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Health | Family Editor: Sally Scherer, (859) 231-3303. E-mail: hlfeatures@herald-leader.com INDEXCONTACT

HEALTH FAMILYSECTION D

RELATIONSHIPS | KIDS | PARENTING

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2006 | WWW.KENTUCKY.COM | LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER

Comics . . . . . . D4-5Crossword . . . . . .D5

Dear Abby . . . . . . D5Diet Detective . . . D6

Horoscope. . . . . . D4John Rosemond . D3

HOW OLD?!?!TODAY: Actress

Florence Henderson is72. Access Hollywood

host Pat O’Brien is 58.Magician Teller of Pennand Teller is 58. Opera

singer Renée Fleming is 47. Singer RobThomas is 34.

WEDNESDAY: Actress Jane Seymourand singer Melissa Manchester are 55.The Simpsons creator Matt Groening is52. Actress Sarah Wynter is 33. SingerBrandon Boyd of Incubus is 30.

A daily lookat entertainment news

Gonzo journalistcan be downloaded

Hunter S. Thompson’s widow said shewould let fans download a rarely seenphoto of the gonzo journalist, to be postedhis Web site to mark the anniversary ofhis death. The Louisville native was 67when he shot himself to death Feb. 20,2005, in his home in Woody Creek, Colo.,apparently despondent over health prob-lems.

Anita Thompson said she decided tooffer the photo on http://gonzostore.com inresponse to fans who have written herasking about the anniversary.

She said she took the photo at theChateau Marmont in Los Angeles, when herhusband had friends over as he was writingone of his columns. “He has a special lookin his eye that he had once in while whenhe was up to something but was totally atpeace,” she said. “I’ve taken thousands ofpictures of him, but this one is my favorite.And nobody has seen it.”

Under the photo will be one of her hus-band’s favorite quotes. She wouldn’t revealthe quote but gave a hint: It’s about BobDylan.

Ralph Steadman, who illustrated manyof Thompson’s works, has the only copy ofthe photo ever issued, she said.

Deneuve gets her dueFrench screen idol Catherine Deneuve

will come to a Bangkok film festival, whereshe’ll be honored for her contributions tocinema, organizers say.

The fourth Bangkok International FilmFestival will award Deneuve the

2006 Golden Kinnaree CareerAchievement Award at a galaevent Feb. 24, according to astatement from festival

organizers. Deneuve became one of

the world’s most belovedactresses after starring in Jacques Demy’s1964 film, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,which will be screened at the festival. Shealso was in the 1967 film Belle de Jour,and more recently, Dancer in the Dark, in2000.

Prairie Home politicsDirector Robert Altman says his big

screen adaptation of A Prairie HomeCompanion wasn’t intentionally political but“reflects the truth of what’s going on inourselves.”

The film, a fictionalized account of thelast broadcast of the 30-year-old radioshow, tells the story of what happens whenhost Garrison Keillor finds out he’s beentaken over by a conglomerate.

Meryl Streep, Woody Harrelson andKevin Kline star alongside Keillor in thefilm, which was shot at Fitzgerald Theater inSt. Paul, Minn, where the radio show isbased.

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PEOPLE

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Articles by Mary Meehan | Photos by David Stephenson | Herald-Leader Staff

Ahhh, Valentine’s Day. The time when lovers scramble tocome up with the perfect way to show that special person intheir lives how much they care.

But some folks give love year-round, not in the form ofchocolates or flowers but through time and attention and givingof themselves.

These four Central Kentuckians — Jerry Belton, RegiGoffinet, Elise Holcomb and Joe Karius — represent thethousands of people who share their passions with othersthrough volunteering. Here’s our valentine to them and otherswho make our community a better place through their actions.

VALENTINES TO VOLUNTEERS

“How ya doin’, buddy?” Joe Karius coos, ashe gently gathers tiny Isabella Potter in hisarms.

With 51⁄2-month-old Isabella cradled in onearm and the infant’s I.V. pole grasped in theopposite hand, Karius slowly makes his wayaround a floor at Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

Seven years ago, the retired IBM employeefound his calling in cuddling, rocking and walk-ing sick infants. Most days you can find him,baby in arm, talking soothingly to an infant.

Once back from their walk, he and hischarge settle into a rocker in the room where

Isabella and her mother, Heather, have livedsince she was born with her intestines outsideof her body. As the chair starts to sway,Isabella tugs at his graying beard — intention-ally left long enough for little fingers to grasp.

His eyes fill with tears as he talks. He’srecently had some health problems himself. Hisheart isn’t what it once was. He has been in thehospital twice during the last few weeks. But,he said, he’ll keep rocking as long as he can.

“This is my place,” he said, his handabsently rubbing Isabella’s pink pajamas. “Thisis what I do.”

Joe Karius: baby rocker

Patience is the key to trying toteach little kids how to play basket-ball and soccer, said Elise Holcomb,

Or, to be more precise, patience,patience, patience.

That, and a loud voice.Holcomb, 23, a University of

Kentucky senior, has learned bothlessons during the past year whilevolunteering to coach childrenyounger than 5.

Holcomb has “done all sorts ofvolunteer work forever,” but coach-ing wasn’t a natural fit. When she

played soccer when she was little,she was the kind of kid who kickedthe ball into the wrong goal.

She loves those kinds of kids —the ones who pick dandelions wait-ing for the ball or dance to theirown personal music under the goal.“It’s just beautiful how their mindswork.”

She gets more out of it than herkids do, she said.

“I could have the worst day, andcome in and coach, and it makesmy whole week.”

Elise Holcomb: kids’ coach

Regi Goffinet’s house is filled with the yappingand howling of her two dogs, but Duffy, a mixed-bred she’s caring for as a foster parent, lets his taildo the talking. With his head nestled nearGoffinet’s feet, the steady thump, thump, thumptelegraphs his contentment. He’s the 57th animalGoffinet and her family have fostered.

When he came to the Goffinets’ Lexingtonhome a few months ago, Duffy — who wasfound by the side of a road and taken to theWoodford Humane Society — was so timid hecould barely cope with human contact. Now,willing to snuggle with strangers, he’s ready fora new home.

When animals leave, it’s always bittersweet,Goffinet said. A few of the new families keep intouch, with postcards or notes at Christmas. Butmost animals simply scamper out of her life.

It breaks her heart a little to see them go. Herdaughters Michael, 11, Amee, 14, and Kendall, 15,feel the loss, too.

But, she said, she can help more this way. If shekept all the dogs she fell in love with, she’d soonreach a limit.

“There are just so many animals out there” whoneed love, she said.

Regi Goffinet:pet foster parent

The drums rumble, echoing offthe concrete walls, as Jerry Beltoncloses his eyes and sees the wavesof sound in his head.

“Yeah,” he croons in his deepbass voice, head bobbing. “That’s it.I can hear that sweet harmony.”

Harmony for drums. The voicesof the instruments communicatingwith one another. That’s whatBelton wants and why, when heformed the group four years ago, henamed it the Lexington Children’sDrum Choir. More recently, heformed a dance group called theSomething Special Dancers.

As the head of the non-profitgroups, Belton, 59, a San Francisconative, is the group’s musical direc-tor, head bus driver, primary fund-raiser and motivator-in-chief.

When it comes to drums, Mr. B,as the kids call him, doesn’t playaround. Grades have to bemaintained. Goofing around isn’ttolerated.

“My whole program, my wholeobjective, is focus,” he said. If youcan focus on the drums, he said,“you can apply that to education,employment and other aspects oflife.”

Hear the loveSee more pictures andhear the volunteers talk

about their work in a slide show linked

to this package atwww.kentucky.com.

No Davis columnMerlene Davis’ column

will return Thursday.

Duffy is Regi Goffinet’s latest foster dog.

“This is my place. This is what I do,” says baby rocker Joe Karius, spending time with Isabella Potter.

Elise Holcomb offered a tip to Alex Totty, 4, at the High Street YMCA.

From left: JaRae West, 11, Evan Cummins, 11, Jerry Belton and Justin Rudd, 19.♥

Jerry Belton: drum master