Fletcher urges literacy at ECC stop

Native's star is rising fast

SCC repeats as “Best-of-the-Best” in Laurel newspaper survey

News-Enterprise
October 14, 2003

Fletcher urges literacy at ECC stop

Literacy is key to reducing the achievement gap and improving education in Kentucky, the Republican who wants to be the state's next governor said Monday.

Speaking to a group of 75 Hardin Countians at Elizabethtown Community College, U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher stumped mostly about improving teacher-student relationships. But he also addressed the need to protect Fort Knox from base realignment and closures and "cleaning up the mess in Frankfort."

The stop at ECC was part of a bus tour Fletcher is riding until November's election. He's criss-crossing the state to garner support for his candidacy and the rest of the Republican slate.

"We need to bring in people with a history of getting things done," Fletcher said. "We want a government in Frankfort that we can be proud of."

One promise Fletcher made Monday is to improve Kentucky's education program by increasing teacher pay and improving reading among primary students.

Fletcher said he wants to make sure all students are reading at their grade level by the time they reach third grade. He said he believes keeping reading levels up will reduce Kentucky's achievement gap, in accordance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Fletcher also said he would improve Kentucky's testing system by focusing on individuals instead of group results. That could be accomp-lished, he said, by paying teachers more and decreasing student-teacher ratios, thus boosting teacher morale and giving them more time to spend with individual pupils.

"That is where the magic happens in education," Fletcher said.

Despite the lack of support from the Kentucky Education Association — the group has endorsed Democratic nominee Ben Chandler — Fletcher said he is not worried about the backing of education leaders.

"There are teachers out there who are not a part of the unions and know I care about education in Kentucky," he said.

Fletcher also told those in attendance he plans to work with the Army closely to protect Fort Knox from upcoming base realignment and closures.

"Fort Knox has a tremendous impact on the economy here in Hardin County, the economy in Kentucky and on our national security," he said. "We will be able to show them that Fort Knox is important to this state and this nation."

Hardin County is also primed to attract companies and businesses to the area, despite last year losing Hyundai to Alabama.

"We can be prepared so we can attract more companies and bring more jobs to this area," Fletcher said.

Monday's event was held at ECC at Fletcher's request, said Mary Jo King, an college spokeswoman.

"The college campus is a great place to discuss politics freely," she said.

Teresa Barton, judge-executive for Franklin County and state leader of the group Democrats for Fletcher, also spoke about her support for Fletcher, whom she campaigned against in two prior elections.

"This (election) is more about people than party," Barton said. "And Ernie is all about that."

News-Enterprise
October 14, 2003

Native's star is rising fast

Jason Lambert is living up to his Elizabethtown Community College professor's forecast of great success.

When Lambert was planning to become a physician's assistant, Dr. Alan Hunt, a professor in ECC's science department, took him aside and told him he had "bigger and better things ahead."

"He really pushed to get me where I'm at now," Lambert said.

And where is that?

Lambert, 31, who received his doctorate in pharma-cology and toxicology from the University of Louisville in May, was recently awarded a post-doctoral fellowship with the James Graham Brown Cancer Center in Louisville. He was also recognized during the commencement ceremony as the K.C. Huang Outstanding Student in Pharmacology.

Lambert said he felt relieved upon receiving the two-year fellowship, which involves investigating therapies for liver cancer.

"Getting a fellowship meant that someone thought enough about my research to fund it," he said.

Lambert, of Elizabethtown, is working on two therapies — one related to cancer and one focusing on the intestinal trefoil factor, which he described as "a very small protein involved in intestinal repair." The research looks at using gene therapy to repair damage caused by alcohol and acetaminophen overdoses.

After completing the fellowship, Lambert said he hopes to patent the project, allowing him to open his own biotech company in Louisville.

A 1990 graduate of North Hardin High School, Lambert has a bachelor's degree in science from Western Kentucky University and a master's in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Louisville.

"Good teachers who have sparked his interest have been the driving force," said Patti Lambert, Jason's mother.

Lambert is a member of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, the Society of Toxicology and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He has published articles in several journals.

"I'm amazed at his intellect, achieving what he's achieved," Patti Lambert said. "His goal is research — finding cures."

Somerset Commonwealth Journal
October 10, 2003

SCC repeats as “Best-of-the-Best” in Laurel newspaper survey

Somerset Community College was selected as “Best College” by readers of the London/Laurel County Sentinel-Echo. The results of the balloting were reported in the Aug. 29th edition of the newspaper.

According to Dale Morton, the editor of the Sentinel-Echo, Somerset Community College was competing with other area colleges and universities including Eastern Kentucky University, Cumberland College, Midway College and even the University of Kentucky.

The newspaper has conducted the survey annually for the past four years. Somerset Community College has won the “Best College” designation in each of the four surveys.

“It’s gratifying to have the readers of the Sentinel-Echo in London and Laurel County vote for us as the ‘Best College’ in the area,” said Jo Marshall, Ph.D., president of SCC. “Everyone at SCC has worked tirelessly to provide a quality educational experience to students in the eastern portion of our district, and it’s very nice to know our efforts are appreciated.”

Somerset Community College successfully completed the merger process with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in June. That agency certifies, among other things, that the quality of the education offered by colleges and universities meets their high standards. SACS approval completed SCC’s efforts to merge with Laurel Technical College and Somerset Technical College into one comprehensive community and technical college.

“There are a lot of very good things happening at Somerset Community College,” Marshall said. “We have recently opened new buildings in Laurel and Pulaski County. We have two other buildings that will soon be completed: a new Student Commons Building on the SCC Somerset North Campus and a new center in Clinton County. We have doubled the size of our McCreary Center. With the generosity of the people of Russell County, we have been able to open a new center there. And, we expect our enrollment will set a new all-time record this fall. We owe these successes to SCC’s faculty and staff and to the commitment of the citizens of our district.”