News From The Dept. of Fear & Doom

These are weird and unusually depressing times in the United States and the Commonwealth. Unemployment in Louisville has topped 12%, armed psychos in Oklahoma want to overthrow the government and are getting help from Republicans in that state's legislature, "Christian Warriors" are smoking crack cocaine and idolizing Hitler in Michigan, and, possibly most disturbing, it has been revealed that John Tesh was plugging Oprah Winfrey in the 70's.

I could sit here and bang out 1000 words on why we are doomed as a people and a nation but, no, we shall focus on positive news. Let me know if you find any.


Oh, and remember the  downtown "bike station"? It's back, and it's been renamed the "transit hub".

Qdoba "Preview Party"

Help welcome Qdoba to Southwest Louisville:

The SWDT has been provided a generous stack of vouchers for Qdoba's upcoming ‘Preview Party’ this Sunday April 11th, 5PM-8PM at the new 6814 Dixie Highway location (in front of Home Depot). The tickets are good for one entrée and one drink and are required at the door. Please help the Southwest Dream Team in welcoming this much-desired restaurant and enjoy some free food!
Free vouchers will be available first-come, first-served, at my office (Benjamin Hill Computer Consulting - 4919 Dixie Highway, Suite D) and they will ONLY be available for pickup Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-5pm.
A special thanks to Qdoba for inviting us to participate in their preview.
Also, don’t forget, they officially open for business on Monday April 12th, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:15AM. Be sure and support them and welcome them to Southwest Louisville!

Weekend Update

- At long last, the Qdoba Mexican Grill on Dixie Highway is set to open April 12.

- A new Olive Garden will take the place of the old Circuit City at the Jefferson Mall. Work to begin soon.

- Question: Who would enjoy a locally-owned steak house on Dixie Highway?  Not the national chain, slop-house type with a buffet and a sticky floor from the desert bar, but a real, classy, top of the line steak house. Give me your opinions.

- As workers at Jeffboat strike the company over health care takeaways, the company has threatened workers in a news report on WHAS11. In the report, a company spokesperson raises the possibility of a lock-out by management.  The spokesperson says the area unemployment rate is 10%, which is an underhanded way to say "there are people that will work for anything".  My message to the striking workers is this: Stay out, and stay out until you win. And stick together. Some of us are behind you and your families 100%.

Imagine This...

The Lake Dreamland neighborhood in Southwest Louisville has suffered greatly for a generation. Hiding in plain sight, little progress has been made in the area of housing or revitalization. Encompassing Rubbertown on the river and bordering Cane Run Road to the east, Lake Dreamland has a unique history and a story to tell.  While I was thinking on these matters a video came to my desk. The video depicts part of the area north of the Lake Dreamland Fire Department, which for years was notorious for drug activity and substandard living conditions, and what life could be like if some simple time and thought were put into action. Take a look. Then...act.

March Madness: State Legislature May Go Into Overtime

- The Kentucky General Assembly has wasted so much of your time this session with silly resolutions, unconstitutional laws, weasel-like maneuvering and massive amounts of throat-clearing that they are now nearly certain to require a special session to finish any real work. They should have to do this on their own time, since they wasted all of ours. [CJ]

- Entrepreneur, businessman, robotic drone, candidate for mayor and magic ice machine inventor Greg Fischer is receiving probing questions over at The Ville Voice regarding the amount of invention he actually put into that little ice machine deal.  Fess up, Greg.  The last thing Louisville needs is another cagey, shady, smiling jackass running the show. [VilleVoice]

- It has been revealed that nearly everything about Sarah Palin is phony. Even her FOX show. [NPR]

- The reviews are in and it looks as though Southwest Louisville has a hit on its hands with the PRP Skate Zone. Stop by soon and support your local independent businesses.

Debates and Dreams

- Sit in on the next Southwest Dream Team meeting TODAY,  Tuesday, March 30, 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen at the Landing’s Visitors Center, 7410 Moorman Rd. Louisville, KY 40272. There will be a slide show of improvements in South Louisville and questions will be entertained. Do you want to improve the quality of life in Southwest Louisville? Come join the discussion!

- BIG NEWS: You are invited to the South End Forum with all Mayoral Candidates invited to the SW Govt Center on Dixie Highway, Tuesday April 20th at 7:00pm, Hosted by Councilman Rick Blackwell & Councilwoman Vicki Welch. SW Dreamteam will also have story boards for cultural assets in South Louisville. Please make plans to attend this important discussion, and take note of any candidate that fails to attend. This is OUR CHANCE to see what a real, merged metro government will be like for the people of Southwest Louisville.