HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – During a city council meeting in March, Ardell Owens took to the podium during public comments to bring forward issues affecting people in his downtown neighborhood. As the president of the Durrett Avenue Neighborhood Association, he has decided to use his platform to be the voice for the neighborhood and continue long pursued efforts to improve the area.

With around 200 homes in the association, residents gather during regular meetings to catch up and share issues affecting them and their neighbors. This is mostly focused on code enforcement violations such as overgrown lawns, abandoned vehicles and structures, and keeping the area clean. Road issues, and ideas for improvements are also discussed.

“If you tell me something, I’m going to follow up. I’m going to do it until it’s done, and if it doesn’t get done, we are going to try something different,” Owens said. To keep city officials in the loop, Owens frequently attends council meetings when he feels that community discussions need to move to a larger platform.

Collaborating with city and county officials

“When I talk here, I’m talking for the people of Durrett Avenue,” Owens said to the Hopkinsville City Council on March 18.

He proposed a barricade or boundary to be placed in the neighborhood to protect homes who are in direct paths with oncoming traffic where roads split, such as on Sharpe Street near McKee Street. Additionally, he shared various traffic and code issues, along with requesting more direct communication between the council and the neighborhood association.

“Each time I go and talk, I go because somebody brought it (the issue) to my attention,” Owens told Christian County Now. “I may bring it up for the next four meetings until I see something change, or the right person gets in touch with me.”

Christian County Magistrate Magaline Ferguson reflects this message of being a voice for the community by regularly attending association meetings in order to stay connected and informed to the neighborhood she grew up in. Having spent her childhood on Durrett Avenue and eventually holding the presidential seat of the association before being elected to the fiscal court, she feels it’s important to maintain a presence.

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Moving in the right direction

Speaking to Christian County Now, Ferguson said that before she got involved with the association, she did not always see a solid plan to maintain the integrity and history of the neighborhood. Over the years, several pillars of the community have worked to step up and bring forth improvements. The one she believes has had the most impact is the prioritization of demolishing abandoned structures by code enforcement.

“I’m seeing the dignity of the neighborhood returning,” said Ferguson. “The dilapidated properties coming down, that is a blessing…What I would love to see more of is affordable homes being built.”

This progress coupled with the work of the Challenge House, the planned expansions for the Boys & Girls Club, and the previous establishment and maintenance of Joe Mumford Park, has helped elevate this downtown neighborhood. “I’m just so thankful that I do see vision,” she added.

While she is still an available and reliable resource to Durrett Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods in her district, she is proud to see residents take matters into their own hands and continue to fight for the neighborhood, like Ardell Owens does. Through collaborations with Hopkinsville Public Works and Code Enforcement, they have a steady pace forward. In the end, they both agree that there is always more work to be done.