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photo: Stevietheman
Mayor Greg Fischer joined south and southwest Metro Council members, and representatives from Underhill Associates and the Southwest Dream Team to celebrate the ongoing progress of the $5 million redevelopment of historic Colonial Gardens, and to highlight the work being done to create a safer pedestrian crossing, additional parking, and the addition of a new TARC bus stop next to the project.
“Colonial Gardens is a great investment that connects our city’s past with our future,” said the mayor. “We want to make the new Colonial Gardens as popular as it once was, and for that to happen, we know we need to make it accessible for all our residents. The improvements made along this corridor will benefit not only Colonial Gardens, but other area businesses, residents, and visitors to Iroquois Park.”
Metro Public Works recently completed $200,000 in roadway improvements at the intersection of New Cut Road and W Kenwood Drive where Colonial Gardens is located. The improvements include a left turn lane into Colonial Gardens from New Cut Road, curb extensions, enhanced sidewalks, and on-street parking.
Additionally, paving along Kenwood Avenue is expected to be complete this fall. With the enhanced pedestrian safety features in place, Public Works will monitor the New Cut Road/Kenwood Avenue intersection to optimize the signal for traffic flow in and out of Iroquois Park.
Construction on the $5 million redevelopment of Colonial Gardens started last fall and includes renovating the 7,000 square-foot historic structure, as well as adding three new, one-story buildings for a total of 18,000 square feet. The buildings will share a common patio and garden area. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2019.
The site’s developer, Underhill Associates, is in talks with local restaurant groups to occupy the four corner spaces of the building. “Underhill Associates is proud to bring Colonial Gardens back to life. This is a vital corner for the South End which will be an example of new vitality and will be a catalyst for more redevelopment,” Jeff Underhill said.
Metro Councilwoman Marianne Butler, whose District 15 includes Colonial Gardens, said “We have waited for many years for this revitalization. We are getting a vibrant community magnet complimenting the park while offering neighbors new dining opportunities. It is a win for everyone and I encourage neighbors to patronize the restaurants for many years to come.”
Councilman Blackwell of nearby District 12 said “This project is transforming the New Cut/ Kenwood corner and I am excited to see the changes occurring each day. The infrastructure improvements create a safer pedestrian experience for all, including those who want to enjoy events at Iroquois Park.”
District 25 Councilman Dave Yates said, “It is exciting to see the investment and progress we are making in South Louisville. Through this public-private partnership with the Underhills, the Kenwood and New Cut block is seeing unprecedented rejuvenation that will encourage people across the city to want to travel to our neck of the woods. Soon we will be proud to call Colonial Gardens the gateway to the South End and its success will reverberate southbound along New Cut and Dixie.”
And Vicki Aubrey Welch, noting that she is soon to retire as District 13 Councilwoman, said “It gives me great pride to know I was part of history in bringing Colonial Gardens back to a vibrant historical venue for the heart of South Louisville. Mayor Fischer worked long and hard together with the South End Council to bring this development forward. For that I will be forever grateful.”
The Louisville Metro Waste Reduction Center will close for two weeks while repair work is done there beginning Monday, November 5, 2018. The facility, which offers drop-off disposal of large waste items at 636 Meriwether Avenue, will reopen on Tuesday November 20.
During the closure, the WRC will not be available for leaf drop-off service that will begin at two other locations on November 6, 2018. Leaf drop-off at the WRC will begin when the facility reopens on November 20 and continue at all three sites through December 1.
Drop-off will not be available on November 22 and 23 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Only loose leaves will be accepted. Containers used to bring leaves to the drop-off sites must be disposed of off-site by residents.
Leaf drop off sites through December 1:
- Beginning November 6:
- Public Works Yard 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)
- Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Public Works East District Operations Center 595 Hubbards Lane
- Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Public Works Yard 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)
- Beginning November 20:
- Public Works Waste Reduction Center 636 Meriwether Avenue
- Tuesday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Public Works Waste Reduction Center 636 Meriwether Avenue
Drivers of electric vehicles in Louisville have yet another place to “fill up” their batteries with the installation of a new public charging station at Seneca Park through Louisville Gas and Electric Company’s EV Charging Station Program.
Seneca Park was chosen using data collected by Drive Clean Louisville, a Metro Government initiative that promotes the benefits of alternative fuel vehicles. A survey asked the public to identify places in Louisville in need of vehicle chargers, and Seneca Park was among the top spots named.
LG&E is locating this and other stations around the Louisville area through its EV Charging Station Program to meet the growing demand for accessible, convenient charging facilities as more motorists embrace electric vehicles.
Taking a data-driven approach to selecting the Seneca Park site aligns with one of Mayor Greg Fischer’s goals for the city.
“It just makes sense to ask the people who drive electric vehicles to tell us where they need these chargers to be,” said Mayor Fischer. “It’s a bottom-up, data-driven approach that gives the community a say in the conversation as we work to make Louisville more sustainable.”
Located on Rock Creek Drive near the restrooms and tennis courts, the Seneca Park charging station will be available to the public for an hourly fee during normal park hours. The station is equipped with convenient quick-pay options and safety features, including charging plugs that lock in place when not in use.
“It’s exciting to help answer the community’s call and assist Metro Louisville in bringing its survey results to life,” said Beth McFarland, vice president of Customer Services for LG&E and Kentucky Utilities Company. “Installing a public EV charging station at Seneca Park aligns well with the intent of our program, and its design encourages the use of public spaces like widely popular community parks.” Seve Ghose, director of Louisville Parks and Recreation, said he hopes this is the start of a long partnership with LG&E to provide electric-vehicle chargers throughout the community.
“Louisville Parks and Recreation fully supports environmentally conscious ventures such as this,” Ghose said. “And what better place than a park to situate them? Thank you, LG&E.”
Drive Clean Louisville is being spearheaded by the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, which has long been a proponent of alternative-fuel transportation as a way help improve local air quality.
According to Michelle King, APCD Director of Program Planning, the Drive Clean Louisville team is a collaborative effort to find resources and develop policies that promote cleaner transportation options across the city.
“From gathering community input on electric vehicle charging infrastructure to sharing those learnings with partners like LG&E, our goal is to serve as a hub for ideas, information, and opportunities that will allow our city to continue fostering vibrant economic activity while at the same time supporting clean air for all,” King said. Through LG&E and KU’s EV Charging Station Program, which was approved in 2016 by the Kentucky Public Service Commission, the utilities host nine additional publicly-accessible charging stations. Customers also can host vehicle charging stations at their locations for public and private use through the program. The utilities continue to evaluate potential locations for additional public charging stations across their service territories.
For more on LG&E’s EV charger network, go here.
To find out more about Drive Clean Louisville, go here.
Bert T. Combs Lake in Clay County is back open to public boating and bank access after completion of repair work to its dam.
The 31-acre lake near Manchester was closed so crews could fix leaks throughout the earthen dam. The Kentucky Division of Water oversaw repairs to the dam.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources-owned lake is scheduled to receive a stocking of 1,000 rainbow trout this week. In 2019, rainbow trout will be stocked in January, April, May and October.
Resident and nonresident anglers who are required to have a fishing license must have a trout permit to keep trout. The permit costs $10. It also is included with the resident senior or disabled sportsman’s license and resident sportsman’s license.
The lake offers a boat ramp and parking area. Internal combustion motors are not allowed on the lake, but boaters can use electric motors. Paddling a kayak or canoe is another way to explore and fish the lake.
For more information about fishing opportunities and places to fish in Kentucky, visit Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at fw.ky.gov. Anglers also may use this site to purchase fishing licenses online at any time of day.
Louisville Metro residents not mulching autumn leaves into their lawns or using curbside collection will have the option to dispose of them at one of three drop-off sites beginning November 6.
Metro Public Works is offering a free leaf drop-off service November 6 through December 1. Drop-off will not be available on November 22 and 23 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Only loose leaves will be accepted. Containers used to bring leaves to the drop-off sites must be disposed of off-site by residents.
Leaf drop off sites:
- Public Works Yard – 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)
- Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Public Works East District Operations Center – 595 Hubbards Lane
- Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Public Works Waste Reduction Center – 636 Meriwether Avenue
- Tuesday – Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources encourages youngsters – and the young at heart – to put on their costumes and join the Salato Wildlife Education Center staff in Frankfort for the best trick-or-treat experience in town on Saturday, Oct. 27.
Salato’s annual Halloween Walk with the Animals event features child-friendly activities including a hay bale maze, “Creatures of the Night” exhibit, face painting and – of course – plenty of candy. Kids will receive a “passport” which they can get stamped at more than a dozen candy stations scattered throughout the grounds. Salato staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and the center’s indoor and outdoor exhibits will be open for viewing. The event will also feature food and beverage vendors.
The center will open at noon (Eastern) for the event, which runs until 4 p.m. Event admission is $5 per person (ages 2 and up). Annual membership holders and infants too young to participate receive free admission.
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation sponsors Halloween Walk with the Animals. Proceeds from the event benefit the Salato center.
Walk with the Animals not only allows families to enjoy the traditions of Halloween, but it provides a great opportunity for visitors to see and learn more about Kentucky’s native wildlife. “Halloween Walk with the Animals is a fun community event that we look forward to hosting each year,” said Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation Director Rachel Crume. “This event provides a unique venue, as well as a fun and safe environment in which families can enjoy the holiday.”
The Salato Center is operated by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The center is off U.S. 60, approximately 1½ miles west of the U.S. 127 intersection. Look for the bronze deer statue at the entrance of the main Kentucky Fish and Wildlife campus.
Normal hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Salato is closed on Sunday, Monday and state holidays. The center will close for the winter after Nov. 21, then reopen in the spring of 2019.
Except for select events, admission is $5 for adults and $3 for youth 5 to 18. Children younger than 5 are admitted free. The center also offers annual memberships for individuals and families.
Photo: Kevin Kelly/Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
Many deer hunters rejoiced this past weekend over a break in a weather pattern that had been alternating between stifling heat and soaking rains.
A cool down coincided with the two-day gun season for youth deer hunters. It also excited archery and crossbow hunters getting into the woods, blinds and tree stands.
“It wasn’t really fit to do much but go hunting,” said Gabe Jenkins, deer and elk program coordinator with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “We saw good participation over the weekend.”
On deck for deer hunters in Kentucky are the October muzzleloader (Oct. 20-21), modern gun (Nov. 10-25) and late muzzleloader seasons (Dec. 8-16) before the free youth weekend on Dec. 29-30, 2018.
Difficult hunting conditions defined the first six weeks since archery deer season arrived at the start of September, which also ushered in numerous changes to deer hunting regulations.
The changes are detailed in the updated version of the Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide, on the department’s website at fw.ky.gov and in videos posted on the department’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
“What I’ve been telling people is, if you’re a deer hunter in this state, read the hunting guide because something that affects you has changed,” Jenkins said.
Major differences from last season:
- The statewide and youth deer permits allow for the harvest of up to four deer, either one antlered and three antlerless or four antlerless.
- The modern gun deer season is 16 days statewide.
- A total of 32 counties have been moved up into a different zone.
- Hunters can take as many deer as allowed for each zone. In order to take more than four deer statewide, an additional deer permit must be purchased.
- Hunters in Zones 2 and 3 can harvest no more than four deer. In Zone 3, only one antlerless deer can be taken with a firearm.
- The bag limit in Zone 4 is two deer but only one can be an antlerless deer. Antlerless deer can be harvested during the archery season, crossbow season, free youth weekend or the last three days of the December muzzleloader season. Again, the statewide bag limit of one antlered deer applies.
Hunters are still allowed only one antlered deer statewide regardless of zone, method or season. In Zone 1, hunters can still harvest an unlimited number of antlerless deer with the statewide deer permit and additional deer permit.
The changes encourage greater harvest of does and increased deer harvest in areas where a reduction in herd numbers is sought. At the same time, they are designed to foster a bounce back in areas of east Kentucky hit hardest by last year’s epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) outbreak.
“The new regulations are intended to help meet those objectives,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said this week there has been one confirmed case of EHD with test results pending on five others, most from north of Interstate 64 and east of Interstate 75.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we see an uptick in harvest with people wanting to try to fill their four-deer limit,” Jenkins said. “But we also know that three-quarters of our total harvest comes during the modern gun season. That’s the key. If we get a bad weather weekend or two in there, that’s going to have an effect.”
Hunters harvested 136,026 deer during the 2017-18 season, the fifth highest total on record, and the state’s deer herd remains robust overall.
“Things are good,” Jenkins said. “We had a very wet winter and there’s plenty of forage for both adults and fawns, so we expect to see high survival. Traditionally, you have a stress period in July and August. That did not exist this year. They’ve had plenty of groceries on the landscape, so they should be in prime condition health-wise.”
While September’s harvest was down year-over-year, understandable considering the unkind heat and rain, it remained higher than the 10-year average.
Hunters reported taking 4,654 deer during this month’s youth-only gun season weekend, second only to the 2015 season.
That year, the statewide mast survey noted poor white oak acorn production with red oaks rated average. Early returns from mast surveys conducted this year point toward uneven acorn production. Deer will frequent areas around white oaks littering the ground with acorns first before turning attention to red oaks.
“They’re going be more active in weather like this than they are in 90-degree temperatures,” Jenkins said. “They’re going to do what they’re going to do breeding wise when the season is right. However, if conditions are more conducive to eat and be up and moving, they’re going to.
“Right now the key is acorns. Deer are just going to sit there and munch on acorns all day long.”
A chill in the air gets hunters thinking about deer in Kentucky. The best part is its arrival this year comes with plenty of season still left.
