The Valley Report - www.southwestlouisville.com

Good news! Through the kindness of a generous donor, the domain name www.southwestlouisville.com now points to The Valley Report. It can also be accessed through the original address at http://valleyreport.blogspot.com.

Thanks, and help spread the word!

City Block Closes - City Says "Too Bad"

City Block, the entertainment complex formally known as O'Malley's Corner, has closed. The place had been in business for 18 years and employed 100 people. Owner Ward Plauche says City Block was at a competitive disadvantage, having to go up against corporate-owned and city financed 4th Street Live. Plauche has been trying for 2 years to meet with city officials to discuss help for his business. The promise of city help finally came Wednesday, the day the bar closed. Louisville Metro Economic Development Director Bruce Traughber offered $200,000 in forgivable loans which has been termed by the owners as "too little, too late". City Block's owners had invested over $20 million into the property since the late 1980's.

The city has dumped millions into Cordish Co.'s Fourth Street Live project, most recently to renovate a bowling alley into a sports bar. The city has guaranteed Cordish yet another $850,000 for an unnamed renovation of the complex downtown. The CJ is covering the story HERE.

I cannot properly express to you how utterly stupid this situation has become. The city lets a local business owner fail by financially backing a competitor, then refusing to help the local guy.

Enough is enough.

South By South End Music & Art Festival This Weekend

You now officially have something to do this weekend. No, I'm not talking about the newest taxpayer-funded Cordish bar, it's the South By South End Music and Art Festival. Today and tomorrow, April 24-25, at Shooter's, 7902 Distribution Drive. HERE is a map. $10 gets you a two-day pass and 30 bands. Jeffery Puckett from the CJ writes:

Bands will include The Glasspack, Broken Spurs, Brett Ralph's Kentucky Chrome Revue, Snake Eyed Savior and Stonecutters. Featured artists are Sean Garrison, Dave Pollard, Rakutt, Laura and Louis Orr, Larry Elmore and Jeff Gaither, who created the poster art used on the "Guitar Hero" menu screens.

"We hope to bring folks out to this end of town to see that the South End has more to offer, and that they will have an enjoyable time and come back," Rakutt said. "We also want to inspire other South End artists. This is a step up for the South End."

All of the musical acts at the festival are either from the South End or have some type of connection to it. Come on out and see what you are missing.

Thursday "Doc" Hicks House Update

Ladies and gentlemen, we are moving right along with new information on the home at 8601 Dixie Highway. I have received messages from several more helpful parties that have corroborated some information I had stated previously. We now have some history on a few of the families that have lived in the home during different decades. A few tidbits:

- The son of Dr. Hicks, the man who built the brick home on the hill above the residence, was the same man who erected the world famous "Jesus Saves" sign visible from Dixie Highway.

- A family from England with 3 special-needs children lived in the home in the early 1970's until one of the children passed away.

- A man named Fred Wilson owned the home during WWII, and military wagons brought wounded soldiers to Muldraugh Hill where they boarded a train. The train reportedly brought the wounded to the home.

- The tracks in front of the home used to be a "wagon path". The path was traveled by military Jeeps before trains rode the rails.

- There are reports of some sort of train depot at the site, although the time period is not known.

I will be contacting the Filson Historical Society tomorrow, and I am waiting for replies from other historical preservation clubs and individuals. More info when I get it.

Thank you!!

The Mice of St. Andrews

WLKY is reporting on a story that needs some attention. Two local guys are renting an apartment at the complex known as "The Oaks of St. Andrews", located in South Louisville on Brooklawn Drive. It seems to have what professionals may deem a "rodent problem". The men became aware of the infestation in January and notified the out-of-town landlord. Anonymous tenants claim there were 13 dead mice occupying a single unit, and residents say they cannot bring food or children into the space because of the rotten living conditions. The manager of the complex laughed at tenants when they complained.

I searched for more information about the complex, and came up with a sales pitch on why you should move there:

Maybe you long for a quiet, comfortable home with an excellent location or the prompt maintenance. Perhaps it's the friendly atmosphere. Whatever the reason, The Oaks at St. Andrews is apartment living at its best! This community is what easy living is all about. It features all the amenities and comforts any discriminating apartment shopper could want. And it's close to major employers, fine restaurants, Dixie Manor, Westland Mall and Southern Terrace. The Oaks at St. Andrews... you'll be proud to call it home.

I cannot imagine anyone having to live in these conditions, especially in America, 2009. The two guys have a lease that isn't up until August, and if they took the owner's offer to move to a new location, the guys would be out many green dollars transferring things like cable installation and utilities. Not to mention the guys would still be living under the same group of slumlord's that allowed this situation to spiral out of control. Someone connected with the case called Metro Call 311 to complain, but the operator reportedly told the caller it would be 20 days before someone could handle the problem.

Think about this, and if there are any attorneys out there who want to do a good deed, look these guys up. Tip O' the Hat goes to my friend Steve from Louisville History & Issues.

And Now For Something Completely Different....

Readers,

The month of April is still with us, but The Valley Report has already received a record number of visitors for any month. I want to express my thanks to you for making this blog a part of your day. Visitor participation has grown steadily over the last few months, page views are way up and the time spent on the site is growing dramatically. We have done all of this mostly through word of mouth and some favors from my buddy at The Local Weekly. A few generous readers have kicked in the PayPal "Tip Jar", and to you, I am humbled and very grateful. Thank you. Your donations have enabled me to upgrade equipment and add some things that aid in the reporting of more stories of interest to Southwest Louisville. As funds become available, a major ad blitz is among the possibilities.

I have been busy with errands lately and posting has been light. Once the schedule clears I will be back full-time. Look this evening for another Hicks Home update. In the meantime, please keep sending in those leads and emails. You have made this effort worthwhile.

Thanks again,
BT