Every beer you drink helps make this historic district look better….

…And not because you are turning into a pifflicated person. Poles are down.

In addition to providing scholarships and supplemental assistance for area schools, the year-round volunteer labor provided by a multitude of volunteers working to stage the King William Fair, which takes place on Saturday, April 16, benefits projects improving the public spaces in the neighborhood, such as the park at Constance and Painted Lady (Crofton) Streets.  

Since this past year’s fair, the King William Association has worked to re-landscape King William Park. While those improvements are obvious, you might not notice the major sidebar project.

What is missing from the picture? The awkward, cumbersome overhead utilities previously framing any view of the historic park.

While the original installation of utility poles in the neighborhood represented a welcome technological advancement – a status symbol testifying to the affluence of the neighborhood – a century-or-so of jerryrigged add-ons marred the view.

The project to convert the overhead utilities to underground has been complex, traversing the terms of three or four presidents and committee chairs and finally involving a funding partnership, forged with the support of Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros’ office, of the Community Infrastructure and Economic Development Fund of CPS, the City’s Economic and Tourism Department and the King William Association.

To appreciate what is missing, compare today’s views to the “befores.” Don’t think these photos need labeling for you to judge which looks better – 2010 or 2011?

Hope to see you on April 16, and Viva la Fiesta!