If you’ve been complaining about litter, please mark your calendar and plan to join your neighbors on Saturday, October 23, to do something about it at the D9 Fall Community Cleanup.

In partnership with Brightside, volunteers will be working along the Frankfort Avenue corridor, picking up litter, working on tree wells and generally making things brighter and cleaner. Volunteers should plan to meet at 9:00 a.m. at the public parking lot at Frankfort and Keats Avenues. The District 9 office will provide bags, gloves, tools and t-shirts on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to register your own neighborhood team through Brightside, please click here.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and Louisville Metro Government are partnering to complete the repaving and rightsizing of Lexington Road, from Stilz Ave/Garden Dr to Frankfort Ave/Shelbyville Rd. This project will restripe the street from 4 lanes to 3 lanes with a center turn lane and dedicated left turn lanes at key intersections, matching the previously completed segments from Grinstead Dr to Stilz Ave/Garden Dr.

Milling and repaving started this week. Most of the work is scheduled in the evening to minimize traffic disruptions.

Learn more about the rightsizing in this presentation from a September 14, 2021 Public Meeting.

The Payne Street and Clifton Avenue improvement project has received the green light to move forward with construction. Included in the work will be a new sidewalk, pavers, curb & gutter, pavement markings and two marked crosswalks across Clifton Avenue and Payne Street. Once the roadway is complete, Metro Public Works will be installing a four-way stop at this intersection.

Drive carefully in the area as the work proceeds.

Developers of "One Park North", the proposed project on Lexington Road near Grinstead Drive, across Lexington from "One Park", published plans on Tuesday, just before a “charrette” where comments were taken. The plans, which include several alternatives, are available online at https://oneparklouisville.com.

The developer is expected to make a formal application to rezone the property, after which more public hearings will be scheduled.

More information about the project is in this WDRB report.

It’s time to clean house and get ready for another junk collection if you live in the 9^th District Urban Services District (USD). You may begin setting out your junk Friday, October 15 in the afternoon. All junk must be set out by Monday, October 18 at 6:00 a.m.

Some items (hazardous materials, construction debris, etc.) are not collected and THESE RULES ARE STRICTLY ENFORCED. We continue to hear from residents who have set out construction debris and are disappointed when it is not collected, and they are forced to remove it. Please avoid this by following collection guidelines: http://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/services/junk-and-bulk-trash-disposal.

Sign up for junk set out reminders by email and text, click here! To see if you are in the collection area, go to http://mapit.louisvilleky.gov/, enter your address and check under “sanitation services.”

CSX Railroad has scheduled railroad crossing work the week of October 18. The following crossings will be affected and closed for some periods during that week.

All but the last two crossings are near Frankfort Avenue. 

• Jane Street
• Keats Avenue
• Ewing Avenue
• Hite Avenue
• Birchwood Avenue
  
  
• Clover Lane at Westport Road
• Hubbards Lane

The League of Women Voters will host a community forum on Fair Maps 2021 Redistricting: Gerrymandering vs Fair Maps at the Lang House, 115 S. Ewing Avenue, on Monday, October 18. Check in and networking begins at 5:30 p.m. with the program scheduled from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Guest speakers include Dee Pregliasco and Susan Perkins Weston. This event is free to attend, but seating is limited. Reservations are required. Register online here, call 895-5218 or email LWVLouisville@gmail.com.  

Pop-Up Drop-Offs are free recycling and large item disposal events for residents of Jefferson County. Through a partnership between the Department of Public Works, the Waste Management District, and Metro Council, these events are held monthly, March through November, at various locations.

The October event is scheduled for Saturday, October 23, from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Louisville Metro Fleet Services, 3515 Newburg Road.

Residents can have documents shredded, recycle electronics, tires, and scrap metal, dispose of prescription medication and bulky items, and compost yard debris. Items must be separated into those various categories for easy off-loading at each area. Limitations and guidelines are found at Louisvilleky.gov/PopUps. 

The goal is to give all Jefferson County residents opportunities to dispose of unwanted items properly and to keep as much material out of the landfill as possible. 

Future events will be announced and are posted on the Recycle Coach app calendar.

You can also recycle up to three electronic devices, up to four tires, and dispose of up to three large household items for free, year-round at the Waste Reduction Center at 636 Meriwether Avenue. 

Watch this video to learn more about the Pop-Up Drop-Off events! 

The Louisville Fire Department (LFD) serves the Urban Services District (the former city limits). Their services include fire protection, emergency medical response, rescue, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, public education, and arson investigation. The fire companies respond to over 42,000 calls annually. Additionally, they provide basic fire safety inspections in over 18,000 homes and conduct required inspections of over 7,000 commercial structures each year. Your opinion is important to LFD. Please click here to take the customer survey.

The Olmsted Parks October Challenge, presented by Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Sam Swope Family Foundation, is a virtual fitness challenge where participants can walk, run, bike, or hike in the Olmsted Parks now until Sunday, October 24 and be entered to win special prizes! The more challenges completed, the more chances to win! For more info and to register, visit www.olmstedparks.org/activities/olmsted-parks-october-challenge

The conservancy is also bringing back the Hayride on the Hill in Cherokee Park on Sunday, October 24 from 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Join in for food, beverages, live music, kids’ Free Play experience, and guided hayrides around the park! For more information, please visit www.olmstedparks.org/events/event/2021-hayride-on-the-hill.

And finally, Olmsted Parks Conservancy is hosting a West Sixth Beer Garden in Seneca Park on Friday, October 29 from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. There will be food trucks, music, lawn games, and a vaccine clinic. For more information, please visit www.olmstedparks.org/events/event/beer-garden-at-seneca-park

Annual Jack O’ Lantern Spectacular runs through Sunday, October 31 at Iroquois Park, 1080 Amphitheater Road. 5,000 artistically-carved pumpkins line a ¼ mile trail and illuminate an organic art gallery. For tickets and more information, please click here.

Free Dive in Movie on Friday, October 22, at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center, 201 Reservoir Avenue, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Plan to watch the movie, Beetlejuice. No registration is required and children must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. Questions, please call 574-1498.

Halloween in Brown Park on Saturday, October 23, from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. This is a free event. Trick-or-treating will begin promptly at 11:30 a.m. at the pavilion. For more information, please click here.

Ghost Stories by the Fire on Friday, October 29, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center, 201 Reservoir Avenue. No registration is required and children must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. Questions, please call 574-1498.

St. Matthews Area Ministries (St. MAM) relies on volunteer staff to operate its food pantry. Volunteers stock shelves, pack food boxes, run errands, organize the pantry, distribute food and more.

Contact Suzanne, Volunteer and Food Pantry Coordinator, for opportunities at 502-893-0205 or email suzannedegregorio@stmam.com.  Someone will get back with you as soon as possible to find out how schedules and skills can work together.

Preliminary work has begun to rehabilitate sewer lines and manholes on Saunders Avenue, Bickel Road, Crescent Springs Drive, Ledgeview Park Drive, S Ewing Avenue, and S. Peterson Avenue so MSD can continue to provide safe, clean waterways.

The sewer lines, made of vitrified clay and reinforced concrete, have served the area since the early 1900s. To rehabilitate them, MSD will insert a cured-in-place liner—through existing manholes—eliminating the need for excavation. The liner essentially forms a new pipe inside of the existing one.

This work is part of MSD Connects, a comprehensive sewer rehabilitation project designed to improve and add years of service life to Louisville’s aging sewer pipes.

Construction is scheduled to begin this month and be complete in January 2022. Of course, this schedule is subject to weather conditions. Click here for a map with durations of each phase.

If you have any questions concerning the project or any onsite crews, you may contact the contractor’s representative, Samantha Palko, at 502.377.1937 or email at spalko@ulllimanschutte.com.

Additionally, MSD Customer Relations can take your call 24/7 at 502.540.6000 or via email at CustomerRelations@louisvillemsd.org.

The Peterson-Dumesnil House Foundation launched its first ever capital campaign in November of 2019 when the House turned 150 years old. The goal was to raise $325,000 - all to be used on preservation and major improvements for the House and grounds. By February of 2020 the campaign had already raised over 50% of the goal, but then Covid hit. Despite those challenges, the campaign surpassed its goal by 7% and raised more than $348,000.

More than $25,000 of capital campaign funds have already been put to use with improvements like wallpaper removal and painting of the front entry hall, carpet removal and restoration of the Grand Staircase, and painting the two “great” rooms on the first floor. Other major projects in the works include a complete renovation of both second story bathrooms, restoration of the upper eaves, and an expanded event garden to host larger outdoor weddings and events. 

Congratulations to the Peterson-Dumesnil House Foundation on a successful campaign and the continued restoration and maintenance of this Louisville Landmark. Learn more about it here.   

ADOPTOBER

Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS) is celebrating Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month with free large dog adoptions for approved adopters, who will also receive a free dog crate for their new four-legged companion, thanks to the non-profit Friends of Metro Animal Services (FOMAS). Every adoption includes spay/neuter, microchip, and vaccinations. To view adoptable pets or to complete an adoption application before your visit, click here. Animal House Adoption Center, located at 3516 Newburg Road is open from 12-6pm daily, no appointment required.

BOGO KITTENS

Here’s a deal to meow about – BOGO kitten adoptions are now just a $25 donation for approved adopters. Mix and match your purrfect pair at Animal House Adoption Center. Spay/neuter, microchip, and vaccinations are always included with every adoption. Meet all of the adoptable kittens through LMAS at Animal House, 3516 Newburg Road, open to walk-ins from 12-6pm daily. For more info about BOGO kitten adoptions, call 502-473-pets.

We publish this newsletter every other week, with the next edition scheduled for October 28. For up-to-date announcements between newsletters, we update our blog, Facebook page and Twitter feed. You can access the blog here, and, if you wish, sign up for blog updates by email at that site (they are relatively rare, so we don’t overload mailboxes). You can also like the “Councilman Bill Hollander” Facebook page and follow “Bill Hollander” on Twitter.