Corbin’s new tourism director bringing a lot of prior experience into the job

Congratulations to new Corbin Tourism Director Nancy Conley, who was hired during a Corbin Tourism and Convention Commission special meeting last Wednesday.

Mark White is Editor of The News Journal.

About 15 years ago, Conley started at the bottom working as the receptionist for Berea tourism, and has worked her way up there to managing a department with 11 people.

She has big shoes to fill replacing Maggy Monhollen, who left Corbin Tourism in March to become general manager at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, but I suspect she will be up to the challenge.

Conley’s first day will be June 10, and officials are planning to organize a reception to introduce her to the community at a later date.

We wish her well.

Now a few other random topics before I conclude this column:

• The County Wide Band recently signed its first record deal with Clearwater Records. “We want to thank CEO/Owner Robert Gomes and Manager Joe Saladino for making this happen and believing in us! We would also like to thank everyone who has supported us along this journey,” the band wrote on its Facebook page.

• The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) held its annual “Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive” on May 11. Letter carriers at the Corbin Post Office collected an estimated 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food items. This year the food was donated to First Baptist Church’s White Flag Ministry.

“The food drive is always an encouraging event seeing our neighbors love each other. We love our community and our town,” said 20-year letter carrier Mark Lester.

• If you have some gently used items that you would like to sell, or you are looking to buy some gently used items, then you might want to head to Corbin and/or Williamsburg Saturday morning (June 1).

Corbin will present its Depot Street Market on Depot Street between Fourth Street and Gordon Hill from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Vendor spots are free and available on a first come, first served basis.

For more information call (606) 528-8860.

Williamsburg will also hold a community yard sale Saturday at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

If you are a seller, then the bad news is that there is a $5 charge per table. The good news is that the tables are located inside and there is air-conditioning.

Call (606) 549-0530 to reserve your table(s).

• If fishing is more your thing, then you might want to head down to Laurel Lake on Saturday (June 1) and Sunday (June 2). There will be no permit required to use Bee Rock Boat Ramp, Clear Creek Boat Ramp, or boat ramps outside of development campgrounds at Cave Run Lake or Laurel Lake.

In addition, there will be free kids fishing derbies on Saturday (June 1) in Laurel and McCreary counties.

The London-Laurel Optimist Club will host a kids fishing derby from 8:30 a.m. – noon for ages 5-15. Onsite registration will be from 7:30 a.m.. Contact Becky Parsley at (606) 312-9973 for more information.

There will also be a kids fishing derby at Barren Fork Horse Campground Pond in McCreary County, which will take place from 8 – 11 a.m. The event is for ages 5-15. Registration will take place on site starting at 7 a.m. Contact the Sterns Ranger District at (606) 376-5323 for more information.

Numerous sponsors have provided prizes and trophies for each fishing derby. Participants must be in the specified age range to be awarded prizes.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. At some locations, bait will be provided as supplies last and a limited number of fishing poles may be available to borrow. To ensure that all children have an opportunity to fish, parents or guardians should bring a fishing pole for each child.

These events coincide with Kentucky’s “Free Fishing Weekend” when residents and nonresidents of any age can fish public waters without a fishing license or trout permit. State creel limits and other regulations still apply. Public fishing will not be permitted at Daniel Boone National Forest kids fishing derby locations from the day that fish are stocked until the end of the event.