During the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance meeting earlier this week, former City Commissioner Larry Conder recommended the group try to utilize the city’s ARPA funding for something other than Cravens Pool renovations. Other ideas that arose included adding shelters for protection and building something to honor the legacy of Moneta Sleet.
With ARPA funding, city officials are able to grant money to different facets of the community, one of which is low-income areas.
Conder said he had noticed the passion within the Baptist Town and Mechanicsville communities about keeping the pool (parks officials are discussing the future of the pool). However, he noted that putting money toward the pool, which would only be open about 90 days of the year, may not be the best way to utilize the funding.
“I’m thinking really big here, and long-term is what I’m referring to. The parks department is putting together a five-year comprehensive plan,” Conder said. “Now is your shot.”
Some of the parents had concerns about losing Cravens Pool, especially because they said it helps get the Black kids in the neighborhood to learn how to swim. The parents said if the Parks Department does replace the pool with something else, they hope there is an alternative to train the kids how to swim.
One other idea suggested for the federal funding was creating a shelter at different parks to help prevent the homeless citizens that frequent that area from vandalizing the parks.
In other business, Alliance Chairperson Rafe Buckner announced that the city is in the process of rebranding the Northwest Neighborhood. This brought concern for Buckner because he wants to ensure that the neighborhoods he has grown up with are not erased in the rebrand.
“I want to make sure that Baptist Town is recognized and we’re not absorbed in this new rebrand. I don’t have any problem with them doing [the rebrand], I know a lot of that history is the meat packaging and stuff like that, but I want to make sure that our boundaries are solidified,” Buckner said.
Buckner also announced that on Oct. 30, the Alliance and the Owensboro Black Expo are partnering for a Trunk-or-Treat at Kendall-Perkins Park. The event will also have some sponsors throughout the city.
Buckner is excited and hopes they can get enough people to line up both sides of 5th Street on that Halloween Eve. More information is to come through their Facebook.
