Local restaurant to 'Hold the Mustard' for chemical agent disposal
By Ronica Brandenburg/Register News Writer

Madison Gardens restaurant will be hosting an all-day benefit today for the Chemical Weapons Working Group, a non-profit organization based in Berea.

The event has been dubbed "Hold the Mustard," which relates to the group's mission of finding the safest way to destroy the mustard or nerve agent-filled weapons at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Madison Gardens, located at 152 North Madison Ave., will donate a percentage of their total daily earnings to the group. Additional contributions can be made

"The customers don't have to do anything special," said Elizabeth Crowe, of the CWWG and the Kentucky Environmental Association. "They can go any time of the day to eat or drink."

Customers will be entertained throughout the evening with live musical performances including Mud Pi, Lee Hoffman, the Real World String Band, Zoe Speaks and Eastern Blend.

This is the first time in 10 years that the non-profit organization has held a fundraiser, said Craig Williams, director of the CWWG.

"We don't do this for the money but we need money to do this," he said. "There's been a lot of activity surrounding this issue and we've had a significant role in trying to keep things straight," he said referring to the Pentagon's freeze on weapons disposal funding. The funds were later released and the CWWG helps ensure proper spending within the Department of Defense.

The CWWG, associated with the Kentucky Environmental Foundation (KEF), was founded in 1991 to promote safer alternatives to incineration of the deadly chemical weapons. The KEF and the CWWG continue to be "watchdogs" of the Army's chemical weapons disposal program and recently worked with local community leaders and federal elected officials to restore funding for the weapons destruction.

"A lot of people don't realize how much work it takes to stay on top of all the developments in the chemical weapons issue," said KEF board member Tracy Powell-McCoy. "The folks at KEF really need support to be able to continue watching out for the health and the environment until all the weapons are gone."

This is the first time the CWWG and the KEF have partnered with a Madison County business for a community fund-raiser, Crowe said.

"This is a great show of support and we're thrilled that the guys of Madison Gardens are interested in doing this," she said. "It's a win-win situation. We're looking for everybody to have a really good time but also develop an appreciation of the challenges involved in keeping the chemical weapons program running smoothly."

For more information on chemical weapons disposal in Madison County, call the KEF and the CWWG at 986-0868 or visit their Web site at <www.cwwg.org>.

Ronica Brandenburg can be reached at rbrandenburg@ richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.