Assistant Director Paul Whitman has been named interim director of the local agency.

By James Mulcahy
  Cub Scouts in Pack 164, based at First Presbyterian Church, collected 1,139 food items for the church's food pantry. According to Cubmaster Wayne Ivers, 21 boys and 26 adults participated in the food drive.

Eddie Mathis was named Farmer of the Year for 2011. Mathis, fourth from left, is pictured with his family and with Ferenc Vegh, right, from Shelbyville Kiwanis.

By James Mulcahy  
  Participation in the Farm-City Banquet was dwindling around the years 2000 and 2001, and the Shelbyville Kiwanis Club was almost ready to end the long run of its local event. In 2000, the Rotary Club stepped away from co-sponsoring the event and a young Kiwanian, Rob Rothenburger, kept it alive.
  A year later, Rothenburger, now Shelby County judge-executive, handed over the reins to new Kiwanian Ferenc Vegh.
  “I opened my big mouth, and they said that if I felt so strongly about it, why don’t I run it?”
  Vegh, of Shelby County, has since been in charge of the dinner, and participation has grown by leaps and bounds.
  For helping save the world’s oldest Farm-City Banquet, the Farm-City Council honored Vegh last week with another first — the Dr. Charles Eastin Award. Eastin, who died in January, was a former Farm-City Council president and volunteer. The award, given at the Farm-City Council Convention in Lexington, recognizes a Farm-City volunteer.
  “I’m honored to be recognized by those folks,” Vegh said.
  In 1954, the local club held the first ever Farm-City Banquet at Science Hill Inn to create a link between farmers and city folk. Twenty-two people showed up for that dinner; the total bill was $19 and some change.
  This year, nearly 400 are expected for the event, scheduled for Tuesday night at Claudia Sanders.
  In 1955, Kiwanis International picked up on the idea, and the banquet is now a service project for many Kiwanis clubs around the world.
  Locally and across the nation, the event is co-sponsored by the Farm Bureau Federation. Vegh is a Kentucky Farm Bureau agent.

Cheryl Van Stockum photo
Downtown Shelbyville is quiet on a rainy Sunday evening in November.

  
  Gallrein Farms, which produces fresh vegetables and perennials for local retail and wholesale outlets and for sale through its on-farm retail market in Shelby County, has been named winner of the 2011 Agribusiness of the Year award.
  The award, sponsored by the Agribusiness Industry Network, was presented today to Bill and Randie Gallrein during the annual Farm-City Luncheon at the Kentucky Exposition Center Nov. 11.
  Now in its 19th year, the Agribusiness of the Year honors a Louisville-area agribusiness that excels in financial growth and stability, employee relations and contributions to the overall agricultural economy.
  Gallrein Farms dates to 1972 when Bill and his father, William Sr., began operating a dairy farm on a tract north of Shelbyville. Four years later they decided to add vegetables — primarily sweet corn — to their production schedule and began serving the regional wholesale market.
  But as their neighbors and others in the community learned of Gallrein’s quality produce, they regularly showed up at the farm’s wholesale loading dock to buy the items directly. Thus was born what is today one of the leading vegetable farms in the Louisville area, producing 200 acres of sweet corn, plus strawberries, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and green beans.
  The Gallreins, including husband and wife Bill and Randie, also operate more than 45,000 square feet of greenhouse space, producing perennials, annuals, herbs and vegetable plants. Their retail market adds in a variety of products from other area farms, including honey, melons, blackberries and free-range eggs.
  In the fall, the farm grows and sells pumpkins, many of which are donated to local schools and service agencies for use in Halloween programs. The farm is also a favorite agri-tourism destination, hosting dozens of student groups and private outings during the growing season.
  Bill said a growing customer base has allowed the farming operation to steadily expand over the years. The farm’s produce shows up on shelves of such well-known retailers as Kroger, Walmart and Paul’s Fruit Market, as well as quality wholesalers like Creation Gardens.
  The Gallreins’ own market has drawn increasing traffic, leading to plans to construct new floor space at their existing location in advance of the 2012 season. Gallrein is a charter member of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Certified Roadside Farm Market program.
  Bill Gallrein manages the vegetable farm and 800 additional acres of grain, and Randie gave up a career as a registered nurse to oversee retail sales, advertising and human resources.
  Staff includes two full-time workers, a master mechanic to keep farm and vegetable processing machinery functional, and an office and market manager. Eight documented H2A workers help with field work, and students fill in during the summer season.

  Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Janie Miller and representatives from the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) were on hand in Shelby County Nov. 15 to issue the state’s first HeartSafe Community Award, a designation for communities that have met a specific set of criteria to better respond to cardiac arrests.
  Sec. Miller and DPH Acting Commissioner Dr. Steve Davis were joined by Shelby County Emergency Medical Services Director Todd Early and County Judge-Executive Rob Rothenberger, who were instrumental in helping the community meet the standards set forth in the program.
  “Heart disease is one of the most serious issues facing our state,” said Miller. “The HeartSafe program is carrying this mission of public health to the frontlines, helping our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and loved ones become educated and prepared to respond to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We are thrilled to see that the residents of Shelby County are taking the health of their community so seriously and have become Kentucky’s first HeartSafe Community.” 
  The HeartSafe program was launched over the summer by the DPH Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program as a way to help communities improve the chances that anyone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest will have the best possible chance for survival. DPH is collaborating on the project with the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS) and the American Heart Association.
  Approximately 4,600 Kentucky residents die each year due to cardiac arrest that occurs outside of the hospital and away from advanced medical assistance. Typically, these incidents happen in the presence of a family member or friend.
  The HeartSafe Community program focuses on strengthening links within the community that contribute to the likelihood of survival of cardiac arrest.
  “When the people of a community work together, as they have in Shelby County, they become a HeartSafe Community,” Davis said.  “We hope even more Kentucky communities will follow Shelby County’s lead to increase the number of citizens informed about heart disease and prepared to respond to heart attacks. By working together and developing a network of HeartSafe Communities across the state, more lives will be saved.”
  To become a HeartSafe Community, applicants must review criteria for the program, complete an application, and mail or fax the application to DPH. The recognition is valid for a period of 3 years and is renewable through the application process.
  “By becoming HeartSafe, communities are showing they are willing to go the extra mile to ensure the health and well-being of their citizens,” said Bonita Bobo, manager for the heart disease and stroke prevention program. “We congratulate the citizens of Shelby County for their commitment to health.”
  “HeartSafe” communities provide a combination of factors viewed as preferable in the communities’ ability to recognize and respond to cardiac arrest. These factors include:
•Early access to emergency care, such as bystanders recognizing the symptoms of cardiac arrest and immediately contacting 911.
•Early CPR, a simple, easily learned emergency procedure used when someone's breathing and heartbeat suddenly stop.
•Early defibrillation, the delivery of electric shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm.
•Early advanced care delivered by a response vehicle staffed by advanced life support personnel.
  Communities must apply to be HeartSafe through the DPH Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program. Applications are available at http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/info/dpqi/cd/cardiovascular.htm or by calling 502-564-7996.  

  The Shelbyville Fire Department has donated $1,000 to the Save Savannah's Sight fund-raising effort. The check was part of what was raised during the department's haunted house. From left are Chris and Ashley Sanders, Savannah Sanders, and firefighters John Hance and Clint Byrnside. Savannah was left sightless 11 years ago by a stray bullet. She left Nov. 7 for Phoenix for a stem cell treatment that might help her regain her sight. 

  Local police are looking for Jesse Loving (below), 22, who is wanted on four outstanding warrants for escape.
  Anyone with information is encouraged to call Shelbyville-Shelby County Crimestoppers at 633-4500, or go online at www.ShelbyClue.com. Persons giving information that leads to an arrest are eligible for a cash award. All persons reporting information remain completely anonymous.

  Former Shelbyville city councilman and mayor Don Cubert was honored Wednesday at the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting when he was named Citizen of the Year by Mayor Tom Hardesty.
  Cubert, who owned a service station for years until he retired and handed the business over to his son, was on the city council until 2009; he had also served as interim mayor.
  Also at the meeting, Kathy Miracle was named Diplomat of the Year; Pat Gorbandt of H&R Block was named Chamber Member of the Year; the new Chamber directors were sworn in and Josh Hurst handed the gavel to incoming President Gary Walls.

  Send our troops a little taste of home for the holidays.
  Webb Funeral Home is proud to be one of the nearly 1,000 participating Veterans & Family Memorial Care providers nationwide participating in the annual VFMC Christmas Stockings for Soldiers initiative. Through Dec. 1, you may stop in to pick-up a Free Christmas Stocking to take home, decorate and stuff with Christmas cheer. You will receive a list of recommended items along with the free stocking.
  Webb Funeral Home will ship stockings, at its expense, to a Shelby County soldier stationed in Afghanistan with a request that they be shared with that particular unit.
  “Sending our heroes some good tidings and holiday cheer is a great way for us to show our support and appreciation for the sacrifices they make to keep our country safe and secure,” said Ross Webb, owner of Webb Funeral Home.  “Particularly at this time of the year, we want them to know they are remembered and appreciated. It is always hard to be so far from home and your loved ones, but it is particularly difficult at Christmas time.”
  As part of their membership in Veterans & Family Memorial Care, Webb Funeral Home is also an official drop off center for Cell Phones for Soldiers. Bring in your old cell phones to help our troops call home this holiday season. The phones are recycled and turned into free calling cards for our heroes. Last year, VFMC providers collected enough old cell phones to provide the troops overseas with more than 1 million free calling minutes. This year’s goal is 2 million calling minutes.
  Stop by the funeral any Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to pick up a free Christmas stocking or to drop off an old cell phone. Other hours are available if you cannot come at these times by calling 633-3750.  Webb Funeral Home is located at 1144 West Main St. in Shelbyville.