The deadline for registering to vote in Kentucky before the 2018 General Election is next week 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 now at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Election Center, which has moved to 701 West Ormsby Avenue, Suite 301.

In-house Voting Dates:

Monday – Friday      

• Now through November 5, 2018     8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Saturdays

• October 20, 2018               9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• October 27, 2018               9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• November 3, 2018              9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Exercise your right to register and vote this fall!  

The Butchertown Neighborhood Association (BNA) is hosting the 7th Annual Porktoberfest this Friday, October 5 from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. at Copper & Kings, 1121 E. Washington Street. Admission is free, but patrons will need to purchase tickets for tasting from 15 competing vendors. $2 equals one tasting ticket. For more information, please click here.

Volunteers are still needed for the event, sign up here to pick out what you'd like to do (you'll need to create a Signup Genius account if you don't have one).

Due to high water on the Ohio River, Canoemobile has been relocated to McNeely Lake Park, 10500 Cedar Lake Road. The Canoemobile allows residents ages three and older to take guided trips in 24-foot canoes.

Canoe trips are free. Participants under the age of 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian in order to participate. No advance sign-ups are required, waivers can be signed on-site or brought with the participants.

This free event is designed for individuals and families who are new to canoeing to experience the water in safe and stable voyageur canoes which hold 10 to 15 people. All safety equipment and trained staff are provided. Wear comfortable outdoor clothing that can get wet; no flip flops please.  All safety equipment and trained staff are provided by Canoe Kentucky.

Complimentary t-shirts will be given to those who participate. For more information, call (502) 368-6856.

Waivers for Participation:

• Canoemobile Waiver 
• Louisville Parks Waiver

SCHEDULE:

Friday, October 5, 2018
10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
McNeely Lake Park 
10500 Cedar Lake Road

Saturday, October 6, 2018
10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
McNeely Lake Park 
10500 Cedar Lake Road 

Louisville Parks and Recreation’s Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation (AIR) program will host a day full of sports programming for the visually impaired this Saturday, October 6, at the program’s headquarters at 1300 Heafer Road, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Archery, kickball, beep baseball and goalball will be available for those who are interested.

Occupational, recreational and/or physical therapists are also encouraged to attend, along with participants with low or no vision. Call (502) 456-8148 for more information or to register. Registration is appreciated but not required.

The United States Association of Blind Athletes has established a day dedicated to providing Americans who are blind and visually impaired with opportunities to participate in a variety of sports and physical activities, and to raise awareness of blind sports in our society.

National Blind Sports Day (October 6, 2018) is a day in which people across the U.S., visually impaired and sighted, can engage in sports and fitness in their local communities.

The date coincides with Blindness Awareness Month which also includes World Sight Day (October 11) and White Cane Day (October 15). At the time of this release, 24 cities across 15 states are hosting events in celebration of National Blind Sports Day. Visit www.usaba.org/blindsportsday for a current list of participating organizations and agencies.

St. Matthews Fire & Rescue is hosting a Firefighter Rib Cook-Off from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at St. Matthews Fire Department, 240 Sears Avenue. This event benefits the WHAS Crusade for Children and Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation. Teams from fire departments across Kentuckiana come out to compete for bragging rights on who can produce the best ribs, and the local community is invited to attend the family friendly festivities. For more information, please visit http://502911bbq.webstarts.com/.  

 The Bowman Field Aviation and Military Heritage Festival is this weekend - Saturday, October 6 and Sunday, October 7. It was created to celebrate and promote this community resource, which is a historically significant icon in our city. This annual event is the beginning of a project building towards the 100-Year Anniversary in 2020. The festival will be held at Bowman Field Terminal Building, 2815 Taylorsville Road, 40205.

Veterans and Active Military get in free. Please bring Military ID card. Adults are $10 and children 16 and under are $5. Children under 5 are free. Family of four (2 adults and 2 children are $20).

Schedule of Events is below:
Saturday, October 6 - Gates are open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

• 8:30 AM        IPA Bowman Four Miler Fun Run
• 9:00 AM        Pancake Breakfast - $6 – breakfast ends at 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, October 7 - Gates are open from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Historic Aviation & Military Showcase
30+ Planes from 1920s-1960s
Planes will be on display BOTH Saturday and Sunday! 
Vintage Plane Rides Available
Military Memorabilia and Exhibits from WWI-Afghanistan
Community and Industry Exhibitors
Four Roses Bourbon Bar 
Craft Beer and Food Trucks
Kids Craft Corner

For more information, please visit https://www.bowmanaviationfest.com/.

Last week at Metro Council, I had the pleasure of introducing Lucy Vanderhoff as the District 9 page.

Lucy is a 6th grader at Meyzeek Middle School.  She plays field hockey and is on the Student Advisory Council and the Future Problem-Solving team.  Lucy loves being involved in leadership opportunities in school and formerly attended Field Elementary School in D9, where she served as Student Council President and participated in Robotics, STLP, Quick Recall, Speech & Debate, and cross country.  She served as a state legislative page in the General Assembly last spring and was elected mayor of J.A. Biztown. Lucy is interested in law and government and wants to be a lawyer when she grows up. Thanks for serving as a page, Lucy!

Girl Scout Troop 380 has been hard at work in D9. They are working on their Bronze Award with a sidewalk audit around the American Printing House for the Blind and the Kentucky School for the Blind. Please help them with this project by reporting any sidewalks needing repair to our office at kyle.ethridge@louisvilleky.gov or call 574-3908. We need the following information, exact location (address) and description of the damage (cracks, uneven, root damage, etc.) and your contact information (name, phone, email) in case they have any follow-up questions. Our office will share this information directly with the Troop and ask that Metro Public Works review the reported sidewalk.

Louisville Metro Resilience and Community Services (RCS) is offering pre-registration for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Subsidy Component. The pre-registration began on Wednesday, October 3, and ends on October 31.

Pre-registration is for Jefferson County residents who are elderly (60 years or older) or disabled and receive a fixed income (Social Security, SSI, pension or Black Lung benefits).

This pre-registration phase is for the LIHEAP Subsidy Program, meaning eligible residents can apply regardless of the status of their utility bills.

Applicants must provide the following documentation:

• Proof of all household income for the preceding month (Food Stamp award letter, Social Security Award letter, pay stubs, etc. or proof of $0 income. Note: Zero Income forms are available at the Resilience and Community Services office at 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Suite 201 as well as the six LIHEAP locations listed below or by clicking here.
• Proof of Social Security Number or Permanent Residence card (Green Card) for each member of the household.
• Most current heating bill; or statement from your landlord if heating expenses are included in your rent; or statement from your utility company if you participate in a pre-pay electric program. Please bring the account number and name on the account for all heating fuel sources and electric. 

Eligible residents who wish to apply during LIHEAP Early Registration are required to make an appointment in advance. The toll-free automated appointment system is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The caller can follow the prompts to get the information needed and/or to schedule an appointment if available.  The system provides a confirmation number indicating that an appointment was successfully scheduled.

Scheduling an appointment by phone: Call 502-991-8391.

• Choose the desired location for your appointment (the six LIHEAP office locations are listed below.)
• Choose a date/time for your appointment
• Record your name – say and spell your first and last names slowly and clearly
• Enter a contact phone number
• Enter your 12-digit LGE account number (if applicable)
• Enter the last four digits of your Social Security number and date of birth
• Receive your appointment confirmation number (have pen/paper ready)
• Appointment details (location, date and time) will be repeated
• List of documents to bring to the appointment will be given

Scheduling an Appointment On-line: Appointments can also be made quickly and easily online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com.

LIHEAP applications will be completed at the time of the appointment at one of the six locations listed below. 

• Neighborhood Place Ujima/Duvalle Education Center, 3610 Bohne Ave., 40211
• Neighborhood Place/Bridges of Hope, 1411 Algonquin Pkwy., 40210
• Northwest Neighborhood Place/Academy at Shawnee, 4018 W Market St., 40212
• South Central Neighborhood Place, 4255 Hazelwood Ave., 40215
• Newburg Community Center/East, 4810 Exeter Ave, 40218
• Southwest Government Center/Dixie Highway location. 7219 Dixie Highway, 40258

Benefits provided by this program are paid directly to the applicant’s heating vendor.  Benefits for this program will not be applied until on or after Nov. 5, 2018.   

For more information about this process on how to apply for LIHEAP pre-registration, please contact MetroCall 311 by simply dialing 311 or 574-5000, email metro.call@louisvilleky.gov, visit the website’s On Line Customer Service or Live Chat at www.louisvilleky.gov/metrocall, tweet @LouMetro311, or download the free Mobile 311 app from the website.

Income-eligible residents who do not meet the requirements for pre-registration (who are not elderly or disabled and on a fixed income) may still apply for LIHEAP benefits beginning Nov. 5.  Appointments will be taken in advance starting Nov. 1 utilizing the phone and on-line appointment system. Visit louisvilleky.gov and search for “LIHEAP” or call 502/574-1157 for periodic updates.

Please plan to join your neighbors and neighborhood/business associations (Frankfort Avenue Business Association, Crescent Hill Community Council, Clifton Community Council and Butchertown Neighborhood Association) on Saturday, October 20, for the D9 Fall Community Cleanup.

In partnership with Brightside, volunteers will be cleaning up the Frankfort Avenue corridor, specifically working on trimming trees and cleaning tree wells. Volunteers should plan to meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Keats and Frankfort Avenue public parking lot for breakfast sandwiches, provided by the Clifton McDonald’s, and hot coffee, provided by Heine Brothers’ Coffee. The cleanup will officially begin at 9:00 a.m. The District 9 office will provide bags, gloves, tools and t-shirts on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you would like to register your own neighborhood team through Brightside, please click here.

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. 

It’s time to clean house and get ready for another junk collection if you live in the 9th District Urban Services District (USD). You may begin setting out your junk Friday, October 19 in the afternoon. All junk must be set out by Monday, October 22 at 6:00 a.m. Some items (hazardous materials, construction debris, etc.) are not collected. For collection guidelines, please visit http://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/services/junk-and-bulk-trash-disposal. Sign up for junk set out reminders by email and text, click here! To see if you are in the collection area, go to http://mapit.louisvilleky.gov/, enter your address and check under “sanitation services.” 

Whitehall House & Gardens, 3110 Lexington Road, is pleased to announce that it will host a 3-day figure painting workshop at historic Whitehall, with noted artist and instructor John Michael Carter.  The workshop series will take place October 10-12, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.  The cost of tuition is $450/person. A $100 deposit is required to reserve a spot, with the balance due the first day of the workshop. Students should bring a brown-bag lunch, but drinks will be provided. For more information or to make a reservation, please contact Whitehall at (502) 897-2944 or whitehall@historichomes.org.