Butchertown’s  Porktoberfest is this Friday, October 9, from 5:00 pm. to 10:00 p.m. at Copper and Kings Distillery, 1111 East Washington Street.  The event features live music by Relic, local beer from Apocalypse Brew Works, cocktails  from Copper and Kings and food from Louisville’s finest restaurants. 

The pork inspired culinary competition includes samples from several local spots, including a few which have not yet opened their doors.  Participating restaurants include Royals Hot Chicken, Red Hog, Commonwealth Cured, Feast BBQ, Toonerville Deli, Gralehaus, Rye, Galaxie and Wiltshire.  Vegetarian options will be available.

Admission is $2 and covers your first taste.  Proceeds benefit the Butchertown Neighborhood Association.   

Ironman is back this weekend, on Sunday, October 11, with approximately 3,000 participants scheduled to swim, bike and run across Jefferson, Oldham and Henry Counties.  The 140.6-mile triathlon is composed of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run on a course that takes advantage of the Louisville Waterfront, urban core and proximity to scenic, rural settings.  The event sold out this year in January.  Swimmers enter the Ohio River through a rolling start at the docks near the new Doc’s Cantina restaurant (the old Tumbleweed).  The scenic bike course winds through eastern Jefferson County, including River Road in D9, and Oldham Counties and bisects LaGrange.  The run course passes through Old Louisville, Churchill Downs and the University of Louisville. 

Traffic will be impacted on River Road throughout the day, with no parking from Edith Road to Preston Street from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Other traffic impacts can be seen here:  http://www.ironman.com/~/media/495b219bf8a840888d4ba18ab1cf9f9f/2015%20louisville%20traffic%20impact%20online.pdf.

Proceed with extreme caution and allow for additional travel time to your destination.  The male and female athletes from around the world count on you for encouragement on race day, so bring your friends and cheer them on!

Join us on Saturday, October 24th for a cleanup in Bingham Park, on Coral Avenue. D9 volunteers should plan to meet at 8:30 a.m. for coffee and breakfast sandwiches, and the cleanup will officially begin at 9:00 a.m. We’ll supply bags, gloves, and t-shirts on a first-come, first-serve basis. We’ll work to clean up the park and surrounding areas and then spread out in the community. Contact our office at 574-1109 or email kyle.ethridge@louisvilleky.gov to sign up for our cleanup. Let’s have a big crowd making D9 a little cleaner!

Apocalypse Brew Works at 1612 Mellwood Avenue in D9 is the apt ending for this week’s Louisville Solar Tour.  The tour begins with a kickoff and introduction to solar energy at the Green Building, 732 East Market Street, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  Between Noon and 3:00 p.m., participants will have a choice of three tours to see and speak to owners of solar-powered homes and businesses:  self-guided, bicycle, and bus.  There is a $10 charge for the guided bus tour.  Bicycling for Louisville is assisting with the free bicycle tour.

The Solar Tour concludes with a celebration and vendors tabling event at Apocalypse between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., where you can learn about the latest in solar technology, all-electric vehicles and passive solar homes.  You can also enjoy a craft beer.

The cost to heat water is the major expense for a brewery and Apocalypse uses solar panels installed before it opened to reduce its expenses.   In the summer,  the panels generate nearly all of Apocalypse’s hot water needs.  In the winter, the panels generate 20-30% of needs.

More information about the Louisville Solar Tour is here: http://louisvillesolartour.blogspot.com/.  You can learn more about Apocalypse Brew Works here:  http://apocalypsebrewworks.com/   

We’d like to feature your sustainability story - a resident or business doing good things for the environment.  Riding the bus, bicycling, walking, gardening and more - our eNews will feature practices which can benefit all of us.  Send your story to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge. 

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) will hold its 147th meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and special guests at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, October 8-10, 2015. Approximately 400 people from across the country are expected to attend.  The meeting’s theme is “Setting the Stage.”  Reservations are required for most of the events, but some (noted below) are open and free to the public. Details: http://www.aph.org/annual-meeting/2015/

APH InSights 2015 - Open to the public on Thursday, October 8, from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM, Friday, October 9, from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM and Saturday, October 10, from 8:00 AM until noon

This exhibition of artwork by artists who are blind or visually impaired features seventy-nine artworks by artists from across the U. S. This is the twenty-fourth year for the competition. Participants range from preschool children to senior citizens, and include professional artists as well as hobbyists and school art classes.  Judges selected the art works from over 300 entries in a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. It is an international competition; this year several of the entrants were from Latvia.

New Product Exhibit - Open to the public on Thursday, October 8, from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Friday, October 9, from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Saturday, October 10, from 8:00 AM - noon

This exhibition features new products produced by APH for children and adults who are visually impaired (large print, braille, electronic tools, and software). 

APH InSights Art Awards Banquet and 2014 Hall of Fame Induction, Friday, October 9, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

On this special evening APH will honor APH InSights Art Award winners and celebrate the addition of two new members to the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field, Sir Francis Campbell and Dr. Alan Koenig. http://www.aph.org/hall/news.html

Related meetings

Since APH is a focal point for issues in the field of blindness, several other national groups hold their annual meetings the day before or during APH’s annual meeting in order to allow their members to attend both activities. These include the Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB), the Principals of Schools for the Blind (POSB), and seven other national organizations.

ABOUT APH EX OFFICIO TRUSTEES AND THE ANNUAL MEETING:

In 1879, the U. S. Congress passed the Act to Promote the Education of the Blind. This act set up a system to provide free schoolbooks and other materials for blind students and named the American Printing House for the Blind as the national central source of these educational materials. The system through which these specialized materials are distributed is known as the Federal Quota Program. American Printing House for the Blind Ex Officio Trustees are responsible for overseeing the implementation of this program in the various states and regions they represent. The Ex Officio Trustees come to Louisville each year for the Annual Meeting to provide insight and exchange information about developments in the field of blindness. "Special guests" such as parents, teachers, and administrators and other educators involved with the field of blindness also attend this meeting.

Botanica Annual Member meeting on Saturday, October 10 from Noon – 2:00 p.m. Benjamin Grumbles, Secretary of the Environment in Maryland will be the guest speaker on “The Dirt on Soil, Water and Climate”. The meeting will take place at the site of the future Waterfront Botanical Gardens, corner of Frankfort Avenue and River Road. Healthy soil is at the heart of strategies to clean water and cool the planet, healthy gardens and agriculture, and thriving humans and animals. Limited Seating - Tickets are required. To obtain a ticket please visit www.waterfrontgardens.org/special-events/2015-annual-meeting. Tickets are $5 for members and $15 for non-members.

Speaker event followed by reGeneration Fair from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. This is a family-friendly event, which will include a special performance of “Johnny Appleseed” by the Walden Theatre/Blue Apple Players at 5 pm. This event is Free, with a suggested $10 suggested donation. Enjoy music, food trucks, demonstrations and kids’ activities. Topics include bees, butterflies, birds, composting, rain water gardens, spinning hemp, weed walk, water filtration, and plant activities. Parking available on Frankfort Ave. This is a pet-free event.

More information is available at waterfrontgardens.org.  

Preparing your spring garden often begins with planning and prepping in the fall.  This year Brightside is excited to have partnered on a new fundraiser with several local nurseries to help your gardens flourish and to support the beautification efforts, educational programming, and outreach efforts Brightside provides for our community.

When you purchase your trees, shrubs, bulbs, or other materials be sure to visit one of the participating retailers so a portion of your purchase goes directly back to Brightside.  Dates and details are below but locations are still being added, so be sure to visit Brightside’s website or call Brightside for the most up to date information.  

The Plant Kingdom will be donating 20% of the retail price of any tree purchased from October 17th -31st. Located at 4101 Westport Road, Louisville KY 40207

Wallitsch Nursery & Garden Center will be donating 25% of all Bulbs purchased on the following weekends : October 17-18; October 24-25; October 31- November 1 

Located at 2608 Hikes Lane,1.5 miles west of Breckinridge Lane or 0.5 miles east of Bardstown Road in Hikes Point.

St. Matthews Feed & Seed will be donating 10% of the retail price of all items purchased on Wednesday, November 4th. Located at 225 Chenoweth Lane Louisville, KY 40207

Make sure you register your plantings projects with Brightside so they can count them as part of the Community-Wide Planting Day!  Brightside wants to hear all about what neighbors are doing to help keep Louisville a greener community! 

We are always happy to hear from constituents.  To make meeting with us in person more convenient, we’ll be holding office hours at various places around District 9.  On Wednesday, October 21, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., we’ll be at the Peterson-Dumesnil House, 201 S. Peterson Avenue. Stop by with any questions or concerns.

It’s time to clean house and get ready for another junk collection for the 9th District Urban Services District (USD). You may begin setting out your junk Friday, November 6 in the afternoon. All junk must be set out by Monday, November 8 at 6:00 a.m. For collection guidelines please visit http://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/services/junk-and-bulk-trash-disposal. Sign up for junk set out reminders by email and text, click here!

On Friday, December 11, from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, the 9th District office, in partnership with U of L Hospital and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, will offer FREE mammograms at the Clifton Center, 2117 Payne Street.  To make an appointment please contact my office at 574-1109.  Mammograms are for women age 40 and over. There is no cost to eligible women without insurance.  Women with insurance will need to bring their card so a claim may be filed. 

For the past seveal years, the District 9 office has hosted a mobile tax preparation site at United Crescent Hill Ministires, offering free tax preparation to individuals and families under a certain income bracket. Each year we depend on volunteers to help prepare taxes and greet clients at our mobile site. We have a few dedicated volunteers that help us out every year, but we need more! This year we’d like to offer additional tax preparation dates and hope you’ll consider joining our team! If you are interested in volunteering for the 2015 tax season (February-April 2016) please contact Kyle Ethridge at kyle.ethridge@louisvilleky.gov or call 574-1109. The first volunteer training will be offered on December 12. Volunteers are needed to help prepare taxes AND greet clients.