Saturday November 8, 2025
Local Connection
Weather
Traffic
@LouisvilleDispatch
@LouisvilleDisp
Subscribe
Mayor Greg Fischer is pleased to announce that Jeana Dunlap, Louisville’s Director of Redevelopment Strategies, has been named as a member of the 2019 Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Each year the Fellowship selects a group of exceptional mid-career practitioners who influence the shaping of the built and natural environment, for a year of independent study at Harvard University.
“I am incredibly excited for Jeana to receive this remarkable opportunity,” Fischer said. “Her recognition in this elite fellowship is further proof of her remarkable work in community development, in equitable investment and, specifically, in Russell. Jeana will represent Louisville among an incredibly skilled, international class of fellows.”
The fellows receive living accommodations and virtually unlimited access to the educational resources at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to fortify their perspective and expand vision, all in the service of improving the future of the built and natural environment.
This year’s Loeb Fellowship class includes architects, urban planners, public artists, civic leaders and journalists from New York, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Vancouver, Boston, Amsterdam and San Jose (Costa Rica), who all arrive to the Fellowship with one common purpose—to strengthen their ability to advance positive social outcomes and support a more equitable collective future.
“It’s a great privilege to be selected for the Loeb Fellowship and to spend the next year in Cambridge,” Dunlap said. “Although it may be hard leaving the people and places I love, I’m also looking forward to expanding my professional network, collaborating with amazing people and engaging thought leaders from around the globe. I fully intend to invest the fellowship year taking my work to the next level.”
In addition to her cross-functional work in the Russell neighborhood, Jeana most recently has led a community-wide dialogue on the historic and current-day impact of redlining practices in underserved neighborhoods. She collaborated with local urban planner Joshua Poe to publish “Redlining Louisville, The History of Race, Class and Real Estate,” a story-map that depicts the impacts that 1930s-era redlining practices had on modern-day Louisville, using such data sets as poverty, race, property values, vacant properties, home ownership and mortgage lending.
Jeana will start her year-long fellowship in Cambridge, Mass. in August.
Photo: Neighborhood Place
Cane Run Neighborhood Place on Monday hosted a special celebration to commemorate its 20th anniversary of serving families, while South Jefferson Neighborhood Place on Tuesday will celebrate renovations after 21 years of serving the community.
Mayor Greg Fischer and Councilwoman Jessica Green joined current and former Cane Run staff, council members and agency partners Monday at the 3410 Lees Lane site to mark the occasion with cake, games and group photos.
Neighborhood Place provides health care, education, employment and social services to local families. Last year, South Jefferson Neighborhood Place at Fairdale served 14,000 families, and their satellite office at Valley High School served an additional 12,300 families. Located in the Shively/PRP area, Cane Run Neighborhood Place served nearly 15,000 households.
“South Jefferson and Cane Run are two of our eight outstanding Neighborhood Place locations across Louisville, each providing vital resources and services for our residents,” said Mayor Fischer. “Each facility allows nearby families to receive services at one location conveniently located in their neighborhoods. I want to thank the partner agencies and local communities who have built this successful model and reshaped our community’s social service system.”
On Tuesday,May 22nd, South Jefferson Neighborhood Place partners and members of the community will rededicate the renovated site with a celebration from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1000 Neighborhood Place in Fairdale. Renovations include new flooring, paint and furnishings in the office and waiting areas. The new look provides a brighter, more inviting and contemporary space for families served as well as staff.
Tuesday’s program starts at 3:30 p.m. and will include remarks from JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio; the city’s Chief Resilience Officer Eric Friedlander; Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch, Bill Wagner, CEO of Family Health Centers and other supporters. Tours will be offered, Fairdale Christian Church will be grilling hot dogs, and Kidz Club will also have a tent to hand out water, chips, cookies and cake.
The South Jefferson facility was opened in May 1997 alongside the Fairdale Family Health Clinic and near Fairdale High School and South Park Teenage Parent Program to reinforce the strong partnership between Neighborhood Place and Jefferson County Public Schools.
“The Neighborhood Place Collaborative highlights that by working together across agency lines, we are able to better serve our students and their families,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio. “The only way to remove barriers to education is by working together as a community to address the needs of our students and their families.”
The four outdoor pools operated by Louisville Parks and Recreation will open for the season on Saturday, May 26. The Algonquin, Norton, Fairdale and Sun Valley Park pools are fully staffed with lifeguards, though the department is looking to hire additional staff for the pools this summer.
The department will be hosting a lifeguard training course for those who are interested from 4-9 p.m. Monday, May 21 to Friday, May 25. The course will take place at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center in Crescent Hill Park. Those who take the course and become certified will have all course fees waived if they commit to working at a Louisville Parks and Recreation pool for one year. Lifeguards will be paid $10.50 per hour.
Admission is $2 for children 17 and younger and $3 for adults 18 and over. Photo identification is required for anyone age 9 or older; children 8 and under must be accompanied by a guardian 12 or older with photo identification. Metro Parks can make identification cards for children who need them for $4 per card; call (502) 897-9949 for details.
(Note: For information on the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center, click here.)
Parks pools will be open:
Summer 2018: May 26, 27 & 28- Memorial Day Weekend &
June 2 – August 4 pools will open with the following schedules:
Algonquin Park
1614 Cypress Street, 40210
502/772-7907
Open Daily: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. • Closed Tuesdays
Fairdale (Nelson Hornbeck Park)
709 Fairdale Road, 40118
502/361-8270
Open Daily: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. • Closed Mondays (but open Memorial Day)
Norton (Camp Taylor Memorial Park)
4201 Lee Avenue, 40213
502/451-0678
Open Daily: 11 a m.- 4 p m • Closed Thursdays
Sun Valley Park
6506 Bethany Lane, 40272
502/935-0302
Open Daily: 1p m – 6 p.m. • Closed Wednesdays
Prerequisites for Lifeguard Training
The following are prerequisite skills for lifeguard training; you will be asked to perform these skills on the first day of class.
- Swim 300 yards continuously– 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 choice of freestyle or breaststroke.
- Tread water for two minutes no hands.
- Swim 20 yards and surface dive 10 feet retrieving a 10-pound brick. Once swimmer has retrieved brick then the swimmer must swim 20 yards on their back while holding both hands on the brick to the original starting point.
- The swimmer must exit the water without using a ladder or steps. This prerequisite must be completed in 1 min and 40 seconds.
To register for the course, call Keith Smith at (502) 895-6499.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
He was a great leader, committed to being a voice for minorities and other disadvantaged citizens and his work will be long remembered by the people he served and touched in Metro Louisville and across the United States.
On Friday, May 18th Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4) will join the family and friends of the late Rev. Dr. C. Mackey Daniels to unveil an honorary sign at the corner of 18th and West Chestnut Streets to commemorate his life and legacy.
“It was an honor to serve alongside Rev. Dr. C. Mackey Daniels on the Simmons College of Kentucky Board of Trustees. He provided informed wisdom and governed with a steady hand every step of the way. Simmons College of Kentucky and our community are better today because he lived a legacy-filled life,” says Sexton Smith.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Rev. Dr. Charles Mackey Daniels came to Louisville in 1977 to be the pastor of the West Chestnut Street Baptist Church and served there for 40 years. He passed away earlier this week at the age of 81.
Dr. Daniels earned a BA and BD from Morris College and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from both Morris College and Simmons College of Kentucky.
During his time as pastor, Dr. Daniels expanded the church’s youth and outreach ministries, as well as its physical structure by building a $1.3M Christian Life Center, and has improved the church’s beautification and strengthened its property assets and fiscal management. He also established the C. Mackey Daniels Scholarships to provide financial assistance to college-bound students, and a Bridge to Success program to help youth get ahead rather than having to play “catch up” in life
Under his leadership, the church has partnered with the Highland Presbyterian Church to embark on innovative, community ministries that include a court monitoring program, a reading program in the poorest elementary schools, a pulpit exchange, and annual joint worship service, all which have been interracial bridge builders that enhance on-going racial harmony.
In his lifetime, Dr. Daniels has served as President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and as a member of the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, the Baptist Joint Committee, the Congress of National Black Churches, Inc., and U of L’s Upward Bound, and is a Lifetime Member of the NAACP, Urban League, and Trustee of Simmons Bible College.
Councilwoman Sexton Smith sponsored the Resolution which called for the placement of honorary street sign at the southeast corner of 18th and West Chestnut Streets to be designated as “Dr. C. Mackey Daniels Way.”
The Metro Council unanimously passed the Resolution.
The unveiling ceremony will take place at 2:30pm at the corner of 18th and West Chestnut Streets.
There a few places in Metro Louisville where you will find scenic beauty and hear great Bluegrass Music. In the springtime, the best place to find both is in the Jefferson Memorial Forest.
On Saturday, May 19th Council members Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13), Cindi Fowler (D-14) and David Yates (D-25) proudly present the 14th Annual Forest Fest.
“I am pleased to once again join with The Jefferson Memorial Forest as a presenting sponsor to bring this wonderful spring tradition to everyone in the community . It’s a one of kind event where you can sit back on a Saturday afternoon and enjoy some great music,” says Welch. “Every year I encourage those who have never been to the Jefferson Memorial Forest to take this opportunity to come out and experience the spectacular view from the overlook at Jefferson Memorial Forest!”
The 14th Annual Forest Fest will feature The Lonely Heartstring Band, Nora Jane Struthers, the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys, Hog Operation and the Local Honeys.
“Forest Fest brings together the best opportunity for adults and children to come to one of the prettiest spots we have in Southwest Jefferson County,” says Fowler. “The people of our area know this is where you can celebrate the beauty of spring and hear some very talented musicians at the same time.”
“Forest Fest is just another way the people of our districts show their pride and hospitality by welcoming those who may not know we have a great urban forest right here in Metro Louisville,” says Yates. “This third Saturday in May is always fun and entertaining for all.”
While Bluegrass Music is the main attraction of Forest Fest, it is also an opportunity to take a walk around the forest and see some fine arts and crafts, food and other refreshments presented by vendors.
Forest Fest Band Schedule
11:30 a.m. Local Honeys
12:45 p.m. Hog Operation
2:00 p.m. Whisky Bent Valley Boys
3:50 p.m. Nora Jane Struthers
5:30 p.m. Lonely Heart Strings
Forest Fest Schedule of Activities
10:30 a.m. Booths open to the public; food areas open; Forest Nature booth opens for children
11:30 a.m. Music begins; Children’s activities begin (until 5 p.m.)
1-1:45 p.m. Band Workshop: Local Honeys Children’s songwriting
2-2:45 p.m. Band Workshop: Hog Operation
2:45 -3:30 p.m. Band Workshop: Nora Jane Struthers
4:30-5 p.m. Band Workshop: Lonely Heart strings
7:00 p.m. Forest Fest concludes
The Jefferson Memorial Forest staff will have nature presentations and information about educational programs and a children’s area. If you like, you can check out the trails and all the beauty the forest has to offer.
The 14th Annual Forest Fest is made possible through the financial support of Council members Welch, Fowler and Yates whose districts represent the Jefferson Memorial Forest.
Joining them as co-sponsors this year: Councilpersons Rick Blackwell (District 12), Marianne Butler (District 15), James Peden (District 23), Madonna Flood (District 24), Jessica Green (District 1), Barbara Shanklin (District 2), Bill Hollander (District 9), Pat Mulvihill (District 10), Glen Stuckel (District 17), Vitalis Lanshima (District 21), Robin Engel (District 22), Barbara Sexton Smith (District 4), Cheri Bryant Hamilton (District 5), Brandon Coan (District 8), and Stuart Benson (District 20).
Also sponsoring the event are: Aetna, WFPK Radio Louisville, and 502 Yoga.
The concert is free, but parking is $10 per car. Bring a blanket or a folding chair as well as picnic food, but no alcoholic beverages are allowed to be brought in but they can be purchased on site.
“So if you love good music and want to get out of the house on a Saturday, come join us” says Welch.
To find out more about the 14th Annual Forest Fest, contact the Jefferson Memorial Forest at 368-6856.
The Louisville Metro Office of Housing & Community Development and Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund, in partnership with consultants Mullin & Lonergan Associates Incorporated, are leading an effort to develop a Housing Needs Assessment for Louisville.
The Housing Needs Assessment will look at the current housing stock and the community’s future needs, including both short and long-term projections for the next 20 years in five year increments. Once completed, the Assessment will serve as a guide for Louisville policy makers and housing partners, both private and non-profit. The Assessment is anticipated to be completed in fall 2018.
The Housing Needs Assessment will:
- Examine demographic and housing market trends
- Determine the supply and demand for housing types at various income levels across market areas
- Identify areas of opportunity across Louisville’s neighborhoods, particularly in linking housing to job centers
- Provide implementation strategies to enhance the quality of housing and neighborhoods; and
- Provide a methodology that will allow Louisville Metro to update data on an annual basis using U.S. Census and other readily available sources.
Three public meetings will be held to discuss the Housing Needs Assessment:
- May 23 from 2-4 p.m. at the Edison Center (701 W. Ormsby)
- May 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the South Central Regional Library (7300 Jefferson Boulevard)
- May 24 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Middletown Firehouse (108 Urton Lane)
All Louisville residents are also asked to complete a housing survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LouisvilleResidentSurvey, whether they can attend a public meeting or not. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and will be available until May 31.
For more information on the Housing Needs Assessment, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/housing-community-development.
The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce Louisville Parks and Recreation as a finalist for the 2018 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. Musco Lighting, LLC has been a proud sponsor of the Gold Medal Awards program for over 10 years.
Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Applications are separated into seven classes, with five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class for state park systems awarded on odd numbered years.
Louisville is a finalist in the Class 1 category, which includes cities of populations larger than 400,000 and most of the largest parks and recreation departments in the United States.
Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff and elected officials. Louisville joins three other finalists in their class that will compete for grand honors this year.
“It’s an honor for Louisville to be named a finalist for the Gold Medal Award,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “I’d like to thank NRPA for recognizing what the citizens of our city have known for a long time: We are blessed with a world-class parks and recreation system. Our citizens and visitors have enjoyed our parks since the 1890s, when Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision began to take shape, and this is a great recognition of our commitment to keep building on that vision.”
“This is a great day for our department and its employees,” Parks and Recreation Director Seve Ghose said. “Our dedicated staff works incredibly hard every day to give all citizens of Louisville a parks and recreation system they can be proud of. We’re thrilled to be nominated for the Gold Medal.”
A panel of five park and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation on both the local and national levels.
This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Plaque Award honors this summer, and the six Grand Plaque recipients will be announced live during the NRPA General Session at the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sept. 25–27, 2018.
For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/goldmedal or www.aapra.org.
