Interview with Ann and Joe Henderson, January 11, 2007

Partial Transcript: Okay, this is Dale Johnson with PRIDE...

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Dale Johnson introduces the interviewees and the three members of Mount Vernon Elementary's PRIDE club who conduct the first portion of this interview: Bethany Robbins, Makenna Roberts, and Emily Roark.

Keywords: Mount Vernon Elementary School (Ky.)

Subjects: Mount Vernon (Ky.); Rockcastle County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: And the first question we have today is: when and where were you born?

Segment Synopsis: In this segment the children ask Ann and Joe Henderson about what changes the couple have seen in trash and litter over the years and changes in how they dispose of their trash. The two explain that the situation is overwhelmingly better than it was when they were children and young adults, and that there used to be so much trash that it would just billow whenever cars would pass it on the highway. They also talk about how they would burn their trash when they were children, but now they take it themselves to a garbage disposal company in the county.

Keywords: Beer; Burning; Burr (Ky.); Clean-ups; Conservation efforts; Dentists; Dumps; Food waste; Glass bottles; Illegal dumps; Incineration; Landfills; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Plastic bottles; Refuse disposal facilities; Teachers; Trash

Subjects: Childhood; Coca-Cola Company; Laurel County (Ky.); Litter (Trash); Mount Vernon (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal; Refuse collection; Refuse disposal facilities; Rockcastle County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Do you feel PRIDE has made an impact on our county?

Segment Synopsis: The Hendersons express that they believe PRIDE has made a positive impact on Rockcastle County, and that leading by example is they best way to get more people involved in cleaning up the county. Ann expresses that she thinks more notices about dumping need to be posted in order to help create a cleaner community, and Joe Henderson expresses that he believes that there should be more law enforcement present during clean up events, citing a concern for the safety of the children during such events. Once more, at the end of this segment, they express that PRIDE has had a significant positive impact on the county.

Keywords: Conservation efforts; Dumping; Illegal dumping; James Renner; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Pick-ups; Renner, James; Safety; Signage; Volunteering; Volunteers

Subjects: Children; Environmental law.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Law enforcement; Litter (Trash); Mount Vernon (Ky.); Pollution.; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Refuse and refuse disposal.; Rockcastle County (Ky.); Waste disposal sites

Partial Transcript: Are you guys all done with your questions?

Segment Synopsis: At this point, Johnson reenters and takes charge of the interview. The Hendersons once again express that the work that PRIDE does is extremely important, especially as there's more waste created today yet the county is much cleaner than when they were children. The conversation turns to water and Ann explains that she grew up in the city so she always had running water. Joe Henderson, on the other hand, had to get his water from a cistern. They also talk about electricity, and they explain that the city only turned on the power for a few hours every day. They talk a little a about the radio shows they used to listen to, and what it was like in the evenings with their families.

[Note: during this time there is a few seconds where both Ann and Joe speak, making it difficult to understand either one.]

Keywords: Bing Crosby; Board Games; Cattle; Cisterns; Cows; Electricity; Family; Games; Gardens; Grocery stores; Litter (Trash); Lowell Thomas; Packaging; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Quilting; Quilts; Radio; Running water; Rural life; TV; Television

Subjects: Childhood; Crosby, Bing, 1903-1977; Education; Families; Farm life; Grocery trade; Mount Vernon (Ky.); Plumbing.; Recreation; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Refuse and refuse disposal; Rockcastle County (Ky.); Studying; Thomas, Lowell, 1892-1981

Partial Transcript: What did, what did your, what did your families do for a living, when you were growing up?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson opens this segment by asking what Joe and Ann's families did for a living when they were young. Ann explains that her father was John Lair, who started and ran Renfro Valley and the Renfro Valley Barn Dance. They talk for a bit about John Lair, and then briefly about Joe's family. They also talk vaguely about where they lived, and the conversation turns back to Renfro Valley and the radio shows.

Keywords: Age; Aging; Boy Scouts; Boy Scouts of America (BSA); Children; Dentists; Girl Scouts; Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA); John Lair; Live performances; Live shows; Radio shows; Shows; Teachers; Ushers; WHAS Louisville; WKU; WLW Cincinnati; Washington, D.C.; Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, Ky.)

Subjects: Bluegrass music; Boy Scouts; Boy Scouts of America; Chicago (Ill.); Cincinnati (Ohio); Country music; Danville (Ky.); Florida; Girl Scouts; Girl Scouts of the United States of America; Lair, John; Live sound recordings; Louisville (Ky.); Music; Radio; Radio programs; Renfro Valley (Ky.); Renfro Valley Barn Dance (Radio program); Rockcastle County (Ky.); Somerset (Ky.); WHAS-TV (Television station : Louisville, Ky.); WLW (Radio Station : Cincinnati, Ohio); Washington (D.C.); Western Kentucky University

Partial Transcript: So what, what else are you all doing on this project?

Segment Synopsis: [Note: At the beginning of this segment there are briefly two conversations running at the same time, where Joe Henderson is talking to Dale Johnson about Renfro Valley and Ann is trying to entertain the children by discussing PRIDE. Unfortunately, Dr. Henderson's dialogue is undecipherable.]

This segment opens with Ann talking to the children about what other PRIDE projects they're participating in, and the girls explain that there is a garden at the school that they have helped to install. Johnson goes on to explain that PRIDE will help the school build outdoor classrooms, nature trails, or even help create a wetlands on the school campus. At this point, a teacher enters the conversation, explaining that they have put in a hummingbird garden and a greenhouse with PRIDE's help and funds. Another teacher expresses that she would like to install a wetlands in a particularly swampy area on the school's campus.

[Note: The end of this segment also has some brief overlapping conversations.]

Keywords: Gardens; Greenhouses; Hiking trails; Hummingbird gardens; Hummingbirds; Nature trails; Outdoor classrooms; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE); Wetlands; Wildflower gardens; Wildflowers

Subjects: Education; Environmental education.; Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Outdoor learning laboratories

Partial Transcript: I would like you to know one thing, and you children too...

Segment Synopsis: Joe tells about living in Mount Vernon when he was young, and that the swampy area mentioned at the end of the previous segment was the city dump.

Keywords: Dumps; Family; Flooding; Mount Vernon Elementary School (Ky.); Outhouses; Restrooms; Schools; Swing sets

Subjects: Childhood; Families; Floods; Mount Vernon (Ky.); Pollution.; Refuse and refuse disposal.; Sinkholes; Waste disposal sites; Water; Water quality.; Wetlands

Partial Transcript: Well, I, I appreciate you coming down.

Segment Synopsis: At this point the interview is concluded, and one of the girls asks the Hendersons if they had anything like PRIDE when they were young. Ann explains that they didn't, but the need for something similar was present even then.

[Note: The very tail end of the conversation is incoherent as several conversations can be heard at once.]

Keywords: Dumps; Illegal dumps; Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment (PRIDE)

Subjects: Environmental protection; Environmentalism; Litter (Trash); Recycling (Waste, etc.); Refuse and refuse disposal; Teachers; Waste disposal sites