Todd County Standard - Kentucky Press Association

TODD COUNTY:
A COMMUNITY AT THE CROSSROADS
BY CATHERINE DARNELL
TODD COUNTY STANDARD
It seems that somewhere in
one of five conversations
about Todd County, somebody
mentions Mayberry. The
highly-revered fictional town
comes up so often that one
expects to see Andy in the
sheriff’s office, Gomer at the
gas station and Aunt Bee at
the grocery store in matching
shoes and pocketbook fussing
over the price of sugar.
Some people would like
for it to stay that way, some
people would like for it to stay
that way but please can I have
a job, and some people want
some of the status quo along
with some change. Those
people have frustration in
their voices.
“I would absolutely love to
see industry come in and give
jobs to the community,” says
Elkton Mayor Nancy Camp. “I
would like to see programs in
the school system that would
get young people trained and
ready to go out in the world. I
would like to see some good,
nice housing and a technical
school.”
Training. Growth. Those
words have been bandied
about in endless meetings
endless times. Although fiscal
ourt generally deals with decision-making
items at hand,
County Judge-Executive Daryl
Greenfield hears talk about
training, growth and other
subjects of concern in the
many committee meetings he
attends.
“It’s definitely something
I’m interested in, meeting
with different groups about
the business we have coming
in, the shortage of workers,
and drugs,” he said.
Frankly, the industries in
and around Todd County
complain about the lack of
training they see in prospective
employees, that many
people who do show up for
work may not show up the
next day. And some of them,
if they do show up, may not
be able to pass the drug test
that they are given. Judge
Greenfield, much like most
city and county officials, is
deeply concerned about these
embarrassing realities.
“I’m an old farm boy,” he
said. “I was brought up to
think that if everybody had the
opportunity to work, they’d
work. The work ethic is not as
strong as I thought it was.”
He mentions Hemlock
across the state line and the
job opportunities that are
there. “But, as far as county
earning, there have to be
some jobs inside the county,
where the county benefits. I’ve
gone from talking at the breakfast
table, to the pulpit and the
community house. We’ve got
to educate ourselves.”
Those are not just words.
People are trying. They’re
really trying.
Greenfield visited a county
in Ohio, where a vocational/technical
school is
SEE NEXT PAGE
HarvestFest
First weekend
in October
Independence Day
Celebration
July 3rd
Elkton Bike Night
On the Square
Thursday Nights
from May to October
City of
ELKTON
Christmas
IN ELKTON
First Friday
in December
the heart of Todd County
Nancy Camp,
Mayor of Elkton
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Doug Gibson • Eugene Jefferson
Jimmy Scott • Danny Laster
David Powell • Cindy Sidebottom
www.elktonky.com
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