New Ashland Marker
In October, Ashland Park was honored with a Kentucky historical marker in recognition of the landscape architects, brothers Frederick and John Charles Olmsted, who designed the neighborhood. According to the marker, the brothers designed the U.S. Capitol and White House grounds.
'Tis the season
Ready or not, the holidays are officially upon us. Here's a sampling of some of the holiday showcases and markets that Lexington has to offer starting this month:
Holiday Showcase: Top area designers are decking the halls of the Bodley-Bullock House in historic Gratz Park, and the public is invited to tour the antebellum mansion from Nov. 20 - Dec. 2. Santa sightings are planned, and local musicians will fill the home with music at various times throughout the showcase. General admission is $10, and all proceeds benefit the Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency (NHOA) of the Bluegrass. The showcase will be open to the public Tuesdays - Thursdays 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Fridays from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. The house will be closed on Mondays and on Thanksgiving Day. For more information visit www.ombuddy.org.
Junior League Holly Day Market: From Nov. 13 -
15, the Junior League of Lexington will get you in the mood for the holidays with the annual Holly Day Market. This year, the one-stop shopping extravaganza featuring items from local vendors, takes place in a new location, the Lexington Convention Center. Available gifts include gourmet food items, UK memorabilia, pottery, stationary, jewelry and other accessories. On Thursday Nov. 13, a "preview party" featuring food, cocktails and door prizes will give shoppers a sneak peek at the market before the crowds roll in (7-10 p.m., $35). Market hours are 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14; 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, November 15 ($8 entry per day; $15 weekend pass). All proceeds benefit the Junior League of Lexington. For a complete schedule and more information, visit www.hollydaymarket.com.
Christmas at Keeneland Art Fair: On Nov. 28 -
29, Keeneland Race Course will once again host the Christmas at Keeneland Art Fair. This juried art fair features 80 of the region's best artists and craftspersons, just in time for your holiday shopping needs. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. November 28; 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. November 29. For more information, call (859) 288-2925.
Study, meetings highlight neighborhood traffic concerns
What started as a civic and neighborhood discussion about an intersection that many Chevy Chase and Ashland Park residents find particularly troublesome - the intersection where Euclid Avenue meets Tates Creek - has grown into a full-blown investigation of various traffic concerns in the neighborhood.
Responding to a request from the 5th District Councilperson Cheryl Feigel and the Ashland Park Neighborhood Association, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Department of Public Works and Development recently completed a study to determine if traffic-calming measures are warranted on a number of residential streets in the neighborhood, including Fincastle Road, DeSha Road, Ghent Road and South Hanover Avenue. Due to the findings, traffic-calming measures were recommended from the traffic engineer manager for South Hanover Avenue, and Desha Road between Slashes and Ghent Roads.
The intersection at Euclid Avenue and Tates Creek is still front and center for many in the neighborhood. A standing-room-only group of concerned residents and city staff members, including Council member Feigel and Steve Austin, who led many of the talking points, met last month at Buddy's to pinpoint the problems with this intersection, which Austin said include speeding, pedestrian-friendliness, turning left onto High Street from Fontaine and beautification. The group also discussed possible solutions. Based on this feedback, Austin, an urban designer and director of the Legacy Center, is currently working on a drawing of the intersection that will highlight the concerns and conceptualize possible improvements.
Austin emphasized that no decisions have been made, and that it's not too late for concerned citizens to get involved. For more information, please read Council member Feigel's report on page 8 of this magazine. To become involved, please contact Feigel at cfeigel@lfucg.com.