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Photo: Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Service
Thanks to the generosity of local businesses, community organizations, and residents, hundreds of electric fans have been collected to provide heat relief for seniors and people with disabilities. A “Fan Fair” giveaway and resource event is scheduled for Saturday, June 16 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Edison Center, 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Louisville, KY 40203.
Fans will be available for seniors 60 and older, as well as for individuals with documented disabilities, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fan Fair qualifications and guidelines are as follows:
- Person 60 years or older
- Or documentation verified by a physician of a disability
- Resident of Jefferson, Oldham, Henry, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble or Bullitt Counties
- Proof of address and age
- One fan per household
A Resource Fair will coincide with the fan giveaway event to provide basic health checks and information from local resources. Participating vendors include Aetna, AARP, JenCare, Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency (KIPDA), National Kidney Foundation, Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services, Senior Medicare Patrol and several other Metro Government divisions.
The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office of Senior Protection will also be educating and distributing prescription drug disposal kits to properly and safely dispose of unwanted or expired prescription drugs in the home.
Staff with Louisville Asset Building Coalition’s VITA (the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program) will provide resources, answer questions and set up appointments for individuals needing assistance with past due and amended tax returns.
Fan Fair is sponsored by KIPDA Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living and Louisville Metro Office for Aging & Disabled Citizens (OADC). These organizations joined forces in 2016 to implement a fan drive and for the first annual Fan Fair in response to the numerous calls they received requesting heat relief.
This year’s fan collection will end June 13. Drop-off donations of new box fans can be made Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at one of the following: KIPDA, 11520 Commonwealth Drive (Lou., KY 40299) or WLKY Studio, 1918 Mellwood Ave. (Lou, KY 40206). Monetary donations are also appreciated to purchase fans and checks can be made payable to KIPDA, Attn: Fan Fair, mailed to the address above on Commonwealth Drive, and postmarked by June 8.
To date, more than 250 fans have been donated, and more than $3500 in monetary donations have been received to purchase additional fans. Some of the many donors include:
- AARP
- Aetna
- CareSource
- JenCare
- Lowe’s
- WLKY
- Numerous individual donors
- Local churches
WLKY served as the media partner providing both on-air and on-line advertising to promote the fan collection and serving as one of the donation drop-off sites. Lowe’s provided multiple levels of support including donating more than 200 fans and allowing the purchase of additional fans at cost from the monetary donations that were collected.
“The amazing generosity we’ve received again this year is evidence of the compassion and desire to take care of one’s neighbor that exists in the Louisville community,” stated Sarah Teeters, Coordinator for OADC, part of the Office of Resilience and Community Services. “We hope to offer Fan Fair every summer as long as the need and the interest continue.”
“The increased support from the business community this year has been astonishing! It shows just how much dedication our city’s professionals have towards increasing the overall health of our community,” stated Jennifer Craig, Aging and Disability Resource Specialist for KIPDA.
For more information about the Fan Fair event, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/resilience-and-community-services or www.KIPDA.org.
Mayor Greg Fischer was presented a Health Leadership Award yesterday at the opening dinner of the US Conference of Mayors 86th annual meeting in Boston. The award was presented by CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, that regularly evaluates the nation’s 40 largest cities on the number and strength of their policies that help people live longer, better lives.
Louisville was one of only nine cities recognized for health leadership at the event.
In its annual health rankings released May 22, CityHealth awarded Louisville a bronze medal overall, meaning the city has a bronze, silver or gold medal in four of the nine CityHealth policies: affordable housing, alcohol sales control, complete streets, earned sick leave, food safety/restaurant grading, healthy food procurement, high-quality universal pre-kindergarten, smoke-free indoor air, and having a minimum legal age of 21 for purchase of tobacco products.
Louisville is one of only five cities nationwide that increased its overall medal status in 2018.
Over the past year Louisville strengthened its smoke-free indoor air ordinance by prohibiting the smoking or vaping electronic cigarettes as well as hookah. The city was also recognized for instituting a healthy vending policy, as well as a restaurant grading system that requires food establishments to post their food inspection grade where customers can see it.
“This award affirms the work my administration has been focused on since day 1: that we become a healthier city,” Mayor Fischer said. “We know that policy has a tremendous impact on how healthy the people of our city can be. That’s why we adopted a health in all policies approach to all that we do. It’s great to see our efforts having positive results, and we will continue working toward that overall goal of creating a culture of health.”
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
A fun – and free – family event will take place on the banks of the Ohio River in southwest Louisville on Saturday, June 16 as Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing hosts “Family Farm and Forage Day” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will explore historic and present-day farming with a variety of children’s activities, workshops, talks and booths.
Families can enjoy a milking demonstration featuring “Bluegrass Bessie” the cow; a farm animal petting zoo; horse-drawn wagon tours, barrel train rides as well as demonstrations on beekeeping, raising chickens, growing fruit trees, forage crops and more.
Another highlight of the festival is the Jefferson County 4-H Fair Open Youth Dairy Goat Show. The goats will be judged on adherence to breed standards and their youth handlers will be judged on showmanship. Late entries will be accepted the day of the show. The entrance fee is $5 per goat and champions will be awarded a small premium. For questions, contact Kelly Smith at the Extension office at 502/569-2344. All events and demonstrations are free, although a suggested donation of $5 can be made prior to tours of the Farnsley-Moremen house. Ehrler’s Ice Cream and Shack-In-The-Back BBQ will be providing concessions at Family Farm and Forage Day.
“This is a terrific family event that combines fun and learning,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Beyond the activities of the event itself, I urge citizens from all over the community to come out and see some of the great things that southwest Louisville has to offer.”
“I am so excited to see this wonderful farm event being held again this year at the Farnsley-Moremen historic property,” said Councilwoman Cindi Fowler, who represents District 14, where Riverside is located. “It is so important to educate the public on how our food gets from the farm to the table and past and present practices of how exactly that happens. I look forward to seeing you at this free event!”
This event is held in partnership with the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service and the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Other sponsors include Louisville Gas & Electric, Jefferson County Farm Bureau, the Future Farmers of America, the Louisville Water Co. and 4-H.
In addition to Fowler, Metro Council sponsors include Council President David Yates, D-25; Vicki Welch, D-13 and Rick Blackwell, D-12.
Mayor Greg Fischer joined local officials, students and residents from the Russell neighborhood to celebrate the completion of renovations and the addition of a sprayground at Sheppard Park. The sprayground is part of a number of changes within the park that includes the addition of a Conga drum play area, new restrooms, walking path markers, picnic tables and park benches. These changes come just days after thousands of area students began their summer break.
“The enhancements at Sheppard Park will provide Russell residents with access to a variety of recreational and educational activities, along with countless hours of entertainment and continued learning opportunities,” said Fischer. “As we enter the first full week of summer vacation for many students, I cannot think of a better time to open this newly enhanced play area.”
The renovations at Sheppard Park are one of four action activities that are designed to catalyze further investment in the historic Russell neighborhood and provide immediate improvements to the area. Other action activities include the addition of SmArt Stop bus shelters at five locations throughout the neighborhood that blend functionality with an artistic flair that reflects a characteristic or institution unique to the Russell area; the creation of large-scale murals on four railroad overpasses that will create signature gateways into the community and creative reuses of four vacant lots. Each of the activities are expected to be completed by yearend and were identified as priorities by Russell residents through community meetings, neighborhood polling and other outreach efforts.
“Russell residents and other stakeholders are leading the way by connecting for change and transformation,” said Metro Council member Barbara Sexton Smith. “Their hard work and dedication is beginning to take shape and become the new reality in the beautiful Russell Neighborhood where dreams really do come true.”
The total cost for the Sheppard Park improvements project was $600,000, which was paid for in part through a $1 million Choice Neighborhood Initiative Planning grant from the U.S. Department Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) awarded to the Louisville Metro Housing Authority (LMHA) in June 2016. In addition to the grant, Louisville Metro Government provided $375,000 to help fund these efforts.
Th action activities support initiatives and recommendations outlined in the Vision Russell Transformation Plan (VRTP). A key component of VRTP is the razing and redevelopment of the Beecher Terrace Housing complex. This work is being funded by a $29.5 million grant that was awarded to Louisville by HUD in December 2016. The grant will be leveraged with over $200 million in additional funding sources to redevelop the Beecher site into a mixed-income community with a variety of housing options and updated amenities, and to create additional off-site replacement housing. Funds will also be used to relocate Beecher Terrace households and to provide them with case management and other supportive services.
Manfred Reid, a long time Russell resident and chair of LMHA’s Board of Commissioners, believes as Russell residents begin to see more changes taking place within the neighborhood, like the renovation of Sheppard Park, the level of engagement and support for the VRTP will continue to grow.
“This is an exciting time to be a resident of Russell and a pivotal period in the history of this community,” said Reid. “I am, along with other residents, excited and committed to remaining engaged throughout this process and believe these changes will boost the pride we have in calling the Russell neighborhood our home.”
The Mayor’s Music & Art Series will move outside to Jefferson Square Park for the summer months.
Local bands will return to the Mayor’s Music & Art Series stage at noon on the first Thursday of the month beginning on June 7 in Jefferson Square Park. The Sole Conspirators, a hip-hop and R&B duo, will kick off the outdoor series in June. The next performance will feature the rock band Anemic Royalty on July 5. The August 2 performance will include Chanson Calhoun, who was crowned the first Kentuckiana Idol Winner in 2017, as a hip-hop and R&B soloist.
Music performances will take place at Sixth and Jefferson streets in Jefferson Square Park, right across the street from Metro Hall. Guests are invited to bring a lunch and enjoy the music. The event is open to the public and free to attend.
Music starts at 12:10 p.m., followed by a brief interview in the middle of the performance and wraps up around 12:50. All performances are taped and broadcasted on the city’s MetroTV channel – Spectrum Cable channel 184, AT&T U-verse channel 99 online.
If weather prevents an outdoor performance, it will be moved indoors to the Mayor’s Gallery on the fourth floor of Metro Hall.
The Mayor’s Music & Art Series is sponsored by 91.9 WFPK Independent Louisville.
For more information on the Mayor’s Music & Art Series, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/mayors-music-art-series.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer will be honored in Boston on Sunday with the Antonio Villaraigosa Leadership Award from the Latino Leaders Network, a national organization that each year recognizes a mayor who has exhibited an outstanding commitment to bringing diverse communities together.
The Latino Leaders Network (LLN), which works to highlight individuals who make a positive impact for Latinos in the United States, cited Mayor Fischer’s strong track record of making Louisville a city that embraces diversity and provides resources to help immigrant communities prosper.
“We are proud to honor Mayor Fischer for his commitment to making a positive impact on Louisville’s growing immigrant and refugee population,” said Mickey Ibarra, Founder and Chairman of the Latino Leaders Network. “He is a leader who celebrates diversity and inclusiveness, while recognizing the cultural and economic contributions of our community.”
Mayor Fischer, who will be in Boston attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 86th annual meeting, will receive the honor at the 29th Tribute to Mayors hosted at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 10 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The event will be attended by mayors, local elected officials, policy-makers, corporate executives, community leaders and industry experts.
“I am so appreciative of this great honor, which reflects the diligent work that people throughout Metro Government and in our community do each day to make Louisville a welcoming city full of opportunity for all,” Mayor Fischer said.
Past honorees set to attend the event Sunday include former mayors Doug Palmer of Trenton, N.J. and Wellington Webb of Denver, along with Mayor Jorge Elorza of Providence, R.I., Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver, Mayor Ken Miyagishima of Las Cruces, N.M. and Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez of Doral, Fla.
The award is named for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a past president of the mayors’ conference.
While Louisville’s international community is still relatively small when compared to the 50 largest metros in the United States (4.9 percent vs. 18.4 percent of the total population), such residents have played a significant role in Louisville’s overall growth, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the metro’s population increase between 2010 and 2016, according to a 2016 study by the Partnership for a New American Economy.
Foreign-born residents also bring a significant economic impact to the local economy, with $1.2 billion in spending power, the study found.
Latino communities have remained one of the fastest growing demographics in Louisville at a rate of 183% since 1990, according to census data. This includes a surge of Cuban population that has been assisted by local resettlement agencies in the city, through the Cuban Haitian Entrant Program.
The LLN noted the Mayor’s goals of making Louisville a city of lifelong learning, a much healthier city and an even more compassionate community.
Mayor Fischer created the Office for Globalization in 2011 to help make Louisville an even more welcoming and inclusive city and to better engage with the global marketplace. He meets regularly with international community leaders to support education, health and employment initiatives such as Latin job fairs and scholarship fundraisers.
He has publicly supported Dreamers and signed an ordinance defining the role of local government in relation to federal immigration enforcement. The Mayor also sponsors such events as the annual World Fest showcase and last year’s rally to support immigrants, which drew more than 7,000 people.
Louisville was chosen to host the 2018 Welcoming Interactive and Welcoming Economies Convening later this month, the largest national conference focused on immigrant integration through community-based and economic strategies.
“Now more than ever, we need to recognize and celebrate that we are one community, with one future,” Mayor Fischer said.
Mayor Greg Fischer, Councilman James Peden and officials with Louisville Parks and Recreation and the First Tee of Louisville convened today at Quail Chase Golf Club to celebrate recent improvements to the course and grounds, which Metro Government assumed responsibility of in February.
“We’re pleased to add Quail Chase to the city’s portfolio of municipally-owned courses,” Mayor Fischer said. “It’s long been one of the must-visit sites for golfers within the Louisville area, and its proximity to beautiful McNeely Lake Park makes it a destination.”
“It’s my expectation we will maintain the quality golf that patrons of Quail Chase have come to expect and improve on the clubhouse amenities,” said Councilman Peden, who represents District 23 on the Metro Council. “I want this course to be a focal point and gathering place for our community similar to Seneca and Charlie Vernier golf courses.”
Quail Chase Golf Club is a 27-hole championship-level course located on the Jefferson/Bullitt county line 20 minutes south of downtown Louisville.
The addition brings the number of municipally-owned golf courses to 10. Metro acquired the facility and improvements Feb. 1 from Golf Development Company Inc. for $850,000.
Through the agreement, Golf Development Inc. will make an annual $25,000 donation to the First Tee of Louisville for youth golf programming at Quail Chase each year over the next 10 years. The First Tee also operates at Shawnee and Seneca golf courses.
Quail Chase is overseen by PGA Professional Craig Heibert. Heibert is the Kentucky Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 2017.
He is currently the Vice President of the PGA of Kentucky and serves on the organization’s board of directors. He is the current pro at Shawnee Golf Course and has overseen the First Tee’s growth at that course and others, building the program to six program locations, 34 elementary schools and nurturing numerous community and business partnerships.
As improvements continue at the course, operations will continue as normal. Greens fees, passes and membership rates will not change this season.
To view the course layout, greens fees and other information, visit quailchase.com.
