In which Deaf Gahan sets us straight about the naming rights.

Desperately we seek solace through satire. As always, satire begins with the unreality of real life.

Throwing Reisz: The Jeff M. Gahan Luxury Government Center keeps the emphasis on buildings, as opposed to people.

While the rest of us were preoccupied with a luxury city hall, the Floyd County Parks Department was stealing a march on His Deafness's NA City Parks unit.

Ah, but the Deafster was on top of it all along.

"You haven't factored in the Romeo Langford Municipal Complex. First reading coming soon as soon as Barksdale puts us over the bar."

In other words, Monday.

For more Hon. Deaf Gahan, visit Twitter.

Watch this: How to build a toll-free bridge in one week, at Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park.

Thanks, S.

"The Floyd County Parks & Recreation Department and The Floyd County Commissioners are building the Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park. A Contech CON/SPAN O-Series precast concrete bridge was selected for the main entrance. This video details the installation of the precast EXPRESS Foundations footings, the precast CON/SPAN bridge units, and the precast CON/SPAN headwalls and wingwalls. This installation was completed in April 2016."

The link: Floyd County - Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park CON/SPAN Bridge Installation Video.

See also:

Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park groundbreaking ceremony.

Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park groundbreaking ceremony.

The News and Tribune's Chris Morris gives good preview here. Today's ceremony was well attended, and there couldn't have been a better November day for it. The site is behind Northside Christian, on what must be one of the last perfectly flat undeveloped bits of acreage below the Knobs.

The park is an appropriate honor for Kevin, who was a longtime (combined) parks board member and a great supporter of the parks and recreation ideal.

Taco Steve among the vendors at Sunday's 50th birthday party at Sam Peden Community Park.

I'm told that Powell's Pigs & Cows, Shawn's Southern BBQ and other vendors will be on hand Sunday for Community Park's 50th birthday party.

What will not be available is NABC's iconic Community Dark, so named as a pun directly referencing the park, which is located just down Grant Line Road from NABC's original Pizzeria & Public House location on Plaza Drive.

That's because there is no provision in current law for exceptions to Community Park's mandated "dry" status. This came up earlier in the year, when briefly it appeared the park might be the ideal venue for IndieFest.

However, Republicans in county government did not possess the will (or interest) in changing the law, and so in spite of the ready availability of  temporary sales permits, and the profits to be accrued by controlled and otherwise perfectly legal consumption of alcoholic beverages, beer cannot be involved in the party.

For those alleging that I've been letting the GOP "off the hook," please reread the preceding, and recall my general attitude toward prohibitionist spasms.

At the newspaper, papa provides the details and praises the old white males.

Community Park at 50: Concert planned to celebrate New Albany park, by Chris Morris (News and Tribune)

... Despite the many changes to the park in the last 50 years, Community Park is still one of New Albany and Floyd County’s most used parks. And on Sunday, Aug. 16, the Floyd County Parks Department will host a free concert at the park to celebrate its 50th birthday ...

... The concert begins at 6 p.m. on Aug. 16 with the Jessie Brown Band from Nashville kicking off the festivities. Midnight Special-The Classic Rock Experience will take the stage at 7 p.m. and the headline act, Shenandoah, the 1991 Academy of Country Music Vocal Group of the Year, will close out the festivities. The concert is being funded by user fees and a grant from the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County. The concert will conclude at 10 p.m.

Floyd famine fetishists cheer as fiscal starvation advocate presumably appointed to county parks board.

The URL is the same, but the web site's content has changed to match new realities.

Last week, the Green Mouse was told that there'd been an appointment to the new stand-alone Floyd County Park Board: None other than Ted Heavrin, recently ousted county council member.

Hit it, Slash.

If this rumor is true, Heavrin will be the only parks board member with his own island ...

 ... as well as a long-standing, cherished plan to reform Community Park's scandalously wasted space.

Before filing this notice under "Fox, Meet Chicken Coop," enjoy the board's statement on leadership.

PARKS LEADERSHIP

With the recent abolishment of the New Albany Floyd County Department of Parks and Recreation separated into two entities a newly appointed Floyd County Park Board will be appointed in 2013. The appointments will be acquired through the County Commissioners, Council and Circuit Judge. We will inform you of these appointments in 2013.

http://www.nafcparks.org/

Much ado about almost nothing as 18-year era sprouts hyperbole, then ends.

In other anti-climactic news, Roger Jeffers is likely to become the county parks superintendent. Irv Stumler gets to serve on another board, and somewhere, a dog barks plaintively as the sun sets on the Heavrin-less county council.

A depression suddenly seizes me. What's the city to do now? After this combined parks era, one comprising a full 9% of New Albany's 199-year history, how on earth can we go it alone, without the mature, adult hand of fiscally accountable exurbia to guide us past the rough patches and inevitably spray-painted park bench vandalism?

Woe is us.

Pfui.

An era comes to an end in Floyd County; Parks board holds final meeting ahead of Jan. 1 split, by Daniel Suddeath ('Bama Ad Aggregator)

“I know we fought the good fight — we did everything we could for this community,” (Scott) Klink said.

Doom and gloom beneath the rotted kitchen formica as city, county agree to demolish the North Annex.

Actually, they didn't agree -- yet, but it's looking like a done deal. I'd much rather save the Annex and demolish Wal-Mart; after all, the 800-zillion pound gorilla's ten years probably is approaching, signalling a move to Edwardsville or Birdseye.

New Albany hopes to develop pool at Community Park; Floyd County to keep sports center in agreement reached Tuesday, by Daniel Suddeath (That 'Bama Show)

New Albany will be responsible for the costs of building, maintaining and operating the aquatic center if it comes to fruition. An important side note to the agreement is that the city and county would jointly split the costs to demolish any structures on the property necessary to construct the aquatic center.

Demolition could include the North Annex building, which has been vacant since the Floyd County Youth Shelter and solid waste office moved to the Pine View Government Center.

A plan and statement released by the city and county Tuesday didn’t include exact details for demolitions or construction of the aquatic center. The plan did specify the division of parks equipment and property.

There's an interesting addendum within Grace Schneider's C-J coverage:

 ... The deal also calls for the city to “provide support of the county’s proposed public plaza concept near the aquatic center on the existing annex property at Sam Peden.

Obviously, we can kiss the Annex goodbye. Too bad that somewhere, tacked on the pool and baseball field bonds, there isn't a spare million or so not otherwise allotted for maintenance of Bob Caesar's driveway up Silver Hills that we might use to complete a few streets.