The Leadership Louisville Center opened the doors of its new world-class Leadership Center at 707 W. Main St.,  a center that builds our region’s leaders, and creates a convening place for the advancement of our community.  The new location allows the center to leverage its role as a national best practice in the realm of community leadership for broader reach and impact, attracting visitors to Louisville for high quality leadership and talent development programming. 

The Center was dedicated to the leadership legacy of Bill Street, former president of Brown-Forman Corporation and long-time supporter of Leadership Louisville. A highlight of the new facility is the Ed Glasscock Leadership Development Classroom, which features natural light, modern technology and unique glass architectural features, and will host all future Leadership Green Room courses. Additionally, the PNC Alumni Lounge includes gathering and café space with views of the Ohio River. Sandra Frazier received kudos from the campaign steering committee and was recognized with the naming of the executive conference room. 

For nearly four decades, the Leadership Louisville Center has been committed to growing the pillars of our community, and has established itself as a critical institution for cultivating business and civic leaders, creating a lifelong network of people who have a heart for our community.

In partnership with the Kentucky Diversity Chamber of Commerce, Tawana Bain created the Derby Diversity Business Summit and joined forces with Churchill Downs, Humana, Dell, Delta Airlines, Procter & Gamble, Nestle, NAWBO and Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP,  announcing  its inaugural event to be held May 2 – 5 during the Kentucky Derby season.   The first weekend in May is an ideal time of year to capture a worldwide audience showcasing Louisville as a city for entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds. The Summit highlights theculture of inclusivity as a place where all professionals including women, the LGBT community, minorities and veterans can maximize their potential. This event will unite a special group for professional development and social networking with the intention of generating opportunities for diverse owned businesses in Louisville, Kentucky and throughout the United States.
For more information click HERE.

Falls City Brewing's new complex, which was built nearly a century ago, is located at 901 E. Liberty St. — in the NuLu/Phoenix Hill neighborhood — and features a seven-barrel brewhouse set in a 5,100-square-foot space, as well as a taproom area that is 4,000 square feet, and an outdoor beer garden that tops 3,000 square feet.
For the last several years, Falls City has been part of the Over the 9-Old 502 Winery complex on 10th Street near Portland.

Falls City Brewing was revived in 2010 before being purchased by Neace Ventures. The original Falls City began in 1905, lasting until 1978; portraits from Falls City’s history hang on the walls throughout the entire space.

In addition to 12 taps featuring seasonals and rotators to go with the “core four” Falls City brews — Pale Ale, Hipster Repellant IPA, Kentucky Common and Streetlamp Porter — the taproom also will feature a handful of Old 502 wine options as well as bourbon and basic cocktails.
Bar snacks will be available, with food trucks rotating and a possible food vendor going into an existing space sometime in the future. In addition, plans are already in the works for expanding the brewery to a 30-barrel system by 2019.

Another new feature is the addition of Golden Ale, a beer inspired by the Louisville City FC soccer team, of which Falls City is a sponsor. The beer will be available on draft in the taproom and in cans at Louisville City matches.

Falls City will soon begin to host occasional live music and other special events, and will also have space available for private events in the near future. The taproom will be open Tuesday through Sunday.

University of Louisville seniors interviewed Councilwoman Sexton Smith about assets and challenges in our Shelby Park neighborhood. You may be surprised to learn there are many more assets than challenges. Our number one asset is our diverse collection of neighbors.

Bikers Against Child Abuse, Inc. (B.A.C.A.) exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. They exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. They stand ready to lend support to their wounded friends by involving them with an established, united organization. They work in conjunction with local and state officials who are already in place to protect children. They desire to send a clear message to all involved with the abused child that this child is part of their organization, and that they are prepared to lend their physical and emotional support to them by affiliation, and their physical presence. They stand at the ready to shield these children from further abuse.

3rd Annual Bock Beer Fest in NuLu drew thousands of fans of all ages.

Yes - this really is “how the sausage was made” or as you might say - how the sausage was judged. Councilwoman Sexton Smith served as a judge for the 1st Best of the Wurst Sausage Contest

Great music was performed all day during the festival. Something for everyone! Hey Mark!

Looks like folks are already getting Derby Fever - get your colorful outfits ready to go because the Call to the Post is tight around the corner!

Diane Downs, founder of Louisville Leopard Percussionists is thrilled to be teaching kids life skills through music. Check out their website.

Erin Herbert from the Ali Center brought her family to enjoy the Festival.

Rick Murphy and the NuLu Business Association bring great things to the neighborhood - thank you!

Folks from Harvest on Market Street were all smiles - as always.

Austin Cummings, co-founder if Commonwealth Sausage organized our 1st Annual Best of the Wurst contest. Too much fun!

Councilwoman Sexton Smith joined 5200 elected officials across America who spent their day honoring thousands of volunteers. She stopped by New Roots in Portland next door to The Table to thank the Vista volunteers who devote thousands of hours every year.

Thank you very much!

Kentucky State University President M. Christopher Brown II delivered the message during the Simmons College of Kentucky memorial service commemorating the 50th-anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. at St. Stephen Baptist Church in Louisville.
Simmons College of Kentucky President Dr. Kevin W. Cosby introduced President Brown.
“We are honored to have this education and Christian statesman as our guest,” Cosby said. “His leadership at Kentucky State is transformative. He is a scholar but he is also unapologetically a preacher.”
The theme of President Brown’s message was “The Gospel of a Dead King: Purpose, Prejudice, and Possibility.”
“Today we stand in recognition of this man maliciously gunned down 50 years ago. “I invite us to not just see his death but to focus on his life and legacy. I invite us to examine the status of progress since that dream.”
President Brown said many lament that Martin Luther King Jr. died too soon, but he argues that the activist and visionary had just the right amount of time to accomplish his destiny.
“My brothers and sisters, nothing just happens,” President Brown said. “Everything happens in God’s purpose and plan.” He stated, “We may have come over here on different ships, but we’re on the same boat now,” President Brown said. “Great social movements aren’t born overnight but it’s time for us to tell each other the truth. Our change never came from majority rule. It was altered by a small minority crying out in the wilderness.”

On February 1, 1968, two Memphis garbage collectors, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning truck. Eleven days later, frustrated by the city’s response to the latest event in a long pattern of neglect and abuse of its black employees, 1,300 black men from the Memphis Department of Public Works went on strike. Sanitation workers, led by garbage-collector-turned-union-organizer T. O. Jones, and supported by the president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Jerry Wurf, demanded recognition of their union, better safety standards, and a decent wage.

Owsley Brown III presents Symphony for Nature. When classical musicians are joined by Klamath drummers for an extraordinary world premiere inspired by Oregon’s breathtaking Crater Lake, deep connections between people, art and nature are revealed in an environment rich with historic and spiritual significance.

This new half-hour documentary artfully portrays the world premiere of “Natural History,” the powerful composition by Michael Gordon inspired by and performed at the edge of legendary Crater Lake. The original score, commissioned by the Britt Music & Arts Festival in honor of the centennial of America’s National Park Service, brought members of the Britt Orchestra together with a diverse ensemble of musicians, including the Klamath tribe family drum group Steiger Butte Singers, regional choristers, brass and percussionists, led by charismatic conductor Teddy Abrams. 

On her 85th birthday Mrs. Mattie Jones was honored with an honorary street sign unveiled at Louis Coleman, Jr. Drive and River Park. Her street sign is Mattie Jones Way.

She is no stranger to standing up for what’s right and staring down those who would deny civil rights. Ms. Mattie Jones has worked tirelessly throughout her life as a freedom fighter and has battled injustice, brutality, inequality, and discrimination in Louisville and anywhere the fight took her for over six decades.
“Mattie Jones is an icon locally in the fight for civil rights. She has spoken out and then encouraged others to join the cause to make significant change where needed for everyone,” says Councilwoman Hamilton. “As we see younger generations today rise up to speak out on violence and ask for unity, they are following an example Mattie Jones has practiced since she became an active voice for those with no voice in Metro Louisville.”

Mattie Florence Johnson was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1933 and then moved to Louisville with her family in 1940. She is a graduate of Central High School and attended Indiana University, Morgan State University, and Spalding University.
She married Turner Harris Jones and between 1957 and 1998 they raised eight biological children, one adopted child, over 100 foster children, 23 grandchildren, and 31 great grandchildren.
Her path as a leader in civil rights began in 1975 she became active with the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression where she served as Executive Director from 1980 to 1989.
In 1990, Ms. Mattie Jones became the Racial and Economic Justice Coordinator for the Fellowship of Reconciliation located in Nyack, New York, where during her time there she organized the Women of Color in the Workplace conference addressing the issues of sex discrimination, equitable employment.
Her unwavering commitment to equality and justice led her to the Justice Resource Center in Louisville in 2000 where she continued to fight alongside Reverend Louis Coleman.
On February 8th, The Louisville Metro Council approved a Resolution calling for the placement of two honorary street signs at the corner of Louis Coleman Jr Drive and River Park Drive and one at the corner of 35th Street and River Park Drive to be designated as “Mattie F. Jones Way.”

“You never think about what God has in store for you,” she said. “Couldn’t nobody have ever told me 50 years ago that the folk in this community would think enough of me, and the work I’ve tried to do, to pay this kind of tribute. I’m tickled that little children will be catching their school buses at the corner of Louis Coleman Drive and Mattie Jones Way.”

April Training!

 Every Monday in April 2018 we are hosting opportunities for local chess athletes to sharpen their chess skills.

Athletes are paired or they can challenge another athlete. The winner earns a point and receives a Chess Dollar. Every athlete who submits a properly and fully recorded game earns a Chess Dollar.

At the April 30 session, the two athletes with the most points are each rewarded with a medal.
 Dates: April 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
Registration time: 6 to 6:15 p.m., first rounds at 6:20 p.m. No new rounds can start after 7:30 p.m.
Fee: $5.00 dollars (free bottled water and popcorn)
Location: 1228 East Breckinridge Street
 
This open to adults too!
 

We are seeking community engagement in the development of the concepts for four new murals-- two in Russell and two in Portland-- in partnership with New Directions Housing Corporation and funded through Imagine Greater Louisville 2020.

LVA NDHC IGL Mural Projects

Russell Community Mural Survey

Portland Community Mural Survey

LVA NDHC IGL Mural Projects- survey

The newly-created “ECHO Mobile,” which brings outdoor nature play activity to neighborhoods throughout Louisville, has been hitting the road and the full schedule of stops for this spring and summer has been released.
Children and families will play with everything from musical instruments to materials for creating imaginative natural Louisville ECHO will be visiting local parks and community centers.

For the full ECHO schedule, please click here.

Reporting potholes is easier than ever! Keeping our roads and community pristine is an important issue to everyone in the area. Follow any of the three simple methods listed below when you see a pothole and Public Works will respond as soon as they can in order to fill them.

·  Click here to use our easy online form.

·  Use Twitter by including the hashtag #502pothole and the location of the hole in any tweet.

·  Call MetroCall 311 or 574-5000 to report potholes or any other issues. You may also email them at metro.call@louisvilleky.gov         

Councilwoman Sexton Smith is participating in the discounted recycle cart program with Solid Waste. District 4 residents benefit! The 95-gallon and 65-gallon recycling carts are available for District 4 residents for only $25 -- this is a 50% discount off the cost. To order your recycle cart call Solid Waste Management (SWMS) at 574-3571 or download the form here:
 https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/files/public_works/pdf_files/3-8-17_garbageandrecyclingcart_recyclingbin_95-65.pdf  

Then mail in the completed form and $25 to SWMS at: 

Louisville Metro Solid Waste Management

Attn: Collection Division

600 Meriwether Avenue

Louisville, KY 40217-1146

The Russell Homeownership Incentive  Program is an excellent way to move into a neighborhood rich with history and a wonderful housing stock. Louisville Metro Government (LMG) is placing a priority on  incentivizing homeownership in an effort to further  stabilize the Russell neighborhood. 

 Criteria: 

• Committed to keeping the home as your primary residence for five years. 
• Excited about making up to $24,999 in qualified improvements to your home. 
• Willing to complete homeownership counseling, if a first-time homebuyer.  
• Willing to conduct a lead inspection on the property if it was built prior to 1978.  

For more information, please contact Donnie Adkins at (502) 574-8020.

The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District wants to hear from you!

 The APCD is creating a series of workshops along with new educational resources to better serve our community. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and let us know your thoughts. We will use your feedback as we plan our workshops and future community engagement efforts. The deadline to complete the survey is  April 30, 2018.

Click this link to take the survey: https://louisvilleky.wufoo.com/forms/the-apcd-wants-to-hear-from-you/

The Landbank Authority launches new Last Look properties for March!

Last Look Properties - 
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LAST LOOK PROPERTY LIST PDF

Properties are sold on a first come, first serve basis and more information can be found via our website here. Please share these updates with your colleagues and networks and as always contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Notice of Application for Demolition Permit of Historic Structure      

The Office of Planning Permitting and Design--Construction Review has received a demolition permit application for the property listed below:

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #51

Case Number:    WR1052927

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #53

Case Number:    WR1052938

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #54

Case Number:    WR1052934

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #55

Case Number:    WR1052933

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #56

Case Number:    WR1052936

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #57

Case Number:    WR1052930

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #58

Case Number:    WR1052928

Subject Property:  300 S. Roy Wilkins Ave. Building #59

Case Number:    WR1052929

For more information on the Beecher Terrace Redevelopment Project visit this website: http://visionrussell.org/historic-preservation/section106/

The above referenced property is listed or potentially eligible for listing in The National Register of Historic Places.

Per LMCO (150.110), the requested demolition permit can be issued on the following date:

4/22/18

For additional information regarding this application visit the website: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/construction-review 

or contact Mike Beard, Plan Review Supervisor at 574-3321 or

Cynthia Johnson, Metro Historic Preservation Officer at 574-2868.

Louisville Metro Develop Louisville, Office of Planning Permitting and Design--Construction Review

444 S. Fifth Street, Suite 100, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-4313