– Mayor Greg Fischer today announced that Diane Porter, educator and Jefferson County Public Schools board chair, is the 2019 recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award.

A native and lifelong resident of Louisville, Porter’s immense impact on our community’s young people as an educator and leader spans generations. During her remarkable 39-year tenure with JCPS, Porter demonstrated a tremendous commitment to educating youth in many roles, where she gained an expansive viewpoint on our city’s education system. Following her retirement in 2009, she has continued to offer her wealth of knowledge as a JCPS board member representing District 1.

And she made history when she became the first African American woman to serve as JCPS board chair in 2012.

“Diane has a keen appreciation for the power of education as a tool for advancing the principles of justice, freedom, racial equality and civic activism that are at the heart of this award,” the Mayor said. “Her tireless work to ensure our city’s children have access to a high-quality education that will support them in achieving their full human potential is most worthy of this significant recognition."

Mayor Fischer will present the Freedom Award on Sunday, Jan. 20 during the “Keepers of the Dream” community arts celebration dedicated to Dr. King, at the Brown Theatre, 315 West Broadway. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 5 p.m.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in educating all children with equity and compassion, and that is the work I am committed to,” Porter said. “I am humbled and honored to receive this award and be amongst a group of extraordinary community leaders.”

Porter’s own education began during segregation, at Virginia Avenue Elementary School. It was there, she recalls, that she received the kind of support and encouragement to achieve her dreams that she would later extend to many others as an educator. Following her graduation from Louisville Male High School, Porter went on to complete a degree in business at the University of Louisville. An advisor at UofL encouraged her to complete elective courses in education, and with her degree in hand, Porter returned to her alma mater as a business teacher to begin nearly four decades of service as a JCPS employee. In addition to a 10-year tenure at Male, Porter also taught business classes at Fern Creek and PRP. She completed a master’s degree in counseling, which positioned her to advance to a job as a guidance counselor. In that role, she worked at Bruce Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and the Brown School. She also served as an assistant principal and principal at three vocational schools before those programs were integrated with high school curriculum.

Later, as a JCPS central office administrator, Porter applied her experience to areas such as magnet and advanced programs, and to strengthening the relationship between the district and parents. At the time of her retirement in 2009, Porter, herself a JCPS parent, was director of career/workforce education. During a second tenure as JCPS board chair, which began last January, JCPS unanimously passed a new racial equity policy.

“Education is the key to breaking down walls and opening doors of opportunities for young people across this city,” she said. “It is always the right time to do the right thing, and that is my commitment to our children.”

Porter’s boundless work on behalf of children extends to a number of community organizations, including the 15K Degrees Initiative, which aims to increase the number of African-American degrees by 15,000 by 2020. She is a board member for the Fund for the Arts, Leadership Louisville and the Louisville Urban League, and is a lifetime member of the Louisville NAACP and Louisville Urban League. As a member of the 2014 class of Leadership Louisville Bingham Fellows, focused on boosting west Louisville, Porter worked to create the Little Libraries initiative in partnership with Metro United Way – literally bringing accessible and free learning opportunities to neighborhoods across our city.

The Mayor’s Freedom Award, sponsored by Republic Bank and first presented in 1988, recognizes citizens who have dedicated their lives to promoting justice, peace, freedom, non-violence, racial equality and civic activism. Last year’s winner was the Rev. Charles Elliott Jr. (A list of other previous winners can be found here.) Porter will be presented an award of blown glass created by Ché Rhodes, Associate Professor, Head of Glass, University of Louisville Hite Art Institute.

The 9^th annual Keepers of the Dream concert and community arts celebration is presented by Kentucky Center ArtsReach, in collaboration with the city and the River City Drum Corp. The Jan 20. Event, hosted by Tytianna Wells, will feature a presentation of the Freedom Award by the Mayor; the ArtsReach Living the Vision Awards; reflections on Dr. King by Oak & Acorn Elder Serve Community; along with dance, music and spoken word.

Performances include Freedom Singer Charles Neblett with AMPED & Burnett Avenue Baptist Church Teen Choir; visual artist Jalen Posey; ArtsReach Our Voices Dance Collective from Chestnut Street YMCA; River City Drum Corp; Maestro J and Monique Brooks-Roberts; ArtsReach Violin & Percussion Studios from West End School, WESTEC & Lighthouse Community Center; Lipstick Wars poet Quiet Storm; and ArtsReach Playwriting and Dance Studio from Metro Parks South Community Center & Cabbage Patch Settlement House.

Please join the Coalition for the Homeless on Thursday,, Jan. 31st at 4 a.m. to participate in the annual Homeless Street Count. No experience is required, but there is a mandatory training session on Wednesday, Jan. 30th.

"Getting an accurate count is important in order to help our community plan how to best dedicate resources to the most vulnerable Louisvillians,' said Natalie Harris. Executive Director with the Coaltion.

Register at https://louhomeless.org/street-count-2019.

VITA, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, will open Jan. 22 to provide free tax preparation for eligible residents.

• To qualify, household income must be under $64,000
• Eight sites across Louisville
• Sites will be open Jan. 22 - April 15, 2019

Schedule your appointment now by calling 305-0005 or online at http://louisvillekyvita.cascheduler.com 

See full brochure with VITA sites, eligibility and other details: https://tinyurl.com/y7dylpka 

This year's Crisis Phase of the LIHEAP once again features expanded eligibility allowing residents who received a utility bill with a past due amount to apply, in addition to continuing to serve those who received a disconnect notice. Schedule an appointment by calling 502-991-8391 or online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com.

Download this LIHEAP Crisis flyer, to share with others

47^th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Motorcade & Rally

Monday, January 21, 2019 @ 12 pm

Hughlett Temple A.M.E. Zion Church, 2115 West Jefferson Street

PRIDE INC. is hosting its 47^th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Motorcade and Rally:   Line-Up at 10am and Move-Out 11am. at McDonalds 28^th & Broadway Streets, proceed to Hughlett Temple A.M.E. Church. Program begins at 12pm. Guest Speaker: Hon. Denice Clayton, Kentucky Court of Appeals. For more information please call 502-749-7201.  

UofL Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration

Monday, January 21, 2019 @ 1:00 pm

The Playhouse, 1911 South Third Street

UofL College of Arts & Sciences African American Theatre program & The Yearlings Club Forum Series: Presents Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration.  Free and Open to the Public!  The Beauty of Diversity:  The Courage to Serve.  Keynote Speaker:  Daniel C. Shull, JCPS Board Member Senior Pastor, Burnett Avenue Baptist Church. Additional Information:  Contact Jessica Key (502) 852-5922 or Clest Lanier (502) 852-3042.  

2018 Neighborhood Assessment Report

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30pm

Chestnut Street Family YMCA, 930 West Chestnut Street

Each year New Directions Housing Corporation releases a report regarding the most detrimental vacant properties in residential neighborhoods.  Join us for a presentation from Louisville Metro Governments’ Vacant & Abandoned Public Property Administration on program combatting the issue of property vacancy. 

Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-neighborhood-assessment-report-release-ticket

Russell Neighborhood Association

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 @ 6:00 pm

Western Branch Library, 604 South 10^th Street

Officials from Louisville Housing Authority and Advanced Planning have been invited to present and answer questions on The Vision Russell Transformation Plan that could become the Russell Neighborhood Plan.  For additional please email:  msjackie6040@gmail.com

Community Art Event – Russell smART Stop – Make Your Mark

Saturday, February 9, 2019 @ 2:30 pm

St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, 1407 W. Jefferson Street - in the Russell Plaza

Choose a Word or Image that defines your Russell neighborhood. Make your mark by cutting It out of vinyl to fill in the remaining diamonds on the stop.

Visions of Beecher Terrace Moving Forward

Tuesday, February 26, 2019 @ 5:30 pm

Western Library, 604 South 10^th Street, (502) 574-1779

Moderated by Renee Murphy, JCPS Chief Communications Officer

An in-dept panel discussion of the past and future of Beecher Terrace, the housing development built in 1939.  Get a sneak preview of the new Beecher Terrace documentary by filmmaker Lavel White.

Please visit our website at www.VisionRussell.org for updates, events and much more!

Click here to view the November issue of the Vision Russell Newsletter.

Please respond to this e-mail with “Unsubscribe” if you wish to be removed from this communication.

For thousands of local children – and quite a few adults, too – sledding is a highlight of the winter season. Louisville Parks and Recreation wants to remind the public it will open hills in seven parks for sledding from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on days when snow accumulation reaches 2-3 inches. This season the sledding hills at Joe Creason Park, across from the Louisville Zoo, will be closed as the park continues the restoration process following a cyclocross event in December.

Louisville Parks and Recreation has selected this year's best and safest sledding hills in the area. As long as the sledding hills maintain adequate snow coverage, they will remain open. Park users are asked to avoid sledding when hills are closed. Sledding on slopes that lack appropriate snow depth will cause turf damage that must be repaired in the spring.

The rule of thumb for determining if enough snow accumulation has occurred is that if you see blades of grass poking through the snow cover; it’s not deep enough to sled safely. Sledding when parks employees have not posted the “open” sign, and at all other times, comes at your own risk.

DESIGNATED SLEDDING HILLS:

• Cherokee Park (Baringer Hill, intersection of Alexander Road and Scenic Loop)
• George Rogers Clark Park (1024 Thruston Avenue, behind playground, near McKinley Avenue)
• McNeely Lake Park (6900 Cooper Chapel Road, near Korean War Memorial)
• Tyler Park (1501 Castlewood Avenue, on Tyler Park Drive side of park)
• Charlie Vettiner Park (5550 Charlie Vettiner Park Road, near Easum Road entrance)

SLEDDING RULES:

• Sledding is permitted on designated sledding hills when the “Sledding Hill Open” sign is displayed.
• Sledding hills will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. as long as there is adequate snow to protect slopes; all sledding hills will close at 11 p.m.
• Park vehicles only in regular parking areas to protect your car from damage.
• No vehicles are permitted off the pavement in any park.
• No alcoholic beverages are permitted at any time.
• Those who use the designated sledding hills are doing so at their own risk. Bonfires will not be permitted at Metro Parks’ sites, and sledders are urged to carry a cell phone in the event of an emergency.
• Please pick up your trash or use the designated trash bins for waste removal - or take trash with you as you leave.

SLEDDING SAFETY TIPS:

• Only use devices designed for sledding.
• Wear appropriate clothing - loose ends or flaps can easily get caught.
• Sleds should contain a number of riders appropriate for the designated device during each descent.
• Dress in layers, so you can remove one layer without risking frostbite. Several thin layers are warmer than one bulky layer.
• Make sure you’re with someone who knows your name and can contact family in an emergency; parents should remain with their children.
• Don’t drink alcohol before sledding - it impairs your ability to use good judgment and causes the body to lose heat more rapidly.
• Check your path for trees and other objects before starting your descent.
• Don’t sled head-first or standing up. Good visibility is necessary during your descent.
• Don’t face backwards, and make sure your vision isn’t obscured by hats and scarves.
• When climbing the hill, stay to the sides. Don’t climb in the sledding path. It’s important to remember that slopes can become very crowded during peak times.

There will be no garbage, large item, or recycling collection on Monday, January 21 within the Urban Services District (former Louisville city limits) in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.

Collection will resume Tuesday, January 22 and will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week. (Example: residents that have a Monday pickup will have collection on Tuesday.)

Residents serviced by private companies for waste and recycling collection should check with those companies for the holiday schedule.

The following facilities will also be closed Saturday, January 20:

• All staffed recycling centers
• Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue
• EXCEPT that Electronics Drop-off Service is available 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• HAZ BIN, the hazardous waste drop-off facility, 7501 Grade Lane

For more information visit www.louisvilleky.gov/recycling or dial Metro311 at 311 or 574-5000.