Aladdin's Cafe is up and running at its new Underground Station location.

Aladdin's Cafe's page at Facebook has the story.

Good News Aladdin's friends and fans. The move is complete, and we will be open Wed. at 12:00 in the Underground Station. Come enjoy our brand new location and beautiful courtyard seating. In the following few days, we will also be introducing delicious additions to our menu.

Aladdin's Cafe, 37 Bank St. Suite #2, New Albany, Indiana ... (502) 489-7969

Our friend Ted has moved away, and Nora bids him an affectionate farewell.

Ted Fulmore has left the building -- actually the city, and no, he isn't dead, but he's moved to Louisville.

And my friends, this is too damned bad. It's too bad for me, for you and for New Albany, although for Ted, it's a chance to begin anew.

Verily, wretched bureaucratic time-servers like John Rosenbarger remain, and true revolutionaries like Ted depart.

It just isn't fair.

My personal revenge comes through the use of Ted's photo at Linked-In, so as to introduce Nora Egan's affectionate goodbye, with addendum.

Ted, I know you're close by. When (if) I begin my "Last of the Summer Wine" phase, I'll come over your way. Just find some good beer and a place to smoke cigars, and I'll tell you what you're missing.

Take it away, Nora.

---

You all have heard me talk about "Neighbor Ted" for a decade. Today, a big, white moving van pulled up out front and away went the best darn neighbor in the universe -- and I know my other neighbors will agree. 

Ted was the first person I met when I moved to Bright Leaf Cottage in the fall of 2004. He introduced me to the denizens of New Albany, both preservationist and political, as well as publican. He mowed my grass, gave me a television and a ficus tree, suggested my house... for the historic home tour, gave me cookies at Christmas, and introduced me to P&B -- that's our slang for pizza and beer -- always at Rich O's. 

Friend Becky Becky Willingham Backert referred to him as my anchor and I guess she's right. A firm hater of squirrels (he's a fan of All Squirrels Must Die), I named all "my" squirrels using Ted's initials, TF, or "TFFY." I don't think he thinks it's much of an honor, but really, it is. When I give someone or something a nickname, it means they are special. 

Several years ago, there was a mockingbird that made its home in Ted's weeping cherry tree; I named him Fulmore. Again, this did not impress Ted. There is good news on this sad-for-us day, just like we've done for the last half-dozen years, he promised to come back for Halloween to sit on my front porch with neighbors, eat bean soup and corn bread, drink beer and wine, smoke his cigar and eat chocolate. 

I need him there to caution me when I mutter things like, "Aren't you a little old to be trick or treating?" to the little monsters, and Ted always says, under his breath, "Nora, just give them the candy." We'll all miss you something awful, Ted Fulmore. You were the best neighbor EVER.

(addendum)

Ted also raked my leaves, shoveled my walks every winter, called the police when necessary, chased dogs, found dogs, gave me flower pots, and shared his exercise bike -- which has been patiently awaiting use behind my Big Blue Chair. (In winter, with a box propped on the seat, it's used by "Leaf" as her snuggy spot which we refer to as the "high hide.")

He's not just my neighbor, he's my friend and at 18 years my junior, he was also my watchful "son." It's weird knowing he's not just across the driveway. See you in October, NT. Bring lots of candy (and stick for me to poke those too-old tricksters).

Olbermann: "Sports (and its consumer -- you) are unavoidably, inescapably and permanently political."

Olbermann's not alone. On Saturday, Dave Zirin published his version of the same argument.

Why the NCAA Should Move the Final Four Out of Indiana, by Dave Zirin (The Nation)

... If (NCAA President Mark) Emmert really wanted to make a statement, he’d move next week’s Final Four out of Indianapolis. Emmert could announce that they were moving the basketball semifinals and finals to Cincinnati, less than 100 miles from the locale, so anyone who had their plane tickets or driving plans set wouldn’t be egregiously inconvenienced. Play it at the University of Cincinnati—hell, play it at a Cincy YMCA—but just get it out of the clutches of Mike Pence.

As noted here, I view it as unlikely. But the reasoning is strong.

Doug England heads south, and posterity starts now.

Shift happens, after all.

EXECUTIVE MOVE: Former Mayor England leaving New Albany for Florida, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune)

He left office in 2008 after declining to run for a fourth term as mayor. This Wednesday, on his 48th wedding anniversary, England and his wife will head south, but not just for the winter.

In a decision he said was made within the past two weeks, England will be moving to Delray Beach, Fla., as he’ll trade in the Ohio River for views of the Atlantic Ocean.

I wish the Englands well in retirement. I also wish the article weren't chock full of historical revisionism, as assembled by the former mayor himself, but that's okay. Those of us clinging to reality in New Albany have time to rectify the record. Let's examine just one instance.

England first took office in 1992, and served two terms before being defeated by Republican Mayor Regina Overton in 2000. He later defeated incumbent Democrat James Garner in the 2007 primary, and went on to win the general election.

The tale of the tape is interesting, indeed. In 1991, 58% of the turnout voted against England, led by the only considerable independent insurgency to date.

1991: Democrat Doug England (4,785) defeats independent Phyllis Garmon (4,154) and Republican Kenny Keilman (2,344).
Total votes: 11,283
Percentage: 42 – 37 - 21

Next time out, England handily defeated an elderly, spent force.

1995: England defeats Real, 6,573 to 5,628.
Total votes: 12,201
Percentage: 54 - 46

Then the high-riding, two-term mayor was absolutely annihilated in 1999.

1999: Republican challenger Regina Overton defeats England, 5,512 to 4,205.
Total votes: 9,717
Percentage: 57 - 43

England offers this explanation for the resounding rejection.

England believes the reason he was defeated by Overton was because he supported allowing riverboat gambling in Floyd County. The option was twice voted down by referendum, and the Horseshoe Casino of Southern Indiana sits barely across the county line in Harrison County.

However, the referenda were held in 1993 and 1995 ... and as we've seen, England's re-election in 1995 was a veritable cakewalk.

From England's standpoint, the most charitable rendering of these two gaming boat rejections was that they constituted a personal rebuke, given that he was engaged in remarkably non-transparent shenanigans with respect to land deals prefacing the future casino site, though not an outright rejection of his job performance as mayor -- and what's more, Real was very, very tired by this point.

The probable reason England lost in 1999 was not ongoing casino animus, but the accumulated weight of Hizzoner Fatigue, which required two terms in the wilderness to dissipate. Having presumably paid his political penance, voters welcomed him back in 2007 -- by the narrowest of margins, and with 3,500 fewer voters participating than in 1991.

2007: England defeats Randy Hubbard (R), 4,017 to 3,741.
Total votes: 7,758
Percentage: 52-48

Beginning in 2008, England proceeded to do absolutely nothing, and maintained this pace for four long years. He talked as good a game as ever, but seemed to have lost his mojo without the formerly vital, and by 2007, estranged political enforcer John Mattingly at his side (Mattingly died during England's third term, if memory serves).

England's city hall team was older, and even less efficient than before. They drifted, and England postured. The council dominated him. Then, to make matters worse, he botched the "handover" to Irv Stumler, and was defeated by Shirley Baird in an ill-considered council race.

The revitalization of downtown, garnering a $6.7 million loan to improve the Midtown neighborhood and moving forward with plans for Bicentennial Park are some of the achievements England said he’s most proud of from his latest term as mayor. He credited his staff for their hard work during his time in office.

The reality of these projects is far different than the revisionism. Perhaps this is to be expected when it comes to measuring by plaque installation.

News and Tribune to sell its building and relocate NA HQ to a handy laptop at Quills.

The Green Mouse reports what may be old news: The News and Tribune's local crew will relocate very soon to offices within Matt Chalfant's National City Bank rehab on Pearl Street, and Chalfant has purchased the building pictured here (but not including the fork-in-road-cheese sculpture).

Chris Morris is expected to write a glowing review about his years in this featureless building, many of which were spent admiring Ted Heavrin from afar. Morris is not expected to mention how, in the 1990s, the newspaper's then-chain owner (three or four times removed from the current chain owner) demolished the historic Park Christian Church building to build a pole barn, which in turn became obsolete a decade later.

Philistines.

I've never forgiven 'em for that one, if you want to know the truth.

FLASH: Building Commissioner David Brewer has announced that if he cannot demolish the former Tribune building or the old National City/Mutual Trust Bank building, could he at least fulfill the city's quota with CCE by letting the city's preferred demolition contractor demolish the fork-in-road-cheese sculpture?

Earth Friends is reinventing itself in downtown Louisville, will close NuLu location.

Earth Friends Cafe began in April, 2011 on the North Side of the West Bank -- the spot off Grant Line Road soon to be occupied by the Donum Dei brewery. A year later, hours were expanded. In June of 2012, Earth Friends replaced Hobknobb at the library "cafe" space. In January, 2013, Earth Friends relocated to NuLu, and in August of the same year the library space passed to Muscle Monkey. Earth Friends got a downtown Louisville space near the convention center, and now the NuLu branch will close. Muscle Monkey is no more (Jason moved to Hawaii), and the library space is now a conference room.

Two reasons for all this:

1. As always, best of luck to Stacie and crew, because ...

2. ... this small business thing is really hard. If you haven't done it, how could you grasp it -- right, Mr. D?

Earth Friends Cafe closes its NuLu location, Caitlin Bowling (Louisville Business First)

Earth Friends Cafe could not sustain two locations, according to owner Stacie Bale, so she has closed her NuLu store.

The NuLu restaurant opened in 2012 on Market Street, between Campbell and Shelby streets. Bale opened the downtown Louisville location in October at the corner of Third and Market streets in the Kentucky International Convention Center ...

The new Keg Liquors location in New Albany opens today.

State regulatory bureaucracies move quite slowly in the best of circumstances, and so kudos to Todd Antz and his crew for getting the Keg Liquors move accomplished so quickly.

The Keg Liquors

We'll be opening the doors at 10:00 this morning. Stop in and check out our brand new store at 4304 Charlestown Road, New Albany — at Keg Liquors New Albany.

Habana Blues scores Horseshoe Foundation loan, and Business First tells all.

Interestingly, the article mentions the former bank building, known to old-timers as Mutual Trust, then more recently, National City. It's the one with the artless brick overlay, to the left (above) and in the Business First photo -- where the Habana Blues "coming soon" banner currently hangs.

However, the BF photo itself is centered on the adjacent Hieb Building, where restoration of the facade has been underway of late. I persist in assuming relocated restaurant will be behind the banner in the former bank, but am I assuming correctly?

Yesterday I ran into developer Matt Chalfant, owner and renovator of present and future Habana Blues locations, and we agreed that it's a power move for Leo Lopez and the business. I thanked Matt for what he's been doing downtown, and he replied that it's just one building at a time, and then the next one.

Exactly.

Where is Habana Blues going?, by Caitlin Bowling (Louisville Business First)

Habana Blues has received a $50,000 revolving loan from the Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, which will help the Latin tapas restaurant move to a new location in New Albany.
Habana Blues opened at 148 E. Market St. in New Albany in 2010 but is moving about two blocks away to 320 Pearl St. The building formerly housed a bank but has been empty for at least four years.
In order to make it a restaurant, Habana Blues owner Leo Lopez said workers will have to redo everything. "It's going to be a lot of work."

The new location of Keg Liquors in New Albany will be 4304 Charlestown Road.

It's old news by now, but as a follow-up, here's the official "new location" news from Todd Antz.

We've made it through the paper work stage of moving our liquor permit for our New Albany location, and now its on to the manual labor of moving a store, and building it all over again. We're also happy to announce the address of our new location, 4304 Charlestown Road, in New Albany. Our hopes are to be open by the end of October, or the beginning of November. Here are a few pictures to show you the construction of the new location. We thank everyone for their patience during this transition.

All thumbs up, one thumb down.

Thanks to Tammie Miller-Hardy and sons Griffin and Phoenix (and of course, Diana Baylor) for their hours of work yesterday, stripping an emptying my mom's house in preparation for new owners. It was a bittersweet exercise to deconstruct what took 45 years to organize, but luckily there is a destination for quite a lot of the furnishings and unneeded items, and that is a fine outcome, indeed.

Having finished hauling three trucks loads, I reserved my own contribution for last. On the final pitch of the game, headed for the cars to come home, I crashed a lamp against the overhanging roof by the front door. One of the broken pieces raining down gashed my left thumb. Hats off to the Urgent Care at Highlander Point, where the thumb was scrubbed down and a single stitch affixed to hold the cut shut, as well as heavy wrapping and a splint. On Monday morning, it's off to Kutz and Kleinert to see how bad the tendon was damaged, and perhaps minor surgery if it was.

My reason for telling this story is that there is a workplace/home space safety lesson to be learned. I was tired, hungry, thirsty and in a hurry -- and these are the perfect, textbook preludes to accidents. Yesterday I conclusively proved it. In this instance, it could have been far worse, so as Sgt. Esterhaus on "Hill Street Blues" used to say:

"Let's be careful out there."