Old Louisville Journal, September 2005

Crime and Safety
Committee Seeks Members
by Helga Ulrich

There has been a surge in the real and/or perceived crime rate in Old Louisville. Because of my close relationship (volunteer work) with the LMPD’s Fourth Division, I have been asked by Chuck Anderson, Old Louisville Neighborhood Council Chair, to chair the revived Crime and Safety Committee.
The committee’s mission is to share real crime data with the neighborhoods, to understand and share trends, to provide education and tools of prevention, and to understand the safety concerns of the Old Louisville neighborhood.
Officer Terra Long has agreed to work with closely with the committee. Help is needed from all of the neighborhood associations to make Old Louisville is safe for all. Working together as Old Louisville residents on the committee will educate many and keep the neighborhood safe.
Please attend the first meeting on Tuesday, September 13, 2005, at 7:00 PM at Old Louisville Information Center. LMPD will share information, neighbors can share concerns and find solutions, and the committee will form an action plan.
For questions or further information, contact Helga Ulrich at 637-6647 or HHUBMW@cs.com.

Old Louisville Residents Revive
an Old Tradition
If you’re from Old Louisville, you’ve more than likely heard of the old tradition of calling days or visiting days that used to prevail here. Each street in the neighborhood was assigned a specific day of the week when residents in the neighborhood could call and pay their neighbors a visit. For example, residents who lived along Kentucky and Brook Streets would receive visitors on Mondays, and so on. In 19th century Louisville, it served as a way to organize society life in a community that strictly adhered to rigid Victorian rules and customs.
Although many of these old Victorian traditions have long since fallen out of favor, some local residents have banded together to breathe new life into an old custom. “Not only can we keep an old tradition alive in our neighborhood,” says David Domine of the 1300 South Third Street Neighborhood Association, “we can also address the issues we’ve been having lately with certain problem individuals on our streets. If we organize ourselves and make our presence known, we can ‘take back’ our streets, if you will.” Rhonda Williams of the West St. Catherine Street Neighborhood Association adds that it’s a brilliant idea that will keep an old tradition alive and allows us to be more vigilant of what’s going on out there.
What originally began as a series of organized group walks in troubled areas has now evolved into a weekly schedule that strives to get a large number of Old Louisville residents out and walking in specific areas at certain times on regular days. “Our aim was to frequent those underwalked streets that are most scenic and that cut through large stretches of the neighborhood,” says Domine. “Most people said they got out and walked between the hours of 7:00 and 9:00 in the mornings and in the evenings, so we decided to try and concentrate our efforts at these times on the chosen days, although people get out and walk that day’s street at other times as well.” Most agree that Oak Street is in dire need of some attention, so the walkers decided to concentrate walks there during noon and 5:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays as well.
An informal schedule – loosely based on the old calling days – was drawn up, and people started to spread the word. Instead of meeting at a certain location, most strollers have chosen to make their way up and down the day’s designated street, stopping and chatting as they run into friends, and even making new acquaintances here and there. Some form groups and walk en masse after meeting at a designated location, while others prefer to stroll alone or with a partner. “I have to walk the dogs every night anyway,” says Ramon Garcia of the 1300 South Third Street Neighborhood Association, “so I make sure I go to the street for that day, and I always run into my friends and neighbors. It’s a great way to get out and see the neighborhood.” Domine thinks it will take a month or two before the tradition has established itself in the community again, but he hopes it will catch on soon.
You’re invited and encouraged to join your neighbors as they stroll through the streets of America’s largest Victorian neighborhood! Come and help your neighborhood.
Old Louisville’s Walking Schedule: Main times 7:00-9:00am and 7:00-9:00pm
Mondays: First Street; Tuesdays: Second Street; Wednesdays: Third Street; Thursdays: Fourth Street; Fridays: Sixth Street; Saturdays: Ormsby Avenue; Sundays: St. Catherine Street; Saturdays: Oak Street (12:00-5:00pm); Sundays: Oak Street; (12:00-5:00pm).
Strolling Old Louisville streets on specific days has many benefits: 1) It’s a good way to get some exercise; 2) It’s a great way to get out and meet your neighbors; 3) It can provide safety in numbers; 4) It’s a way for Old Louisville residents to show that they care about what is going on in their neighborhood; 5) It makes our presence known; 6) It revives an old tradition and makes Old Louisville even more unique than other neighborhoods in the city.

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