The Voice - June 2021
/Newport City Building REOPENED to General Public
Submitted by City Manager Tom Fromme
The Newport City Building is now open for your in-person visit! Drop boxes will remain available on the first floor at both main entrances for leaving payments, permit applications, job applications, and bids.
Please note: Passports are still SUSPENDED at the City Building! The Covington Post Office is processing passports and can be reached at 859-261-0809. Please note that appointments are probably required.
The following services are now available:
PERMITS: City staff will accept building, zoning and historic preservation permit applications in person, via email, fax, and regular mail or online. Please contact Allyson Schaefer at 859-292-3637 or email.
PAYMENTS: Finance Department staff is available in person for payment of property tax, payroll tax, business tax or any finance matters. Please contact Finance Department staff via email or by phone at 859-292-3660 with questions.
PAYMENT for PARKING TICKETS can be paid in person to the Police Department.
MEETINGS: All public meetings/hearings before the Board of Commissioners, Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Historic Preservation Commission, and Code Enforcement Board will resume as in person in the 1st floor Multi-Purpose Room and streamed at the Newport, KY city government YouTube page.
PASSPORTS: Acceptance of Passport applications is still suspended until further notice. Please check the US Dept of State website (travel.state.gov) for locations to apply and call ahead to confirm they are open.
ACCIDENT REPORTS: Accident reports can be obtained from buycrash.com.
ALL PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS ARE OPEN. Veterans Pool opened June 1.
MASK MANDATE: Fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask.
Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?
In general, people are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.
Great things are happening in Newport! Thanks for making Newport a great place to live, work, shop and play!
East Row Yard Sale is July 10
Submitted by Paula Brandon
Our annual East Row yard sale is always a hit with shoppers and sellers. Interrupted in 2020 due to the pandemic, the sale makes a triumphant return this year on Saturday, July 10, 9 am to 3 pm.
Now is the time to clear out what you don’t need, scoot it out the front door and watch it disappear. Best of all, you can leave all the coordination to your East Row Historic Foundation (ERHF).
Residents participate at NO COST, since the ERHF pays all fees and advertising. Signs are posted, ads are placed and a map of participants is distributed. With all the advance publicity, the sale always attracts a big, enthusiastic crowd of shoppers from around the tristate.
To participate, just send your name and address to Paula Brandon at pabrand1@yahoo.com. Feel free to mention what types of items you are selling and as the sale draws closer, you can send photos for the map which is distributed online.
See you at the yard sale!
NBA: Presenting Marketing Tips for Your Business
Submitted by Bev Holiday, NBA Vice President
At its upcoming June meeting, the Newport Business Association (NBA) will discuss “Marketing Tips For Your Business” featuring David Dalton of The Think Shop and Red Hot Promotions, and Mike Smith of Headquarters and ReNewport President. Do you have business questions or topics for the presenters to discuss and answer during the meeting? Just email your questions to Bev Holiday by Monday, June 21.
The virtual meeting will be held Wednesday, June 30, at 8 am. The meeting is open to the public to view on the NBA Facebook page.
The NBA is planning to return to in-person meetings/gatherings for the July 28 meeting. Watch for more details!
If you missed the May 26 General Assembly Updates by State Representative Rachel Roberts, with additional comments from Rocky Adkins, Advisor to Governor Andy Beshear and Lt. Governor Coleman, and Scott Clark’s updates on “Historic Tax Credits,” please visit the NBA Facebook page.
Explore Newport’s Past: 50 Artifacts on Display at Newport on the Levee
Submitted by Scott Clark, Historic Preservation Officer & Newport History Museum Executive Director
The Newport History Museum is all set to feature a “Museum Without Walls” display with 50 objects at Newport on the Levee. The display, collected over the years, represents significant artifacts from Newport’s past spanning 1770 to 2021.
These artifacts include the desk of a former mayor and recent finds from a privy dig at the former Green Derby site at East 9th and York Streets. The display will open in mid-June. Watch for details in the city e-newsletter.
Please Note: The Newport History Museum @ The Southgate Street School at 215 East Southgate Street remains closed to the public.
Mark your calendars now! Newport Arts & Music Fest returns to the Newport History Museum on Saturday, October 2, 11 am-4 pm. The event will feature oral histories by former Southgate Street School students, local artists and live music. More details to come.
If you missed NKY Restoration Weekend 2021, it will soon be available on the NKY Restoration Facebook page.
Visit our Farmers Market for Local Produce, Baked Goods and More!
Submitted by Bev Holiday, Community Liaison Coordinator
As you do your weekly grocery shopping, remember to make a stop at our Farmers Market. Conveniently located, the market is in the 700 block of Monmouth in the city parking lot adjacent to the Pepper Pod restaurant.
Campbell County farmers bring their produce straight from their fields and valleys directly to Newport. Their livelihoods are supported by providing fresh produce for your summer recipes and they have been providing simple, safe, good food long before it was a trend.
Come on over and visit your Farmers Market! Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
Ever Wonder about the History of Your East Row Home?
Submitted by Jeff Richardson
Editor’s Note: Most of us think of ourselves as caretakers of our well-loved, East Row homes, honored to be part of the fabric of time that makes our neighborhood special. Jeff Richardson has researched and written many house histories over the years for publication in our garden walk and Christmas Tour brochures, and we continue to feature some of these histories in The Voice.
Let’s look into the past of 723 Overton, the Creutz-Spicer House. This ca. 1883 two-bay Italianate home is distinguished by decorative corner quoins and painted window hoods. It features full-height windows on the first floor façade and a castellated limestone retaining wall.
The home was built by Eugene P. M. Creutz, an attorney and notary public with offices on York Street. He sold the home in 1886 and later moved to Chicago and then Los Angeles, where he was elected State Senator in 1910. The home was purchased in 1919 by Charles and Jennie Spicer. She lived there for almost 40 years until her death in 1958 at age 93.
The beautiful courtyard garden, with its vintage brick walks, statuary, and koi pond seemingly carved into a stone walkway, has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens Do It Yourself magazine.
Campbell County Public Library Summer Programming
Submitted by Mackenzie Manley, PR Coordinator, Campbell County Public Library
What’s summer without a good book? You’ll find all that and more at our local library. Highlights of the Campbell County Public Library's July programming include the annual Art After Hours event; a Friends Book Sale; a drive-in screening of How to Train Your Dragon; and a fun handful of family-friendly events, including several that partner with other community organizations such as the Newport Aquarium and Louisville Nature Center.
Find out more about our Summer Reading program and all the other library activities on the website of the Campbell County Public Library.
Celebrating Our Awesome Dog Park
It takes a village to raise up a new dog park! From left are Bill Mackison, Elaine Pearl, Tim Appleton, Tom Guidugli and children, Rachel Roberts, Noelle Johnson, Alexia Patton, Eric Aschinger and his dog Maci, and Bev.
Our June 6 Grand Opening of the Newport Dog Park was a big success, especially with our 4-legged, furry friends and family members. Thanks to everyone who volunteered, donated, moved dirt, raked mulch, bought bricks, and helped distribute dog park t-shirts during the Grand Opening!
As a reminder, we rely on donations and fundraising to cover the costs of this pawsitively wonderful addition to our neighborhood, so please consider helping out as you make a donation, order a t-shirt, buy a brick or sign up to be a volunteer.
Yearly costs to keep the dog park safe, clean and fun are more than $6,000. You can lend a hand in a variety of ways while building a community and meeting new friends at the park.
Visit our Newport Dog Park website for all the details on our community-supported dog park and how you can pitch in for our furry friends!
The Voice
Editor: Paula Brandon
Send articles to voice@eastrow.org. The editor reserves the right to edit or reject submissions due to length or content.
