Today's Features

When new Shelbyville Historic District Coordinator Fred Rogers took over last month for the retired Gail Reed, he said he looked out through Shelbyville and saw a city that cherishes its past.

“What I see is, by and large, a community that values its historic resources,” he said. “The reason those buildings are still here isn’t because of government regulations and the historic district, it’s because the people here see the value in maintaining and keeping them. That ethic makes this job a lot easier.”

Five animal rescue groups in Shelby County say they will be joining forces several times a year in order to coordinate fundraisers.

Part of that will include better marketing, said Vicki Moore, spokesperson for 5rescues.org.

“We are banding together for the big fundraisers, like the Monarchs, Mutts and Meows, and this year’s Halloween Potty, and hopefully, a summer event next year,” she said. “We are hoping to have three big events each year.”

Shelbyville Historic District Coordinator Gail Reed will step away from her post at the end of the month. Since taking over in Shelbyville in April of 2000, Reed has watched several historic buildings be remade and brought back from near devastation and others torn down.

As a result of my service aboard the aircraft carrier USS Wasp during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1941 and 1942, I have developed a great interest in these powerful but vulnerable vessels that changed the course of naval warfare during World War II.

In previous columns I have written about USS Wasp and USS Hornet. Both of these ships were sunk in the Pacific during the latter part of 1942, but later the larger, modern carriers that replaced them completely destroyed the Japanese fleet.