Covington extending street dining program through end of February — By the Way NKY

This is an installment of reporter Rachel Berry's series "By the way, NKY." Here, you'll find what's going on in Northern Kentucky. 

If there's something you think should be included, email reporter Rachel Berry at rberry@enquirer.com.

Covington extending outdoor dining 

Covington is extending its outdoor dining program, RecoverCovington, until the end of February 2022. Beginning in March, restaurants will have to revert to previous standards. 

In May 2020, the city began allowing restaurants and bars to apply to temporarily set up tables and chairs in areas such as parking spaces, alleys and medians. The program, which has already been extended multiple times, was set to expire on Oct. 31. 

Close to 15 businesses in areas such as MainStrasse Village, Roebling Point, and the Duveneck Square area of Madison Avenue received permission to set up temporary outdoor dining. In total, about 40 restaurants and bars in Covington usually offer outdoor sidewalk dining, which includes restaurants that received special permission to set up seating in parking areas.  

Chris Cunningham, president of the Northern Kentucky Restaurant Association, said he thought outdoor dining went well last winter, when some local restaurants used igloos, pods, or heaters to extend outdoor seating through the colder months. People were receptive to the idea, he said. 

"If it wasn't for that, some of these places wouldn't be here anymore, because they got creative with the outdoor stuff," Cunningham said. 

In some places, though, the use of parking spots for additional dining space has hurt retailers and service providers nearby, according to a news release from the city of Covington. 

Beginning March 1, the city will return to its previous Outdoor Tables and Seating License program. Those who wish to place seating on public sidewalks after that point need to apply by Dec. 1. Businesses will no longer be allowed to place seating in parking spaces or to set up tents and heaters. 

“It’s all a balancing act,” said City Manager Ken Smith. “We want to protect all of our businesses. We said from the beginning that the extended areas were going to be temporary, and come Feb. 28, nearly two years after they were first put in place, it’s time to restore our much-needed parking.”

Kentucky teachers of the year

Two Northern Kentucky teachers were honored as Kentucky teachers of the year for 2022. Ashley Ritchie, who teaches second grade at Beechwood Elementary School in Fort Mitchell, was named elementary school teacher of the year. Hallie Booth, who teaches eighth grade science at Ballyshannon Middle School in Union, was named middle school teacher of the year. 

Ashley Ritchie

Ritchie makes learning come alive for her students. About once a month, she transforms her classroom into something the students are learning about.

Recently, the room became a mad scientist's lab. Students had to scan their hands to enter the room, and when they entered, they were greeted by the teachers dressed as mad scientists with wigs and lab coats. The students spent the day putting the scientific method into action by doing experiments. 

Another time, Booth transformed the classroom into a bat cave, with sounds of running water and an immersive experience to see what it would be like inside the bats' habitat. 

"I feel like if students are engaged in the classroom, then they are more apt to want to try new things and to hold on to that learning that you're teaching," Ritchie said. 

Ritchie was honored to be nominated and later win elementary school teacher of the year in Kentucky. For her, one of the best parts about winning the award was having an opportunity to connect with other teachers and share ideas. 

"That's one thing teachers are really great about is sharing ideas, and I think that we learn the most from each other," she said. 

Hallie Booth

Booth comes from a long line of educators, and knew she wanted to be a teacher since high school, when she was a peer tutor for students with disabilities. 

"When I was thinking about what I wanted to do, it was never an option not to teach," Booth said. "To me it's the most rewarding profession because we get to really kind of help shape the future, the students of the future."

Throughout her career, she's taught at all levels. She likes middle school because it's a time when the students are finding themselves and exploring their interests. 

Much of the science curriculum she teaches focuses on ecosystems and the environment, and she thinks it's especially important because it helps students understand the world around them. It's those real world connections that define her classroom, she said. 

Booth said she was humbled to be named Kentucky middle school teacher of the year but doesn't think she's doing anything differently from all the other amazing teachers across the state. She sees this award as an opportunity to uplift the voices of other teachers. 

"I didn't get here by myself," she said. "I'm here because of all the students, the teachers that have worked with me the administrators who have let me groan through all the experiences and all of the colleagues that I've met, across the state. And so to me it's a great honor to be representing them."

Court of Appeals Judge sworn in, in Boone County

The 6th Appellate District in Kentucky has a new Court of Appeals judge. 

Susanne M. Cetrulo was sworn in Thursday at the Boone County Justice Center in Burlington by Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Michelle M. Keller. She serves Divison 2 of the 6th Appellate District, which is made up of Kentucky's 21 northernmost counties. 

Cetrulo was appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear on Sept. 15 to fill the unexpired term of Judge Joy A. Kramer, who retired Sept. 1. 

Cetrulo earned a law degree from Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Morehead State University.

She began her career as a staff attorney for the Court of Appeals from 1984-1991. She spent 30 years in private practice, most recently at Cetrulo, Mowery & Hicks, a firm she founded with her husband in 2000. 

In addition to civil litigation, Cetrulo was an adoption attorney in Ohio and Kentucky for more than 30 years. She and her husband are also adoptive parents. 

She has been named one of the most prolific trial attorneys in Kentucky multiple times by the Kentucky Jury Verdict Reporter. Cetrulo is a co-founder of Cameron’s Cause, a nonprofit organization that places automatic external defibrillators in Northern Kentucky schools and businesses.

Drop your Drawers campaign collecting socks and underwear

Campbell County Public Library is beginning its annual Drop your Drawers campaign after pausing for a year due to the pandemic. 

The campaign, which will run through Dec. 31, aims to collect socks and underwear for family resource centers. The items will be given to children who need them due to accidents at school, illness, homelessness or other reasons, according to a news release. 

All Campbell County Public Library branches are collecting new pairs of socks and underwear in any size. Donations must be in the original packaging. 

The library's goal is to collect 7,000 items. In 2019, the campaign collected more than 10,000 items. 

“Every child deserves to have clean underwear and socks that fit," said Library Director JC Morgan.

Diaper closet opening in Northern Kentucky

Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, an organization focused on ending homelessness, is opening a diaper closet at its location in Covington. 

The closet will provide free diapers, wipes, creams and other baby-related items to those in need. The diaper closet is being funded by $10,000 donations from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and State Representative Buddy Wheatley. 

"Every child deserves the opportunity to have a happy, healthy home life," Wheatley said. 

Anthem has pledged money for eight total diaper closets across Kentucky. 

COVID-19 resources for NKY residents 

Need a COVID-19 test? Here are some helpful links to resources in Northern Kentucky: 

• Find a free COVID-19 test on the state's COVID 19 website at govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19. 
• To find a regional vaccination site, go to www.kroger.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated and type Covington, KY in the search bar or call 866-211-5320.
• Sign up for a vaccine appointment on the health department website at https://nkyhealth.org/individual-or-family/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19-home/covid-19-vaccination/.

That's it for this installment of By the way, NKY. Let us know if there's something you think we should include in the next. In the meantime, here are some other ways to keep up with your community:

• Keep an eye on your local government with us and subscribe to the free daily newsletter that gets sent directly to your inbox every morning. 
• Download the NKY news app and sign up for alerts to be the first to know about news in your neighborhood.

Northern Kentucky reporter Rachel Berry can be reached at rberry@enquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter @racheldberry.