Melodie Phelps, News Editor
CNHI
10-20-10 — For the past 12 years, for at least part of every year, Frankfort has been a second home to Ken Upchurch. Working in state legislature, leading committees, and dealing with proposed legislation has meant a
chunk of time spent away from Wayne County for the 52nd District State Representative.
Upchurch first began to mull making a change a while ago, as he served on the Local Government Committee in Frankfort and saw some of the projects that other counties are taking on to improve their future. Then, he would come back home and he didn't see those type of things happening in Wayne County.
"I decided it was time I put my experience to work in the County Judge's office," said Upchurch, as he talked recently about his decision to run for Wayne County Judge-Executive. "With the experience I have in Frankfort, I think that gives me a leg up."
There is also another factor that Upchurch considered in this
decision—his 18-month-old son Jackson.
"The other factor that made me come to this decision was the birth of my son. It's hard to be away two and three and four months out of
the year and have a little boy at home," he said. "I decided I was going to come home and leave Frankfort and be daddy, whether I was
judge or not. Hopefully, everything works out, but at the end of the day I am still going to be daddy."
Life has changed a lot for Upchurch in the past 12 years. He first took office as a state legislator when he was 29 years old. Since
then he met and married his wife, Melissa, who is a nurse at the Wayne County Hospital. They have raised daughter, Chelsea, who is 17,
and have welcomed son, Jackson, to the family.
There have also been losses. Upchurch lost his beloved grandfather,
Kenneth, soon after he was sworn in for his first term. But the memory of that first campaign, with his grandfather by his side,
stays with him today, as do the lessons he learned growing up in a family that was always interested in politics.
"My grandpa Kenneth was always involved in politics, and I can remember sitting around the Sunday table," said Upchurch. "He worked for the county road department. he was the county road foreman. I
always enjoyed and tuned in to those conversations. It piqued my interest."
So there were two things that Upchurch knew early on—that he would run for public office and that his grandfather would help him with his campaign.
"I wanted to do it with my grandfather and I got that opportunity in 1998 when I ran for state representative for the first time," said Upchurch. "I enjoyed that more so than any race that I had had. That
allowed me and him to get out and campaign together and drew me even
closer to may grandfather."
"I told him after that race that if i never won another race, I got to live my dream—being able to go out and run for office with him,"
said Upchurch. "He passed away during my first term. I took office in 199 and he was there with me when I was sworn in and he passed away in October. That was very special."
While he knew that he wanted to come home to make a difference,
Upchurch admitted it was a tough decision. He will miss Frankfort and the friendships he has made there. But he added that it's only a two hour drive from Wayne County and he will be relying on those
relationships as he visits the state legislator advocating for Wayne County.
"I have a toe in the door already because of those relationships I have had over the years, and that will make it easier when I try to get funding for something," said Upchurch.
He has spent the better part of this year getting his message out to the people of Wayne County. He's been knocking on doors and meeting
with individuals as well as groups to tell them what he believes is
important for Wayne County.
"We've talked about moving Wayne County forward," he said. "I think
Wayne County is in dire straights. We've got one of the highest unemployed rates in the state. We've got businesses closing down, just this week we have heard that one of the staples in Wayne County
is closing down. We're just in bad shape. I think with my experience in Frankfort and through 12 years of getting to know leaders in
Frankfort in different departments and knowing the system, I think that bodes well for me and my administration in trying to get things done in Wayne County."
Upchurch noted that he has the endorsements of both Congressman Harold Rogers and Senator Mitch McConnell, who are both powerful
Republican leaders in Washington.
Promoting Wayne County is one of the things that Upchurch has
focuses on during this campaign. He noted that during his time in the legislator he has had the opportunity to travel around Kentucky and see what different communities are doing to promote themselves.
"We just aren't getting it done," he said. "For example, I am on the Agriculture Committee and we go to the state fair every year...There
is a Hall of Counties every year and for the past 12 years Wayne County has not had a booth up there promoting Wayne County...That is
just disheartening."
Upchurch feels that Wayne County also has to be more aggressive in regard to job recruitment.
"I would say that job recruitment is the top issue," he said. "the economy is down everywhere, but we could be doing the simple things
such as promoting Wayne County to get jobs here. We've got to have a
very active industrial recruitment team and that's part of my plan. We're going to have a very active industrial recruitment plan to get jobs in here."
Upchurch noted that Wayne County has a large number of skilled aluminum welders who are now out of work because of the struggling
houseboat manufacturing industry. There are businesses out there who
need aluminum welders, but there are in other states paying
outrageous wages to get employees.
By moving to Wayne County, this type of business could pay a good
wage, yet save money.
"Jobs, jobs jobs—we have to get aggressive," said Upchurch. "You can't go and stand in the corder and wait for jobs to come to you. We have to go after them."
Another big issue in this race is the drug problem, according to Upchurch.
"We have got a major problem and not just in Wayne County," said
Upchurch. "We are never going to stop it, that is unrealistic. We
have got a situation with the meth problem and the prescription drug problem...I think there are several approaches. We have got to start
educating our children and I think we are, but we need to get more
aggressive with that."
"We have got to have more law enforcement," he continued. "If you
look at the number of deputies that we have, based on the population
and geography of Wayne County, we are understaffed. There is no way that, as good a job as they do, that they can get it all covered.
They need help. What I want to do is put more deputies out there."
By increasing law enforcement presence, Upchurch said that will help
cut down on the thefts that are plaguing residents and business owners, as thieves steal copper, aluminum and anything of value that
can be sold to buy drugs.
"You have to have more deputies on the street to patrol and be a deterrent," he said. "If we do that we can deter the thievery and slow that down and then that cuts off their money supply...and they can't buy drugs."
While it will cost the county some money, Upchurch said it will save
in the long-run.
At election time, people always talk about county roads and their
condition. Upchurch feels the county needs a road plan, much like the
one developed by state government. Over 12 years, he has been part of
six different state road plans, which basically prioritizes projects.
"We have got several hundred miles of county roads that we need to
inventory and that we need to prioritize based on condition and other
factors that will take the politics out of blacktopping county
roads," he explained. "If I am elected, the days of blacktopping to
get votes is over, because this road plan would be what we operate
from. It makes it a more fair system."
With a road plan, Upchurch noted that everyone knows what their
priority is. For example, someone who lives along a gravel road can
see the plan and determine what work will be done of that road and
when it will be completed.
"I think it is important, and it will save money in the long run,"
said Upchurch.
Fire protection has been another issue discussed during this
campaign. Upchurch has been talking with residents about a countywide
system for fire protection. He has seen an example of this success as
a state representative for McCreary County the past 12 years. The
neighboring county has many rural fire departments that work to
provide better fire protection.
"It works over there for them, but here in Wayne County they say it
can't be done," he said. "Well, give me something you say can't be
done and I will find a way to do it. It's just that simple."
It's a long-term goal and one that will take some time. The first
step is finding a community, like Susie or Parnell, that are ready to
start a fire department. Upchurch pledged that his administration
will work to find that support in the county. The first step would be
the development of a plan for county fire protection.
"You can't just go out and start building fire departments without a
plan," he said.
It's been a quiet election year climate. Upchurch said that could
mean several different things, that people have made up their minds
already and aren't talking about it. But he also noted that politics
have changed a lot in the past 30 years. Years ago, as soon as one election cycle was completed, folks started talking about the next one coming up.
"It was politics all the time," Upchurch said. "People's lives have become busier...kids are involved in sports and other activities, you have church and clubs. People don't have time to deal with this like they used to."
Upchurch believes that his record will speak for itself. The work he has done in the state legislator in the past 12 years has brought over $30 million in projects back to Wayne County. Projects range from waterlines to new buildings, road improvements and more.
"I am closing out a 12 year legislative career and it has been the honor of my life that the people have bestowed on me to represent them in Frankfort," said Upchurch. "We had done a lot of good things for Wayne County. I want to thank the people for allowing me to serve
and I am asking them to put me to work for them again as county judge."