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Mayor Greg Fischer today announced formation of the Louisville Farmers Market Association, a new group that will work to support local farmers markets, farmers and food producers to create access to a healthy and sustainable food system in Louisville Metro.
Mayor Fischer made the announcement at the Gray Street Farmers Market, a collaboration between the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. He was joined by Dr. Craig Blakely, dean of the school, and Fourth District Metro Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith.
“Farmers Markets are an important way to get healthy food to our neighborhoods, particularly any areas of our city that may not have ready access to fresh produce,” the Mayor said. “They also are a great opportunity for our local and regional farmers and entrepreneurs to support their operations. They help our community thrive.”
The LFMA helps member markets increase their capacity and growth by assisting with marketing, financial advisement, and vendor and volunteer recruitment. The association receives staff support from the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and Louisville Forward, along with the Kentucky Department of Public Health Community Health Action Team (CHAT) Grant.
Another benefit of the LFMA is that it will assist families who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Starting July 1, many farmers markets will match dollar for dollar the amount of SNAP used at the market. Every dollar of SNAP benefits will buy two dollars’ worth of farm fresh healthy food.
The Louisville Farmers Market Association also has produced the new first annual Guide to Local Food Resources. The guide maps out the city’s farmers markets, as well as other places where consumers can find local healthy foods. These include New Roots’ Fresh Stop Markets and Healthy in a Hurry Corner Stores. The guide is available on-line at www.louisvilleky.gov/health.
“Our weekly Gray Street Farmers Market brings fresh, nutrient-rich foods into our neighborhood and supports healthy eating – an important factor in disease prevention and overall wellness,” said Dean Blakely. “We are thankful to Metro Council District Four Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith for funding for our Dollar for Dollar program, which allows SNAP customers to double their food dollars and makes local produce more affordable.”
“I am excited about this new Louisville Farmers Market Association,” said Councilwoman Sexton Smith. “Farmers Markets like the Gray Street Farmers Market and the Phoenix Hill Farmers Market are making locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables available to many of our neighbors who don’t have a full service grocery store.”
Councilman Bill Hollander and the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) are partnering to offer FREE summer tax preparation throughout the summer months.
“This service has helped many low income families and individuals in our area,” says Hollander. “I encourage anyone who qualifies to come in and let experienced LABC staff and volunteers help you out.”
This FREE service will be offered at United Crescent Hill Ministries (UCHM), 150 S. State Street, from May 25 – August 2017. You must make an appointment by calling LABC at 814-2715. Appointment times are between 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. every other week on Thursdays beginning on May 25.
Those dates are:
- May 25
- June 8
- June 22
- July 6
- July 20
- August 3
Clients will need to bring the following with them:
- Social Security Card for everyone on tax return
- Picture ID for taxpayer and spouse
- W-2 and 1099 from employer
- List of other income/expenses
- 1098 for educational credit
- 1095-A for certain healthcare credits
- Blank check or account number for direct deposit
For more information and to make an appointment, contact the Louisville Asset Building Coalition at 814-2715 or visit http://www.labcservices.org.
Breaking Barriers: Sports for Change exhibit, presented by ESPN® and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, opens to the public at the Ali Center on May 25th. The exhibit invites visitors to walk among giants like Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, and Billie Jean King. Breaking Barriers: Sports for Change is included in the “I Am Ali” festival, the six-week, community-wide festival celebrating the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali, taking place from June 3-July 15, 2017.
Said Jeanie Kahnke, Sr. Director of Public Relations and External Affairs, “The Ali Center is honored to offer this exhibit, for it demonstrates ways in which athletes—including Muhammad Ali—have utilized sport as a platform to transform social issues and to raise awareness of how sport can be used to unite people and open doors.”
This traveling exhibit tells the story of how athletes have used their celebrity to fight for social change. It includes interactive displays that show how some of history’s super athletes like Muhammad Ali, Martina Navratilova, Jesse Owens and Terry Fox scaled to the heights of sports by defying expectations and restrictions levied by governments, advertisers, and spectators alike. In doing so, they became potent symbols that helped drive movements that changed sports and society.
Derreck Kayongo, CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights said, “Similar to Ali’s legacy, the exhibit shares how athletes have empowered people to stand up and protect human rights. Their courageous struggles in America and around the globe gave people everywhere the strength to persevere and make change happen in their communities.”
To learn more about Breaking Barriers: Sports for Change visit sports4change.net.
Six Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) District schools rank among the top public high schools in Kentucky and earned national recognition in the 2017 U.S. News and World Reports high school rankings.
“This is another example of the personalized deeper learning experience that JCPS provides to each student, and an affirmation of the positive impact that our strategic plan, Vision 2020, is having across the district,” said Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens.
DuPont Manual High School is ranked the top public high school in the state, and earned a gold medal ranking from the publication. That’s followed by the J. Graham Brown School at No. 7; Louisville Male High School at No. 12; Atherton High School at No. 15; Waggener High School at No. 43; and Butler Traditional High School at No. 59.
Brown, Male and Atherton also earned silver medal recognition as high-performing schools based on college readiness, and Waggener and Butler earned bronze medal status as high-performing schools based on state exam performance.
For a full list of the Kentucky rankings, click here.
In a united effort to promote history and tourism in Jefferson County and beyond, eight National Historic Landmarks representing the most historically significant sites in the area have united to form a new organization, National Historic Landmarks of Louisville.
The group includes Actors Theatre, Belle of Louisville, Churchill Downs’ Twin Spires, Life-Saving Station #10, Locust Grove, Louisville Water Company Pumping Station No.1 and Water Tower, the U.S. Marine Hospital and Zachary Taylor’s Boyhood Home.
“There’s only one Louisville, and Churchill Downs’ Twin Spires, the Water Tower, Actors Theatre and the other national landmarks are synonymous with who we are as a city,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “I’m excited that National Historic Landmarks of Louisville will be promoting these places of culture and history. I encourage every citizen to learn more about the landmarks of Louisville, because their history is our history.”
National Historic Landmarks of Louisville is launching a new program to encourage people to visit six of the eight sites that are currently open to the public. (The U.S. Marine Hospital is closed to the public. Zachary Taylor’s Boyhood Home is a private residence).
“The eight National Historic Landmarks of Louisville will connect you to our nation’s vibrant past in a way that cannot be experienced through images, film or the pages of a book,” says Anna Gibson Holloway, PhD, Maritime Historian, with the Park History Program, National Park Service. “Local preservation efforts are key to keeping these Landmarks accessible to current and future generations of Louisville citizens and to those visitors from around the world who come to experience Louisville’s hospitality and heritage.”
Guests can get a special pass validated at each of the public National Historic Landmark sites when they visit, and then bring the pass to the Louisville Visitor Center at 301 S. Fourth St. to receive a gift. The passes are available at any of the landmarks and the Louisville Visitor Center.
Visitors are encouraged to use the hashtag #LandmarkLover to share their experiences via social media.
Five members of the Louisville Metro Council are seeking public comment on the proposed 2017 -2018 Capital and Operating Budgets at a special community meeting on Monday, May 22nd at the Louisville Urban League.
Councilmembers Jessica Green (D-1), Mary C. Woolridge (D-3), Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4), Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5), and David James (D-6) are inviting their constituents to come out and share their thoughts on what should be in the upcoming budget.
“It is important to me that the citizens of District 1 have a voice in this budget process because for far too long, they have felt ignored and left out,” says Green. “I want everyone to have an understanding not only of what the process is, but what is actually in the budget in order to be able to advocate for what citizens in my community want and need.
“Everyone knows there are not unlimited resources so we invite the community to help us set priorities for funding that improves the quality of life of our residents,” says Hamilton.
“We want to reach out to everyone. It is important that we hear from folks in the neighborhoods, homeowners, and business owners.” says Sexton Smith. “We have to rely on the public to give a perspective we may not be aware of when it comes to priorities and we want to make it easier for them to participate and ask questions.”
The Metro Council Budget Committee has already begun its hearings on the budget and will spend the months of May and June reviewing Metro Government needs before a vote on June 22nd.
The Budget public meeting will be held at the Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
“We need public input into the 2017-2018 Louisville Metro Recommended Budget from the community and I am happy to make the effort to hear from taxpayers. I know it is not always easy to come downtown to City Hall due to parking constraints,” says Woolridge. “I hope everyone will attend this community meeting regarding Mayor Greg Fischer‘s Budget. Tell us what you would like to see in this Budget.”
“Bringing the budget public input process from City Hall to the community to hear what the citizens have to say about the budget is a vital step in this process,” says James. “It’s your money and we need to know how you feel about how we are spending it.”
Photo: Actors Theatre of Louisville
Artistic Director Les Waters and Managing Director Kevin E. Moore are proud to introduce the 2017-2018 Professional Training Company. Each year, Actors Theatre of Louisville invites the most talented and highly motivated early-career theatre professionals in the nation to undertake a nine-month long training program that combines hands-on practical experience with educational seminars and professional guidance. Entering its 46th Season, Actors Theatre’s Professional Training Company is one of the oldest pre-professional training programs in the nation, and has built an incredible legacy of supporting the long-term vitality of American theatre through the mentorship and fostering of the best forthcoming talent in the field.
Waters shared, “I am thrilled to see this vital program continue to flourish and witness our alumni colleagues expand their leadership in arts communities across the country. Actors Theatre is honored to champion these talented young professionals as they become the next generation of theatre artists and leaders.”
Selected from more than 2,000 applicants from across the nation the 2017-2018 Professional Training Company consists of 42 college graduates—each of whom is extremely talented in their chosen field. Through their participation in the nine-month long program over the course of the 2017-2018 Season, they will receive practical training, the opportunity to work with celebrated artists, and a firsthand look at the inner workings of one of the nation’s leading regional theatres. The company will also mount a number of productions, including new work by nationally renowned playwrights, and original creations developed by the members of the company themselves.
The Professional Training Company has launched the careers of many burgeoning leaders in theatre, both at Actors Theatre and elsewhere nationwide. Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething, The West Wing), Lila Neugebauer (Director The Wolves, Everybody, Signature Plays Off-Broadway), Jenny Robertson (Bull Durham, Role Models), Brendan Pelsue (Playwright of Wellesley Girl), Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town, Quantico), Sarah Lunnie (Literary Director, Playwrights Horizons), Jeff White (How to Get Away with Murder, House of Cards), Mirirai Sithole (Master of None, The Death of the Last Black Man…), Chris Boneau (Publicist and Co-Founder of Boneau/Bryan-Brown), Lisa McNulty (Producing Artistic Director at Women’s Project Theater), Anna Kull (Director of Community Relationships at Lark Play Development Center), Alex Hernandez (Mafia 3, Unreal), Neil Pepe (Artistic Director of the Atlantic Theater Company), Jason Butler Harner (Ray Donovan, Blacklist, Changeling), Kristen Jackson (Connectivity Director of Wooly Mammoth Theatre), Charles Haugland (Artistic Programs & Dramaturgy, Huntington Theatre Company), Erica Sartini-Combs (Associate Casting Director, Goodman Theatre), Stowe Nelson (New York Innovative Theatre Award winning and Drama Desk Award nominated Sound Designer), Jason Pacella (Production Assistant for The Wiz Live!), and Actors Theatre’s Associate Artistic Director Meredith McDonough. The Professional Training Company provides an avenue for future theatre leaders to network with alumni of the program across the country.
Actors Theatre’s Professional Training Company is generously supported by a significant grant from The Roy Cockrum Foundation. The $1.2 million award supports grants over a ten-year period for each apprentice during the nine-month program, and enables year-round employment for the program’s leadership. Founded by Roy Cockrum, the Foundation supports world-class performing arts projects in not-for-profit professional theatres throughout the United States. The Foundation considers grants by invitation only and is dedicated to helping nonprofit theaters reach beyond their normal scope of activities and undertake ambitious and creative productions.
Apprenticeships for the 2017-2018 Season have been awarded to:
- Andrea Abello | Acting | Bedminster, New Jersey
- Vivian Barnes | Dramaturgy/Literary Management | Stafford, Virginia
- Jordan Bean | Producing & Casting | Huntington, West Virginia
- Calum Bedborough | Acting | Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
- Bear Brummel | Acting | Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Sergio Caetano | Acting | Kearny, New Jersey
- Satya Chavez | Acting | San Diego, California
- Jelani Cornick | Directing | Brooklyn, New York
- Shannon Csorny | Production Management | Stonybrook, New York
- Gabriela De La Rosa | Festival & Events Management | Austin, Texas
- Nayib Felix | Acting | Manchester, Pennsylvania
- Brandon Fox | Acting | Wall, New Jersey
- Kevin Hanley | Stage Management | Seabrook, New Hampshire
- Rigel Harris | Acting | Lebanon, New Hampshire
- Laurel C. Henning | Communications | Louisville, Kentucky
- Nathan Hewitt | Development | Fishers, Indiana
- Kelly Jonske | Stage Management | Barrington, Illinois
- Alaina Kai | Acting | Cincinnati, Ohio
- Emily Kaplan | Acting | Media, Pennsylvania
- Jessica Kemp | Stage Management | Saranac Lake, New York
- Emily Kleypas | Acting | Temple, Texas
- Bridget Kojima | Company & Artistic Management | Clarkston, Michigan
- Emma Kravig | Costumes | Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin
- Jerardo Larios | Acting | Merced, California
- Meghan McLeroy | Dramaturgy/Literary Management | Cullman, Alabama
- Joseph Miller | Acting | Dayton, Ohio
- Abigail Miskowiec | Education/Teaching Artist | Charleston, West Virginia
- Connor O’Leary | Properties | Hanover, New Hampshire
- Tory Parker | Marketing | Charleston, West Virginia
- Tim Peters | Acting | Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
- Dwaine Jihaad Potts | Sound | Wichita, Kansas
- Marika Proctor | Acting | Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Margaret Rial | Stage Management | Erie, Pennsylvania
- Zoe Rosenfeld | Education/Teaching Artist | San Francisco, California
- Omer Abbas Salem | Acting | Darien, Illinois
- Jonathan Schmitt | Acting | Cleveland, Ohio
- Joan Sergay | Directing | Bethesda, Maryland
- Jessie Lynn Smith | Lighting | Cresco, Pennsylvania
- Corey Umlauf | Scenic Painting | Bellingham, Massachusetts
- Suzy Weller | Acting | Lawrence, Kansas
- Karoline Xu | Acting | San Antonio, Texas
- Jenna Zhu | Acting | Dallas, Texas
For more information about the Professional Training Company contact Sara Durham, Public Relations Manager, at SDurham@actorstheatre.org.
