NEWS

Brighton Rail Trail is Open!

The newly completed extension of the Brighton Rail Trail officially opened Saturday, November 11 at the Brighton Rail Trail, at the entrance to the new extension at 1748 Alysheba Way.  The new extension is 0.5 miles in length and connects to the Liberty Park Trail. The Brighton Rail Trail is a 3.5 mile paved, shared-use path and is the first rail trail in Fayette County. The trail was constructed within the right-of-way of the CSX rail line, which was abandoned in 1986.  Kentucky Utilities owned and donated the right-of-way to LFUCG for the creation of the trail.  The trail is a part of the proposed Lexington Big Sandy Rail Trail, planned to stretch from Lexington to Ashland and cover a distance of 104 miles. The newest extension of the Brighton Rail Trail is the third section to be completed. A pedestrian bridge that will extend over Man O’ War Blvd and connect the new extension to previous trail segments is anticipated to begin construction in the summer of 2018.

Synergy Home has a New Office

Synergy Home celebrated its new home on Winchester Road with a ribbon cutting in November. Their new office is powered by a large solar panel on the front of the building. This solar panel provides enough energy that they have a public car charger. This is the first solar powered car charger in the area.  “Winchester road is open for business and I want my business to be a part of that,” owner Jamie Clark said, demonstrating the solar power air conditioner, Smart Frog Air Conditioner by Perfectly Green, which he has already installed in two Lexington locations.  The Synergy Home office is a step into the future of electricity production in the workplace.

Fire Safety

The Youth Citizens Academy is a joint, pilot project between the council office of Angela Evans, 6th District Councilmember, and Frederick Douglass High School to provide students with a hands-on look at the functions of city government.

They YCA’s first event was a two-day Fire and Emergency Services Field Day on the Frederick Douglass High School campus.  This inaugural event was hosted by the Lexington Fire Department and taught students about a variety of emergency response services that the department provides for the citizens of Fayette County.  More than 300+ freshman from Frederick Douglass High School participated.

During the field day, students were able to use a fire engine’s water hose, participate in fire extinguisher training and take part in bleeding control training and certification.

The Fire and Emergency Services Field Day is meant to be the first of several Youth Citizens Academy events for high school students to learn first-hand about city government and its many functions.  Look for additional YCA events to be announced in the coming months.

“Food for Fines”

The Lexington Parking Authority will run the “Food for Fines” canned food drive for a fourth straight year.

Customers who bring in 10 cans of food will receive $15 off any LEXPARK or Lexington Police issued parking citation. Customers with multiple citations may bring in as many cans as they wish and receive $15 credit for every set of 10 cans. Past due citations are eligible. The LEXPARK office is located at 122 North Broadway.

“During the previous three years we have collected 24,500 cans of food, which is the equivalent of 12 tons or 16,000 meals,” said Parking Authority Executive Director Gary Means.

All canned food donations received by LEXPARK will be donated to God’s Pantry Food Bank. Canned vegetables which are at least 14-15 oz. large and protein items such as canned meat, beans or peanut butter are suggested.

Said Chairman James Frazier, “We love that Lexington embraces the Food for Fines program. Giving back is a core value in our community and LEXPARK provides a small incentive that leads to a big impact on those in need.”

*Expired, damaged or opened food donations will not be accepted. Please be considerate when selecting donated items. LEXPARK reserves the right to revoke a customer’s participation in this program at any time.*

RCHF donates $46,800 to Lexington Habitat for Humanity

The Realtor-Community Housing Foundation (RCHF) donates $46,800 to Lexington Habitat for Humanity.  The funds are to be used for Habitat’s Home Repair Program for projects that are currently not under contract due to no funds. Habitat for Humanity aligns with the Realtor-Community Housing Foundation’s goal to empower families and strengthen neighborhoods by assisting homeowners in need to be able to stay in their homes.  Already in 2017 RCHF donated $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity and REACH.  In 2016, RCHF donated a total of $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and REACH.

Competition for Cable heats up in Lex

Mayor Jim Gray announced an agreement with MetroNet to build a fiber-optic network in Lexington, that will reportedly offer citizens a new choice in television providers, and transform Lexington into a gigabit city with ultrafast internet access that will ideally attract high tech businesses and good jobs.

Indiana-based MetroNet plans to start building its fiber-optic network in January at a cost to the business of at least $70 million. The company hopes that in the summer of 2018 the first Lexington residents and businesses will be able to start receiving internet access, television packages, and phone service over fiber-optic cables, which carry data at gigabit speeds, or 1,000 megabits per second.

“The people of Lexington have been crying out for a new competitor to bring improved television, faster internet speeds, and caring customer service,” Gray said. “MetroNet not only solves those problems, but it turns Lexington into the nation’s largest gigabit city, with some of the fastest internet speeds in the world. That’s the fuel needed by a University City with expanding technology jobs and advanced industries across the city.”

A franchise agreement with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government is required before a telecommunications company or utility can begin work in the city’s right-of-way, where telephone poles and underground utilities are located.

MetroNet President John Cinelli said, “What attracted us to Lexington is Mayor Gray’s determination to transform Lexington into a gigabit city, and to provide citizens with a television alternative. We know we’re going to love being in Lexington — it’s a dense, vibrant city that’s growing at a rapid pace and clearly will thrive with state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure. We’re very happy to soon be a part of the fabric of this great city.”

MetroNet has built and operated fiber-optic networks in more than 35 towns and cities in Indiana and Illinois including Evansville, its home base.

Internet data is currently delivered by companies over copper telephone wires, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable, which is made of glass. Over copper and coaxial cable used by telephone companies and cable-television companies, data is sent using electronic pulses, which limits the speed of transmission. Over a fiber-optic network with gigabit speeds, a 90-minute high definition movie will download in 30 seconds, rather than 30 minutes.

Gigabit cities are those with fiber-optic networks that cover the city, rather than just certain neighborhoods. Currently, Chattanooga is the nation’s only gigabit city, and Huntsville is on track to be the second. MetroNet plans to build throughout Lexington’s urban services boundary, and may move beyond that boundary. “We will go where the customers are,” said Cinelli.

“I have said that we need competition among television and internet providers in Lexington,” continued Gray. “With MetroNet’s entry into Lexington, we will be one of the few cities in the country with true competition in this sector. And we all know that competition lowers prices and improves service.”

Connect Lex

The Lexington Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has released a draft of the 2017 Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan and is encouraging the public to review it and offer feedback.  The plan outlines policies, actions and projects that are intended to improve walking and biking in Fayette and Jessamine counties.

“The plan envisions a network of high quality walkways and bikeways that connects regional communities, people and places,” said Scott Thompson, the MPO’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.  ”The goal is for people of all ages and abilities to have access to comfortable and convenient walking and biking routes resulting in true mobility choices, improved economic opportunity, and healthier lifestyles. It will also promote a culture of safety and respect for people traveling by foot or bike, whether for transportation or recreation.”

In addition to outlining where bicycle and pedestrian improvements are needed in both the short and long term, the draft plan describes six key goals – connectivity, economic growth, equity, health, safety and mobility – with corresponding strategies to make that vision a reality.

The public is encouraged to review the recommendations and provide feedback to ensure the plan reflects the needs of residents and visitors in Fayette and Jessamine Counties.

Comments can be submitted by going to connectlex.org. There, the public can:

Read the Executive Summary for highlights of the plan

Check out the online, interactive map for a details on project priorities in both Fayette and Jessamine Counties. Citizens are encouraged to “like” the projects they are the most excited about.

Public comments will be accepted until Dec. 8 for this round of the review process.  The final plan is anticipated to be complete by January 2018.

EVENTS

December 5

With the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to explore the Gift of Financial Independence. The Eastside Public Library will host a free seminar about how to best provide a financial head start in life.Light snacks will be provided. Tuesday December 5 at 7 pm.

December 6

Join Professional Women’s Forum for their December luncheon featuring guest Jon Carloftis on Wednesday, December 6 at 11:30am at Copper Roux. Kentucky native Jon Carloftis is an award-winning garden designer, garden writer, television guest, author, and lecturer.

December 7

The University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics will be hosting a Professional MBA Open House event, December 7 at 5:30 pm, which will focus on the part-time, evening Professional MBA program. (550 S Limestone)

December 8

On December 8 at 9 am at Community Ventures (1450 N Broadway), learn how to write compelling grant proposals for your cause. Explore the elements of a standard grant proposal, find out what reviewers are looking for in a proposal and learn how to make yours stand above the rest.

December 12

Do you have a great idea for an invention, startup or business? Then Join Inventors Network KY at the Inventors Council Central KY in Lexington for the Workshop for Inventors and Entrepreneurs on December 12 at 7 pm at the Eastside Library.

This article also appears on page 4,5&6 of the December 2017 printed edition of the Hamburg Journal.

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