St. Joseph Children’s Home, 2823 Frankfort Avenue, will host the 169th Annual St. Joe’s Picnic on Friday, August 10 and Saturday, August 11. All proceeds from the Picnic support children who have suffered abuse and neglect as well as help continue St. Joe’s mission of “Giving Children a Home”.

The Pre-Party on Friday, August 10 begins at 5:00 p.m. and will feature a new casino tent, new carnival rides, new booths, food vendors, live music and a cornhole tournament. The event will end at 10:00 p.m. The traditional picnic on Saturday, August 11 runs from Noon – midnight.

Tickets are required this year for all food, beverages, rides and activities at St. Joe’s Picnic. Avoid the ticket lines and purchase tickets in advance online until 6:00 a.m. on August 10, https://sjkids.ejoinme.org/picnictickets. Tickets can be picked up at St. Joe’s front desk before Noon on August 10.  

Sign up to volunteer during the event. This is a great opportunity for youth to gain service hours. Click here to sign up online.

Consider making a donation or purchasing a cake for the cake booth. The Cake Booth is one of the largest grossing gaming booths at St. Joe’s Picnic. Click here to make a donation and St. Joe’s will pick it up for you.

St. Joe’s is Kentucky’s largest picnic, in the heart of D9. We hope to see you there!

Please note – the Impound Lot Community Meeting we wrote about last week – originally scheduled for Monday, August 13 - has been postponed. As soon as it is rescheduled, we will post information in our weekly eNews or immediately on the blog, based on when we receive notice. Sign up for blog notices by clicking here. 

Earlier this year, Louisville Metro Government (LMG) announced plans to seek a new location for the Impound Lot, citing space issues, and the impound lot’s negative impact on nearby Beargrass Creek and the Beargrass Creek Greenway Trail. The site, a former landfill, is also located in a floodplain and is partially impacted by a high-tension power line. At that time, the city issued a public Request for Information (RFI), seeking properties that fit the city’s search criteria for size, location and other physical and operational requirements. The city received seven responses to that RFI but none met the search criteria.

A variety of changes to laws (we’ll write about one next week) and other ideas are being considered. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Allison Smith at Allison.smith@louisvilleky.gov or call 574-1569.

JCPS celebrates their first day of school on Wednesday, August 15. I hope families have a great first week of school. Please be mindful when driving that young kids are waiting for buses on corners and on streets, and that school buses are learning new routes and making frequent stops. Here’s hoping everyone has another great school year!

Last week, MSD received a call from Metro Safe concerning a hole in the center intersection of East Liberty Street and Baxter Avenue. MSD inspectors were immediately dispatched and discovered a hole in the pavement that was 5-feet by 8-feet and appeared to be growing. Initial inspections indicated that the void under the pavement was approximately 15-feet by 30-feet, and 10- to 12-feet deep.

MSD crews reduced East Liberty Street to one lane, and the intersection with Baxter Avenue was partially closed.

This site is very close to a cave-in that happened in June that was the result of a break in a 30-inch brick sewer line, installed in 1871.

There is no disruption of sewer service during the repair, and access to local businesses is maintained. The roadway should open no later than August 15.

In the meantime, there’s some good news. MSD work which has closed the intersection of Lexington Road and Baxter Avenue has ended and the intersection reopened on August 8.

Mellwood Avenue, between Delmont and Muncie Avenues, will reduce to one-alternating lane of traffic beginning Monday, August 13, for an MSD construction project. Temporary traffic lights will control the flow of traffic. The roadway is expected to be fully open by Saturday, September 15.

Local access for area residents and businesses, including the Mellwood Art and Entertainment Center, is open at all times.

The work is part of MSD's Clifton Heights Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Basin Project. When completed, it will keep raw sewage out of Beargrass Creek and the Ohio River. 

The deadline for registering to vote in Kentucky before the 2018 General Election is rapidly approaching and it’s easier than ever to do so.

Tuesday, October 9 is the last day to register to vote in the November 6 election. Kentuckians can now register to vote, and check and update their registrations online, at this website.  

Voters who will be outside Jefferson County on Election Day are among those who can vote absentee.  More information about voting absentee, both by mail and in-house, is here.

If you qualify to vote by absentee ballot, you can do that at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Election Center, which has moved to 701 West Ormsby Avenue, Suite 301, beginning September 24.   Here’s the schedule:

In-house Voting Dates

Monday – Friday

• September 24, 2018 – November 5, 2018 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Saturdays

• October 20, 2018 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
• October 27, 2018 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
• November 3, 2018 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Exercise your right to register and vote this fall!  

The Transit Authority of River City (TARC) announces adjustments and improvements to underperforming routes. The changes allow TARC to avoid eliminating bus routes that could significantly impact service.

Schedule changes with some frequency reductions on Routes #19 - Muhammad Ali Blvd. and #23 - Broadway, including minor adjustments to Rt. #15 - Market St. and service improvements to Rt. #20 - Riverport Circulator will begin on Sunday, August 12.

These adjustments allow TARC to continue providing service in areas of the community with low performing routes, while minimizing any potential impact to current service provided. Additionally, service changes will not affect weekend service.

Adjustments on TARC routes are as follows:

• Route #15 – Market St. Minor routing changes are proposed to avoid delays at the railroad crossing on LaGrange Road and UPS Drive.
• Route #19 – Muhammad Ali Blvd. Service changes involve a reduction in the number of trips; however, frequency was maintained at approximately 15 - 20 minutes during the AM and PM peak hours and 30 minutes on other trips. Due to parallel service provided by Routes #15, #21, #23 and #31 along the same corridor or within walkable distances, impact to service provided will be minor. Due to construction activities at Oxmoor Mall and Beecher Terrace temporary stops will be established in these areas.

While these changes reflect trip reductions on two routes, these adjustments and improvements result in minor service impacts for TARC customers system-wide. Passengers are advised to review the updated schedules and maps at www.ridetarc.org. For more information, please contact TARC Customer Service at 502.585.1234. 

Here’s some good news about more convenient ways to dispose of hazardous materials.

Haz Bin, Louisville’s household hazardous waste drop-off facility, will operate on a five day a week schedule beginning Tuesday, August 14. The facility is currently open only on Wednesday and Saturday. That's three additional days per week to safely dispose of such things as batteries, gasoline, solvents and other items that may be lingering in your basement or garage. Program guidelines, including which hazardous materials are accepted and which are not, are available on the Metro Public Works webpage.

Haz Bin location and new hours:
7501 Grade Lane
Tuesday through Saturday
9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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. 

As we approach the end of summer, I’d like to remind you of some safety tips for all of us who walk, drive and bike in Louisville.

Safety Tips for People Walking

• If you have to walk on a road without sidewalks, walk facing traffic.
• Always cross at an intersection, and preferably in a marked crosswalk.
• Avoid wearing headphones or using your phone when crossing the street.
• Wear bright colors or reflective clothing if walking at night. Consider carrying a flashlight.
• Always hold your child’s hand and never allow a child under 10 to cross the street alone.
• Be aware of turning vehicles.
• Do not cross in the middle of the street or between parked cars.
• Wait for the WALK signal to cross the street safely.

 
Safety Tips for People on Bikes

• Wear a snug fitting helmet.
• Be sure to be seen by wearing bright colors and reflective clothing.
• Use bike lanes or use the lane furthest to the right headed in the direction you are going.
• Make your turns from the turn lanes.
• Obey traffic signs and signals and use hand signals for turning or stopping.
• Be aware of cars and pedestrians.
• Remember, bikes are not allowed on sidewalks unless you are a child.

 
Safety Tips for People Driving Cars

• Slow down and watch for children in school zones
• Pay attention.
• Stay off the phone. 
• Check for cyclists before you open your car door. 
• Remember, you may encounter pedestrians anytime and anywhere.
• Reduce your speed and always watch for kids and pets in neighborhoods.
• Maintain a consistent speed and keep a buffer zone between your vehicle and other cars.
• Stop for pedestrians crossing the street.
• Always stop at stop signs.
• Respect the right of way of others, especially cyclists and pedestrians.
• Slow down when you see a yellow light.
• Always use your turn signals and check for bicyclists before turning.

When you pass a cyclist, allow at least three feet of space between your car and the bike. (More on this one in next week’s eNews!)

Join the Louisville Parks Foundation, Hunger Skateparks, Home Skateshop and the Irish Hill Neighborhood Association in beautifying the new Breslin Park Skate Spot on Saturday, August 18 from 8:30 a.m. – Noon at Breslin Park, 1388 Lexington Road. Volunteers will be planting native grasses, flowers, mulching the new beds, and sprucing up the Park. All are welcome to volunteer.

Please mark your calendars for the 19th Annual Back to School Block Party at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center, 201 Reservoir Park on Friday, September 7th from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.  Enjoy FREE Mellow Mushroom pizza, swimming, door prizes and family fun!  Make a child ID with LMPD. Click here to view the flyer.

We need VOLUNTEERS to make this event successful. If you are interested in volunteering or if you have any questions, please email Kyle Ethridge. 

Youth door prizes are still being accepted. If you are interested in donating a new children’s item or gift card, please contact the office at 574-3908 or email Kyle Ethridge. 

Thank you to sponsors who have already committed door prizes: 5-0-Lou, Blue Dog Bakery, Carmichael’s Bookstore, Crescent Hill Trading Company, Graeter’s Ice Cream (St. Matthews), Heine Brothers' Coffee, Just Creations, Margaret's Consignments, McDonalds (Clifton), Red Hog Butcher, and Roar-Shack Bookstore.