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GOOD NEWS FOR MOUTOUX PARK
Thanks Mayor Lloyd and Parks Director Madriaga for coming to the aid of Moutoux
Park. The West Side Youth Soccer Club and Westside Improvement Association is
grateful.
A few weeks ago, Mayor Lloyd announced some plans are being developed to solve
the drainage issues at Moutoux. Also there will be electrical installations,
some improvements to the lake, and a gate to keep vandals from tearing up the
fields. These plans are in line with the Parks Master Plan and are very welcome.
When the improvements are made, the fields also can be utilized by Central,
Reitz, and Mater Dei High Schools.
A vandal has been caught tearing up the fields with his vehicle. The West Side
Youth Soccer Club had just spent about $5,000 upgrading the area. It is hoped
the vandal is prosecuted and made to pay damages as well as help repair the
fields.
New Meeting Time for the Parks Committee
The Parks Committee is now meeting at 4:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each
month at the Greenway Passage Field Office at 801 Uhlhorn St. Anyone wishing to
attend these meetings is welcome.
Congratulations Burdette Park
Westside Improvement congratulates Burdette Park Manager Steve Craig for an
excellent job. The park looks tremendous. The cabin, the landscaping, and the
grooming is something of which Vanderburgh County can be very proud.
If the new Master Plan is implemented and Burdette is marketed well, it should
be a tremendous tourism draw. It will truly be a jewel in the crown of west side
parks.
Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage – Please, Please Help
by Shirley James
As most of you know, I chair the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage and have done so
for a number of years. The Greenway Passage was first planned in 1927 (then
called the Pleasure Path). Our present effort is the sixth time it has been
attempted. The bicycle/pedestrian path is meant to meet the needs of the average
citizen such as providing healthy inexpensive recreational opportunities,
restoration of natural resources, beautification of neighborhoods, cleansing of
the air, and upgrading real estate values. It also is a tourism draw.
Sections of our trail are in various stages of design and construction. We have
had to develop in sections in order to resolve environmental issues in the city
center. Difficulties such as changes in government, environmental issues, and
extensive permitting also have created delays that were regrettable.
Nonetheless, we persevered and were just beginning to realize some fruits of our
labors when we were handed this latest problem.
The Greenway Passage has been unique in that it has been the source of economic
development monies. In the past, for every two dollars ($2) the city spends, the
Passage brings in eight dollars ($8) from the federal government. This money
buys construction materials here in Evansville and provides jobs for
construction workers. Indiana has been slow to develop pedestrian/bikeways and
consequently became a donor state. It wasn’t until the early 90’s the state
realized it was losing major industries because it didn’t provide the quality of
life features that workers were requiring before accepting jobs. Other states
profited from our tax money. Finally, the state began utilizing the $17,000,000
of federal traffic enhancement monies and trails are in various stages of
construction throughout the state.
On July 24, the House Appropriations Committee voted 29 to 33 to increase
highway funding to 34.1 billion, an increase of $2.5 billion over 2003 levels,
in part by entirely cutting funding for enhancements and severely reducing money
available for new transit projects and Amtrak. . The Appropriations Committee
gave the states the right to decide whether or not they will assign money for
enhancements. With most states struggling for money, it is most likely the funds
will not be allocated to enhancements. What a stupid course of action when we
are trying to limit our dependence on oil, are suffering from the poor health
effects of polluted air, and—as a nation—are overweight and needing exercise
If Evansville no longer has the benefit of the enhancement dollars, we will be
left with unconnected segments of the trail in various stages of completion. A
considerable amount of the public’s money was spent for design etc. in the
past—only to have it fall through because of governmental changes.
In view of the fact enhancement monies may not be available, I have submitted an
application to the City Comptroller, Glen Barnes, to ask that some funds from
the Evansville Capital Development Fund (Aztar’s contribution) be placed in
reserve so we may have enough capital to complete the segments. If enhancement
monies are restored to the federal budget we will not need the help of the
Capital Development Fund.
Congress is in recess during August. During that time, the entire trails
community throughout the state is organizing an onslaught on congress to restore
the enhancement funding.
Please call our congressional representatives and ask them restore the funding
to its previous levels.
House Appropriations Chair Bill Young – 202-225-9446
House Representative John Hostettler -- 812-465-6484
Senator Richard Lugar -- 812-465-6313
Senator Evan Bayh -- 812-465-6500
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