For almost 50 years, he has been a strong advocate for the preservation of the Old Louisville area. On Thursday, President David James (D-6) will honor the work and dedication of Herb Fink by officially dedicating an honorary street sign in the area he loves so well.

“It is hard to imagine how Old Louisville would look today had Herb Fink not been here to work with the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council and others,” says President James. “He has made it his goal to keep this part of history of our city alive for all of us to see and enjoy.”

On Thursday, March 14th President James will join family, friends and neighbors of Herb Fink to unveil an honorary Street sign at 2:00pm at Third and the SW Corner of Lee Streets.

In February, the Metro Council gave unanimous approval to an honorary street sign to thank Mr. Fink for his work and dedication. Honorary street signs have been erected between Second and Third Street at Lee to read “Herb Fink Way.”

“We in Old Louisville owe a great deal to Herb. Not only for his desire to see many buildings historically preserved in this neighborhood but Central Park would not be the jewel it is without his work with Metro Parks to enhance it for all of us to enjoy,” says President James. “Thank you, Herb from all of us in Louisville Metro.”

For more information about the Herb Fink Sign Unveiling, contact President James office at 574-1106.

Councilman Brandon Coan (D-8) is encouraging the community to come out and discuss partnership opportunities between Louisville Metro Government and Jefferson County Public Schools to enhance neighborhoods and the schools that anchor them.

          “Bringing our city government and school systems closer together is important for fostering public interest in education and engaging students and families in civic life,” says Coan.

          The JCPS / Louisville Metro Government Town & Gown-Hall Meeting is set for Thursday, March 14th between, 6:00 PM-7:15 PM at Highland Middle School, 1700 Norris Place.

          Participating in the discussion along with Councilman Coan are JCPS Board Member Dr. Chris Kolb, Highland Middle Principal Chris Burba and Deer Park Neighborhood Association President Art Cestaro.

          This is the second of several Town and Gown-Hall Meetings Councilman Coan intends to hold at District 8 schools.

          For more information, contact Councilman Coan’s Office at 574-1108.

Summer jobs are critical to developing the community’s youth and building a stronger local economy, Mayor Greg Fischer said today in launching the SummerWorks jobs program for 2019.

The program partners with companies and non-profits to provide good summer employment for young people age 16-21.

“Summer jobs are essential building blocks for young people, and SummerWorks is crucial to our city’s economy, by creating a consistent pipeline of future talent,” Mayor Fischer said. “The combination of SummerWorks and the developing Academies of Louisville schools at JCPS will be critical pieces as we work to build the best talent development system in the nation.”

In 2018, SummerWorks staff directly placed more than 1,000 teens and young adults in jobs, and 6,200 youth overall were employed by the program’s partner employers. And already, momentum is building for this summer, with many employers hiring youth through the program for the first time, including BrightSpring Health Services, FFO Homes, Heine Brothers Coffee, Messer Construction, OneWest Louisville and VisionWorks.

Today’s program kickoff was at the Shawnee Boys & Girls Club. Siera Berry, 17, who attends Butler Traditional, worked at the club last summer helping supervise young children. She says the experience convinced her to pursue a teaching career.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do before I started SummerWorks and then when I started working with kids, I realized that I really love this and want to teach them,” Siera said. “I read to the kids, and learned to be patient with them. It was a super experience.”

Mayor Fischer said more youth will be able to discover and pursue careers with the alignment of SummerWorks and the 14 high schools that are part of the JCPS Academies initiative. This summer, about 200 Academy students will be placed in jobs that link to their education in career sectors such as technology, healthcare, manufacturing and business services. The goal is for every student to have had a summer job experience by the time they graduate their Academy school.

“Our students gain unique opportunities through SummerWorks for relevant and hands-on experiences,” said Dr. Marty Pollio, JCPS Superintendent. “These opportunities match instruction taking place in the classroom within our Academies of Louisville structure.”

For many participants, their summer job has led to fulltime employment at companies such as GE Appliances, Humana, Kentucky Kingdom, Norton Healthcare, Thorntons and UPS.

Other businesses that have committed to hiring SummerWorks youth this year include 4^th Street Live, GlowTouch Technologies, Hilliard Lyons, Kindred Healthcare, Kroger, Lantech, Louisville Zoo, Omni Hotel, Parallon and Speedway. SummerWorks will also create job experiences this summer that build entrepreneurial skills in young people by providing mini-grants to five organizations: Americana Community Center, Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm, TECH-nique, Inc., YMCA and Youth, Ethics & Skills Center, Inc. The grants will fund work experiences ranging from providing tech skills to young women to developing a summer meals program for lower income children.   

The Mayor launched SummerWorks right after taking office in 2011, in response to the elimination of federal funding for summer jobs. That first year, 200 young people were placed in jobs. The program was recognized by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2014 as one of the nation’s best summer jobs programs for young people.

SummerWorks is overseen by KentuckianaWorks, the workforce development agency for the Louisville area, in partnership with Louisville YouthBuild, which adds expertise in working with at-risk youth and provides mentoring and job-coaching. The goal is to provide even stronger long-term outcomes for young people involved in the program.

The program’s core operating funds are approved by the Louisville Metro Council. Private donations sponsor jobs for youth in greatest need of the opportunity. Those contributors include the James Graham Brown Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Community Foundation of Louisville, V.V. Cooke Foundation, Diaz Family Foundation, Henry Heuser, LG&E, Harshaw Trane, Mary Gwen Wheeler and David Jones, Jr. and other organizations and individuals.

Employers and youth can sign up for the program at www.summerworks.org.

A Kentucky Derby Festival favorite returns this week to help usher in spring. Festival Unveiled is Thursday, March 14, at the Mellwood Arts Center. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. Citizens Union Bank and Four Roses are the Presenting Sponsors of this pre-Festival party.

“Festival Unveiled” will showcase several elements of the 2019 Festival. In addition to the 2019 Official Poster and Merchandise line, guests will also receive the Official Program with complete details of this year’s Festival. While enjoying the evening, guests have an opportunity to bid on a silent auction of framed posters.

In conjunction with the event, Four Roses is holding the Four Roses Rose Julep Cocktail Competition. The Rose Julep competition challenges mixologists from Louisville and surrounding areas to showcase their skills in front of a panel of local celebrity and beverage industry judges evaluating each Julep based on taste, presentation and creativity. Event attendees will also have a chance to sample the six Rose Julep finalist recipes and vote for the “People’s Choice” Rose Julep.

Kentucky-inspired favorite foods will be available at the event provided by Ladyfingers Catering. Food will include a
Kentucky Beer Cheese and Pimento Cheese Dip with chips and pork rinds; Cheese & Vegetable Display including Benedictine served with crackers; Smoked Beef Brisket; Ale 8-1 Glazed Ham; BBQ Sliders; Hashbrown Casserole and Country Green Beans with Ham. Desserts include Kern’s Kitchen Derby-Pie®, along with wine from Old 502 Winery.

For more information, call the Derby Festival Office at (502) 584-FEST. All guests receive a complimentary goodie bag. Citizens Union Bank and Four Roses are Presenting Sponsors of the event. Ladyfingers Catering is a Contributing Sponsor. Media Sponsors are LEO Weekly and 106.9 PLAY.

The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, more than 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people in a two- week period and has a local economic impact of more than $127 million. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.

At the request of the Magazine Street Seventh Day Adventist Church, Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4) will participate in a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the Mayor‘s proposal regarding the Budget and what the City is facing with respect to pension costs and other relevant matters.

“Like many of my colleagues on the Metro Council, I believe it is important to go out in the community to talk about what the city is facing financially,” says Sexton Smith. “It is important for folks to understand our options and clear up any misinformation out there as the debate continues.”

The meeting will take place at the Magazine Street SDA Church at 1942 Magazine Street on Tuesday, March 12th, beginning at 6:30p.m. Joining the Councilwoman will be Daniel Frockt, CFO of Metro Louisville.

“The Pastor invited me and others in an effort to offer insight where the residents of the West End can make an informed and intelligent decision within our district about what is being proposed,” says Sexton Smith. “I will be there to give my thoughts and listen to their concerns.”

 For more information about the Magazine Street SDA Church Town Hall Meeting, contact Councilwoman Sexton Smith’s office at 574-1104.

Historic Locust Grove, a National Historic Landmark established c. 1792, is excited to welcome a series of guest speakers for three evening events celebrating The Age of Hamilton and the first three American Presidents, as well as the refreshments they enjoyed during their lifetimes.

The Punch with the President evenings are part of The Age of Hamilton series at Locust Grove that looks at the personalities and events of the era of the American Revolution through the Early National period in depth. Washington, Jefferson, Burr, and Hamilton all were part of the world of William Croghan of Locust Grove and George Rogers Clark, founder of Louisville.

The Punch with the President events will focus on the lives and libations of the presidents, beginning with John Adams Speaks on March 15, 2019 at 6:30 pm. Portrayed by nationally-known interpreter Peyton Dixon of Historic Experiences, the second President, John Adams, will discuss his devotion to Independence, his time in the First and Second Continental Congress, his term as the first Vice President of the United States, and what it was like to follow George Washington as President. Guests will be able to enjoy alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including an alcoholic punch from a period recipe, as well as beer and wine. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, punch of various recipes was a popular beverage that served the function of cocktails in our modern-day celebrations.

The second Punch with the President event focuses on the father of our country with George Washington, The Founding Fathers, and Their Spirits: Alcohol, Politics, and Consumption in Early America on Wednesday, April 3 at 6:30 pm. Upon his death in 1799, George Washington owned one of the largest whiskey distilleries in the United States. John Adams preferred hard cider and a variety of beers. Thomas Jefferson was a connoisseur of French wines and champagne. Senior Historian of the White House Historical Association Dr. Matthew Costello will discuss how to drink like Washington and his contemporaries in this lively evening of history and historical refreshments.

The series will continue on Wednesday, May 22 at 6:30 pm with Thomas Jefferson and George Rogers Clark, presented by Locust Grove historian Gwynne Tuell Potts. Thomas Jefferson and George Rogers Clark were mutual supporters in military ventures and politics, as well as in the exploration of western lands. The two men, who grew up just a few miles apart in Albemarle County, Virginia, shared an interest in natural history, prehistory, and in Native American lore and language. Their correspondence over many years is a window into the conquering and development of the early American west. From excavating Mammoth bones to confiding about political intrigue, Potts will reveal the respectful bond between two very different personalities.

“As William Croghan and George Rogers Clark moved in the same circles as Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, it would be impossible to resist raising a glass while we raise our understanding of our first presidents,” notes Program Director Brian Cushing. “We’re excited for the opportunity to explore period alcoholic beverages while delving into the issues of the early days of American Independence.”

Admission to each Punch with the President event is $15 or $12 for Locust Grove members. Admission includes one drink ticket. Reservations are required; please call 502-897-9845 for tickets and information.

A full calendar of The Age of Hamilton events and more information can be found at www.locustgrove.org/revolution.

Join the Division of Community Forestry on Saturday, March 16th at the Louisville Zoo from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. for a tree giveaway!

1100 Trevilian Way
Louisville, KY
40213
(Bus Parking Lot)

• All Kentucky native trees
• Trees awarded on “First Come” basis
• Limit of 5 trees per Louisville resident
• Must be a Jefferson County Resident with proof of residency (drivers license or utility bill)
• Trees cannot be planted in street right of ways, parks, or container
• Trees must be planted in Jefferson County
• Species fact sheet, planting and maintenance instructions provided
• Questions?
  Contact Division of Community Forestry at (502) 574-3927 or CommunityForestry@louisvilleky.gov

Location, Time and Species Subject to Change Without Notice: 
Check website for up to date information: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/division-community-forestry/events