vent magazine april

24
APRIL 2009 US $0.00 UK $0.00

Upload: vent-magazine

Post on 08-Mar-2016

243 views

Category:

Documents


4 download

DESCRIPTION

Vent Magazine April 2009.

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Vent Magazine April

A P R I L 2 0 0 9

US $0.00 UK $0.00

Page 3: Vent Magazine April
Page 4: Vent Magazine April
Page 5: Vent Magazine April

Contacting VENT

Advertising:[email protected] or call (270) 314-0196

Questions or Comments: [email protected] or [email protected]/ventmag

Page 6: Vent Magazine April

6. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

CONTENTS

Page 7: Vent Magazine April

w w w . v e n t m a g o w b . c o m

1969 Yenko Camaro Owner: Kevin Brown

427 Engine4-Speed Trans

12-Bolt Posi RearAmerican Racing Wheels

Toyo TiresHooker Headers

Flowmaster ExhaustBaer 4-Wheel Disc Brakes

MSD Ignition

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 7.

Page 8: Vent Magazine April

8. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

An Ent is a mythical, ancient tree-like creature from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. If there is a leader of the Ents it is Treebeard, a long limbed, bushy bearded, rumbling giant watching over the wooded domains of Middle Earth. Only we’re not in Middle Earth. We are in Owensboro, Kentucky and David “Bart” Bartholomy is the bearded, rumbling giant that watches over our literary domain. In 2008, Bart was honored at the annual faculty and staff awards luncheon at Brescia University for 40 years of service. Bart

created a permanent fixture in the English department. He developed countless published writers throughout the years and has been the driv-ing force of two major literary organizations of Owensboro; the literary journal Open 24 Hours and the Third Tuesday Writer’s Coffeehouse. From his stoic perch in an office decorated with items from the people and events that he has shaped and have shaped him, Bart acts as a beacon with a reach across several states. The first Open 24 Hours founded in 1969 by Jim Lally, featured only current Brescia students,

Page 9: Vent Magazine April

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 9.

Written By: Casey AudPhotos By: Danny Beeler

and did not bear the name. Bart transformed the journal to include any writer involved with Brescia. Writers in past issues include nearly all of Kentucky’s poet laureates since the late 1990’s, published former Brescia students, and novelist Ed McClanahan. Open 24 Hours contains works ranging from poems, prose, essays, and excerpts from novels in the works. Each cover, for at least 23 issues features original artwork from artists involved with Brescia. Artists Dave Stratton, John Dawson, and Monte Helm have designed past issues and Jamie Alexander, a Brescia student, designed the 2009 issue. For approximately 10 years Greenwell Chisholm, a locally owned print shop, has printed 325 issues of the journal. Every year copies are distributed in Owensboro, Lexington, Bowling Green, Lou-isville, Frankfurt, and Evansville, Indiana. The annual task of developing the journal begins around Jan-uary of each year. A writer must be invited to submit a piece for review by Bart a number of associate editors. Over the course of the next few months, Bart and team develop that year’s issue. There are no exotic destinations on Bart’s spring break agenda. The week of spring break is when the journal is transferred to layout for print. Approximately “If I’m lucky and the weather is nice, I might sneak out for a game or two of golf,” Bart says laughing. The break came early this year and due to the ice storm the deadline was extended crunching the time frame of work to be completed. The Third Tuesday Writer’s Coffeehouse runs from Septem-ber to April every year. The April coffeehouse culminates the premiere of Open 24 Hours and the final show of the season. The coffeehouse is

in its 14th season originated downtown, in the building that contained the Fox and Field and is now conducted at Woodward’s Café in the Riverpark Center. Surrounding literary figures showcase their work each month as well as relatively local performers like the delightfully satirical Phoebe Athey and the jovially poetic George Fillingham. “What I want in its perfect essence,” Bart said, “is to perfectly represent the positive reflection of what’s going on in this region.” At least once every night of the coffeehouse, a literary figure will turn to Bart before performing and humbly thank him for not only what he’s done for literature and Owensboro, but for how long he has carried the torch. Bart possesses a timeless and relentless quality in his pursuit to see things through. When trying to put his influence into perspective one might parallel Bart with the eras like the Iron Age and the Age of Enlightenment. The Age of Bart will undoubtedly continue for as long as he is willing and Owensboro will be eternally thankful.

Page 10: Vent Magazine April

Weighter 24” x 22.75” Acrylic & Oil on Canvas 2006

10. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

Page 11: Vent Magazine April

R O C K E T S , A R T A N D L I F E

Action Potential Arts Experiment (APAE), a newly formed Art-ists Collective, will unload a pickup truck, whose contents look like what might have been a science fair gone awry, in the middle of what used to be a corn field in Thurston off State Route 405. Everyone will be wearing a kind of home-made armor; which for the occasion has been painted stark white. Their mission: to draw an Archimedean spiral using a model rocket. This performance, or “Ritual” as the group calls it, is the first of many according to Jeremiah Reeves, APAE’s founder. He states that after his recent relocation from New York City to Owensboro, he was shocked to see that Owensboro’s art scene was practically nonex-istent and ultra-tradition. Further, he realized that there was not a ven-ue or outlet for new forms of contemporary art: “That is why we have formed this group, to facilitate a conversation that may lead some-where, a conversation to build on, develop, tear down and reconstruct.”

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 11.

Page 12: Vent Magazine April

12. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

A crowd of about 60 people cheered as Mayor Ron Payne announced on Feb. 20 at the front doors of the Executive Inn that the City of Ow-ensboro reached an agreement to purchase the 17-acre property for $5 million, which more than doubles the size of the downtown riverfront. That $5 million will come from the $80 million budget, funded by the insurance tax increase. In the original $80 million budget, the city slated $7.5 million to build a new downtown parking facility. Payne announced that with the acquisi-tion of these 17 acres and with the possibility of adding on to the GRITS Garage, downtown will not need to build a new parking facility. That $7.5 million will be redistributed to purchase the Executive Inn. While plans are still murky about the future of the property, Payne said in an interview with VENT on March 11 that there are several pos-sible options. But one thing is certain; the building will be demolished. Payne emphasized during the press conference that the building would be too costly to repair, especially when plans for the future down-town already include an updated hotel. At the press conference, Judge-Executive Reid Haire reiterated Payne’s statement earlier in the year that “the city government is not go-ing to be in the hotel business.” “That’s not our role,” Haire said. “The condition that these 17 acres have gotten to over the last few years has necessitated actions and the importance of thinking long term for our community. And that’s what we’re doing. We’re working not for the next year or two years but 100 years down the road.”

Payne said that the immediate plans for the Executive Inn are to assess the costs of reopening the Exhibition Convention Center and the Racquet Club, the indoor tennis facility on the property. “The tennis facility is in pretty good shape,” Payne said. “That would be a wonderful addition to our downtown.” The city will work with the group that was planning an indoor tennis facility in the Moreland Park area. If the city reopens the Racquet Club, they will not build a new facility near Moreland Park, Payne said. And while nothing is official, he said he believes the city will reopen the tennis facility downtown. At the press conference Payne announced that the city would look into opening the convention center for three years to attract revenue during the first phase of downtown construction. “I’m not sure at this point in time whether we’re going to be able to do that or not,” Payne said during the March interview. “We’ve asked staff to give us some costs as far as opening the bottom floor. Reopening the entire facility, both first and second floors, would be probably fairly expensive because you’d have to put an elevator in the facility.” “Looking at that,” he said, “do we really want to do that or not? Spend that money to reopen that for a temporary period of time while we build the hotel and convention center across the street?” The first step, once the purchase of the property is approved (At the time of this article’s publication, the sale was not final.), Payne said, the city will most likely auction off the materials in the building. “Once that’s done, then we’ll be looking at demolition,” he said.

Page 13: Vent Magazine April

w w w . v e n t m a g o w b . c o m

www.shopexcursions.com

BCBGBrighton Accessories

Ella MossElliott Lauren

Elva Fields JewelryFashionistaJoe’s Jeans

Juicy CoutureMichael Stars

MillyNanette Lepore

Nic & ZoeRebecca Taylor

Seven for All MankindCitizens for Humanity

SpanxSplendid

TibiTrina Turk

VelvetVince

PLATE LUNCHES & GRILL MENU

BREAKFAST SERVED ALL DAY

CALL OR FAX YOUR ORDER

LOCATED NEXT TO GOLDIES

420 FREDERICA STREET

P. (270) 683-8919

F. (270)683-8920

MON.-SAT. 6A.M. TO 3P.M.

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY

AVA MORRIS & WENDY WEBSTER

Wesleyan Park PlazaOwensboro:2738 Frederica St.ph 270.926.8388

Evansville:4910 Lincoln Ave. ph 812.962.4850

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 13.

From there, the city’s path is uncertain. One option, he said, is to demolish the building, plant grass and let the community enjoy the space until the city completes construction on the riverfront and finalizes a plan for the 17 acres. Other options, once the building is demolished, include constructing an outdoor events center or letting private businesses develop a residen-tial area — townhomes, high-rise homes, condominiums or mixed-use retail and residential. The city is currently working on an ordinance to require private investors to implement mixed-use development for downtown — retail on the ground floor with residential on the higher floors. Regarding the Showroom Lounge, Payne said the structure may be torn down to create a wharf or marina, but nothing is certain yet. “(Acquiring the Executive Inn) is a tremendous opportunity and provides us with so many options to really do something significant with our riverfront,” Payne said. “I think we’re going to take our time and work with the community in regards to developing that plan.” Payne said the options for that property are virtually limitless. And while the city wants to take action, officials don’t want to take away from phase one of downtown reconstruction. “I don’t anticipate much will happen there for a while,” Payne said. “We’re going to have our plate full constructing a new hotel, convention center, the riverfront development and the market plaza. We’ve got a lot of things to do and we don’t want to take away from accomplishing those projects by trying to immediately look at developing the Executive Inn property.” Creating that window of time between the purchase and starting the new plan will help the city secure funding, as well. “As we complete our current plan and economy gets better,” Payne said, “it will provide us some additional revenue that could be directed toward development of the Executive Inn property.” Payne said the city also plans on creating a Tax Increment Finance Development Area downtown, which would generate more funds. “We are going to create a TIF district downtown,” Payne said. “As additional tax revenue is derived from all this development downtown, it will give us a source of funds to continue to basically plow those back into downtown and continue our development.” Payne said that in other communities the city commission and down-town developers have studied, the private sector invested more than three times the public sector. With the $80 million from the tax increase and the $40 million from federal funding, Payne estimates more than $360 million in private investment as downtown proliferates. While city and county officials, business owners and many resi-dents support the decision to purchase the Executive Inn and to fund the downtown development with a tax increase, many residents have voiced opposing opinions. The criticism ranges from questioning why the city would raise taxes for downtown but not for something else to the city shouldn’t have raised taxes in the first place, among many other critiques. “You can’t undertake anything as significant, as comprehensive, as this is without expecting some negative feedback,” Payne said. “When the RiverPark Center was constructed you had the same thing. I can think of so many examples that people’s first reaction was negative — the Green Belt, I could go on all day. But once they’re done and people actually see them and start to use them, I think you’ll see attitudes change.” But in the meantime, Payne and city and county officials are making choices they believe are best for Owensboro’s future. “We’re plowing a lot of new ground, and right now it’s muddy. You can’t see anything,” Payne said. “The seeds are underground but eventu-ally, if we be a little patient, we’re going to see a crop develop and grow. That here before long are going to grow and blossom and really provide us a lot of benefits in the future.” “As we’ve said so many times, we’re building here for years and years to come so we don’t need to get in too big of a hurry,” he said. “And whatever we do, we need to do it right. This is a long term program although some really significant things are going to happen immediately.”

Page 14: Vent Magazine April

14. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

Written By: Kitty Kizer

Jim Taylor opened a dirt-floor bar in 1948, and it is still up and running, but with a different owner and a cleaner floor. Taylor’s Bar and Grill, at 2509 W Parrish Ave., has changed over the past 61 years, but one thing remains the same, the relax-ing, good-time atmosphere. Ben Boarman purchased Taylor’s in September 2005 and since then has re-established the bar as a staple for Owensboro’s nightlife. He created a tradition of good times that he hopes will last for another 61 years. Taylor’s hosts many parties and events throughout the year, but two back-to-back celebrations in spring are always a success. The Crawfish Boil and the Derby Party attract a solid crowd of people looking to enjoy a few hours of relaxation and entertain-ment with their friends. At the Crawfish Boil, cooks Gary and Jeremy Cole and Mike Henderson combine crawfish, fresh from Monroe, La., with corn on the cob, whole Idaho potatoes, butter, lemon and spices in a

large pot of boiling water. The Crawfish Boil starts at noon on April 25. Food will be served at 4 p.m. with a $5 entry fee for all you can eat crawfish. Live bands will perform and corn hole will be available. Drink specials include MGD 64 and Blue Moon. Don’t forget to thank Clark Distribution for sponsoring the event. The Derby Party takes place on May 2. The races will air on Taylor’s several TVs inside and outside. Taylor’s will provide 150 pounds of Boston Butt as well as baked beans and potato salad, prepared by Heath Payne from Philpot. Payne will also bring his mom’s secret barbecue sauce. The Derby Party is free and starts at noon with live entertain-ment and men’s and women’s tricycle races. Lady’s, don’t forget your Derby hats for the hat contest. Take a break from your weekly routine and swing by Tay-lor’s for food, fun and good times.

Page 15: Vent Magazine April

In 1707, Mount Fuji experienced its last recorded ma-jor eruption to date. The same cannot be said about Fuji of Japan in Owensboro, but from disaster springs creation and life. Now, flowers sprout from the hardened magma of a mountain steeped in ancient culture, which forms the foundation of the new Fuji of Japan in Ow-ensboro. On this foundation, new owner Mark Sohn is operating with an equation that involves ancient recipes, a fusion of flavors, and com-munity involvement imported from Chicago. Sohn’s journey to Owensboro is an unbelievable one to some. “People talk about moving out of Owensboro to live some-where,” Sohn said, “But I have lived somewhere, and I love it here.” Owning and operating a Japanese style restaurant was his family business in the Chicago area, but he moved to a smaller town looking for another way of life. After selling his restaurant, Jurin, Sohn started looking around the Evansville area to open a new Japanese style restaurant. “I really liked the town,” Sohn said, “It was a nice size and quaint.” Several mile-stones became apparent when he scouted the area for business. One of the biggest hurdles and ultimately the deciding factor for not moving to Evansville was the three-way liquor license Sohn needed for his restaurant. “A liquor license is like a commodity there and any broker can sell you one,” he said. Obtaining one was not only difficult, but extremely expensive. The approximate cost of a three-way liquor license in Evansville surpasses Owensboro’s fee 30 times. “When are you going to break even with an expense like that?” Sohn asked. Instead, Sohn moved to Owensboro where he worked as a man-ager at Shogun of Japan. At Shogun, Sohn was able to develop a certain recipe for success. And once the opportunity to procure Fuji from the

original owners presented itself, Sohn struck. He wanted a restaurant in which he could execute each detail to his own specification. Sohn pur-chased Fuji of Japan so Owensboro could experience a community fusion establishment. Fuji of Japan showcases Sohn’s method in full fusion form. The sushi menu and cuisine involving ginger, soy, and Teriyaki sauce represents Japa-nese flavors. Hibachi, according to chow.com, originated in Japan, and in its simplest form means firebowl, which is an open charcoal-filled room heater. The larger-surfaced, multi-serving flat grill that bears the hibachi name was made popular by Benihana’s, founded around 1964 in the Unit-ed States. But Fuji of Japan’s kitchen and grill would not operate without the skilled culinary influence of Sohn’s team of Micronesians and their inter-esting style combinations. Finalizing the team is the essential server staff. “Our guests and staff are on a first name basis. . . . Our servers cannot be replaced,” Sohn said. Since his time in Owensboro, Sohn, hand-picked his server staff from the community that supports his business. “They do so much more than what’s asked off them,” he said, “I have cooks that were doing computer work and cleaning during the transition and server staff completing marketing tasks.” If there is one message that Sohn would like to convey to the commu-nity, it is that he is here because he loves it and hopes that his community fusion will set a standard for the way a business should be run.

By: Casey Aud

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 15.

Page 17: Vent Magazine April

the store from one facility to four facilities. In 2004, employee Ryan Clark purchased 20 percent of Quality Bike and became partners with Tipton. As the business grew, so did Clark’s desire for ownership and he purchased another 30 percent of the bike shop. By 2006, Quality Bike’s success called for another move, this time to a much larger facility on the corner of E 18th St. and J.R. Miller Blvd. At this time, Clark purchased the remaining 50 percent of the bike shop and became full owner. The extra space at the 18th St. location allowed Clark the freedom to add more to his inventory. He saw a growing demand in the area for a skate shop, so he incorporated a full line of skateboards and acces-sories in spring 2008. Only a few months later, Quality Bike’s overwhelming success required another move. On Sep. 2, 2008, Quality Bike moved to its new and current location, 3245 Mount Mariah Ave. in Paradise Plaza on U.S. Highway 54. Clark expanded again by adding disc golf equipment. Quality Bike now offers the largest selection of discs for the sport in Owensboro. Quality Bike was nominated for Small Business of the Year by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce in 2008. Clark said this was a great honor for him and his employees. As a prominent fixture in Owensboro, Quality Bike has also be-come a part of the community through charitable events, such as host-ing a Block Party Concert in 2007 and donating proceeds to Grand-ma’s Corner, a local charity for single parents. Quality bike also brought 2-Hip Bike Company to Owensboro to offer professional demonstra-tions free to the public. VENT Magazine would like to recognize Clark and Quality Bike Shop as a locally owned and operated, successful establishment. Clark is an example for young business owners and professionals that suc-cess is possible in this small town we call home.

Quality Bike Shop opened in 1995 under Tommy Tapp Jr. in The Thatch Shopping Center located on Sweeney St. There, Quality Bike sold mountain bikes, road bikes and 20-inch bicycles. Breckley Tipton, one of Quality Bike’s first employees, purchased the business from Tapp in 1997. Quality Bike grew steadily and moved

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 17.

Written By: Chris Watson

Page 18: Vent Magazine April

Curbside recycling will receive a boost in support this summer as Resource Recycling has received a donation of eight trucks from South-ern Recycling in Bowling Green. This puts the recycling company just one step away from implementing a city-wide curbside recycling program. That last step is the approval of the city and county to raise residents’ OMU bills by $2 or $3 to fund the program.

City and county officials denied implementing curbside recycling in 2008 for a number of reasons, including low public support and disap-proval of a blanket fee for all residents. But Adam Johnson, Resource Recycling plant manager, and Steve Janson, Resource Recycling buyer, are hopeful that this summer’s proposal will be successful. With this plan, city and county residents will receive a 14-gallon bin to store recyclables during the week. Resource Recycling will collect newspaper, aluminum, steel, tin and cardboard as well as all seven types of plastic and green, brown and clear glass. Residents can combine all recyclables together in the bin and Re-source Recycling employees will sort the material at the truck. The same program has been in place in Bowling Green since 1995. Southern Recycling will acquire a new fleet of trucks and donate the old fleet to Resource Recycling. In the Bowling Green area, curbside recycling has experienced more than 60 percent resident participation. In 2007, the curbside recycling

program collected more than 4 million pounds of 100 percent recyclable material, which saved 22,000 trees, preserved 490,000 barrels of oil, 9 million gallons of water, preserved 3,800 cubic-yards of landfill space and saved 5 million kilowatts of electricity. Resource Recycling’s curbside recycling program will provide 100 percent recovery on all collected materials, opposed to single-stream programs that only turn around 80 percent due to contamination by broken glass on paper products and improper assortment of recyclable products. The program will also create up to 15 new jobs for Owensboro residents as truck drivers, mechanics and office managers. For homeowners living within city limits, the fee would appear on their OMU bills. For county residents, the fee will appear on water re-source bills. Curbside recycling has many benefits for the community, such as re-ducing the amount of waste in the landfills, increasing the number of jobs in the community and hopefully reducing the amount of virgin materials consumed for new production.

Did You Know?Owensboro’s Environmental Impact Council is kicking off a three-month educational campaign on April 25 at First Christian Church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to boost support of curbside recycling

18. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

Page 19: Vent Magazine April

While computers may be the future of society, they can also taint the future of the environment. Most electronic devices contain a number of recyclable materi-als and a number of hazardous materials, including heavy metals. According to a press release in September 2008 by the Ken-tucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, “In Kentucky, more than 2,400 tons of e-scrap was collected in 2007.” E-scrap is defined as any electronic waste, from cell phones and electric cables to desktop computers, clock radios and batteries. The press release estimated e-scrap to comprise at least two percent of Kentucky’s solid waste stream, and Kentucky generates around 100,000 pounds of e-scrap per year. Kentucky currently does not regulate the disposal of e-scrap, but it should. Virtually every component in electronic appliances is recyclable: glass, plastics and metals. And many of these components are hazard-ous to the environment, polluting dirt, water and air. Luckily for Owensboro, GreenWorks Recycling accepts all e-waste and plans to accept even more materials in the future. Bill Stewart, co-founder of GreenWorks, along with Robert Whittaker, said the company so far has processed and shipped out more than 200,000 pounds of electronic waste since its inception in Sept. 2007. GreenWorks is an EPA-certified recycling center open to the public and business sectors. Stewart, who also works with Advanced Systems, said anyone can bring their e-scrap materials to Advanced System’s location at 101 E 9th St. or call (270) 215-0200 for more information. Green-Works’ storage facility is located at 7100 U.S. Highway 431 South, and residents are welcome to drop off there as well, Stewart said. For businesses, Stewart said GreenWorks can schedule a time to pick up waste. He said, GreenWorks can also manage the busi-ness’ waste stream to organize a recycling program for products other than e-scrap, including steel, cardboard, paper and ink. Some companies may even be able to earn revenue from their waste.

GreenWorks Recycles E-Scrap

Did You Know?Owensboro’s Drop-Off Recycling Center at 1501 W. 7th St. is now accepting colored plastic. The Recycling Center accepts both Type 1 (PETE) and Type 2 (HDPE) colored and clear plastics.

“One company was throwing away zinc trimmings,” Stewart said. “We were able to get them 17 cents a pound for zinc.” Disposing e-scrap in the landfill will eventually leech harmful chemicals into the soil and then the groundwater. E-scrap can contain such harmful chemicals as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and brominated flame retardants. These chemicals are not typically dangerous to us in everyday use with our cell phones and computers, but once they are buried in a landfill, the chemicals will contaminate the dirt, air and water, even-tually potentially affecting our immune systems, heart functions, re-productive systems, central nervous systems, kidney functions and respiratory systems and the development of fetuses and children. GreenWorks accepts anything from computers to TVs to microwaves and small appliances as well as fluorescent ballasts, bat-teries and plastics. Unfortunately, GreenWorks is not certified to handle Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs because of the mercury content. However, Home Depot, 5150 Frederica St., accepts used CFLs. At GreenWorks’ storage facility, the workers separate materials and deconstruct appliances, salvaging everything but wooden frames from old television sets. “Unfortunately that wood has no recyclable outlet,” Stewart said. “But we’re proud that that’s our only waste stream.” GreenWorks also hosts semi-annual recycling events during which the company sets up a drop-off trailer at a local facility such as the Sports Center or Wal-Mart on U.S. Highway 54. Stewart said that many individuals are concerned about the safety of data on their computers. He said GreenWorks takes cau-tion to destroy personal data. If the individual is concerned, Green-Works can remove the hard drive and return it to the individual, or by destroy the hard drive in the individual’s presence. For more information, visit www.greenworksrecycling.com.

By: Matt Weafer

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 19.

Page 20: Vent Magazine April

20. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

I had the unfortunate opportunity to eat at an Italian restaurant while out of town the other day, and I can't go on knowing that you . . . don’t know. Standing at the door, I thought this place was worth giving a shot. Then, I watched several workers walk by and look right through us. Luckily, a bus boy had enough sense to point in our direction. Our server took us to our table. She dragged her feet as though her entire body was saying, “Mom, Dad, I hate you for making me work.” Before we sat, she asked what we wanted to drink. She doesn't know

what they have . . . but she'll find out. She comes back and asks again what we would like to drink. Ooh, still don't know if they

have that. I asked, “Do you have a wine list?” “Yeah, I think . . . let me go check.” She disappeared.

By: Casey Aud

Page 21: Vent Magazine April

VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4 21.

Server reappeared with the wine list in her hand. She seemed proud of herself for recovering it. She flopped the list onto my girlfriend’s bread plate. The accordion-folded paper was wrinkled as though it had been thrown away . . . once. I lifted the scrap of a list and perused. Curious . . .. there was illegible writing and a number scribbled on the back. “How about beer?” I asked, knowing I needed to specify, “Do you have bottled beer?” “Maybe Bud, a Bud Light or two, I think,” Server vaguely replied. She trailed off as though she couldn’t remember the five bottles on ice at the bar. I settled for a Heineken. I freaking hate Heineken. What looked like whip cream clung to my bottle, and my girlfriend had a piece of some kind of label stuck on her bottle. What goes great with beer? Bread sticks. Two wrinkly, turd-like bread sticks in a paper towel-lined basket. The paper towels . . . were likely used before. The corner of one pa-per towel was stained with what most certainly could have been a spot of blood. Regretfully, we ordered after asking ourselves, “Do we really want to stay?” Our salads arrived quickly, as expected, since the salad bar was 20 paces behind our table. That’s where our server tonged our salad; an ap-parent reminder that this place was totally a Ponderosa. My girlfriend had the Italian restaurant staple, Chicken Parmesan. I ordered something Pomodoro . . . it doesn't matter by this point. Hers was drowning in Save-A-Lot marinara. The chicken breast was so thin that it was virtually invisible when looked at on its side. The pasta? Half a box of said brand linguine.

My pasta tasted like week-old Waffle House bacon grease. I didn't even get close to finishing it, and that’s saying something be-cause I can put down a plate of pasta. Oh, did I mention that every 20 seconds our server came by asking, “Are we doing alright . . . so far?” No, server, our food sucks. The service was laughable. I had been staring at the Ponderosa bathroom tile since I sat down, and the only entertainment was the table of four obese people with the fattest patron sitting legs-spread so his fat could hang between his legs while laughing, snorting snot, and making pig noises. Do we want dessert? Are you effing kidding? Server ciphered our bill, a daunting task. The manager emerged from the kitchen and mumbled something to the servers separated by a lattice partition. They were talking about back tatts and partying after work. She then said a name of someone and how he better get his ass up here (the dining room) if he wanted to make any tips tonight. She was rough looking, like she had rolled out of bed into a hangover and slapped blush on her face. It was 8-something at night, by the way. Our server returned and placed the bill cautiously on the table. She should have. I was still wondered if I should be paying for torture. I didn't even get my rocks off. But then I thought she looked as though she was deciding if she wanted to quit based on my tip. No, she wasn’t. She was just standing over my shoulder watching as I tipped and signed the check. I was extremely uncomfortable, to say the least. And believe me I am say-ing the least. Had I possessed a Molotov cocktail at that time, that place would have been toast, man. So much for fine Italian dining on a Friday night in Henderson. Inci-dentally, my GI has not been right since.

Page 22: Vent Magazine April

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

Receive 20% off one regular priced item in our gift shop

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

FREE chips and a drink with purchase of any sandwich Expires 4.30.09

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

$1.00 off Kids MealExpires 4.30.09

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

$5.95 Lunch Special Teriyaki Chicken w/rice, vegetables & soup

Dine in Only M.-F.

Expires 4.30.09

5 Cents/lb. ExtraFor:

Aluminum Cans, Scrap AluminumBrass, Copper, Auto Radiators

One coupon per customer per visit. Not valid for dealersExpires April 30, 2009

22. VENTMAGAZINE APRIL 2009 | SOLUTION #4

Fuji of Japan

$5.00 off any Retro or Specialty bouquets

Expires 4.30.09

Plate Lunch w/Drink for $5.99Expires 4.30.09 VENTVENT

VENT

VENT

VENT

VENT

VENT

18 x 24 Prints of all 4 covers now available.

Call:270-314-0196 to order.

Not valid with any other offer.

Page 23: Vent Magazine April

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

Limited to one per person. Coupon must be present at time of purchase

Page 24: Vent Magazine April

Now Open Monday-Friday 9:00AM-7:00PMSaturday 9:00AM-5:00PM

www.CrandallsHome.com

Visit Our New Showroom Location100 Salem Drive

Now Open Monday-Friday 9:00AM-7:00PMSaturday 9:00AM-5:00PM

www.shopcarpetsunlimited.com