BULLDOZING AMERICA
November 17, 2010 3:45 pmTHE BULLDOZING OF AMERICA
July ninth of this year I wrote a blog with the title: Singing in the Rain. In one place I talked about one aspect of a particular park that I enjoyed seeing... the (impossible-to-count) number of granddaddy long-legs spiders which seemed to virtually blanket the ground. And in another place on that blog I wrote about the sheer beauty of this (mostly) unspoiled park. What follows is a small excerpt from that particular trip to the park. “A deep forest-green is my favorite color, and this morning and at times on the trail there was no color but green in every direction that I turned. All-in-all it was a marvelous walk.” Thanks to the ridiculous mayor of Jeffersonville, Indiana and the local board-members... all of that is now gone! What possible voting bloc of people keeps putting these same goons back in charge?
On another trip to this park during the summer and while on the trail I called all of the girls to tell them what Deb and I were witnessing? There were more butterflies flying there than I had ever seen at the same time... except in the butterfly exhibit at the Louisville zoo! As we walked they were flying and drifting past us in amazing numbers, sizes, and colors. All of that is now gone forever, because of the foolish Mayor Galligan, and his willing cohorts.
The fact that they bulldozed the park illegally, without prior notice, public hearings, or permits... misses the point of this blog. The point is that they tore up something beautiful to put in something not even needed: more ball-fields. I hope every single person on the present board along with Mayor Tom Galligan is run out of town by the voters in the next election.
Today, we walked the dogs in what was once a beautiful area that now looks like Bosnia after the war, and during our walk I heard a a strange sound. In fact, it was unusual enough that I asked Deb to be quiet and to listen carefully. The “sound” I was calling to her attention... was silence! We did not even hear the usual chirping sounds from what birds are left. And next season, there will be no expectation of the hammering sound from the many woodpeckers who used to call this park their home.
From walking almost daily at this park, my wife and I knew different spots where certain animals had their homes. One example is that a large fallen tree near the creek bed was home to a den of rabbits. And we knew before rounding that particular bend to hold on tightly to the dogs leashes as a rabbit would leave his den and streak across an open area that was nearby. (My guess is that since he did this so often, he must be trying to lead any possible predators away from his home and family?)
Of course, none of this matters to Galligan. And, as is his usual way he lied and said no permits were needed to destroy this park. (His office actually likened this destruction to mowing your grass. So, I suppose to these fools... leveling fifteen acres of woodland and drying up a stream is just like mowing your lawn!) This is not the first time Galligan has pulled a similar stunt and did work illegally without permits. But, he has found the penalties and the fines levied in the past were not large, so, he just decided to do it before anyone was aware what he and his political cronies were up to? In fact, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers officials said this week that the city neglected to get the needed wetlands permit when parts of Vissing Park were deforested... to make room for new baseball fields! What an absolute joke!
When asked about what will happen to all of the animals who no longer have homes... one official said, “Most animals will move on...” Where do you think many of them will “move” to? My guess is that many of them will “move” on to the nearby highways and become road-kill.
When Galligan and his crew comes up for their next election... I promise to be a noisy adversary in helping to get him and all who tore this park up to be defeated!
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
posted by Robin Johnson @ 3:35 PM
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