Interview with Sidney Hisel, April 25, 2017

Partial Transcript: Good morning, this is Julia Taylor with the Scott County Public Library.

Segment Synopsis: Sid Hisel is introduced. He talks about how he came to Scott County after high school. He talks about his career working for Georgetown News. He talks about briefly owning the Jessamine Newsweek. He talks about how he became interested in photography, and the process of printing photographs in newspapers. He talks about changes in the printing business over the years.

Keywords: Apprenticeships; Athens High School; Cameras; Careers; Changes; Crime scenes; Engraving; Fayette County (Ky.); Georgetown News; Hot type printers; Jessamine Journal; Jessamine Newsweek; Layoffs; Lead; Line type operators; Murders; Off-set printing; Photos; Pictures; Retirement; Speed; Speed Graphic cameras; Studios; Trades; Wilmore (Ky.)

Subjects: Employment--Kentucky; Georgetown (Ky.); Newspapers--Kentucky.; Photography.; Printing industry.; Printing machinery and supplies.; Printing presses.; Printing--Periodicals.; Printing.; Scott County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Um, so you were, um--(laughs)--I wanted to say "involved with the Stamping Ground tornado" as if somehow you created the tornado.--(laughs)--

Segment Synopsis: Hisel discusses his role in the cleanup after the tornado in Stamping Ground, Kentucky in 1974. He talks about their methods of communication, security measures, and meals provided by the Salvation Army. He talks about some of the problems they encountered, including telephone lines being knocked down and problems with driving due to nails in the road.

Keywords: 4-H; Arrowheads; Awards; Buildings; CB radios; Communications; Dick Rawdon; Driving; Flat tires; Food; Frankfort (Ky.); Governors; Judge Charlie Sutton; Mayor Clayton Kidwell; Mayor Warren Powers; Meals; Meeting; Nails; National Guard; Neville Purvis; Photographs; Salvation Army; Security; Sightseers; Sons; Special deputy sheriffs; State police; Telephone lines; Walkie talkies

Subjects: Georgetown (Ky.); Scott County (Ky.); Stamping Ground (Ky.); Tornado damage; Tornadoes.

Partial Transcript: Uh, out of Stamping Ground, once we shut that down, uh, Mayor Powers--the Disaster Emergency Services at that time was--they called it Civil Defense.

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks about being appointed as the director of Disaster & Emergency Services by Mayor Warren Powers, first in Georgetown and later for Scott County as a whole. He talks about some of the other disaster cleanups he has been involved with, including a snowstorm sometime around 1978.

Keywords: City hall; Cleanup; Directors; Disaster & Emergency Services; Emergency operating centers; Fire departments; Frankfort (Ky.); Mayor Warren Powers; Mobile command posts; Offices; Retirement; Snowstorms

Subjects: Georgetown (Ky.); Scott County (Ky.); Stamping Ground (Ky.); Tornado damage; Tornadoes.

Partial Transcript: So that's where you transitioned from the paper then?

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks briefly about his experience owning the Scott Shopper, a publication in Georgetown.

Keywords: Businesses; Careers; Employees; Jobs; Kenneth Hisel; Nancy Wilson; Scott Shopper; Sold; Sons; Terry Meyer; Work

Subjects: Employment--Kentucky; Georgetown (Ky.); Newspapers--Kentucky.; Periodicals.; Scott County (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: Then she and I traveled for nine or ten years.

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks about traveling across the country with his wife.

Keywords: Alaska; Bears; Canada; Road trips; Trailers; Wife

Subjects: Travel.

Partial Transcript: Um, but actually I know it sounds weird but we're talking about, uh, Alaska so, um, around when did that snowstorm happen that got you officially--

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks more about his involvement in the cleanup after a snowstorm sometime around 1978.

Keywords: Directors; Disaster & Emergency Services; Injuries; Interstate; Jeeps; Rescue; Shutdown; Snowstorms; Winches

Subjects: Georgetown (Ky.); Scott County (Ky.); Stamping Ground (Ky.); Weather

Partial Transcript: Were there any, um--so we talked about some hurdles with like the communication issues.

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks more about the problems they encountered during the cleanup after the 1974 tornado in Stamping Ground, including nails in the road and trouble with volunteers.

Keywords: Buildings; Bulldozers; Cleanup; Companies; Dumping; Garbage; Hollows; Lexington (Ky.); Locals; Nails; Problems; Volunteers

Subjects: Georgetown (Ky.); Scott County (Ky.); Stamping Ground (Ky.); Tornado damage; Tornadoes.

Partial Transcript: Do you th, do you think that--how do you think it affected Stamping Ground as a community?

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks about how the tornado affected the Stamping Ground community, making some people paranoid about storms. He talks about various departments involved in disaster cleanup.

Keywords: Affected; Army; Communities; Disaster & Emergency Services; Effects; Emergency Management Agency (EMA); Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Jurisdiction; Names; Paranoid; Scared; Storms; Training

Subjects: Georgetown (Ky.); Scott County (Ky.); Stamping Ground (Ky.); Tornado damage; Tornadoes.

Partial Transcript: Um, so during the tornado cleanup, um, we talked about some people involved but were there any other people that were helping?

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks about some of the people and organizations involved in the cleanup after the 1974 tornado in Stamping Ground. He names specific people, as well as volunteers from Georgetown College, the state police, fire department, and more. He talks about people taking advantage of the help offered.

Keywords: Baby food; Cleanup; Clothes; Cooperation; County fire department; Curfews; Delivery; Deputies; Dick Rawdon; Donations; Food; Georgetown College; Georgetown police; Helping; Index cards; Larry French; Marshall law; Mayor Clayton Kidwell; National Guard; Neville Purvis; People; Positive; Salvation Army; Sheriff's department; Sightseers; State police; Stealing; Taking advantage of; Theft; Working; Working together

Subjects: Georgetown (Ky.); Scott County (Ky.); Stamping Ground (Ky.); Tornado damage; Tornadoes.; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Let's see.

Segment Synopsis: Hisel talks about some of the coincidences with special dates in his life. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Anniversaries; Bibles; Dates; Grandmothers; Married; Mothers; Navy; New Testament; Newspapers; Skills

Subjects: Marriage