Fletcher again commits to tech center -- sort of

SCC hosts Kentucky Commission on Women regional meeting

The nature of weaving

Fletcher again commits to tech center -- sort of

"I just talked with your legislators and I said I'm a supporter of that," Fletcher said after pushing his tax reform plan before more than 100 people at the HCC Fine Arts Center.

"Whether or not we're going to be able to get that in the budget this year depends on how much debt we can assume and what the legislature does with it. Certainly your legislators here are strong supporters of that, and I'm a supporter of it, but let's see how the tax plan goes."

Does that mean local legislators must support his tax reform plan if they want the $13 million tech center?

"No, no, not at all," the governor said. "But it's a fact you can't increase your debt limit unless you have sustainable revenues. If we get that (building) in the budget, I'll support it and I've told (local legislators) I'm not going to strike it out."

He cautioned, however, that he is also supporting new tech centers at community colleges in Owensboro and Madisonville, which could bump the HCC building off the list of those being funded first. "We'll continue to talk and evaluate whether it's going to be in the budget," he said.

State Rep. Gross Lindsay, D-Henderson, said after meeting with Fletcher he is "hoping we can get things worked out."

Fletcher first committed to the tech center during a Oct. 3, 2003, appearance here when he was campaigning for governor. In the last legislative session, however, the tech center was in and out of the state budget as it went through various versions.

Judge-executive Sandy Watkins, one of eight people who asked questions or made comments during Fletcher's' appearance, said the tech center is badly needed to maintain the quality of the local workforce.

"We need a technology center," Watkins said. "We are so blessed with the workforce we have here, but we need to train and maintain that."

Fletcher began his presentation by focusing on how he says his tax plan will help keep Kentucky's young people at home. More than 16,000 left the state out of those who graduated from Kentucky colleges between 1993-95, he said.

"We haven't been able to attract and keep the human capital we need to grow the total work force in Kentucky," he said. "It's all about opportunity. We've got to have an environment that is attractive to the type of jobs we want our children and grandchildren to have."

Kentucky has a good workforce, and some of the lowest utility rates in the nation, he said, but the tax system "is not business-friendly and does not attract human capital. Our tax system is ranked among the 10 worst business tax systems in the nation."

Major components of Fletcher's plan are to reduce the income tax for 98 percent of individuals and revise outmoded corporate taxes, some of which date back a century and others of which have been ruled unconstitutional.

Fletcher said the "bottom line" of his plan boils down to: "Lower the rates, broaden the base, make it more fair and business-friendly."

He also asked the audience for its input on how much the cigarette tax should be raised. He said he is currently leaning toward raising it to "near 40 cents" per pack.

A majority of the audience, however, seemed to think that was too low. Most of those at Thursday's forum favored raising it 50 cents or more per pack, according to a show of hands.

Somerset Commonwealth Journal
January 3, 2005

SCC hosts Kentucky Commission on Women regional meeting

In an ongoing effort to serve all women across the Commonwealth, the Kentucky Commission on Women (KCW) will be holding regional meetings to gather input and provide support for communities. The ready-to-work program at Somerset Community College will be hosting the regional meeting of the Kentucky Commission on Women on January 11, 2005 at Somerset Community College in the Harold Rogers Student Commons Building Community Room.

The regional meeting will focus on the needs of the women who live and work in the Lake Cumberland Area Development District. KCW Executive Director, Glenda R. Woods, will provide an overview of the KCW and discuss the report of the Governor’s Task Force on the Economic Status of Kentucky’s Women.

“Uniting the women of the Lake Cumberland Area Development District will provide an arena to discuss priorities, projects currently in place, and the further development of solutions to satisfy other needs,” Woods said.

Individuals, community organizations and businesses are encouraged to attend the Regional Meeting and be a part of developing region-specific solutions and strategies for implementing the Task Force recommendations.

The KCW strives to increase the network of individuals interested in advancing the economic status of Kentucky’s women and girls. The regional meetings, occurring in September and October, are being conducted throughout the state to render solutions in five areas: education, health and well-being, equity, leadership and economic sufficiency. Information received from these meetings and subsequent meetings will be shared at “The Summit, June 17-18, 2005” in Frankfort at the Farnham-Dudgeon Convention Center and the Holiday Inn Capital Plaza.

The News-Enterprise
January 13, 2005

The nature of weaving

Nature, more than anything, influences the work of fiber artist Dennis Shaffner. Not only the colors of nature but also the nature of his chosen media — honeysuckle and akebia vines — inspire his artwork, guiding his hands, determining the size and shape of each woven sphere he creates.

In the end, after hours of taking shape, what began as four reeds becomes one woven sphere, perfectly imperfect, a tangle of plaits and crossings.

No two will ever be alike.

A collection of Shaffner's woven vessels will be on display at Morrison Gallery at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College today through Feb. 3.

Though the exhibit itself is not titled, Shaffner typically refers to his creations as "BASKETbowls."

They consist of hollow spheres, indented spheres, half-spheres, spheres stacked on top of spheres or spheres inside spheres. Some are large; some are small. Each has its own personality.

One piece, a variation from the norm, is a sphere that contains wadded up pieces of paper — Ku Klux Klan propaganda. He calls it "Inaugural Ball."

When Shaffner exhibits his pieces, he positions them meticulously so that they are surrounded by plenty of open space for light. "Number 8" he sets on a pedestal, picks it up, shakes it a little and puts it down again after rotating it slightly. The woven spheres inside the larger one position themselves just so as Shaffner looks down to the floor then back at the woven ball. His hands caress the air around the piece and decide to leave it be.

"Sometimes," he says, "the light will draw a line drawing on the floor where you never thought there would be more than just a basket."

Most of his works are made of honeysuckle, a naturally occurring vine in Kentucky, and akebia, which he can also harvest himself. He boils the reeds for several hours until they are easy to manipulate, like boiled pasta. After they are boiled, shaped and dried, they take on the color of white bark, stone or hay. Colors that remind Shaffner of winter.

"You should see them in the snow," he adds. "They're so beautiful, I never want to explore other fibers."

Originally from Pennsylvania, Shaffner studied textiles at the University of Louisville under Alma Lesch, and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. He began weaving organic forms 20 years ago in Connecticut, as a student of Japanese weaver Hisako Sekijima.

"I always did off-loom weaving," he said. "But, I didn't want to make usable baskets."

Shaffner taught in the Bullitt County public school system for 28 years, retiring in 1999 to concentrate on creating a body of work for exhibit.

Now living in Shepherdsville, he is also a painter, doing mostly on-location watercolor and some acrylics and oils, but he has done nothing else as much as he has done weaving.

"I think I don't have fingerprints anymore," he said laughing. "I've done so much weaving they've worn off."

He thinks of his craft as being something much more than basket weaving.

"It's like I'm holding the North Pole of the globe, weaving on the equator, and the whole thing becomes a planet in your hands," he said. "I can't make one of these without thinking of the earth and how large the planet must be."

In fact, that the media he uses are part of nature is another reason he is so attracted to his craft.

Though his work is featured in permanent collections at The White House, University of Louisville, Evansville Museum of Arts and Science and other corporate and private collections, at home, he releases his woven spheres into nature. Sometimes they land in a fencerow, tree or shrub after being blown about by the wind. Sometimes Shaffner never sees them again. He lets them lie where they land so they can revert back to nature either by taking root or decaying.

"I would really be complimented if some species were to take up living in something I made," he said. "But, they don't. Birds and squirrels won't go near them. They know they're manmade."

Shaffner continues to stay involved in the world of art education, acting as superintendent of the fine arts and crafts department of the Kentucky State Fair and teaching Children's Fine Art Classes through the Louisville Visual Arts Association.

"I'm most interested in young emerging talent," Shaffner said.

His work was chosen for display at the Morrison Art Gallery not only because of the uniqueness of the craft, but also because he is a local artist involved in the Kentucky arts, according to gallery director Dustin Kaufman.

The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is located in the Administration building on ECTC campus.

The gallery will have an opening reception for Shaffner's exhibit 4 p.m. today.