MCCONNELL S TRACE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

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1 MCCONNELL S TRACE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Established 2000 A Deed Restricted Community October 2016 Events and Announcements November 10, 7 pm (Thursday) Semi-Annual MTNA Meeting *The next semi-annual meeting of MTNA will be Thursday, November 10, 7 pm, at the First Baptist Church of Bracktown December 10 (Saturday) 9 am Breakfast with Santa *at the new McConnell s Trace Clubhouse, Doughnuts and juice served, pictures taken with Santa December 21 (Monday) Annual MTNA Holiday Decorating Contest *Judging will begin right after dark for the annual Holiday Lights Contest *Articles elsewhere in newsletter SIDEWALKS ARE FOR PEOPLE, NOT VEHICLES! By Kevin Fitz-Gerald It's good to see residents walking around the neighborhood, both on the Town Branch Trail and on the sidewalks. These pathways connect all our homes together and encourage exercise and socialization. This is a reminder to residents that parking a vehicle across a sidewalk is a violation of LFUCG Ordinance. There is a good reason for this ordinance. When a vehicle blocks a sidewalk, it forces pedestrians to go around the vehicle to pass by. While it may seem like "no big deal" to simply walk around, for some individuals who are mobility impaired, especially wheelchair users, going around a vehicle can be a dangerous operation. The person must get off the sidewalk, go down your driveway, cross the uneven curb (and risk falling or tipping over), go into the street (and risk getting hit by a car), cross over the uneven curb again, walk or roll themselves back up your driveway, and turn back onto the sidewalk. We do have wheelchair users and parents pushing strollers in our neighborhood, so even if you don't care about LFUCG ordinances, out of courtesy to others, please pull your vehicles fully into your driveway so that they do not obstruct the sidewalk. You may also open yourself up to liability if a pedestrian is injured when going around your vehicle. LFUCG Code of Ordinances Sec Parking of vehicles in any residential section. (3) It shall be unlawful for any person to park a vehicle upon a sidewalk. As used in this subsection, the term "sidewalk" shall mean that portion of a street between the curb lines, or the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines intended for the use of pedestrians, including any strip of ground between curb and paved sidewalk. (4) Any 1 safety officer, parking control officer or peace officer is authorized to issue citations for violations of this section.

2 PRESIDENT S NOTE Once again it s fall, time to get ready for another cold winter. School has started and football season is in full swing in high school and college, keeping folks busy. Hopefully this fall will bring many new things for McConnell s Trace. By now you have noticed the new day care, Creation Kingdom, which has recently been finished in the construction area along Trailwood. Work has also started on the new clubhouse and fitness center; hopefully it will be finished by the time we have our Breakfast with Santa for the MTNA children on December 10. We have an alternate location secured, but will wait to see if we can use our new clubhouse before we change locations. We will have Santa to hear the wish lists of all the children, refreshments, and pictures will also be taken with Santa. In the past, we have co-sponsored this activity with the Masterson Station Neighborhood Association, but it seems to always fall on a day that the MTNA children who attend Meadowthorpe Elementary have their own activities at school. We wanted to have it on a day that would let the MTNA children see Santa in the neighborhood without missing their school event. The process of rebuilding the McConnell s Trace entrance island has also begun. The permit has been applied for with the city and we are awaiting that approval. In the meantime, it has been three years since the original estimates were delivered from contractors chosen by the state and many of those contractors are busy on other projects. We are looking at other contractors who are available to start immediately and rebuild the original sign. The original electrician and irrigation contractors will be working on finishing up the activity necessary to get us back to our original lovely entrance, and the contract for landscaping the front island has already been signed. We are just waiting for the sign to be in place to put up the beautiful landscaping that will finish off the entrance island. After that, we will be redoing the second McConnell s Trace island (some of the shrubs, etc., are old and are in need of replacement), the White Oak entrance will also get a face lift, and we will be replacing shrubs in the small traffic islands throughout the neighborhood. Because most of this work involves landscaping and we are starting late in the fall, some of the work may have to be done in the spring, but by then, we should have both entrances looking as beautiful as they originally did before the widening of Leestown Road. We have had requests from several residents to ask that everyone talk to their children about running out in the streets or riding their bikes out into the streets without checking for traffic. We have had several near misses with kids, bikes and cars lately. We don t want to see anyone get hurt, so please explain to your kids the dangers of not looking out for cars. We also have had many people complain about cars parking over the sidewalk, causing residents in wheelchairs, using strollers or walkers, or even walking with their children, to have to go out into the street to get around the cars. There is an article about this on the front page of the newsletter please be thoughtful of your neighbors and either pull your cars up further in the driveway or park on the street. Thanks! Barb Stucker, President MTNA 2

3 YOUR McCONNELL S TRACE BLOCK CAPTAIN REPRESENTATIVES The MTNA Board is still looking for Block Captains for some of the streets below. By establishing Block Captains, we have increased your accessibility to reaching the board and making your voice heard. The Block Captain is your point person in the association. A Block Captain s responsibility is to hear/address your concerns and convey them to the board. If your street is not listed, we have not recruited anyone yet. If you are interested, please contact Kevin krfitz@twc.com Angel Falls Caroline & Lloyd Ellis 132 Angel Falls caroline.doyle@uky.edu Blackwater Lane Mark Arnett 241 Black Water Lane Markdarnett@yahoo.com Bracktown Road OPEN Briggs Place OPEN Blue Heron Place OPEN Burnt Mill Road Josh & Paige Gilvin 2853 Burnt Mill Rd posh1013@yahoo.com Caddis Lane Jarred Davis 3041 Caddis Lane Jarred.davis160@gmail.com Gauley Lane Stephanie & Andrew Burkybile 229 Gauley Lane stephanieburkybile@gmail.com Leatherwood Lane Bennie Poynter 177 Leatherwood Lane thepoynterfamily@gmail.com Long Branch Lane Kevin & Ruth Fitz-Gerald 212 Long Branch Lane krfitz@twc.com Long Branch Lane Aaron & Jennifer Hickman 321 Long Branch Lane hickmancontracting@yahoo.com McConnell s Trace Carrie Somervill 173 McConnell s Trace cjskgb@hotmail.com McConnell s Trace John Clemens 456 McConnell s Trace john.r.clemens@gmail.com New River Place Matt Fields 3052 New River Place matt-fields@hotmail.com New River Court Matt Fields 3052 New River Place matt-fields@hotmail.com Ocoee Court Lyda Russell 113 Ocoee Court lyda_russell@yahoo.com Old Woolen Mill Lane OPEN Peaks Mill Drive Nathan Koerber 2892 Peaks Mill Drive finglofin77@gmail.com Town Branch Road Kristy Billings 437 Long Branch Lane kristy.billings@gmail.com Town Branch Road Kristy Billings 437 Long Branch Lane kristy.billings@gmail.com Town Branch Road Josh McCurn 128 Ocoee Court jmccurn89@gmail.com Trailwood Lane (3000 Block) Chuck White 3052 Trailwood Lane chuckwhite57@twc.com White Oak Trace Mark Rhoads 121 White Oak Trace mwrhoads@yahoo.com White Oak Trace Trey McCallie 244 White Oak Trace treymccallie@yahoo.com Yamacraw Place Lisa Martin 129 Yamacraw Place lisaquintet@gmail.com The next Block Captain meeting will be in October, date and location TBA. SIGNS The Division of Code Enforcement would like to ask that all Neighborhood Associations remind their residents that signs posted in the public right-of-way are illegal. This would include yard sale signs, lost animal signs and all other signs except for Neighborhood Announcement signs. The public right of way is defined as all corners, the utility strip between the sidewalk and the curb, medians, and all street signs, stop signs and light posts. Please help keep Lexington clean by discouraging the placement of these signs. 3

4 HOW CAN I ADVERTISE IN THE McCONNELL S TRACE NEWSLETTER? We want your ads! You can advertise directly to your friends, family, and neighbors with one local newsletter, The McConnell s Trace Neighborhood Association newsletter! Your ad will reach nearly 800 homes now. Our newsletter is published in the spring and again in the fall. It s simple, inexpensive and easy. Maybe you do not have an advertisement but would like to place an article in the newsletter. If so, contact Barb Stucker, bkstucker@gmail.com for prices and more information. MTNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS President: Barbara Stucker 129 Ocoee Court bkstucker@gmail.com Interim Vice President: Kevin Fitz-Gerald 212 Long Branch Lane krfitz@twc.com Secretary: Lisa Martin 129 Yamacraw Place lisaquintet@gmail.com Interim Treasurer: Barbara Stucker 129 Ocoee Court bkstucker@gmail.com Board Members: Kevin Fitz-Gerald 212 Long Branch Lane krfitz@twc.com DG Gridley 277 White Oak Trace (859) dgridley@financialguide.com Josh McCurn 128 Ocoee Court (815) jmccurn89@gmail.com Committee Chairs: Greenway Committee: Newsletter and Website: Block Captain Committee: DG Gridley Barb Stucker Kevin Fitz-Gerald PAWS for Thought. "We got troubles" says Andy, the dog from McConnell s Trace. "What kind of trouble? asks Clover, Andy's pal. Can you believe people are walking their dogs all over our great neighborhood, and some of those dog owners do not pick up their animal's poop." Clover says, "That is so rude, dude!" It is a responsible and respectful thing to do if you are a good neighbor. Clover says, DON T BE RUDE, DUDE PICK IT UP! 4

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7 JUST A CALL or AWAY It is just one of those frustrating moments when you receive a violation fine because you left your Herbie/Rosie or Lennie out for LFUCG to come and do a pick-up/replacement. If you call Fayette Property Management at or management@fayettepropertymanagement.com with the essential information, it will be relayed to the person making Deed Restrictions Inspection and there will be no fine assessed. You can also do this for furniture or other items you need to leave on the curb for garbage pickup. Thanks for your cooperation! SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 FROM 9-11 AM Planning to have this activity at the new McConnell s Trace Clubhouse (alternate location TBA if the Clubhouse is not ready) Refreshments Provided Sponsored by McConnell s Trace Neighborhood Association HOLIDAY LIGHTS CONTEST 2016 Is this the year your lights will be voted best in the neighborhood? Pull out those lights and start planning for the 9th annual McConnell s Trace holiday lights contest. About an hour past dark on December 21, a judging panel will drive the neighborhood to see who has that one display the whole neighborhood is talking about. In years past we ve had some amazing displays. The winner this year just might be you! 7

8 McConnell s Trace Neighborhood Assoc. c/o Fayette Property Management P.O. Box Lexington, KY SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING The fall semi-annual meeting of the McConnell s Trace Neighborhood Association will be held on Thursday, November 10, at 7 PM at the First Baptist Church of Bracktown. We will meet in the Community Room. Please plan to attend to see what s going on in your neighborhood! 8