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The Louisville Metro Council’s Public Safety Committee will discuss the recent Accreditation Results for the Youth Detention Center when it meets on Wednesday, February 28th.
“I am very interested in hearing about the current situation with the Youth Detention Center,” says Councilwoman Jessica Green (D-10) who chairs the Committee. “There have been recent media reports which have raised some serious questions about operations there. I believe the Committee would like to get a better understanding of just what is going on since we are responsible juveniles in our custody.”
The Councilwoman has asked Dr. Ursula Mullins of Youth Detention Services to discuss the accreditation results. She will be joined by Vincent James of the Mayor’s Office. They will discuss the recently completed audit of the Center’s operations and programs.
The Public Safety Committee meets at 3:30pm in Council Chambers, Historic City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street.
The meeting is carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 or on UVERSE at Channel 99. All meetings of the Metro Council are streamed live. Go to the Metro Council Home page at Louisvilleky.gov/metrocouncil and click on the Metro Council Agendas link.
On Thursday, February 22nd the Metro Council’s Community Affairs and Housing Committee held a special meeting to honor outstanding residents and volunteers as part of its 16th Annual Black History Month Program.
“Reaffirming Our Diverse Culture” is the continuing theme of the program, which concludes the month long celebration of Black History Month in Louisville Metro. It begins at 12:00pm in Council Chambers, 601 West Jefferson Street.
“For 16 years now, the Metro Council has believed it is important to thank the many unsung heroes who give their time and talent to their communities and neighborhoods,” says Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin (D-2) who chairs the Committee. “Through their example, not only are those in need helped but they inspire others to get involved in public service. This is one way of thanking them for all they do.”
One special group will be honored during the program along with 26 individuals. Below is a list of the honorees of for the 16th Annual Black History Program:
2018 Group Award:
The Mary Alyce Sweeney Foundation
The Foundation was created by the family and friends of Mary Alyce Sweeney of Louisville. She lived by two very simple rules: give back to the community and be a bridge over troubled waters to those in need. The Foundation continues her spirit of giving and making dreams come true by touching the lives of others through community service, care packages, domestic abuse services and outreach. The Foundation works to support our ethnically diverse community in educational and social needs.
2018 Honorees:
- District 1 – Robert Cunningham
- District 2 – Gloria Crayton
- District 3 – Mary Maiden
- District 4 – Jackie Floyd
- District 5 – Evelyn Glass
- District 6 – Rev. H. Wayne Colbert
- District 7 – Archie Bailey and the Moonglows
- District 8 – Stacey L. Robinson
- District 9 – Terrian Barnes
- District 10 – Stephan M. Williams
- District 11 – Officer Eddie Phillips
- District 12 – Christie McCravy
- District 13 – Officer Anthony Mabrey
- District 14 – Roger Thompson
- District 15 – Jarren Thomas
- District 16 – Tanisha Ann Hickerson
- District 17 – Kyle Brooks
- District 18 – Reagan Patrick Roy
- District 19 – Kenneth F. Hayden Sr.
- District 20 – Deon Reese
- District 21 – Abdourachid Farah
- District 22 – Coach James Schooler
- District 23 – Roy Sutton
- District 24 – Tenneil Edelen
- District 25 – Officer Dwight Mitchell
- District 26 – Rosalind M. Cole
The Community Affairs and Housing Committee 16th Annual Black History month program will be carried live on METRO TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184. For UVERSE Subscribers, the meeting airs on Channel 99.
You can also watch the meetings online by going to the Metro Council home page at http://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/metro-council-clerk and click the “Watch Meetings Online” button.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilman Bill Hollander invites the community to attend an upcoming D9 Community Conversation, which will close out Black History Month with a presentation by Clifton resident Joshua Poe on redlining in Louisville and a nationally acclaimed project to explore it.
Redlining is the denial of services or the refusal to grant loans or insurance to certain neighborhoods based on racial and socioeconomic discrimination. It was an explicit government policy which led to the racial segregation of our major cities, including Louisville. Poe’s work can be found here: https://lojic.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e4d2990795…. An article about it is here: https://insiderlouisville.com/metro/redlining-louisville-map-wins-harvar….
Poe is an urban planner and independent researcher using GIS and planning principles to facilitate social justice and revitalization. He developed an interactive map that was the impetus for the Redlining Louisville project. Poe’s map, “Redlining Louisville: The History of Race, Class, and Real Estate,” was selected as the first winner of Harvard University’s Map of the Month contest, which recognizes best-in-class data visualizations created by all levels of government and nonprofits. “Redlining Louisville” was selected for its outstanding use of data combined from multiple sources, including historical data, its creativity and effective communication to the public, and the policy implications it is likely to have moving forward. More about the award is here: https://datasmart.ash.harvard.edu/news/article/map-of-the-month-redlinin….
The D9 Community Conversation is Wednesday, February 28, beginning at 6:30 p.m., at United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 South State Street. “Redlining is an important subject we all need to understand in order to deal with its consequences. I am looking forward to Josh’s presentation”, says Hollander. “As with all D9 Community Conversations, discussion of any other subject is also welcome and I will be available to talk with constituents about any questions, comments or concerns. ”
For more information about the meeting, contact Councilman Hollander’s office at 574-1109.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Councilman Brandon Coan (D-8), the Civic Data Alliance and Bellarmine University announce the rescheduled Hack the Highlands event, the CDA’s first neighborhood-specific hackathon, this Saturday February 24th at Bellarmine University. Originally scheduled to occur in January, inclement weather forced the hackathon to be move to this coming Saturday.
The Civic Data Alliance is Louisville’s Code for America Brigade focused on being a force for open data, coding education, and civic engagement. A hackathon is an event at which coders and other stakeholders focus on using data to create software to solve problems.
“I’m excited and appreciative to partner with the Civic Data Alliance and Bellarmine University to produce Hack the Highlands,” said Coan. “The event is part of my plan to build interest in civic engagement and make city business more accessible, interesting and participatory. I hope a number of students, neighborhood coders and urbanists will come out and join us.”
Since 2014, the CDA has hosted nearly a dozen hackathons around Louisville and produced innovative solutions to local needs, including creating tools for those who are visually impaired and supporting The New Dixie Highway project.
“The Civic Data Alliance is excited to work with Councilman Coan and Bellarmine University to host this hackathon,” said CDA event organizer Robert Kahne. “We hope that the work done on this day brings this corner of the city closer together and helps the Highlands as it faces unique challenges and embraces its unique advantages. CDA is always open and willing to work with any elected officials regardless of political party or office who wishes to support open data and technology for the public good. We commend Councilman Coan for reaching out to us and helping put this event together.”
Hack the Highlands will focus on using the city’s open data to solve problems specific to the Highlands, including reorganizing the area’s litter baskets to make the streets cleaner, tracking streetlight outages to make neighborhoods safer and analyzing the results of Councilman Coan’s 2017 “I Can Get You a Tow” campaign, designed to curb illegal rush hour street parking on Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue.
The event will be held Saturday, February 24th from 9am-5pm at Bellarmine, in classroom CNMH 081 on the ground level of Centro’s McGowan Hall. It is free and open to the public, and parking is available in Bellarmine lots.
“We’re proud to call the Highlands and District 8 Bellarmine’s home, so we’re delighted to host this data-driven session that will make our neighborhood an even better place to live, learn and work,” said Dr. Susan M. Donovan, Bellarmine’s president.
For more information and to RSVP, visit:
https://tinyurl.com/HackTheHighlands2-24
http://www.tinyurl.com/cmcoand8
Louisville Metro Animal Services, in charge of keeping the public safe when it comes to animals just recently reached a mile stone by becoming a no kill animal shelter.
Councilwoman Madonna Flood (D-24) announces the next South Central Regional Forum will focus on the work of the men and women of LMAS on Wednesday, February 21st.
“Animal control has been one of the top safety concerns of the Metro Council. We have worked with LMAS to pass needed protection ordinances and fund better facilities to ensure neighborhoods are protected and animals are treated humanely,” says Flood.
The forum is set for the new South Central Regional Library at 7400 Jefferson Boulevard from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
Louisville Metro Animal Services Director Ozzy Gibson will be the featured speaker at the forum and address the mission of LMAS and day to day operations of a shelter. He will discuss the 2017 Statistics that helped them achieve the no kill milestone! He will also talk about future plans and what we, as a community, need to do to help the pet population.
There may also be a few four-legged friends in attendance.
“I encourage everyone to come out and get a better understanding of how to be a good pet owner. It is also a chance to learn about how you can report a dangerous animal in your neighborhood,” says Flood.
The South Central regional Forums are sponsored by Councilwoman Flood and Council members James Peden (R-23), Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13) and Barbara Shanklin (D-2).
For more information about the next South Central Regional Forum, then contact Councilwoman Flood’s office at 574-1124.
Photo: Louisville Metro Council
Dr. George C. Wright is coming to Louisville to discuss his book on the history of race relations and black life in Kentucky as a guest of Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5) for a Black History month community event on Friday, February 23rd.
“This is a great opportunity to hear from a native Kentuckian who has chronicled the history of blacks in Kentucky covering progress and violence since 1865 forward,” said Hamilton. “It is an important meeting for those who want to understand black history in our commonwealth as we celebrate Black History Month.”
Dr. Wright is a native of Lexington, Kentucky and has served in many faculty and administrative positions at American universities since 1977.
He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in History from the University of Kentucky and his Doctorate in History from Duke University. He is a past President of Prairie View A&M University, the second oldest public institution of higher education in Texas. He is currently a full professor of history at Texas A&M University in College Station.
He is the author of “Life Behind a Veil: Blacks in Louisville, KY from 1865 to 1930”. Dr. Wright has also authored “A History of Blacks in Kentucky: In Pursuit of Equality, 1890—1980, Volume II” and “Racial Violence in Kentucky, 1865- 1940: Lynchings, Mob Rule, and “Legal Lynchings”.
The community meeting is set for the Portland Memorial Baptist Church, 3802 West Market Street beginning at 1:00pm.
“In order to move forward, it is always important for everyone young and old, black or white, to understand our history in Louisville and Kentucky. Dr. Wright knows that history and is able to put it in perspective for the 21st Century. I encourage everyone to come out and share this experience,” says Hamilton.
For more information about this event, contact Councilwoman Hamilton’s office at 574-1105.
Councilwoman Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5) is encouraging the community to attend the next meeting of the Shawnee Park MSD Basin Project on Tuesday, February 20th.
“This is an important meeting for everyone in the Shawnee Park and the Westover Subdivision in the Chickasaw Park Neighborhood because MSD will update how construction is going and give a time table as to what areas will be affected on West Broadway during the upcoming spring and summer months,” says Hamilton
The meeting will be held at the Shawnee Golf Course Club House, 460 Northwestern Parkway from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.
The Shawnee Park Basin Project, also known as Southwestern Parkway CSO Basin Project, consists of construction of the retention basin to eliminate untreated storm water and sewage from entering the Ohio River, new park features, and improvements.
According to MSD officials, the Shawnee Park Basin Project will create a cleaner river, provide new amenities, and restore the core of Shawnee Park.
The update meeting will focus on:
- What construction is occurring:
- Construction Timing
- Dust Control
- Bus Route Detours
- Construction Concerns
“This meeting will be a chance to ask questions and understand the benefits of this project,” says Hamilton. “It is important that the neighborhood surrounding this project stay in the loop about construction so they can adjust as construction moves forward.”
For more information about the meeting, contact Councilwoman Hamilton’s office at 502-574-1105.
