It’s time to clean house and get ready for another junk collection if you live in the 9^th District Louisville Metro Urban Services District (USD). You may begin setting out your junk on Friday, March 1, in the afternoon. All junk must be set out by Monday, March 4 at 6:00 a.m. Some items (hazardous materials, construction debris, etc.) are not collected. For collection guidelines, please click here. To sign up for junk set out reminders by email and text, click here! To see if you are in the collection area, visit www.louisvilleky.gov/district9, scroll to the bottom, click on “Find City Services by Address” and enter your address.

This Saturday, March 2, Louisville Grows will host a tree planting volunteer opportunity in the Shelby Park/Smoketown neighborhoods. Volunteers should plan to meet at Mount Olive Community Activity Center, 413 Conrad Street, at 8:00 a.m. The event is scheduled until 4:00 p.m. No experience necessary. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided to all volunteers. Volunteers can sign up at: www.louisvillegrows.org/get-involved/volunteer-calendar/

As your city government cuts expenses and looks for ways to do more with less, we are increasingly relying on donors and volunteers.

This Saturday, March 2, volunteers will be working on the traffic calmer in the middle of Payne Street across from 1801 Payne Street. The island will be getting a much needed sprucing up, with materials generously donated by area businesses. Volunteers from Air Equipment Company, DD Williamson and the Clifton Community Council will be working from 10:00 a.m. – Noon. Please feel free to join the group to help with a landscaping plan for the island.

If you are driving on Payne Street Saturday morning, please use caution around the volunteers.

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.

A brand new St. Matthews Library will open on May 9. Work is progressing at the site at 3940 Grandview Avenue.   The expanded library is part of the renovation of St. Matthews City Hall. It is being funded largely by the City of St. Matthews, with a $1 Million contribution by Louisville Metro.

As work continues on the renovation and expansion and the St. Matthews Library remains closed, the Middletown Library is offering Sunday hours (1-5 p.m.) until St. Matthews reopens. The very popular weekly St. Matthews storytimes are being held at the St. Matthews Community Center (310 Ten Pin Lane) throughout the closure. Please check the online calendar for the current schedule here.

Patrons are encouraged to visit the Crescent Hill or Middletown branches—or any other LFPL location – until the May 9 reopening at St. Matthews.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Landmarks, on which I serve, is hosting a public hearing on Tuesday, March 5 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 601 W. Jefferson Street, Chambers, 3^rd Floor, to comment on proposed changes to the Landmarks Ordinance (LMCO 32.250-32.263). Click here to view the amendment & attachment, as recommended for approval by the Landmarks Commission.

The Landmarks Commission’s recommendations – which took into account public comments previously submitted by many of you – are the starting point for the committee’s work. The end point of the work is to recommend an ordinance updating the Landmarks Ordinance to the whole Metro Council for debate and voting by approximately May.

If you wish to speak, please email your name and organization (if applicable) to: MetroCouncilClerk@louisvilleky.gov so that we may include you under the Special Discussion on our agenda. Speakers will have a maximum of three (3) minutes, as well as an opportunity to answer any questions that committee members may ask.

If you are unable to appear March 5th but would like to submit new comments – different than what you previously submitted – you may email those to the Metro Council Clerk for compilation into the record and for our committee members’ review. If you have any questions, please call the Chair of the Committee, Councilman Brandon Coan, at 574-1108. Thank you for your participation.

Each year, in conjunction with its annual Congress, the Congress of New Urbanism (CNU) invites municipalities and neighborhood organizations within the Congress’s host region to apply for pro-bono technical assistance from leading urban design firms. The Congress is in Louisville this year (June 12-15) and Beargass Creek is getting some help.

The Kentucky Waterways Alliance is leading this project with three distinct goals:

1. Connect to the Creek – if we want Beargrass Creek to be healthy again, people need to see it and love it. Creating better physical and emotional connections to Beargrass Creek is the first step.
2. Improve the Creek’s Health – explore unique ways to bring back the ecological systems of Beargrass Creek to create a healthier, safer and more vibrant water system.
3. Develop Destinations – Beargrass Creek was a major influence in how Louisville developed. The goal is to reveal the story along South Fork and find places for people to engage with and celebrate Beargrass Creek.

How can you help? Attend an upcoming event and share your input.

• Open Studio on Friday, March 8 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at New Directions Housing, 1000 E. Liberty Street. Plan to attend, ask questions and give feedback on your creek.
• Party on Saturday, March 9 at 4:00 p.m. at Mile Wide Brewery, 636 Barret Avenue. Attend for a presentation and celebration of this effort and learn about the week’s work, big ideas and next steps.

Questions, please contact Ward Wilson at ward@kwalliance.org or visit https://www.cnu.org/cnu27.

On Thursday, February 21, the Metro Council and the Community Affairs Committee celebrated at the 17^th Annual Black History Month Program. I had the honor of recognizing Janet Golden-Lewis, a Clifton Heights resident, for her community service.

Janet is currently working at Belmont Village Senior Living St. Matthews Community as a part-time Concierge. She returned to the health industry because of her passion for helping people. She is also the founder and CEO of The Phenomenal Shining Stars and I Believe In Me Life Skills Program. These programs mentor and teach teenage girls and women the skills to become successful individuals.

Janet serves as a member of Bates Memorial Baptist Church, The Red Hat Society, Diamonds and Pearl Divas Chapter, Women Engaged and Governor’s Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. She also volunteers her time at Shawnee Academy as a mentor, Diersen Center, Catholic Charities, Society for the Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence Among Adolescents, Maryhurst, Bates Prison Ministry and serves as coordinator for The National Day of Prayer for The United States Military.

Janet has received the following awards for her many contributions to her community: 1995 Black Achiever Award, Bethune Recognition Award through the National Council of Negro Women, and the Meritorious Service Award through the NAACP Louisville Branch.

Congratulations, Janet, and thank you for your service.

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to provide FREE tax preparation services again in 2019. The service is FREE if you earned $64,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2018 or if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Call the appointment line today to see if you qualify and make your appointment! Appointments are available every Friday through the end of tax season between 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 S. State Street, in Clifton. Please call the appointment line at 502-305-0005 to make an appointment or visit https://louisvillekyvita.cascheduler.com and please share this with anyone you think may be eligible. You may also call the D9 office at 574-3908. Click here to view brochure.

Tax assistance is also available through AARP at Clifton Christian Church, 131 Vernon Avenue, on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. This site will run through April 10. This location helps low and moderate income taxpayers with an Adjusted Gross Income of $60,000 or less, with special attention to those 60 years of age or older. Please note that sites will shut off their sign-in list when the expected maximum number of clients have been registered for that day. Early arrival is suggested. Also note that new returns cannot be started during the last hour scheduled for the site. Call 502-394-3443 to confirm site hours and find out if the registration list is filled for the day in question.                                             

Do you instead file your own taxes? Through the LABC website there are two options to self-file online. The “Turbo Tax Freedom Edition” is available if you have $33,000 or less in income. The software has a well-designed interview process that guides you through the process of making decisions about your filing status, inputting your income and making decisions about deductions and tax credits for which you may qualify. The other option is “My Free Taxes”, which is available if you make $64,000 or less. This program is developed by H&R Block and uses an interview process. Please visit, https://labcservices.org/index.php/free-tax-help/free-online-tax-filing, for more information.

Does your student have a language-based learning difference such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD and/or anxiety? Are they feeling academically defeated and losing their confidence? Could they benefit from a low student to teacher ratio in order to receive individual support?

If you answered “yes” to any one or more of the above questions, then Holy Trinity Clifton School, 2117 Payne Street, could be the answer!  Set to open in August 2019, the Holy Trinity Clifton School’s mission is to work in partnership with parents and Catholic parish communities, to build a strong spiritual and academic foundation for all students. It is dedicated to empowering students who learn differently to become confident and competent lifelong learners. The school will start with Grades 2, 3 and 4, and increase in grade each year.

Anyone interested in more information can contact Paula Watkins, Head of School at pwatkins@ht-school.org or call 502-896-8480. You can also find information at www.ht-school.org and click the “Clifton School” link at the top.

The school is offering open house tours each Thursday in the month of March starting on Thursday, March 7 from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Future dates are March 14, 21 and 28. Light refreshments will be provided. Come see the renovations, renderings of the new school and classrooms, and ask questions.

If you’ve been complaining about litter, here’s a chance to do something about it.

Please plan to join me on Saturday, April 13, for the D9 Spring Community Cleanup. In partnership with Brightside, we will be cleaning along Frankfort Avenue just one week before the Easter Parade. Volunteers should plan to meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Frankfort and Keats public parking lot for breakfast sandwiches, provided by the Clifton McDonald’s, and hot coffee, provided by Heine Brothers’ Coffee. The cleanup will officially start at 9:00 a.m. and fan out in the neighborhood. The District 9 office will provide bags, gloves, tools and t-shirts on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions, please contact the office at 574-1109.

Please save the date and join us!