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Friday April 19, 2024
Local Connection
Meeting planners looking to ‘connect’ with peers and suppliers will be assembling in Louisville August 26-28 for Connect Marketplace, a leading tradeshow in the meetings, events, travel and tourism industry. Approximately 4,000 meeting professionals will be attending Connect Marketplace around the one-year anniversary of the renovated and re-opened Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC).
The opening address will be given by retired American competitive swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history with 28 medals. To conclude the conference, the closing keynote will be delivered by Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman, a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, focusing on raising awareness of ending violence against women and girls.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again showcase the city of Louisville to such an important audience,” said Karen Williams, President and CEO of Louisville Tourism. “Hosting Connect Marketplace 2019 will support our mission to continue attracting world-class industry tradeshows in Louisville. This will be the second time Connect Marketplace has been to Louisville, and we plan to take every opportunity to show the best our city has to offer, including the explosion of tourism infrastructure over the last decade.”
Connect Marketplace organizers committed to hosting this show in Louisville in the fall of 2017 after confirming it would be ready before 2019. They last met in Louisville in 2010. The estimated economic impact to Louisville from the three-day conference is $4.4 million, however the city stands to benefit additionally from the prospective future convention bookings that occur as a result of showcasing Louisville’s convention package to these key site selection decision makers.
“We are so pleased to be the host city for the 2019 Connect Marketplace,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “This is a time of great transformation for our city, and we’re proud to host the meeting industry’s top event professionals and give these decision-makers a front-row seat to the nearly $1 billion in tourism-based infrastructure improvements underway here.”
Louisville Tourism planned several initiatives to help the city stand out. Some of the key elements of the welcome program include sponsoring a pink-out opening party at Churchill Downs for breast cancer awareness, chalk art downtown and arranging free artist entertainment outside the convention center in the form of buskers. The buskers are part of the Art in Lou pilot program in partnership with the Fund for the Arts to provide artists with paid opportunities to perform for the community in public spaces, providing a welcoming, lively atmosphere for visitors and residents.
President Donald Trump visited Louisville yesterday to speak at the American Veterans 75th National Convention. At the end of his speech, the President signed a presidential memorandum that will cancel student loan debt for approximately 25,000 disabled veterans. He was joined on stage with Governor Bevin, Sergeant Katherine Castle, Sergeant Nick Stefanovic, Deputy Secretary Byrne, and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
During his speech, President Trump touted the improvements that have been noticeable at the VA since he took office. The wait times have decreased by more than 33% and that patients’ trust in the VA has increased by nearly 100%. He also went on to say, “We’ve secured a record $8.6 billion for mental health services”, which includes a White House VA Hotline and same-day emergency mental care.
President Trump also talked about other improvements to veterans lives, such as finding permanent housing for over 30,000 veterans over the past two years and stating: “Veterans unemployment has reached the lowest level ever recorded.” The GI Bill has also been expanded to allow veterans to use their benefits to get a higher education at any point in their lives.
President Trump also mentioned the opioid crisis and the effect it has had on veterans over the years. Recognizing that many of the veterans affected are in pain, he wants scientists to find a pain killer than is non-addictive: “Get a pain killer that, when you break your arm and you go to the hospital, you don’t come out of the hospital addicted to opioids.”
His entire speech can be read here.
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, center, joins Kentucky craft brewers to announce the Kentucky Proud Beer Series on Tuesday at Gravely Brewing Co. in Louisville. (Kentucky Department of Agriculture photo)
The Kentucky Proud Beer Series will be bigger and better than ever in 2019 with a beer festival in Newport and six Kentucky Proud paired beer dinners in October, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles announced on Tuesday.
“Every October, Kentucky’s craft brewers use Kentucky Proud products to brew one-of-a-kind beers to showcase their creativity and honor the Commonwealth’s producers,” Commissioner Quarles said. “We are pleased to collaborate with the Kentucky Guild of Brewers on what has become a staple of Kentucky’s fall calendar.”
“We are thrilled to partner again with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to develop over 20 beers that highlight the wonderful products that Kentucky’s farms have to offer,” said Derek Selznick, executive director of the Kentucky Guild of Brewers.
Participating Kentucky craft brewers will release special beers infused with Kentucky Proud products on Oct. 18. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) worked with the guild to match craft brewers with Kentucky Proud producers to create the limited-release beers.
The Kentucky Proud Beer Festival is set for Oct. 19 at Wooden Cask Brewery in Newport. Participating craft breweries will serve their Kentucky Proud beers at the event. Kentucky-sourced foods will be provided by the Farmstand Café and other providers. Tickets are $25 for VIP admission (limited to 250) and $10 for general admission. Tickets include a commemorative Kentucky Proud tasting glass and two 8-ounce samples. More samples are available for purchase.
Six Kentucky Proud paired beer dinners are scheduled Oct. 14-17 in various locations across the Commonwealth. The dinners will consist of locally sourced foods matched with beers from the Kentucky Proud Beer Series.
Brewers participating in the 2019 Kentucky Proud Beer Series include 3rd Turn Brewing, Against the Grain Brewery, Falls City Brewing Co., Gordon Biersch Brewery, Gravely Brewing Co., Holsopple Brewing, Monnik Beer Co., and Old Louisville Brewing, all of Louisville; Blue Stallion Brewing, Fusion Brewing, Lexington Brewing Company, and West Sixth Brewing, Lexington; Alexandria Brewing Company; Bircus Brewing Company, Ludlow; Braxton Brewing Co., Covington; Country Boy Brewing, Georgetown; Darkness Brewing, Bellevue; Flywheel Brewing, Elizabethtown; Jarfly Brewing Co., Somerset; Paducah Beer Werks; Sig Luscher Brewery, Frankfort; and Wooden Cask Brewing Company, Newport.
For more information about the 2019 Kentucky Proud Beer Series and Festival, go to kygbrewers.org.
Thousands of cyclists, paddlers and walkers will be in motion at the Mayor’s Subway Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle Monday, September 2 as it returns for a 15th consecutive Labor Day at Waterfront Park.
“One of our goals is to make Louisville a healthier city, and one way to do that is to ensure we are a more active and accessible city for people of all ages,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “I’m excited to join thousands of residents from across Louisville for this beloved annual tradition.”
Subway Restaurants is again the title sponsor of Hike, Bike & Paddle, with presenting sponsors, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, Norton Healthcare and Neil Huffman Subaru. Academy Sports + Outdoors is a contributing sponsor.
“Subway Restaurants is proud to again be the title sponsor of the Mayor’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit Hike, Bike & Paddle, celebrating its 15th year. The events happening today give people an opportunity to be outside in the fresh air and lead healthy, active lifestyles,” said Umang Patel, Louisville SUBWAY Board Chair.
“Coca-Cola Consolidated is passionate about serving the Louisville community,” said Brian Outland, Vice President of Retail Sales at Coke Consolidated. “That’s why it’s an honor to support wonderful events like the Hike, Bike, and Paddle, that bring so many people together in the community for family fun during the holiday weekend.”
Norton Healthcare is pleased to once again sponsor the Mayor’s Hike, Bike & Paddle. “As a nationally-recognized healthiest employer, we are committed to providing a culture of health and wellness within our organization and throughout the community,” said Russell F. Cox, president and chief executive officer, Norton Healthcare. “We encourage everyone to live a healthy, active lifestyle and to participate in this fun event.”
“Neil Huffman Subaru is proud to again be a partner with Mayor Greg Fischer and the Office of Special Events for the Memorial Day edition of the Hike, Bike and Paddle,” said Dow Huffman, Managing Partner, Neil Huffman Auto Group. “Throughout the Neil Huffman Auto Group’s 50-year history, community involvement has been one of our core values and we salute this signature healthy city initiative and applaud the thousands of members of our community who participate each year.”
For hikers, this year features three routes, including a 5K route, that will all travel along Waterfront Park to the Big Four Bridge, all ending back at the Great Lawn. All routes are dog friendly, except for the route across the Big Four Bridge. The dog friendly route will take hikers with animals on a path leading to the Louisville Community Boathouse and back to the Great Lawn. All dogs must be leashed, and their owners must pick up waste during the walk. For those needing a shortened route, a third route will travel along Waterfront Park and circle back at the Big Four Bridge. All routes are wheelchair and stroller accessible.
For cyclists, this year’s 13.5-mile route will start near the Flock of Finns on Witherspoon Street and include travel through the Beecher Terrace redevelopment and parts of Smoketown and Shelby Park neighborhoods, past the Logan Street Market and Paristown developments, past the Louisville City FC’s under-construction stadium, and more. Cyclists who do not wish to do the entire course may turn around at any point after the majority of participants have passed.
All of the cycling and walking routes will be marked with signage and will have water stops at the halfway points to refill water bottles. The Louisville Bicycle Club and Scheller’s Fitness and Cycle are providing “bike captains” to help cyclists obey the rules of the road.
“Bike doctors” will be stationed in Waterfront Park before the ride and along the route to assist cyclists with any equipment problems. Louisville Metro Police will provide traffic assistance at key intersections, and the Louisville Metro EMS bicycle team will patrol the route. All cyclists are asked to remain behind the lead Police vehicles.
The paddling activity will begin at the Harbor Lawn in Waterfront Park and the route will be about 5 miles along Ohio River. At 10 a.m., paddlers will go through the McAlpine locks to New Albany. TARC will have free shuttle for the return trip to Waterfront Park.
Paddlers can enter from the University of Louisville Rowing dock located at the east end of Waterfront Park near the Community Boat House and will proceed downstream to the Harbor Lawn to await the start of the event. Free parking is available at this location. Volunteers will be on-site to assist paddlers at both locations.
Back by popular demand again this year, the Louisville Kayak Company will be offering kayak rental services at the event. You can reserve your kayak at the event or before you go by visiting here.
Police and safety boats will be nearby during the paddling activity, and participants can get assistance if needed in launching their canoe or kayak. Safe paddling instruction and demonstrations will take place in the harbor area of the Great Lawn.
More than 50 vendors and information booths will open at 8:30 a.m. at Waterfront Park. Yoga, Tai Chi, Zumba and Pickleball demonstrations will be offered starting at 8 a.m., along with group participation.
2,500 free t-shirts will be available for those arriving early and completing a brief survey. Thanks to sponsor support, this year’s t-shirt is an upgraded performance sport material.
Subway will be handing out free cash gift cards to be used at any Subway location, while supplies last. The Brain Injury Association will distribute 500 helmets to riders who don’t have one. Neil Huffman Subaru will be giving away a free bicycle and kayak at the event. Participants are encouraged to be “green” and bring their own water bottles, which they will be able to fill at Waterfront Park and at various water stations along the routes, as part of Louisville Water’s Pure Tap To Go.
This is the 15th year for the Hike, Bike & Paddle events, which are held each Memorial Day and Labor Day. The events are part of the city’s Healthy Hometown Movement, created to encourage Louisville residents to be more active and make healthier lifestyle choices.
To view interactive route maps, a full schedule and for more information, visit here. RSVP on the Hike, Bike and Paddle Facebook event page. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram @AroundLou!
Gov. Matt Bevin has directed that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff today, in honor of a Kentucky serviceman who was killed in action during World War II, but whose remains were only recently identified.
Navy Fireman 1st Class Billy J. Johnson, 22, of Caney, was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Johnson.
From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred in the Halawa and Nu’uanu Cemeteries.
In September 1947, tasked with recovering and identifying fallen U.S. personnel in the Pacific Theater, members of the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) disinterred the remains of U.S. casualties from the two cemeteries and transferred them to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. The laboratory staff was only able to confirm the identifications of 35 men from the USS Oklahoma at that time. The AGRS subsequently buried the unidentified remains in 46 plots at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP), known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu. In October 1949, a military board classified those who could not be identified as non-recoverable, including Johnson.
Between June and November 2015, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) personnel exhumed the USS Oklahoma Unknown remains from the Punchbowl for analysis. To identify Johnson’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial and material evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis. DPAA is grateful to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Navy for their partnership in this mission.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,692 still unaccounted for from World War II, of which approximately 30,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable.
Johnson’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
Johnson will be buried today in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
All individuals, businesses, organizations, and government agencies are encouraged to join in this tribute of lowering the flag to honor Navy Fireman 1st Class Johnson.
Flag status information is available at http://governor.ky.gov/flag-status.
The Kentucky State Fair announced a new policy for minors attending the annual summer celebration.
Beginning Wednesday Aug. 21, fairgoers under 18 years old entering after 6 p.m. must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 years of age or older. Proof of age is required. IDs will be verified at the gate. In addition to this new policy, there will be increased lighting and law enforcement personnel during peak hours.
“The Kentucky State Fair is a family-friendly event and our facility’s goal is to ensure that fairgoers are able to enjoy a comfortable experience during the Fair each year. With this new policy and added security measures, we are continuing to enhance the Kentucky State Fair experience for all our guests,” said David S. Beck, President and CEO of Kentucky Venues.
The 2019 Kentucky State Fair runs through Aug. 25 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. For more information, visit www.kystatefair.org. Find the Fair on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The St. James Court Art Show has been ranked No. 1 on Sunshine Artist Magazine’s 2019 list of the 200 Best Fine Art & Design Shows in America.
“We are extremely excited about the honor of being selected number one,” said Howard Rosenberg, executive director of the St. James Court Art Show. “The credit really goes to all the people who work tirelessly throughout the year on the show. We must also give recognition to our family of artists who exhibit their work at our show and make it so very special.”
The annual list ranks the nation’s most profitable art and craft festivals based on subscribers’ reported sales in 2018. The 200 Best list is based entirely on revenue. Artists cast their votes after being asked by Sunset Artist Magazine to list the top 10 most profitable art and/or craft shows they exhibited at in 2018. They also indicated their level of gross sales at each event and noted whether they consider themselves to be fine artists or craftspeople for each one. The results were tabulated using a weighted scale based on four sales levels to ensure that all events can compete against each other fairly.
To see the complete 2019 Best list, click here.
The 63rd annual St. James Court Art Show takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 4 and 5 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 6. Admission is free and the art show is a rain or shine event held in historic Old Louisville, home of the largest preserved districts of Victorian architecture in the United States. In addition to the plethora of local Kentucky artists, hundreds of artists travel to Louisville from all around the world to participate in the show. During this three-day event, guests will discover unique works of art in 17 artistic mediums, from clay to wood, and everything in between. Food and drink from local vendors will also be available for purchase.
For more information about the St. James Court Art Show, visit St.JamesCourtArtShow.com.