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Photo: Louisville Metro Council
On Thursday, President David James (D-6) will honor a man who for more than 40 years has taken care of those in need in his community by officially dedicating honorary street signs to Apostle Raymond J. Keith Jr. at a corner near his church in West Louisville.
“We are fortunate that Apostle Raymond J. Keith Jr. got the call to come to Louisville back in 1976,” says President James. “Once he arrived, he began his dedicated work of feeding and clothing those in need and helping others find a home or a job or a purpose in life to serve others.”
On Thursday, October 24th President James will join family, friends and members of his church to unveil an honorary street signs at 1:00pm at the corner of 18th and Prentice Streets near the Refuge in Kentucky Church.
Apostle Raymond J. Keith Jr. has been an ordained minister for Refuge in Kentucky since October 23, 1976. His vision and work include establishing transition homes for the homeless, bible college, trade schools, and services for children.
Many in the community know under his leadership, Refuge in Kentucky is known as “the church in the heart of the city, with the people of the city in its heart.”
President James is sponsoring a Resolution that calls for two honorary signs to be placed on the southwest corner of 17th and Prentice Streets, and on the southeast corner of 18th and Prentice Streets and be designated as “Apostle Raymond J. Keith Jr. Way.”
The Resolution is set to be approved by the Louisville Metro Council at its meeting on October 24th.
For more information about the Apostle Raymond J. Keith Jr Honorary Sign Unveiling, contact President James office at 574-1106.
Mayor Greg Fischer today joined Metro Animal Services and Friends of Metro Animal Services (FOMAS) for a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open a state-of-the-art animal shelter at 3516 Newburg Road, which replaces the outdated facility on Manslick Road.
“Our community deserves a modern, full-service animal shelter that provides the best care possible for animals and the most efficient service possible for residents,” Mayor Fischer said. “Our Metro Animal Services has been doing an outstanding job in recent years, finding homes for a record number of animals and reaching ‘no kill for time or space’ status for the first time in its history. This shelter is the perfect place for the LMAS team to provide their top-notch, compassionate service.”
The 33,000-square-foot facility puts all animal-related services on one campus where residents can adopt a pet, purchase or renew a pet license or take a stray pet.
“Animals Services has operated from two locations for a decade, complicating how our agency operates and confusing the public that uses our services,” said Ozzy Gibson, LMAS Shelter Director. “Not only is our campus now conveniently accessible to all Jefferson County residents, it saves us money that we can use to find more ways to help our shelter pets.”
The new facility can house up to 235 animals and features all climate-controlled kennels with isolation rooms to prevent the spread of illness. A modern veterinary wing meets industry standards and includes the shelter’s first X-ray and ultrasound machines, allowing LMAS to quickly evaluate sick and injured pets. There are four operating tables as well as separate rooms for pets being prepped and recovering from surgery.
The nearly $11.6 million dollar facility also includes a fully furnished clinic, which will operate independently from the shelter, offering pet owners low-cost spay and neuter services, vaccinations and microchipping. “Our community has few options for people who cannot afford the average cost of spaying or neutering their pet. An independently run, low-cost clinic encourages responsible pet ownership, decreases our stray pet population and prevents shelter overcrowding,” said Gibson.
Specialty areas that were missing from the old facility give shelter pets a greater chance of being adopted. A behavioral room allows staff to train or correct undesirable behaviors while a photo room will ensure pets look their best in photos for potential adopters. There’s also a dedicated enrichment room where volunteers and groups can make treats for shelter pets.
“A huge part of the success of Metro Animal Services is their employees and supporters. Friends of Metro Animal Services is honored to have helped make a modern shelter a reality, not just shelter pets, but also the staff and volunteers,” said FOMAS Executive Director Susanna Westerfield. “They have struggled for decades to properly care for animals in a rundown, outdated facility. These every day heroes deserve nothing but the best to continue providing quality care to shelter pets.”
A large laundry room with commercial washing machines and dryers replace the old shelter’s appliances intended for home use. Separate food prep areas equipped with commercial dishwashers make feeding time and cleanup more efficient.
Benefits of the new shelter go beyond the building to include more enrichment opportunities for shelter pets. The campus features six fenced-in play yards compared to just one at the old facility. There’s also a half-mile walking track where volunteers can walk a dog on their lunch break.
“Many of us have long awaited this day. This state-of-the-art facility is just the latest in a long series of changes we have made as a city to address the needs of Louisville Metro Animal Services,” said Metro Council District 10 representative Pat Mulvihill. “Public Safety is one of our many goals as elected officials, and now we are not only protecting the public but protecting the animals in need of a new home or returning them to their owners. It is a great day for those who love pets and want the humane treatment of all animals.”
The LMAS Animal Care Facility is located next to Animal House Adoption Center, which was built in 2009. Shelter construction began in July 2018 with funding from Louisville Metro Government and gracious donations from FOMAS and the Harshaw Family Foundation. The LMAS Animal Care Campus is also the future home of Alley Cat Advocates, which manages the Community Cat Program.
The LMAS Animal Care Facility is open 12-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Animal House Adoption Center is now open seven days a week, excluding holidays. Meet adoptable pets daily from 12-6 p.m., and Fridays from 12-7 p.m.. For more information about MAS and Pay It Forward Free Adoptions, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/animal-services.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
President David James (D-6) is encouraging anyone who would like to help to come out for a community wide cleanup which is set for the Old Louisville area on Tuesday October 22nd.
“I want to encourage anyone who would like to help us to come out and join us,” says President James. “Cleanups are a great way to show community pride in our neighborhoods.”
The 160 volunteers from the University of Louisville are volunteering as a part of their “Cards Come Together Week of Service 2019,” which Is part of this week’s upcoming homecoming activities.
The volunteers will meet at Fourth and Oak Street to begin a cleanup of the Old Louisville area starting at 1:00pm. From there, volunteers will fan out across Old Louisville to collect trash and spruce the area up for the fall season.
“I wish to thank U of L and Dr Neeli Bendapudi for her continued and dynamic support for our neighborhoods around the university. This is another example of her great leadership,” says President James.
For more information about the cleanups, contact President James Office at 502-574-1106.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
President David James (D-6) invites everyone to start their Halloween celebration a little earlier than usual by taking advantage of the haunted history of one of the city’s most unique and in this case scary neighborhood’s: Old Louisville.
“We are offering a great way to experience the beauty of Victorian Old Louisville this weekend by adding a little something extra to an annual event which may surprise some folks in a fun way,” said President James.
The Victorian Ghost Walk is an annual production of outdoor theater that celebrates the ghostly past of “America’s Most Haunted Neighborhood” amidst a stunning backdrop of gas-lit walkways and beautiful mansions. It is a progressive porch play bringing together a wide variety of talent and visitors every year in October as the Old Louisville historic district becomes a stage where haunted history comes to life.
“The South 4th Street Neighborhood Association is proud to partner with local author, chef, and professor David Dominé to celebrate “America’s Most Haunted Neighborhood.” A cast of real-life actors bring ghosts and characters from his books to life in this outdoor theatrical walking tour in the heart of historic Old Louisville,” says Susan C. Coleman Layman of the Association.
Among the highlights of this ghost walk the casual walker will see on the tour are the Resurrectionist, the millionaire and the woman who claimed she was “Queen of America”.
Along the way there will be goblins and the Witch at the Witches’ Tree, where a neighborhood witch from the 1800s shares the tale of how a curse led to its gnarled and twisted appearance; The Stick Witch, a crazed old hags jealously guards a cart full of sticks in the park; Jennie Bowman, a ghost of a young Irish woman who returns to tell the sad tale of a deadly encounter; Annie Whipple, who’s spirit returns to the mansion to warn against the dangers of trying to communicate with the dead; Lady Ross, a phantom who returns to her childhood home to recount the details of her unhappy marriage to an aristocrat.
Part walking tour, part porch play, David Dominé’s Victorian Ghost Walk brings together local acting talent to showcase the Old Louisville Preservation District and raise funds for neighborhood organizations.
“This is just one of the many great community events that Old Louisville sponsors as a way to continue this special neighborhood,” says James.
The Victorian Ghost Walk gets underway at 6:00pm on Friday, October 18th, Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th beginning at 1402 St James Court.
For more information about this event or if you need ticket information go to: https://louisvillehistorictours.com/victorian-ghost-walk/
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilwoman Keisha Dorsey (D-3) will deliver the opening remarks at a very special event designed to help young women navigate the connections they need to be successful in the future.
The Mother Daughter Tea Event will help empower women from adolescent, young adult and young at heart by providing the opportunities for success in all facets of their lives.
“I look forward to speaking at this event because I know that women in the 21st Century are active in all areas of our community. Many of them are potential leaders and doers who just need to know how to begin that journey,” said the Councilwoman. “Many times, they may not be aware of all the resources available to help them succeed in business and community endeavors. Our goal is to help them find and use those resources.”
Participants in the event will learn more about networking, empowerment and etiquette. The event is also looking for those who would like to serve as mentors for young women.
Councilwoman Dorsey created this program as part of the upcoming 100Th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage and she is hopeful it will serve as a primer to not only commemorate and celebrate but educate and equip the next generation of women to continue the fight of equity and equality for all women.
The Mother Daughter Tea Event is set for Sunday between 5:00pm and 7:00pm at 4019 Dixie Highway – Union Hall.
Louisville residents are invited to bring unneeded documents to be shredded and prescription drugs to be disposed of at a free event on November 2, 2019. The paper shredding and drug toss event is a joint operation of Louisville Metro Public Works and Louisville Metro Police.
Residents can protect themselves from identify theft and divert unused medications from the waste stream or misuse by bringing items to:
Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center
1030 Phillips Lane
Saturday, November 2, 2019
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Businesses may not participate in this event. All paper materials will be shredded on site and recycled. Shredding services are donated by the Louisville Branch of Shred-It Louisville. The drug toss is a drive-through event.
In advance, black out all personal information on all medication containers that will be tossed. For safety reasons, sharp items, needles, lances, cosmetics, personal care or hygiene items cannot be accepted. Medication products should never be flushed down the toilet or drain, burned in the open or thrown in the trash because they can contaminate the environment if exposed to drinking and ground water.
Photo: Project Green Heart
At 1000 Stanley Avenue this week, the first of thousands of trees was planted as part of a major health study to determine the impact of green foliage on the community’s health.
Councilwoman Keisha Dorsey (D-3) was on hand for the first tree planted as part of the Green Heart Project, a program being conducted by the University of Louisville Environment Institute and The Nature Conservancy.
“We know Louisville Metro has been losing trees at an alarming rate. As the Green Heart Project moves forward in the coming years, we will be able to have a better understanding on how greenery impacts the health of the people of our community while replenishing our tree canopy,” said Dorsey.
The Green Heart Project will examine, for the first time, if increasing greenness in an urban community will reduce the levels of air pollution in the neighborhood, decrease the risk of heart disease, and increase outdoor activity and relationships between neighbors.
Green Heart will help discover:
- How to plant trees in urban communities to maximize the removal of air pollution,
- If increasing green space affects the risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease,
- If increasing urban green space reduces mental stress, enhances social cohesion, increases physical activity, and
- If urban green space affects crime rates, property values, storm water runoff, energy use, and heat island effect.
Research teams with the project have already conducted health screenings with neighborhood residents and will recheck their biomarkers over time to determine whether the additional trees and shrubs improve their health, including cardiovascular health, diabetes, and other health indicators.
The Green Heart Project has a specific timeline:
- Baseline measurements in 2018 and 2019
- Monitor levels of air pollution around roadways and residential areas.
- Recruit hundreds of people for the HEAL Health Study to see baseline health, stress levels, lifestyle and relationships, and disease risk.
- Greening in 2019 and 2020
- Plant thousands of trees, shrubs, and grasses to create a robust and sustainable ecosystem maximized to remove air pollution.
- Monitoring in 2020 and 2021
- Track changes in pollution, physical and mental health, and social change.
- Comparison in 2022
- Compare observed changes before planting and two years after planting
“Every neighborhood in our community is special and we all want a better quality of life,” said Dorsey. “Now, we will be able to see through the Green Heart Project if the beauty of trees and greenery not only improve our neighborhoods but our health as well.”
For more information about the Green Heart Project, go to: https://louisville.edu/greenheart/about
