Murray Life Magazine :: 2010 Spring Issue
Hand Crafted Works of Art
By Bec Feldhaus
In rooms stuffed with mahogany bound volumes, crystal bottles of fine liquors and giant, yellowing maps of the world, a forgotten art lurks. Though enjoyed in myriad cultures and settings, the old-school item has, more recently, tended to be something of jest and costume. Throughout history, many great historical figures have had this one accessory in common. English actor John Mills, Prince Rainier of Monaco, masters like J.S. Bach, writers such as Faulkner, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, and even the fictitious Sherlock Holmes all boasted their love. By now you’ve guessed: the prized possession and personal statement piece is the smoking pipe.
The smoking pipe in modern popular culture is all but lost. The sweet lingering smell of traditional pipe tobacco is drifting away—or so it might seem. But here, in Murray, a jack-of-all-trades keeps the passion glowing.
Scott Thile has been working at Murray State University for 15 years as the instrument technician. Most music students know Thile as the friendly face they see tuning pianos and working on other instruments to keep the music department on pitch, literally. Before any concert, Thile inspects the piano in the Performing Arts Hall to make sure it’s adequate. Moreover, his love of music manifests itself in many ways. Though the name looks peculiar, upon hearing it, many know Thile (rhymes with “steely”) for another trade. His son Chris is an acclaimed mandolin virtuoso. Formerly a member of the trio Nickel Creek, Chris now plays with a group called The Punch Brothers, and has released several solo albums.
...Read More in the Spring 2010 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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The Making of T.R.
By Terry Little
Murray’s Pete Lancaster is many things. Some call him a raconteur; others say that he’s a “man about town.” Some folks call him “that guy on the radio” because Pete is heard every morning on the “Starbuck’s Breakfast Show.” Others may call him “Mr. Councilman” because he is serving his third term on the Murray City Council. Many think that he is the official host of Murray because he has been the Master of Ceremonies for everything from a “Heart Walk” and the Homecoming Parade to a “Pig Wrassle.”
The one thing on which everyone agrees is that Pete is a dead ringer for Teddy Roosevelt. His build, his face, his hair – if parted just a little differently—is all Teddy. I told him so on one fateful day.
That led to a conversation about how both of us felt that Teddy Roosevelt was a true American icon and a unique individual. “You should write a one man show about him and perform it,” I made the mistake of saying. “Yes, let’s do that,” Pete replied. Note that it wasn’t “I’ll do that,” but “Let’s do that.” Suddenly, I had been included in the project just as surely as if I had been a lieutenant in Teddy’s famous Rough Riders.
...Read More in the Spring 2010 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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Secretive Salamanders
By Aviva Yasgur
Of all wildlife, my favorite are salamanders. Although many salamanders live in the forests, ponds and streams of Land Between The Lakes (LBL), most people will never see one. Many do not even know what a salamander is. Often mistaken for lizards, salamanders are actually amphibians like frogs. Up close, you would see that a lizard has scaly skin, while a salamander does not. These small creatures go about their quiet lives largely unnoticed by the human world.
But wait—I suppose I shouldn’t generalize about a group of animals that worldwide number close to 400 species. First of all, not all salamanders are small. The Japanese Giant Salamander grows to about 5 feet in length. Closer to home, the Eastern Hellbender can grow over 2 feet long. The majority of salamanders in our area, however, would struggle to measure up to an average green bean.
...Read More in the Spring 2010 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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 Kilroy is Back
By Murray Life Staff
Murray’s Constance Alexander has a “hit” on her hands with a new book of poetry titled Kilroy Was Here. The talented, award-winning writer has translated her New York-produced play into a book of poetry based on oral histories of World War II, from the battlefront to the homefront. (see Murray Life, Holiday 2009, “Notes ‘n’ Neighbors, p. 8)
The late Chuck Simons, Murray’s dean of percussionists in west Kentucky, played a role in providing information and insight when Connie was still gathering material. Former big band musician and WKMS producer Bobby Bryan also lent a hand, so the new book of poetry is a real product of the region, as well as being the creation of the gifted writer herself.
...Read More in the Spring 2010 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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 Businessman Lets Heart Outweigh Logic
By Tom Rottinghaus
Can one’s heart outweigh one’s sense of logic? Ask any pet owner and he will give you a resounding “YES!” That certainly seems to be the case for Steven Flynn, owner of Scrubs uniform store at 514 Main Street. Steve already had “Mattie,” a nine-year-old miniature Schnauzer, and the last thing on his mind when he went to work was to bring home another animal.
While standing at his store counter on a blistering hot day in June, he looked out the window and noticed a tiny kitten, about four weeks old, sitting in the street almost in traffic in front of his store. It was obvious to Steve that the kitten was terribly frightened as it crouched down on the hot pavement while the cars passed. He knew had to do something fast so, before it was too late, he ran outside, rescued the kitten and placed it in a box inside until he could decide what to do with it.
A call was placed to the Humane Society and Steve told his predicament to a society volunteer. The kitten was tiny, seemed to be somewhat dehydrated, lethargic and completely infested with fleas. He really didn’t want to take another animal in right now, but he couldn’t bear to let a little kitten just die, so he volunteered to keep it for awhile. Steve knew very little about cats so the volunteer gave him a crash course on kitten care and provided him with a cage, litter box with litter and other necessary items to “jump start” his fostering of the helpless kitten.
...Read More in the Spring 2010 issue of Murray Life Magazine
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