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What a week!
Friday, March 28, 2008 10:50 PM EDT
It started with a visit from U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Wednesday, March 19 and ended Tuesday, March 25 with a campaign stop by former President Bill Clinton.
In the middle of it all was the capture of the boy's basketball state championship by the Mason County Royals and Oscar award winning actor George Clooney and actress Renee Zellweger walking the red carpet in downtown Maysville.
But the events weren't just for Mason County residents alone, they were shared by everyone in our seven-county region as was evidenced by the attendance at the boy's state basketball tournament, the premier of "Leatherheads" and Clinton's campaign stop.
Only Spelling's visit was a somewhat quiet affair, since the Mason County School District was on spring break when she visited, but a round table discussion involving local educators, students and community officials highlighted the visit, which was also attended by Congressman Geoff Davis.
Local businessman Jim Downing attended Spellings event and immediately sent a letter to the editor with his thoughts about her visit.
"It was an honor to have Secretary Spellings in our community for a visit and to have her listen to our administrators, staff and community. I also appreciate the attendance and efforts of Congressman Geoff Davis whom helped arrange the visit. That said, it was the setting, interaction and genuine caring demonstrated by both the people of the community and everyone associated with the Mason County School system that impressed me the most. We are blessed to live in a community where we take such an interest in our kids."
It has also been a week that local people had a moment to become celebrities in their own right. Lewis County natives Karen Edwards and Roxanna Stanton were here Monday for the premiere of George Clooney's movie "Leatherheads." The two women, as well as Stanton's son Avery were interviewed by local and out-of-town media outlets about why they attended. It was simple, Monday was Edwards' birthday and she is a huge Clooney fan ... all she wanted was an autograph and her picture taken with George. A hug would have been, figuratively speaking the icing on the cake.
Much to Edwards delight, she got her birthday wish when George not only stopped to talk with her, but gave her the hug she had wished for.
Friends Troy White, Norbert Gallenstein and Rob Muse also stole the show when they appeared at the premiere dressed as characters from George's movie "O Brother Where Art Thou." Nick Clooney stopped to talk with the trio and their picture appeared in several newspapers and on national television stations. They also captured George's attention when he exited his limousine on West Second Street, getting a wave and laugh from the star.
Friends of George's from Augusta were invited to the premiere and one even had his name mentioned during the film, an indication that George Clooney remembers his hometown of Augusta and the people he grew up with.
The staff and employees of the Washington Opera House, Maysville Players and the city of Maysville were also given high praise for their efforts in putting together a Hollywood premiere by representatives of Universal Studios.
According to Mike Thomas, executive director of the Washington Opera House, Universal Studios Publicist Brad Mendhelson called Wednesday morning to offer his praise and congratulations to everyone involved, noting no other city, whether large or small, had done what Maysville did with just one week to put it all together and it was done very well.
Mendhelson also said George and Renee Zellweger talked about what a wonderful time they had in Maysville, how beautiful the Opera House is and expressed their personal thanks to the city and Maysville Players.
"I think everyone was delighted with the movie and the experience," Thomas said during an interview Thursday. "The red carpet may be gone but their footprints are there for eternity."
George has also donated the Duluth Bulldogs football uniform worn in "Leatherheads" to the Rosemary Clooney House Museum in Augusta, adding to the museum's extensive collection of Clooney memorabilia.
For the Mason County High School boy's basketball team, the accolades and praise being showered upon the players seem to come from everywhere. After winning the state's most coveted high school sporting event, the team visited Frankfort where the players met Gov. Steve Beshear and Secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Robert Vance, Rep. Mike Denham, Sen. Charlie Borders and were honored by the Kentucky General Assembly. There is a parade scheduled in the team's honor Sunday.
The boys were given tickets to the second screening of the movie "Leatherheads" and had the chance to talk with George prior to the screening Monday night.
And they were cast back in the spotlight Tuesday when former President Bill Clinton recognized them during a campaign stop for his wife Hillary at the Fieldhouse. Not only did Bill Clinton acknowledge their accomplishment, he shook the hand of each player afterwards and in video footage and still photos of the event, the players can be seen behind the former president. Photos that have gone out across the country to media outlets.
Danetta Barker, owner and editor of the Flemingsburg Gazette said the photo of Bill Clinton fixing an ice cream cone at the Flemingsburg Dairy Queen Tuesday has made its way to WKYTV 27 in Lexington, the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues blog, USA Today's Web site and Dairy Queen's corporate office has requested use of the photo for publicity purposes.
Barker said each media outlet using the photo has credited Gazette photographer Brian Hitch, who snapped the now infamous photo, bringing more attention to our region and the town of Flemingsburg.
These four events have now come and gone from our corner of the world and life is returning to normal. But for one week, our hometown was in the spotlight and people who live here came out to take it all in and those who have moved away came home for a quick visit if they could to join in the celebration.
It wasn't just a Hollywood premiere that brought Maysville to the forefront last week; each event, Spellings' visit, Clinton's campaign stop and the Mason County Royals were star-quality events and whether you attended one, all or none, Thomas summed up the experience best for everyone who participated.
"I think everyone that was there that night was a celebrity."
Contact Marla Toncray at marla.toncray@lee.net or 606-564-9091, ext. 275.
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