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Photo: Actors Theatre of Louisville
Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Kevin E. Moore are thrilled to share that Andrew Hinderaker’s The Magic Play will round out Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 2017 – 2018 Season. Critically acclaimed magician and actor Brett Schneider stars in this one-of-a-kind theatrical experience that combines love, loss and world-class magic into an evening of pure heart-warming spectacle. Chicago Sun-Times states, “True to its title, “The Magic Play,” Andrew Hinderaker’s highly original, altogether remarkable new work, is full of sleight-of-hand astonishments.” Directed by Halena Kays, The Magic Play will run from January 23 – February 11, 2018 in the Pamela Brown Auditorium as part of the Brown-Forman Series.
“The Magic Play is theatrical wonder at its very best,” says Artistic Director Les Waters. “Not only is it world-class magic that everyone will enjoy, but also a moving human drama of loss and love. I am excited to share this play with our community and think Andrew Hinderaker’s brilliance will be a perfect complement to the other wildly entertaining stories in our 2017 – 2018 Season.”
Presenting the finalized 2017 – 2018 Season at Actors Theatre of Louisville:
Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches
Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika
By Tony Kushner
Directed by Meredith McDonough
August 29 – October 14, 2017
Fifth Third Bank’s Dracula
Originally dramatized by John L. Balderston and Hamilton Deane
From Bram Stoker’s world-famous novel, Dracula
As adapted and directed by William McNulty
September 6 – October 31, 2017
Skeleton Crew
By Dominique Morisseau
Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III
November 14 – December 10, 2017
Fifth Third Bank’s A Christmas Carol
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Barbara Field
Directed by Drew Fracher
November 21 – December 23, 2017
The Santaland Diaries
By David Sedaris
Adapted by Joe Mantello
Directed by Meredith McDonough
December 1 – 23, 2017
Little Bunny Foo Foo
By Anne Washburn
Directed by Les Waters
January 9 – February 4, 2018
The Magic Play
By Andrew Hinderaker
Directed by Halena Kays
Featuring magician Brett Schneider
January 23 – February 11, 2018
42nd Humana Festival of New American Plays
February 28 – April 8, 2018
The 2017-2018 Season is generously supported by Brown-Forman, the official season sponsor, with additional support from Fund for the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council and Yum! Brands, which supports the student matinee series.
For more information on the 2017-2018 Season, including play descriptions and ticketing availability, please visit ActorsTheatre.org.
Photo: Legal Aid Society of Louisville
A new telephone hotline gives qualifying parents free legal assistance related to their custody and visitation concerns. The toll-free Custody and Visitation Hotline number is 1-844-673-3470. Phone lines are open Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. Eastern time.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Office of Child Support Enforcement (CSE) has an agreement with the Legal Aid Society (LAS) to operate the “Custody and Visitation” Hotline. The statewide service is for eligible parents, on an income-based scale, who have concerns regarding custody and visitation issues with their children.
Steve Veno, Commissioner of the CHFS Department for Income Services, which oversees the CSE, said an LAS attorney will handle all hotline calls and provide legal advice or assistance to callers such as how to file a motion, how to file or change a child custody or visitation order in the appropriate court and how to work through visitation and custody issues.
“We have heard from many parents who ask about access to legal help, so we know the need is there,” Veno said. “Our agency isn’t able to address these issues, but now there is a resource for parents with simple legal questions or deeper concerns. We anticipate a lot of parents will take advantage of this new resource.”
LAS attorneys cannot file legal pleadings, appear in court or address child support issues.
Funding for the hotline comes from a grant from the federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families and provides for initial operation of the service through June 2018. CSE and LAS staff will meet regularly to evaluate the program, address challenges and ensure progress.
“Helping parents with their custody and visitation questions will give them more peace of mind,” concluded CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson. “In turn, this will help children. The connection between parents having a relationship with their children and financially supporting their children is strong. Collection of court-ordered child support payments is another integral part of the Office of Child Support Enforcement’s mission.”
While this partnership deals specifically with custody and visitation issues, a number of separate resources are also available for parents dealing with child support issues.
The Child Support Enforcement Hotline – 800-248-1163 – is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern time. The Child Support Interactive Voice Response Payment Line – 800-443-1576 – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Kentucky Child Support Interactive website – https://csws.chfs.ky.gov/csws/ – is available for parents to access information about their cases and to make payments.
For more information about Kentucky Child Support Enforcement, log on to http://chfs.ky.gov/dis/cse.htm.
It’s an opportunity to clean out the garage, the attic, and the basement of those things that have been collecting dust over the years and get them to a place where someone else might be able to use them, or where they can be safely disposed.
Councilman Bill Hollander (D-9) announces the Annual Responsible Recycling Event set for Saturday May 13th between 9:30am and 12:30pm at the Louisville Water Tower Park, 3005 River Road.
“This is a great way to remove those things in your home that could find new life by being recycled,” says Hollander. “Any Louisville Metro resident can help the environment and a variety of non-profits by simply bringing to one location what you no longer want or use and dropping it off for free.”
The Free Responsible Recycling Event is open to all Louisville Metro residents. It is easy to participate. Just gather what you would like to recycle, then drive up and drop your items off at the appropriate vendor. Businesses will not be allowed to participate at this event. A multitude of items will be accepted for recycling or reuse, including paper for shredding. New this year all items collected at Haz Bin will be accepted, and LMPD officers will be on-site to collect old expired and unused medications.
The following items will also be accepted:
- BATTERIES (rechargeable and non-rechargeable) Please have them separated
- TELEVISIONS (must work and may not be older than 10 years); no console and projection TVs accepted.
- COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS (terminals, towers, laptops, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, VHS/DVD players, stereo, monitors)
- HANDHELD ELECTRONICS (cell phones, cell phone accessories, iPods, tablets, MP3 players)
- HAZARDOUS MATERIALS All items accepted at Haz Bin location – see attached flyer for complete list including oil based & latex paint, household chemicals – MUST have labels and no leaks, no containers larger than 5 gallons)
- HOUSEHOLD BUILDING SUPPLIES (cabinets, doors, flooring, windows, hardware, light/ceiling fans, lumber, roofing, siding, tools)
- HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE must be in good condition (NO mattresses, items with odors, water beds, baby cribs and accessories, entertainment centers, armoires for TVs/computers)
- HOUSEHOLD ITEMS (working appliances)
- MEDICAL SURPLUS ITEMS (walkers, wheelchairs, orthopedic items, diabetic supplies, ace bandages, gauze pads, canes)
- PERSONAL DOCUMENTS (shred on-site paper documents ONLY) Unable to take boxes or plastic bags and they must be taken away by participants.
- SHOES (new and gently used) Must be dry
For a complete list of accepted items, please visit louisvilleky.gov/district9. On the event page is a flyer with 7 attachments with detailed lists of accepted items from each organization.
If you have electronic items that are not accepted during this event, please review “electronics recycling” information on the flyer attachment. Residents may take electronics, including non-working older TVs, to the Louisville Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue. These will NOT be accepted at the May 13 event.
“We have made it easy to get rid of things people no longer use, with no cost to bring in these items that will benefit others,” says Hollander. “If you have tried to find a way to dispose of those things you have around the house, then I encourage you to take advantage of this event.”
Among the vendors on hand: All-Shred, Commonwealth e-Waste, Habitat for Humanity, Louisville Metro Public Works, Supplies Overseas, and WaterStep.
Visit www.louisvilleky.gov/district9 for more information, or contact Councilman Hollander’s office at 574-1109.
Credit: Louisville Metro Police
The Louisville Metro Council’s Public Safety Committee will hold a special meeting on Monday. May 8th to receive an update to from hear from LMPD Chief Steve Conrad on reorganization effort announced in 2016 to fight violent crime in Metro Louisville.
“We have now passed the six month mark since those changes were announced and the Committee is committed to staying on top of all efforts to secure reduce violent crime,” says Councilman David James (D-6), who chairs the Committee. “We are asking the Chief to give us an idea of what is or what isn’t working.”
The Public Safety Committee will meet in Council Chambers, 601 West Jefferson Street beginning at 3:30pm. All meetings are aired live on Metro TV Spectrum Cable Channel 25 and Channel 99 for UVERSE subscribers.
Meetings are streamed live on the Metro Council’s website. Go to http://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council and click on the “Watch Meetings Online” icon.
Photo: Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
An expansion from its historic range in the interior plains brought the coyote to Kentucky where as recently as the early 1970s sightings of these animals were still considered rare.
Coyotes are now common across the state but their presence in urban and suburban areas can surprise residents.
“People in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Denver have grown accustomed to seeing a coyote strolling through a city park,” said Laura Palmer, furbearer biologist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “In Kentucky, people are still getting used to seeing them in urban areas.”
Reports of coyote sightings in residential areas increase in the spring and early summer as coyotes breed and give birth to pups.
Since total eradication of coyotes is not possible, having a basic understanding about these wild animals, which can range in color from reddish to tan to grizzled gray and black, can ease concerns and limit potential conflicts.
“Coyotes are often misunderstood,” Palmer said. “Most do not bother people. Many times, people do not even know coyotes are living near their homes.”
Coyotes tend to be more active from dusk to dawn when living in close proximity to people. Even in populated areas, nature typically provides ample food. Mice, deer, voles, rabbits, raccoons, fruit and goose eggs can be part of a coyote’s diet.
“Coyotes typically shy away from human activity but they may take advantage of food around homes if natural prey is limiting, a coyote is injured or sick, or young have not learned to hunt effectively,” Palmer said.
Coyotes can lose their fear of humans if conditioned to depend on people for food, and conflicts can arise from people feeding them – either intentionally or unintentionally.
“Do not leave pet food outside and make sure garbage is secured,” Palmer said. “Discourage your neighbors from feeding feral cats, raccoons or coyotes themselves.”
She also recommends bringing bird feeders inside at night and removing seed that has fallen on the ground. Bird feeders attract animals that in turn attract coyotes. Plug any holes under fences, block access to crawl spaces and fence around gardens. Motion-activated lighting around the house can act as a coyote deterrent. Also, consider turning on outside lights and checking the yard for unwanted animals before letting a dog outside at night.
If you are concerned about pets being outside, keep them inside or kennel them when they are unattended, if possible. When walking a dog, use a short, non-retractable leash that is highly visible and vary your walking routine.
A coyote that does not flee upon encountering a person could be sick, injured or habituated to people. Do not panic if you see a coyote or one approaches you, Palmer said.
Coyotes are curious by nature and sometimes follow people or dogs to see what they are doing in their territories or to see that they do not get too close to their dens and pups, she said.
Other suggestions: Don’t approach a coyote or linger to snap photos or take video. Don’t turn your back on a coyote and don’t run. Running away can diminish the coyote’s fear of people and may trigger its chase instinct. Don’t harass a coyote if it is cornered, with pups or seems sick or injured. It’s best to back away slowly or try to scare it away with loud noises. Make yourself look bigger by waving your arms, widening your stance or waving a stick. Take a step or lunge toward the coyote to establish dominance. Throw a rock or a stick in its direction but not directly at it. Pick up small dogs and children. Keep scaring the coyote until it’s out of sight. It’s also a good idea to teach children to recognize coyotes, never approach one and scare them away.
If you happen upon what you suspect is a den, like a hollow tree or brush pile, slowly back away and leave the area. Coyotes are protective of their pups, which stay in the den with the mother for about three weeks and learn to hunt when they are eight to 12 weeks old. Family groups typically break up and disperse in late summer and early fall.
Understanding coyotes can reduce potential conflicts with them.
If your community has a Facebook page, consider sharing tips for coexisting with coyotes and deterring these animals from becoming too bold. One resource Palmer recommends is the website urbancoyoteresearch.com. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at fw.ky.gov also offers helpful information.
Kentucky’s legal community has raised more than 350,000 pounds or 175 tons of food through donations for families and children across the state, Attorney General Andy Beshear said today.
The effort is part of the inaugural Kentucky Legal Food Frenzy that takes donations of food, money and volunteer time during the competition announced in February by Beshear and partners.
Lawyers and staff competed outside the courtroom for two weeks – March 27 to April 7 – to raise food and funds for Kentucky’s food bank network.
A total of 125 law firms and legal organizations representing more than 2,500 attorneys and staff competed for the grand prize – the Attorney General’s Cup – Beshear said.
GE Appliances’ legal department won the grand prize by raising the equivalent of 33,379 pounds of food. Paducah’s Bryant Law Center, who won the Small Firm Award, missed winning the grand prize by 156 pounds of food; they donated 33,223 pounds total.
The Office of the Attorney General, the Prosecutors Advisory Council (PAC) and several local prosecutors joined the competition to raise food and funds for local food banks. The Office of the Attorney General donated the equivalent of 6,792 pounds of food, and PAC and the offices of county and commonwealths attorneys combined donated the equivalent of more than 51,000 pounds of food.
Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Lou Anna Red Corn and her staff won the Government and Public Service Award by donating 16,109 pounds.
Kentucky’s three law schools held their own competition. Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law won the division title this year by raising the equivalent of 1,610 pounds.
“Congratulations to the Attorney General’s Cup winner GE Appliances’ legal department, NKU Chase College of Law and all of the 2017 Kentucky Legal Food Frenzy winners,” Beshear said. “I could not be more proud of Kentucky’s legal community for its generosity toward those in need in our state. The true winners of this competition are the children who will receive healthy, balanced meals this summer.”
Tamara Sandberg, Kentucky Association of Food Banks executive director, said Beshear issued the challenge to the state’s legal community to take action against hunger, and “the Kentucky Bar Association Young Lawyers Division answered that challenge with zeal.”
“On behalf of Kentucky’s food bank network, I want to express our gratitude to the Young Lawyers Division, Attorney General Beshear and all the firms, legal organizations and law schools that worked hard to help stock the shelves of food banks,” Sandberg said.
The Kentucky Legal Food Frenzy, a partnership between the Office of the Attorney General, Kentucky Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Kentucky Association of Food Banks, is timed to help food banks prepare for increased demand during the summer months when children do not have access to school meals.
Nearly all (94 percent) of Kentucky’s food bank client households with school-aged children receive free or reduced-price school lunch through the National School Lunch Program.
Only one in 13 school-aged children who receive free and reduced-priced lunch during the school year, however, have access to such meals during the summer months when school is out.
Kentucky’s seven regional food banks serve 53,000 Kentuckians each week. All of the food and funds collected during the Legal Food Frenzy benefit the regional food bank that serves each competitor’s community.
Beshear said a large part of the campaign’s success was the leadership behind the competition.
“I would like to thank the Kentucky Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Chair Rebecca Schafer and campaign co-chairs Lee Metzger and Miranda Click of the Young Lawyers Division as well as Susan Rieber in my office,” Beshear said. “Their hard work and dedication made the inaugural Legal Food Frenzy a success. I appreciate the generosity of all Kentucky lawyers and legal staff who contributed to this important effort.”
Winners of the 2017 Kentucky Legal Food Frenzy
- Corporate Legal Department/Grand Prize Winner: GE Appliances: 33,379 pounds. (Louisville)
- Small Firm: Bryant Law Center: 5,537 pounds per attorney (33,223 pounds total) (Paducah)
- Large Firm: Wyatt Tarrant & Combs: 165 pounds per attorney (19,645 pounds total) (Lexington and Louisville)
- Government and Public Service: Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office: 16,109 pounds (Lexington)
- Medium Firm: Graydon: 386 pounds per attorney (9,640 pounds total) (Fort Mitchell)
- Solo Firm: The Risk Firm: 2,063 pounds per attorney (4,125 pounds total) (Covington)
- Law School: NKU Chase College of Law: 1,610 pounds (Highland Heights)
“My first priority is to protect Kentucky families and children, and each day far too many are struggling to obtain enough food for a healthy, active life,” Beshear said. “The Legal Food Frenzy will continue to be an opportunity for the state’s legal community to challenge each other outside the courtroom for the noble cause of reducing hunger.”
Kentucky eighth-graders headed for high school in the fall might find “High School Basics,” a four-page flyer, helpful. The free flyer can be ordered from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).
“High School Basics” has sections about:
- Credits and graduation requirements.
- Calculating a GPA.
- Reading a high school transcript.
- The Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES).
- Earning college credit while in high school.
Free copies are available by emailing publications@kheaa.com. Please remember to include a mailing address.
KHEAA is the state agency that administers KEES, need-based grants and other programs to help students pay their higher education expenses.
For more information about Kentucky scholarships and grants, visit www.kheaa.com; write KHEAA, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602; or call 800-928-8926, ext. 6-7214.
