Doug Garner, Broker-Manager, Auctioneer Northern Kentucky

I was working on some market data today and thought it would be a good time for a market update on Active Rain and Localism. Although not quite a buyers market, Independence has maintained a decent balanced market throughout 2008.

Like most market this year, Independence has seen it's fair share of ups and downs but it has maintained a fairly well balanced absorption rate. For the absorption rates in your neighborhood give us a call.

CENTURY 21 Garner Properties

Independence Office 859-363-9900

Florence Office 859-525-6777

Everybody loves a parade and Independence does it up right. With a name like Independence you would have to think that "Independence Day" would have to spawn a celebration. For 2 days at the first of July this once sleepy little country town in the center of Kenton County puts on a festival celebration, parade and at all culminates in a 30 Minute fireworks display that seems like a perfect fit for creating all those 4th of July memories that your kids will remember forever.

In the tradition of county fairs from across the country and the great state of Kentucky we have one of the finest right here in Northern Kentucky. I've been honored to be a fair board member some 8 years now and believe there's nothing like a good county fair for some hometown fun.

Great Fun - Great Food - Midway Rides - Demo Derby's - Truck Pulls - Tractor Pulls - Horse Shows - Art Displays- Photography Displays - Quilts - Vegetables - Pageants

There really is something for everyone. At $7 per ticket, rides included, (FREE PARKING) (CHILDREN UNDER 3 FREE) there's no better value for a family night out.

4H in Kenton County has an excellent Co-operative extension office of the University of Kentucky. Each July the Kenton county 4H'rs art, vegetables, crops, sewing/fashion among other items are displayed and judged in the 4H building at the fairgrounds. The 4H an open class youth horse shows and drill teams are not to be missed.

The Open class building features local art, photography, all kinds of hand made stitched articles from clothing to quilts and cross stitching. The Kenton county farmers and gardeners show some of the finest fruits and vegetables as well as produced items such as honey and jams & Jellies.

The livestock pavilion offers an almost constant array of stock shows from Monday until Wednesday when the choice livestock is sold at auction in what has become known as one of the best county fair 4H/FFA county fair auctions in the state of Kentucky, often resulting in over $100,000 worth of livestock being sold.

Midway Rides! Murry Bros. Shows supplies some of the best county fair rides you'll find anywhere. Rides for youths, teens and adults will make your trip to the county fair complete as your spun senseless or have your hair peeled back on a spine tingling thrill ride.

Motor Sports! You like to hear the increasing whine and billowing smoke of a 1000HP diesel engine as it torques down on a couple thousand pound dead weight?

Monday and Tuesday nights the lights on the motor sports track illuminate a county fair anchor everywhere. Who doesn't like a good fender bender? You can't take your eyes off the action as you watch your neighbors slam their cars into each other. Maybe it's because we all have a little demo derby attitude at some time throughout the year but there is something compelling to watch seemingly innocent everyday cars turn into a virtual junk yard right before your eyes.

Wednesday. The 2 and 4 wheel drive pick-up trucks dual in a show of strength for tug of war.

Thursday is ATV night. Weekend pleasure riders as well as circuit riders trailer in their ATV's for drag races on the motor sports track. Many classes allow this event to be participated in by young, old, amaturer and pro's.

Friday Night brings in the horse power with Pro-Stock 4X4 Trucks, Super Farm Tractors, Diesel Super Stock Trucks, 8,200 Street Diesel Trucks, Semi Over-The-Road Tractors

On early Saturday the fair grounds are amassed by proud Mom's and Dad's and smiling Grandmaw's and Grandpa's for the annual baby shows. The Kenton County Fair baby shows are great fun and have been a main stay through the years at the fair. The midway rides open at noon on Saturday with very few or no waiting to ride until your hearts content. Then on Saturday afternoon the big rigs strat rolling on once again for the Saturday Night Truck and Tractor Pulls. The line up for Saturday night is 5,800 Super Stock 2WD Trucks, 6,000 Light Limited Super Stock Tractor, 6,200 Stock II 4X4 Trucks, 8,500 Pro-Farm, 8,000 Pro Stock Diesel Trucks.

The Kenton County Fair is Located at RT 16 (Taylor Mill Rd) and Rt 536 (Harris Pike) in the center of Kenton County. you can call the fair grouns at 859-356-3738 or visit the website at http://kentoncountyfair.com

We had an opportunity this past week end to meet some friends in our annual group birthday celebrations so we jumped on the chance to meet up at Greater Cincinnati's best Italian restaurant. Pampilio"s in Newport, Ky at 6th St. and Washington St.

The restaurant is celebrating its 75th year in business. In my opinion, Pompilio's success comes is from it's made in-house policy on almost all of it's menu items. Their Ravioli, lasagna, soups and sauces are all produced by hand, on site.

You may have already been in Pampilio's and not even realized it. Pompilios was selected as a site for the filming of the Oscar winning motion picture "Rainman," starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. It was the site of the famous phone book scene where Dustin's autistic character starts reciting the phone book from memory after Tom's character told him the read it for entertainment the night before. And, my favorite scene from that movie is the toothpick scene in which the waitress drops a newly opened box of toothpicks on the floor and Dustin's character immediately, without hesitation, spouts off 494 as the number of tooth picks that hit the ground, Tom's character reply's with "but the box says 500" and the waitress smirks that "there's still 6 in the box".

If like a little history with your meatballs, I found this out while we were waiting for our party to arrive. The bar with its tile floor, beveled-glass windows and hand-carved "Back Bar" is one of the few classic bars left in the area. The Back Bar was hand-crafted and built of cherry wood by the Wiedemann Brewing Company in the late 1800's. The bar is pretty much as it was originally except for a ornaite metal ceiling that was removed, and a mahogany bar that was installed after Prohibition.

Unfortunately for us we wound up with a party of ten and we were looking at a two hour wait on a Saturday night so we wound up at Buca's Italian in the Rockwood Commons plaza in Norwood. Just a 10 minute cruise up I-71. Another excellent Italian restaurant. We had a great time and I don't feel a day over 45.