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This week, I had the opportunity to spend time with the Coast Guard in the Ashland area to discuss navigation, waterways safety and commerce on our inland waterways.and other issues of shared concern. Above, I am pictured with Commander Kevin C. Kiefer (Commanding Officer of Marine Safety Unit, Huntington, WV) and Lt. Commander Eric Denley.
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Weekly Column: America Deserves a Vote on Responsible Energy Solutions
It has been three weeks since Speaker Nancy Pelosi adjourned the House of Representatives for August and part of September without acting on solutions to the energy crisis. On Wednesday, August 13th, I returned to Washington, D.C. to join my Republican colleagues on the House floor and demand a vote on energy solutions. While in Washington, I shared some of the many stories Kentuckians have sent me about how high gas prices are affecting our families, jobs and communities.
Families in the Fourth District are suffering. A fellow veteran from my hometown of Hebron wrote about her struggles to afford gas and food: "I am concerned for America…Gas prices are so high and everything is rising." A constituent from Glencoe wrote: "It is sad when you go to the store and worry about what you can afford to buy because you have to make a decision between eating or filling up your tank. It didn't use to be this way." A woman from Covington told me about the strain these high gas prices have put on her family trucking business: "Even routine maintenance and minor repairs seem like an extravagant expense when you have to consider fuel costs."
Our local papers are consistently publishing articles that describe the steps our communities have been forced to take in order to make ends meet. School districts have raised lunch prices and cut bus routes. In some areas, our police forces have reduced patrols and our fire departments have stopped responding to all but the most critical medical emergencies. Businesses large and small have been forced to lay off employees and family budgets have been pushed to the limit as the price of food and other basic necessities continues to skyrocket.
We need American energy for the American people and we need it now. As a constituent from Florence wrote, "We have all the technology and experience along with the natural resources we need to be self sufficient and become the old America I love, but…[we are] dependent on the countries that hate us." We must stop sending billions of dollars to unstable foreign regimes; instead, it is time to invest in our own infrastructure, create more American jobs and build a future for our children.
If we are serious about lowering the cost of energy and providing relief to American families, we must surpass partisan politics and develop a comprehensive energy strategy that will efficiently use our domestic resources in the short term while laying the groundwork to make alternative energy sources clean, safe and affordable for the future. I will continue to urge Speaker Pelosi to call a special session of Congress so we can finally have this debate and a vote on new energy solutions.
Again, I encourage you to send me your gas receipts along with a letter explaining how these high energy costs are affecting you. I will personally deliver your stories and receipts to Speaker Pelosi's office so that she can see firsthand how the people of the Fourth District of Kentucky are suffering. Send your receipts and letters to: Congressman Geoff Davis, 277 Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017.
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D.C. and District Talk
Assistance to Firefighters Grant in the amount of $138,415 awarded to Grayson Volunteer Fire Department
 This week, I presented a check to Chief Eddie Rucker and the Grayson Volunteer Fire Department for $138,415 in funds under the Assistance to Firefighters Grant's Vehicle Acquisition Program. The grant money will be used to purchase a new pumper truck that will benefit Grayson and Carter County.
Maximizing available grant funding for worthy projects in the Fourth District is one of my primary goals as your Congressman. In addition to periodic workshops, my offices offer several resources to help constituents successfully navigate the grants process:
- Providing e-mail notifications of grant opportunities;
- Assisting organizations in identifying funding opportunities and understanding grant requirements;
- Providing letters of support for organizations applying for grants; and
- Maintaining a grants section on the Congressional office website, containing a wealth of information on the grants process.
To learn more on the full range of grant resources and constituent services offered, please visit my website at or call (859) 426-0080.http://geoffdavis.house.gov/
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Congratulations to the City of Carrollton and its partners on the Spirit of Kentucky Award
Recently, the City of Carrollton was awarded the 2008 Commissioner's Spirit of Kentucky Award for its role in developing the Gallatin, Carroll, Henry and Owen County Regional Wastewater System. This award is given to the sponsors of a public project that demonstrates cost effective coordination of government resources among multiple government entities. The Regional Wastewater System was developed as a comprehensive means to eliminate the need for multiple smaller treatment plants and their operating and maintenance costs. This project reduces environmental degradation while addressing the anticipated growth in the area.
Congratulations to the City of Carrollton and its partners on receiving recognition for this great project!
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Legislative Week in Review
Although Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) continues to refuse calling the House of Representatives into a special session, more than 120 Members of Congress have returned to Washington, D.C. to protest this inappropriate adjournment of the House. I joined my colleagues to demand a vote on a new strategic energy policy for America.
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Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week
The Adjournment Protest continues. My Republican colleagues and I will continue to demand the debate and the vote that American deserves.
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Constituent Corner
Jesse Stuart will be center stage at Greenbo Lake between September 19th and 21st
The life and literary work of Kentucky Poet Laureate Jesse Stuart will be center stage at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park the weekend of September 19th through the 21st. Hosted by the park, the weekend program is dedicated to the works and memory of the writer who hailed from nearby W-Hollow. The events begin Friday with a 1:30 p.m. hike through the Jesse Stuart Nature Preserve. The 714-acre preserve contains portions of Stuart's original farm. At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, watch the one man drama, "Jesse Stuart," written and portrayed by Lloyd Spears, an Elliot County attorney. The performance will be followed by a reception at 8:30 p.m. in the park's main conference room.
Saturday's program starts with a 9:00 a.m. tour of W-Hollow, the land that inspired Stuart's literary creations, and continues with a 1:15 p.m. tour of The Jesse Stuart Foundation in Ashland. Saturday's events will be topped off with an evening performance of the world premiere of "A Penny's Worth of Character" starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Greenbo Amphitheatre. This play is a family musical freely adapted from "Kentucky Is My Land," the famous junior book by Jesse Stuart. "A Penny's Worth of Character" also will be performed on Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at the amphitheatre. Admission is $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for Senior Citizens, and children 12 and under free. Also throughout the weekend there will be performances of traditional mountain music, films available to watch, and expert evaluations of original editions of Stuart's works. For more information, please contact Paul Verespy at (606) 473-7324 or (800) 325-0083.
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The month of September means fall festivals in Kentucky
 Before we know it, September will be upon us and children will be settled into their school routines with practice, games and studies. In Kentucky, September is also the season of fall festivals. Here is a sampling of what September brings in the Fourth Congressional District:
- September 5th and 6th - The banks of the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers in Carrollton bring Blues to the Point for your listening pleasure. Please call (502) 732-6960 for more information.
- September 5th - 7th - Head to MainStrasse Village in Covington for the MainStrasse Village Oktoberfest. For more information, check out . www.mainstrasse.org
- September 6th - Vanceburg in Lewis County is holding the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Festival to commemorate our great Kentuckian and President. Please call (606) 796-2732 for more information.
- September 19th - 21st - The Poage Landing Day Festival in Ashland has free inflatables for children, arts and crafts, an antique car show and a fiddle fest. Please call (606) 329-1007 for more information.
- September 27th - The Great Bowls of Fire Chili Fest and related cook-off in Ashland is sanctioned by the International Chili Society. Please call (606) 324-3175 for more information.
For more information on these events and others, visit .http://www.kentuckytourism.com/events/
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Kentucky Arts Council combines programs to expand Kentucky Crafted® Brand
The Kentucky Craft Marketing and the Visual Arts at the Market programs of the Kentucky Arts Council have combined to form one arts marketing program for both craft artists and 2-dimensional visual artists. The combination of the programs will build on the success of the Kentucky Crafted® brand with a total of 511 participant artists. It will also broaden the agency's definition of "crafted" to include all artistic products made by hand and give greater flexibility in creating integrated marketing strategies for the arts.
The Kentucky Arts Council assists Kentucky Crafted® artists in reaching regional, national and international markets through specialized training, cooperative advertising opportunities, Web presence and the invitation to exhibit at the Governor's Derby Breakfast Celebration, the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft and Kentucky Crafted: The Market. Kentucky Crafted: The Market, is an annual wholesale/retail marketplace, produced by the Kentucky Arts Council, that features approximately 300 exhibitors of traditional and contemporary fine art and craft, along with books, musical recordings, film and Kentucky Proud food products. The next market will be held at South Wing B of the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, with public days on February 21-22, 2009.
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Constituent Hours
Every month, members of my staff are available throughout the Fourth Congressional District to assist local residents with problems related to the federal government.
Please click here to see the current list of scheduled times and locations in your area. Appointments are not necessary. As always, constituents are welcome to contact our offices in Washington, D.C., Ashland, La Grange, Ft. Mitchell, Maysville and Williamstown at any time with questions or concerns.
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This Day in History - August 22nd
- 1485 - The Battle of Bosworth Field results in the death of King Richard III and end of the Plantagenet dynasty in England.
- 1642 - King Charles calls the English Parliament traitors, marking the beginning of the English Civil War.
- 1775 - King George III declares the American colonies to be in open rebellion.
- 1902 - Theodore Roosevelt became the first President of the United States to ride in an automobile.
- 1952 - The penal colony on Devil's Island near French Guiana is permanently closed.
Thanks!
As always, feel free to pass my e-newsletter on to family or friends who would be interested or let them know they can sign up on my website at . Thanks.http://GeoffDavis.house.gov/
| Sincerely, |
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Geoff Davis
Member of Congress |
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