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A Monthly Summary of
News and Events in Old Louisville |
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Volume 29, Issue 11 |
November 2007 |
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Save These Dates! The 2007 Old Louisville Holiday House Tour is right around the corner! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 31st Annual Old Louisville Holiday House Tour on December 1st & 2nd from noon to 6:00 p.m. This year’s event will focus on eight lovely mansions and town homes in the St James and Belgravia Court neighborhood, and several local B&Bs will also open their doors and invited the public inside to experience the charms of an old-fashioned Kentucky Christmas. The Crane House will also participate in this year’s tour, so it is sure to be the best Old Louisville Holiday House Tour yet. Diane Kleier has assumed the chair of the Holiday House Tour and has pledged to grow this popular holiday tradition into a spectacular neighborhood festival that will showcase the best of the Old Louisville neighborhood. Back by popular demand, professional actor Ron Harris will appear every hour on the hour at the DuPont Mansion B&B as his character Uncle Alfred DuPont recites the wonderful Ogden Nash poem about "Jabez Dawes, the Boy Who Laughed at Santa Clause," and David Domine will be on hand to sign his books, including the newly released "Adventures in New Kentucky Cooking with the Bluegrass Peasant." Once again, Don Driskell and Semonin Realtors have graciously agreed to come on board as sponsors for this holiday classic in Old Louisville, America’s largest Victorian neighborhood. Tickets are $25, but they can be bought in advance for $20. For more information or to purchase tickets or volunteer your services in exchange for a free ticket, go online at http://www.holidayhousetour.com/ . John Paul has designed a beautiful and informative website where you may take a tour of last year’s homes and learn more about our beautiful neighborhood. You may also purchase tickets and pick up brochures at the Old Louisville Information Center in Central Park (635-5244) or at the Visitors Center in Historic Old Louisville at 218 West Oak Street (637.2922) |
Central Park Walkway Construction By Herb Fink During this past winter-spring, when the two old tennis courts were removed, sections of the Central Park walkways were severely damaged in the area of 6th St. and Park. Ave. Prior to the St. James Court Art show approximately 50 feet of concrete walkway was reconstructed and a sizeable section of brick walkway was reset by Metro Parks contractors. The approximate $5,000 cost was shared by Metro Parks and Friends of Central Park. |
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Community Policing Mural Dedication The Community Policing mural which was installed in the lobby of the LMPD 4th Division offices just prior to the St. James Court Art Show will be dedicated on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The dedication will be attended by Police Chief Robert White, Major Steve Green and many officers of the previous 5th District and the present 4th Division. All Old Louisville residents are urged to attend. |
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 Garden
Buddies!Need some help in the garden? We’ll do the work for you! Weeding, planting, mulching, deadheading, light pruning, etc. Call Joan or Linda 634-3813 • 635-1251 |
Editorial Policy: Letters and articles submitted to The Old Louisville Journal may be edited with regard to space and/or content. Letters to the Editor must be signed with a verifiable signature and address |
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
I go to the St. James Art fair every year. I remember the fair of old back in the 70’s and 80’s. There used to be lots of people selling original Oil paintings and handmade rugs and such. The quality of the fair has been going down steadily in the last ten years. This year takes the cake! I was enjoying the beautiful fountain with my 17 month old little girl, eating my $4.00 brat when I noticed a double-wide bright orange AT&T Cellular booth. This aberration used to be down by the food vendors out of the way from the "real" show. NOW they have THE prime spot! Letting a cellular company in The Art Show was a mistake in the first place. Selling out (for a lot of money do doubt) the prime booth right by the fountain to corporate America is ABSURD. Thank You for destroying the St. James Art Fair!
Also, this is the second year with no "St. James Art Fair - Since 19xx" T-shirts. I heard a lot complaining last year about the missing T-shirts. I can’t believe that an art show with the stature of the St. James Art Fair does not have a new shirt every year. It is the most basic of items to have at an event such as this one. Get an artist to draw a new rendition of the fountain EVERY year and sell, sell, sell!
Thanks, Devin Webb
The Director of the St. James Art Show was given the opportunity to reply:
Dear Devin:
I have to disagree with your opinion that the quality of the show has decreased over the past ten years. It has been a major goal of the Art Show Consortium to continually step up the quality of artists that are included. I would say the majority of the artists showing at St. James also have their work in galleries and in some cases museums across the country.
In regards to corporate sponsors it’s just a plain fact that we need them. This year, the Art Show had twenty-six community sponsors giving a total of $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in-kind contributions. The combined budgets for the Art Show Consortium and the 5 neighborhood associations that produce it are in excess of $500,000. AT&T is one of our major sponsors and for that they receive the opportunity to have exposure to our patrons. That is the basic meaning of sponsorship. Because of ever increasing operating expenses for both producing the art show and maintaining these neighborhoods the need for sponsorship is always there. I guess you must have stopped going to the Kentucky Derby now that YUM sponsors that too.
I take offense in your remark that I have destroyed the art show. As I sit here on the Friday after the art show having managed 200 volunteers, over 700 artists, 26 corporate sponsors, 5 media outlets and close to 250,000 patrons with two interns and a handful of dedicated residents and volunteers that work all year long to produce a nationally ranked art show, I am proud of what the St. James Court Art Show is today and will begin working on next year’s show on Monday.
Marguerite Esrock
Director, St. James Court Art Show
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 Yard
ServiceMowing, Trimming, Blowing, Raking, Tilling, and Small Tree Service. Call Joe at 635-1251 or 377-6600 |
P
roperty Improvement CommitteeReport by Herb Fink
Significant new construction and renovation to existing buildings continues in Old Louisville.
Recent Old Louisville Historic Landmarks and Preservation District Architectural Review Committee reviews and Landmarks Staff Reviews include the following sites:
Greystone Building Renovation
418 W. Ormsby Ave.
Exterior material for an elevator tower and 4th-floor penthouse; window replacement, door replacement; and cleaning and tuck-pointing of exterior facades. Total renovation cost - $2.7 million.
John & Kimberly Crum
1448 St. James Court
Demolition of an existing, stucco clad, 2-car garage at the rear of the property to be replaced with a new 3 car garage. Estimated project cost - $45,000. Architect - Bressoud Architecture, Inc.
Scot & Ginger Dawson
1223 S. 1st Street
Construction of a 3-car, 2-story carriage house at the rear of the property. All sides of the carriage house to be clad with 4" horizontal lap, smooth face, hardi-board. Estimated project cost - $40,000. Design by Sonny Whittle.
Cindy Calvelo
116 W. Ormsby Ave.
Construction of a new 2-car, detached garage of board and batten siding and stucco covered foundation at rear of property. Estimated project cost - $37,00.
Diane Kleier
615 Floral Terrace
Constuction of a one-story bruck addition to the rear of the existing residence; to include a carport and 8 ft. high fence about the rear yard area. Architect - Gary Kleier. Estimate proejct cost - $50,000.
Cabbage Patch Settlement House
1419 S. 6th Street
Replacement of existing windows and replacement of wood-lap-siding. Estimated project cost - $9,000.
Mary K. Martin
1466 S. 3rd Street
Replacement of the existing house roof with synthetic slate roofing material. The material will be late gray colored and crafted to match real slate look. Estimated project cost - $25,000.
James C. Deeb
118 E. Ormsby Ave.
Replacement of existing metal roof and gutter system; replace existing windows; add a new wooden arbor to cover existing rear deck.
The 4th Avenue Coffee House:Standing on Holy Grounds happens every third Thursday of the month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The November Coffee House is scheduled for 11.15.07. We meet in Fellowship Hall of 4th Avenue United Methodist Church (318 W. St. Catherine - corner of 4th and St. Catherine). Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the presence of God in a safe place where you may be refreshed by music, fair trade coffee, and conversation. For more information, please call 502-585-2176 or visit us at www.fourthavenue.us
Old Louisville is haunted all year long!
Even though Halloween has come and gone, the Ghosts of Old Louisville still roam the streets! This should come as no surprise since Old Louisville has long been touted as "the Most Haunted Neighborhood in the Country!" As a result, TourLouisville offers their weekly driven ghost tours throughout the year, not just in the fall. In addition, the Saturday morning Walking Tour of Old Louisville at 11:00 has proven to be imensely popular with locals and out-of-towners alike. Put on a coat and scarf and join us for the fun! For more information, contact the Visitors Center in Historic Old Louisville at 218 West Oak Street ( 637.2922)
The St. James Court Art Show awarded a total of $10,200 in college scholarships to 5 talented high school artists
October 9, 2007 Louisville, KY- Five local high school seniors were selected as the winners of the St. James Court Art Show Scholarship Competition. The five portfolios and one watercolor were selected from 23 portfolios submitted by Louisville Metro area art educators. A jury of three working artists evaluated portfolios for design, technique, visual interest and content.
The top prize ($4000) went to Farhudin Omerovic of duPont Manual High School for his paintings. Farhudin also won the prize for best watercolor ($400). Other prizes went to duPont Manual students Shae Bishop ($2500), Katy McRoberts ($1300) and Gabrielle Hooper ($1000). as well as Megan Bickel ($1,000) of Ballard High School.
The 2007 art show was the 30th year of the High School Scholarship Competition, which was established to reward young talent and give something back to the community. Current sponsors come from four Old Louisville neighborhood associations: the St. James Court Association, 1300 Third Street Association, Third Street Association, and Fourth Street Association.
For more information and photographs, please contact me:
Kimberly Crum
Co-Chair, High School Scholarship Competition
E-mail: kcrumwrites@aol.com
Cellular Telephone: 502-417-3424
Old Louisville To Get More Free Plants
Twenty Seven 3-5' tall arbor vitaes, that were slated to be discarded from a downtown flower pot program, are instead to be replanted in Toonerville Park and Ouerbacker Court in the next few weeks.
Landscape designers hired to replant the downtown pots were going to toss the shrubs but Old Louisvillian Ken Herndon claimed them for use in the neighborhood. This past Spring, 45 hollies and junipers were similarily saved and replanted at the entrances to Toonerville Park.
This fall, you may be seeing more trees in our neighborhood thanks to the efforts of some neighbors and Metro Government.
Toonerville neighbors Nancy Woodcock and Irene Spicer applied for and received a grant from Brightside for approximately 30 trees to be planted in the eastern section of Old Louisville, most likely this Fall.
Further, working with Metro Arborist Cindy Marquel, Ms. Woodcock and fellow neighbor Ken Herndon have worked toward getting as many as 100 additional trees planted, primarily in empty tree wells, throughout the neighborhood, also possibly this Fall.
Ms. Woodcock and Mr. Herndon did an iventory of the eastern and western halves of Old Louisville, respectively and Ms. Marquel also surveyed the area for proper species.
Hopefully, this Fall and especially next Spring, our neighborhood will be even greener and more beautiful.
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BJB |
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Window Joke, no joke
By Gary J Kleier, AIA, AIC
Kleier Associates, ArchitectsLast year I replaced all the windows in my house with that expensivedouble-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I still hadn’t paid for them. Hellloooo, . . . just because I live in an old house, does he think I am stupid? So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves! Helllooooo? It’s been a year! I told him. There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up.
He never called back. Guess I won that stupid argument.
I bet he felt like an idiot!
OK.... That’s good for a laugh, but the subject of replacement windows is not a laughing matter in the historic districts. Before you accept what the window salesman tells you, remember these things:
1. YOU, not your contractor, are required by law to obtain approval from Landmarks before you replace ANY windows on ANY structure in a historic district
2. NO windows are "pre-approved", and some are actually NOT ALLOWED in certain locations
3. The original windows can usually be saved and made more efficient than the expensive replacement windows. Landmarks can show you how, and usually save you money in the process.
4. If you proceed without approval, YOU, not your contractor, may be required to remove the replacement windows at your expense.
The window contractor is NOT your friend. He is a business man interested only in making money. Before you believe his claim that the window will "pay for itself in a year", check it out. Call Landmarks and talk to a staff member. They are friendly, well informed and there to help you. 502.574.6230
For further information you can check the guidelines on line at:
http://www.louisvilleky.gov/PlanningDesign/Standard+Guidelines.htm
First check page 10 of the Maintenance guidelines. There is important information there. Then check the Window guidelines.
Be smart! Make an informed decision.
Recent Major Fires in Old Louisville
By Herb Fink
On Saturday evening, September 29, 2007, a large warehouse and contents was totally destroyed by a fire of unknown origin at Koch Filter Corporation located at 625 W. Hill Street.
The warehouse building was located along Levering Street just west of the 1400 block of S. 6th St. and contained approximately 7,000 sq. ft.
The warehouse was packed full of filter materials and the Metro fire fighters worked into Sunday afternoon to remove the building contents and extinguish the fire.
1346 S. 1st Street - On Monday, afternoon, October 15, 2007, a three-story, brick Old Louisville residential building was seriously damaged by an intense fire that totally removed the roof of the house and cased total destruction to the upper floors of the building. (the building has since been demolished)
The cause of the fire and whether the building can be saved is unknown at this time.
The neighboring residence to the north, 1344 S. 1st St. was also seriously damaged with the spread of the fire.
Keep Old Louisville Clean - Report a Litterer
Now you can get directly involved in making Louisville a more litter-free community through the Report-A-Litterer program. It’s aimed at motorists who throw fast-food wrappers, cigarette butts, soda bottles or any type of litter out their car window.
To report a litterer, simply call MetroCall 311 or 574-5000 or go the Metro website: www.LouisvilleKy.Gov and click-on "Reprot a Litterer" to include the follwoing information:
You must provide the license plate number of the vehicle. Please also provide the make and model of the vehicle if possible. Specific location where violation occurred. Date and time when violation occurred. Type of litter. Any other descriptive information you can provide.
November 2007
The Old Louisville Journal is published monthly by the Old Louisville Information Center, Inc. (OLIC), a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated in 1984, for the purpose of receiving tax deductible contributions. OLIC is affiliated with the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council (OLNC), a 501 (c) (4) non-profit association incorporated in 1976 to serve as the recognized voice of the Old Louisville Neighborhood.
Submit Journal
contributions to the Editor:
Old Louisville Information Center
1340 S. Fourth St., Louisville, KY 40208.
Phone: (502) 635-5244
E-mail: olnc@bellsouth.net
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Please submit “Letters to the Editor” to the above address.
The 15th of each month is deadline for submission of all ads and articles.
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