Jefferson County Clerk’s Office This spring and summer have moved at what seems to be a record pace. It could be because we have been working on various projects that sure to provide both technological and renovation-based upgrades. Now that the Westport renovations are complete, it is on to the last two areas I had planned for this year. The Westport Branch renovations are complete, and for those of you who patronize that branch, I hope you find it a pleasant office to do business in. We have ensured that we are offering the same quality VIP service for which we are known. I am hoping that the cooldown of fall stays with us a little longer as it is such a beautiful time of the year to enjoy Kentucky. If you have any questions or suggestions as to how the Clerk’s office can better serve you, please let us know. You can save yourself postage by filling out an online comment card on the Jefferson County website. It is my goal to provide quality service in every area. As always, I look forward to serving you. Bobbie Holsclaw Jefferson County Clerk to drive plummeted in the period examined, from 1983 to 2014. About 46 percent of American teens in 1983 became licensed drivers sometime in the year after their 16th birthday, compared to about a quarter in 2014, a drop of nearly half. The latest study found that the decline in the percentage of licensed 16-year-olds observed in earlier studies — to about 31 percent in 2008 and about 28 percent in 2011 — has continued. This correlates with fewer miles being driven in America. In 2001, the first Millennials graduated college, got jobs, and started families. Eight years later, in 2009, Millennials drove 23 percent fewer miles on average than their same- age predecessors did in 2001. That is, their average mileage plummeted from 10,300 miles a year to 7,900, a difference of 2,400 miles a year, or 46 fewer miles a week. In every five-year period from 1945 to 2004, Americans had driven more miles than they did the half-decade before. In 2004, the average American drove 85 percent more than in 1970. But by 2011, the average American was driving 6 percent fewer miles than in 2004. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers were a small part of the reason—they drove somewhat less in 2009 than in 2001— but the big cause was the Millennials. Ever wonder when and why Generation Y morphed into the Millennials? Apparently the marketing geniuses at America’s consumer brands corporations decided the latter designation made them more money for their purposes. What was traditionally a 20-year cycle built around the Baby Boom in 1946, the end of WWII, leading up to the mid-1960s and the Baby Dearth, has been splintered apart. Now we have Gen Y, Millennial and Gen Next, taking up from various start dates in the 1980s. This seems rather arbitrary as, unlike in the past, we have not seen epic, unique events that defined a generation- WWI for the Lost Generation, WWII for the Greatest Generation, the Cold War for the Silent Generation, and Vietnam for the Baby Boomers. But then again, even within a generation, things are different. Only the first half of Baby Boomers were affected by the Vietnam War. Yet other cultural changes can last longer than a decade or two. The pop music of today is very derivative of the tunes from 50 years ago, while that music itself isn’t the same stuff from 50 years before. In one instance, though, Gen Y has its defining cultural change, and it separates them from every group of Americans since Henry Ford was pedaling his bicycle to work. They don’t drive cars. For example, one recent study using Federal Highway Administration data shows that 16-year-olds’ eagerness A Message from the Jefferson County Clerk The Auto Free Generation By: Frank Friday Esquire Director continued on page 2 Fall 2017