691. Going my way?

This morning's drive gave me a new perspective on the old Louisville Male High School building on the corner once affectionately known as "Brook and Breck." As I was driving southbound on Brook Street, the majestic brick building, which dates from 1915 and is one of Louisville's most beautiful buildings, took on new beauty. This was the first time I had approached it from this direction, which was from the north, the perspective shown in this picture.

I continued my trek southward on Brook to Hill Street, where I turned right for a block, and turned right again, this time headed northbound on First Street. First Street originally ended a half block north of Hill at what is now Hill Bend Place. I continued north taking in the southern exposures of many homes, especially those on the east side of the street, for the first time. The smaller craftsman types homes which occupy Ouerbacher Court looked particualrly different from this angle. I continued northward past the home of my friend Ken Herndon, which sits at the northwest corner of 1st Street and Ormsby Avenue.

This persepctive on Ken's house was not new. We were walking the area back in 2004 when he was looking for a new house and first caught glimpse of this one while looking at another at 1313 S. 1st, a few hundred feet south of there. But, again, we were walking. This time I was driving.

I continued northward on 1st until one is forced to turn either left or right onto West or East College Street, respectively, as the oncoming traffic is literally that, oncoming and all one way headed your way.

Several years ago, the late George Unseld, Louisville's 6th District Councilman for many years, began talk of making First and Brook streets two-way thoroughfares. For at least the last sixty years, they've been one-directional - First Street southward and Brook Street northward. Especially south of Kentucky Street, both streets are heavily residential, occupying the eastern flank of Louisville's victorian masterpiece of a neighborhood, Old Louisville.



The plan was to make the streets two-way from somewhere south of Broadway, where both have intersecting ramps with I-65, to Hill Street, generally accepted as the southern boundary of residential Old Louisville. South of Hill Street, Louisville's large educational campus begins to intermingle with the residences. Both the old and new Gavin Cochran Elementary School buildings are in the area, as well as Samuel V. Noe Middle School, and duPont Manual High School, all joined by the ever-expanding University of Louisville. But, I digress.

Councilman Unseld's proposal was met with both support and pushback. The residents wanted it; the city pushed back with a series of encumbrances seemingly designed to keep the Metro Council from ever changing any street from one-way to two, something the previous mayoral administration could and did do (perhaps illegally) on Main Street between 3rd and 4th with an Executive Order. A number of "percentages of residents' signatures" were suddenly needed to accomplish the plan. Unstated was the answer to the question will homeowners' signatures suffice or does it have to be the residents, even if they are renters, as there are a number of apartments and condos scattered in the several two, three, and four story homes in the neighborhood. And how do you count vacant residences and businesses into the equation? Every time a question was answered, either the percentages changed or a new question was asked.

The truth is the pattern of one-way streets in Louisville is governed by a vote of the Metro Council, successor to the old Board of Aldermen. It is a part of the traffic code, which itself is a part of the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances. Nowhere in that code were any of these percentages mentioned. To some, including me, it seemed that a majority vote of the Council should have sufficed to change the traffic pattern. As one to-remain-nameless assistant county attorney often says (about any matter), any group of 14 votes of the 26 member council can change the local code. To be honest, I did not support the change; but also, to be honest, it was none of my business. I did not live in the affected area, although I did at one time.

Councilman Unseld did not live to see the street pattern changed. Upon his death last year, he was succeeded by an interim councilman, Dr. Deonte Hollowell, who was succeeded last November by the newly elected David James. Both Dr. Hollowell and Mr. James continued Mr. Unseld's efforts at changing the pattern.

During the last several weeks, driving in the area meant noticing the new two-facing stoplights and a number of new directional and no-turn signs. Early this morning, a double-yellow line was striped down the middle of both streets, effectively dividing them into two-way thoroughfares, thus completing the work began by the late Councilman Unseld several years ago.



I might note that when Mr. Unseld began this plan, no busses travelled along Brook Street, thus there was no need for any wide-berth swings which the busses need on some corners. The two most notable of these corners are 4th and Broadway, where southbound 4th Street busses swing widely into northbound 4th Street, and 3rd and Woodlawn, where northbound 4th Street busses swing widely into southbound 3rd Street. In the interim, the northbound Preston/18th Street line has been moved in this area from Preston/I-65/Jackson to Preston/Hill/Brook/Burnett/Preston/Jackson, passing along the new route, I might add, the eating establishment, Juanita's Burger Boy, of my friend Dan Borsch. Again, I digress.

The newly striped lines at Brook and Hill will, no doubt, have to be restriped to accomodate these northbound busses, as the current striping doesn't, something I experienced this morning when one of the busses attempted the turn with me in an up-close-and-personal perspective - perhaps too close.

So, if you are in the area, watch out for the new double yellow lines - and that TARC turning onto Brook from Hill. That bus is bigger than your car.

Happy Trails.

Disappearing Places

My friend Christa Robinson, who works for Congressman Yarmuth, has listed on her Facebook page that she is a resident of West Louisville, Kentucky. I happen to know that while she does live in west Louisville, she doesn't technically live in West Louisville, which is an entirely different place. I may or may not have rudely pointed this out to her - probably not because had I been rude to her, I am certain she would have responded in like manner, and that hasn't happened.

West Louisville, Kentucky is a place in Daviess County, a little burg along KY56 at its interesection with the Calhoun Road, numbered as KY815. I mentioned KY815 and West Louisville in a blog entry on August 27, 2010. Other than the Diamond Lakes Club and Whitaker's Gun Shop, there is very little in West Louisville other than a post office.

If you are old enough, you might remember when Shively was called Saint Helen's, named for the Catholic Church which itself has been recently renamed. But you'd have to be real old. One of the reasons Saint Helen's in Jefferson County became Shively was because of another town, Saint Helen's, in Lee County, a few miles east of Beattyville. That Saint Helen's, which I mentioned in a blog entry on Febraury 14, 2007, isn't as big as West Louisville. The only thing I remember on a drive through that area was a burnt out church, and, as usual, a post office. Alongside of the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River, you really couldn't even call it the proverbial "wide place in the road."


In another 2007 posting, this one on July 27, I copied the obituary of Mr. States Rights Aycock, II, dead at the age of 73, of Wickliffe, in far western Kentucky. One of Mr. Aycock's relatives hailed from the town of Columbus, Kentucky, which is in even-farther west Kentucky, a small town best known for its state park, the Columbus-Belmont State Park, which marks a Civil War battle best known as one of the places General Ulysses Grant first made a name for himself to people who mattered like President Abraham Lincoln. At that point in General Grant's career, several bureaucrats were on the ladder between him and the Commander-In-Chief. By the end of the war, Grant would like climb that ladder to the top rung. Columbus is located in northwestern Hickman County at the intersection of KY58, KY80, and KY123. It is spread out on several mostly unpopulated lanes including one called Hoover Parkway. As the map at left indicates, the town plan is quite extensive. The actual town that remains is very, very small. There is a the aforementioned state park, a fire house, and the post office.

In an entry on August 23, 2007, while writing about a Special Session of the Kentucky General Assembly, to be called by then-governor Ernie Fletcher, I included the lyrics of John Prine's famous song about the Paradise Coal Mine, Muhlenberg County, and the Green River. In one of those verses is mentioned the dam on the Green at the town of Rochester, which is in western Butler County. Of all these places I mentioned thus far, Rochester really is a town, with a few actual city blocks - maybe three. It is situated at the aforementioned dam on Green, at the mouth of Mud River along KY70, where Butler, Muhlenberg, and Ohio counties meet. KY70 to the west heads into Muhlenberg; the ferry across the Green follows KY369 into Ohio; and KY70 south (and east) leads past the town cemetery on the west side of the road up South Hill to Morgantown, the county seat. Aside from a few bait shops, the only other place of record is a post office.

In each of these places is a common denominator - the local post office. Over the years my travels have taken me past many post offices, large and small, decorative and plain, all of them having responsibility not only for delivery and pickup of the local mail, but also, importantly, for identity. Alas, all of these places above, and 127 others in Kentucky, and 3649 others across the Republic, are slated for possible closure.

Closing post offices can be divisive and traumatic. A few years ago there were rumors of the Valley Station Post Office in Jefferson County closing. It isn't on this list but three others in the area are - the Shelby Station, the Dr. Martin Luther King Branch, and the Air Mail facility at Standiford Field, the latter of which seems a little oxymoronic.

Victim to less mail and the internet, post offices are becoming questionable expenses in some people's minds. A few days ago, my dear friend Preston Bates and I had coffee at Sunergos on S. Preston Street, two blocks north of the Shelby Station Post Office. Preston offered that post offices should not have a monopoly on the delivery and pickup of mail - that postal service was one area of the government which should be parcelled out to private enterprise. While I disagreed with most of what Preston had to say, on this point he may have a point. More and more of our mail has been converted to email and social media outlets. More and more of our parcels are delivered by Fedex and UPS. Many years ago the Post Office got out of the banking business. Were it not for penal institutions and certain other places requiring postal money orders, these would have probably disappeared many years ago. Post office boxes can now be rented at storefront businesses - Louisville has at least two such locations, one of E. Broadway and the other on Bardstown Road.

Does the loss of a post office actually cause a place to disappear? The answer to that may be found by answering these questions -

Where in Kentucky is Athertonville?
Where in Jefferson County is Coral Ridge?
Where in Jefferson County is Kosmosdale?
Where in Bullitt County is Nichols?
Where in Hardin Couty is Stithton? The Stithton Post Office is shown in the picture at the end of this post, a photograph taken in 1900. The town of Stithton was located in northern Hardin County on land now consumed by the Fort Knox Military Reservation.

I could go on. Other than the last one, all of those places are still there, but unless you are paying close attention you may not know those names, as they are all places which used to have their own post office but no longer do. Kosmosdale was around long enough - meaning into the 1960s - to even have a zip code of its own at one time - 40149.

Do you have any memories of places where there once stood a post office but no more? Let me know.

Here is a link to the list of post offices across Kentucky scheduled for potential closure:

http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/expandedaccess/states/kentucky.htm

690. Rob

My friend Rob Spears died twenty years ago today in a motorcycle wreck. July 24, 1991 was a Wednesday. I think about him everyday of the world. I miss him very much.

May his soul and those of all the departed from this life Rest In Peace.

The Fourth of July, 2011

The lights and sounds of fireworks are the closest most of us will ever be to real war and conflict. When the thunder ceases, the flames burn out, and the party is over, send up a prayer for the women and men in American uniforms we've sent into harm's way who will hear it all again tomorrow and the next day and the next.

Happy 235th Birthday, America!

687. Senator McConnell's retirement - with Facebook comments on both the "proposed" retirement and the commenters

Every now and then I've reposted from Facebook something I wrote "over there." This entry is one of those. Yesterday I put in writing, albeit electornic writing, something I've been thinking since last November's successful election for the Republicans. That is, to wit, that Kentucky's senior senator, Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr., would not seek re-election in 2014. I've considered several reasons, none of which are particularly or singularly convincing - except, as is obvious, to me.

Below I've copied my posting from yesterday, along with the comments to date. As a primer, let me introduce you to the "commenters" in order of appearance.

Cecelia Tandy, of Lexington (I think) is a woman I do not believe I have ever met, but she regularly makes comments to and "likes" my Facebook posts, something for which I am thankful.

Lisa Tanner is a Louisville Democrat who is a well-known political "field" person, although field people, of which I count myself, are really the only people who know what that means. She is a trusted friend upon whom I am depending for some help in my 2012 bid for re-election to the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Committee.

Michael Bowman, of southwestern Jefferson County, is an active Democrat in his 20s upon whom we should keep our collective eyes as one day his name will be next to one of those little ovals we fill in to cast ballots on Election Day. Chances are good if I see his name, I will fill in the oval next to it.

BudMan, formally Claude "Buddy" Vaughn, is a Lexington friend from my second-round of college at UK about 30 years ago. He, like me, is an Episcopalian, although his claim goes back to the cradle - mine goes back to 2010. Unlike me, he is a conservative, not liberal, Democrat. Buddy and I play the Scrabble-like Lexulous on Facebook where he has beaten me about 87% of the time.

Jonathan Lowe I do not know well, but have known for about six years. He has been a consistent volunteer in the Yarmuth for Congress campaigns and is a member of the Metro Democratic Club in Louisville.

Curtis Morrison is a Louisville gadfly of sorts, someone I jest and joust with with frequency on the FB pages. I've known Curtis for about sixteen years and have enjoyed his friendship, as well as our political differences. With the exception of his satirical answer of Greg Fischer, I tend to agree with all he has written here.

Ryan Fischer, to my knowledge of no relation to Greg Fischer, is another person I've known for about sixteen years, and Ryan was a teenager at the time we met. He is presently a firefighter with the City of Frankfort Fire Department.

Thomas A. McAdam is a Louisville attorney, a 1961 graduate of Valley High School, a conservative Democrat, the Louisville City Hall writer for Examiner.com, a regular commenter - usually in opposition - to my posts, and a friend of many years.

Jacob Conway is a handsome, young, curly blonde (when you are bald these things matter), relatively liberal politician from rural Jeffersontown in southeastern Jefferson County. He ran, unfortunately unsuccessfully, for the Jeffersontown City Council in 2006 and has since helped others in their aspirations to public office. I spent this year's Kentucky Oaks with him and his friends at his Dogwood Drive plantation.

Cindy Flanagan Lamb's comment on the thread had nothing to do with politics. But, she is an active Democrat who, like Mr. Morrison, did not support Greg in his race for mayor in 2010 but, unlike Mr. Morrison, seems to be pleased with his administration so far. She is a writer and midwife - that may not be the correct term - for aspiring moms. She invited me to the Louisville Bats game last night where I made my famous 8th inning catch.

Steve Magruder I've never met, although we worked side-by-side though on opposite sides at the mayoral debate last year held at Central High School. He is a blogger of Louisville history and other matters.

Jeremy Tyler is a new name to me. I have no idea who he is (to my knowledge), but I appreciate his participation.

*****
*****

Jeff Noble
I've just made my first prediction for the 2014 United States Senate election in Kentucky. It will be wide open - in both Parties. Who will succeed Mitch McConnell in the 114th Congress?
Yesterday at 1:01pm

Cecelia Tandy
To not sound rather mundane -At this point I'll take any Democrat as long as we say bye-bye Sen. McConnell. Someone anyone who could please beat him.
Yesterday at 1:04pm

Lisa Tanner
I hope someone young!
Yesterday at 1:06pm

Cecelia Tandy
Also as soon as we can rid ourselves of McConnell could we please vote Rand Paul out of office. I can never tell which makes me feel the need for two martini's and a valium more when they open their mouths and one hears what comes out.
23 hours ago

Michael Bowman
You made a prediciton....but didn't quite tell us who you predicted. Inquiring minds want to know.
23 hours ago

Jeff Noble
Cecilia, I cannot agree with your first comment. Just "any Democrat" wont do. Lisa is correct - we need someone young, someone with new ideas, someone with unexpended energy, and someone who can stay there for a while. In the 2010 Primary, I supported Jack Conway over Daniel Mongiardo in part because he was almost exactly ten years younger (less one day) than Daniel. If Jack had been elected, he would have potentially had ten more years to serve than Daniel. Admittedly, there was one other big reason. But, we can't go on nominating just anyone to represent us. For political office, we should start thinking about people born in the 1970s and 1980s, and for a very limited few city council offices, the 1990s. Democrats are big on recycling. One place we shouldn't is in our Party nominees.
23 hours ago

Jeff Noble
Michael, my prediction is the second sentence of my post - that the election will be wide oipen - that Mitch will retire. As for candidates, I presently have none. How old will you be in late 2014?
23 hours ago

Bud Man
I'm guessing it won't be mayors Gray of Fischer. Chandler's out. Abramson will be to old. Yarmuth is my scary outsider fav for the Dems. Williams is toast. Farmer will be exposed. Mitch has to have someone who has survived many knee surgeries working under him. Watch Damon from Scott Co.
23 hours ago

Michael Bowman
Jeff, I believe that 30 is the minimum requirement...and I am happy to report that I will be 31.
23 hours ago

Jeff Noble
Cecilia - I did not mean for that to sound as preachily strong as it did - but, it is something I firmly believe - and make attempts at supporting every time I enter a ballot box and put pencil to paper.
23 hours ago

Jonathan Lowe
Jamie Comer or Damon Thayer vs. Alison Lundergan Grimes or Sanny Overly.
23 hours ago

Jeff Noble
Buddy - I agree with all of your observations in both Parties. And, despite all I have written above, if my congressman were to run, irrespective of his age, I would, without hesitation, support him. I've been supporting candidates for fo...rty-two years and voting for them for thirty-four. He is the only person in those many years for whom I have ever voted with whom I agree on almost every topic, voting as I would on nearly every issue, and working harder than any elected official I've ever known in my life and there are many. I would put my "age restriction" on hold and in reserve to elect John to the United States Senate.
23 hours ago

Curtis Morrison
‎Mayor Greg Fischer
22 hours ago

Ryan Fischer
I thought Jack Conway was the young, vibrant candidate? Did his last campaign make us change our thinking? I still like him and think he gives the Dems the best chance as long as he doesn't go negative.
22 hours ago

Thomas A. McAdam
Judy Green.
21 hours ago

Curtis Morrison
I want a woman.
21 hours ago

Curtis Morrison
Kathy Stein.
21 hours ago

Jacob Conway
Curt-sadly it would be hard for a liberal, Jewish woman to win a statewide election in KY. :(
20 hours ago

Cindy Flanagan Lamb
Discuss this at length over a game? Headed to Slugger Field @ 6:00! Find me at the nearest hot dog/beer stand.
20 hours ago

Steve Magruder
I wasn't aware that McConnell had announced his retirement. That said, getting him out would be a good thing.
19 hours ago

Steve Magruder‎
@Ryan, the problem with Conway is that he's afraid to run as himself. If had run as himself in 2010, it would have been a much closer race, in my judgment.
19 hours ago

Steve Magruder‎
@McAdam, your "turd in the punchbowl" antics surely make many chuckle. ha ha.... ha
19 hours ago

Jeff Noble
Mr. Magruder - McConnell hasn't announced his retirement. My prediction - which is the genesis of this thread - is that he will.
18 hours ago

Steve Magruder
My prediction is that he'll stay in the Senate until his death, or at least that is what he would prefer. McConnell is a career politician who's addicted to the career. McConnell is a guy who seems to earnestly believe that anyone who isn't a hard-right conservative like him is evil. You'll pry the Senate office from his cold dead hands, or a miracle election where he's thrown out.
18 hours ago

Thomas A. McAdam‎
@Magruder: Love your metaphor.
17 hours ago

Curtis Morrison
I don't understand this rush to moderation Democrats always do. We don't see Republicans do that. Stein represents Kentucky's Democratic purest values, without compromise. Why settle?
13 hours ago

Curtis Morrison
Also, I seem to remember it was McConnell who announced Bunning's retirement for him. Maybe we could get Rand to return the favor?
13 hours ago

Jeremy Tyler
I support Curt's comment on Rand pushing for McConnell's retirement.
33 minutes ago
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686. Guest Commentary - Nicole Candler

Nicole Candler is a Democratic Party activist from southwestern Jefferson County. She presently serves on the Louisville-Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee. She owns a public relations firm - the webiste is www.niccreative.com. Below is her commentary on changes - very recent ones - in the Jefferson County Democratic Party.

*****

While most of Louisville braced for forecasted tornados and storms last evening, a wind of change swept through our local Party.

First, the Executive Committee accepted the resignation of one of its longest-running Chairs, Tim Longmeyer. After nearly 10 years in the post, it’s certainly understandable that he’d like to focus more of his attention on his career and the additional roles that come with that. And, I’m personally glad to hear that he seeks to spend more time with his family and children, ages 10 years to 22 months. We often overlook the sacrifice that his wife, Lynn Longmeyer, has made to our organization so that Tim can be involved.

I’m certain that I won’t be the only one who insists that he remain an active leader given his historical perspective and he certainly knows more about campaign and Party financing and rules than anyone else that I know. Plus, I’ve always admired his smoke and mirrors routine, where he can out talk even the most aggressive contender out of their argument. However, the greatest lesson that I’ve learned from Tim is that a true leader protects those that they lead. I’ve seen him go to bat for volunteers and has made it clear to only a few that they will NEVER be harshly critical of the work and NEVER call a volunteer on their failures because they are just that…valuable volunteers.

Last evening’s shock quickly turned to sadness when I joined the Shively Democratic Club for its final meeting. I’ve been a member of the 50 year old Club for only four years and joking that I’m certain I’m the only person in the world that holds both a Shively Democratic Club and a Madonna Icon Club membership. So, it was quite fitting that last evening speaker what Aaron Yarmuth, a young democrat for which many of us have hopeful expectations. However, hopeful expectations can’t maintain a social Club with a treasured, but aging membership.

It is of great concern to me that the Club members may look at the Club’s resolution as a fault of their own and I feel it is important to offer a small tribute to the impact they have had on this emerging Democrat.

My involvement with the local party was paved by a high school friend, Jack Walker who was President of the Club, and yielded his 44th Member at Large seat to me in 2006. He also nominated me as Secretary of the Club even before I had paid my membership dues. Without missing a step, I was quickly put to work by the incoming President and my LD Steve Fein, someone who asks a lot of their volunteers but also has a good perspective and appreciation for the change in demands on my family life. His wife, Deanna Fein would greet members at the door with our traditional booze and split the pot raffle tickets. When I was Secretary, I sat beside Shively Council member Patsy Mayes and one of the Club’s founding members Martha Schmuckie two women who helped keep Fein on track as we scribbled notes to him on Claude Prather’s campaign notepads.

Although their absence has been missing at recent meetings, the tables at our old location at the Legion Hall would be filled early with long-time volunteers Dottie Pruitt, Rose Renn, Betty Ryan (and her husband Gil Ryan), Irene Pitcock (who still paid her dues even after she became shut in), Bill and Helen Thompson, the Homericks and Steve Gahafer. And, comical relief was always provided by Jude Willis who’s sometimes inappropriate jokes with John Yarmuth were omitted from the minutes. Other familiar faces include Greg Dearing, a great friend who holds marathon strategy sessions in the kitchen at Joni Jenkin’s breakfasts during which we solve all political and Party problems. Plus, the room would filled with local electeds and a multitude of candidates including David Yates (and his grandfather Jim Yates), Dennis Horlander, Rick Blackwell, Mary Wooldridge, Vicki and Matthew Welch, Bryan Mathews, David Nicholson and Tony Lindauer. Plus, a Shively Club can hardly be called to order without the presence of at least one Jenkins. Although I wasn’t a member at the time, I understand that Drew Jenkins followed his grandfather Jim Jenkin’s footsteps by serving as Club President. And the meeting would rarely close without final comments from Joni Jenkin’s offering her traditional wisdom that should be sure to flip you ballot over and that come Wednesday (after a primary) we’re all Democrats and need to work together. The meeting is always followed by a pot luck dinner with a tasty contribution from Alice Jenkins who refers to me as Nicole Kidman and I appreciate the compliment.

Now-and-then, we were visited by Jerry Bronger, who used to live across the street from me, but our yard signs in the primaries never seemed to match. After this year’s Ford Dinner I had the opportunity to connect with Club member Al Bennett, and in true South End style learned that our degrees of separation are much smaller since he used to go fishing with my Aunt’s Uncle.

Then there is Nancy and Nadine Etter whom I often see at the local grocery store or at the gas pump. Nancy graciously stepped up as Club Secretary when I vacated that role and Dave Clark was encouraged to take on the Vice President role in the same way that I became Secretary.

When thinking back on the Club, I remember the support I received from Ken Koch and Tom Houchins when I made a last push for contributions for my very first political fundraiser. Their contributions put me over my goal amount. I also remember taking my Grandmother to vote in what would be her last primary election (after having experienced the installation of women’s right to vote and getting the chance to choose Hillary Clinton in a Presidential election) and handing over her ballot to Charlie Effinger who has been a Club member for as long has he has been a poll worker.

My time with the Club has been short compared to its duration and I know that I haven’t remembered to include all of those who gave of their time and effort to make it successful.

I regret that my emotions overcame me and I was unable to voice my appreciation to the group. Their contribution and the legacy they have offered is noted and they have had a great impact on emerging Democrats to come. In fact, their memberships will be honored by the nearby Grassroots Democratic Club who’s President Michael Bowman just received the Joni Jenkin’s Young Democrat of the Year award.

The winds of change that swept through our Party last night leaves me with a few questions.

What role will our young leadership do to fill these roles and carry forth a viable Party, especially with a critical Governor’s race in a just a few months, one of their own on the verge of becoming Secretary of State? Along with the release of the KDP’s delegate selection plan which leads up to a Presidential election, local Party elections and a national convention next year, what positions will our young leaders hold? Will they be permitted and supported to step up into new leadership and will they embrace that responsibility? Will our more seasoned volunteers trust their ideas to reformat our Party structure and welcome opportunities to connect with volunteers in new ways so that we grow a new generation of Democrats? Will this be an opportunity for the change we’ve all been talking about?

Hidden Location #18 - Choice of two - WITH HINTS #1 and #2

The two streets in the three pictures below are related in an unusual way. I can't tell you how they are related because that would be too big of a clue. The first two pictures are the same street, with pictures of the left and right sides of the street. The third picture is a different street. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is three-fold. Identify either the first or second street (or both), and/or tell me how they are related.

As a bonus and a clue, the second street technically doesn't exactly qualify for the relationship, but because of its accessibility was chosen over the actual street which does. I have some hints if this one takes a while. I suspect people will identify the second street before the first one.

Good luck.

Here are the pics:








HINT #1 - First, I still think in terms of the "City" and "County" - I'm still a pre-Metro sort of guy. To that end, these are superlatives - the first street is one of three in both the old City and the county. The second one, because of the house that is out of view on the right, a yellow brick edifice, what some might call a mansion, is only a superlative in the old City.

HINT #2 - I've mentioned these streets are "superlative" in some way. Here is some help. The first street we're looking for in one of three which are superlative in both the old City and the County. The second street we are looking for is superlative only in the old City. Its counterpart in the county is Port Road. The "opposite" superlative to the first street is, in the old City Greenfield Avenue. In the county it is Kulmer Beach Road. The "opposite" of the second street - which really isn't a superlative but qualifies as it is the only access to a property which causes it to be a superlative - the yellow brick mansion I've previously mentioned - in the old City is Christian Court. In the county, it is Sycamore Ridge Drive.

685. 2012 Democratic National Convention - Kentucky Delegate Selection Plan

The Kentucky Democratic Party has posted its 2012 Delegate Selection Plan on its website. I tried to copy it below but could not get it to format correctly. Visit the site at http://kydemocrat.com/content/2011-delegate-selection-plan.

Questions on the plan should be submitted to info@kydemocrat.com. If you are interested, please read through the entire plan. There are only so many slots. It would be nice if they were filled by people who are truly interested in advancing the purposes of the Democratic Party in Kentucky as opposed to simply folks affiliated with a presidential campaign who want to go to the convention, never to be heard from again, which is usually the case, and was the last time in many instances.

Enjoy. If you wish to leave comments for me, do so below. If you wish to submit official comments, again email the KDP at info@kydemocrat.com.

Thanks.

http://kydemocrat.com/content/2011-delegate-selection-plan.

Hidden Location #17

Ok, this one might be considered "inside knowledge." And it is. Below are two pictures of a location of what was considered in an October 1869 deed and subdivision dedication to be a "common" alley. Usually the word "common" in a deed relates a legal status as "of being for the public use." For many years, this alley appeared on some maps of Louisville based on that 1869 usage. However, in doing some research in 2008 on properties adjoining this "common alley" I found that the word "common" as used in the deed referred only to the adjoining properties and not to the public as a whole. The alley has been removed from most maps as a public right-of-way since the late 1950s.

Your task is to identify either the location, which should be simple for some of you; or, a more difficult challenge, to name the alley. Yes, it has a name, spelled two different ways, but a name nonetheless. Locating it should be easy. Naming it shouldn't.

684. News from my neighborhood - the Phoenix Hill Farmers' Market - and a contest

I've copied below a press release I received concerning the farmers' market in my neighborhood. They're open on Tuesdays in the parking lot of The Bodega, 829 E. Market Street, near the corner with S. Campbell Street, just east of downtown Louisville.

*****

PRESS RELEASE

THE PHOENIX HILL FARMERS' MARKET WILL BE HOLDING ITS SPRING FESTIVAL NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 24, FROM 3:00 - 6:30 P.M.
AT 829 E. MARKET ST (in the parking lot of The Bodega and JRA Architects)

The Spring Festival will also be the kick-off for the Phoenix Hill Farmers' Market LOGO CONTEST. (See Attachment or below for details)

Come enjoy the wonderful spring produce, FRESH-PICKED STRAWBERRIES, meat, eggs, bread, jams/jellies, pickles/relishes, FRESH-PICKED STRAWBERRIES, granola, bedding/hanging plants, beautiful children's books, and (did I mention?) FRESH-PICKED STRAWBERRIES.

Kentucky Proud - Nothing Else is Close!

Children's Activities, including movement, music, yoga and/or hooping with the great folks from SHINE!

Music by Dick Branson, loved by adults and children alike

Refreshments! Customer Appreciation Gifts! (Out)Door Prize Drawing!

Outdoor Grilling by Chef Bob Joles of The Bodega!

Plenty of FREE parking available in the parking lot at 829 E. Market, and on Market and Campbell Streets (and nice indoor restrooms!)

EBT payments accepted by most farmers.

While you're at the Market, check out The Bodega for groceries, deli products, wine and beer.

For more information, contact Cindy at 583-7133 or phoenixhillassociation@juno.com
www.phoenixhillna.org

DESIGN A LOGO FOR THE PHOENIX HILL FARMERS’ MARKET !

What is the Phoenix Hill Farmers’ Market (PHFM)? The PHFM is an urban neighborhood market located in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood, and in close proximity to Butchertown, Irish Hill, and Downtown Louisville. This is the 5th year of the market. The PHFM is operated by the Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association, a non-profit organization.

What is the Steering Committee looking for in a logo? Something that is simple yet eye-catching, that translates well from color to black-and-white, that is easily reproducible, that represents the urban neighborhood market that we are, and that includes the name “Phoenix Hill Farmers’ Market”. (The Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association logo is in the above right-hand corner.)

Where will the design be used? The logo will be used on postcards, posters, banners, lawn signs, the website, t-shirts, etc. Design rights for the grand prize winner will belong to the Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association.

What do I win? The Grand Prize Winner will win a $75.00 gift certificate to the Farmers’ Market, and a $75.00 neighborhood restaurant gift card package.

How do I win? Five finalists will be selected by the Phoenix Hill Farmers’ Market Steering Committee from June 21—June 27. The five finalists will be displayed on the PHNA web-site, and the Grand Prize Winner will be selected by the public through an online vote at www.phoenixhillna.org and votes at the PHFM (Tuesdays from 3:00—6:30 p.m. @ 829 E. Market St.) between June 28 and July 18. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced at the Farmers’ Market Week Festival on Tuesday, July 19.

How do I submit my design? All logo designs submitted for contest must be submitted electronically as a JPEG, PNG or PDF (72 dpi RGB, no larger than 250K) in order to be displayed on the web-site. The Grand Prize Winner design will then need to be submitted as an Adobe Illustrator file and/or a high resolution (300 dpi or higher) file. When you submit your logo design, please include your name, best phone number, email address, and mailing address in the email. Submit to phoenixhillassociation@juno.com

Can I submit more than one entry? Yes.

LOGO DESIGNS ARE DUE BY: Monday, June 20, 2011

For more information about the PHOENIX HILL FARMERS’ MARKET visit www.phoenixhillna.org , or visit the Market on Tuesdays, from 3:00—6:30 p.m. at 829 E. Market Street. Questions can be sent to phoenixhillassociation@juno.com.

Timeline:
May 24—June 21 Submissions taken
June 22—June 28 PHFM Steering Committee will select the 5 Finalists
June 29—July 11 Voting on-line and at the Market for the Grand Prize Winner
July 19 Grand Prize Winner announced at the Farmers’ Market Week Festival

683. Day after the election.

I'm posting from the home of Charlotte and Jerry Lundergan on Lexington's north side. Last night their daughter was nominated as the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State in this fall's election. Alison Grimes defeated the appointed incumbent by a 10% margin. Other winners last night were incumbent Todd Hollenbach IV as State Treasurer and Louisville businessman Bob Farmer - yes, Farmer - for Agriculture Commissioner. My friend Adam Edelen was unopposed for nomination as the Auditor of Public Accounts. On to November.

682. A wedding, a dinner, and a possible presidential contender. Young and old Democrats celebrated yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon and evening provided, for me, opportunities to see Democratic political friends both old and young at two unrelated events. The fact that they were both scheduled around 6 o'clock on the same day left a few folks perturbed, others wondering how they would manage to make both events, and, I suppose, others still who saw no conflict.

The earlier of the two - or rather the more important of the two in my book - was the marriage of my friend Will Carle to his now bride Julie Wahl. While I only met Julie not very long ago, I have known Will for many years and have a great deal of affection for him. His parents, Ed and Dottie Carle, were friends with my uncle and aunt, Don (who died in 2005) and Judy Noble. Will's godparents are Danny and Patty Meyer, people I've known since I was a teenager. I sat with the Meyer's during the ceremony and at some point Patty mentioned having been in this same church for Will's baptism.

Will is exactly twenty years younger than me. He has worked in campaigns since he was a very young man. In recent years he has worked in the governor's office in Frankfort, as well as the campaigns of the current mayor, Greg Fischer, and presently as the campaign manager for Adam Edelen, a candidate for Auditor of Public Accounts, a statewide office which will appear on this November's ballot. Mr. Edelen was one of the groomsmen in the wedding.

Will and Julie were married in the Calvary Episcopal Church, a staid building of limestone and bedford stone on 4th Street just south of Broadway in downtown Louisville. Calvary, founded in 1860, was built in two phases, at its present location, between 1872 and 1889.

In addition to the usual framework of the families and friends of the bride and groom in attendance were a handful of young, active Democrats (and at least one young, active Republican). In addition to Mr. Edelen, there were at least two other political activists serving as groomsman, one, Aaron Horner, who is partially responsible for me holding my seat on the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Executive Committee. There were also a group of younger Democrats in the congregation gathered for the ceremony.

As someone now past the half-century mark, I am hopeful these young folks stick together in guiding Kentucky and its Democrats well into the 21st century.

Leaving the wedding, I made my way over to the Galt House East where, in the Grand Ballroom, the Louisville-Jefferson County Democratic Party was having its annual dinner and celebration. In most places these dinners are called Jefferson-Jackson Dinners, after the early founders of the Democratic Party. It is my belief, however, that if we study the politics and policies of presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, we may have second thoughts about celebrating in their honor. Many years ago, I think 1985, the Democrats of Jefferson County decided to rename their "J-J" Dinner the Wendell H. Ford Appreciation Dinner, later shortened to the Wendell Ford Dinner, and often called simply the Ford Dinner.

Wendell Hampton Ford, of Owensboro, served in Kentucky's legislature, then as lieutenant governor, governor, and ultimately United States Senator. He is now 86 years old and, if the speech he gave last night is any indication, still in pretty good shape. His message was brief and to the point. We are at war with a political ideology whose purpose is to serve the rich and the corporate at the expense of the average American. And we must continue to battle against this intrusion on the American way of life.

There was at least one other octogenarian in attendance, former State Representative Al Bennett, about the same age as Ford, who once represented parts of southwest Jefferson County. At the end of the program, for a few brief moments, Mr. Bennett and I were joined in conversation by Michael Bowman, also a southwest Jefferson resident and young man on the move. I do not know how old Michael is - my presumption is he is about 25. He currently serves as president of the Grassroots Democratic Club, a long-time southwest Jefferson Democratic association, one which my grandmother belonged to when I was a little kid. While it may have been lost on Al and Michael, I was mentally engaged in the idea of past and future leaders speaking here with me in these two. Michael has already ran (and lost) a race for the Metro Council. There are strong indications he will run again for something at some point. He has not said what. Last night he was awarded the Joni Jenkins Young Democrat of the Year award for his involvement in the Party. He has a cadre of followers and I am sure is someone we will be hearing from in the future.

At the other end of the age spectrum, I was seated at a table with Clarence Yancey, the 75 or so year old self-proclaimed godfather of Louisville's West End, who has been a Legislative District Chair for about twenty years now, since first being appointed by then-County Chair Bill Ryan, who was also at my table. On my right was Christa Robinson and to my left were Cathy Yarmuth, followed by her husband the congressman, and their son Aaron - beocming an active leader in his own right, and a young woman I presumed to be Aaron's date. Clarence won the Johnny Crimmins Lifetime Achievement Award and it was well-deserving. I am just old enough to remember Mr. Crimmins, who was the Party secretary or chair for many years in the mid 20th century. Mr. Crimmins died in April, 1999.

The event was a mixture of old and young. There is always some talk that there are too many old folks on the County Executive Committee and not enough attention paid to those younger Democrats in our midst. Without question, the latter statement is true. Sooner or later, there will come a time for the Jefferson County Party to pass the torch to this new generation of young leadership. Their presence at last night's dinner was quite obvious. I'm of the opinion that time may be sooner rather than later. Still, though, the 35 and older crowd predominated the room. Until that is not the case, it is likely there will not be a change in the power structure.

Before I leave the dinner, and before I leave the discussion of a power change, let me mention the guest speaker, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. Governor O'Malley is the head of the Democratic Governors Association, a group which is slated to spend some dollars and hours in Kentucky this helping to re-elect Kentucky's incumbent Democratic governor. The Maryland governor cited a number of reasons that Kentucky needed to re-elect its governor, not the least of which is the chaos which would ensue if his expected (by most, but not all) opponent is elected. In this regard, I strongly agree with the Governor O'Malley.

The rest of his speech was a combination of cliches, rounded out with solid facts, a little bit of old-fashioned preaching, and a sparkling look and personality. It occurred to me that there is some presidential potential in Governor O'Malley and I am sure I am not the only person who saw that. But, it was just a glimpse, a spark, but not the whole fire. Nonetheless, he has a history. As a young man, he was involved in the 1984 campaign of Gary Hart. He would have been 21 at the time. He spoke at the 2004 national convention in Boston in support of John Kerry.

Few of us have had the opportunity to see a person in those formative years who later became president. After all, there have only been 44 presidencies. I am fortunate that circumstance placed me in a position in 2006 to meet up close and personal the man who became the 44th American president, Barack Obama. Many of us recognised at the time that it was very likely this tall mixed-race, Hawaiian born senator from Illinois would one day very soon become America's Commander-In-Chief. I know I left that September 2006 event at Slugger Field with that notion, although at the time I was supporting Chris Dodd for president.

While I didn't get that overwhelming feeling from Governor O'Malley last night, I sense that it may there, which is to say I got a little of it. And that is pretty cool as far as I am concerned. I had a few brief words with the governor, sporting my "I am an Obama Precinct Captain" button, which caught his eye and sparked the conversation. And I like him for other reasons. He, like me, is a history buff; he has appeared on The History Channel describing the British Invasion of 1812, something he spoke of last night - the invasion itself, not his appearnce on TV, tying its hero to Kentucky. And he is from my generation. Just as President Obama is just a bit younger than me, Governor O'Malley is just a bit younger than the president. It is time we started electing folks to higher and the highest offices who were born in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. I'm going to keep my eye on this man.

Briefly, though, back to the old and the new.

As I have done every four since 1980, next year, 2012, I will be participating in the National Democratic Party's reorganization process, a process which includes the Kentucky Democratic Party reorganization, and starts with the Louisville-Jefferson County Democratic Party Reorganization. I was first elected to the Jefferson County Party's Executive Committee in 1980 at the age of 19. I know of only two people who have served as Chair or Vice Chair who were of that age - Rushi Sheth in 2000 as Vice Chair of the 48th LD (at 18) and Preston Bates in 2008 as Chair of the 48th LD (at 19).

While there may not be a lot of teenagers running for these partisan positions, there should be a lot of 20, 30 and 40 years olds running, and not just for the "youth" positions. I'll be writing more about this in the future. I just wanted to get this first plug in tonight. This reorganization process will take place throughout the Republic beginning in April of next year and culminating in the National Democratic Convention in Charlotte next summer. It is never too early to plan.

*****

[The blog was updated 02/13/2012 to correct the name of Rushi Sheth, previously misrecorded as Rushi Sushil Apologies to Mr. Sheth for the error and thanks to Michael Garton for pointing it out. JN]

681. Brief Thoughts - The Modern Day Confederacy

The Confederacy is alive and well in Kentucky and many other states which have a powerful-enough Tea Party influence in their state's Republican Party, as we do in Kentucky.

I have members of the Confederate Army in my family's lineage and have visited their graves, not because I revere them for their politics, but because they are flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood. I do not know if they were racist in their time or if they were simply young men in need of a paycheck and their destiny threw them in with the CSA.

I do know that the modern day Tea Party and Republican Party is full of people with beliefs I find abhorrent and un-Christlike, beliefs which are antithetic to many of my friends who are either non-white, non-Christian, non-American, or any of the many of other non's that most of us have come to accept as simply friends.

The American dream was built upon a melting pot of cultures and creeds. Those who would deny those same opportunities to the next generation of newcomers are simply un-American. America, the USA, defeated and put an end to the CSA in 1865. Long live America. Don't let these modern day Confederists, people President Lincoln called "elements in rebellion," destroy what is left of the good and great America.

Breif Thoughts - The Flintstones, Entitlements, and the Ballot Box

From Facebook - My Durrett HS classmate and friend Jeff Reid posted the following, referencing an old cartoon, a favorite of most of us our age. The Flintstones cartoon, with Fred and Wilma and Barney and Betty, premiered exactly one week after my birth, on September 30, 1960 and had its original run until April 1, 1966. One of the images we can all picture - at least those of us of a certain age - is Fred running, arm and fist extended, yelling "Charge!!!"

As a note, Jeff and I differ in political philosophy, which isn't a bad thing. Here is Jeff's entry, which is political in nature:

Does anyone else have visions of Wilma and Betty from the Flintstones, running out of the house yelling C H A R G E I T!!!!! Whenever I hear some of our politicians talking about fiscal responsibility?? --note: To anyone to young to have seen this cartoon you are simply socially deprived. ;)

Here is my response:

Obama is following in the footsteps of GWB and RWR, two other presidents who loved spending money but weren't willing to raise the revenues to cover their wars. For Reagan, that was left to Clinton, who left office with a huge surplus. If the Republicans want to cut entitlements as they say, they should go ahead and do so. They control both chambers and could probably override the president's veto with enough blue dog Democratic votes. Their only fear is the ballot box next year and the revenge of those receiving the entitlement checks, most of whom are older, disabled, and/or retired and are very good voters. If the Democrats want to champion the entitlement programs, they have to raise taxes to pay for it. Their only fear is the ballot box next year and the revenge of younger voters, most of whom have never received an entitlement check, and those who have are, like most people their age, very poor voters. Either way works but one or the other side has to get over their fear of revenge at the ballot box.

Any thoughts?

689. Bhatraju, Facebook, and the Civil War - and Hidden Location #16

No, they aren't all related.

It has been almost a month since I've made an entry. A lot hasn't happened in that time. The two biggest things that didn't happen - at least in many Kentuckians minds - were part of the Madness of March. Louisville didn't beat Morehead State and Kentucky didn't beat Connecticut. Also, the Federal government didn't shut down, much to the chagrin of people on both sides of the aisle, all of whom said they didn't want it to, but many of whom would like for that to happen for one reason or another. What else hasn't happened?

For one thing, people didn't stop reading the blog, despite the lack of posts. According to the people-watching counters we're still averaging 34 hits a day. Woohoo. And, while I've been away, we crossed the 80,000th visit-mark. 80,000. That apparently happened on March 15 but I can't quite determine who it was.

But, let's move on. Item #1 above is Bhatraju. That's the surname of a dear friend of mine, Kiran Bhatraju, presently residing in Washington, D.C., but a native of Pike County, Kentucky, home to Pikeville University, one of the two local colleges which did win a basketball tournament last month. The Pikeville Bears defeated Mountain State University 83-76 for the championship of the NAIA Division I. Congratulations, Pikeville. The other college which was a championship was Louisville's own Bellarmine University Knights. Bellarmine defeated Brigham Young University-Hawaii 71-68 to win the school's first NCAA Division II title. Congratulations to Coach Davenport and the Knights. But, I digress.

I was speaking of my Pikeville friend Kiran Bhatraju. Today is his birthday. I ran into Kiran while I was in DC a few weeks back. We had a wonderful night out on the town at a place called Vinoteca, a wine-and-meat-and-cheese bar at 9th and U streets NW. It was Mariachi night, so all the Spanish wine bottles were half-off and we indulged our Castillian urges with some vino y carne y queso. If you were following my trip to DC on Facebook, you would already have this knowledge, as I "Facebooked" the whole trip.

That brings us to Item #2, Facebook. Lately, I've written quite a few updates on my Facebook, causing a serious deficit over here at the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. I need a more balanced way of writing, but as yet, I haven't stumbled upon it. In lieu of that, I am copying below a few of the entries for you perusal.

To wit,

Bourbon, for me, is usually reserved for one of three events - 1) Horse racing, 2) UK Football, or 3) Election Night.

Remember, before the Brown Bag was the Brown Bag, it was the Zanzibar. After the Brown Bag was the Brown Bag, it became the Zanzabar.

Here is the trivial matter: Elstner, Engle, Hill, Horton, McPherson, Philpot, Saint Clair Morton, Karnasch, Clark, Saunders, and Southworth. What's their significance to Louisville? No Googling.

The island where Baxter, Main, and Story intersect. Three US highway routes meet here, one of which ends. Can you name them?

And finally, We could all probably use a FB shutdown - maybe have time to check our regular emails and vacuum the living room. Maybe.

That last one is quite telling.

One of those Facebook quotes concerned a trivia question which was correctly answered by Hau Le, a senior at Central High School. He correctly identified those names as being those of forts in the Louisville area during the Civil War, known to some as the late War Between the States, or the War of Northern Aggression. The American Civil War began 150 years ago today with the firing on Fort Sumpter (South Carolina) of shots by a Lt. Col. Henry S. Farley of the Confederate States Army. The rest, as they say, is history. I just didn't want this date passing us by with a comment. A civil war 150 years ago doesn't seem so far removed after the elections of 2010 as it, perhaps, should.



Finally, a new Hidden Location. There are two pictures, taken from the same spot. There are two ways to win with this one. First, name the spot. Second, name the significance of that spot to today's post.

Happy Trails, and Happy Birthday, Kiran.

688. Apologies

Quickly, apologies are offered for the lack of posts. I'm on a hiatus from the Left Bank of the Ohio river near Milepost 606 for a few days. Instead I'm hanging out along the Left Bank of the Potomac River (I think at milepost 96, but I'm not sure). Later this week, I'll be along the East River in New York. Have a good week.

677. Brief Thoughts - and Tim Meyer is correct.

A necessary prerequisite to perfoming an Act of Civil Disobedience is first fully understanding the law to be disobeyed, and second, acknowledging that, indeed, such a law is current and applicable to the situation.

*****

I know three guys named Tim Meyer, all about the same age. I do not know any of them very well, although I once did. One, the youngest of the three, is Marty Meyer's younger brother, who I've known since he was in grade school, but it would be wrong to say we are friends. Another is a Audubon-area kid that I played softball with in the 1980s. The third is an African-American from Okolona I knew when I was growing up. Back then Okolona was about 94% white, a great contrast from today where it is possible that the Latinos along McCawley Road and Egypt Lane outnumber the blacks. These latter two are my age.

One of those three, or quite possibly another Tim Meyer unknown to me, correctly answered the previous Hidden Location picture. I offered that it would be easy. After all, the previous one was a Manslick Road and I had written a great deal about where all these Manslick Roads were located. Tim correctly identified the picture as the terminus of Manslick Road - neither West nor East - at Palatka Road, where continuing south one is driving upon Saint Andrews Church Road. We'll have another more difficult Hidden Location soon.

Happy March.

HL 14 identifed; HL 15 below

Ok, y'all are getting them too quickly. I am going to have to take more obscure pictures -starting with the one after Hidden Location #15 below. HL15 should be very easy, but I promise more difficult ones in the future.

But first some comments on Hidden Location #14. John Flood correctly identified the location, writing "This looks like corner of Penile Rd, W. Manslick Rd & Old New Cut Rd. in Fairdale." Yes, to a point - an italicised point. The street names are correct and I'll address two of them below. And, yes, I would certainly call that intersection part of Fairdale. But, according to the United States Postal Service, I was in "Valley Station" when I took the picture while standing along the southern side of W. Manslick Road. All of the Penile Road addresses going off to the right also carry the Valley Station zip code of 40272. But the territory to the left on Old New Cut Road and on the other side of the intersection is, indeed, Fairdale, whose zip code is 40118.

I have nothing to report about Penile Road, and that is probably a good thing. So, let's start with Old New Cut, an interesting name. About twenty-five years ago, coinciding with the opening of the Gene Snyder Freeway, a road was built connecting New Cut Road as it then existed with W. Manslick Road, about 3/4 mile closer to Fairdale. This 3/4 mile stretch of highway went unnamed for many years. People referred to it as New New Cut or New Manslick or "that new road connecting to the Snyder." Eventually, however, developers bought the land along the northern side of the road, erecting several warehouses and a motel. With such development came the need for addresses, and address numbers need road names to make any sense.

After some - not much - discussion, it was decided to call the new stretch of road "New Cut" continuing the name of the road which extends south from Iroquois Park to this point. Further it was decided to call the older stretch of New Cut, the one now cut-off and appearing in our picture, Old New Cut, an awkward name to be sure. But the reason had more to do with the other street involved in the new connecting road - W. Manslick. Were the county streetname deciders going to give us yet another Manslick to deal with?

Check any map of southern Jefferson County and you will find six close but unconnected streets - eight if you count "Old Manslick" sections - with the name Manslick. At one time there were a few more, like the Echo Trail sections of southeastern Jefferson County. Presently the easternmost Manslick Road runs from Beulah Church Road west to Pennsylvania Run Road. A second section, starting about two blocks south of the first one, runs from Pennsylvania Run Road west to what is officially called Shepherdsville Road, but which many still call Old Shepherdsville Road, usually shortenend to Old Shep. A third Manslick starts about a block north of this one and runs from Old Shep west to Preston Highway, which, if you are wondering, was at one time the companion New Shepherdsville Road, but that name never caught on. That's all of the southeastern Manslicks.

Coming in from the southwest, beginning at the intersection of Berry Boulevard and Seventh Street Road, is the first of three Manslicks on this side of town. This one extends south to Palatka Road. A second Manslick picks up about 3/4 mile east of this point and runs south to Saint Anthony's Church Road. Another 3/4 mile from there, a third Manslick begins at Third Street Road and extends toward Fairdale, to the point in our Hidden Location #14 picture, at Old New Cut Road.

Why all the Manslicks?

First, let us dissect the name into its original name which was Mann's Lick, the name of a salt lick owned presumably by the Mann family. Actually, that's exactly what it is. Mann's Lick was a salt lick operating in the area of present day Glengarry, or Glen Garry, a subdivision in Fairdale near the intersection of National Turnpike and the Gene Snyder Freeway. Salt licks dotted southern Jefferson and much of Bullitt counties before places like Louisville and Shepherdsville existed. Thus, we are speaking of pre-Revolutionary War times. A community existed in this area known as Newtown. Newtown, in fact, grew large enough to be incorporated as a city in 1794, but its existence was one of about thirty-five years in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The roads leading in from the east and west to Newtown were known as the "roads to Mann's Lick." One group came south from the Falls of the Ohio River, along the north-south buffalo trail generally today followed by the CSX (formerly L&N RR), I-65, and Preston Highway. They are generally known simply as Manslick Road. Another came from the east, perhaps a more southern path of the Midland Trail, or a more northern path of the Wilderness Trail. I really don't know. These, today, are generally known as E. Manslick Road. The roads closest to Fairdale are called W. Manslick Road. Now you know.

So, here is a new picture. Again, it should be very easy to identify.

Hidden Location #14

Here is a new location for our cartographic enquirers to get on their Google Earth machines and other such devices and offer up an answer. Actually, I'd rather you not do that. I would ask that you truly make an effort at identifying such places without the help of a machine, other than maybe your car or bike. If you do not know where it is, just say so. There may be other readers who do, but who aren't as savvy on the computer. Again, the whole idea is to find an unusual place then see if any of my readers actually know where it is. That's the idea, although I may not have enough faithful game players to make that happen with every picture. We'll see.

HL Thirteen Answers and a Thought

Hidden Location #13 wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it might be. Marty Meyer and Patrick C rang in within thirty seconds of each other, with Marty's answer being posted first - Stevenson Avenue headed uphill from Mellwood to William and Arlington. Yes, that is Kaviar Forge on the left as Curtis Morrison points out.

Curtis also correctly identified the 100 block of Haldeman, adding an extraneous North, unnecessary and incorrect, but we won't take points off. The 100 block, north or south, at this point in the city, is divided by the railroad track. I appreciate the additional information Curtis provided on the location.

This latter group of new homes I found last year during the Easter Parade down Frankfort Avenue. I revisited the area late last fall in search for a particular building which was seen in a Todd Lally for Congress commercial. It was my initial belief that the building outside which he was standing was the one opposite the end of Weiss Place, another part of the infill construction of which Mr. Morrison spoke. Further research revealed that building to be the old Ehrler's Dairy operation on Belmar Drive, which had closed in the mid 1990s. We never quite figured out what Mr. Lally believed to be Congressman Yarmuth's involvement in Ehrler's decision to close the building nearly a decade before John took office. But, I digress.

We'll have another Hidden Location soon. I'm also thinking about writing an entry compiling some comments from a few Facebook friends and non-friends who seem to find fault with every step our new mayor has taken during his lengthy term in office, so far a total of forty-nine days. Given some of their rhetoric, you'd think he'd served as long as, say, President Mubarak of Egypt. Forty-nine days, though, is the current mark.

Well, at least I am thinking about it - I may not actually post it. These are folks who have every reason to be upset with the mayor as none of them supproted him. Of course, I've supported candidates who never made it through the Primary before. The following is a list of my first choices for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America during my thirty-three years of voting:

Kennedy, Jackson, Simon, Brown, Clinton, no clear choice, Dean, Dodd.

You may notice I got a total of one ultimate nominee correct, the 1996 re-election bid by Bill Clinton. But, as part of my loss, I did not make it my duty to trash everything the victors did, if they were successful in the November race. That sounds like something Mitch McConnell might say with regard to the current president's agenda for 2011 and 2012. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive since I've been described as part of the Fischer protectorate. Maybe.

Hidden Location #13 - Choice of two

I was sitting in my meeting today when I received a text from Marty Meyer telling me that if I had posted a new picture, he could have been figuring it out while in attendance at his meeting.

For the record, he was seated next to me.

Below are two pictures - two different streets although, honestly, not that far apart. One picture looks uphill while the other looks down. Where are they?

What goes up . . . .



Must come down.

I'm pretty sure there were no blue Volvo wagons around this time.

676. 676 and #12

First, the answer to Hidden Location #12 was offered to our seven faithful readers by someone known on the wires as JeffnClifton. I have somewhere in the corner cobwebs of my mind that his real name is Jeff Nowlin. Is that correct? The picture was taken in the 200 block of Idlewylde Drive looking south toward Calvin Avenue.

Appropriately the answer came from a self-identified Cliftonian as this street is somewhere along the borderlands between Clifton, Crescent Hill, and Clifton Heights. To his credit, Curtis Morrison had taken a stab at the location and was headed in the right direction when he mentioned Lower Brownsboro Road. But, as there were no Iron Facades or Downtown Bridges involved, and the fact that it is very likely most of the residents in this area were Greg Fischer supporters, he somehow lost his way.

I wish I knew more of the background of this area, as it is my custom to try to give a short historical sketch once the hidden location is revealed. I'll have to return to this one on another day as I know very little specific information.

*****


The other part of this entry returns us to an old custom - that of using the entry number as a lesson for a Kentucky highway of the same number. Today is entry #676 so we'll speak briefly about KY676, a major cross-county four-lane in southern Franklin County. KY676, I believe, was built in the mid to late 1970s. The purpose of the road was to alleviate traffic on downtown Frankfort's city streets.

Frankfort stands by hills surrounded - replacing Frankfort for Zion, so would go an altered hymn by the Irish Poet Thomas Kelly, written in 1806. Anyone who has ever driven into Frankfort knows one must go downhill to get down to the city proper. The city was originally laid out in the "S" curves of the Kentucky River, where the division in 1780 of Kentucky County, Virginia occurred, at the mouth of Benson Creek into the Kentucky River. There is presently a Riverfront Park overlooking some of this, along Wilkinson Street north of Broadway.

From the south, one enters Frankfort along either the old Lawrenceburg Pike (KY420) or more often, along US60, down Louisville Hill into Second Street, which is also the major approach from the west, the minor one being the Devils Hollow Road (eventually KY1005), which was the original entry from Louisville. From the north are the Bald Knob Pike (US421) and the Owenton Road (US127). From the east, one comes down East Main Street either from the Georgetown Pike (US460) or from Versailles Road (US60). All of these approaches at some point go down hill, and often steeply. Anyone coming into town prior to the construction of KY676 did it on one of these roads.

With the expansion of what was once called the Health Department and what many people still call the Human Resources Building on East Main Street, a need arose to create a "back" way into the project. This also allowed for expansion at Kentucky State University (KSU), opposite the Human Resources Building. KY676, which is signed as the East-West Connector allowed for this back entry. BEginning on the west side at US127 the road went down hill with its first original intersection at an extended Collins Lane, which at one time had jutted west toward US127.

Further down the hill came the intersection with KY420 which hugged the stone wall along its west side leading down into South Frankfort below the Capitol and Executive Mansion. This area has always been prone to flooding. At the bottom of the hill, the road crosses the Kentucky River in the Big Eddy area, on the Julian M. Carroll Bridge, named for the previous governor from McCracken County who after his term as governor remained in Frankfort and is now serving as a State Senator for Franklin, Anderson, Woodford, and parts of Scott and Fayette counties.

The eastern side of KY676 then works its way back up the hill with Frankfort's Capital View Park off to the north along the old Glenns Creek Road, redubbed as Kentucky coffeetree Drive, for what was for a few years Kentucky's official tree, and a variety of venues off to the south including Kentucky's Vietnam Veterans Memorial, shown below. The memorial, dedicated in 1988, takes the form of a granite sundial with the dial, or gnomon, of stainless steel. The names of Kentucky's 1100 fallen and missing veterans from that war are strategically placed such that the tip of the shadow produced on a given day by the gnomon falls upon the date that the veteran was lost to the war. It is an eerie and sensitively designed memorial which everyone should visit.

The newer Franklin County Regional Correctional Facility is also up on the ridge to the south of the highway. The major intersection on this side of town is with Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (KY1659), a major four-lane city street connecting with the back (and effectively the main) entrance of the Human Resources Building, as well as all of the KSU's facilities off to the east. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, the former Maryland Avenue, then crosses East Main Street and directly accesses the main campus of KSU. South of the East-West Connector, this street is known as Glenns Creek Road.

KY676 progresses further east, generally following the old railroad path which eventually leads to Midway and Lexington and has recently become a topic of discussion for a light rail line connecting Frankfort with Kentucky's largest two cities, Louisville and Lexington. But, I digress.

After crossing Galbraith Drive, the road makes its approach to Versailles Road, East Frankfort's major thoroughfare. The intersection here was one of a few "prototypes" combining some elements of an interstate intersection with cross-over stoplighted street level intersection as well. The Bardstown Road/Watterson Expressway intersection in Louisville is another example of this type of intersection. KY676 ceases numerically at this point, but the roadway itself extends under US60 becoming the Leestown Pike on the east side and numbered as KY 421, eventually leading into Lexington under the name West Main Street.

For most people who use it, it is simply the easy way into and out of the Human Resources Building on the east side of the river, and the circulating Captial Parking garage for the west side. Now you know.




KY676 photo by H. B. Elkins
Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial photo by Lon Whitson

675. Whiskey Row/Iron Quarter - Curtis Morrison and I exchange thoughts on Facebook

Curtis Morrison:

If Mayor Greg Fischer continues to take cues from President Mubarak in the undemocratic disposition of Whiskey Row, all you loyal Fischer supporters will likely be activated to storm an upcoming rally of preservationists on the backs of camels, armed with those little Louisville Slugger bats they've confiscated at the airport. This all could have been prevented.

Me:
I have an opinion but it has nothing to do with the relatively recent ownership by Mr. Blue. Most of these buildings have been more or less empty since I was in my teens or 20s, which is to say for a hell of a long time. And the ones which were open back then - I can remember several - weren't in the best of shape even then. I recall a collapsing stairwell in one building in particular back in 1986. And the one on the far eastern end collapsed of its own accord a decade ago. Admittedly, those toward the west have done well.

I'm not happy about any compromise on the facade issue, of that I'll admit. But when the plans came out in 2007 for all the highrises set back away from the streets, I thought it was a great idea. My friend Michael Garton and I discussed this last night while waiting for Gil Reyes' play, Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead, to start at the Kentucky Center. We disagreed.

I wish there was to be more residential space, and particularly more affordable residential space in this project, or any project in the area. We have next to none of that. There's something worth fighting for.

But, comparing this mayor's one month and five days in office with the thirty year reign of President Mubarak is quite hyperbolic and frankly, silly. I expect better from you and your followers.

Deep in my heart, I'm a preservationist too. I remember my freshman year at college (or maybe I was a senior at Durrett) fighting the demolition of the old Will Sales Building, where the B&W Tower now stands at 4th and Liberty streets. I remembering touring with then-Alderman Allan Steinberg the old Savoy Theater on Jefferson Street and the Milner Hotel in the same block, hoping their facades could be worked into plans for the new convention center. We lost those battles and those buildings.

But using similar tactics, others succesfully incorporated the facade of the Compton or Clinton (or whatever it is - I know it starts with a C) Building into the new multi-storied Marriott at 3rd and Jefferson streets, providing construction jobs in the short run and hotel jobs for decades to follow.

Let's use a little logic here. We need to preserve the facades - the only real parts worth preserving. Work toward that end - I will join you. But we also need jobs. Here is an opportunity. Make your arguments using sensible language and reasonable ideas, not Slugger Battette wielding renegades on camelback. Don't expect anyone with any authority to help you in your crusade to take such comments with any degree of seriousness.

A new Hidden Location and an answer to the last one

At some point I need to get back to writing real blog entries instead of these little games. But, I am enjoying them so that may not happen for a while. First, a new picture, Hidden Location #12, for Marty to locate. Wait, I meant for everyone to take a stab at locating before Marty figures it out. Go.



Marty's answer for Hidden Location #11 is correct. That is the 1200 block of Hull Street looking northeast. This is the Irish Hill neighborhood just off Baxter Avenue near what is now called Lexington Road. The subdivision known as Irish Hill was laid out in two parts, the earlier one closer to Lexington Road, then known as Hamilton Avenue, was the old Valentine Schneikert property and developed by Adolph Hull, who probably named Hull Street. The Schneikert mansion still exists up on a hill behind some condos which front at 1234 Lexington Road. Very few people ever see the Schneikert mansion, which now has been converted to apartments and has a Pine Street address. I cannot locate a good picture of that home. Schneikert was a Louisville brickmaker in the post-Civil War era. His home was built prior to 1884.

[WRITER/EDITOR'S NOTE: Before some more informed soul than I points it out to me, someone like Dr. Tom Owen, I must confess I've eliminated a reference in the last sentence of the above paragraph to Mr. Schneikert's home being built of wood, as opposed to brick. When I wrote that earlier - the reference is now gone - I felt I was wrong. So, as part of my evening drive I went and found the house and found (most of it) to be constructed of brick, as is befitting the home of a Louisville brick merchant. Thanks for allowing me to clear that up].

Two people mentioned the old brick mansion at 1212 Hull Street, pictured below, believed to have been built around 1868. That was the home of Nicholas Finzer, a Louisville tobacco merchant - The Five Brothers Tobacco Company - as well as a member of the old Louisville School Board. A school once stood on E. Broadway between Shelby and Clay streets on the south side named for Mr. Finzer and Finzer Street runs behind the old school proeprty over to Smoketown. I've put a picture of the school below that of his mansion. It is now a parking lot.

These two homes in Irish Hill aren't that far apart. I can't determine where the proeprty division may have been based on the current street grid. But the balance of the Schneikert property was re-subdivided by an Act of the General Assembly on March 24, 1884. This later section became the property of the Payne family and Payne Street obviously is named for them. This subdivision extended over to the now-abandoned Eastern Cemetery where my Schlenk relatives are buried, including my great-grandmother Loraine Augusta Schlenk Lee Hall, and her parents, Emil and Minnie Schlenk.

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Nicholas Finzer Mansion, 1212 Hull Street


Nicholas Finzer School, formerly at 740 E. Broadway