Please do not pass the “Road Closed to Thru Traffic” signs at Stilz and Grinstead unless you are local traffic, needing to access a street that cannot otherwise be accessed. Doing so will put you at the site of a complete closure, with no good place to turn around. Please drive safely – and slowly – on the alternative routes.

Once the Lexington Road project is complete, it will mark the end of the largest main replacement project in Louisville Water’s history, with 6.4 miles of replaced water mains. The Eastern Parkway Project will cost approximately $26 million dollars and is funded through Louisville Water’s capital budget.

Please visit www.LouisvilleWater.com/easternpkwyproject for more details, detour maps, and videos about the process.

Please join me on Tuesday, February 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Whitehall, 3110 Lexington Road, for the first D9 Community Conversation of 2020. Representatives of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) will be present to discuss crime and safety issues in District 9. Louisville Water Company will give an update on the Eastern Parkway Project, the water main repair effort which has had major impacts on Lexington Road and Stilz Avenue traffic and has put more cars onto alternative routes. I will also be available to talk with constituents about any questions, comments or concerns.

There’s a new development at the Crescent Hill Golf Course. As reported in the last eNews, the course is closed until March 1, pursuant to an ordinance Metro Council passed last year, allowing the closure of all but four courses (Seneca, Vettiner, Iroquois and Quail Chase) during the months of December, January and February. Metro Parks employees are maintaining the Crescent Hill course and have asked members of the public to avoid damage to the course by staying off of it during the closure. 

Metro Parks has been negotiating new contracts with golf professionals to manage Metro’s courses, after the existing contracts expired in December.  At our February 6 meeting, Metro Council approved contracts for six golf professionals, including Kevin Greenwell’s contract to continue managing D9’s Seneca Golf Course.  The golf professional who had been managing Crescent Hill resigned last year and submitted no new proposal to manage the course and no contract had been negotiated for that course as of February 6.  

That changed this week. Moe Demling indicated an interest in managing the Crescent Hill course and a contract was signed on February 18.  It is expected to be approved by Metro Council tonight, February 20, and take effect on March 1, when the course reopens.  Demling most recently managed the Long Run Golf Course.  He was inducted into the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame in 2019.  A video from that induction is here.

Louisville’s new National Women's Soccer League team, Proof Louisville FC, is in the process of negotiating a lease for a portion of Champions Park for soccer facilities for the women’s team and fields for use by various youth leagues.  All of the costs would be borne by the team and the result would be much better fields for youth league use but with some areas reserved exclusively for the women’s team. 

The lease includes only the elevated field on the old landfill on the east side of Edith Road, the area where no one has played since 2018 after damage from camping at the last of the music festivals at Champions Park.

The soccer field on the west side of Edith will remain and continue to be used as it is currently, as will the remainder of Champions Park.  

More information about the proposal is in this Courier-Journal article.

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, February 28, in the afternoon. All junk must be set out by Monday, March 2 at 6:00 a.m. Some items (hazardous materials, construction debris, etc.) are not collected and these guidelines are being strictly followed. 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.

Metro Parks has scheduled volunteer opportunities to improve the Clifton Heights Greenway.

Volunteers will be helping with a variety of tasks, including helping to build a headwall on a stream crossing and doing finishing work on the trail with hand tools.  Volunteers should wear sturdy shoes that they will not mind getting dirty. Volunteers should meet at the corner of Lindsay Avenue and Pryor Avenue at 9:00 a.m.

Clifton Heights Greenway Volunteer Dates:

• Friday, February 21
• Friday, February 28

If you are able to volunteer, please email bryan.lewis@louisvilleky.gov  to let Metro Parks know when you are available, so they can plan for the day and provide project updates.

Louisville’s new Waterfront Botanical Gardens lies within the boundaries of one of Louisville’s oldest city areas, known as “The Point”. In its early days, The Point was a neighborhood located on an area of land completely surrounded by water. After repeated flooding in the 1930s and 1940s destroyed The Point’s homes and businesses, the land was converted into the Ohio Street Dump. A new exhibit at the Louisville Free Public Main Library examines the site’s historic journey from neighborhood to landfill to botanical garden, through photos, artifacts, and personal stories. The exhibit can be viewed at the Main Library Bernheim Galley from March 1 – April 25. It opens with a reception and gallery talk on Sunday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. at the Main Library Auditorium, 301 York Street and you are invited!

First Financial Bank in Crescent Hill, 2862 Frankfort Avenue, will host a free shredding event from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Clean out your files the right way, and help prevent identify theft and fraud. Papers to consider destroying include: medical records, cancelled checks, financial statements, documents with your Social Security Number or credit card information, legal papers and more. For more information, call 894-2380 or click here. This event is available to residents and businesses.

Also, please mark your calendars for the Annual D9 Responsible Recycling Event on Saturday, May 9, 2020. More information will be posted closer to the event.

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. 

2019 marked the 150th anniversary of the construction of the Peterson-Dumesnil House (PDH).  This magnificent historic home is a community treasure located within the Crescent Hill neighborhood. 

Managed by the nonprofit Peterson-Dumesnil House Foundation (PDHF), the PDH has hosted hundreds of weddings, memorial services, civic meetings and community gatherings such as the annual July 4th Celebration.  While historic preservation is a key aspect of the mission, serving as a resource and a gathering place for the greater community is equally important.

After 150 years, this unique home needs a little extra tender loving care.  The volunteer PDHF Board of Directors recently conducted a thorough study of critical maintenance and enhancement priorities and created a new strategic plan that included a 150^th anniversary fundraising campaign.  Led by Honorary Co-Chairs Madeline Abramson, Father Jerry Eifler and Ted Nixon, the PDH150 Campaign is attempting to raise $325,000.   Including the generous pledges of the PDHF Board members, the PDH150 Campaign volunteer leaders and many regular PDH supporters, more than $150,000 has already been committed. 

Pledges made to PDH150 can be paid over as long as a four-year period.  Planned estate gifts are welcome and Ted Nixon is providing a $20,000 business challenge grant that matches 50% of all business pledges of $1,000 or more.  Please consider supporting this important community effort by visiting the campaign web page and making your gift or pledge:https://www.petersondumesnil.org/pd-house-150.

For further information contact PDH150 Campaign Manager Logan McCulloch at loganmcc@yahoo.com.

89.3 WFPL News is hosting The Next Louisville: Civic Assembly, a community-driven virtual and in-person initiative designed to collectively explore the issues that matter most in Louisville.

Virtual Town Hall: From Feb. 10-21, WFPL will host an interactive online survey at wfpl.org/civicassembly to learn what Louisvillians believe should change in the city to make it a better place to live, work and spend time. The goals are to engage in civil conversation about civic issues, articulate areas of agreement and challenge assumptions about polarization. 

Community Conversations: The results of the Virtual Town Hall will be the basis for a series of in-person events to further explore ideas, challenges and solutions. Mark your calendar for Community Conversations at the following Louisville Free Public Library locations:

• Monday, March 9 at 6 p.m. Northeast Regional
• Wednesday, March 11 at 6 p.m. Southwest Regional
• Monday, March 16 at 6 p.m. Main Library, Centennial Room
• Wednesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. •South Central Regional

City garbage carts and recycling carts are built to last, but your relationship with them is a two-way street! Here are some tips for showing your carts some love:  

1. Don't overload. A full cart should weigh less than 200 lbs. Heavy carts are more likely to break when emptied. Set out weekly so it doesn't get too full.  Lids should be able to completely close. If your garbage cart consistently overflows, try recycling or purchase an additional cart. 
2. Bring it in. Carts are often damaged or stolen if left out after collection. Bring it in by 4PM the day after collection. It should be stored away from the street or alley, inside a fence, or against a structure. Leaving your cart out in an alley means more litter, more damage, and more chance of it getting stolen.
3. Keep it clean. Simply rinse your cart with soap and water from time to time. There are businesses that will come pressure wash your cart (for a fee).  
4. Have it repaired. If your cart gets damaged, contact Metro311 to request a free repair. If it's beyond fixing, we'll replace it instead. Then repeat tips 1, 2, and 3!

United Crescent Hill Ministries (UCHM) will host the United Learning Summer Camp in 2020. The United Learning Summer Camp offers an affordable summer learning experience to students in grades K-8. The overarching goal of the United Learning Summer Camp is to provide a fun and engaging educational experience for campers through a combination of on-site activities and interactive field trips. Each camp week features field learning at various organizations and businesses related to the week’s theme at no extra cost.

UCHM strives to provide a camp that fosters academic interest and helps students to develop the social and scholastic skills they need to thrive year-round. Camps run 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily. Please note that eligible grades refer to the grade that the child is entering in the 2020-2021 school year. Children must have completed kindergarten to be eligible for K-3 camps. Cost is $150 per week. UCHM offers financial assistance for all of the camps. For more information and a list of the camp themes, please visit https://www.uchmlouky.org/united-learning-summer-camp/.  

Free fun, exercise and teamwork is in the mix this spring as Louisville Parks and Recreation is offering a free tee-ball league for children ages six and under. 

Sign-ups will continue through March 6, and again, participation is free. Parents can sign up online at louisvillerbi.leagueapps.com or at community centers, including the closest one to D9, Douglass Community Center, 2305 Douglass Boulevard.

Games begin April 11 and will be played at Wyandotte Park, 1104 Beecher Street. Louisville Parks and Recreation is also seeking coaches and volunteers to help run the league. For more information, call (502) 574-4515 or e-mail Brady Buckley at Brady.Buckley@louisvilleky.gov.  

Louisville Parks and Recreation is partnering with Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Reviving Baseball In Inner Cities (RBI) program to increase interest and participation in the game of baseball and softball as well as to encourage academic participation and the value of teamwork. RBI operates in 200 cities worldwide.  

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to provide FREE tax preparation services again in 2020. The service is FREE if you earned $66,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2019 or if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Call the appointment line to see if you qualify and make your appointment! Appointments at United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 S. State Street, will be available on Fridays through April 10 between 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Please call the appointment line at 502-305-0005 to make an appointment and please share this with anyone you think may be eligible. Click here to view brochure. If you have any issues making appointments, please contact my assistant at 574-3908. Click here to view the flyer.

AARP Tax-Aide has a mission to serve any person who comes through the door, with special attention to those 60 years of age or older. Assistance will be available at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2822 Frankfort Avenue, from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. every Wednesday through April 15.

For more information and a full AARP schedule, please visit www.aarp-tax-aide-lou.org or call 502-394-3443.                                                       

Do you instead file your own taxes? Through the LABC website, there are two options to self-file online. The “Intuit 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 “H&R Block My Free Taxes”, which is available if you make $66,000 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/do-you-qualify, for more information.

From now through March 27, yard waste will be collected in the Urban Service District on your normal day BY REQUEST ONLY. Call 311 or 574-5000 to request yard waste collection. Regular yard waste collection will resume the week of March 30. (Residents with private waste haulers should contact their company about yard waste collection.)