By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Florence City council listened to a discussion on adopting an ordinance this week that will officially change the names of two streets in the city.
One street that will be renamed is off US 42 beside Arby’s.
“It was named Holiday Place, because there was Holiday Inn in our city near the interstate next to where Arby’s and back in the day Ponderosa used to be back there,” said Florence Mayor Julie Aubuchon. “Ponderosa and Holiday Inn are long since gone, and so this is a section of town nearby our long time city clerk, Betsy Conrad, near her house and so we thought if we had a chance to rename a street in her honor we would love to do that.”
She said Betsy Conrad was a force to contend with in Florence and the county. Conrad was the Florence city clerk/human resources director for 22 years, and served two terms on city council. She was instrumental in creating the Northern Kentucky Municipal Clerks Association, and was Clerk of the year two different times. She was president of the Boone County Historical Society.
Betsy Conrad died on August 7, 2021, after a lifetime of service to the community.
Her husband Steve attended the meeting and was invited to say a little bit about his late wife.
“I always think of all the accolades she received over the years; she had a love for this city, and she showed it in whatever she did,” Steve Conrad said. “She was constantly trying to make things better. I remember when we had the Florence Y’all festival, she just got finished making a record with 3,000 little girls before she became city clerk. She was a lifetime member of the Girl Scout organization in Northern Kentucky. We went to cities all over Northern Kentucky teaching the girls how to sing these particular songs. One day in January they all came to the big hotel down in Crescent Springs, and 3,000 girls were behind a big boxing ring and they had the recording instruments, and they were all eager to make this record. They created 1000 records, and sold every one of them.”
He smiled, remembering.
“Betsy was always a great singer. She had a fantastic voice. She used to sing in the choirs. Her voice was very low but she could hit the extreme highs at the same time.”
He said Mayor Diane Whalen collaborated with her to start the Florence Kids chorus, which was one of the many hats she wore, to sing at the various Florence celebrations. She was in the Florence Women’s club, he recalled, and they were about to let it die, and she said, “I’m not going to let it die.” One woman told him Betsy saved the organization and became its president. It is running fine today. She was president of the Boone County Historical Society and was on the Urban Forest Committee.
“No matter what she got involved with, she did it to the absolute extreme,” he said proudly. “I applaud and I thank you for this wonderful recommendation, and our family thanks you too.”
Mayor Aubuchon remembered sitting next to Betsy on council for many years, and knew that she touched many lives in many different ways.
“She was just a dear, dear person,” she said. “I think her service to the city has always been of the highest professionalism and the highest standards, and we’re happy to name this section of the road for her, renaming it from Holiday Place to Betsy Conrad Way.”
Councilmember Pat Wingo agreed that Betsy wore many hats meaning many jobs, but she said that Betsy also literally wore many hats, honoring the old custom of wearing stylish hats when she would sit at her council seat. It was something she loved to do.
Councilmember David A. Osborne said he was glad to have the privilege of knowing people over the years who were outstanding in their fields, so they have named streets after people, people like Hop Ewing, Bob Webster, and Charlie Callan, and Betsy Conrad.
“When we were little, I played with Stevie and his brother, and later on, in school, when Betsy came, she was like one of the guys,” he recalled. “She was very, very plain-spoken, she was outspoken. But most of all, when she worked for Diane (Whalen) she was an expert in that field. This is an honor for me personally to know that I know these people, and probably Eric (Hall) and Mr. Viox and Mr. Winn and Julie — I don’t mean to leave anyone out, but we all know who these people are. It is well deserving that we do this for her and her family.”
The second street that will be renamed is off US 18. Cardinal Way and Commerce Place is scheduled to be renamed Tom Gill Way.
“Mr. (Tom) Gill has been a business owner in this community for a very long time,” said Mayor Aubuchon. “It allows a little more clarity for people to get into his location, with the improvements on Ky 18 blocking the access that he formerly had.”
City Administrator Joshua Hunt said that the lawyer for Tom Gill sent a letter to council to ask if the street could be named Tom Gill Way instead of Cardinal Way and Commerce Place. Hunt said there are two residences on the streets and they both have agreed to a name change for the street. One other address is commercial, and owned by Tom Gill, and there is also a hotel. Hunt said they are all in favor of the change also.
The ordinance for the name changes will have a first reading on Tuesday October 17 at the next regular council meeting.