Business View Civil and Municipal l January 2023

111 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 “We’ve earmarked some revenue to make a significant upgrade to our existing parks system, as well as trying to get some new programs off the ground. We have recently entered into a contract to buy a sports complex on the south end of our community that will offer events to our youth. We are also trying to get a community center with an additional sports facility to offer soccer, football, and softball. So, we are certainly making that a priority.” Another priority in Nicholasville is getting those same young people ready to take advantage of the growing professional opportunities that abound after they finish their schooling. “About five years ago, we started working with the public school systems, and we’ve met certain criteria to have Jessamine County be identified as a ‘Work Ready’ community, which is a national designation,” says Amato. “For students who graduate from our high school, it helps them to get hired because people know that they have a NICHOLASVI LLE , KENTUCKY better chance to have the skills right out of high school to enter the workforce and be productive. If an industry wants to locate here, they know that we’re producing a lot of graduates that can step in and help them out in their industry.” Finally, for the city’s residents, as well as folks just passing through, Nicholasville offers several yearly events, sponsored by its partners in the local Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Board, and the area’s own tourist board, Visit Jessamine. One popular event is the Kentucky Wine & Vine Fest Weekend, a yearly celebration of the Bluegrass State’s thriving wine industry. In an area well-known for the production of Kentucky bourbon, most would be surprised to learn that Jessamine County was the site of North America’s first commercial winery, founded by John James Dufour in 1799. In Nicholasville, growth and new opportunities continue apace. It’s a symbiotic relationship that