NKY residents work to make region even better
Spring is popping out all over! Here are some sure signs:
Baseball. Thomas More Saints opened their baseball season in a highly visible stadium. The home of the Florence Y’alls baseball team is now Thomas More Stadium. As part of the naming rights agreement, the Saints will also have their home games there. A smart deal for everyone.
Baby animals. At Big Bone State Historic Site in Boone County, the first baby buffalo of the season will be there for you to see on the Buffalo Trail, along with mom Short Horn. Be respectful of the newborn (and all the bison—no loud noises or anything like that). There are plenty of other things to see and enjoy at Big Bone, such as hiking its vast trails, birding, camping, picnicking, seeing historic artifacts and much more.
Gardening. You see it everywhere. Now we’re told it’s the best exercise ever—and can replace a gym workout. Research shows it builds muscle (with low injury rates), puts you in a good mood and uses as many calories as golf or dancing. Who knew?
Celebrating 95 years of Family-owned Homebuilding
It’s a good year for celebrating NKY’s wealth of long-time family-owned businesses. Today, let’s give a shout-out to the Drees Company, which is celebrating 95 years of homebuilding and its three generations of family management.
David Drees has been president and CEO since 2000, following in the footsteps of his late father, Ralph, and his grandfather, Theodore, the company’s founder who immigrated from Germany to the U.S. in 1928. Theodore built his first home in Wilder, a handsome brick Cape Cod.
Theodore would be proud but hardly would recognize the company his creation has become. Drees Homes builds in 10 different metros spanning the Midwest, Southeast and Texas. It is the nation’s 19th largest privately owned home builder and the 36th largest overall. The Drees Company was recently named a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and has earned the title of America’s Best Builder twice, in addition to National Builder of the Year and the National Housing Quality award. It is currently building in more than three dozen communities in the Greater Cincinnati region.
Bev Holiday’s ‘Can-do’ Style Pays Off
If you have known Bev Holiday as long as I have, you will not be surprised that her innovative and can-do fortitude brought a video performance of the opera Fierce to Newport High School.
Bev, business liaison officer for the city of Newport, attended the Cincinnati Opera production live, heard there was a video of it and became determined to bring it to Newport. It turns out she also knew that the accomplished writer of the opera’s libretto, Sheila Williams, lived in Newport. So she also set about getting Williams to host the video performance.
The event at Newport High School was a big success. But how could it miss?
meetNKY’s ‘Star of Tourism’ Award
While celebrating meetNKY’s stellar year, CEO and President Julie Kirkpatrick named Revival Vintage Spirits & Bottle Shop its Star of Tourism award winner. Owners Shannon Smith and Brad Bonds accepted the award at meetNKY’s annual meeting.
Revival Vintage Bottle Shop in Mainstrasse, in business just two years, is a tourist magnet and home to a one-of-a-kind shopping and tasting experience with a curated collection of rare and vintage bottles. It finds rare bourbons and offers by-the-drink opportunities as well as bottle purchases.
Currently expanding into larger space in Downtown Covington, this bourbon bar offers visitors and locals a perfect stop on NKY’s expanding Bourbon Trail experience.
Judy Clabes is former editor of The Kentucky Post and now editor/publisher of the NKyTribune.com. She is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and of the University of Kentucky Hall of Distinguished Alumni. She and her late husband, Gene, are the parents of two sons and grandparents of five.
