Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Quid pro quo: Maybe Norfolk Southern won't show for the Greenway meeting in Atlanta

Last week NA Confidential reported on the combative scene at the year's first City Council meeting, focusing on Main Street innkeeper Valla Ann Bolovschak's ongoing campaign to quiet Norfolk Southern's inner city freight trains and her blistering denunciation of New Albany's Mayor James Garner for twice failing to attend meetings with an official of the railroad, who had been persuaded with some difficulty to come to New Albany at Valla Ann's specific request.

Garner's absence remains unexplained, but in colloquial terms, it's known as "standing someone up."

Today, the Louisville Courier-Journal headline reads "Delays in tunnel project could impede Ohio River Greenway plans," and reporter Ben Zion Hershberg reveals that the Norfolk Southern railroad (where have we heard that name?) has not been forthcoming in granting approval for two access tunnels to be constructed beneath the floodwall and under the rail line, thus casting doubt on the scheduled starting time for the proposed New Albany section of the Greenway.

Hershberg quotes Varoujan Hagopian, a Greenway designer: "For about three months we have been trying to get their (the Norfolk Southern's) attention," adding that officials from the railroad finally have agreed to meet Greenway planners next week ... in Atlanta.

A spokesman for the railroad then confides that he's heard something about plans for a Greenway, and hopes to find out what it's all about at the Atlanta meeting.

Coincidence? You be the judge.

Delays in tunnel project could impede Ohio River Greenway plans, by Ben Zion Hershberg


at

1 comment:

  1. All4Word5:59 PM

    For what it's worth, I was told today that the mayor had pen in hand to ink a deal but found that the railroad had prepared a contract for county officials, not city officials, and he thus could not proceed.

    I'm also told the mayor was unable to communicate this complication at the contentious city council meeting and that the mayor may well be fully supportive of Valla Ann's campaign.

    Just reporting from the outpost. But can you ever trust a blogger? No self-respecting news gatherer could run with such a tale, but the blogosphere does allow for rumors, neh?

    ReplyDelete