Dear Employee, In recent weeks many of you

have written, e-mailed and called meexpressing concern about thechanges announced for the PublicEmployee Health Insurance plan.Let me first say I hear your concernand I understand the frustration thatso many of you are feeling. I havealso experienced a great deal offrustration dealing with a problemthat has been neglected for so manyyears by my predecessors.

You must know that I hold youand the service you provide to thecitizens of our Commonwealth in thehighest regard. I recognize that foryears, many of you have found greatcomfort in the benefits provided foryou. During those years, youdeserved to have these benefits bet-ter managed by those you elected;had they done so, the discomfortnow being felt by so many of youwould not be nearly as difficult.

However, my administrationmoved beyond just talking about theproblems. We focused on findingsolutions -- solutions to the $1 billionshortfall in the General Fund weinherited; solutions for the stagnanteconomy we inherited; solutions tothe unsustainable cost of the PublicEmployee Health insurance plan;

and, among many other things, solu-tions to the lagging salaries of teach-ers and state employees.

We are solving the shortfall in theGeneral Fund and have balancedthe state's checkbook. We haveseen more than 60,000 new jobscreated in our Commonwealth.

Let me first provide some contextfor the magnitude of the problem wewere, and are, facing. The antiquat-ed design of previous benefits pack-ages, though beneficial to theemployee, actually encouragedover-utilization, which is the largestdriver of the skyrocketing costs. Infact, we were facing nearly a $1 bil-lion price tag for 2006 had we notchanged the plan. Further, the plandid little to encourage wellness orreward people for making healthychoices.

Finally, the plan had long beencriticized for being discriminatorybecause employees in different partsof the state, though working thesame job and getting the same pay,were paying dramatically differentcontributions for their health insur-ance, getting different numbers ofoptions of carriers, getting signifi-cantly differing plan options, and (ifthey needed family coverage)

OCTOBER 2004 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4A PUBLICATION FOR STATE EMPLOYEES

Governor ErnieFletcher and FirstLady GlennaFletcher (center)posed with cabinetrepresentatives atthe KECC kickoff onAugust 18. Seepages 6 and 7 formore kickoff photos.

A MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR FLETCHER

When Governor Fletcher gavehis first State of the Commonwealthspeech in January, he spoke ofmany important issues facingKentucky.

One of those issues is one thataffects us all – health care.

Health care, Governor Fletchersaid in his address, is part of oppor-tunity. Having the desire to work inKentucky means having the desire tolive here, and living here demandsaccess to top-flight health care.

But we have problems,Governor Fletcher added.

“The cost of health care is grow-ing out of control,” Governor Fletchersaid. “…We are sorely lacking inpublic education on healthy livinghabits. Compared to the rest of the

EMPLOYEE HEALTHAND WELLNESS

See RAMSEY, Page 10

• Q & A: Finance Cabinet SecretaryRobbie Rudolph Page 2

• Employee has 56 years of servicewith state government Page 3

• Kentucky Employee Assistance Program: Dealing with grief Page 9

• For free-time fun: Crossword Puzzle Page 11

FROM THE SECRETARY

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Family Fun at State Parks Page 4

• KECC Kickoff in pictures Pages 6-7

By Bob Ramsey Sr.Personnel Cabinet Secretary

• Calendar Page 12

PHOTO BY

CREATIVE SERVICES

See MESSAGE, Page 3

• Name the Newsletter Contest Page 12

the Murray Chamber of Commerce. Rudolph and his wife Lisa, a reg-

istered nurse, have two children,Mallory and Grant.

Question: Where were you bornand what was your family life likegrowing up?

Answer: I was born and raised inFulton in the far western part of thestate. My mother died in a car acci-dent when I was a freshman in highschool. Her mother, my grandmother,came to live with us shortly after mymother’s death. She died in a caraccident a year and a month later. Ihave a younger sister, who is a den-tist in Louisville. My father, who wasalso a dentist, passed away abouteight years ago.

Question: As a child, what didyou want to be when you grew up?

Answer: I wanted to be a dentistbecause my father was a dentist. Ofcourse, my sister is the one whoended up being a dentist and I wentinto the tire business.

Page 2 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ October 2004

Q&A

Note: This is the secondinstallment of Q&A, a new featurethat will introduce a member ofGovernor Fletcher’s administration ineach issue of Communiqué.

Robbie Rudolph was appoint-ed secretary of the KentuckyFinance and AdministrationCabinet by Governor ErnieFletcher on December 15, 2003.

Rudolph, a Murray business-man, is owner and president ofRudolph Tire, a company he builtfrom the ground up. He opened hisfirst store in 1981 and expandedhis business to five locations withinfive years. After selling those fivestores, Rudolph Tire turned itsfocus to the wholesale industryand currently does business in 48states, Western Europe, theCaribbean, South America and theFar East.

A strong supporter of our stateuniversities, Rudolph has workedtirelessly for the Murray StateUniversity Racer Foundation -- ofwhich he served three terms aschairman.

In addition to his businesssuccesses, Rudolph is personallydedicated to improving the lives ofothers. In 1988, he founded theAmazon Valley MissionOrganization (AMOR), a team ofvolunteer dental and medical pro-fessionals, who provide dentalwork, medical care and eyeglass-es, oversee construction projectsand teach Bible school in the verypoorest areas of Brazil.

A native of Fulton, Kentucky,Rudolph is a graduate of FultonCity High School and attendedMurray State University. He is anactive member of the First BaptistChurch in Murray and a member of

FFIINNAANNCCEE AANNDD AADDMMIINNIISSTTRRAATTIIOONNCCAABBIINNEETT SSEECCRREETTAARRYY

RROOBBBBIIEE RRUUDDOOLLPPHH

COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ

Volume 3, Issue 4 October 2004

The CommonwealthCommuniqué is published by theKentucky Personnel Cabinet and isprinted with state funds.

Communiqué staff: MargaretDavis Harney, Tim Harmon, RickDeason and Jodi Whitaker.

If you have any comments orsuggestions regarding theCommuniqué, please contactMargaret Harney at (502) 564-3433or Margareta.Harney@ky.gov.

If you are unable to access theCommuniqué online, please let usknow, and we will make a printedcopy available to you.

The Commonwealth ofKentucky does not discriminate onthe basis of race, color, national ori-gin, sex, age, disability, sexual ori-entation, gender identity, ancestryor veteran status. Reasonableaccommodations are providedupon request.

Have a suggestion forthe Communiqué?

Have an idea for an article you would like to

see?

Do you need a printed copy of this

newsletter?

Let us know!

Contact Margaret Davis Harney

at (502) 564-3433 or margareta.harney@ky.gov

SECRETARY ROBBIE RUDOLPH

See RUDOLPH, Page 10

DOUG TRAVIS

CCAARREEEERR SSPPAANNSS 5566 YYEEAARRSSOn

July 16,GovernorErnieFletcher recognizedKentuckyDepartmentof Fish andWildlife Re-sources employee Doug Travis formore than 56 years of service tooutdoors enthusiasts. Travis is thelongest-serving state employee inKentucky and the third longest-serv-ing state employee in the UnitedStates.

“Through his loyalty and strongwork ethic, Mr. Travis is an inspira-tion to all of us who work for thisCommonwealth,” said GovernorFletcher. “I admire his dedication topublic service and offer my sinceregratitude for his years of hard work.”

Travis began his career as aconservation officer with Fish andWildlife on Dec. 8, 1947, just twoyears after the founding of thedepartment. His starting salary was$135 per month. He eventuallymoved from law enforcement toconservation education, where heinstructed more than 300,000 chil-dren in swimming, boating, watersafety and hunter education.

In 1975, Travis became directorof Camp Currie, a conservationcamp on Kentucky Lake, and heldthat position until 2000. During hislong career, Travis has receivedrecognition and awards from organi-zations such as the InternationalAssociation of Hunter Education, theNational Water Safety Congress andthe Kentucky Hunter EducationAssociation. Travis is a recipient ofthe National Service Medal and theMedal of Humanity from theAmerican Red Cross.

Travis, 85, lives in Paducahand continues to serve as a conser-vation education program leader.

DOUG TRAVIS

Page 3COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉOctober 2004

From MESSAGE, Page 1getting much less state subsidy by per-centage. This is the problem we inherited.

With this in view, the first phase of oursolution is designed to help hold back therate of the increase in the plan's costs bymaking the plan more consistent withwhat the rest of the taxpayers in Kentuckyhave available to them, more consistentamong employees in different regions ofthe state, and more encouraging of healthrather than disease.

This redesign was filled with tough deci-sions – decisions over which I have ago-nized because of the impact I knew theymight have on you and your family. WhatI did not have, however, was the option ofdoing nothing except throw more moneyat the problem. So we made the toughchoices that leaders must make – thatmany of you make every day in your pro-fession and at home.

• We preserved the primary and necessary provisions of the benefits sowe could ensure that employees haveaccess to adequate coverage, while atthe same time eliminated the featuresthat were driving costs out of control. • We designed the bid proposal so that

no matter how many companies bid on aregion, the contract was awarded just toone carrier with the best bid in order toensure the most competitive pricing pos-sible. • We created salary bands so those

employees making less could pay less fortheir coverage. • We increased the state's portion of the

overall cost to 70% next year, whichalone amounts to $44 million more fromthe state treasury going into employeehealth insurance. • We self-funded two regions and, by

tough negotiations, saved another $10million, which we used to subsidize allpremium charges except those for sin-gles. • Given our improving economy, we

contributed an additional $9.2 million tosubsidize individual employee premiumsand make them half of what they were projected to be in the plan twice voted for by the House Democrats. • We provided a discount for non-

smokers and added $200 for eachemployee to get an annual physical. Ontop of all this, we added more money for

raises, so that each employee will get a3% raise (This exceeds what almostevery other state was able to do).

And now, the difficult choices we maderegarding your insurance plan are makinga difference. Our increase for next year isonly 7.2% (more than 17% less than thelowest projections and more than 4%lower than the national average thisyear). If we had not made these changes,the plan would have gone up an addition-al $109 million, which the state didn'thave and we knew could not be passedalong to each of you.

I know these changes are difficult formany of our employees, but they aremuch better than what we would havebeen facing had we not made the careful,courageous changes we made. We aredoing something to help ease the poten-tially impossible financial situation that asmall number of our families may facedue to unexpected circumstances. Weare creating a "health disaster relief fund"that we hope to have in place by the timethe new plan takes effect in January.

Again, let me say that I know the pres-ent circumstances are frustrating for you;they are for all of us. You must know howdeeply I care and it is that deep concernfor the well being of you and your familythat would not allow me to sit idly by,doing nothing but promise more and pro-vide less and play politics with your insur-ance and health care.

These are the first difficult steps toaddressing a problem that has beenallowed to fester for far too long. Our jour-ney of trying to better control the increasein health insurance costs will not be aneasy one. However, working together wecan better ensure the best possible out-come. We must make healthier choicesand continue our diligent efforts to creategreater opportunity for every citizen of ourCommonwealth.

Thank you for giving me this opportuni-ty to address an issue of great concern toall of us. Thank you as well for your sig-nificant contributions to ourCommonwealth.

Sincerely,

Governor Ernie Fletcher

The beauty of thefall season is evident throughoutEastern Kentucky,including on thisroad in Pine Mountain State Resort Park in Pineville.

PHOTO COURTESY OF

DEPARTMENT OF

TOURISM

SPOTLIGHT ON EASTERN KENTUCKY

BBEESSTT KKEEPPTT SSEECCRREETTSS

OLD FORT HARRODGUN COLLECTION

Page 4 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ October 2004

In the elegant Greek Revival man-sion that houses the museum of OldFort Harrod State Park is a room thattells the history of the settlement ofKentucky through rifles, handguns, andswords.

Enclosed in glass cases are nearly50 rifles dating from pioneer days to thelate 18th century. One flintlock long rifleis believed to date from the time thatKentucky's first settlement was built herein 1774. Other long rifles are nearly asrare, dating from perhaps a few yearslater.

Along another wall is a collection ofcarbines that illustrate how rifles evolvedto compact, repeating-fire weapons bythe last quarter of the 1800s.

Visitors to the Weapons Room alsofind the collection of nearly 100 hand-guns to be fascinating, says ParkManager Joan Huffman. They rangefrom a huge blunderbuss from the late1700s to a tiny pistol disguised as a writ-ing pen, dating from the early 1900s.Also on display are more than a dozenswords. On another wall are displayedbullet molds and power horns.

Other exhibits in the museum illus-trate the domestic side of pioneer life,displaying a variety of implements andtools used to prepare food and weavefabrics. Another room is devoted toKentucky's most famous son, AbrahamLincoln. It includes a life-sized portrait ofLincoln. A few steps away is a brickbuilding that houses the cabin in whichLincoln's parents were married in 1806.

A huge stone monument nearbypays tribute to George Rogers Clark, theintrepid explorer who opened up the oldNorthwest Territory to settlement. Clarkis depicted in the center of a tableaux offive pioneer figures.

The monument was dedicated inNovember 1934 by no less a personagethan President Franklin Roosevelt. Thepresident was accompanied by FirstLady Eleanor Roosevelt, Governor RubyLaffoon, and Senator Alben Barkley.

The park is on US 68 in Harrods-burg and is open daily through October.

FAMILY FUN ATKENTUCKY STATE PARKS

"If you've never been toEastern Kentucky, please accept myinvitation to come and spend sometime with us," says Nancy Price, gen-eral manager of Paintsville Tourism."Our friendly Appalachian culture andnatural scenic beauty will bring youback again and again."

Located in Johnson County,an easy drive of three or four hoursdown I-64 from Lexington, much ofPaintsville's scenic beauty comesfrom the town's mountain backdrop.Residents also boast of having oneof the best lakes in the state,Paintsville Lake, only four miles outof town.

"The lake is so clean thatyou can clearly see six to ten feetinto the water," says Price,"and thecampground is amazing."

One of Kentucky's most pop-ular state parks, Jenny Wiley StateResort Park in Prestonsburg, is onlya 20 minute drive from Paintsvilleand features a beautiful lodge, butPrice says the campground atPaintsville Lake State Park can't bebeat for those on a really tight budg-et. With a camping fee of $24 pernight, a stay at the campground "is a

great way to spend time with yourfamily and not go bust," sheexplains. Regardless of your budget,the campground is also a great placeto stay for anyone who simplyprefers the camping experience, orwho wants to take advantage of itsmany activities for families.

The campground includeson-site laundry facilities, play-grounds, horseshoe pits, a sand vol-leyball court and a basketball court.Campers can enjoy primitive camp-ing, take advantage of electric waterand sewer hook ups or really rough itin an RV. The large RV campgroundopened in 2001 and includes RVsites adapted for campers with physi-cal disabilities.

In addition to boating andcamping, there are more attractionsin Paintsville and Johnson County, aswell as neighboring Floyd County, forevery age and interest.

KENTUCKY'S MUSIC HERITAGEJohnson County proudly

boasts of being home to countrymusic stars Loretta Lynn and CrystalGayle, whose childhood home was a

KENTUCKY ROAD TRIPS

See ROAD TRIP Page 5

Page 5COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉOctober 2004

cabin in Butcher Hollow - near the tiny town of Van Lear outside ofPaintsville. The "holler" and thecabin were made famous by Lynn'sautobiographical song "Coal Miner'sDaughter," which inspired the movieof the same name. The tumble-downcabin was rebuilt for the movie and itstill stands, welcoming visitors.

If your timing is right, youmay see one of the famous sistersperform just a few miles fromPaintsville down Highway 23 at theMountain Arts Center in Prestons-burg. Highway 23 is also known asCountry Music Highway for the manytalented musicians the area has pro-duced.

HISTORYEveryone will enjoy a visit to

the Mountain Home Place, a workingfarm of the 1850's era. A visit to thefarm is a historical learning experi-ence as well as fun. The WelcomeCenter includes a Museum OfAppalachian History and a gift shopthat features arts and crafts from theEastern Kentucky region.

History buffs will also enjoy avisit to Paintsville's Mayo MethodistChurch, home to a pipe organ thatwas donated by Andrew Carnegie.One of the last remaining Carnegiepipe organs in the United States, itcontinues to be used during everychurch service. The church is alsoknown for its structure and stainedglass windows.

Visitors may notice that thatthe church is just one of many facili-ties in Paintsville and other parts ofEastern Kentucky bearing the Mayoname. Die-hard history buffs maywant to read about the patriarch ofthe Mayo family, John Mayo, a poorboy who became a wealthy coalbaron. He's buried atop a hill inPaintsville and his wife is buriedbehind Paintsville's Mayo Mansion.

JENNY WILEY STATE RESORTPARK AND DEWEY LAKE

While visiting Paintsville, youmay want to take the short 20-

minute drive from Paintsville toJenny Wiley State Resort Park,which is six miles out ofPrestonsburg in Floyd County. If youwant to save the trip for anothertime, the park is about 115 milesfrom Lexington.

Overnight visitors to JennyWiley may stay at the park's beauti-ful mountain lodge, in one of its rus-tic cabins or at the campground. Activities include a pool, naturetrails, golf and an amphitheatre,which offers plays and musical per-formances during the summer sea-son. In addition, the wooded hills ofthe park rise 700 feet above DeweyLake, which offers boating, boatrentals and other water activities.

The park is named for a pio-neer woman, Jenny Wiley, who wit-nessed the murders of her brotherand her five chidren before she wascaptured by the Shawnees. Sheescaped after being held captive forseveral months. She was reunitedwith her husband, Thomas, and hadfive more children. She died in 1831at age 71 and is buried east ofPaintsville.

BREAKS INTERSTATE PARKIf you would like to continue

your stay in the mountains of theKentucky and Virginia border area,travel 50 miles from Prestonsburg(160 miles from Lexington) to BreaksInterstate Park. The park offers alodge, cabins and camp sites and isjointly operated by the two states itstraddles – Kentucky and Virginia.

Breaks Interstate Park takesits name from the largest canyoneast of the Mississippi – the Breaks.Carved by the Russell Fork River,the canyon is a five-mile cut with theriver running between pallisades1,000 feet high. The park's motorlodge is built on the rim of thecanyon and features balcony roomswith canyon views.

The park's features alsoinclude a pool, white-water raftingand other water sports, horsebackriding, hiking, mountain biking andan amphitheater.

From ROAD TRIP, Page 4

You may make online reser-vations for any of Kentucky’s StateResort Parks at http://www.kentucky-tourism.com/.

For information on PaintsvilleLake State Park, call (606)297-8486or (606)297-8488.

For more information on theMountain Arts Center in Prestons-burg, visit http://www.macarts.com.

SPECIAL EMPLOYEE RATESAT STATE RESORT PARKS

HISTORICAL SOCIETYOFFERS WEEKEND HOURS

RESERVATIONS AND MORE INFORMATION

The Kentucky HistoricalSociety is now opening its doors onweekends to its three facilities inFrankfort. For one admission chargeof $4 per adult and $2 per child, apatron may tour the Kentucky HistoryCenter, the Old State Capitol and theKentucky Military History Museum.Operating hours vary, but all three willbe open most of the day onSaturdays and on Sunday afternoons.There is no admission charge on thesecond Sunday of each month.

Parks is now offering stateemployees a special rate of $55 pernight for a lodge room at a KentuckyState Resort Park.

The rate applies to bothleisure and business travel. As abonus, an employee traveling onbusiness may stay in a cottage at adiscount. Just book the cottage, inter-account your agency for $55 and paythe difference. This rate is also avail-able for employees attending stategroup meetings.

To take advantage of thisoffer, simply contact your favoritepark, identify yourself as a stateemployee and ask for the state gov-ernment rate. There are a limitednumber of rooms available at thisrate, so book early. The discount maynot be available during special eventsand holidays.

The 2004 Kentucky EmployeesCharitable Campaign (KECC) is infull swing. The annual campaignwas kicked off at Frankfort’s CivicCenter on August 18. The eventfeatured this year’s campaigntheme, Change for Today, Hopefor Tomorrow, and the kickofftheme, Serving Up Kentucky.

Guests at the kickoff includ-ed Governor Ernie Fletcher andFirst Lady Glenna Fletcher,along with Secretary AllysonHandley, who is the chairper-son of this year’s campaign.

Cabinet secretariesdonned decorated aprons todistribute ice cream treats toattendees, who could pur-

chase lunch on-site. The aprons weredesigned by employees and featured the kickofftheme, Serving Up Kentucky. The prize for bestdesign was awarded for the apron worn byFinance and Administration Cabinet SecretaryRobbie Rudolph, who accepted a trophy onbehalf of his employees.

Participants also learned about the sixKECC charities during the event. (See“Charities” on page 7.)

The campaign continues through Nov.10. This year’s goal is $1.3 million.

For more information on KECC, contactyour cabinet’s coordinator.

AGRICULTUREAmanda Cloyd502-564-6676, ext. 261

ATTORNEY GENERALMalea Vincent502-696-5616

AUDITORBrenda Swiger502-573-0050

BOARD OF NURSINGJill Cambron502-329-7000

COMMERCE CABINETPat Barnard502-564-8110 ext 415

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTCABINET

Stacey McClellan502-564-4300 ext. 4288

EDUCATION CABINETStan Lampe and Stan Salchli502-564-6606

ENVIRONMENTAL ANDPUBLIC PROTECTION

CABINETC. J. (Cornelius) O’Banion502-564-3070

CABINET FOR HEALTH ANDFAMILY SERVICES

Ann L. Gordon502-564-5343

DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Ricki C. Gardenhire(800) 346-5606

FINANCE ANDADMINISTRATION CABINET

Becky Parrish, Jill Midkiff andJo Ann Smith502-564-4240

GOVERNOR’S OFFICEBrian Crall502-564-2611

See COORDINATORS, Page 7

Page 6 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ October 2004

COORDINATORS

KECC CHANGE FOR TODAY

ALL KECC PHOTOS BY

CREATIVE SERVICES

2004 KECC CHAIR EXECUTIVE CABINET SECRETARY

ALLYSON HANDLEY

ABOVE RIGHT, FIRST LADY GLENNA FLETCHER PRESENTED THE TROPHY FOR

BEST KECC APRON DESIGN TO FINANCE CABINET SECRETARY ROBBIE RUDOLPH; ABOVE LEFT, SECRETARY RUDOLPH’S APRON

HUMAN RIGHTSCOMMISSION

Chad Stratton and Floyd J. Buckner502-595-4024

JUDICIAL BRANCHCarla Kreitman or Carol Paisley502-573-2350

JUSTICE CABINETJo Carol Roberts502-564-0341

KENTUCKY HOUSINGCORPORATION

Tracey Fitzgerald502-564-7630, ext. 383

KENTUCKY RETIREMENTSYSTEMS

Marlane Robinson502-564-4646, ext. 1167

LEGISLATIVE BRANCHBill Phelps and Anita Taylor502-564-8100

MILITARY AFFAIRSMary Elizabeth Harrod502-607-1529

PERSONNEL CABINETJodi Whitaker502-564-4460, ext. 4020

SECRETARY OF STATELillian Troop and Sharon Flynn502-564-3490

TRANSPORTATION CABINETJames Hale502-564-4610, ext. 3046

TREASURYRebecca Comley502-564-4722

UNIFIED PROSECUTORIALKim Furnish502-696-5500

Page 7COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉOctober 2004

For more KECCinformation, visit the KECC Web site at

http://www.kecc.org/

GOVERNOR AND MRS. FLETCHERWITH APRON-ATTIRED EDUCATION

CABINET SECRETARY VIRGINIA FOX (CENTER)

From COORDINATORS, Page 6KECC HOPE FOR TOMORROW

2004 KECC FACTS

THEMEChange for Today,

Hope for Tomorrow

LEADERSHIPSecretary Allyson Handleyis the 2004 chairperson.Agency coordinators arelisted on pages 6 and 7.

CHARITIESThere are six official par-ticipating charities:Christian AppalachianProject, CommunityHealth Charities, Easter Seals Kentucky,Prevent Child AbuseKentucky, United Wayand the WHASCrusade for Children.You may also write in a qualified charity. For informa-tion, see your coordinator orvisit the KECC Web site atwww.kecc.org.

ALL KECC PHOTOS BY

CREATIVE SERVICES

PERSONNEL CABINETSECRETARY BOB RAMSEY,IN APPRON AT RIGHT,PRESENTED AN ICECREAM TREAT TOPERSONNEL CABINETEMPLOYEE MARK WHITE

GOVERNOR FLETCHER CHECKS OUT

THE APRON DESIGNS WORN BY BRAD

COWGILL (CENTER) AND SECRETARY

ROBBIE RUDOLPH

Thisyear, 22Kentucky resi-dents wereawardedTransportationCabinetscholarshipsto study engi-neering in college. The new group ofscholarship recipients includes a cur-rent Transportation employee,Sharmista Dutta, and the sons ofemployees Mary Wade and JackConway.

Dutta already has a bachelor’sdegree in biology but began takingengineering classes part-time whileemployed in Transportation’s Divisionof Environmental Analysis. Her scholar-ship will allow her to earn her degree ina timely manner. She resigned herposition on August 13 to begin full-timestudies at Kentucky State University.Under the terms of the scholarship, shewill return to the cabinet after gradua-tion.

Wade, of Frankfort, works in theDivision of Professional Services andgraduated from the University ofKentucky with a civil engineeringdegree, the same program her son Willis entering this fall. Conway, also ofFrankfort, has worked for 25 years withthe Geotechnical Branch of the Divisionof Materials. His son Eric is a UK fresh-man this fall. Both Will and Eric workedfor Transportation during the summer.

The scholarships are part of a pro-gram Transportation developed in 1948to meet its ever-present need for engi-neers. The agency currently employs

454 engineers— more thanany other cabi-net in stategovernment.The scholar-ship programpays youngpeople to

attend college andstudy engineering, offers them summeremployment and guarantees them ajob immediately after graduation. Thelongest-running scholarship program inthe country, it has been named one ofthe "Best Practices in the Nation" in thearea of Workforce Development. Sincethe program began, more than 1,400scholarships, representing over $10million in educational support, havebeen awarded. There are currently atotal of 70 students attending school onthe scholarships, which are funded bythe Road Fund. Students can receivefunding for up to five years of school-ing, for a total value of up to $38,400.

During the program’s long history,there have been many interesting fami-ly connections among scholarshiprecipients. There have been seven setsof brothers — including one set of twins(Kevin and Keith Damron, District 12).There are two sets of father/son recipi-ents, a father and two daughters, twohusband and wife couples and one sis-ter and brother.

Jo Anne Tingle, a cabinet engi-neer and a scholarship recipient her-self, manages the program. For moreinformation, go online to transporta-tion.ky.gov/person/ScholarshipProgram.htm.

Page 8 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ October 2004

SSCCHHOOLLAARRSSHHIIPPSS AAWWAARRDDEEDDENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS INCLUDEAN EMPLOYEE AND TWO EMPLOYEES’ SONS

DISABILITY AWARENESS TRAININGThe Americans with Disabilities Act

Learn How and Why Agencies Must Comply with ADAIncrease Employees' Awareness of Disability Issues

Experience Simulations of Various DisabilitiesDiscuss Barriers to Equal Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities

Call Tina Goodmann or Kim Kain at (502)564-3433

Provided to all state agencies by the Personnel Cabinet

INSTITUTE HONORSHOSPITAL EMPLOYEE

FOR BEST PRESENTATIONMarkeeta

Wilkerson,TherapeuticRecreation super-visor at WesternState Hospital,received the AnnJames Award dur-ing July’s 2004Southeast Thera-peutic Recreation Symposium in Greenville, S.C.

The award is given annuallyby the Medical University of SouthCarolina Institute of Psychiatry tothe best presenter at the previoussymposium. Wilkerson presented asession at the 2003 Symposiumtitled Living in a World of Disarray: ALook into the Mind of a Mentally IllPerson.

Markeeta Wilkerson

NATIONAL PROFESSIONALGROUP RECOGNIZES

PARK MANAGER

Larry P.Totten, parkmanager atLakeCumberlandState ResortPark, was rec-ognized by theAmericanAcademy ofCertifiedPublicManagers on

June 22 at the 16th AnnualProfessional DevelopmentConference in Kansas.

Toten received the group’sHenning Award for his careeraccomplishments, community serv-ice and contributions to state andnational public manager organiza-tions.

He is a 29-year careeremployee, all with Parks.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Larry P. Totten

PHOTO SUBMITTEDPHOTO SUBMITTED

By Doug Crowe Sr. When employees are faced

with the burden of grief, theKentucky Employee AssistanceProgram is there to help.

Grief is a universal humanresponse to a loss or perceivedloss. Webster’s dictionary tracesthe word back to the Latin gravare,“to burden,” and gravis, “heavy.”Certainly as we experience grief wedo feel burdened or weighed down.Grief is a healthy human responseto situations such as death, divorce,injury or other loss. Grief involvesall the processes of how we interactwith the world, mental, physical andemotional. Grief is intensely person-al, and not everyone goes throughit at the same level or in the samelength of time. Many mental healthprofessionals describe the processin stages: Denial, Anger,Bargaining, Depression and, finally,Acceptance.

Denial can be a protectiveresponse to learning of a loss. “Ohno, I don’t believe it,” is not anuncommon expression upon hear-ing bad news. Denial works well ini-tially, perhaps as a buffer to buytime to process the information, butit can become unhealthy if pro-longed or used exclusively to dealwith all of life’s problems.

Anger is also a healthy humanresponse when not over-used.Anger can provide energy forchange, such as the developmentof seatbelts in response to deathsin automobile accidents. During thisstage, the person is likely to alien-ate others and to be inconsolable.Sean Penn’s character in the movieMystic River portrays this perfectly.

Bargaining may include ask-

ing for something to be undone inreturn for a change in allegiancesor behaviors. It may include suchthoughts as “If only __ then I will__,” “Why me?” or “Why not me?”People at this stage may be vulner-able to manipulation.

Depression, a sense of greatloss, comes next and is the feelingwe usually associate with grief. Inorder to move through depressionand not get “stuck,” it is importantfor the grieving person to expressher or his feelings. Just listening tothe grieving individual can be help-ful in this stage. Suicidal thoughtsor prolonged depression can betreated with professional counselingor medical attention.

Acceptance is the final stageand takes the longest to reach.There may be some revisiting of thefeelings and thoughts of the earlierstages. Turning attention to theneeds of others can help the griev-ing person feel more at peace ashe or she begins to reach out.

Bert Atkinson, writer/producerof the video tape, Grief in America,sees four tasks in getting throughgrief: Accepting the loss; Feelingthe pain; Readjusting or discoveringone’s self and Relocating the loss inyour life. That is, not forgetting ordiminishing but appreciating whatone has had and doing one’s bestto fulfill her or his own role in life.As for the best way to help otherswho are grieving, listening, caringand being present are among themost important things we can do forothers going through this process.

If you need help in dealing withgrief or other work/life problems,please call KEAP at (502) 564-5788or 1-800-445-5327.

KEAP INFORMED: DEALING WITH GRIEF

KENTUCKY EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCEEETTHHIICCSSACCOUNTABILITY FOR

BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS

The Executive Branch EthicsCommission (the Commission) isdelighted to announce the inception ofan exciting new initiative that will allowmembers of state boards and commis-sions to take a leadership role in thearena of governmental ethics.

The Commission has developeda "Model Code of Ethics for StateBoard and Commission Members" asa minimum standard. The Commissionurges each state board and commis-sion to take the initiative in implement-ing ethical standards for its membersby adopting, at a minimum, this modelcode of ethics. Public service on aboard or commission is a public trust,and this is an opportunity to ratify stan-dards of good judgment, independ-ence, and ethical behavior that boardand commission members typicallyexercise.

Although the employees ofboards and commissions are subjectto the Executive Branch Code ofEthics in KRS Chapter 11A, the mem-bers of most boards and commissionsare not. The adoption of a code ofethics will strengthen and promotepublic confidence in the administrationof a board or commission and willserve as an example for other boardand commission members within stategovernment in applying the high idealsembodied by the Executive BranchCode of Ethics. Similarly, each statecollege and university within theCommonwealth is in the process ofdeveloping a code of ethics for itsboard of trustees, as well as itsemployees.

All boards and commissions thatformally adopt such a code of ethicsby December 31, 2004, will be hon-ored as "Leaders in Ethics" and will begiven special public recognition fortheir commitment to integrity in govern-ment.

To obtain a copy of the "ModelCode of Ethics," please contact JoLedford at (502) 564-7954 or jo.led-ford@ky.gov, or visit the Commission'sWeb site at ethics.ky.gov/.

October 2004 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ Page 9

From RUDOLPH, Page 2

Question: How would you describethe transition from Rudolph Tire toKentucky state government?

Answer: State government hasbeen a big change for me. I workedat Goodyear Tire when I was in highschool and college and have beenin the tire business ever since. AtRudolph Tire, I have about 50employees. In the Finance andAdministration Cabinet, I have about2,100, but I still follow the samebasic business principles. I have agreat management team in placeand they have really helped makethe transition a smooth one.

Question: In addition to your tirebusiness, you have also been a veryactive in leading mission groups toBrazil. What has been your mostmemorable experience as a volun-teer on those mission trips?

Answer: At the end of my firstmission trip to Brazil in 1988, ninepeople were baptized in the TapajosRiver, which flows into the AmazonRiver. Since that time, we have builta lot of churches and one hospital.Nearly 70,000 people have receivedmuch needed treatment from themedical professionals who partici-pate in these trips and more than28,000 teeth have been extracted byour volunteer dentists. Another27,000 plus have been fitted for

eyeglasses. To me, the unsolicitedgiving of the best you have onbehalf of another, regardless of theresponse, is what it’s all about. Justgiving of yourself without expectinganything in return.

Question: What do you like bestabout working in the Finance andAdministration Cabinet?

Answer: I’d say the best thingabout working for the Finance andAdministration Cabinet is that I havethe opportunity to save theCommonwealth a lot of money. Wehave already made huge strides inour efforts to collect past due taxesand we are now beginning to workwith the counties and courts to helpthem collect past due propertytaxes, fines and fees. There is anestimated $1 billion out there in col-lectibles due to the state and coun-ties when you add all the delinquenttaxes and outstanding fees together.In addition to the collections, wehave been implementing ways to bemore efficient in our purchasing andcontracting, which will also save theCommonwealth money.

Question: What philosophy doyou bring to your job as Secretary ofthe Finance and AdministrationCabinet?

Answer: Responsibility is thekey to my philosophy. I expect all ofus to do our jobs and do them well,while spending as little of the

Commonwealth’s money as possibleand saving as much as we can.Time and attendance is also veryimportant to me. I expect myemployees to be on time and toshow up for work every day. Ibelieve that is what the taxpayersexpect from our public servants.

Question: What other areas ofstate government are you mostinterested in learning about?

Answer: All of it is interesting tome. Every time I talk to one of theother Cabinet secretaries, I’m inter-ested in what they are doing. AsFinance Secretary, I’ve beeninvolved with the other secretarieson many different issues. Each onebrings a very unique and diversifiedexpertise to state government and Ihave enjoyed learning from each ofthem. I also enjoyed working withthe former Workforce Cabinet duringmy time on the transition team.

Question: What one thing doyou hope people will rememberabout you from your tenure asSecretary of the Finance andAdministration Cabinet?

Answer: That I was a goodsteward and saved theCommonwealth a lot of money bymaking government more efficient inboth its procurement and collec-tions. That’s what I work on everyday and I hope that’s what peoplewill remember about me.

Page 10 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ October 2004

From RAMSEY, Page 1

country, we get less physical exer-cise, and we have more diabetes,cancer and heart disease. We needhealth insurance reform for the indi-vidual market and for state employ-ees. We need to promote preventivemedicine.”

In the Personnel Cabinet, ourDepartment for Employee Insurancehas been working diligently on heathcare options for state employees forthe 2005 calendar year. Please beassured that we are doing everythingpossible to provide employees the

best possible coverage at a cost thatis fair to everyone.

It is important to keep one factorin mind. That factor is simple – well-ness. Wellness means that we, asemployees, take a proactiveapproach to the issue of health care.Instead of simply reacting to an ill-ness, we must first do everything wecan to be healthy.

For a pool of more than 25,000employees, this means many things.For some, it means remaining activeby walking, working out, or takingother steps to help stay healthy. Forothers, it means even greater chal-

lenges – challenges such as control-ling diabetes, eating healthy or mak-ing a pledge to stop smoking.

Whatever the challenge may be– and whether it is great or small – inthe end, if we all work at being well,we can help curb the increasing costof health care. This is truly aninstance where each of us can makea difference.

As we roll out health careoptions for the upcoming year, I hopeeach and every one of you keeps thegoal of wellness in mind. Wellness isa gift we can give ourselves that willreap rewards for years to come.

ACROSS1 Governor Fletcher's profession by

training5 Lieutenant Governor's profession

by training10 First state11 Shout of approval12 Smallest state13 Type of retirement account15 He should phone home16 Affirmative17 Type of degree18 Election participant19 Movie state20 Follows la22 Sight organ23 Jim Jones and his followers were

one25 Person at the head of the co.27 Egyptian sun god28 Next to or lean on30 Large body of water31 Ringlet32 If not one, it's this34 Large residences39 Type of grain or bread40 Most unusual42 Roman 643 Belongs to me45 Small way to say The Big Apple46 Self-assured flair48 Student who helps the prof.50 Section of a play51 Writing substance52 Sound of disappointment or

surprise53 Sections of 50 across56 Personnel and Commerce broth-

ers, Bob and Derrick ______57 Anger makes one lose it

DOWN1 Vehicle operator2 Type of container3 Above4 Plague-carrying rodent5 Faithful

6 With 8 and One, a Kentucky bev-erage

7 Where cowboys live and work8 Time period9 A hair decoration

14 King's family19 Eating utensils21 Frozen water23 Mongrel dog or mean person 24 Common word at the courthouse 26 Invoice term28 Pro29 Prickly plant part, clings to cloth-

ing32 Skilled public speaker33 Sewn edge of a garment35 Hidden information36 Dined37 AKA Ed, author of 87th Precinct

novels

38 Lead for the fishing line41 Impatient44 Animals or talks a lot47 Speech problem49 Sound of discovery54 Northerly direction55 Dorothy's Kansas Auntie

Note: Look for the solution to thispuzzle in the next issue ofCommonwealth Communiqué.

October 2004 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ Page 11

COMMUNIQUÉ CROSSWORDFREE TIME

CAREERS AND PLACESBY MARGARET DAVIS HARNEY

The difference between theright word and the almostright word is the differencebetween lightning and thelightning bug.

MARK TWAIN

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10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

31

32 33 34 35 36 37 38

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Page 12 COMMONWEALTH COMMUNIQUÉ October 2004

OctoberOctober 7-16: National Arabian andHalf Arabian Championship HorseShow, Kentucky Fair and ExpositionCenter, Louisville (arabianhorses.org)October 8-9: Lake CumberlandState Resort Park’s AnnualCamperama, special free activitiesand campers stay two nights forthe price of one, Jamestown (Call(270)343-3111) October 8-10: Kenlake StateResort Park Fall Celebration, spe-cial activities and campers stay twonights for the price of one, Hardin(Call (270)474-2018)

October 9-10:Fall CraftsShow, KentuckyDam VillageState Resort

Park, Gilbertsville (state.ky.us/agen-cies/-parks/kydam2.htm)October 10: Kentucky SpecialOlympics Horse Show, KentuckyHorse Park, Lexington (Call JoshCox at (800)633-7403)

October 15-17 Halloween Spook-out, Barren River Lake State Re-sort Park, Lucas. (kystateparks.ky. gov/barren.htm)

October 21-23 andOct. 29-31: White HallState Historic Site’sAnnual Ghost Walk,$10 per person, reser-

vations required, Richmond (Call(859)623-9178)October 30: Halloween Benefit TrailRide, Central Kentucky Riding forthe Handicapped, Kentucky HorsePark, Lexington (Call (859)231-7066)October 31: Ghost Stories from aCave, Carter Caves State ResortPark, Olive Hill (state.ky.us/agen-cies/ parks/cartcave.htm)October 31: Daylight Saving Timeends. Rememberto change the bat-teries in smokedetectors whenyou change yourclocks.

NovemberNovember 2:National ElectionDay; use your rightto voteNovember 5:Nominations due to

Kentucky Commission on Womenfor outstanding Kentucky women,Kentucky Women Rememberedproject (www.women.ky.gov.)November 11:Veterans Day(Official state gov-ernment holiday)November 13:Night of 1,000Stars dinner the-ater, General Butler State ResortPark, Carrollton (Call (502)732-4384)November 13: 2004 KentuckyBook Fair, Civic Center, Frankfort(http://www.kybookfair.org/) November 25: Thanksgiving(Official state employees’ holiday isNov. 25 and Nov. 26)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

NAME THE NEWSLETTER CONTESTThanks to everyone for the

more than 100 suggestions wehave received as new names forthe CommonwealthCommuniqué. There have beenmany thoughtful suggestions – thedecision on a new name will defi-nitely be a tough one!

We have decided to extend theentry period for just a little longer,and here’s why. Soon, as you readin the last Communiqué, our statewill have a “brand” which will tie allour cabinets, departments and

agencies together. By having this“brand,” our state will have a com-mon theme by which everyone willrecognize us.

When the state adopts this“brand,” so will the Communiqué.Because of that, we would likeemployees to have an opportunityto incorporate the “brand” into thenewsletter’s new name.

For now, we are not going toset a new deadline for the newslet-ter. We will keep the entries wehave, and will select a winner fromamong those and any new entriesafter the brand is announced.

Please continue to send yourideas to Jodi Whitaker atjodim.whitaker@ky.gov. We willkeep compiling these ideas, and willstill use all entries as possibilities inmaking a final decision.

Thanks again for your sugges-tions, and keep them coming!

CONTEST EXTENDED TO INCLUDE BRANDING