Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry (D-Airport Scandal Obfuscator) sent out an email blast on Friday that was all, you guessed it, puppies and rainbows.

He mentioned all the great things happening in Lexington but didn’t bother to mention his failed CentrePoint project. Have a look for yourself:

Stimulus funds bring solid progress, real jobs

Dear Friend,

Lexington will soon receive $23 million in stimulus dollars and we are working hard to secure more in order to create jobs and improve our quality of life!

We must be a progressive community that offers a variety of transportation options for our citizens. That is why I am pleased that the $23 million stimulus dollars announced on Thursday will be used for several kinds of transportation – walking, cycling, riding the bus and driving. The funds will be divided among four projects: $12 million for Newtown Pike Extension; $5.4 million for LexTran; $4.7 million for the Legacy Trail, and $1.1 million for downtown streetscape project. Over the past year or more, all of these projects have received a lot of positive feedback from many Lexington citizens.

These projects mean solid progress and real jobs for our city. These are exactly the kinds of projects that President Obama’s stimulus plan is intended to fund and the types of infrastructure improvements that will have a positive impact on our ability to grow our economy for many years to come.

Read the rest after the jump…

The funds for Newtown Pike Extension will be used to help construct the section of road that connects Main Street (at Newtown Pike) to Versailles Road. This road, which will ultimately become a new route from the interstate to the University of Kentucky campus, has been on local drawing boards for roughly 30 years. It’s great to finally begin construction!

LexTran has a variety of plans for its $5.4 million including new buses, shelters, scheduling software, communications and conversion of buses to hybrid technology.

The funds for the Legacy Trail will pay for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project, stretching from the Kentucky Horse Park to the Northside YMCA on Loudon Avenue, more than seven miles, the longest trail in the county! Ultimately, the trail will end at the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden on Third Street. I am actively pursuing funding sources for the final phase so the entire trail can be completed in time for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010. This cycling and walking trail will be a major asset for our entire community, benefiting both our own citizens and attracting cycling enthusiasts from outside of Lexington. For more information see http://legacycenter.ning.com/.)

Finally, the $1.1 million will help pay for the first phase of the downtown streetscape project, Main Street from Broadway to Elm Tree Lane. Our plan is to install curbside rain gardens, wider sidewalks that can accommodate sidewalk cafes and gathering spaces, dedicated bike lanes and non-peak “parking lanes”. (For more information see http://www.lexingtondda.com/.)

I am excited about what these projects will mean to our downtown and our community. Many citizens and members of the Urban County Council have worked hard to keep these projects in the forefront and I am delighted we will be able to fund them. Together, we are moving Lexington forward. If you have thoughts or suggestions you are always welcome to write me at mayor@lfucg.com.

Sincerely,

Jim Newberry, Mayor

Maybe it’s fair to avoid mentioning the failure of CentrePoint since it’s not likely to receive stimulus funding– but why mention everything else but that development?

What do YOU think about what Newberry had to say?