Louisville to Jerry: Here's your hat...what's your hurry?

- In today's Courier Journal print edition: Outgoing Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson is the subject of yet another wistful tribute. The man who has ruled Louisville for over two decades has been the focus of several "end-of-an-era" type columns lately. We, his true and trusty concubines, will seemingly be poorer in his absence. Especially since the election of the boy-king George W. Bush Greg Fischer. But fear not. Most of the Abramson crowd will be hanging around, continuing to pull the levers of government. Fischer will be a symbolic figure that stutters, stammers and jokes his way through his failed first term. May the Lord have mercy on us, for some voters knew not what they were getting.

- Volunteer Opportunity via The Local Weekly: Tax time is quickly approaching and a great organization is looking for a few good men and women to volunteer as tax preparers for the upcoming tax season. The V.I.T.A. program helps those who are unable to prepare their own tax return or cannot afford to have it done. To volunteer for V.I.T.A please call Larry at 574-3459 or Cindi at 574-3441. V.I.T.A is IRS certified and they will provide all training. If you can read and have computer experience than you can do it. This program was a massive success last year and the continuance of V.I.T.A. depends on volunteers like you!

- Whatever happens with the weather today, please do not flip out and jam on the brakes at the stoplight. If you feel like driving is just too much to handle, stay home. What the hell? You probably have some "thank you" cards to write for all that stuff you got for Christmas, and the last of the holiday wine is just sitting there...waiting.

- Oh, and your tap water is poison.

What the hell are YOU doing here?

Merry Christmas from The Valley Report

Now...get off the computer and have some fun.

Valley Farms headed to auction block

(Note: Terry Boyd of Insider Louisville contributed heavily to this story.)

It may be that 2010 is remembered as the "Year of Foreclosure" as the lag between the housing bubble bursting and bad deals winding their way through the court systems hit across the United States.

In Louisville, 2010 is going out with a bang.

Another in a series of giant apartment complexes is scheduled to go to foreclosure auction -the fourth to go on the Jefferson Circuit Court foreclosure docket in 2010- though it won’t be auctioned till February.

Valley Farms, 160 apartment units in 10 buildings off Valley Station Road, is scheduled to be auctioned Feb. 1. The amount to be recovered by the lender is $14.82 million, according to Jefferson Circuit Court records.

The lender is Wrightwood Capital Lender, a large, Chicago-based private equity firm.

The development, located just west of Jigg's Market, raised the ire of local community activists upon its announcement earlier this decade. The entire property, formerly a heavily wooded area adjacent to the railroad tracks, was clear-cut - a move neighborhood groups said "devastated" the landscape. Valley Farms was also criticized for being too dense for the area with too little attention paid to potential traffic congestion.

The project included single family homes, patio homes, condominiums and apartments.

Now, here’s the really scary bit: Valley Farms is one of dozens of major foreclosures in Louisville during 2010 that ranged from subdivisions to hotels to strip shopping centers to entire rental home portfolios held by fairly well capitalized, fairly sophisticated local investors.

Fischer has bell rung after media stunt

George W. Bush Greg Fischer, Louisville's mayor-elect, took a turn as a "bell ringer" for the Salvation Army yesterday at the Highlands Kroger. The event lasted all of 30 minutes and was set to coincide with the noon news programs on a traditionally slow news day. It appeared to be less of an attempt to help out than it was a chance to get on television. [Fox41]

I don't know about you, but I think if this guy really wanted to help, he'd just write a gigantic check from his entrepreneur bank account instead of staging a failed, half-hour photo opportunity.

Fischer states his Christmas plans include a huge celebration at home "with his entire family".

True leaders "lead by example". That means showing up unannounced to a soup kitchen or shelter on Christmas, not by displacing petty criminals on community service detail.

The more we see of Fischer, the more we have to fear. Who convinced him this was a good idea?

Caught on film: Doug Hawkins does John Boehner impression

Louisville NBA poll