Councilman Bill Hollander
601 West Jefferson Street
(502) 574-1109
Email Bill

Kyle Ethridge
Legislative Assistant
(502) 574-3908
Email Kyle

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In this issue...

• Help for our Homeless Neighbors
• 7th Annual Give-A-Jam to End Homelessness – Dec. 21
• Sustainability Story: Gift a Tree
• Frankfort Avenue Business Awards
• Thanks, Rev. Jerry Eifler!
• Louisville Parks and Recreation Open House - Dec. 19
• ABC Notification – Big Al’s Beeritaville
• Notice of Planning & Design Public Meetings
• Volunteers Needed for the 2017 Tax Season
• District 9 Calendar Events

Help for our Homeless Neighbors

There has been a lot of attention on our homeless population this month, with news stories about “clean ups” of several camps downtown.   I question decisions to upend the lives of homeless people in the coldest months of the year, when we know that in many cases they are simply moving to another outdoor location. Since clean ups are occurring, I am sponsoring an ordinance which would require notice before Louisville Metro displaces any homeless person from public property.  The notice is designed to allow our homeless population to remove their belongings and to give social service providers an opportunity to work with the homeless and offer whatever support is available.   If notice is not provided, Metro would store personal items so the owners could retrieve them.  The ordinance was tabled in committee earlier this month but will be considered in 2018.  It’s the least we can do before sending everything that someone owns to the landfill. But it’s not enough.  We need a bolder plan and more resources in the form of affordable housing and supportive services.   As the Coalition for the Homeless recently wrote, “At some point, we have to look ourselves in the mirrors and ask:  what kind of city do we want to be?  Do we want to be a city where our own people – a single man, an elderly woman, a mother with children, a young adult – have to resort to sleeping outdoors?“ The Coalition has suggested some ways you can help this holiday season and throughout the year.  We’ve republished that list of ten things in our D9 blog here.

7th Annual Give-A-Jam to End Homelessness – Dec. 21

The 7th Annual Give-A-Jam to End Homelessness will be held on Thursday, December 21st from 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. at the Clifton Center, 2117 Payne Street. The evening will feature performances by local musicians and artists, soups from Louisville’s best chefs, a silent auction and a cash bar. Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and includes $10 worth of food/drink tickets. Proceeds will benefit the Coalition for the Homeless efforts to end youth, veteran and chronic homelessness. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.louhomeless.org. Tickets may be available at the door, but the event has sold out in years’ past so advanced tickets are encouraged. The all-star lineup of local musicians who are donating their time and talents to participate in the event include Ben Sollee, John and Geoff Gage, Daniel Martin Moore, The Tyrone Cotton Band, Johnny Berry and The Outliers, Aaron Bibelhauser and Grammy-nominated Michael Cleveland, Steve Cooley and Brigid Kaelin, Hound of the Buskervilles, Britton Patrick Morgan, Hot Brown Smackdown, Small Time Napoleon, The Eleventh Hour, and Appalatin. Local restaurants including Fork & Barrel, The Exchange Pub & Kitchen, Crave Cafe and Catering, Against the Grain, The Irish Rover, Harvest, Chili’s, Jack Fry's, Shady Lane Café, Uptown Café, and Volare will provide an array of soups and stews. Each of the musicians and restaurant chefs are donating their time and talents, and the event will be staffed entirely by volunteers to ensure that all proceeds go to support the Coalition for the Homeless’ efforts to end homelessness in our community. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.louhomeless.org.

Sustainability Story: Gift a Tree

There is no better way to say you love your community than to help Louisville rebuild our tree canopy. It makes our city healthier, cooler, cleaner and more beautiful! Give the gift of support for TreesLouisville to a loved one, and you’ll BOTH feel better for the holidays. Go to the TreesLouisville website for options and to download and print a certificate to present as your gift.  Suggested gifts range from $10 to $1,000 and can be found here: http://www.givelouisvilletrees.org/.    Gift a tree today!   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.

Frankfort Avenue Business Awards

It was my pleasure to present three Frankfort Avenue Business Association awards as it celebrated the 22nd Annual Olde Tyme Christmas on The Avenue.

Congratulations to John Varanese of the restaurant Varanese (shown with Frankfort Avenue mainstay Margaret Schneider) on receiving the Good Neighbor Award, to The Silver Dollar on receiving the Business of the Year Award (accepted by Sara Kelly),  and to Brenda Deemer of B. Deemer Gallery on receiving the Golden Santa Award for having the best decorated shop.

Thanks to FABA and all of the winners for all you do for our community!

Thanks, Rev. Jerry Eifler!

The Clifton Center is wrapping up its run on Payne Street, with Holy Trinity taking over the facilities to create a “theater and arts center” to be used by the St. Matthews parish, as well as other local schools.  The transition occurs at the end of the year.  D9 resident Rev. Jerry Eifler was recently recognized as a “Ninth District Distinguished Citizen” for having the inspiration to turn the historic theater and 40,000-square-foot former school building into the Clifton Cultural Center.   Since it was founded 23 years ago, the Clifton Center has become a popular cultural hub, with the 500-seat Eifler Theatre hosting numerous concerts and the school building serving as a home to various arts groups. Thanks, Father Jerry!

Louisville Parks and Recreation Open House - Dec. 19

Louisville Parks and Recreation is hosting an open house at the Joe Creason Park administration building, 1297 Trevilian Way, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 19. 

For the third consecutive year, the department will also be installing a “Wish Tree” in front of the building. In 2015 and 2016, approximately 1,000 visitors hung wishes for their hopes and dreams for the future on the Wish Tree, a 15-foot Dogwood located in front of the building, located off Trevilian Way across from the Louisville Zoo.

A mailbox located adjacent to the tree, holding pencils and tags to be used for the wishes, will be installed by the end of the week. Wishes can be hung at the tree through January 2018.  

Also at the open house, the public will have the opportunity to meet several new members of the parks and recreation management team and weigh in on recent discussion topics with Director Ghose, including the department’s attempt to curb vandalism throughout the system and streamline its budget.

Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call (502) 574-7275 or e-mail parks@louisvilleky.gov.

ABC Notification – Big Al’s Beeritaville

Attached, please find a Change in Ownership memo and Courier Journal Legal announcement for an NQ4 Retail Malt Beverage by the Drink and 2 a.m. Extended Drink Hours license(s) being applied for, located at 1715 Mellwood Avenue, Big Al’s Beeritaville.  The ad ran in The Courier Journal Friday, December 8, 2017.

• New location or ownership change
• GovDelivery Courier Journal Ad

Notice of Planning & Design Public Meetings

For basic details for all of below case/s please visit http://www.louisvilleky.gov/PlanningDesign/.  Click on “Search Case Information” link on the left navigation bar.  Then select the “home” tab and select the type of case and enter the above case number.  For specific case information please call or email the listed case manager.  If you have any questions please contact Planning & Design directly at 574-6230.

Volunteers Needed for the 2017 Tax Season

For the past several years, the District 9 office has hosted a mobile tax preparation site at United Crescent Hill Ministries, 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 are planning to offer additional tax preparation dates and hope you’ll consider joining our team! If you are interested in volunteering for the 2017 tax season (January 26-April 2018) please contact Kyle Ethridge or call 574-3908. The first volunteer training will be offered in December. Volunteers are needed to help prepare taxes AND greet clients. Click here to view a list of available positions. Click here to fill out a volunteer form. The VITA tax volunteer training schedule has been announced. Basic training sessions are either 4 or 7 hours. Click here for the full schedule.

District 9 Calendar Events

Below are some Ninth District calendar events!  To view a full listing of events please visit the District 9 Blog at http://district9news.wordpress.com/.  If you would like to submit events to be considered for the blog calendar please email Kyle Ethridge or call 574-1109.

Thursday, December 14: The Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB) students in grades K-5 will present “Winter Mystery” at 10:30 a.m. in Richie Auditorium on the KSB campus, 1867 Frankfort Avenue.  The KSB Wildcat Percussion Ensemble will perform a variety of holiday tunes to round out the second portion of the annual Christmas Show and Concert. The public is invited to attend.

Thursday, December 14: St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue, to host scrabble club at 2:30 p.m. Questions, please call the branch at 574-1771.

Thursday, December 14: Crescent Hill Library, 2762 Frankfort Avenue, to host a movie screening of White Christmas at 6:00 p.m.  A successful song-and-dance team become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save the failing Vermont Inn of their former commanding general. Questions, please call the branch at 574-1793.

Saturday, December 16: Support Fair Trade artisans and Waterfront Botanical Gardens for a holiday shopping night at Just Creations, 2722 Frankfort Avenue, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. A portion of the proceeds earned during the event will benefit the Gardens. Refreshments will be provided.

Tuesday, December 19: Women on Mission Annual Christmas Mediation at 11:00 a.m. at Broadway Baptist Church, 4000 Brownsboro Road. Reverend Erica Whitaker will lead meditation and lunch will be served after. Lunch is $8. Please RSVP by calling 895-2459 by December 15.

Tuesday, December 19: Crescent Hill Library, 2762 Frankfort Avenue, to host eBay for sellers at 2:30 p.m.  Questions, please call the branch at 574-1793.

Tuesday, December 19: St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue, to host a movie discussion group on There Will Be Blood at 2:30 p.m. Questions, please call the branch at 574-1771.

Tuesday, December 19: Robley Rex VA Medical Center Town meeting at 5:00 p.m. at Robley Rex VA Medical Center, 800 Zorn Avenue, Room E005, West Entrance. Medical Center Director, Martin Traxler and Louisville Regional Benefit Office Director, David Davis will be in attendance to address questions and provide information relating to VA healthcare, benefits and claims.  Resource tables and staff members will also be available to provide valuable information on a variety of VA programs and services.  Veterans can apply for VA healthcare or check on the status of a VA claim “on-the-spot”.

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