Fall reading project for Albany Elementary third graders begins

NEWS readers invited to follow along

Our two favorite Kentucky pups, Woody and Chloe, are off on another adventure and our readers are invited to ride along for the next 10 weeks.

For the third straight year, the Clinton County News, in conjunction with the Kentucky Press Association and the Lexington Herald Leader/Newspaper in Eduction project, is one of several Kentucky newspapers of all sizes that will be participating in the Newspaper in Education Project this fall.

Also for the third straight year, the local effort will benefit about 150 students who attend the third grade at Albany Elementary School in six classes.

The Clinton County News, in addition to publishing the 10 chapter, 10 week-long adventure, is also once again providing the third grade students with workbooks to be used during their weeks with the adventure, as well as a scheduled list of activities for the students and classroom teachers to participate in.

Chloe and Woody will take on many of the waterways of Kentucky for this year’s adventure, when, true to character, Woody impulsively signs up for the Hook The Biggest Bass Fishing Tournament at Kentucky Lake.

Dad informs Woody this will be a difficult task since the family doesn’t own a boat. “We do now,” Woody replies, informing his family he bought a boat in Pikeville, Kentucky.

Woody’s plan is to pick up the boat in Pikeville and row it to Kentucky Lake. Mom and Dad explain that’s impossible, but are they willing to pick up the boat, drive to the tournament, and let the pups fish in rivers and lakes along the way.

Dog Paddling Across the Bluegrass finds Woody and Chloe stopping all across the Bluegrass at many of the state’s waterways, lakes and rivers, exploring the attractions and communities along the way and at the same time, learning many of the nautical terms used in reference to this category of Kentucky’s natural and manmade resources.

Curiously, however, although the adventourous family does spend some time on Lake Cumberland en route to western Kentucky and Woody’s fishing tournament experience, they will not make a stop at Clinton County’s other body of water, Dale Hollow Lake.

Among the terms that Woody and Chloe – and the students following along will study, include:Difference between lakes and oceans, dams, locks and pools, parts of the river (headwater, backwater, forks), upstream and downstream, tributary, water cycle, watersheds, barges, docks, marinas, tugboat, mouth, source, waterfalls, gorgesand purpose of rivers.

In addition to being studied by the elementary school students, adult readers are invited to tag along on the adventure as well by enjoying the continuing story each week.

Dog Paddling Across the Bluegrass is a story written by Kentucky author Leigh Anne Florence.

Florence is Kentucky born, Kentucky bred, Kentucky educated, a Kentucky Colonel, and the Kentucky author of the popular series, Woody, The Kentucky Wiener. A native of Murray, Kentucky, Florence is a 1990 graduate of Calloway County High School. In 1996 she received her Masters of Music Education from Murray State University.

She now resides in Shepherdsville, Kentucky with husband Ron and a host of animals, most notably her black and tan miniature dachshund, Woody, who is the star character in her children’s series, Woody, The Kentucky Wiener.

After seven years as a public school music teacher, Florence resigned from her teaching duties to concentrate on writing and public speaking. Leigh Anne, accompanied by Ron and the entire wiener dog gang, spends her days in schools, libraries, and other venues speaking on Woody’s Five Ways to Be Successful.

In addition to schools and libraries, Leigh Anne has become an in-demand speaker for church events, women’s groups, and community organizations.

Dog Paddling Across the Bluegrass is illustrated by Kentucky artist Chris Ware, who works as an illustrator for the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper and has also had his work published in a host of national publications.

Ware, being the father of seven, and consequently a part-time small animal wrangler (snakes, frogs, hedge hogs, cats, dogs, guinea pigs, baby birds, turtles and fish), it is inevitable that kids and critters are his favorite things to illustrate. Family dogs Stella and Moose were consulted on each and every drawing of Woody and Chloe, and they have given their highest accolades… five (out of five) barks!

In the program, each of the third grade students at Albany Elementary School, in addition to the structured activities that are designed to heighten their weekly experience, will also be given a copy of that week’s Clinton County News to use for the activities each week and to take home during the 10 week duration of the program.