Todd County Standard - Kentucky Press Association
Todd County Standard - Kentucky Press Association Todd County Standard - Kentucky Press Association
BY ELIZABETH JOHNSON TODD COUNTY STANDARD CLIFTY NORTHERN TOWN HAS CHARM, GOOD PEOPLE With most of Todd County’s industries and businesses located in the southern part of the county, Clifty, a small community northeast of Elkton, doesn’t have as much going on. But residents are grateful for what it does have. The breaking news in the town? An ATM coming to the United Southern Bank branch. Boasting the only Todd County post office north of Highway 68-80, Clifty is home to Clifty Café and Patty’s Place, not to be confused with Patti’s 1880s Settlement, as it often is. “We tell them, ‘Honey, you don’t need a reservation here,’” said Patty Mansfield, owner of Patty’s Place for eight years, who receives many calls for the Grand Rivers restaurant. “We got a call for a bridal party once, so we said, ‘I don’t mind you coming, but we’re just a little (gas) station with subs and sandwiches.’” With the nearest grocery store 20 miles away, Patty’s Place works to keep the necessities in stock. “We try to keep whatever they ask for, if they’re our regulars, we try to keep it for them,” said Tracy Enlow, who works at the gas station-convenience store combo. “It is 20 miles to get a loaf of bread if we don’t have one.” For both of those locally owned family businesses, there is joy for the owners in serving their loyal customers. That’s why Kent and Susan Griffin bought and reopened Clifty Park is the former site of the Clifty Elementary School. Clifty Café on Jan. 15, 2011. “The community needed something, somewhere to eat, a place for the men to do all of their sitting, talking and chatting,” said Susan Griffin, who believes the restaurant has filled that void. Serving a buffet from 5:30 to 7 on Friday nights, Griffin said many families stop by to eat, though most of her business comes from her early morning patrons. Opening at 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday, the restaurant quickly fills with the smell of sausage and bacon and the chatter of men who sip their coffee while crowded around a long table at the front. “It’s a morning gossip group,” said Josh Griffin, one of the younger men at the table. “It’s like a news channel. You always know the weather. You always know what’s going on.” While conversation shifts from the weather to community happenings to politics, Griffin said the most important thing is knowing that those men along with the rest of Clifty’s residents will do anything to help each other out. “It’s a small town. If anybody needs anything, anybody will help you out. Ninety percent of the people, if you needed a vehicle, would tell you to go on and take it because the keys are in it,” he joked, though his words carry truth of the trustworthiness of the people who live there. It is those people who brought Gene Douthit and his wife from Georgia to the small community in September of 2005. Deciding it was time to retire, he and his wife sold their business and farm and took root in Clifty. “A friend of mine lives in Paducah so we started looking around here,” said Douthit. “The people are so nice.” Douthit is one of the many men you can find around the Clifty Café table at breakfast and again for a bite at lunch before it closes at 1 p.m. “My wife quit cooking since we moved up here,” said Douthit with a laugh. “She retired, too.” Harold Ray Rager, an Allegre boy who married a Clifty girl, has See Next Page 22 DISCOVER TODD COUNTY Todd County Standard
Continued From Page 22 lived in the community since he and his wife wed 53 years ago. He said the face of the community has changed a great deal as younger families have moved out and people from eastern Kentucky and retired couples have moved in. “The makeup of the little community is a lot of the locals moved away when they were young and the older ones died,” Rager said. “More of our people are beginning to get age, too. The personality has changed completely, but there’s still enough of the original Clifty blood. We have grown a lot from our own. We’ve grown from people moving in.” Rager said he’s not sure why people choose to move there, but said some could be attributed to the fact that housing is cheaper, Kentucky taxes are lower and the people are good to be around. He said he wishes the community had more economic Patty’s Place is one of only four places in northern Todd County where one can get gasoline. It is the only such place in Clifty and is the town’s hub. success and has hope the Hemlock plant will help. “We’re not incorporated; we’re a village,” Rager said. “We’re not (an official) town and that hinders us some from getting grants and different things that might bring in a little industry right in town.” Rager said while the economy may not be at its best, the people make Clifty home. He specifically commended the volunteer fire department, which converted the lot where the school used to be into a community park with covered picnic tables and a playground. How Agri-Chem Is Right For You: We know of no other Ag Supplier that can offer the flexibility we have. We can supply your Liquid or Dry fertilizer needs from Bowling Green to Paducah and everywhere in between. Our Direct Ship capabilities give us the ability to put the product right on your farm. We can give you low cost and high service with our extensive fleet of material handling equipment....no matter where you are in this area! Make Your Lunch Break a Little Slice of HEAVEN! The Pizza Place Lunch buffet 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. To-go, pickup and delivery. Friday night special buffet 5 pm-8 pm " On the square in Elkton" The next time you are considering a purchase..give us a call. .all it can do is save you money...get you better service...or BOTH 1-888-886-0141 Even the call is FREE ....be sure to call us for your next Agricultural need! 393 Penchum Road • Trenton, Ky 42286 270-885-6280 65 Public Square Elkton JIMMY D. MALLORY STATE FARM AGENT Todd County Standard DISCOVER TODD COUNTY 23
- Page 1 and 2: DISCOVER TODD COUNTY A SPECIAL PUBL
- Page 3 and 4: Discover Todd County and the opport
- Page 5 and 6: FACTS AND FIGURES Todd County popul
- Page 7 and 8: A fact book around for when you nee
- Page 9 and 10: TODD COUNTY: A COMMUNITY AT THE CRO
- Page 11 and 12: Continued from Page 8 Trenton, pop.
- Page 13 and 14: BY ELIZABETH JOHNSON TODD COUNTY ST
- Page 15 and 16: GUTHRIE RICH PAST; LOOKING TOWARD F
- Page 17 and 18: TRENTON SOON TO BE A BUSTLING ARTS
- Page 19 and 20: FAIRVIEW A HISTORIC PARK AND A FIGH
- Page 21 and 22: ALLEGRE ALL AGREE IT IS A SWELL PLA
- Page 23: SHARON GROVE IT’S THE PEOPLE THAT
- Page 27 and 28: ALLENSVILLE HISTORIC TOWN WITH LOTS
- Page 29 and 30: KIRKMANSVILLE COME ON DOWN FOR FOOD
- Page 31 and 32: SMALL COMMUNITIES HADENSVILLE We kn
- Page 33 and 34: TODDʼS UNIQUE PLACES BY CATHERINE
- Page 35 and 36: GOVERNMENT County government is com
- Page 37 and 38: HEALTH TODD COUNTIANS HAVE VARIETY
- Page 39 and 40: EDUCATION SCHOOLS TO MAKE CURRICULU
- Page 41 and 42: EVENTS Martin Luther King Jr. Day I
- Page 43 and 44: LOCAL/AREA ATTRACTIONS Todd County
- Page 45 and 46: INDUSTRY OUTLOOK FOR DEVELOPMENT IS
- Page 47 and 48: AGRICULTURE TODD COUNTY PUTS THE BU
- Page 49 and 50: Continued from Page 47 instilled in
- Page 51 and 52: Justice Center should be ready by 2
- Page 53 and 54: LOCAL GROUPS/CLUBS Todd County Comm
- Page 55 and 56: Cliff Hill Baptist Bro. Clarence Wh
- Page 57 and 58: For the price of a steak dinner, yo
Continued From Page 22<br />
lived in the community since<br />
he and his wife wed 53 years<br />
ago. He said the face of the<br />
community has changed a<br />
great deal as younger families<br />
have moved out and people<br />
from eastern <strong>Kentucky</strong> and<br />
retired couples have moved in.<br />
“The makeup of the little<br />
community is a lot of the locals<br />
moved away when they were<br />
young and the older ones<br />
died,” Rager said. “More of<br />
our people are beginning to<br />
get age, too. The personality<br />
has changed completely, but<br />
there’s still enough of the original<br />
Clifty blood. We have<br />
grown a lot from our own.<br />
We’ve grown from people<br />
moving in.”<br />
Rager said he’s not sure<br />
why people choose to move<br />
there, but said some could be<br />
attributed to the fact that housing<br />
is cheaper, <strong>Kentucky</strong> taxes<br />
are lower and the people are<br />
good to be around.<br />
He said he wishes the community<br />
had more economic<br />
Patty’s Place is one of only four places in northern <strong>Todd</strong> <strong>County</strong> where one can get<br />
gasoline. It is the only such place in Clifty and is the town’s hub.<br />
success and has hope the<br />
Hemlock plant will help.<br />
“We’re not incorporated;<br />
we’re a village,” Rager said.<br />
“We’re not (an official) town<br />
and that hinders us some from<br />
getting grants and different<br />
things that might bring in a little<br />
industry right in town.”<br />
Rager said while the economy<br />
may not be at its best, the<br />
people make Clifty home. He<br />
specifically commended the<br />
volunteer fire department,<br />
which converted the lot where<br />
the school used to be into a<br />
community park with covered<br />
picnic tables and a playground.<br />
How Agri-Chem Is Right For You:<br />
We know of no other Ag Supplier that can offer the flexibility we have.<br />
We can supply your Liquid or Dry fertilizer needs from<br />
Bowling Green to Paducah and everywhere in between.<br />
Our Direct Ship capabilities give us the ability to put the product right on your farm.<br />
We can give you low cost and high service with our extensive fleet of material<br />
handling equipment....no matter where you are in this area!<br />
Make Your<br />
Lunch Break a<br />
Little Slice<br />
of<br />
HEAVEN!<br />
The<br />
Pizza<br />
Place<br />
Lunch buffet<br />
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.<br />
To-go, pickup and delivery.<br />
Friday night special buffet<br />
5 pm-8 pm<br />
" On the square in Elkton"<br />
The next time you are considering a purchase..give us a call.<br />
.all it can do is save you money...get you better service...or BOTH 1-888-886-0141<br />
Even the call is FREE ....be sure to call us for<br />
your next Agricultural need!<br />
393 Penchum Road • Trenton, Ky 42286<br />
270-885-6280<br />
65 Public Square<br />
Elkton<br />
JIMMY D. MALLORY<br />
STATE FARM AGENT<br />
<strong>Todd</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Standard</strong> DISCOVER TODD COUNTY 23
Change language