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Photo: Louisville Metro Council
This Saturday, President David James (D-6) will pay tribute to the community work of the Reverend Fred Johnson by unveiling an Honorary Street sign in his name.
“Reverend Johnson continues to be an example to all of us because of his caring spirit for all, including young people of our community,” said President James. “We honor his caring spirit with this sign and our thanks for all his dedication and hard work.”
President James will join family and friends on Saturday, September 28th at the Southwest corner of 7th Street and Algonquin Parkway to unveil an honorary street sign marking “Reverend Fred Johnson Way.”
Reverend Johnson has been an ordained minister in Louisville since 1986. He has played an active role in Louisville Metro particularly as a board member of the NAACP Interdenominational Ministerial Coalition in which he worked alongside other pastors and assisted to encourage, engage, and empower others.
He is a member of the Southwest YMCA. He has worked with the youth sports program as the boys’ basketball coach in which young individuals have an opportunity to be mentored, encouraged, inspired, as well as increase their spiritual growth.
Reverend Johnson is the Co-Founder of the Black Firefighter Association of Louisville and his foresight built a strong following among professional black firefighters by providing current and relevant news to them which promoted meaningful discussions and potential solutions to professional and personal issues and addressed social and health awareness.
The Metro Council unanimously approved the Resolution honoring Reverend Johnson and calling for the street sign in August of this year.
Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services (RCS) is offering pre-registration for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Subsidy Component. The pre-registration will begin on Wednesday, October 2, and end on Thursday, October 31.
Pre-registration is for Jefferson County residents who are elderly (60 years or older) or disabled and receive a fixed income (Social Security, SSI, pension or Black Lung benefits).
This pre-registration phase is for the LIHEAP Subsidy Program, meaning eligible residents can apply regardless of the status of their utility bills. Applicants must provide the following documentation:
- Proof of all household income for the preceding month (Food Stamp award letter, Social Security Award letter, pay stubs, etc. or proof of $0 income). Note: Zero Income forms are available at the Resilience and Community Services office at 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Suite 201 as well as the six LIHEAP locations listed below or by clicking here.
- Proof of Social Security Number or Permanent Residence card (Green Card) for each member of the household.
- Most current heating bill; or statement from your landlord if heating expenses are included in your rent; or statement from your utility company if you participate in a pre-pay electric program. Please bring the account number and name on the account for all heating fuel sources and electric.
Eligible residents who wish to apply during LHEAP Early Registration must schedule an appointment in advance. Starting today, Sept. 25, the toll-free automated appointment system is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
The caller can follow the prompts to get the information needed and/or to schedule an appointment if available. The system provides a confirmation number indicating that an appointment was successfully scheduled.
Scheduling an appointment by phone: Call 502-991-8391.
- Choose the desired location for your appointment (the six LIHEAP office locations are listed below.)
- Choose a date/time for your appointment
- Record your name – say and spell your first and last names slowly and clearly
- Enter a contact phone number
- Enter your 12-digit LGE account number (if applicable)
- Enter the last four digits of your Social Security number and date of birth
- Receive your appointment confirmation number (have pen/paper ready)
- Appointment details (location, date and time) will be repeated
- List of documents to bring to the appointment will be given
Scheduling an Appointment On-line: Appointments can also be made quickly and easily online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com.
LIHEAP applications will be completed at the time of the appointment at one of the six locations listed below.
- Neighborhood Place Ujima/Duvalle Education Center, 3610 Bohne Ave., 40211
- Neighborhood Place/Bridges of Hope, 1411 Algonquin Pkwy., 40210
- Northwest Neighborhood Place/Academy at Shawnee, 4018 W Market St., 40212
- South Central Neighborhood Place, 4255 Hazelwood Ave., 40215
- Newburg Community Center/East, 4810 Exeter Ave, 40218
- Southwest Government Center/Dixie Highway location. 7219 Dixie Highway, 40258
Benefits provided by this program are paid directly to the applicant’s heating vendor. Benefits for this program will not be applied until on or after Nov. 4, 2019.
For more information about this process on how to apply for LIHEAP pre-registration, please contact Metro311 by simply dialing 311 or 574-5000, email metro.call@louisvilleky.gov, visit the website’s On Line Customer Service or Live Chat at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro311, tweet @LouMetro311, or download the free Mobile 311 app from the website.
Income-eligible residents who do not meet the requirements for pre-registration (who are not elderly or disabled and on a fixed income) may still apply for LIHEAP benefits beginning Nov. 4. Appointments will be taken in advance starting Nov. 1 utilizing the phone and on-line appointment system. Visit louisvilleky.gov and search for “LIHEAP” or call 502/574-1157 for periodic updates.
Individuals who are unable to apply for this program in person may send a representative on their behalf. Simply provide the representative with the documentation listed above as well as a hand-written note, dated and signed from the applicant, giving them permission to handle their application for services. Residents who are homebound and who are unable to send a representative may call 502/780-7937.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilman Brandon Coan (D-8) in collaboration with the Urban Design Studio at the University of Louisville has unveiled the prototype installation of the first phase of the Old Cardinal Stadium Seating Bus Stop Project.
The prototype installation is the first phase of 15 bus stop locations along a 2-mile stretch of Bardstown Road with two additional stops on Barrett Avenue.
“I am pleased to announce this project has taken a bit of history from the sports world of our city and repurposed it to become a practical if not colorful way to enhance public transportation,” said Coan. “Those who have fond memories of the Old Cardinal Stadium will now be reminded of those memories when they see people using these seats for a new purpose.”
A group of civic-minded friends salvaged 120 seats from the Old Cardinal Stadium demolition on March 20th. The seats were donated by Complete Demolition Services. Metro Council District 8; Urban Design Studio at UofL; Metro Public Works; and Transit Authority of River City worked with local artist and craftsman shop RockerBuilt to develop the 3-seat prototype.
The intention of the Old Cardinal Stadium Seating Bus Stop Project is to demonstrate the creative reuse of part of our City’s history, that was destined for the landfill, to improve public spaces and public transportation. Councilman Coan and Patrick Piuma, of the Urban Design Studio, reached out to People for Urban Progress (PUP) http://peopleup.org, a non-profit organization out of Indianapolis to learn more. The group had developed a similar project reutilizing stadium seating. Ultimately, this project moved forward when the best practices were learned and the partners figured out a process to repurpose the old stadium seats.
The Phase One goal is to provide additional bus stop seating as well as make it a beautification project.
“We wanted to not only increase capacity of bus stop seating along the corridor, but hopefully elevate the image of public transit and draw attention to a heavily used transit corridor with part of our City’s history,” said Patrick Piuma of the Urban Design Studio.
Once the prototype pilot site has been evaluated, the rest of the phase one seats will be fabricated and sponsorship opportunities will be offered to the public for the 16 other predetermined locations to cover costs.
Here is the location for the next 15 installations located along Bardstown Road:https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/metro_council/members/8/pdf…
After that, 25 other units will go out across the city. Three-seat segments are $850 each and two-seat segments are $637.50 each. The remaining seat-units will then be offered to other Metro Council district members.
To learn more about how to sponsor an Old Cardinal Stadium Seating Bus Stop, contact Councilman Coan at: 574-1108.
Louisville’s homeless population will have an opportunity to access services, information and assistance in a one-stop environment at the 2019 Project Homeless Connect/VA Stand Down, on Wed., Oct. 2. Resources available at the event will include food, clothing, medical evaluations, help with employment, education and benefit services, State ID’s, and many other forms of assistance.
The event takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (entry doors will close at 1 p.m.) at The Salvation Army (Old Male High School) campus located at 911 S. Brook St. in Louisville. Several TARC buses will provide access throughout the day from emergency shelters to the event site at no cost courtesy of TARC. The event is coordinated by the Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services, Coalition for the Homeless and other community partners including The Salvation Army.
The Project Homeless Connect/VA Stand Down (PHC/Stand Down) is an annual one-day community outreach project where representatives from community service organizations come together to address the collective needs of the homeless during a single visit. This event is made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers and resources from the Robley Rex VAMC, Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, Louisville Metro Government, Coalition for the Homeless, and Louisville Metro Council.
The latest numbers from the 2018 Homeless Census indicate 6986 individuals were homeless at some point in Louisville last year — either on the streets, in homeless shelters or accessing services through Louisville’s homeless service providers. A variety of factors can lead to homelessness and often these individuals may be victims of domestic violence, disabled, veterans or senior citizens.
At last year’s event more than 400 persons participated receiving a variety of individual services including State of KY ID cards, flu shots and other medical exams and services, housing linkages, mainstream benefit access (SSI/SSDI), clothing, food and general case management services. The “Stand Down” event, named for the military concept of renewal, personal care, etc., is replicated from a national service delivery model that has proven to be crucial in eliminating barriers to housing, employment, education and the myriad of other factors that contribute to long-term homelessness.
“This is a vital event for our community because it allows our service providers to connect much-needed resources to our homeless residents,” stated Eric Friedlander, director of the city’s Office of Resilience and Community Services. “It also allows us a great opportunity to measure the needs of our homeless population so that we can come together to be more responsive”.
Offered again this year will be a foot-washing service provided by community volunteers and the Coalition for the Homeless. Many individuals experiencing homelessness have issues with their feet due to diabetes, frostbite and other exposure issues. Every participant at Project Homeless Connect/Stand Down will be invited to soak their feet and have them examined by medical volunteers.
For more information about the Homeless Connect event contact:
- Coletta Brown – Louisville VAMC Homeless Supervisory Coordinator at 502-287-4176
- Ethan Lambert – Louisville Metro Resilience and Community Services at 502-574-5375
- Natalie Harris – Coalition for the Homeless at 502-636-9550
Mayor Greg Fischer announced today that global design and consultancy firm Arcadis is donating engineering and design services to Russell: A Place of Promise, in support of its community engagement efforts around vacant warehouses at 3025 W. Madison St.
Russell: A Place of Promise is an economic justice-based initiative created through a partnership between Louisville Metro Government, Cities United and the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. It focuses on generating investments in the people and places that make Louisville’s historically African American Russell neighborhood special.
“The key to being a good steward of investment like the kind we’re seeing in Russell is to be intentional about making sure that as we regenerate, we don’t displace,” the Mayor said. “That’s what Russell: A Place of Promise is about, and we appreciate the Arcadis partnership, which should help us get even more residents involved.”
Arcadis will help document current building conditions and plan for the future redevelopment of the Madison Street warehouse property.
As part of that work, Russell: A Place of Promise is inviting Russell residents to participate in conversations that will shape the site design and the uses for the property, as well as consider a community ownership model that would allow residents to become co-owners of the project.
Russell: A Place of Promise staff will knock on doors and host multiple events to update and listen to residents. An initial open house is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, at Roosevelt-Perry Elementary School, 1615 W. Broadway.
“We are excited about this opportunity to partner with the Arcadis team,” said Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United. “It will allow us to use technology to bring more community members into the planning and design process for the amazing Madison Street warehouses.”
The Madison Street warehouses were once the home of a cigar manufacturing operation and have housed several other industrial uses since the buildings were constructed. The warehouses are located immediately to the south of the Heritage West property where the Louisville Urban League is building its Sports and Learning Complex.
The approximately 3.6-acre property includes five buildings in various states of deterioration. Arcadis’ work will help Russell: A Place of Promise understand existing structural conditions to inform the community conversation around potential for redevelopment.
“Clearly, there is a strong sense of pride, energy and potential flowing from the Russell community,” said Joachim Ebert, CEO of Arcadis North America. “We’re thrilled that Arcadis can support Russell: A Place of Promise in taking bold moves to share a more prosperous and sustainable future for everyone who calls this neighborhood home.”
Russell was a center of black homeownership and has a history of being a vibrant and diverse hub of small, black-owned businesses that served neighborhood needs, created jobs, and contributed to neighborhood resilience. Redlining and urban renewal practices crippled Russell’s residential and business community, stifling opportunities for generational wealth building.
With nearly $1 billion in investment planned and underway, Russell is poised to experience neighborhood transformation. Russell: A Place of Promise is working to build a model for black wealth creation by connecting individuals and families to resources leading to home ownership, by building pathways and opportunities for traditional and nontraditional business retention and creation, and by developing innovative solutions for career-track job placement and growth.
25For more information about the open house and Russell: A Place of Promise’s work, please email info@russellpromise.com.
T Benicio Gonzales has been named the Director of the Center for Health Equity at the Department of Public Health and Wellness. He had served as the center’s Interim Director since last year.
Gonzales came to the Center for Health Equity in 2010 and has taken on increasingly higher-responsibility roles as a Community Health Specialist, Training Coordinator, Executive Administrator, Assistant Director and Interim Director.
Gonzales is recognized as a national expert on equity issues and is frequently asked to consult with health departments and other organizations across the country. Recent presentations at national conferences have included Promoting Health Equity: The Intersection of Social Justice and Psychology to the Great Lakes Regional Counseling Psychology Conference in Louisville; Restructuring a Local Health Department to More Effectively Address Health Equity to the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in San Diego and Using Our Power to Advance Racial Equity to the Summit on Government Performance & Innovation in Los Angeles.
He has also been a co-author of many of the Center’s recent reports including Coming Together for Hope, Healing & Recovery: A Plan to Address Substance Use and Misuse in Louisville (2018), the 2017 Health Equity Report: Uncovering the Root Causes of Health and Towards Racial Equity through Policy & Assessment (2015). Gonzales is the first transgender person to serve in a major leadership position at the Department of Public Health and Wellness.
Gonzales was a Presidential Endowed Scholar at the Graduate College of Social Work of the University of Houston where he earned a Master of Social Work degree. He did his undergraduate work at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Gonzales is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Health Sciences at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
“I am delighted and proud that T is now our permanent director at the Center for Health Equity,” said Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Department of Public Health and Wellness and the city’s Chief Health Strategist. “T’s leadership skills have been instrumental in restructuring the Department of Public Health and Wellness over the past year to better achieve equity goals. T has a real commitment to this work and the ability to lead the Department of Public Health and Wellness to fulfill its vision of a Louisville where everyone and every community thrives.”
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
President David James is calling on everyone in the community to support police all over Metro Louisville after a recent incident were violent graffiti was posted on I-64.
“There is a guaranteed freedom of speech in this country, but we have to draw the line when the speech advocates violence. This recent graffiti sends the wrong message at a time when all of our officers need support as they protect us,” said President James.
The offending graffiti recently appeared on the metal bridge over I-64 near the Cannons Lane exits. Recently, the words “Kill Cops” appeared on the bridge.
“As a community, we must take a stand. Violence is no answer to any problem. The dedicated men and women of every police department in our community roll out on the street every day to do their jobs and keep us safe,” said James. “We must give them our thanks and support.”
