Council To Be Briefed on Cane Run Coal Ash Dump

The Energy & Environment Committee of the Louisville Metro Council will hear information about LG&E's proposed coal ash landfill expansion at Cane Run Rd. this evening. A representative from LG&E will speak for 15 minutes and a representative from the group of organizations working to stop the fill (among them being KFTC, KWA, and Sierra Club) will give a 15 minute presentation.

**This is NOT a public hearing. Council members will NOT be taking public comment at this meeting, but the public is welcome to attend and learn what's being presented. (I would certainly also encourage people, if they're able to, to attend the 6pm general Metro Council meeting. I do not know the full protocol for signing up to speak, but I do know people can call 502-574-1230 to register to address Council).**

LG&E has put forth a proposal to expand their coal waste storage at their Cane Run Rd. coal-fired power plant. This new coal ash landfill would be 60 acres large, have the capacity to hold 5.7 million cubic yards of coal ash, and reach a height of 14 stories. People living near coal ash impoundments face risk up to a 1 in 50 risk of getting cancer and risk liver, kidney, and lung damage from exposure to it. The EPA has categorized the already-standing coal ash pond as “high hazard,” meaning if a breach would likely cause human death.

To learn more about coal ash, check out KFTC's hand-out: http://www.kftc.org/publications/coal_ash_factsheet%20PDF.pdf

To get involved in this local campaign, contact Beth Bissmeyer at beth@kftc.org

Hits and (Mostly) Misses

- A Dollar General Store will open on the site of the former Salvation Army store on Dixie Highway.  The site will share the building with the recently-opened Valley Skate Zone. The store will be, by my count, the 14th Dollar General Store in South/Southwest Louisville, only 4 miles away from the location at E. Orell Road and Dixie Highway. I think that's more than enough, thank you.[The Local Weekly]

- The state will spend nearly $750,000 on new road projects in SW Louisville. Planned improvements include an access road at Farnsley-Moremen and a turning lane at St. Andrews Church Road. [CJ]

- There was a car accident early this morning that resulted in two fatalities on Grade Lane, just north of the Outer Loop. I rarely read the 'comments' posted on the Courier-Journal website but noticed there were nearly 40 of them for this particular news item, so I clicked. The callousness and insensitivity of the people that wrote the comments have hit a new low, and reflect a sense of hostility and carelessness with which I am not familiar. If this attitude reflects the popular opinion, then we are doomed as a society. Mostly, I chalk it up to a small group of unemployed tea-baggers with an axe to grind against the newspaper. But if I am wrong, both the paper and the good people in this community are to blame for not acting to resist this awful foolishness. [CJ]

Southwest Career Fair

If you or someone you know needs a job, please visit the Southwest Career Fair on August 23rd, 2010 @ Sun Valley Community Center, 6505 Bethany Lane. Confirmed employers include: UPS, Insight Communications, Crowne Plaza, Physicians Mutual, Primerica Financial, and many more. Also, many institutions have confirmed including the University of Louisville, Campbellsville University, Bellarmine University, among others.

The event will be sponsored by www.TheLifeSong.org, Louisville Urban League, JOB News, The Office of Employment & Training, and TARC.

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Riverview Park Update

July District 12 Dialogue to feature update on Riverview Park from Waterfront Development Corporation

Meeting set for Tuesday, July 20th at 7:00pm

Those who attend July’s District 12 Dialogue will have a chance to learn the latest on the progress at Riverview Park from the organization in charge of making improvements to the facility. “The Waterfront Development Corporation is moving forward with the new playground, splash park and other improvements to Riverview Park. It is an exciting time for everyone who lives in Southwest Louisville,” says Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12). “These improvements have been a long time coming. It’s nice to see our hard work finally paying off.”

David Karem, President of the Waterfront Development Corporation is the featured guest for the July District 12 Dialogue. He will not only be able to speak on updates for Riverview Park but can also update on projects like the Big Four Bridge, the new U of L Facility on the Ohio River and other aspects of Waterfront Development.

The meeting will take place at 7:00pm at Incarnation Catholic Church, 2229 Lower Hunters Trace. Joining Karem at the meeting will be representatives from Louisville Metro Police, the Division of Licensing and Permits, Neighborhoods and MSD to answer questions about programs. A representative of Congressman John Yarmuth's office will also be in attendance.

For more information about the July District 12 Dialogue, contact Councilman Blackwell's office at 574-1112.

SW Dream Team News

A statement from Southwest Dream Team Board Chairman Robert Price:

After two years of proactive community involvement, the Southwest Dream Team (SWDT) is well on its way to completing the eight original objectives as set forth by its members and board of directors.

To insure the “dream” continues the SWDT Board of Directors was called to a meeting last month for the purpose of discussing the most pressing needs that would position Southwest Louisville for sustainable growth into the future.

It is with great pleasure that the SWDT board of directors release its four newest objectives:

· To hasten the design and build of a new interchange at Manslick Road at Watterson Expressway. This expansion will help save lives by dramatically cutting the commute time for emergency vehicles to reach Louisville’s second busiest emergency room at Sts. Mary and Elizabeth Hospital. It will also attract physicians’ offices to the area and provide the neighboring communities with a shorter commute to I-264, saving time and money while reducing carbon emissions.

· We believe that our schools are the anchor of our community. If Southwest Louisville is to reach its full potential, then Southwest Louisvillians must play an active role in providing solutions that will engage and refocus the our area schools toward complete success. The SWDT will form a “task force” that will work directly with Jefferson County Public School officials, faculty and parents to formulate a strategic plan to effect positive results for the educational well being of our students and families.

· Southwest Louisville is rich in history and unrivaled in culture and natural beauty. Our vision includes that of a fantastic 20-mile “River and Knobs” greenway, extending from Jefferson Memorial Forest. It would connect to other Southwest treasurers such as Iroquois Park and the greater community network of parkways, bikeways and enhanced transportation corridors. Fredrick Law Olmstead would certainly be proud of our achievement.

· The Federal Government, through an 850 million dollar investment is transforming our neighbor, Fort Knox, into an economic bonanza. Thousands of military and civilian workers will soon descend upon the area looking for a place to live, shop and play. The SWDT realizes the potential of Dixie Highway as an “economic connector of development” that could bring sustainable growth to Southwest Louisville for many years to come. We seek to aggressively market Southwest Louisville as the “Corridor of Opportunity”.

The SWDT continues to welcome new businesses to the area. We are also excited to have played a major role in General Motors’ decision to keep a fifty-year-old business, Bob Montgomery Chevrolet on Dixie Highway preserving over 60 jobs.

Of the original eight objectives, the eighth was to “always celebrate our success”. We would like to celebrate by thanking all those who invest their time and talents to make Southwest Louisville the best place to live, work and play. It truly is a great day in Southwest Louisville.

REMINDER: The next SWDT meeting will be Wednesday, July 7 at 5 p.m. at 4919 Dixie Highway Ste E. The guest speaker will be Metro Councilman Hal Heiner, Republican candidate for Mayor of Louisville.

Keep Louisville Bizarro?

In the Bizarro World, the opposite is the norm. For instance, if you said "You look terrible today.", one would take that as a compliment.

I was pondering on the Bizarro status of the Louisville mayoral campaign today after I received an email regarding Hal Heiner's new Southwest Louisville campaign office. The office is located at 10648 Dixie Highway in Valley Station, right next to the post office, and the folks there will be hosting a grand opening on Thursday, July 1st from 5:00 to 8:00PM. It is free and open to the public.

On the other hand, Greg Fischer is kicking off the fall campaign with a fundraiser Wednesday, June 30th at the Olmstead featuring the Louisville elite with a "suggested minimum contribution" of $100. This event starts at 6:00PM.

In the normal world of partisan politics, the Democrat would be opening a Southwest field office and the Republican would be catering to the big-money crowd, but this is Bizarro Louisville. What does this say about the November election? Give me your thoughts in the comments section.