A Monthly Summary of News and events in Old Louisville
Published by OLIC, Inc., a 501(c)(3) Corporation

Old Louisville Information Center
1240 S. Fourth St—In Central Park
Louisville, KY 40208

Phone (502) 635-5245
 E-mail: OLIC@Oldlouisville.org

                                                                                           
Letter from the Editor:

It is the beginning of a new year and new resolutions for us all. This newsletter is no exception. Our first resolution is to obtain current information about all of the association. The Old Louisville Information Center is updating information and we need your help. If you chair an association please notify us of your officers as well as inform us of any news about your association. We are attempting to compile a database and set up an e-mail list. If you would appreciate notification by e-mail, then please send your e-mail address to us. Our e-mail address is OlIC@oldlouisville.com  .

Our second resolution is to gather suggestions and comments regarding our neighborhoods and our association. Again it is essential to hear from the membership. If you are a member of any of the thirteen associations then you also belong to OLNC (the Old Louisville Neighborhood Association). OLNC was established in 1976 to serve as the recognized voice of the Old Louisville Neighborhood. We are interested in hearing from the membership about programs, initiatives, projects and "whatever". Please do not hesitate to contact us by phone, letter or e-mail.

Our third resolution is to provide the neighborhood with current pertinent information about our community. Any and all news is welcome and allows our sense of community to grow.

Finally we would like to provide an open-minded forum for your voices and concerns. Please help us to assist all associations and neighborhoods to achieve a greater feeling of community.

Junk Pick up Date - March 5

All items should be at your collection point by 6:00 a.m. on Monday of your collection week, but not earlier than the Friday before the collection date. Items placed out on the wrong dates could result in fines. If there are any questions contact CityCall at 574-3333.

Donation and Preservation

Did you know that gifts to the Information Center are tax deductible? The Information Center is a non-profit organization and gifts to the center are tax deductible. As we begin cleaning this spring we may find books, photos, documents or other items pertaining to our neighborhood and city. Any of these items that have a "history" or provide a link to the past are of value to the center. Please contact Mary Martin at 637-4000, if you wish to donate an item. The donated item is documented and assigned a value which is tax deductible. 

Please help the center develop its display of the past. We are also interested in current photos of our neighborhood buildings and any written histories that you may have. If you would allow copies to be made of these items, we would appreciate these also.

Chair Notes

Let's hope that February still hasn't arrived as you read this. We don't want anyone staring at an out-of-date calendar, wondering what's going on RIGHT NOW. Please find your February, 2001 calendar on the back cover; we hope it is as accurate and complete as any we've ever published. If it's not, let us know - or better still, help us get it right. Between the covers this month, you'll find an assortment of basic information that you just might want to clip to your refrigerator magnet along with the calendar. Yes, we're returning to basics and pledging to have this newsletter in your hands by its publication date - rain, snow, or gloom of night notwithstanding.

Undoubtedly, we bit off more than we could chew with the Journal in 2000, though we still believe our vision of an expanded publication was on target. Murphy's Law, however -- set in motion by unforeseen personnel shifts and seemingly unavoidable production problems, -- waged war against our getting it to you in a timely fashion. With this issue, we are introducing a new editor, Sandy Barber. Sandy and her husband, Steve, have been busy renovating 1470 South Third Street for the past year. Sandy, through a thought process I can't fathom, decided she needed a diversion. 2001's first prediction is that her need for diversion will satisfy our need for timeliness and consistency.

Please note the editorial statement inside. I'm in complete agreement with it. Two pages or ten, we'll have the information you need in your mailbox by the first of every month. Thank each and every one of you for bearing with us. Thanks again to Sandy, and thanks to Barry Kornstein, who is serving as our layout editor. With everyone's help, we'll continue to improve.

We need road maps as much as we need newspapers. I know I can be faulted for not providing you with a better one last year. Frankly, after some years of relative inactivity, I was none too sure last January and February where we stood, let alone where we needed to go. After a year of listening, observing, brainstorming, and fighting fires, I've concluded the following should be priorities:

1. Greater Participation and Unity
   United we stand, divided we fall. We have to keep striving to speak with one strong, unified voice. We need more block associations, more participation on the part of more people, and probably more of the right kind of meetings. Other officers and I will be attending more association meetings this year and working harder to find out your concerns and help you deal with them. We'll be holding more general membership meetings this year; so keep your eye on the calendar for these.
       

2.  A Cleaner Neighborhood
   If you have been reading the newsletter, you know this isn't a new-found enthusiasm with me. I believe more strongly all the time that it is important and that we have to keep our focus on it. We have made progress, but we need to make more. A new committee has been formed to co-ordinate the various clean-up initiatives. Watch the calendar or call Rhonda Williams for more information.
       

3. Sounder Financial Footing
   We've survived quite well, but need to do more planning and building for the future. Andy Perry is organizing a committee to draft a mission statement and then identify and pursue funding sources. Personally, I believe we can and should work toward building an endowment. Stay tuned for more on how you can help with this, or call Andy.
        

4. Commercial Development and Redevelopment
   In particular, this applies to the Oak Street Corridor. I believe Oak Street is the key to a great deal of other development we'd like to see. We need to co-ordinate our efforts with the Old Louisville Business and Professional Associations. You definitely will be kept informed on this, but contact me any time you have ideas.

Of course, we have other work in progress. Vacant and abandoned buildings, crime and safety, insuring completion of the Ninth Street Extension in a way that complements our other goals are a few examples that come to mind. In addition, at least three new plans or plan amendments are in the works: the amended Old Louisville/Limerick Plan, now entering its enactment phase; the SoBro (South of Broadway) Plan, still in its early stages and the new Central Park Master Plan, just getting underway. To learn more about the Park and how you can be involved, see the January 17 Courier-Journal Neighborhoods section and come to Property Improvement committee meetings, which are held the second Thursday of every month.

As always, keep your thoughts and suggestions coming. Stay tuned to these pages, and to our website at www.oldlouisville.com, and have a safe and prosperous 2001. I'm looking forward to working with each of you.

Dick Callaway