First of the ‘big three’ summer tourism holidays

Finally the weather is starting to look a little like winter 2023 might be behind us, just in time for the first of the ‘big three’ summer tourism holidays heading straight for us this weekend.

Memorial Day marks the “traditional” start of the summer tourism season and the start of the stretch of three or four months during which we locals will be sharing our highways and waterways (Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow Lake) with some visitors, mostly from up north, who aren’t as familiar with our habits of driving and might be in a little more of a hurry than we are at any given moment.

As I’ve said in this space for years now, we need these folks to come here and enjoy our lakes and surroundings, and to leave happy, with a lot less of their money than they arrived with.

The marinas need their visitation, and I’ve learned in the past few years as a member of the Clinton County Tourism Commission, that two of the fastest growing aspects of the tourism industry are booming here as well, the Recreational Vehicle (RV) Park and Campgrounds, as well as the vacation home rental business.

Be nice to our visitors for the next few months – they spend their money at our gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores and even mechanic shops when necessary.

Enjoy the summer, give yourself a little more space and extra time, and make it a safe season. Labor Day will be here before we know it.

A reminder from Randy

Long-time friend Randy Speck sent me a reminder this week that had he have lived, we would have celebrated Lindle Castle’s 93rd birthday this week.

Of course Castle, who passed away December 4, 2016, was a longtime CCHS boys’ basketball coach, baseball coach, golf coach and athletic director.

Castle was also a member of the University of Kentucky Wildcats, playing for legendary Adolph Rupp as a sophomore on the 1951 NCAA National Championship squad.

Speck reminds us that as a freshman at the University of Kentucky, the Winchester native, and future coach at Clinton County, was “a ball-hawking specialist who set up the Cat’s fast break offense,” wrote Bob Gorham in the Kentucky Kernel on March 3, 1950. He was one of the shining stars on the 1949-50 freshman “Kittens” team led by two future NBA Hall-of-Famers, Cliff Hagan and Frank Ramsey. They, along with Lou Tsioropoulos and Castle’s back court partner Dick Pikrone, were the main threats on UK’s best ever freshman team, according to their coach, Harry Lancaster.

Two years prior, Castle and UK teammate Cliff Hagan squared against each other in the 1949 KHSAA Sweet 16 High School Boys Basketball Tournament. That was the year that Hagan, playing for Owensboro, dropped in 41 points in the championship game against Lafayette.

Castle’s Clark County Cardinals lost to Hagan and Owensboro in the quarter-final game, 54-42.

Both Castle and Hagan were named to the 1949 Sweet 16 All Tournament Team.

Congrats Bat Dawgs and Lady Bat Dawgs

Both the CCHS Bat Dawgs and Lady Bat Dawgs had good weeks last week, advancing to the championship game of the 16th District Tournament in the baseball and softball post-season.

Unfortunately, both were defeated in their respective final game, the Bat Dawgs to Russell County and the Lady Bat Dawgs to Cumberland County, but as runners-up, they both added some nice hardware to the CCHS trophy case as well as earning a chance to compete Monday in the 4th Region Tournament.

Congratulations are also in order for the four Lady Bat Dawgs named to the All-District team – Chloe Longwell, Lauren Winningham, Ella Marlow and Aubrie Messer, and the four Bat Dawgs who picked up the same honor on the baseball diamond: Caleb Thrasher, Matthew Duvall, Blaine Melton and Walker Casada.

Congratulations are also in order for two of those same Lady Bat Dawgs who were named to the 4th Region All Seasonal Team (voted on by the Southern Kentucky Softball Coaches).

Aubrie Messer was named to the second All Seasonal team while Ella Marlow was named to the Honorable Mention level.