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SubscribeThis Tuesday, October 18th at 6:30 PM, there will be a town hall forum that will have candidates Harold Bratcher and Michael Payne available to take questions from community members.
Bratcher is running for the US House of Representatives for Kentucky’s 3rd district. The House of Representatives is one of half of the legislative branch at the federal level. Each state has a different number of representatives that correlate to the population of that state. Each term in the House is 2 years. Bratcher is running for Kentucky’s third district, which represents all of Jefferson County. Bratcher is opposing incumbent John Yarmuth, who has held the office since 2007 and is currently seeking re-election for his sixth term. More information about Harold Bratcher can be found on his website.
Michael Payne is running for State Representative, District 28. As seen with Congress at the federal level, each state has their own two-part legislature. District 28 represents a portion of the southwestern portion of the county, from parts of Pleasure Ridge Park south along Dixie Highway to West Point, including Valley Station, Valley Village, and Prairie Village. Each term for the State representatives is 2 years. Payne is opposing incumbent Charles Miller, who has held the office since 1999 and is currently seeking re-election for his tenth term. More information about Michael Payne can be found on his website.
The forum is a town hall style, meaning community members who attend will be able to ask questions directly to the candidates. The meeting is at La Carretta at 10105 Dixie Highway (due to construction, people traveling south on Dixie Highway will find it easier to access the shopping center parking lot by turning left at Valley Station Road, and turning left into the shopping center). The meeting starts at 6:30 PM.
Sustainability Week at the University of Louisville is Oct. 17-23 to raise awareness for responsible environmental, social and economic stewardship. This year’s focus is social justice.
The week, which coincides with homecoming festivities, begins Oct. 17 with “Weigh the Waste” at The Ville Grill, when plate scraps from a typical lunchtime in UofL’s busiest dining hall will be weighed before going into the compost bin to demonstrate how much food is discarded.
Oct. 19, a Campus Sustainability Day Fair featuring booths and information on UofL’s sustainability initiatives will be held in the Humanities Quad on Belknap Campus.
On the evening of Oct. 19, UofL will host the Louisville Sustainability Council’s monthly “Green Drinks” networking event for professionals interested in sustainability. The event will start at 6 p.m. with a campus sustainability tour leaving from in front of the University Club and end at Old Louisville Tavern, 1532 S. 4th St.
The week’s activities include:
- Oct. 18, noon – Diversity Dialogue Series: “Equity vs. Equality” (Cultural Center)
- Oct. 18, 6:30-8 p.m. – Race, Place and Perceptions: Making Louisville Home for Us All (Cultural Center)
- Oct. 18 (Health Sciences Campus, Kornhauser Plaza) and Oct. 20 (Belknap Campus, Humanities Quad) – Bike maintenance workshops
- Oct. 21, noon – EcoReps Lunch&Learn, “Sustainability at UofL,” Ekstrom Library, W210.
- Oct. 21, 2-3 p.m. – Garlic Planting Day! Garden Commons Workshop and Workday (Cultural Center)
- Oct. 23 –UofL Community Composting Volunteer Day, 200 block of E. Bloom St. (one block north of Cardinal Boulevard between Brook and Floyd streets)
For more information, contact Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives, at 502-852-8575.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) has named Fairdale High School Principal Brad Weston as Assistant Superintendent for Achievement Area 2.
Weston, who has served as principal since 2011, has led Fairdale through a dramatic academic turnaround during his tenure, including improving statewide assessment scores and adopting the Cambridge International Studies program. A former assistant principal at the high school, he has also worked directly with students as a math teacher and counselor at Fairdale and Doss high schools.
“I’m excited by the opportunity to positively impact several thousand students and several hundred teachers in 28 schools,” Weston said. He said while he will miss working with the Fairdale staff and students, “I am thrilled that this new opportunity will allow me to continue working for and with Fairdale High School.”
“Brad has a proven track record of improving student achievement, and he spent many years as a teacher in the classroom and as a principal,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens. “His experience will be invaluable as we look to increase student achievement across Area 2.”
Weston will stay on at the school until his replacement is named.
Weston holds a bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Louisville and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in secondary school counseling from Western Kentucky University. His Rank 1 in administration is also from WKU.
Lexington screenprinting artists Sara and Brian Turner have been creating art together since meeting at the University of Kentucky in 1998. In 2003 they opened Cricket Press, and this year they will be able to add the distinction of the Kentucky Crafted brand to their body of work.
The Turners are among 19 artists who were selected for Kentucky Crafted, the Kentucky Arts Council’s adjudicated arts marketing program. In addition to being able to use the Kentucky Crafted brand to promote their product, the Turners and the 17 other artists added to the roster of more than 335 visual and craft artists in the Kentucky Crafted Program will have access to marketing and promotional opportunities and arts business training.
“A lot of people are aware of us, but they don’t really know what we do,” Brian Turner said. “We thought that applying to the program, in the hopes of getting accepted, would help open us up to a wider audience.”
“We have a lot of peers already in the program,” Sara Turner said. “They had many good things to say about it and consider it a well-respected program.”
Sara Turner said she and Brian have never had a period of time, since starting their business, when they were not producing work. She hopes adding the Kentucky Crafted brand to their credentials will help keep that momentum going.
“I think this will be a good thing for Cricket Press, adding another level of integrity to what we do, who we are and what we can provide people,” she said.
Artists adjudicated into the Kentucky Crafted Program, listed by name, business name, city and artistic discipline include:
- Chad Balster, Chad Balster Glass, Louisville, glass
- Robert Clark, Horse & Dragon Studio, Georgetown, painting
- Jessica Daman, Sugar Mountain Jewelry, Florence, metal
- Ray Daugherty, RaysLens.com, Sadieville, photography
- Jennifer Dunham, It’s In The Cards, Versailles, graphics
- Johnny Gordon, Gordon Glass Studio, Louisville, glass
- Amy Henson, Rock Bottom Soap Co., London, natural/organic
- Ernest Hunt, Hunt’s Woodcraft, Lawrenceburg, wood
- Kimberley Mahlbacher, HeirloomCroft Art in Wool, Louisville, fiber
- Laura Poulette, Meadow House Studio, Berea, mixed media
- Gerald Price IV, LeGrand Metalsmithing, Berea, metal
- Al Scovern, West Third Ceramics, Lexington, clay
- Scott Soeder, Scott Soeder Illustration, Louisville, graphics
- Shawnna Southerland, Shawnna Carney Southerland, Berea, fiber
- Jason Sturgill, Xenosketch: the Art of Jason Sturgill, Lexington, mixed media
- Billy Tackett, Billy Tackett Studios, Florence, painting
- Sharon Tesser, Sharon Tesser, Louisville, fiber
- Sara and Brian Turner, Cricket Press, Lexington, printmaking
In addition to marketing assistance, the Kentucky Crafted Program provides business training and exhibit opportunities to participants, such as inclusion in an online directory and exhibiting at the annual Kentucky Crafted: The Market, the arts council’s award-winning fine art and craft showcase.
For more information on the Kentucky Crafted program, contact Dave Blevins, arts council arts marketing director, at david.blevins@ky.gov or 502-892-3120.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, fosters environments for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. The arts council is celebrating 50 years of service in 2016.
5,000 artistically carved pumpkins to light walking trail
In what has become the must-see event of the Halloween season, the Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular is returning for the fourth consecutive year to south Louisville’s Iroquois Park, where 5,000 artistically carved pumpkins will greet visitors from Oct. 13 through Nov. 6.
The pumpkins will illuminate a 1/4-mile trail adjacent to the Iroquois Amphitheater, and Metro Parks officials estimate up to 90,000 people will visit.
The trail is open from dusk until 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets range from $9 to $15, with discounts for seniors and children 12 and under. Proceeds from the event benefit the Louisville Parks Foundation.
“The event has grown by leaps and bounds each year, and it’s become one of the city’s signature events during the Halloween season,” said Seve Ghose, Director of Metro Parks and Recreation. “These beautiful pumpkins are a unique way to take advantage of the landscape of one of this city’s most beloved parks. We’re delighted to have the Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular back again for a fourth year.”
The wooded trail begins just outside of Iroquois Amphitheater (1080 Amphitheater Road, Louisville, KY 40214) and weaves its way through the trees with themed vignettes set to music. The carved, lit pumpkins rotate on a weekly basis, creating a different experience each weekend.
“We appreciate the vision of Passion for Pumpkins, which transforms this small section of Iroquois Park into a terrific attraction the whole family can enjoy,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “I encourage all Louisville residents to visit, maybe even more than once. You will see something new each time you walk the trail.”
The event is held rain or shine. Coach drop-off and on-site parking is available.
Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular is produced by Louisville Metro Parks and the Louisville Parks Foundation in conjunction with Passion for Pumpkins, a multimedia production company with more than 25 years’ experience in redefining fall by transforming any landscape into an illuminated organic gallery.
This year’s Sponsors include Papa John’s, Delta Dental, WellCare,LG & E, Republic Bank, Wendy’s, KFC, Muhammad Ali Center , Kentucky Select Properties and Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana.
TICKET INFORMATION
Sunday – Thursday
- Adults $12
- Seniors (62+) $10
- Children (3-12) $9
Friday – Saturday
- Adults $15
- Seniors (62+) $13
- Children (3-12) $12
Individual tickets may be purchased in advance for specific nights at the Iroquois Amphitheater Box Office or online at www.jackolanternlouisville.com. Visitors are also encouraged to use the hashtag #502Pumpkins on social media to share images or experiences they enjoy while touring the show.
Tickets for groups of 25 or more can be purchased in advance by calling 502/368-5063, or in person at the Iroquois Amphitheater Box Office between 9 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday, and Saturdays from 12 – 4 p.m. The Ticket booths will open at 5 p.m. beginning October 13.
Group tickets are discounted at $10 Sunday through Thursday and $12 on Friday and Saturday.
The event is held rain or shine. No refunds will be given, but advanced purchased tickets may be exchanged for another day.
Parking is available at the Iroquois Amphitheater lot, throughout the park, and at DeSales High School, which is located adjacent to the park on Kenwood Drive (recommended). In addition, TARC Route #4-Fourth Street has a stop in the Iroquois Amphitheater parking lot: regular fares apply.
The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District (District) proposes to issue an operating permit to Caldwell Tanks, Inc. (steel tank fabricator), 4000 Tower Rd. in accordance with Regulation 2.16. The 30-day public comment period starts October 15, 2016, and ends on November 15, 2016. A public hearing may be scheduled if the District determines that there are germane, unresolved issues or substantial public interest, in accordance with Regulation 2.07.
Drafts of the permit and summary are available at the District office, 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Louisville between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday by calling Paul Aud at (502) 574-6000, emailing airpermits @ louisvilleky.gov, or at the following website: http://www.louisvilleky.gov/APCD/docket. Copies of the application are available upon request. Written comments will be accepted at airpermits @ louisvilleky.gov until midnight, or at the District office until 5:00 PM on November 15, 2016.
With thousands of kindergarteners across Louisville successfully starting the school year, a special celebration today recognized one Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) district preschool for helping prepare its students to start classes ready to learn.
At the Unseld Early Learning Center in Newburg this morning, Mayor Greg Fischer, and Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Hargens joined Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) Director Jim Blanton in congratulating Unseld Center staff for having 100 percent completion in the Library’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge last school year. The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge, a free Louisville Free Public Library program, encourages families, caregivers, and educators to read at least 1,000 books with their young children before kindergarten.
“While 1,000 books may seem like a lot,” Blanton said, “it can be accomplished in less than a year by reading as little as 15 minutes a day—that’s just three picture books.”
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge — sponsored by the Library Foundation and the Community Foundation of Louisville — is free and open to children beginning at birth, and their caregivers. Spending just 15 minutes a day reading to preschool-age children builds vocabulary, language skills, and helps prepare them with the skills they need for school.
“We want to encourage all families, caregivers and concerned citizens in Jefferson County to help us create a city where all our kids are reading at least 1,000 books before they enter kindergarten,” said Mayor Fischer. “The people here at the Unseld Early Childhood Center have shown us the way. Because of their work, hundreds of children started kindergarten this fall ready!”
Thanks to the Unseld Center’s commitment to the program, and having all 300 students complete the Challenge, the Center was the recipient of a $500 Barnes & Noble gift card prize drawing from the Library.
“Developing an early habit for reading not only builds our youngest student’s language skills and gets them ready for school, but it pays dividends for years to come by creating a lifelong love for learning,” said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens.
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge, which originated at the Bremen Public Library in Bremen, Ind., was launched at the LFPL in January 2014. And the challenge to read has been met with great success. Since the program began, nearly 20,000 children have signed up—with more than 2800 having reached the 1,000 books milestone.
For more information, call (502) 574-1620 or visit LFPL.org/1000Books.
