The 2020-2021 flu season is upon us, and it’s time to proactively keep its effects to a minimum while our healthcare system is focusing on efforts to combat COVID-19. There are many similarities between the flu and COVID-19. Both are contagious respiratory illnesses that can lead to severe illness for many. However, a vaccine is available now for the flu virus.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends the flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older. To best protect yourself and others, please get a flu vaccine this season. Immunizations are considered preventative services and are covered by most health insurance companies with no out of pocket expenses to pay.

For more information about flu and where to get vaccinated, please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/health-wellness/flu.

Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is encouraging all Veterans to get their flu shot NOW. Did you know that Veterans are approved to get their flu shot through one of VA's Community Care Network providers? Visit https://www.prevention.va.gov/flu/ to find a current in-network location near you.

Also, the Robley Rex VA Medical Center is offering Veterans drive-thru flu shot service every Wednesday from 12:00 - 3:45 p.m.  Call (502) 287-4000 for more information.

Metro Council will vote tonight on an ordinance to create a Civilian Review and Accountability Board and an Office of Inspector General.  These are the next steps in our efforts for reform of LMPD, recognizing that to be effective the department must have the faith, trust, respect, and support of the community.

Tonight’s vote follows the efforts of a broad-based work group, on which I served.  I am proud to be one of the three sponsors of the ordinance and particularly pleased to see the creation of the Inspector General’s office, with broad, independent investigatory powers.

Creation of a robust, sustainable civilian oversight system is long overdue.  Prior to merger, the Board of Aldermen created a civilian review board for the old City of Louisville.  That went away with merger and Metro Council has failed to create an effective system. 

Tonight’s vote is an important step for the community.

There will be no residential garbage, recycling, or yard waste collection within the Louisville Metro Urban Services District (former Louisville city limits) on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26.

Residents who normally have garbage/recycling collection on Thursday will have service instead on Friday, November 27. The regular Friday collection will be delayed until Saturday, November 28. (As previously announced, Thursday and Friday yard waste will be collected on Saturday, November 28.) Collection will also be delayed in the City of St. Matthews.

Staffed recycling centers, the Metro Waste Reduction Center and the Haz Bin hazardous waste facility will be closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27. Leaf drop-off will also not be available those days. All four services will resume on Saturday.

To view your collection schedule and stay informed about changes, download the Recycle Coach app or use the app on the Public Works website. Residents outside the Urban Service District who rely on private haulers for garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection should consult those haulers about their holiday collection schedule.

Metro offices, including the D9 office, will be closed on Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27. Kyle and I will return on November 30.

Residents who normally receive Metro yard waste collection on Thursdays or Fridays will temporarily receive collection on Saturdays until January 16, 2021.

This change is due to COVID-19 constraints on waste collection staff and operations. Garbage and recycling routes and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday yard waste routes are not affected. 

After January 16 and until April 5, the yard waste winter schedule will begin and all yard waste will be collected on the household's regular collection day BY METRO311 REQUEST ONLY.

Even though it may save you time, it is against Louisville Metro Ordinance to blow leaves from your yard into the street. Louisville Metro Code 97.071 prohibits blowing leaves, grass clippings or other material into the public right-of-way. That’s important to keep the streets and gutters open and safe.

Instead of blowing your leaves or other debris into the street, please utilize the free leaf drop-off that is going on now through December 12. If you live in the Urban Service District (USD), residents can set out leaves in containers or paper bags for collection during normal yard waste collection. For reminders on yard waste guidelines, please click here.

Mowing over leaves to mulch them back into your lawn is a great option for reducing waste. Mulching not only returns vital nutrients to the soil, but experts say that it can help your grass grow even better the following year!

Of course, residents with yard waste collection can also set them out in containers or paper bags. And all Louisville Metro residents have the option to dispose of them for free at one of three drop-off sites now through December 12.

Drop-off will not be available on November 26 and 27 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Only loose leaves will be accepted. Containers used to bring leaves to the drop-off sites must be disposed of off-site by residents.

Leaf drop off sites:

• Public Works Yard, 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane) Tuesday – Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Public Works East District Operations Center, 595 North Hubbards Lane Tuesday – Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue Tuesday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Work is underway to eliminate hundreds of tripping hazards on Frankfort Avenue sidewalks.  We recently appropriated $44,486 of D9 funds, and Metro Public Works has contracted with Precision Concrete Cutting, a company which eliminates tripping hazards by cutting away sections that produce the hazard.  The current work is on Frankfort Avenue sidewalks from Pope Street to Cannons Lane.

Those sections are actually the responsibility of the state and Metro doesn’t use general fund sidewalk money to repair them.  In fact, though, the state has very limited funds for sidewalk repair and we have to use D9 funds if repairs are going to be made.

This is the first step in a major Frankfort Avenue sidewalk repair project. After the current work, we’ll determine which sections needs to be replaced entirely and develop a plan for them. 

Be careful on the sidewalks as the work progresses.

I’m frequently contacted by D9 constituents regarding the crosswalks on Frankfort Avenue and other parts of the District. Many drivers either don’t know the rules regarding crosswalks, or choose not to follow them.  It makes it difficult and dangerous for pedestrians to cross the street. 

The law is clear – vehicles need to yield to pedestrians at marked crosswalks and not overtake or pass a vehicle which is stopped to follow that law. KRS 189.570 (4) and (5).

Having drivers follow the law is particularly important for D9’s large blind and visually impaired community. KRS 189.575 provides that all operators of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any blind pedestrian carrying a clearly visible white cane or accompanied by an assistance dog.

Please look out for pedestrians on all of our streets and follow the law by yielding to them. Thanks for helping make D9 a safer and more walkable community!

On July 16, we reported on a demolition permit for a rickhouse located at the corner of Lexington Road and Payne Street, Case No. BLD-WRE-20-00194. More information about the demolition permit application is available here.  The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Irish Hill Neighborhood Association circulated a petition “requesting that the Louisville Metro Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission conduct a study and hold a public hearing to determine if Nelson Distillery Warehouse (NDW), 100 Distillery Commons Dr. should be established as an Individual Local Landmark.”  That designation would require that the demolition of the building be additionally reviewed and approved by the Landmarks Commission in a public hearing. This review, as well as the Designation hearing, would include a review of potential economic hardship.  

On Thursday, December 17, 2020, the Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission will hold a public hearing to review the petition proposing designation of the building as an Individual Landmark.  More information is below.

Pop-Up Drop-Offs are free recycling and large item disposal events for residents of Jefferson County. These events will pop up around the county once per month, from March through November. Use the Recycle Coach app to receive notifications about future events or view them on the app calendar. (Download the app in the Apple Store or Google Play.) Or check the Pop-Up Drop-Off website for updates. 

The last Pop-Up event for 2020 will be held on Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the University of Louisville’s Shelby Campus, 440 N. Whittington Parkway.

ACCEPTED ITEMS

• Electronics (up to 3 items) - recycled
• Metal & appliances (no refrigerators or any items containing coolant) - recycled
• Passenger tires (up to 4) - recycled
• Household recyclables (follow curbside rules) - recycled
• Yard waste (follow curbside rules) - composted
• Large household items - landfill
• Paper shredding - recycled
• Prescription medication - disposed properly

NOT ACCEPTED

• Garbage, loose debris
• Concrete, bricks, rocks
• Construction materials
• Refrigerators or items containing coolant
• Paint
• Batteries
• Tree trunks
• Light bulbs
• Boats
• Hot tubs
• Household hazardous waste
• Items from businesses
• Items on trailers greater than 10 feet in length

COVID-19 POLICIES

• Staff will wear personal protective equipment, including face coverings, and will stay at least 6 feet away from citizens.
• Citizens should remain in their vehicle if possible and must wear a face covering if exiting their vehicle. 

On Tuesday, December 8, the 9th District office, in partnership with U of L Hospital and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, will offer mammograms at the Peterson-Dumesnil House, 301 S. Peterson Avenue.  To make an appointment, please contact my office at 574-3908.  Mammograms are for women age 40 and over. There is no cost to eligible women without insurance.  Women with insurance will need to bring their card so a claim may be filed.

Holiday Donations

Help a family purchase presents for their children by donating a $25 Target/Walmart gift card(s) for St. MAM’s Adopt a Child Program. Please drop off these Christmas gift cards by Monday, November 30 at St. MAM.

Also, please consider making a $10 Kroger gift card donation to help cover the cost of a ham for a family to purchase this Christmas season. Current hours for drop-off donations are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Questions, please call 893-0205.

Volunteer Opportunities

Currently St. MAM has the following volunteer needs.

• Food Pantry
  • Retail Pick-ups on Monday – Thursday mornings. St. MAM needs drivers to pick up donated goods and deliver them to St. MAM.
  • Food Prep/Organization/Distribution on Tuesday and Thursdays from 9:00 – Noon and Noon – 3:00 p.m.
  • Substitutes on Monday – Thursday to cover when regular volunteers are sick or out of town.
• Office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays from Noon – 2:00 p.m. to help answer phones, provide client intake and file.
• If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Suzanne at SuzanneDeGregorio@stmam.com.

Annual Scouting for Food Day – Saturday, November 21

St. MAM would like to remind you that this Saturday is the annual Scouting for Food Day.  The Boy Scouts will be coming door-to-door for donations for local pantries. St. MAM is one of the five main sites Dare to Care identifies, but it’s up to each troop on where they take the donated items.  

Christmas Connection Program

The holidays are just around the corner and United Crescent Hill Ministries (UCHM) believes that it will be incredibly important to embrace the spirit of giving for this upcoming holiday season. UCHM is excited to kick off the Annual Christmas Connection program, a program dedicated to ensuring that the children in the area can have a cheerful and fulfilling holiday.

This year’s program will look a little different. UCHM is asking sponsors for donations in the form of cash or check. These donations will be used by UCHM staff and volunteers to purchase $100 gift cards to Target, Walmart, or Amazon and $25 Kroger gift cards, one for each child in a family. These gift cards will allow families to prioritize their needs, as well as give them the dignity of providing for their family in the best way that they see fit. Sponsoring a family for this program helps tremendously in taking the stress out of the Christmas season, and focusing on the joy.

If you are interested in donating or sponsoring a family, please click here or call 502-893-0346. If you have any additional questions, please contact Emily Purdy at epurdy@uchmlouky.org.

Volunteer Opportunities

Currently UCHM has the following volunteer opportunities available.

• United Learning Day Program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• Food Pantry Volunteer on Mondays – Thursday from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• SOAR Program Volunteer
• To learn more about these and other opportunities, please visit https://www.uchmlouky.org/volunteer/.

Next week marks the beginning of the Holiday shopping season and an important time for local retailers. Stores and restaurants along Frankfort Avenue, Chenoweth Lane, Shelbyville Road, Mellwood Avenue and everywhere else in D9 are all counting on a big season in this most difficult year – and they need your help to ensure our local economy stays strong and vibrant. Please help support our D9 businesses!

Many local businesses have either online or curbside service, or both, so you can shop locally while keeping you and your family safe. The Louisville Independent Business Alliance has created an online, multi-vendor eCommerce site at www.ShopLocalLou.com, which will be live next week.

Please check out our local businesses and help them out when you can. 

The Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) hoLOUdays Silent Auction is open for bidding through November 24. Proceeds will help fund LIBA’s efforts to spread the “Buy Local” message through these pandemic holidays and into 2021!

Items included in the auction are gift cards, ready-made gift baskets, treats, experiences and more - start your holiday shopping here!

Please check it out and bid on some treasures, https://www.32auctions.com/holoudaysonlineauction.

Tickets for this year's Winter Woods Spectacular are on sale now! Go to https://www.winterwoodsspectacular.org/. Proceeds from this amazing event support our parks through the Louisville Parks Foundation.

Whitehall's traditional Victorian Christmas Tea is going to look different this year. Whitehall is offering Tea for Two boxes to go! Each box will include a variety of sweet and savory treats, plus Bigelow tea bags. Boxes will also include two certificates to return and tour the mansion, plus a chance to win a door prize. The cost is $70 per box (serves two). Curbside pickup will be on Saturday, December 5 from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Boxes must be reserved in advance. To purchase Tea for Two boxes, call 897-2944 or click here to purchase directly from Whitehall’s website.

Support the Louisville East Lions Club during the Poinsettia fundraiser. Pre-order 16-18” red poinsettias for $12 each or $30 for three. Pre-orders end on December 1. Click here to order.

Flower pickup is scheduled for Saturday, December 5 between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at St. Leonard Catholic Church, 440 Zorn Avenue.

What is your family story? Consider participating in the Unfair Housing in Louisville: A Legacy Project. An oral history project focused on documenting, understanding, and preserving the history of housing discrimination in Louisville.

Are you interested in participating in an interview to document your history with housing discrimination in Louisville? Please contact the Metropolitan Housing Coalition at Tony@MetropolitanHousing.org or call 584-6858.