Interview with Sheryl Conkin, Wilbur Graves, March 21, 2007

Partial Transcript: Uh, today is March 21st, 2007.

Segment Synopsis: Cindy Lackey introduces both Wilbur Graves and Sheryl Conkin and begins the interview.

Partial Transcript: I guess, Judge Graves, I'll start with you.

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves describe where they were born and where they grew up in Monroe County. They discuss their first homes, both located on farms run by their families.

Keywords: Agriculture; Childhood homes; Farmhouses; Glasgow (Ky.); Growing up; Outhouses; Water; Well water

Subjects: Childhood; Family farms; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.); Tompkinsville (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Was it good water?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss the quality of their drinking water growing up and the methods they used to take care of wastewater. They also discuss what they would do with solid waste on their farms.

Keywords: Agriculture; Burning; Churches; Dumping; Farming; Garbage; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Outhouses; Running water; Septic systems; Septic tanks; Sewer systems; Sewers; Solid waste; Trash; Waste disposal; Water; Water quality

Subjects: Agriculture.; Family farms; Monroe County (Ky.); Septic tanks

Partial Transcript: Uh, do you remember when, uh, garbage pickup started coming around in the county?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss the evolution of garbage collection in Monroe County. They describe how it started with one business picking up bi-weekly and how it has grown to a few services, with mandatory pick up in the city.

Keywords: Business; Garbage; Garbage collection; Garbage pickup; Garbage trucks; Solid waste; Trash; Trash collection; Trash pickup

Subjects: Monroe County (Ky.); Refuse and refuse disposal.

Partial Transcript: But what'd y'all do with your friends for recreation when you were young?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss how they would entertain themselves as children, playing outside with their friends. They also discuss the water quality of creeks when they were growing up.

Keywords: Ball games; Children; Creeks; Games; Lakes; Outdoors; Playing; Septic systems; Septic tanks; Sports; Water; Water quality

Subjects: Childhood; Monroe County (Ky.); Pollution.; Recreation; Water quality.

Partial Transcript: But how your families made a living, was it farming strictly, Judge Graves?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss how each of their families made a living. Both describe that their parents were farmers and one parent of each worked in factories. They also mention how many siblings they each have.

Keywords: Business; Careers; Commuting; Factories; Farming; Glasgow (Ky.); Jobs; Manufacturing; Siblings

Subjects: Agriculture.; Employment--Kentucky; Families.; Family farms; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Um, well, Judge, I guess I'll start with you.

Segment Synopsis: Graves discusses his high school education and the jobs he did after graduating up to working at the time of the interview as Judge Executive of Monroe County.

Keywords: Agriculture; Construction; County judges; Education; Farming; Gamaliel High School; High schools; Jobs:Careers; Judge executives; Judges; Local politics; Magistrates; Marriage; Odd jobs; Politics; Service stations

Subjects: Agriculture.; Careers.; Employment--Kentucky; Family farms; Monroe County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Okay, Miss Sheryl, what about you?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin discusses her education and job history up to the time of the interview working as the PRIDE coordinator for Monroe County.

Keywords: Careers; College; Factories; Jobs; Marriage; Occupations; PRIDE coordinators; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Tompkinsville (Ky.); Tompkinsville High School

Subjects: Careers.; Education; Employment--Kentucky; Monroe County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Well and then I'll--we'll start looking to PRIDE specifically, then.

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss how they heard about PRIDE and Monroe County's early involvement with PRIDE, applying for grants to clean up illegal dumps. They also discuss their expectations for PRIDE in the beginning and how involvement grew to roadside litter cleanups as well.

Keywords: Cleanup; Dumping; Dumps; Expectations; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Pollution; Roadside litter; Solid waste; Solid waste coordinators; Volunteers

Subjects: Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.); Pollution.; Roadside litter

Partial Transcript: Um, well, whenever you all started getting particularly active, the two of you all around, you know, 2003ish, wha, what'd the county look like at that point?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss the state of Monroe County before PRIDE's involvement, as well as the efforts that have taken place since PRIDE's inception in regard to solid waste cleanup. They describe the state of illegal dumps and their litter cleanup programs, as well as Gamaliel Elementary School's PRIDE club.

Keywords: Children; Cleanup; Dumping; Dumps; Education; Environmental education; Gamaliel Elementary School; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter; PRIDE clubs; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Pollution; Roadside litter; School clubs

Subjects: Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.); Pollution.; Roadside litter

Partial Transcript: Um, well, we've talked a lot about the solid waste side.

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss the efforts in regard to wastewater and water quality programs in the county, as well as environmental education, including PRIDE clubs.

Keywords: Children; Cleanup; Education; Gamaliel Elementary School; Grants; PRIDE clubs; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Pollution; School clubs; Septic systems; Sewers

Subjects: Environmental education.; Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.); Pollution.; Septic tanks

Partial Transcript: Well I'll ask you both if you have any, uh, PRIDE moments that kind of stand out in your mind.

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss the impact of PRIDE on the county and how people have responded to cleanup efforts.

Keywords: Cleanup; Dumping; Dumps; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Litter; Meredith Creek; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Recurrence; Roadside litter

Subjects: Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.); Pollution.

Partial Transcript: Um, do you all ever have the chance, or, uh, i-if say if you found a name, I guess, o-of--or somebody had been dumping, do you all prosecute or what, what would happen?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss how the county deals with people who dump illegally. They describe the measures that the legal system goes to to combat dumping and they speculate on whether prosecution of people dumping illegally was prevalent before PRIDE's work in the county.

Keywords: Attorneys; Cleanup; Community service; Dumping; Dumps; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Laws; Legal system; Litter; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Prosecution

Subjects: Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.); Pollution.; Roadside litter

Partial Transcript: Um, well, what impact do you think, looking back over ten years, um, what impact do you think Eastern Kentucky PRIDE has had on the environment here in Monroe County?

Segment Synopsis: Conkin and Graves discuss the progress that has been made in regard to illegal dump and roadside litter cleanup with help from PRIDE. They also discuss how permanent they think the change is that PRIDE has helped promote, and what is left to be done in Monroe County, focusing on education and illegal dumps.

Keywords: Change; Cleanup; Community service; Dumping; Dumps; Education; Environmental education; Grants; Illegal dumping; Illegal dumps; Impact; Litter; Permanent change; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Volunteerism; Volunteers

Subjects: Environmentalism; Kentucky.; Monroe County (Ky.); Pollution.; Roadside litter

Partial Transcript: Well that--those are the topics I wanted to cover.

Segment Synopsis: Lackey concludes the interview and thanks Conkin and Graves for their input and their work in the county.