The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that helps low income residents of Jefferson County with their utility bills begins on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.

LIHEAP is a federally funded, income-based program that provides financial help to low-income households in meeting the costs of heating their home. The LIHEAP Subsidy Component is a one-time assistance benefit, which is paid directly to the heating vendor. The LIHEAP Subsidy Component begins Monday, Nov. 4, and will operate through Dec. 13, 2019.

Residents wishing to apply must schedule an appointment utilizing the automated appointment system. The appointment system is currently open and is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling (502) 991-8391 or online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com.

Applicants must be Louisville Metro/Jefferson County residents with a household income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For the Subsidy Component of LIHEAP, residents can apply regardless of the status of their utility bills. Applicants must also 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 Office of Resilience and Community Services office at 701 W. Ormsby Ave., Suite 201 or by clicking here.
• Proof of Social Security number 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 main heating fuel sources and electric.

Individuals who are unable to apply for this program in person may send a representative on their behalf with a note including the applicant’s signature and phone number. Residents who are home bound and who are unable to send a representative may call (502) 780-7937.

OPEN NIGHTLY NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 31, 2019

Experience the twinkling of millions of lights along a winding road, nestled in the majestic woods of historic Iroquois Park. Winter Woods Spectacular is a magical drive of lighting, artistry, and sounds that will delight the senses and transport you to an ethereal winter wonderland, where you can explore and celebrate the holiday season. 

DATES / TIMES

• 6 – 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday
• 6 – 11 p.m. Friday & Saturday

COST PER VEHICLE SUNDAY - THURSDAY

• $25        Car/SUV/Minivan
• $75        Passenger Van/RV
• $5          Tour Bus/Per Occupant (20 person minimum)

COST PER VEHICLE FRIDAY & SATURDAY/CHRISTMAS EVE/CHRISTMAS DAY

• $35.00   Car/SUV/Minivan
• $80.00   Passenger Van/RV
•   $5.00   Tour Bus/Per Occupant (30 person minimum)

To find out more information or to purchase tickets online, click the link below!  https://www.winterwoodsspectacular.com/

The Metro Arts Community Center offers classes for children and adults in the fine and applied arts. If you're looking to acquire or refine a particular artistic skill – from guitar playing and cartooning to pottery and silversmithing – the Metro Arts Center has a fun, affordable class for you.

Registration is required for all classes and begin immediately from 9:00am to 6:00pm at one of our 5 payment sites; Beechmont, Joe Creason, Southwick, Sun Valley, and Mary T. Meagher. Cash and Checks (made payable to Louisville Parks and Recreation) only. 

For more information, please visit this link.

Consideration & Conversation: Bike Lanes

• Saturday, December 7; 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
• Join us for a thoughtful discussion of an important regional topic that affects our community. Please read the articles linked here to prepare for our discussion. Articles obtained from databases may be accessed at the library, or at home with your library card at LFPL.org.

Polar Express Pajama Party

• Friday, December 13; 6 p.m. - 8;30 p.m.
• The Polar Express Pajama Party makes another stop this year at the Southwest Regional Library! This special after-hours event features free games, crafts, and activities for the whole family. Kids can come dressed in their PJs, get their photo taken with Mrs. Claus, hear a reading of The Polar Express, ride our life size Polar Express train, and watch the classic holiday movie. Hot chocolate will be provided by Heine Brothers' Coffee.

Adult Maker Bee

• Saturday, December 21; 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• A modern spin on traditional gatherings, crafters of all kinds are invited merge solitary hobbies with community connection. Demonstrate your skills for others, learn something new, gain inspiration from occasional guest speakers, or simply enjoy getting to know other crafters. Novices and experts are welcome. Activities, demonstrations, and themes will vary.

http://www.lfpl.org/events/

With 6,600 acres, Jefferson Memorial Forest offers many opportunities for individuals and families to enjoy and explore the outdoors. The forest features more than 35 miles of marked hiking trails, fishing and primitive camping.

To learn more, please visit this link.

The End Is In Sight for the New Dixie Highway Project

The New Dixie Highway project is nearly complete with all major construction work. The last sections of median and curb work will be complete in the next few weeks. There will be a limited amount of temporary lane closures for landscaping and finishing work now through the end of the year. Shrubs and sod are being planted now to beautify select sections of the newly finished medians. Landscaping work will be complete by mid-December. Only final resurfacing and a few fixes will remain for Spring 2020.

When Will the Rapid Bus Start?

The new TARC Rapid bus rapid transit line is scheduled to start in January 2020! This new bus line will improve speed, service and reliability on the Dixie Highway corridor. The nine Dixie Rapid route buses will travel to 37 distinctive stops between downtown and Valley Station, most with a covered bus shelter. Special bus signals will be installed along the route connected to a high-tech communication system to ensure buses move quickly and efficiently. The New Dixie Highway project also included improvements to crosswalks, sidewalks and streetscapes to make access to Rapid stops easier. This is one of TARC’s busiest bus routes, making the new Rapid a highly anticipated addition to Dixie Highway. Exact start date and schedule for the Rapid will be announced soon.

See and Be Seen: Pedestrian Safety Tips

See! Expect pedestrians. Obey the speed limit. Pay attention. Don’t text and drive.

Be Seen! Use crosswalks. Obey signals. Pay attention, Don’t text and walk.

VITA Tax Assistance program has been offering free tax preparation to individuals and families under a certain income bracket in our community for years. This organization depends on volunteers to help prepare taxes and greet clients. We hope you’ll consider joining the team!

If you are interested in volunteering for the 2019 tax season (January-April 2020) please email volunteer@labcservices.org. Make sure you indicate you would like to volunteer at the UCHM site. Volunteer trainings will start in December. Volunteers are needed to help prepare taxes AND greet clients. If interested in volunteering, please sign up by completing this Volunteer Application.

The common practice of online shopping means we have a lot of extra waste at home. From bubble wrap to cardboard to padded envelopes and air pillows, the list goes on. The best thing to do is reuse the items - refill the boxes, pack fragile items with bubble wrap or air pillows, mail something else in the envelopes, or use items for craft projects. (Or you can always donate to someone else to reuse.) But if you find yourself needing to dispose of them, here's some useful information:

Cardboard Boxes

Please recycle your cardboard! Flatten the boxes to conserve space in your own recycling bin or in our recycling dumpsters around town. Don't put them out for Large Item Collection ("junk") because they won't get recycled. 

Bubble Wrap, Air Pillows

These can be recycled with plastic bags at participating retail stores. Keep them out of your home recycling containers and drop off recycling dumpsters. 

Padded Envelopes

To know what to do with these, you have to know what they're made of. Some envelopes have paper surrounding bubble wrap. These cannot be recycled since they are made of a mix of materials. Some are all plastic and can go with the bubble wrap (see above). If the padding is made of all paper, the envelope can go in your home recycling containers or drop off recycling dumpsters. 

Styrofoam

Large blocks of Styrofoam can be recycled at Foam Fabricators, 950 Progress Blvd, New Albany, IN. They must be clean and free of tape and stickers. They do not accept any other form of Styrofoam. And Styrofoam is NOT accepted in curbside recycling or drop off recycling dumpsters. 

What is PAL?

Parents of Addicted Loved ones is a support group of parents helping parents. They meet every week on Sundays. Our primary goal is to provide hope through education and support, at no charge, for parents dealing with addicted loved ones.

When: Sundays; 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Where: St. Raphael the Archangel Church (2900 Bardstown Rd.) 

For more information, please contact mmeeks13@bellsouth.net or (502) 609-0926. 

JustServe.org is a free volunteer website dedicated to bringing communities together through volunteerism. Non-profits can post the need for volunteers and those in our community can go to the website and see all the opportunities to volunteer. Because the website is self-funded, they never ask for donations to maintain the website, they never sell advertising and they never sell any information. All those connected with JustServe.org are volunteers and there is no paid staff. The website is zip code driven, easy to use and 100% free.

If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, this is a perfect place to start looking! There are plenty of organizations to chose from that are conveniently located in your area.

I get calls every week about speeding on our D14 streets - and with good reason. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that most people who are speeding through residential areas actually live in the neighborhood! You might be eager to come home after work, but that’s no excuse if a child is hit and injured. Quite literally, speed kills: If you hit a pedestrian at 20 mph, 5% will die. If you hit a pedestrian at 30 mph, 45% will die. At 40 mph, 85% will die. 

Driver behavior is crucial to safety in residential neighborhoods.  When you’re driving, go slow enough to see and respond to every new circumstance. Look under parked cars, and you may see children’s feet from the sidewalk, though you can’t see them otherwise. If it’s dark, take another 10 mph off your speed, just in case. In short, take every precaution necessary to avoid bringing tragedy to your own neighborhood.

Please use good judgment when you are driving and remember that, in most cases, traffic behind you will be forced to slow down if you do.

We all know that illegal dumping--putting waste on property that is not licensed as a disposal facility--is an eyesore that is expensive to clean up, diminishes quality of life, discourages economic development and even sends plastic debris into our waterways.

That's why people caught dumping along our city's alleys, sidewalks, fields and roadsides are subject to fines and impoundment of any vehicle used in the dumping. That's where citizens can help with the problem. If you witness illegal dumping while it's happening, report it.

We've developed a new online form you can use to tell us where it happened, describe the vehicle(s) involved, preferably with license plate number(s), and even upload pictures. Of course you can always call Metro Call 311 or 574-5000. For more information about illegal dumping, including a link to the reporting form, visit our illegal dumping webpage.

Another illegal dumping vehicle impounded

Pickup was used in two separate incidents

This week Solid Waste Enforcement tracked down a white pickup truck that was recorded by surveillance back in February as it was used to illegally dump tree debris in the 3600 block of Parthenia Avenue. The offender was found through information received as we investigated a separate illegal dumping incident in the 4100 block of Craig Avenue in April for which the person was also determined to be responsible. In total, the illegal dumper will owe $1,500 in fines and approximately $250 impound fees.