It's Derby Week...Have You the Swine?

The weather is shaping up to make this one rotten Derby Week in Louisville. Rain, thunderstorms and wind. Besides the weather, everyone is paralyzed with fear because of the swine flu, which will probably show up in more than a few excuses for missing work this week. But so what? We have beat swine flu before and we shall do so again. But not until Sunday at the earliest.

In a nation of 300+ million, there are 20 cases of the disease. That's not many people. But it will be interesting to watch the stock prices of Roche and GlaxoSmithKline rise on Wall Street along with furious orders of their respective drugs for treatment. Some folks are going to be very rich by the end of this week, and it will not be because they had the Derby winner.

So that makes two things I do not have this week: The Derby winner, and the swine flu. But the week, as they say, is not over yet.

SW Louisville's Bussey Drafted by NFL Patriots

Southwest Louisville's George Bussey, a 6-3, 306 pound lineman that played football at Western High School and walked-on at the University of Louisville before earning a scholarship, has been chosen by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the NFL draft.

Bussey earned All-Big East accolades for the last three seasons at Louisville, and started on the OL in every game between 2006 - 2008. A star at Western High, George was named a Jefferson County All-Star. He's a hard worker and a class act. Remember him. He is a winner.

Congratulations George Bussey. Southwest Louisville is proud of you!

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!!