District 7 E-Newsletter

Councilwoman Paula McCraney 601 W. Jefferson Street (502) 574-1107
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Councilwoman 

Paula McCraney
601 W. Jefferson Street
(502) 574-1107


Email Councilwoman McCraney

 

Links

Visit the District 7 Website


Phone Numbers
of Interest

l Air Pollution: 574-6000

Animal Services: 363-6609
or 361-1318

Anonymous Tipline:
574-LMPD (5673)

Brightside: 574-2613

Jefferson County Clerk's Office: 574-5700

Legal Aid: 584-1254

Metro Call: 311 or 574-5000

Metro Parks: 574-7275

Metro Police: (Non Emergency) 574-7111 or 574-2111

Metro Safe: 572-3460
or 574-7111

MSD: 587-0603

PARC: 569-6222

Poison Control: 589-8222

Public Works: 574-5810

Solid Waste Management (SWMS): 574-3571

TARC: 585-1234

Veteran's Affairs: 595-4447

vol

In this Issue...



Message From McCraney

Hello Neighbors and Friends,

I have soooooo much to talk about! But, instead of writing one long, drawn-out message, I've decided to break it up into blocks, using common English idioms. I hope the information is useful and you find the format interesting.

Two Heads are Better Than One - With all the calls around the Country for police department defunding, some cities are being proactive and considering measures that could reduce the number of 911 calls to the department, thus saving man/womanpower and money, and reducing incarceration rates. Also, there are longstanding challenges in policing that our society have ignored for far too long. To meet those challenges and minimize the number of calls officers must run that require specialized training in the areas of poverty, mental illness, domestic violence and substance abuse, police departments can be reimagined by pairing officers with a professional healthcare or social worker.  The Louisville Metro Council equipped the budget with $2.8M for a similar model because, we believe that two heads are better than one. 

Click here to watch a WDRB story about Louisville Metro Council's concept of 911 calls and social workers.

Click the link below to hear how one small city in Kentucky is already practicing this concept : 

https://www.wave3.com/2020/07/28/kentucky-town-hires-social-workers-instead-more-officers-results-are-surprising/


You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat it Too:  Mayor Fischer, you can't appear on every news program, locally and nationally, to declare how frustrated you are for the length of time it's taking AG Daniel Cameron to announce the findings of the investigation into the police shooting of Breonna Taylor when, in fact, you had access to the case the moment she was shot March 13.  It was June when AG Cameron stated that he had not been given all of the evidence in the case. Also, you can't go around saying that you can't fire Cosgrove and Mattingly, the two other known officers involved in the no-knock search warrant and death of Breonna, when in fact, sir, they committed some of the same egregious acts as Detective Hankison, whom you did fire. And lastly, how is it that you can speak freely about the already released 911 calls, the poorly written incident report or interviews with Breonna's boyfriend and Officer Mattingly, yet you repeatedly state that you are prohibited by KRS 67C from publicly saying anything about matters related to any kind of investigation being conducted by LMPD's Public Integrity Unit? Which is it? 

Speaking of destruction of property, I'm all for peaceful protests, but I have never been for bad behavior and lawlessness. I watched in horror during the initial protests as individuals with hammers broke out windows of Subway and other businesses. I couldn't believe my eyes, especially when in the same frame of the video LMPD officers were standing there looking on as if nothing was happening.  I can't imagine that their training taught them to stand idly by, watch people commit crimes and do nothing about it.

I heard you say in one of your television interviews that you do not know what stand down "even means,"  when asked did you order officers to stand down to protestors. Well, without knowing the formal definition of the term myself, I can say that I've always known what it meant. So, out of sheer curiosity, I looked up the definition, which I'm happy to share with you today:  Stand down (two words) - means to relax or cause to relax after a state of readiness; a relaxation of status of a military unit or force from an alert or operational posture. Does that sound like anything you've told officers to do while dealing with protestors?

If you, Mr. Mayor, did not issue a stand down order for LMPD during the first days of the protest, which caused major damage to downtown businesses, I sure would like to know who did. If you tell me that no one issued that type of order, then can you please tell me why officers would be so derelict in their duties?  For the life of me, I can't bring myself to believe that our LMPD officers who are sworn to protect and serve (people and property!) abandoned their training and stood by and simply watched as the King Louis XVI statue, banks, the Judicial Center, and other businesses were destroyed. To do so should be grounds for dismissal.  Yet, no one was fired. Hum, fancy that. How can you or the police chief say in one breath that you love our city, but yet in another breath allow it to be destroyed?  

Seems to me that having your cake and eating it too is causing more harm than good. Some believe that if your office would simply follow the letter of the law, destruction or the boarding up of many businesses in downtown Louisville would not have occurred? We need transparency and the assurance that law enforcement is allowed to do their jobs.  They should not be told to stand down, take it easy or look the other way when it comes to protecting the people and assets of this community. 

I support our fine women and men in blue, and believe that they do not deserve to have their bosses speak from both sides of the mouth. I, on behalf of the citizens I serve, demand that leadership in the Fischer Administration make reasonable and sound decisions and give steady and effective commands to our police force. They deserve nothing less!  

We have a lot of great, honest, decent and dedicated police officers who, I believe, respect peaceful protestors, understand and empathize with legitimate protestors, and want to do their jobs as they were trained. They seem to want to put a halt to anyone who engages in crime that destroys property, endangers innocent bystanders or protestors, and who scares the bejeebies out of the rest of us.


Let The Cat Out of the Bag

By the way, Mayor Fischer, I think it might be wise to let the cat out of the bag and tell the citizens of Louisville about the law --- the law that just might exonerate the officers involved in the shooting and death of Breonna Taylor. I have heard repeatedly that the law is on the side of the officers because, while they may have been sloppy in handling the no-knock warrant, the fact that they were in process of doing their job - serving a warrant, they would not be charged with murder.  Murder charges is what some protestors are expecting.  At the very least, protestors are wanting some type of charges against the officers. If you know anything about the Officers' Bill of Rights and how the law is structured in a case like this, I think it's high time you or the police chief begin gradually explaining to the public what "might" happen with the case and why. Citizens around the world are protesting mainly because of what happened to Breonna right here in our fair city. Anything you can do in advance to help ease the blow of the AG's announcement would be appreciated.

Let the Chips Fall Where They May:

I think the vulnerability of the case warrants some preemptive, proactive and positive positioning. If you put a plan in place before the Attorney General announces the details of the case and takes a position, at least the city will be ready for the fallout. Sometimes you just have to let the chips fall where they may ----- but, please, let's be prepared!


Take the Bull By the Horns:  On Monday, August 3rd at 2:30 p.m., the Louisville Metro Council's Government Oversight & Accountability Committee will take the bull by the horns as it launches an investigation into how Mayor Fischer and his administration handled the Breonna Taylor shooting, the protests that ensued and the death of restaurant owner David McAtee. Citizens of this community deserve transparency from its government. Hopefully, by inviting members of the Fischer Administration to testify before the Oversight Committee, we can get honest answers to questions all 26 members of the Metro Council submitted to the Committee Chairman this week. I will be listening to hear the answers to my twelve questions.

If you wish to join me in attending (virtually) the Government Oversight & Accountability Committee meeting on Monday, watch the proceedings live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 or on UVERSE at Channel 99.  Proceedings may also be streamed live from the Metro Council Clerk’s Archived Media page at http://louisville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2.


Cut Me Some SlackThere was a letter written by the Minority Caucus Chairman, Councilman Kevin Kramer (R-District 11), dated July 22, that was sent to Mayor Fischer.  The letter was a rebuke of the way in which the Mayor has appeared to handle the protests and made decisions that led or contributed to the destruction of downtown property and other menacing behavior.  I received several phone calls and emails from constituents about the letter. These constituents were upset because nine Metro Council members signed the letter, and one of them was not me.

The messages that were left on my phone were strong and demanding, and the email messages were much worse. I was reprimanded up one side and down the other.  One email message included these words: "I'm curious as to why you did not sign the letter to Mayor Fischer voicing concerns about how things have been handled especially telling LMPD to stand down. This infuriates me!...Start actually doing something for our community instead of creating groups for diversity which I consider completely asinine..."  

Needless to say, I returned every phone call and answered each email. I listened and afterwards explained my reasons for not signing the letter. (I've attached the letter to the bottom of this e-Newsletter.)

I was given an opportunity to sign on to the letter but, as I read it, typos contained throughout made me have second thoughts. I discussed the letter with Councilman Kramer and attempted to have him reword it. I also communicated to him that it would be more effective if the letter was written in the voice of the Metro Council and sent as an Op-ed in the Courier-Journal. He listened. When I sent the letter back to him with my correction, I waited for him to send it back to me to read again. The letter, however, was sent without my signature.

To be clear, I supported the tenets and spirit of the letter; the intent was pure. It was meant to bring awareness to the fact that the citizens we serve are upset at what appears to be unfortunate directives from the Mayor's office that were counterproductive, destructive and costly to our city.

As I told one of the District 7 constituents who wrote me for an explanation, I am not so self-righteous that I couldn't overlook a few errors, and I admitted that I make a few mistakes from time to time in this very e-Newsletter. But, it's just not in my nature to send or sign off on anything that knowingly has typos in it. Why should I?  Oh, and for the constituent who wrote that I should "actually do something for the community instead of creating groups of diversity," I asked her to explain to me what she meant by that.  She informed me that our community has more pressing issues than to focus on equity and inclusion.  (She referenced the new Metro Council Committee on Equity and Inclusion that President James recently established for the Council.) I listened, but respectfully disagreed. I explained to her that the reason for the continued protests around the world is due to inequities in our society.  We didn't debate the issue, as I think we both, in our heads, agreed to disagree.

Constituents of District 7 who pay attention to my actions on the Council and read my weekly e-Newsletters, would tell you (hopefully) that I am a woman of character and conviction. I lead with value, integrity and purpose, because I believe that all residents of District 7 deserve VIP representation.

I'm not perfect, but I do strive for perfection. I make mistakes, but I try to avoid them at all cost if I can. I care deeply about this community and thank God every day for the opportunity to serve as your Councilwoman. All I ask in return is the benefit of the doubt. If you think for one second that I am not doing something in the best interest of our District, please, by all means, give me a call or send me an email for an explanation, but please also Cut Me Some Slack, and not jump to conclusions or set out to give me a piece of your mind without first seeking to understand.


Go the Extra Mile:  This issue is dedicated to volunteers and volunteer opportunities.  From time to time, I include volunteer opportunities in the e-Newsletter, and this time I was inspired to do so again by a constituent who was interested in what people can do, especially from home, to help others in need.

With the novel coronavirus keeping many at home due to self isolation, caring people across the country have felt many emotions over the past few months about how some who are less fortunate will survive it all.  Many feel a sense of hopelessness in how they can help.

Please scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter to discover ways to "go the extra mile," and help those who perhaps can't help themselves.  



events

St. Matthews Street Festival

festival

The Virtual St. Matthews Street Festival is live on Saturday August 1st starting at 2:45 PM until 7:15 PM on the Street Festival Facebook Page. Enjoy performances by local and regional bands. Support local vendors via the Virtual Marketplace, featuring some favorite shops live on the Street Festival website until August 10th. Find details and links at http://stmatthewsstreetfestival.com/

While we can’t get together in person right now, we don’t want to see our community lose an event that they have supported so strongly over the years and we truly hope that we will be able to make the streets of St. Matthews rock again in 2021!

Stay healthy and rock on St. Matthews!

From The Chamber of St. Matthews

Check out the live event on Facebook!

Schedule of Events

Virtual Marketplace Open 7/27 through 8/10.

Virtual Music Festival 8/1

The Bands

2:45 – 3:30 PM – The Quires

4:00 – 4:45 PM – Definitely Pinwheels

5:15 – 6:00 PM – Brassfield

6:30 – 7:15 PM – The Rumors

To watch a video of the Street Festival, click here:  https://youtu.be/80MUTyb4ftY


Know Waste - Webinar Series

waste webinar

Kentuckiana Works and GLI Online Job Board

job

You can see which companies are hiring right now in the Louisville area and how you can apply at our new online Job Board, created in partnership with Greater Louisville Inc. in response to COVID-19. 

Job listings are based on information submitted from employers and are updated daily.


VOTER REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

vote

MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! Registration is open and can be done online.  Register, change your registration or just check to make sure you are registered at GoVoteKY.com.  The deadline to register online to vote in the 2020 General Election is October 5, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.


JCPS 2020-2021 Calendar

jcps

The Jefferson County Board of Education approved an amended calendar for 2020-21, as well as a plan that will guide us as we move through this school year.  Under the amended calendar and plan, all students will start the year on Tuesday, August 25 with Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI).  The first day for teachers and instructional/ school staff is Monday, August 10, to allow for 11 days of in-service training and professional development to help prepare for the more rigorous NTI experience that is expected in this year's 'NTI 2.0.'

The district will remain in NTI for at least the first six weeks.  At that time we will assess the learning environment and make a decision about moving forward with guidance from local, state and federal health and education officials.  When school buildings do reopen, we will provide the option of an online, virtual academy for families who do not wish to return to in-person classes.  We will continue to communicate these decisions with you as soon as they are made.

Changes on the amended calendar:

  • Students will have 171 days of instruction, instead of the 175 days typically included in the JCPS calendar. 
  • The calendar maintains 187 days for teachers and instructional/ school staff.
  • The amended calendar changes four days that had previously been non-school days for students - Oct. 6, Nov. 2, January 4, 2021 and March 26, 2021 - to instructional days. 
  • Barring weather or other delays, the last day of the school year for students and teachers/instructional staff is May 27 and May 28, 2021, respectively.

The district's plan can be found in its school opening manual, Onward, Together.


Update Your JCPS Contact Information

jcps

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) is urging families to verify that their contact information is up-to-date, and that they are registered to receive text messages from JCPS as the district prepares for the start of Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI). 

Up-to-date email addresses and phone numbers will be important for families who need to request a Chromebook and/or hotspot for the upcoming school year.  Communication from a student’s school and teachers also requires a valid email or phone number.

With job changes and work from home scenarios, existing email addresses may no longer be valid and need updating. For families currently receiving district and school emails and text messages, no action is needed at this time. 

To ensure parents and guardians are receiving information from JCPS, they are encouraged to take the following steps:

To make sure you receive text messages, simply opt in to School Messenger by texting Y to 67587.  You MUST opt in to this system to receive text messages.  Even if JCPS has your correct phone number on file, you won’t receive text messages if you haven’t opted in to School Messenger.

To receive emails from the district and your child’s school, you must have your current email address in our JCPS system.  Information can be updated in the Parent Portal. If you do not have a Parent Portal login, you can set up an account here.

If you have an existing account, go to Parent Portal and click “Log on to the Parent Portal.” 

  1. Choose Campus Parent   
  2. Enter log in credentials (user name and password)
    1. Click More
    2. Click Family Information
    3. Click Update (correct your information then click ‘Update’ again) 

Families who have previously “unsubscribed” to emails from JCPS, or reported the emails as spam, will not receive future emails.   


TECH Academy - Learn and Earn this Summer

KW summer tech


team ky

Update from the Governor

capitol

Gov. Andy Beshear updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

“We are at war with this virus. It has come to take the lives of our people, it has tried to turn everything about our lives upside down, and it’s our job to fight back,” the Governor said. “This is a war fought by every single one of us. Every single individual’s actions matter.”

Gov. Beshear again warned that without everyone complying with safety requirements – including social distancing, wearing face coverings and avoiding travel to virus hotspots – we risk squandering our hard work and facing the devastation being experienced by some other states.  

“Remember, we as a commonwealth, as a country and as planet Earth are in this war against this 1-in-100-year pandemic,” said Gov. Beshear. “It means we’ve got to show up every day to protect the health and lives of those around us, protect our economy and do everything we can to get our kids back in school.”

Case Information
As of 4 p.m. July 31, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 30,151 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 778 of which were newly reported Friday. Twenty-three of the newly reported cases were from children ages 5 and younger.

“Our positivity rate has decreased for the third straight day. But, we still have too many cases and we need to do everything we can to try to decrease those. We’re also seeing an increase of patients in the ICU,” said Gov. Beshear.

For additional information, including up-to-date lists of positive cases and deaths, as well as breakdowns of coronavirus infections by county, race and ethnicity, click here.

More Information
Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov, kycovid19.ky.gov and the Governor’s official social media accounts Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Kentuckians can also access translated COVID-19 information and daily summaries of the Governor’s news conference at teamkentuckytranslations.com.



Update from Mayor Fischer

mayor

health

Social distance, wash your hands, wear a mask

Today, Mayor Fischer and Louisville Metro Public Health & Wellness leaders updated the public about the city’s response to a surge in positive COVID-19 cases in the state. The Mayor voiced his support for Gov. Andy Beshear’s decision to close bars for two weeks and to limit capacity at restaurants, in an effort to address the uptick in cases. WATCH.



energy

Cool Roofs Rebate Available

cool roofs

The Office of Advanced Planning and Sustainability received another round of funding to continue Louisville Metro's Cool Roof Rebate Program in Fiscal Year 2020-21! The Office currently has funding available for properties located in targeted high-heat areas, including Metro Council Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14 and 15. The program aims to combat urban warming and reduce cooling costs for districts significantly impacted by Louisville's urban heat island.  The rebate provides up to $1 per square foot of cool roof that is installed with an ENERGY STAR roofing product. Rebates are available for both residential and commercial buildings and offered on a first come, first serve basis.

Curious where cool roof installations have taken place in Louisville? Check out this new ArcGIS dashboard for more details on rebate recipients and distribution. 


Get Rebates on Electric Lawn Equipment

go green

lawn

It’s no secret that gas-powered lawn equipment is bad for the air. It’s old technology, like driving a car without a catalytic converter, producing dirty, unfiltered emissions. In fact, one hour of mowing with a typical gas-powered lawnmower produces the same amount of smog-forming pollution as driving your car for 200 miles—enough to go from Louisville to Nashville. These emissions contribute significantly to ground-level air pollution and are especially harmful to sensitive groups such as children and the elderly.

The Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District's Lawn Care for Cleaner Air Program encourages Louisville Metro residents to reduce these harmful lawn-related air emissions by using much cleaner electric and human-powered lawn equipment.

Through the Lawn Care for Cleaner Air Program, Louisville Metro residents can get rebates on:

Professional Equipment Rebates

rebate

*You do not need to recycle a battery to buy a battery, but there is a limit of 4 battery rebates per string trimmer or leaf blower.

**You do not have to be a lawn care professional to take part in this program.

Residential Rebates

lawn

Lawn Care for Cleaner Air Information on Rebates

If you have questions about Lawn Care for Cleaner Air, please email us or call us at (502) 574-6000.

GET ALL THE GO GREEN INFORMATION HERE:

If you want to have less grass to mow to begin with, check out our Grow More Mow Less program page.


Sustainability Summit

sustainability

Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit

The City of Cincinnati's 2020 Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit has been reimagined as a multi-day, virtual event taking place on August 5-7, 2020.  The event will be centered around the theme “Cities of the Future: Becoming a Regenerative Region" and will kick off with an evening keynote by Majora Carter. The keynote will then be followed by 21 sessions with over 50 speakers, including a panel on "Best Practices of Peer Cities" featuring the Sustainability Coordinator from Louisville Metro Government, as well as other sustainability representatives from Bloomington and Cleveland. 

To see the full program and list of speakers, click here



VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

volunteer

Volunteer With St. Matthews Area Ministries

Contact Suzanne De Gregorio, Volunteer and Food Pantry Coordinator for opportunities....502-893-0205 or suzannedegregorio@stmam.com.

Here are some ways to help food banks from home, too:

1. Foodbank locator on Feeding America's website has information about which food banks serve the communities you care about.

2. Feeding America also has a COVID-19 relief fund set up for many to donate. Each penny that is collected through the end of their fiscal year will go directly to communities that are impacted.


Volunteer to Deliver Meals to Senior Citizens

meals

Volunteer Today!

Volunteering for Meals on Wheels is another great way to make a huge impact in a short amount of time. By delivering meals you bring nutritious food and a friendly visit to eight to 10 seniors and people with disabilities in your community.

Anyone can deliver meals, and it’s a great volunteer opportunity for families and teams of employees, as well. Sign up today and find out how easy and rewarding it is to bring nutrition and independence to your neighbors!


Volunteer to Help St. Joseph's Children's Home

For more information visit: http://sjkids.org/

st joe

St. Joseph Children’s Home is celebrating its 171st Annual St. Joe’s Picnic! However, this year, for the very first time, it will be hosted virtually. You can support St. Joe’s kids this year by registering yourself or your group as a #SJPicnic fundraiser.

From now to Picnic weekend, August 7 - 8, #SJPicnic fundraisers are encouraged to share funny or inspiring picnic stories, spread the word to friends and family of why they support St. Joe’s, as well as invite people to make a gift via their personal fundraising page. To register click here.

You can also support St. Joe’s by trying your luck at the online raffle contest. Raffle winners will be announced on August 8th at 9:00 p.m. via livestream on St. Joe’s Facebook page, and winners will be contacted directly by a St. Joe’s representative.

You can purchase raffle tickets in two ways:

  1. In-person on Picnic Day, August 8th, from noon to 5:00 p.m. at 2823 Frankfort Avenue. Please enter through the Frankfort Avenue entrance. Drive through only. For your safety and the safety of volunteers, please wear your face mask upon entering the St. Joe’s campus!
  2. Online by clicking here.

On August 8th from Noon – 5:00 p.m., participate in a cash/coin drop off by dropping off your dimes, quarters and cash donations. This is a drive through only event at St. Joe’s, 2823 Frankfort Avenue. Please wear a face mask during the event.


Volunteer to Rebuild Louisville

build back

Louisville Metro's Build Back Better, Together Initiative was created to ensure a robust, equitable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by a steering committee of key leaders in government, business and nonprofit sectors, community and neighborhood representatives, and co-chairs from seven focus area teams, the group is seeking engagement from all Louisvillians to help meet the needs of the entire community and create a new, more dynamic and equitable economy.

The Built and Natural Environment team will focus specifically on how projects and programs in existing transit, sustainability, and land development plans should be altered or accelerated in order to promote health and well-being and prepare for future shocks. 

If you're interested in getting involved, click here


Volunteer to Sew Masks!

masks

If you sew, you can sign up to make masks at hourofneed.org. Hour of Need will provide 100% cotton or cotton-blend fabric for masks per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and drop them off at your doorstep. If you don't sew, you can make tax-deductible contributions to get masks made on the same website. Every $5 supports the production of about three masks, and each $1,000 can support about 600 masks. 

WHAT: An organization that provides free materials to sewists to make DIY masks, which are then donated to organizations fighting the coronavirus on the front lines. 

MORE INFORMATION: Donate at give.louisville.edu/UofLHealth or sign up to make masks at hourofneed.org

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky’s ‘Hour of Need’ is rallying volunteers to sew face masks for health care workers


It's Election Time

Volunteer to Phone Bank for a Candidate

bank

Quite clearly candidates win campaigns by getting the most votes. A big part of getting votes is reaching out to voters and letting them know who the candidate is, what the candidate stands for and why they should vote for the candidate.  While a lot of campaigns create a phone banking center, some, especially the smaller ones, create a phone banking script and ask VOLUNTEERS to call from the comfort of their homes using a campaign phone, a special app or a phone banking tool that can be used from a personal computer.  Have a favorite candidate?  Call her or him and volunteer!  


volunteer

Here are a few more examples that many can choose from at home:

Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is a free 24/7 national crisis-intervention and counseling service conducted exclusively through SMS text. Volunteers use the nonprofit’s web-based platform to provide emotional support to texters who are dealing with a wide range of issues– bullying, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and more. Prospective volunteers go through screening and a lengthy self-paced training. Once completed, volunteers sign-up to take one four-hour shift each week for a year.

BookShare.Org
Book Share offers thousands of books to people with reading disabilities. As an online volunteer you can either scan books to be added to the collection or edit books that have been scanned.

Translators Without Borders
Translators Without Borders recruits volunteers who want to translate texts into different languages for NGOs and nonprofits.

Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes is a free mobile app with one main goal: to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people. The app connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers from all over the world through a live video call.

Catchafire
Catchafire uses their website to match professionals with nonprofits based on their skills, cause interest and time availability. You’ll find tons of skills-based volunteering opportunities, many of which can be completed virtually.

Smithsonian Digital Volunteer program
The Smithsonian Digital Volunteer program engages the public in making its collections more accessible. Digital volunteers transcribe historic documents and collection records to facilitate research and preserve these valuable assets for future generations.

Amnesty Decoders
Amnesty Decoders is an innovative platform for volunteers around the world to use their computers or phones to help our researchers sift through pictures, information and documents. Join a global network of digital volunteers helping us research and expose human rights violations.

Career Village
Career Village is an online platform where students ask career questions that are answered by people working, or that have worked, in that field. All you need is a LinkedIn account to start helping students become better informed about the career decisions they are facing.



just for fun

Wacky Holidays in August

calendar

DID YOU KNOW?

July 26th was All or Nothing Day. How did your day go?

Here is how this holiday goes:  Are you in or are you out? Will you have it all....or nothing? To participate in this special day, you must be "all in". If you select nothing, then by definition, you've chosen not to participate in this fun and very special day. It's as simple as that.

How would one describe All or Nothing Day. First of all, it's a day to make a decision. No waffling or procrastinating is allowed. It is certainly a day of extremes. If you're a gambler, it's a day to go for broke. There's definitely no grey area in how you spend this day.

We hope you had it all on All or Nothing Day, and every day.


Other Interesting National Holidays Celebrated in August:

August 1   National Mustard Day

August 1   National Spider-Man Day

August 10 National Lazy Day

August 12 National Middle Child Day

August 16 National Tell A Joke Day

August 22 National Tooth Fairy Day

August 24 National Waffle Day

August 28 National Red Wine Day



Tune in to View Metro Council Meetings

city hall

NOTICE: All Metro Council meetings are carried live on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 and  U-verse Channel 99.

The meetings are also available online at the Metro Council home page at http://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/metro-council-clerk. Click on the“Watch Meetings Online” button.  

OR access prior or current meetings here:

http://louisville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2.

Agendas for these meetings can be viewed using the following link:

http://louisville.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2


State Government Website Information

ky

Click Here for State Government Website

Click Here to:  View All Agencies


Kentucky General Assembly

general assembly

Click Here to Visit Website for Laws, State Legislators, Watch Bills, etc

Click here for more info.



LETTER TO THE MAYOR

letterletter