After a month of work on Metro’s budget and final approval last night, Metro Council is on a short break. The eNews will take a break next week too. We’ll be back on July 7. Remember that there is no garbage or recycling pickup on July 4 with collection delayed a day for the rest of the week. Happy Fourth of July!

The Annual Crescent Hill 4th of July Festival is scheduled for Sunday, July 3 and Monday, July 4 from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the Peterson-Dumesnil House, 301 S. Peterson Avenue. The events include 85 juried artists’ booths, live music, children’s fun zone, food court, cake booth, pet contest, silent auction and much more! Enjoy a spectacular fireworks display on Monday, July 4th at 10:00 p.m. Free parking is available at the Seminary parking lot on Grinstead Drive with a free trolley ride to the grounds, available between 1:00 – 10:00 p.m. A bike rack will also be available, please bring your own lock. For more event information visit: http://www.crescenthill.us/fourth-of-july

Volunteers are still needed to make the event a success. For more information on shifts available and to sign up visit: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b49a8ac2da13-call3

Donations are also needed for the cake/prize wheel. There are three ways you can contribute:

1. Make a cash donation, visit: crescenthill.us and follow links to the Cake Wheel and donate through PayPal.
2. Order a cake through Bussman’s Bakery at 893-3822 and Crescent Hill will pick it up.
3. Purchase and contact Kathy at 810-7772 for a drop-off or pick-up.

The Louisville Air Pollution Control District has called Air Quality Alerts multiple times this year and more are likely under new, stricter standards.  While the alerts have stated that “the general public is not likely to be affected”, many “sensitive groups”, including seniors, young children, and people with respiratory ailments like asthma and COPD, are affected when Air Quality Alerts are called.   

It will take effort from all sectors, including the general public, to meet and beat the new standard.  If everyone would make a small change, such as driving a little less, reducing idling (by skipping the drive-thru and going inside, among other things),  walking or biking when possible and sharing rides with a friend, especially on days when high ozone is predicted, then we can all breathe easier. To prevent the creation of ozone on Air Quality Alert days, residents can also reduce the use of internal combustion engines and avoid activities such as mowing the lawn.  Filling the car with gas later in the evening can also help.   More information and clean air tips are here: http://www.helptheair.org/.

To check the air quality in Louisville, go here: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/air-pollution-control-district/services/check-air-quality-louisville.  To see daily reports from an air monitoring station off Cannons Lane in D9, follow @AirAlert_40207 on Twitter.

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. 

 Insider Louisville reports that a new restaurant is going into the space behind Nancy's Bagel Grounds on Frankfort Avenue in Clifton. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government issued a building permit on June 14 for 2101 Frankfort Ave. The permit indicates 3,325 square feet will be renovated for a restaurant.  The space behind Nancy’s Bagel Grounds was formerly occupied by Fabulous Finds, a consignment store that closed last year.  Insider Louisville reports that real estate investor Fred Pizzonia, who is also developing Ciao Italian Restaurant at 1201 Payne Street in the former Baxter Station Bar and Grill, is the developer and that the restaurant will be called The Manhattan Project. Notification of an alcoholic beverage license application is below. 

Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company are further growing solar power in Kentucky — establishing a new service for business and industrial customers interested in solar energy.  

The company selected Kentucky-based Solar Energy Solutions, LLC as its business partner for its new business solar offering, which was first announced in November 2015.

Through this new business solar service, LG&E and KU will build, own and operate individual solar facilities for interested business and industrial customers on their properties. The solar systems may include ground or rooftop solar arrays and can range in size from 30 kilowatts to 5 megawatts, and each customized project will be subject to approval by the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

This new customer offering expands LG&E and KU’s solar initiatives; the first of which came in April as the company unveiled Kentucky’s largest universal solar facility at its E.W. Brown Generating Station in Mercer County. The 10-megawatt solar facility is expected to produce 19,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually, enough to power 1,500 homes — based on a usage of 1,000 kilowatt hours per month and considering all available hours of sunlight.

Visit lge-ku.com/solar to learn more about LG&E and KU’s efforts to grow solar energy in Kentucky for customers and the nation’s power grid. 

Develop Louisville Office of Housing and Community Development will host a Down Payment Assistance Homeownership Forum on Thursday, June 30 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Southwest Public Library Community Room, 9725 Dixie Highway.  The Down Payment Assistance Program is available to homebuyers who are looking to purchase an existing or newly constructed home in the Louisville Metro area. You do not have to be a first time homebuyer to qualify. However, all homebuyers must be credit and income qualified. 

This meeting is free and open to the public. Lenders, realtors and counselors are also welcome to set-up a vendor table. All participants must register by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 24. Space is limited, go to www.louisvilleky.gov to sign up or call 574-4016.

Are you retired and/or a senior with time on your hands and a desire to give back? The Louisville Metro Community Services’ Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) has received urgent requests from RSVP-partnered agencies, including some right here in D9, to find and do initial screening of volunteers, age 55 and above, for the following service opportunities:

• American Red Cross Blood Services and Disaster Services – Volunteers are needed to assist with Donor Canteens, Bloodmobiles, as respondents to local home fires and as trainees/respondents in the occurrence of disasters that require damage claims’ assistance and the set up and working of local shelters
• Catholic Charities Refugee Ministries/Sister Visitor (Portland area) – Volunteers needed to assist with sorting and redisplay of donations for distribution to needy families and individuals. Mentors are also needed to assist legal refugees in sewing classes, in learning about Louisville social services, attractions, in practicing English and in pursuing their citizenship.
• Kids’ Cafes – Several locations still in need of volunteers to provide summer lunch and dinner food service, opportunities for children to practice reading skills and limited recreational activities
• Louisville Metro Parks’ Community Centers – New pilot programs targeting California and Portland areas are partnering local residents/seniors/businesses in efforts to “adopt” neighborhood parks to increase multi-generational usages (games, gardening, walking and book clubs), safety and cleanliness. Volunteers are also needed in many Community Centers as greeters/receptionists.
• Lunchtime meal deliveries: Both the Louisville Metro Senior Nutrition Program (LMSNP) and SeniorCare Experts, Inc. have openings for deliverers to serve homebound (in daily route program) with a nutritionally-balanced meal. LMSNP is also in need of volunteers for a pilot program of delivering a weeks’ worth of pre-packaged lunches for those not yet on a daily delivery schedule.
• Sitio Ministries (St. John Vianney Catholic Church) - Volunteers are needed to help sort, do light sewing repairs and display donated clothing for redistribution to needy families and individuals in SW Jefferson County.
• Robley Rex Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) – Volunteers are needed to provide transportation for US service veteran patients to and from the VAMC for medical appointments.  Shuttle drivers are also needed for parking lot routes.
• Supplies Over Seas – Volunteers needed to sort and repackage donated sterile medical supplies for shipments to US and international poverty areas.   “No obligation” tours welcome.

The Louisville RSVP is a federally-funded, locally sponsored program of the Community Services Department and provides members with free benefits while serving one or more of the 40+ RSVP-partner agencies.  Call today at (502) 574-1530 for details and to make your interview appointment. 

For more information about RSVP, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/community-services/retired-and-senior-volunteer-program-rsvp.