From the Publisher:
July 2009 SOKY Happenings:
    Wine Snob mystery solved,
        and  new monthly mystery.

The July 2009 issue of SOKY Happenings brings some new features, some mystery and back by popular demand, the SOKY Snapshot Scavenger Hunt!

SOKY Happenings is a monthly community resource offering an exhaustive calendar of events broken down into week, day and even hour. There are more than 1,000 events in the July calendar listing everything from toddler time at the library to sporting events and business gatherings with the Chamber of Commerce. The calendar is your LOCAL reference guide to what’s happening in south central Kentucky.

This month’s cover was selected about two years ago when I fell in love with it while on display at the Brickyard Café in Franklin. Bonnie McBain’s (www.bonniemcbain.com) painting “Maine Oh Maine” depicts a peaceful country porch with an American flag blowing in the breeze. I love this painting so much that our salesperson, Vicki J. Fitch purchased a full sized reproduction of it and presented it to Carrie and I for our 25^th wedding anniversary. Thanks to Vicki for the gift, and thanks to Bonnie for painting it and allowing us to use it on this month’s cover.

The SOKY Frugal Wine Snob also returns this month revealing his identity. Having lurked in the shadows with the protective blanket of anonymity, Bill Singletary decided the time was right to come out into the light and let people know who he is. This is his effort to be held accountable for his recommendations and make himself available for suggestions and comments.

The mystery in this issue is the introduction of a brand new monthly feature by Rachel Walston. Rachel writes in the opening: “Think you know the people of South Central Kentucky?  In this new monthly feature, we’ll introduce you to someone whose name or title should be familiar, but there’s a hitch—all the obvious details have been left out.  Can you tell who’s who from their lesser-known details?  Put on your thinking cap and keep reading!” The rest of the article can be read on page 5.

The Snapshot Scavenger Hunt is something we introduced in our second issue two years ago. We recruited the assistance of a real photographer this year, (instead of doing it myself as in years past) and Daisy Baxter brought her talent and vision to the hunt. She spread out the playing field this year incorporating Fountain Square Park AND the new Circus Square Park and all roads in between.

The contest is easy, simply bring your copy of SOKY Happenings downtown and stroll through the parks and the facing roads. Identify all of the images and send in your form. We will draw a winner from all completed forms and the winner will receive $100 in cash and a $100 gift card from Mariah’s/Buckhead Café.

We are also introducing another monthly feature about Gourmet coffee. R. Justin Shepherd, owner of Spencer’s Coffeehouse on the square in Bowling Green will offer his insight, ideas, anecdotes and intimate knowledge of the dark brew each month.

Our list of contributing writers continues to increase and we are so very grateful! SOKY Happenings is authored by people in the community who have a passion for their topic and a willingness to share. We are honored to be able to bring you their thoughts and ideas each month.

I would also like to, once again, thank our sponsors. SOKY Happenings is free to the public thanks to continued financial support from our sponsors. We do our best to provide our sponsors with effective advertising and value which includes a full color ad, monthly changes, bold listings in the calendar as well as a free web page on our website with their information, current advertisement and a map to their place of business. SOKY Happenings guide format also offers our sponsors the opportunity to be seen all month long for one small investment. Please take note of our sponsors which are listed online as well as on page 4 of the magazine and if you see fit, please use their products and let them know you saw them in SOKY Happenings.

Thank you for reading SOKY Happenings.

- David Francis