Gonder: "If Life Hands You Lindens, Make Lindenade."

As usual, councilman John Gonder is thinking.

Not only that, but he writes coherently to convey his thoughts. As these qualities are so rare hereabouts, they are to be encouraged in political aspirants.

John's thoughts on a Not Linden Meadows aquatic center trial balloon suggest an obvious question, which promptly is asked in the comments section: Is there demand for an aquatic center? John believes there is, although perhaps not at the $9 million bonded support level.

Okay, seriously: Is there concrete evidence of public demand for an aquatics center? Not a hunch, but something certifiable? I see little, but as I've conceded before, perhaps as a non-swimmer who prefers to stay dry, I may not be listening in all the right places.

If Life Hands You Lindens, Make Lindenade

At yesterday's Redevelopment Commission meeting I floated a lead trial balloon of turning the woebegone property of Linden Meadows into a water park.

Professor Erika's off his/her/its meds again, dancing naked at Linden Meadows.

Oh, dear. The crazy train's leaving the station again, and now it is heading for Shea Van Hoy's house.

LOCAL NEWS & TRIBUNE FAILS READERS ONCE AGAIN....

Yawn.

"Like throwing acid in a baby's face" is a far better descriptor of what it's like to read the anonymous rantings at Freedom to Screech, don't you think? After all, Linden Meadows actually could be reconverted to parkland for quite a bit less money than it would take to remediate the toxic waste at FOS.

Open thread: Linden Meadows, CHDO and the deluge.

My take: Decent enough idea, poor execution by CHDO, good folks thwarted for transparent political purposes by obstructionist community members who loudly pretend to know better, and the current tawdry sinking beneath the choppy, moldy waves.

But that's just me. You? Here are three recent Tribune links.

CHDO seeking legal advice about dismantling organization

State says fixing Linden Meadows in New Albany could cost around $1.7 million

PNC Bank files for payment of Linden Meadows loan

Ribbon cutting at Linden Meadows coming on March 20.

To all friends of New Albany Community Housing from John Miller (Executive Director) and Pat Yense-Woosley (Deputy Director) comes this exciting pressrelease about the forthcoming ribbon cutting at Linden Meadows.

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Although we are still working on the last details of closing, we have scheduled the ribbon cutting and open house for 800 Linden Meadows Court on Thursday, March 20 at 2:oo p.m. 9th District Congressman Baron Hill has accepted our invitation to join New Albany Mayor Doug England and help us cut the ribbon. Other officials have been invited as well.

We will also open up our office next door (for sale!) as well as another house across the street for walk-throughs. We have a long way to go to finish the subdivision, but we would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has played such an important part in getting us this far!

Hope you can make it!!

(Please feel free to contact us at the numbers below if you have any questions. Directions to the site are below.)

John Miller ... New Albany Community Housing

NACommunityHousing.blogspot.com

chdo(at)att.net

Directions:

From downtown New Albany: Take State Street northish to Adams St (at the hospital, watch for the big bump) and turn left. Adams jogs and becomes Linden at West Street after 1 long block. Continue 3 blocks until Linden turns right and becomes Linden Meadows Court. 802 is second house on the right.

From the other way: Take West Street south from the State/West/Green Valley intersection and go 3 blocks. Turn right on Linden and continue 3 blocks until Linden turns right and becomes Linden Meadows Court. 802 is second house on the right.

There's still work I need to do to make it better

The Courier-Journal's Dale Moss checks in on New Albany Community Housing's innovative Linden Meadows project today and the very positive report further proves the concept that creative thinking in conjunction with hard work lead to opportunity, in this case a chance to better one's self and community through homeownership.

11 homes in the project have already been sold, according to Moss, with many more on the way as the development, which both saves historic homes from the landfill and provides investment opportunities for those who may otherwise lack them, continues to mature into what the C-J's headline refers to as a neighborhood reborn.

As CHDO Executive Director John Miller astutely observes in the article,"You can't beat reusing homes. That's the smartest growth there is."

Beyond the far-reaching implications of Miller's comment, though, I was struck by the attitude of the new homeowner featured in the story, Jeffrey Lane.

"It's a good situation for the ones that can get into it," he said. "There's still work I need to do to make it better. That will come in time."

It's that attitude, a willingness to take a chance and the belief that one's own work can make a difference in turning a calculated risk into a life changing proposition, is the foundation upon which New Albany itself will be reborn. It's no surprise that some in the community-- those whose self-imagined importance are threatened by higher standards-- choose to fight people like Jeffrey Lane, but it's damn gratifying to see him winning.

Thank you to those, many of whom are mentioned in the article, for helping someone to succeed. An even bigger thank you, though, is reserved for Jeffrey Lane for realizing that, as important as buying a house is, it's only the first step in being a good neighbor and citizen. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Indiana Court of Appeals sides with New Albany Community Housing on Linden Meadows.

Here's a story that slipped beneath the community's radar screen last week, and understandably so given the Floyd County shooting tragedy. Even the masquerading professor Erika -- batting well below the Mendoza line on the steadily fading regressive team -- failed to pick up on the story, perhaps because it provides no opportunity to exalt her handler.

Here is an excerpt from New Albany's Linden Meadows wins court decision, by Eric Scott Campbell (News and Tribune).

The state Court of Appeals has sided with New Albany Community Housing in a group of residents’ challenge to the location of the Linden Meadows development.

Friday’s decision allows the nonprofit to accelerate renovation and marketing of 17 donated houses that were moved onto the former McLean Field more than two years ago.

Construction delays cost the project $100,000 to $200,000 that must be passed on to prospective buyers, said John Miller, executive director of the housing group. Rather than selling homes for $15,000 to $20,000 below appraised value, the discounts will be closer to $10,000, he estimated.

“Instead of being a very, very good deal, it’s just a good deal,” Miller said. “It’s just unfortunate that it took so long to grind through the legal system.”

For more information, visit the blogsite of New Albany Community Housing.