Metro Public Works began work this week on a project to repair tripping hazards on sidewalks on Hillcrest and Pennsylvania Avenues in D9.  Several sections of sidewalk have been on the repair list for years.  The current project is funded, in part, with District 9 Community Infrastructure Funds.

In addition to replacing some sidewalk sections, MPW is using a new technique to eliminate some tripping hazards. Under a new contract with Precision Concrete Cutting, existing concrete is cut to create a smooth walkway.  An animated demo from the company is here: http://www.safesidewalks.com/animation/animation.html.

We have many sidewalk needs in District 9 and through Louisville Metro.  To report a sidewalk issue and have it evaluated for future repairs, call MetroCall at 574-5000. You’ll need an address for the sidewalk repair.

I am happy to report that Metro Council has approved a $1 Million appropriation to help expand and renovate the St. Matthews Eline Library in D9. The library has the highest circulation in the Louisville Free Public Library system, in a very small space.  The City of St. Matthews, which supplies the space for the library without charge to the library system, has proposed a substantial expansion, at an expense of at least $3 Million in City of St. Matthews funds, contingent on an appropriation of $1 Million by Louisville Metro.   The appropriation was included in a mid-year budget adjustment passed by Metro Council on March 10.

Thank you to the City of St. Matthews for leading in this effort and to the many constituents who contacted me to express support for the library!

The mid-year adjustment also included a very significant increase in paving funds and an appropriation to The Healing Place for the construction of treatment beds to help us fight the heroin epidemic in the City, among other items.

Every day I encounter a new pothole. Please help address these issues by reporting potholes so they can be filled promptly.

Citizens are urged to report potholes to MetroCall by dialing 311 or 574-5000. Reports may also be made through an online service request at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metrocall-311 . You can now download a smartphone application to report issues.  For more information click here. Potholes on interstate highways should be reported to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet at 1-877-For-KYTC (367-5982).

Potholes result from a combination of water that seeps through cracks caused by normal wear and tear in asphalt, repeated freezing and thawing temperatures, and the weight of traffic. Cold temperatures cause the water to freeze and expand, weakening the pavement. The weight of traffic on the weakened pavement then breaks the asphalt, eventually leaving a hole that grows as more traffic goes over it.

Please help us make driving better and safer by reporting potholes to MetroCall. 

Keep Kentucky’s streets safe as you celebrate.  Please don’t drink and drive!

Tragically, St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the nation’s deadliest holidays. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than half of the fatal crashes that occurred last year during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday involved drunken drivers.

One tool to combat drinking and driving is the “Drive Sober Kentucky” application.  The app includes contact information for local taxi services and sober ride programs, a one-touch dial feature to report a drunken driver and a link to Kentucky’s HERO designated driver campaign. Download for free by searching “Drive Sober Kentucky” in the app store. 

• Before the festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you are impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation or your local sober ride program.
• If you see a drunken driver, contact law enforcement. You may dial the KSP toll-free line directly at 1-800-222-5555 or use the one-touch dial feature through the “Drive Sober Kentucky” app. Callers will remain anonymous and should give a description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and license number if possible.
• If you know people who are about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements.

One great sustainability practice is keeping our public spaces clean. You can help this Saturday.

Join in the first Waterfront Botanical Gardens volunteer clean-up of 2016! Volunteers will be on the site all day on Saturday, March 19, removing trash and debris from the future Gardens site, as well as invasive plant removal along the Butchertown Greenway. You are able to sign-up in two-hour time blocks.

Sign-ups can be done here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4dabaf22aaf85-waterfront

Please bring your own gloves, rakes, clippers (large and small), trash bags, and also wear boots and long pants.

Park on the site via gravel driveway next to Heigold Facade on Frankfort Ave, or at Karen Lynch Park off Story Ave. and meet at Beargrass Creek next to our site on the Butchertown Greenway. 

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. 

Plan to attend the first ever Easter Parade Karaoke fundraiser on Monday, March 21 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at The Hub Louisville. Bring your friends, your colleagues, your employees, your family, whoever can "vote" for you with their dollars!  Tell them to vote early and often!

You don't have to be good to win. The most outrageous and bad can also be the winner. But the winner overall is our Easter Parade and the camaraderie and goodwill we gain. 

Winners will win a $100 gift certificate. 

The following web list will help you with your song choice. Please pick your top three songs. You will only have to sing one (whew!!) http://www.thekaraokechannel.com/online#tag=6w1fjq1m43&page=library_highlights

To participate please fill out the attached application: karaoke application.pdf.  Fee is $25 and goes to fund the Easter Parade expenses. 

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to provide FREE tax preparation services again in 2016. The service is FREE if you earned $55,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2015 or if you quality for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Call the office today to see if you qualify and make your appointment! Appointments are available on Friday, April 1 between 9:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please call the office at 574-3908 to make an appointment.

Do you instead file your own taxes? Through the LABC website there are two options to self-file online. The “Turbo Tax Freedom Edition” is available if you have $31,000 or less in income. The software has a well-designed interview process that guides you through the process of making decisions about your filing status, inputting your income and making decisions about deductions and tax credits for which you may qualify. The other option is “My Free Taxes”, which is available if you make $60,000 or less. This program is developed by H&R Block and uses an interview process. Please visit, http://labcservices.org/index.php/free-tax-filing-at-labc-services, for more information.

The Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition will offer free Naloxone (also referred to by its brand name as Narcan®) kits and a training session on how to administer it to reverse the effects of overdose from heroin and other opioid drugs and prevent death. The free training is open to the general public including first responders and to the family and friends of those who use heroin or other opioid drugs. The training will be held on Thursday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. at Barret Middle School, 2561 Grinstead Drive.

Naloxone is a medication called an “opioid antagonist” used to counter the effects of opioid overdose.  Naloxone is used in heroin and other opioid drug overdoses to counteract life-threatening depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system, allowing an overdose victim to breathe normally.

Information provided by the Legal Aid Society

On April 16, any unpaid property tax bills will be delinquent and may have penalties and interest added, increasing the amount due.

In July, delinquent property tax bills will be sold at auction to speculators, who charge additional fees and may file a foreclosure against the property.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will accept partial payments on your tax bill prior to April 16. You do not need all the money up front. Make every effort to budget and pay what you can to the Sheriff’s Office (502-574-5479).

Red Bull Flugtag is making its inaugural debut in Louisville this summer, challenging wannabe pilots to push the limits of human flight.

Since 1991, Red Bull Flugtag (which translates to “Flying Day” in German) has made stops around the world, challenging competitors to build and pilot homemade, human-powered flying machines. With the backdrop of the Ohio River, the outrageous flying competition will take place at Waterfront Park on Saturday, August 27th. The event has attracted up to 100,000 spectators in other cities. See video.

The application phase has started and calls for teams of carpenters, athletes, designers, engineers, entertainers and everyone in between to attempt to turn their dreams of flight into reality. Five-member teams of aspiring aviators and courageous craftsmen and women can apply for a chance to compete at Red Bull Flugtag 2016 by submitting flying-machine plans to www.RedBullFlugtag.com. The deadline to submit craft designs is May 1st.

Applications will be reviewed, and teams will be selected by the end of May. On August 27th, competitors will take the plunge off the 22-foot-high flight deck in front of thousands of roaring fans as they attempt to break the 258-foot distance record, set in 2013.

While the sky may be the limit on creativity, there are a few flight regulations. First, all flying machines must be entirely human-powered (no external sources or stored power, so forget about the slingshots, catapults or anything besides your own burliness). Additionally, all crafts must be less than 24 feet wide, and must weigh no more than 440 pounds (including the pilot).

Applying to participate in Red Bull Flugtag is free. Pilots and participants must be 18 or older. For more information, including applications, rules, photos and video footage from past Red Bull Flugtag events, visit www.RedBullFlugtag.com.

Registration is now open for the 2016 community center summer camps. From June 13 through August 5, Metro Parks and Recreation is offering summer camps at nine of its twelve community centers. This year’s camp theme, “Amazing Adventures 2”, reflects an array of daily on-site programs focusing on fitness, the arts, the environment and education. 

Additionally, registration for Jefferson Memorial Forest summer camps is now open.  Receive 10% off your registration fee if you sign up before April 15.