Today I attended a conference sponsored by the Kentucky Voices for Health. I love attending conferences and meeting new people and learning new things. This conference was different because it occurred at a bourbon distillery. I am not a bourbon drinker myself. I almost died from alcohol poisoning when I was a teenager because of drinking bourbon shots in a contest on a dare and have not even cared for the smell of it since then. So I did not take them up on their offer of a tour after the conference. Somehow a conference for improving health hosted by a distillery struck me as a little Twilight Zonish. Maybe it is just me. Moderation in all things is a good thing. Why do we humans have such a problem being moderate? We cannot rid the world of all potential evils to make Utopia. Moderation is a good thing there too. Which evils should we eliminate? Talking on cell phones while driving? Medical marijuana legalization? Mentally ill family members who are a danger to themselves and/or others running amuck? Those examples are just a few of the topics discussed today by law and policy makers. Please click on the logo above to learn more about this NGO (non-government organization). By the way, we were told by an expert that this is the perfect time to contact your legislator and make your desires known to them. We were reminded again and again during the conference that they work for us!

The request for a zone change for our health club for seniors has been filed. There are many steps involved in a zone change, and one of the steps is a site plan must be submitted showing the parking layout. There is some uncertainty over whether we need 8 parking spaces or 18 according to our particular kind of business and the particular zone we are asking for. Different parking requirements for each. 8 or 18. We are hoping for 8 because we would like to have a courtyard and pergola area. I am a fan of public transportation and keeping parking lots to a minimum. Speaking of public transportation…the bus stop nearest our hoped for business site is an abomination and should be improved immediately before someone else gets killed or hurt there. I wonder who I should contact about that. Lextran is going to be my starting point.

I also have to contact someone about signage. There is a huge steel framework for mounting a sign near Liberty Road. I don’t think new signs that big are allowed to be installed, but that one is grandfathered in. The highway department told me they will be widening Liberty Road in three to five years, so how much should we spend on a sign that may only be there three years?  A sign company quoted over $2,000 for one of their least expensive signs. We might spend more for a better sign if it could be moved. If we are going to move it when the road is widened, it will need to comply with the city’s current sign ordinances.

The Bluegrass Continuity of Care Association luncheon is this Wednesday at The Lafayette. And I am joining the Kentucky Association of Adult Day (KAAD) centers tomorrow. They have a lobbyist for the state legislature. I wonder if they contribute toward a lobbyist on the federal level? Joining KAAD automatically enrolls an organization in the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA). I wish Medicare would pay for adult day center attendance the way they pay for nursing home care after a hospital stay. Allowing adult day medical care and rehabilitation would save taxpayers millions each year.

May you and yours have a safe and healthy mid-January week! Psalm 4:8