Sixty feet up, the Mount Oliver Fire Department lends a hand in adjusting the field lights at Volunteer Field in Carrick. The lights needed a little “tweaking” so the players would be able to follow the ball better during night games.
th Ward Knoxville Block Watch, was ecstatic, that every invited guest speaker showed up to the organization’s first official meeting of the year on April 28 at the Trinity Lutheran Church, at the corner of Brownsville Road and Margaret Street.
"I am shocked by the [huge] turnout [of more than 40 residents] and I am also pleased that [all the public officials] we invited turned out as well," said Ms. Ward, running only her second meeting since taking over as block watch president last fall.
"I’m so pleased with everything," said Ms. Ward, noting the large turnout is a sign that apathy among residents and city officials is not as rampant as many believe. (30th Ward)
Four months into a four-year term and District 3 Councilman Bruce A. Kraus says the job is everything he expected it to be, "there have been no surprises at all."
Sitting in his office on the fifth floor of the City-County Building, the councilman laughs when he says, "my intention was to come in here for the first six months and keep my mouth shut. And in 10 minutes that was out the window." He attributed that to the dynamics of the city council and having three new council members coming in at the same time. "The karma was such that we hit the ground running."
Aside from tackling citywide issues such as the issue with public input and oversight of lighted signs on the Downtown transportation center, the councilman has been active in the community. In the last several months, he has called town meetings to bring both sides together to discuss a take-out window proposed for a South Side restaurant and with the developers of the former police station/jail on 13
th Street. More recently, Mr. Kraus could be seen walking the streets in Knoxville, picking up litter in Beltzhoover during a clean up effort and painting over graffiti in South Side. (Councilman Kraus)
Adam Haluka and Ron Goings are the reason East Carson Street is looking more litter free. The cleaning crew is out six days a week picking up trash and removing posters and flyers from poles and parking meters in the business district.
Tom Smith 29.APR.08
People are taking notice of the goings on along East Carson Street the last few months. There’s a new team whose job it is to clean up the neighborhood, and they’re making a difference.
Since the beginning of March, Ron Goings and Adam Halula have been making the rounds along East Carson Street, from "bridge to bridge" picking up and sweeping up litter. The South Side Local Development Company administers the program which is funded by a $30,000 dollar for dollar matching grant from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Mr. Goings works 40 hours a week, Monday through Friday, and Mr. Halula works part time, 20 to 25 hours each week generally on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and every Saturday. Geof Comings, manager of Business Development for the SSLDC, said there was a need for the clean up on Saturday mornings after Friday night in the business district and for both men to work on Monday after the weekend. (Cleaning Crew)
Soon, South Side will be a little bit brighter with the addition of 104 hanging flower baskets going up at the end of May along East Carson Street.
The baskets are part and parcel along with a sidewalk cleaning program of a 2008 public space improvement program in the neighborhood.
"It’s all going to benefit the appearance of East Carson Street," said Geof Comings, manager of Business Development for the South Side Local Development Company. The cleaning program is a result of the International Downtown Association’s visit and recommendations last August. Among the other things, the IDA recommended the SSLDC focus on safe, clean and green issues. The hanging flower baskets are a way of financing the sidewalk cleaning program. (Flower Baskets)
The previous month’s meeting had been a “downer,” said Judy Hackel, president of the Allentown Community Development Corporation.
In March ACDC meeting attendees vented concerns about public safety problems and city services that were unresponsive to the needs of residents. Ms. Hackel felt enough time had been spent on complaints regarding doom and gloom in the community and this time scheduled upbeat speakers to talk of the neighborhood’s positive aspects at the April 24 monthly meeting held at the Allentown Senior Center.
One nearby asset is Grandview Park and members of the Friends of Grandview Park listed upcoming activities. There will be free movies in the park in June, July and August, Diane Delmer, Mount Washington Community Development Corporation member, said. (Allentown CDC)
