From Louisville Water: 

Louisville Water’s work on Eastern Parkway between Beargrass Creek and I -65 is nearing its completion.  The slip lining is complete but we still need to complete the connection between the newly renovated main and a new section of main being installed in conjunction with the State’s bridge work at Eastern Parkway and Beargrass Creek.  We expect the main work associated with this project to be finalized by the end of May.

We are currently working on yard, pavement and sidewalk restoration and hope to have this work complete by the end of May.  

By Twitter: include the hashtag, #502pothole along with the exact location of the pothole, in a tweet. To report a pothole in front of City Hall, for example, we would tweet #502pothole 601 W Jefferson St.

Users may also click here and fill in the location information and click “Submit.” 

Citizens may still call MetroCall 311 to report potholes, but may have to wait. 

The Schnitzelburg Farmers Market opening day is Saturday, May 12 at 1567 South Shelby Street. The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

From the group's Facebook page: 

Join us for our spectacular opening day! Be a part of the opening of our second season. Shop till you drop with our local farmers & vendors. Hamidou & his west African drumming group will be providing our music this week. Sunny Acres is bringing baby goats! Please share this event with all of your friends, family and neighbors. We are excited to see everyone again and meet new friends.

The Schnitzelburg Lawn and Garden Swap will be May 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the All Wool and A Yard Wide Democratic Club at 1328 Hickory Street. 

Bring any extra gardening/lawn tools, plants, planters, lawn decorations, etc. and swap your old stuff with new stuff from your neighbors! This is a FREE swap -- absolutely NO items will be allowed to be sold. 

There will be 20 free tree seedlings compliments of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District up for grabs. Have your pick from persimmon, yellow poplar, bur oak, or white pine seedlings. 

 Click here for more information. 

South East Associated Ministries and their presenting sponsor, Kosair Charities, will kick off the new "Stable Families, Healthy Kids" program, helping 500 people reach self-sufficiency by the end of 2020. 

You're invited to take a sip of SEAM and see why it works, at the Wine and Cheese Soiree, May 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Kosair Shrine Center, 4120 Bardstown Road. To register and for more information, go to seamlouisville.org/wp/events/

We are celebrating the 13th anniversary of Bike to Work Day with Bike Together Day! This event is Friday, May 18th and includes Meet and Rides from local parks including Shawnee, Iroquois, Seneca, George Rogers Clark, and the Big Four Bridge. Each ride has a Ride Captain and a set departure time, and attendees are encouraged to register. Those who register will receive a free Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse breakfast sandwich and Heine Brothers' coffee when they reach the destination at Fourth Street Live around 8 a.m. 

Riders are encouraged to return midday for the public lunchtime celebration where one lucky winner will receive a brand new commuter bike from Parkside Bikes, and one youth will receive a brand new bike donated by GE. Vendors will promote health and wellness initiatives, charity bike rides, and more. 

The Holy Family Saffin Center will host an educational opportunity, Families and Addiction: Prevention, early detection and how to intervene, on May 21. The event will be at 7 p.m. in the center's Riede Room. 

All adults and teenagers interested in learning more about how addiction affects our communities, challenges that addiction places on families, and how to identify and intervene, and prevention methods, are welcome. 

The Saffin Center is behind Holy Family church. The parking lot may be accessed from Cheak Street or Mercer Avenue. 

From Holy Family: 

Please come out and join in the fun!  Holy Family will be having their annual Summer Picnic on June 29 and 30. We will have a ride night on June 28 with armbands available for rides all evening. Ride night will run from 5 to 9 p.m. On Friday night we will have booths and food from 5 to 11 p.m.  On Saturday night we will have a chicken dinner beginning at 5 p.m. and ending when we run out of food! After dinner, come outside for booths and sandwiches. It is a great, family friendly event! Come join us!

The Evolution of Camp Zachary Taylor exhibit is now open at The Filson Historical Society, 1310 S. 3rd Street. 

In 1917, nearly three thousand acres of farmland and open fields were transformed into an active military camp with around two thousand buildings; four short years later the land, buildings, and equipment were auctioned off, and the Camp Taylor neighborhood was born. In this exhibit, images and documents from the Filson's collection illustrate the history of Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville's World War I cantonment.

The Evolution of Camp Zachary Taylor exhibit will be up through July. For more information about these and other upcoming exhibits, please visit filsonhistorical.org/exhibits. 

MSD would like to alert neighbors of a road closure from May 21 – August 7, 2018. The intersections of Lexington Road and Baxter Avenue, as well as a portion of Lexington Road and Hamilton Avenue, will be closed for construction of a new sewer line. Local access and alternative routes will be available.

The map shows the section in orange being closed, May 21 to August 7. The intersection of Lexington Road and Baxter Avenue, shown in red, will be closed from May 29 to August 7.

The construction is to install a new sanitary sewer line that will connect to the Waterway Protection Tunnel. The new line will capture nine sewer overflow points that currently discharge to Beargrass Creek. The Waterway Protection Tunnel will prevent millions of gallons of sewage from entering Beargrass Creek and the Ohio River. During excessive rainfall, the tunnel will store sewage and storm water for treatment until system capacity is available.

Sign up to receive regular updates on the project at LouisvilleMSD.org/tunnel/newsletter 

From June 11 through August 3, Louisville Parks and Recreation is offering summer camps at six of its twelve community centers. Registration is now available for all Community Center camp locations.

Camps run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (early bird drop-off hours are available at some locations; please contact site for more details). For more information, such as registration times and documentation needed for registering campers, please click here. 

Summer Camp information is also available by calling 502-574-3527 or by e-mailing us at parks@louisvilleky.gov 

This year’s camp theme, “Amazing Adventures”, reflects an array of daily on-site programs focusing on fitness, the arts, the environment and education. Camp programs are designed for all children in the community between the ages of 6-12. 

Featured activities include: Youth Health Initiative Program; Reds Rookie Success League; weekly field trips, special programs and daily on-site activities. 

Youths and teens will have the opportunity to socialize, make new friends, and build relationships in a safe, fun-filled environment. Camps at Sun Valley and Cyril Allgeier Community Center are already full. In addition, open programming will be offered at eight additional Parks and Rec sites – open programming means facilities will be open and supervised by activities will be largely unplanned.  

TreesLouisville is currently hosting a tree rebate. Those who purchase a shade tree can receive up to 40 percent off the purchase price. This is an initiative between TreesLouisville and Louisville Metro Division of Community Forestry to grow our tree canopy. 

Trees are beneficial: a yard tree can boost property value up to $10,000, and trees can help lower heating & cooling bills. Louisville is the fastest warming urban heat island in the country; trees and shade help keep our city cool, improve air quality, and make for beautiful, safer neighborhoods.

Requirements are: 

• Tree must be considered a shade tree
• Tree must be planted in a residential yard
• Program open to Jefferson County, Ky., residents only
• Maximum of three submissions per household
• Tree must measure at least  one inch in diameter at a point six inches above the soil line
• Rebates are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis while funds are available
• Rebate is only eligible for purchase price of tree (i.e. excludes tax, planting or delivery fees, etc.)

In Tampa, Florida, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) announced Louisville, Kentucky and the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) as the host city and agency for the “APTA International Bus Roadeo and Bus and Paratransit Conference” May 17 – 22, 2019. The six-day event features skills and safety competitions for bus operators and mechanics including conference workshops, networking sessions, committee meetings and an awards banquet.

The “Roadeo” and conference is a unique professional development opportunity for operators and maintenance professionals to share ideas and network with transit agency professionals across the country. This year, more than 40 mechanic teams and 83 coach operators participated. The “Roadeo” is a competition of bus operation and safety skills and maintenance disciplines. As part of the Bus & Paratransit Conference, there are multiple training sessions for operators, maintenance teams, and supervisors. The competition attracts over 275 competitors. The convention itself attracts more than 1,500 attendees.

“We are proud and excited to host the 2019 APTA Bus and Paratransit Conference and International Bus Roadeo,” said J. Barry Barker, Executive Director of the Transit Authority of River City. “We can’t wait to show our guests how we do transit and how we are delivering the 21st Century now and today right here in Louisville, Kentucky.”  

APTA made the official announcement in Tampa on May 8 at the official Bus Roadeo Awards Banquet.

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), is pleased to announce Louisville Parks and Recreation as a finalist for the 2018 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. 

Founded in 1965, the Gold Medal Awards program honors communities in the U.S. that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition. Applications are separated into seven classes, with five classes based on population, one class for armed forces recreation and one class for state park systems awarded on odd numbered years.

Louisville is a finalist in the Class 1 category, which includes cities of populations larger than 400,000 and most of the largest parks and recreation departments in the United States.

Agencies are judged on their ability to address the needs of those they serve through the collective energies of community members, staff and elected officials. Louisville joins three other finalists in their class that will compete for grand honors this year.

“It’s an honor for Louisville to be named a finalist for the Gold Medal Award,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “I’d like to thank NRPA for recognizing what the citizens of our city have known for a long time: We are blessed with a world-class parks and recreation system. Our citizens and visitors have enjoyed our parks since the 1890s, when Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision began to take shape, and this is a great recognition of our commitment to keep building on that vision.” 

A panel of five park and recreation professionals reviews and judges all application materials. Judges are chosen for their considerable experience and knowledge in parks and recreation on both the local and national levels. 

This year’s finalists will compete for Grand Plaque Award honors this summer, and the six Grand Plaque recipients will be announced live during the NRPA General Session at the 2018 NRPA Annual Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, Sept. 25 to 27.

For more information on the Gold Medal Awards, visit www.nrpa.org/goldmedal or www.aapra.org. 

Vinny wants a forever home where he’ll get plenty of attention! The 12-month-old Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix, who came to the shelter as a stray, is always happy and very easygoing. Vinny is quite sociable, too! He’s friendly with people, other dogs and even cats. Can you give this sweet boy a forever home? Vinny’s adoption fee is a minimum $150 donation to our Pay It Forward Program. He’s already neutered, microchipped and is up-to-date on vaccinations. To meet Vinny, visit Animal House Adoption Center located at 3516 Newburg Road Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. For more information about Vinny, email animalservicesadoption@louisvilleky.gov or call 473-PETS.

Norris loves to gaze out the window on a sunny day. The 8-year-old senior shelter pet isn’t the most active cat but he is friendly! Norris weighs in at 16 pounds, and could use some help losing a few pounds. This spoiled cat would love to be your new fur-ever companion! Meet him today at Animal House Adoption Center located at 3516 Newburg Road. Norris’ adoption fee has been waived thanks to the Pay It Forward Program. For more information about Norris, call 473-PETS.

The South Jefferson Neighborhood Place Yard Sale and Bake Sale is Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12 at the Bethany United Church of Christ at 10400 Old Preston Highway from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. 

All proceeds go toward the annual Back to School event and Family Stores. 

The "Golfing to Change Lives in Crisis" 2018 Golf Scramble to benefit South Louisville Community Ministries will be Friday, May 18 at Iroquois Golf Course.

South Louisville Community Ministries provides assistance to families to stabilize their crisis situation for 30 days while seeking employment, establishing benefits, or recovering from a major life event.

For details on the golf scramble, call 502-361-7763 or go to www.slcm.org.

Sunday, May 20, noon to 6 p.m., at Louisville Water Tower Park, 3005 River Road. Admission is free, and parking is $5 per carload, free for bicycles.

* Local Businesses, Artists, Craftspeople, Farmers and More

* Local Food, Beer, Bourbon, Brandy & Wine

* Live Entertainment

* Iron Chef-Style Cooking Competition

* Kids Activities

* Relax on The Back Porch

* Green event featuring recycling and composting!

For full details, visit www.keeplouisvilleweird.com/buylocalfair

Louisville MSD sponsors Ohio River Sweep with the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO), LG&E and Louisville Water. It is one of the largest annual environmental cleanups in the United States.

On June 16, thousands of volunteers will remove tons of trash and debris, from the Ohio River's origin in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its end in Cairo, Illinios, including nearly 3,000 miles of shoreline and many tributaries.

An MSD employee will coordinate each site, supplying volunteers with gloves, trash bags and a commemorative T-shirt. Register now for Ohio River Sweep, and learn more at http://www.orsanco.org/river-sweep/

From MSD: Property Owners may file damage claims by calling MSD Customer Relations at 587-0603. They will need to reference the Camp Taylor Sewer Project, provide their name, address, phone number, and a brief description of their damage claim. 

MSD will then forward the information to our contractor for them to investigate and render a decision on the claim in writing to the property owner. Additional information may be required such as receipts or photos as applicable. If the contractor denies responsibility for the claim, the property owner may appeal the decision by contacting MSD Customer Relations again and request that the claim be evaluated by MSD.

If you have questions, contact William Marshall of MSD at william.marshall@louisvillemsd.org or 540-6608 or Clay Bostic of Jacobs Engineering at clay.bostic@jacobs.com or 287-1054.

Louisville non-profits have launched a new website to help connect people in need of food, shelter and more. Metro United Way and the Family Scholar House partnered to create LouieConnect, modeling it on a similar site created in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When someone uses LouieConnect, the web-based app asks for basic information and then lists applicable resources nearby — from food pantries to shelters to career centers to financial literacy programs. 

Click here to sign up for the LENSAlert (Louisville Emergency Notification System). 

In addition to receiving notifications, individuals can create a Safety Profile for themselves and their household that can include any information they want 9-1-1 and first responders to have in the event of an emergency. When individuals make an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right responders to the right location with the right information. Information about medical history, allergies to medication, number of residents in a home and even a picture of the family dog can all be added to a Safety Profile.