By William Croyle
Enquirer contributor

Lakeside Park Councilwoman Debbie Henrickson gets ready to send Catherine, 11, off for the day while the youngest of her five children, Thomas, 3, waits for her. (Patrick Reddy photo)

It's 7:20 Thursday morning. The daily chaos in the home of Ken and Debbie Henrickson is well under way.

Therese, 15, Catherine, 11, and Thomas, 3, are synchronizing schedules.

Son Robert, 18, who joined the Marines the day before, is sleeping through it all. And 21-year-old Elizabeth calls from the University of Louisville for financial advice.

Welcome to Debbie Henrickson's world. Five children - from 3 to 21 years - at four different schools.

She's also a mentor at Blessed Sacrament Church in Fort Mitchell, a volunteer at Hinsdale Elementary in Edgewood, and a Lakeside Park councilwoman. And with her husband of 22 years, a Delta pilot, gone three to four days a week, is this Supermom?

"I think that's a good term to use," said Councilman John Nienaber. "She seems to be every place all the time."

"I'm a typical mom. I don't do anything special," said Debbie, 45. "I just have a lot of routines and schedules to work around."

The daughter of a Navy veteran, Debbie grew up in seven states and earned a degree in counseling before joining the Air Force. She was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1981 but never went on active duty because of her first pregnancy.

Since then, her devotion to her family has been her passion. But she's also found time to devote to her city.

The Henricksons have lived in Lakeside Park for 12 years. Until they unknowingly built an illegal fence in their back yard, the extent of Debbie's political involvement in the city was simple: she voted.

The 6-foot-tall fence was built in 2001, 2 feet higher than city regulations allow. Before she would lower it, Debbie says, she went to roughly half of the city's homes to get opinions on the law. She said she received "overwhelming support" to keep her fence, but council voted against it.

That was the start of Debbie Henrickson's political life. She believed that council wasn't listening to the people, so she ran for election in November 2002. The top six were elected. She finished fifth.

"The fence is water under the bridge," she said. "But I think I bring a voice to the city that usually isn't heard. A lot of families like mine are just too busy to follow their government."

While she admits that she's "been a little clumsy at times" in her first year, it hasn't stopped her from pushing controversial issues, like the idea of merging with Crestview Hills.

At Monday's council meeting, it received a chilly reception from residents who fear a merger would commercialize Dixie Highway in their nearly all-residential town. "I very much want Lakeside Park to stay residential, but we have to look into this," she said.

Henrickson's term expires this November. "I'm not sure yet if I'll run again," she said. "A lot depends on our family needs."

But if she has the time, she'd like to stick with it.

E-mail williamcroyle@yahoo.com