Midnight Run is the entrance street to Revere’s Crossing subdivision in Independence. Each of the four streets are named in reference to Paul Revere. Midnight Run is half mile long leading from Taylor Mill Road to a dead end.
Bev and Terry Dullaghan
Seventeen years ago, Taylor Mills residents Bev and Terry Dullaghan were looking for a ranch home when they found a two story with all the amenities of a ranch on the lower level. Three bedrooms upstairs were just a bonus providing an office and guest rooms for visiting kids.
This house turned out to be the perfect home for Terry, the retired Director of U.S. Industrial Sales for Senco, and Bev, a retired nurse who had worked 42 years at Children’s Hospital.
Their three daughters, 11 grandkids and one great-grandchild round out the family. Upon retirement, Terry says he finished his ‘honey do’ list quickly and went on to remodeling a child’s kitchen, painting cabinets for another, helping with grandkids and volunteering with People Working Cooperatively, Matthew 25 Ministries and as a Volunteer in Policing (VIP) with the Independence police. Bev volunteers with Brighton Center, helping in the Newport after-school program.
Phyllis and Jim Procaccino
About the same time, Phyllis and Jim Procaccino moved in. They had lived in Ft Mitchell for 28 years and were looking for a more accessible home. Their son, Tony, known as Mr. P to the students of White’s Tower Elementary where he serves as Principal, suggested they at least take a look at the homes in Revere’s Crossing – a place they considered too far out in the country.
One look and they were hooked on the house with the big, flat backyard – now used as the neighborhood baseball, football, everything play area.
Now retired, Jim taught science and served as an assistant football coach for 38 years at Beechwood High School in Ft Mitchell. His wife, Phyllis, taught across the hall for 13 years.
Their family all went to school together every day for many years. Jim is still substitute teaching and serves as a volunteer and on the board of education at St. Cecilia Church and School. He is director of the Action Ministry food pantry in Latonia on Tuesdays. The Procaccinos have three children and nine grandchildren.
Jan Markus
Jan Markus, who gathered her neighbors in her kitchen for this article, has lived in the neighborhood only seven and a half years. Her daughter and son-in-law, Tim and Angie Tyler, found a home large enough to include her.
Jan, a retired nurse, worked 43 years at St. Luke Hospital and another seven at the Northern Kentucky Children’s Advocacy Center in Florence. While she might live with her children, it seems she is seldom there.
She travels a lot, usually about six trips a year, with her favorite spot being Siesta Key, Florida. She recently visited Europe and enjoys the Carol Schaefer bus trips closer to home. Later this year, it will be a cruise to the Caribbean.
In between trips, she serves as president of the Golden Age Social Club in Edgewood and serves on the Ultra Society and Bereavement Committee at St. Cecilia Church. Markus is one of six in the Northern Kentucky Nurse Honor Guard, a group of retired nurses who offer a semi-military tribute to deceased nurses at their funerals. Markus has two children, four grandchildren and three great-grands.
Nurses seem to be drawn to Midnight Run for some reason – in only half of that half-mile street, there are at least six nurses. Two of those nurses are a husband/wife team.
“Hands down, Midnight Run is a great neighborhood!” says Dullaghan.
All three of the neighbors enthusiastically agree it is a place where they take care of each other. If a family needs help, they help. If there is a major illness, it might be a monetary collection to help with the bills. On a daily basis, its knowing who owns which power tool or extension ladder because, if you need it, you can borrow it.
Dullaghan said, “You can tell a good neighborhood by the number of ‘For Sale’ signs in the yards. We don’t have any. When a home does come up for sale, it is only a day or two and it’s sold.”
In answer to the question “Do you ever get together as a neighborhood?” Procaccino said, “Oh my gosh, do we have parties! During the summer, every Friday and Saturday night we have ‘driveway parties.’ On the Fourth of July weekend, we have a kids bicycle parade, an ice cream social, and Rumpfest with fireworks, adult vs kids kickball games and one big party. We’ve been known to hold a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt complete with costumed giant bunny, too.”
“It’s a neighborhood that takes care of each other. We trade skills” Markus said, “One summer I ended up watering plants for four different neighbors.”
But it seems neighbors also paint for each other, fix cars, offer legal advice, bring in the mail, take out the garbage and generally watch each other’s property. The three also discussed how inclusive is the feeling for those who live different lifestyles. There are lots of pets, folks out walking dogs and a neighbor known as ”The Mayor” who sees that everybody follows local laws.
Midnight Run is indeed a great place to live… if you can find a house for sale.
