The Voice - April 2020
/City of Newport Public Notice
Submitted by City Manager Tom Fromme
Until further notice, the City Building at 10th and Monmouth is closed to the general public. Drop boxes for payments and permit applications are available on the first floor at both main entrances, (glass doors at front and rear).
The following provisions are in effect:
City staff will be accepting Building, Zoning and Historic Preservation permit applications by email, fax, regular mail or drop box. Please call 859-292-3637 or email Allyson Schaefer or Joy Rovno or 859-292-3687 with any questions.
The Finance Department staff will be available via email or phone at 859-292-3660 for issues concerning property tax, payroll tax, business tax or any finance matters.
All public meetings/hearings before the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Historic Preservation Commission and Code Enforcement Board shall be postponed until further notice. As conditions change, alterations may be made to city operations without prior notice. Any changes will be distributed through www.newportky.gov, our Newport Facebook page (CityofNewportKY), the neighborhood list serves, and posted at the city building.
Acceptance of passport applications has been suspended until further notice. Please check the US Dept of State website for locations to apply and call ahead to confirm they are open.
These procedures are being instituted to assure that critical city services will continue without interruption. We believe that this public health emergency will be brought under control much sooner if the advice of public health officials is being followed by residents and businesses.
Our emergency services will continue to operate during this period. Some reports may be taken by the Police Department by phone.
Thank you for your patience and understanding and for making Newport a Great place to Live, Work, Shop & Play!
The McIlvains, Immortalized on Overton St.
overlooking a quiet east row corner, Anne McIlvain is frozen in time as she admires a garden flower.
Forever captured in stained glass, the women of 301 Overton St. have some tales to tell – including stories involving marriage, money, family relationships, and litigation. The impressive Queen Anne now occupied by Jim Price was built by Thomas McIlvain, partner in the McIlvain & Spiegel Boiler & Tank Co. of Cincinnati, who also built two stone “sister houses” on E. 3rd St. adjacent to the Taylor Mansion. He built the house next door at 305 Overton for his secretary, and McIlvain Alley between Overton and Park is named for him.
Constructed in 1889, the house at 301 Overton features numerous stained glass windows. Two of those windows depict the home’s first female residents. Anne was the original lady of the house, and the other window immortalizes her daughter Clara, who was 17 when the house was built.
You won’t find a window depicting Catherine McIlvain, however. Anne died in 1895 and Thomas then married Catherine, his niece (his sister’s daughter), in a Tennessee ceremony. They later moved to Florida for his health and he died there in 1897. Catherine ended up rejecting his will which allowed for “a sufficient sum for my wife” in favor of claiming her full dower rights as his widow, which would have included his entire estate valued at about $200,000, or about $6.25M today.
Ultimately, the legal debate focused on the validity of Thomas and Catherine’s marriage since they were uncle/niece, and the ultimate decision, which went all the way to the Kentucky Supreme Court, took years to litigate. Read more about the legal entanglements of this case. (Spoiler alert: Catherine McIlvain lost her bid for the entire estate, but was deemed entitled to the support mentioned in Thomas’ will, involving an amount said to be “suited to her station in life.” The case was decided in 1917, 20 years after Thomas’ death. Meanwhile, as you can see, Anne is still the lady of the house.
Does your East Row home have an interesting or unusual story? Let us know so The Voice can feature it in an upcoming issue.
Take the 2020 Census Now!
You should have received your 2020 Census Invitation to Respond mailer. Please take time to fill it out now! If you are homeschooling your kids, have them assist you with the completion of the questionnaire and maybe it can count as an extracurricular assignment!
Did you know that for every person missed in the census, the City of Newport and Campbell County loses approximately $2,000, per year for the next 10 years for federally funded projects and services? Your response is so important because it directly impacts the City of Newport's access to billions of dollars in federal funds for schools, roads and other public services.
The 2020 census questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete, in three easy steps. Thanks to everyone who has already responded!
Logon to the census website at https://my2020census.gov/.
Click Start Questionnaire and answer the questions.
You will be asked to verify your address.
You will be asked if you own or rent your home.
Then, you will enter the names, age and race of the people who live in your home.
Click Submit!
Please note: The process is safe, secure, and confidential. Your information and privacy are protected.
You must complete your questionnaire once you begin. If you leave the questionnaire and return later, you will have to start over.
If you do not respond by April 1, you will receive a paper survey you can fill out and drop in the mail. You can also complete your survey by phone.
Results from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government. Please complete the census today.
Rumpke Update: Newport Trash and Recycle Pickup Days Remain the Same
The Rumple family has a 90-year history serving our communities. Now more than ever, teamwork is needed to help combat the spread of illness. Rumpke is taking additional steps to ensure the safety of its team members and customers, and there are a few ways we can help.
What You Can Do:
Bag all your trash. This reduces employee exposure to items such as used tissues and other personal hygiene products.
Continue to place loose recycling items in your bin. Ensure you only place the correct items in your recycling container.
Remember that items such as trash bags and grocery bags, tissues, napkins and paper cups are not accepted.
Properly dispose of medical sharps. Medical sharps used to administer medication to individuals or pets should be placed in a rigid plastic container, clearly marked “Sharps,” sealed shut and placed in trash.
Place trash at the curb/alley the night before scheduled service.
What Rumpke is Doing: Rumpke is closely monitoring the rapidly changing public health environment and following sanitary protocols recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as OSHA.
Employees have been instructed to follow CDC recommendations regarding proper hand washing and sanitization.
The safety team is reinforcing that field employees including drivers, landfill and recycling team members continue to wear required personal protective equipment, including gloves and protective eyewear.
Please note: Rumpke is experiencing a higher volume of phone calls. If you have questions, please consider contacting Rumpke Customer Service via email at www.Rumpke.com or through a Facebook private message.
For additional information about Rumpke services, please visit: https://www.rumpke.com/newsroom/article/2020/03/13/coronavirus-update-from-rumpke
From the Newport Historic Preservation Office: COA Applications Still Accepted
Greetings from the Newport Historic Preservation Office and the Newport History Museum. As of this writing, the City of Newport Historic Preservation office is continuing to work without direct contact with the public. This is for the safety of the public and the employees of our city. We are still accepting COA applications by mail and email, and are available to talk with contractors and citizens by phone or email so that any outside projects you may have within our historic districts may go forward without interruption.
Please submit your projects to Scott Clark, sclark@newportky.gov or contact Scott at 859-655-6347.
The Newport History Museum at the Southgate Street School has cancelled all planned events and will be using the time to make repairs, establish new displays and clean and prepare to reopen to celebrate Newport's 225th anniversary.
Thanks to the digital age, there are plenty of online resources for virtual tours of museums, historic houses and parks connected with international museums, the National Trust for Historic Places and the National Park Service. Please enjoy these online tours while we are paused for the current situation.
Our historic city has weathered many changes and challenges throughout our 225 years as a vibrant community. Here we are proudly celebrating our diverse past - and making history every day. — Scott Clark, Historic Preservation Officer, City of Newport, and Executive Director, Newport History Museum.
Help Keep Our Streets Clean
Newport Public Works is cleaning our streets during April on the assigned, posted dates. Although the city will not enforce the No Parking instructions if you are unable to move your vehicle, it still helps greatly for you to continue the normal routine. Please try to continue to move your vehicle on your assigned street cleaning day.
Of course, the city realizes that many residents are working from home and on-street parking is limited. Our Public Works crews are working daily on various projects with the goal of keeping our city looking nice with clean streets, while they perform other routine duties. Thanks for your consideration in this matter and thanks to the City of Newport for all that they do!
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.
