Hicks House Update for Tuesday, April 28

Upon my arrival to the Hicks home, I stopped and took a look at the old mailbox at the highway. It is extremely old, and has some markings on it that have somewhat vanished and some that are partially covered by stickers. There are markings that seem to say "Hillmeadow Builders" on the box. "Hillmeadow" I am sure of. The "Builders" part is a best guess.

Upon further examination, the home is beginning to look severely dilapidated. The windows are boarded in the front, but the addition on the rear is suffering greatly at the hand of squatters. Vandals have seized the property and are using it for a restroom and glass-breaking parties. The rear addition as well as the additions on the left and right side of the home should be secured and eventually torn down in order to protect the integrity of the whole structure. There is an interesting array of debris strung about the property, the most notable of which is the well-preserved green shopping basket that came from Consolidated Stores. Most of you will remember CSC occupied a space at then-Westland Mall many, many years ago. No additional information was gathered about the home from this visit. Please browse the pictures below:



After mulling around on the outskirts of the highway-front property, I decided to follow the gravel path leading up the hill. When I rounded a curve, I saw three abandoned automobiles. One has an expired plate from Indiana. I do not know who owns the vehicles, but they are badly damaged and look to have been stolen and left there for dead. When I ascended to the top of the winding gravel pathway, I saw a sight that literally took my breath away. See these pictures below:



This is the home that was built by Dr. Hicks' son, the man who had the "Jesus Is Lord" sign constructed on the hill below. There is also a cross made of lights affixed to the rear of the home. This once-magnificent showplace stands boarded also. It has a view that would knock your socks off. It is a much more modern home that offers a three-car garage and many amenities, such as a over-garage patio that allows for scenic views of Indiana. I want this place very badly. It would be the perfect secure location for me to spend the rest of my life blogging in obscurity about the issues facing Southwest Louisville. The last picture in this series is just one of the many perfect scenic views. The hill in the foreground is Southern Indiana. The white thing at the bottom is the roof of the Target store. Emotions aside, this home is really interesting because of the location, and I am sincerely glad I ventured up the hill. There is a story for this one, too. We just don't have it yet.

That is all for now. I am still waiting on a few replies from the proper people regarding the historical value of the main, roadside home. Keep those tips and stories coming in, and thank you!

The Ides of March: Sun Valley Update #4

As you know, I have kept a close watch on our beloved Sun Valley Park and the damage it has endured since city officials saw fit to use it as a dump for storm debris. I, among others, was assured last November the park would be free of debris by Christmas 2008. We are now into March, and the situation there has not yet been corrected. As you can see by looking HERE, HERE, HERE and below, the work seems to have ground to a halt with no end in sight. If you were to ask the mayor why this project cannot be completed, he will tell you that the city has much more going on that Sun Valley. That much is true. But why, in a "first-class" city like Louisville, can't we do more than one thing at once?



To be fair, I can tell you that ice storm debris still sits on the roadside at the corner of Cannons Lane and Lexington Road. The ice storm stuff is still everywhere. But this debris in the park is from September 2008. That is far too long ago to have the situation still be a problem.

Yeah, It Smelled BAD.

The Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District welcomed about 25 people to the Guthrie Water Quality Treatment Center this morning for a tour. It was part of an ongoing effort by District 12 Councilman Rick Blackwell to educate the public about the challenges involved in treating waste water in Jefferson County. They call it a "Water Quality Treatment Center" because that name paints a much prettier picture than what actually happens there. In a word, "disgusting". Another word would be "essential".

The conversion of seriously fouled liquid into water that can be safely discharged into a river is one of the things that makes civilized life in Louisville possible. It is also, perhaps, more complicated than you might ever imagine. After spending the morning at the facility, I have a better appreciation for the service provided by MSD. It has not, however, given me much faith in the bureaucracy's ability to explain to customers what it is doing with their money. The political aspect involved is very real and very discouraging. Out of the 25 or so in attendance, about a third had their own political agenda and, to a small degree, disrupted the tour in a search for answers to their personal problems with the agency. But this wasn't a discussion of the agency. It was a discussion of the service.

The process of waste water treatment is not something that can be properly illustrated by "dumbing-down". That fact makes it hard for MSD to interact with residents, particularly the residents living near a treatment facility or people that fear the expansion of one. This makes it important that each resident actively seek out information and educate themselves on the subject.

The Guthrie plant can handle tens of millions of gallons of raw sewage. Just bringing up the possibility of expansion sets off extreme paranoia, and as history has shown, for good reason. The fact is, people just do not understand the process, and until they do, MSD can expect challenge after challenge to any plans in Southwest Louisville, for good or ill.

They are trying, as evidenced by the tour. But there is no "try". Only "do". MSD has a long way to go in educating the public on the real issues, minus the politics. That, in a word, is "essential" too.

Mayor Offers Less at Moore

A sparse but devoted crowd was on hand last night to participate in Mayor Jerry Abramson's Community Conversation at Moore High School. These events are clearly when the mayor is at the top of his game and most confident. I asked him to give me some good news on future projects in Southwest Louisville. Abramson went on a long-winded dialogue, first bringing up a "million dollar investment" in Riverview Park (Greenwood Boat Dock), then touching on completed projects such as drainage, getting rid of "junk cars in the front yards", paving the cart paths at Sun Valley Golf Course and specifically mentioned the openings of Mark's Feed Store and Wick's Pizza on Dixie Highway as proof of the city's interest in the area. Mark's Feed Store has been in business on Dixie for over 10 years.

The mayor also addressed Friends of Otter Creek organizer Patsy Bowman's questions, promising to work with the Friends in any way possible. He again stated his belief that Metro Parks does a "terrible job" of operating parks like Otter Creek, while at the same time the city continues to invest in Jefferson Memorial Forest. The Forest master plan duplicates and expands the exact services offered at Otter Creek and will be managed by Metro Parks.

Sun Valley Park Conditions, January 24

Below you will find more pictures of our once-beloved Sun Valley Park. The pictures show the condition of the park as of Friday, January 23, 2008, one month after Mayor Abramson and officials from Metro Parks promised the clean up procedure would be completed, and four months after the windstorm.



UPDATE, 01/25/2009, 9:00pm: The following pictures were forwarded by a concerned citizen. Check out the condition of Shawnee Park. Please note there are no East End parks with any remaining trash or debris, as all cleanup operations have been completed there.

Chief Obstructionist Served with Petition

Here are some photos of today's gathering where a petition was delivered to Senator Mitch McConnell. As you recall, I posted an item on this gathering a few days ago. Thanks to the couple of dozen folks who braved the frigid air to deliver the message to Sen. McConnell that the people will not allow the President-Elect's agenda to be mutilated by he & other obstructionist politicians.

It's Official: Meet The Friends of Otter Creek Park

Traditional wisdom says that in order to get something done, a committee should consist of no more than three persons, two of them absent. But that policy did not apply here in Southwest Louisville this evening, where nearly 250 people filled the main courtroom at the local Government Center for an orderly meeting on saving Otter Creek Park. A resolution adopting the formal name of the group as well as the election of officers were among the agenda items tonight.

Here are your elected officials for the Friends of Otter Creek Park:

Secretary: Dave Baker
Treasurer: Kim Lucas
Chairpersons: Joel Hunt, Donnie Basham, William Mudd, John Oliver, Angie White, Bill Ralls

The treasurer and secretary positions will serve three (3) month terms. A President will be elected from among the six (6) chairpersons. A non-binding resolution was passed stating the group may legally incorporate into some type of non-profit entity at some time in the future if the members deem it necessary. All of the decisions were made by voice vote and much discussion followed each item. In the spirit of transparency and openness, every resolution was debated before voting, with dissenting opinions noted and given equal time, thought and respect.

Seven (7) subcommittees were formed:

1. Petitions and Volunteering
2. Public Relations and Media
3. Non-Profit & Charity
4. Government Liaison
   
5. Legal
6. Bylaws
7. Recreation and Special Interests

Volunteers were asked to sign up for the various subcommittees according to their area of expertise or interest, and judging from the number of concerned citizens in attendance, there should be no shortage of talent on these committees. If you can help, please let me or someone named above know. The dedication and sincerity of the people at this meeting tonight shall go a long way towards accomplishing our ultimate goal: Saving Otter Creek.

As Robert Strickland, a concerned citizen, stated, "This mayor is on notice."

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated tonight. It was great to see so many people from diverse backgrounds gathered for a non-partisan cause. This is only the beginning. Also, thank you to WLKY, LEO Weekly and The Local Weekly (The South End's Only Local Paper) for helping cover this event.

For more information, please visit the blog Save Otter Creek Park or the Save Otter Creek Facebook Group.

UPDATE - Sun Valley Dumping

I drove over to Sun Valley Park today to see if Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson & his Public Works Department kept their word on cleaning up the park. As you will remember, the park was used as a dumping ground for the debris left in the wake of the September windstorm, and was completely covered in limbs and garbage and suffered extensive turf damage from unattended piles of waste. The site was also confirmed to be harboring filthy, disease-carrying rodents that then plagued the neighborhoods surrounding the park. Take a look at the condition of Sun Valley below. Metro Parks said the park would be cleaned up by Christmas. The following photos were taken at 2pm today.



HERE is my original post on the subject.

As you can imagine, the place still remains an awful, outrageous, embarrassing mess. There is simply no excuse for this type of inaction. While I was there, I witnessed one (1) man operating a backhoe, loading debris into a large semi trailer. The same man then got in the truck and drove away. That's right. There is one man on this cleanup job. It is being handled by Chip Trucking, based in Louisville. HERE is the website for Chip Trucking.

I am waiting to hear back from Tom Yonders, an area property owner that confronted Mayor Abramson during the last Community Conversation over the rodent issue. I'll let you know what he says.

UPDATE 12/30/2008, 8:45pm: I just got off the phone with Tom, and he has been in constant contact with the proper city people concerning the cleanup process and is frustrated over the utter lack of progress. Tom has been given a few flimsy "estimated completion dates" by the city, yet the people he has spoken with refuse to guarantee a date on which the work will be completed. Mr. Yonders and I are urging everyone in the area to call Metro Call @ 311 and demand Sun Valley Park be cleaned up. Tom said he was told by a city official that Cox Park in Downtown Louisville was being cleaned up first, as it was a priority because of "Thunder Over Louisville". Disgusting.

This is yet another example of bad, lazy, ineffective and downright incompetent city management, especially when it comes to listening to the concerns of the citizens in Southwest Louisville. Please call 311 and voice your concern. In a few days, if there is no significant change in the pace of the clean up effort, we will go to the mainstream media outlets with these pictures and Tom's story. This issue will get the attention it deserves.

We Can Do It

The Southwest Government Center on Dixie Highway was reduced to standing-room-only status tonight, as around 150 people jammed the main courtroom to share ideas and plan strategy in order to save Otter Creek Park from permanent closure. Nearly 20% of attendees were from counties outside of Jefferson. The meeting, assembled by concerned citizen Patsy Bowman and moderated by local Realtor Kevin Martin, included Councilman Bob Henderson (D-14) and Mary Ann Vetter, a representative of Metro District 12 Councilman Rick Blackwell's office. Also in attendance was Renay Davis from Metro District 25 Councilman Doug Hawkins' office and Joel Hunt, a concerned citizen that maintains a website dedicated to saving Otter Creek Park. No traditional media attended this event.

I didn't know what to expect because I had heard so little about the meeting, but thankfully the word got out. Those in attendance had the opportunity to throw out ideas on how to generate revenue or expand activities at the park in an effort to keep it open. Here are a few of the suggestions:

• -Paid memberships
• -Formation of a "Non-Profit" foundation
• -A Tri-County Park Commission, consisting of representatives from Meade, Jefferson and Hardin Counties
• -A First-Class restaurant with an alcoholic beverage licence
• -Admission fees (per vehicle or per person)

Also mentioned were efforts to involve sportsman, horseman, biking and hiking groups. People seemed against any type of Wildlife Management Area status or residential/commercial development of any kind. Also heard were calls to "open the books". There are formal petitions circulating. Please sign the petition when you get a chance.

In the end, a formal committee was formed and a chairperson was elected. Congratulations to Joel Hunt, chairperson of the new Committee to Save Otter Creek Park. There will be advance notice of the next meeting. I was very satisfied with the coming together of so many personalities and backgrounds to accomplish this feat. We have only just begun. With this diverse and determined group, I feel confident that there will be a plan developed allowing the park to remain open. They've got the guns, but we have the numbers. Get involved now.

Southwest Beautification Project Wrap-Up

This is the last in the series of five places in Southwest Louisville that need beautification. They are in no particular order, and there are many more to come. The next series of five will begin in the coming weeks. Until then, take a look at the latest submission and browse through the set below:

This area is just south of Dixie Highway behind Walgreen's at Valley Station Road...the site of the old H&S Hardware Store. There is an empty parcel of land connected to the store that extends to Valley Station Road. You can see the old H&S sign in the vacant lot, and the run-down condition of the building, now occupied by a flea market/peddler's mall. The parking lot looks like it was 'carpet bombed'. We can do so much better then this.







Past Beautification Project Ideas:
Project #1
Project#2
Project #3
Project #4

Shively Center Renovation Going Forward

Norton Healthcare's plan to move into the Shively Center is going as planned, and the property has undergone major changes with more to come. To those familiar with the center, you will be pleased to know that the parking lot entrances and exits are being reconfigured. Still needed is a tenant for the old three-story Dillard's building. It could either be renovated or razed, according to future tenant needs.

This development, along with the new Valley Commons Kroger is bringing much-needed upgrades to Southwest Louisville properties, and renovation to dilapidated buildings. I've included a few pictures of the Shively Center below.

Mayor's Community Conversation 11/17/2008

A large group of concerned citizens turned out tonight at Pleasure Ridge Park High School for the year's last "Community Conversation". It was a well-behaved group, unlike the mob that showed up for the MSD meeting last week at the Southwest Government Center. Although it lacked the carnival-like atmosphere, I managed to get some good feedback from residents, and it was a pretty good time. Photos below:



Notice the picture of the guy in the gray jacket,looking at the camera. His name is Tom Yonders, He is a property owner near the area of Sun Valley park that has been turned into a dump for windstorm debris by the city. Mr. Yonders has owned the property for 3 years, and has never had a rodent problem. Since the dumping began, the residents along the area have reported a rat problem. Metro Parks and the Public Works Departments say it is the fault of the residents. Never mind the massive piles of branches and garbage. Mr. Yonders is very upset with the notion residents are somehow responsible for the rat invasion. He has taken several photos to back up his assertion. From the pictures I saw, the city has some explaining to do.

I attempted to take some video of the conversation between Mr. Yonders and the mayor, but the audio is awful. (Feel free to kick in the "tip jar" to help me get a real video camera) You can, however, hear the mayor's pre-planned answer that "Limbs don't attract rodents."

No, Mr. Mayor limbs alone do not attract rodents. But the rotting garbage that was dumped with the limbs do.




The answer is, obviously, to stop dumping trash-strewn storm debris in the park, and begin the cleanup process. But, as Mr. Yonders was told by Public Works tonight, dumping will continue until "at least until the end of this week" and cleanup will might be finished "probably around Christmas." Happy Holidays.

Update 11/18/2009, 10:30pm: Rick @ The 'Ville Voice, who was not at the Community Conversation, whacks hard on "whining" Southwest Louisville Residents based on one interview by one resident on one TV station (WLKY). Read his account here: http://thevillevoice.com/2008/11/18/complaints-in-the-south-end-of-course/

Southwest Beautification - Project Idea #3

Here is a view of Dixie Highway between the intersections of Pages Lane and Johnsontown Road, looking south. The trees and other growth around the tracks hide speed limit and bus stop signs. A few years ago, all the growth was ripped out and trees were trimmed. It gave a clean appearance, but still lacked something that made it pleasing to look at.


The object would not be to hide the railroad tracks, but to find a way to incorporate them in a plan that makes this area more appealing to the eye and more accessible to pedestrians or bus riders. Walking down this side of Dixie is highly unrecommended.

Southwest Beautification - Project Idea #2

This hidden gem is a real delight. Gravel, gravel everywhere. This mess is located just northeast of the railroad tracks on Valley Station Road, near Dixie Highway. It looks as though railroad employees may need access to part of this small area, but I do not know for sure. Still, a prime example of space that can be cleaned up and improved.


In between this area and Jigg's Produce is a small, ratty-looking building that has housed everything from a barbershop to an "I-eBay-it for-you" store. An A1 candidate for the wrecking ball. How about this one?

Southwest Beautification - Project Idea #1

This is but one of the many places I have identified in Southwest Louisville that desperately needs investment. There are more, but we can start here.



This picture was taken just before election day. The property is in a high-profile location at the northeast corner of Stonestreet Road and Dixie Highway. The lot has looked this way for several years. I think it was a gas station at one time. It is a space commonly used by folks selling knockoff Reeboks, bootleg sunglasses or those damned "Velvet Elvis" pictures. Most of the time you can find a beat-up car for sale there.

What would you like to see here?

Extreme Behavior at Southwest Government Center

Over 200 people jammed a courtroom at an overheated Southwest Government Center on Dixie Highway tonight, seeking answers and demanding that MSD find alternatives to its proposal to pump sewage from Jeffersontown to the waste water treatment facility in Southwestern Louisville. Mostly angry and whipped into some sort of frenzied lather, the crowd became vocal after MSD Executive Director Bud Schardein started the meeting off by criticizing Chris Theineman for passing out literature. The literature in question was dismissed as "flatly false" and "propaganda" by Schardein, who was visibly pissed off. Bud seemed to be backed into a corner, and was irked at the idea that people actually showed up for the "presentation". There were some valid questions and some strong suggestions that MSD should look at other ways to address the waste water capacity problem, all of which made perfect sense. There was much shouting, and people crammed the doorways with necks craned to hear all the ruckus. Those in attendance repeated their belief that a decision had already been made, to which Schardein replied, "No decision has yet been made". Wild laughter ensued.

There was heavy anger directed toward the conspicuously absent Mayor, affectionately dubbed "King Jerry" by attendees . WAVE-3 was the only television station that did not bother to send a reporter. The Courier-Journal also ignored the story, which I believe to be inexcusable. I contacted every reporter from every department that had an interest in the story, yet the paper saw fit to act as though the meeting contained nothing worth reporting.

The action that residents seek can be accomplished in a thoughtful way, such as writing letters against any measure that would indeed send sewage from the East Side to Valley Station. You will not get what you want if you only fall prey to someone's personal agenda. It is essential that this is done correctly.

If you need assistance in drafting a letter outlining your opposition to the plan, please let me know. I will gladly help all of you get letters to the appropriate officials, something that wasn't offered by any of the "leaders" present tonight. We, as citizens, have a right to be heard and our efforts will not go unnoticed if we do it correctly. Again, please let me know if I can help.

Rick Redding@ The 'Ville Voice has an excellent take on the meeting. Read his account HERE.
Ed Springston @ Louisville News and Politics also has the story. Read Ed HERE.

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