Councilwoman
Paula McCraney
601 W. Jefferson Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 574-1107
Click Here to Email Councilwoman McCraney:
Visit the District 7 Website
Follow Councilwoman McCraney on Facebook and Twitter:
@PaulaMcCraneyD7
Phone Numbers
of Interest
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
Property Valuation Administration: 502-574-6380
Public Works: 574-5810
Solid Waste Management (SWMS): 574-3571
TARC: 585-1234
Veteran's Affairs: 595-4447
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Hello Neighbors and Friends,
I ran across these 10 fun facts about New Year's Day, so I decided to share them with you. I hope you find them as interesting as I did when I found them reading the following blog: Ten Fun New Year's Facts & Traditions - Today's Life Schools & Child Care (todayslifeonline.com)
How much do you know about the holiday?
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The first New Year’s celebration dates back 4,000 years. Julius Caesar, the emperor of Rome, was the first to declare Jan. 1 a national holiday. He named the month after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gates. Janus had two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. Caesar felt that a month named after this god would be fitting.
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Forty-five percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. The top resolutions are: to lose weight, get organized, to spend less and save more, to stay fit and healthy, and to quit smoking. While nearly half of all Americans make resolutions, 25 percent of them give up on their resolutions by the second week of January.
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Be sure to eat leafy greens on New Year’s. Tradition says that the more leafy greens a person eats, the more prosperity he or she will experience (what an incentive for staying healthy!). Tradition also says that legumes bring prosperity because beans and peas look like coins. No wonder why so many people eat black eyed peas on Jan. 1.
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Many people ring in New Year’s by popping open a bottle of champagne. Americans drink close to 360 million glasses of sparkling wine during this time. The bubbly stuff dates back to the 17th century, when the cork was invented.
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About 1 million people gather in New York City’s Times Square to watch the ball drop. The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop came about because of a ban on fireworks. The first ball in 1907 was 700 pounds and was lit with 100 25-watt lights. The current ball puts the old one to shame (thanks to technology). Today, it is covered in 2,688 crystals, is lit by 32,000 LED lights, weighs 11,875 pounds and is 12 feet in diameter.
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Remember the last scene in When Harry Met Sally, when Harry references a song after he and Sally kiss? It wasAuld Lang Syne, a song traditionally sung at the end of New Year’s parties. Poet Robert Burns wrote it in 1788. Though most people do not know the words to Auld Lang Syne, the overall message is that people have to remember their loved ones, dead or alive, and keep them close in their hearts.
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If Santa is the most common symbol associated with Christmas, then Baby New Year is the symbol most commonly associated with….you guessed it, New Year’s! Baby New Year is often seen in a diaper, black top hat, and a sash showing the numbers of the new year. Myth states that he matures into an old man during the year.
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Make sure to be surrounded by family or loved ones on New Year’s Eve. The first person you come across in the new year could set the tone for the next 12 months. This applies to couples, as well. If a couple celebrating New Year’s together does not kiss, the future of the relationship might be splitsville, so be sure to lay one on your significant other.
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At the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia, 10,000 participants step through City Hall and perform in unique costumes. The parade dates back to mid-17th-century, incorporating elements from Irish, German, English, Swedish and other European heritages. The parade itself is divided into five divisions: a comic division, wench brigades, fancy division, string bands, and fancy bridges. If you are in the area for New Year’s, be sure to check out this event.
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According to statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, vehicles are stolen on New Year’s Day more than any other holiday. Don’t think your old car is safe, either. In 2011, the 1994 Honda Accord was the most stolen car. To discourage car theft, make sure your car is in a populated area and always take your keys.
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NOTICE: The Council office will be closed Monday, January 2, 2023, in observance of New Year's Day. We will open Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 8:00 a.m.
ALL ARE INVITED TO THE HISTORIC CITY HALL ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2023, AT 601 W. JEFFERSON ST., ON THE 3RD FLOOR IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 4:00 PM. FOR THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
COME WITNESS THE ELECTION OF A NEW METRO COUNCIL PRESIDENT, MEET THE NEWEST METRO COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND FIND OUT WHO THE NEW LEADERS ARE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN CAUCUSES.
Of course, if you are unable to join us in person, click HERE to watch the Council meeting and access the agenda and related attachments.
Here is a brief agenda of the Swearing-In Council meeting:
Every country has its own ways to bring good luck while ringing in the coming year. Many groups start the year off with good luck foods: beans, round foods and noodles are often high on the list, as well as some tasty desserts. Other cultures put stock in what they wear, letting your wardrobe usher in good health, money or love. Then again, where you are when the clock strikes midnight could carry more importance than what you're wearing. There are plenty of traditions you can follow to go into 2023 with a fresh start. Check out some of these traditions.
Keep Windows Open. Doors too!
It's a common superstition that opening the doors and windows will let the old year out, and the new year in unimpeded. Let's hope this old year goes out as quickly as possible, so you don't let all the warm air out with it.
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Eat 12 Grapes
Yes, exactly 12, one at each stroke of midnight to represent each month of the New Year. "Eating one grape at each of midnight’s 12 clock chimes guarantees you a lucky year — if and only if you simultaneously ruminate on their significance," according to Atlas Obscura. "If you fail to conscientiously finish your grapes by the time the clock stops chiming, you’ll face misfortune in the new year." Now, that's a lot to chew on!
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Decorate Your Front Door with Onions!
To Greeks, onions are a symbol of good luck and fertility, because they sprout even when no one is paying attention to them. On New Year's Eve, families in Greece hang bundles of onions above their doors as a means of inviting that prosperity into the home. On New Year's Day, parents also wake up their children by gently bonking their kids on the head with the onions that were outside.
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Choose Your Underwear Carefully
Certain countries, especially in Latin America, believe that the color of your underwear can bring good things to you in the next 12 months. Yellow is for luck, red is for love, and white undies bring peace. And for heaven's sake, make sure they're clean and free of holes!
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New Year's Bash at Joe's Palm Room - The Café New Year's Eve with Carly Johnson - New Year’s Eve in France at Holy Grale - New Year’s Eve in the Conservatory - Ken Bowl's New Year's Eve Rockin' Doubles Daytime Tournament - New Year's Eve Bash at Tin Roof - New Year’s Eve at 3rd Turn - New Year's Eve at West Sixth NuLu - New Year's Eve at Gravely Brewing Co - Ring in the New Year at Gordon Biersch - New Year’s Eve in The Raven - New Year's Eve Dance and Party at Amvets post 61 Kentucky - New Year's Eve Party at Polo Fields Golf & Country Club - New Year's Eve 2023 at Howl at the Moon - TEN20 New Year's Eve Party - New Year's Eve Game Night at Old Louisville Brewery - ABX New Year's Celebration at RedBud Dancehall - Bourbon Thieves Rockin' New Year's at Frankfort Avenue Liquor
See below under "Upcoming Events" for other fun things to do to ring in the new year.
Dear Community Partner,
As family and friends travel and take time this holiday season to spend with loved ones, we will be taking a break from sending out the weekly construction update until after the New Year. You can expect the next update to be published January 9. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about the construction process in the meantime. Keep in mind responses may be delayed if questions are received outside of our regular office hours, which are 8am-5pm Monday through Friday or federal holidays.
Thank you,
USACE Louisville District Public Affairs
To read about the most recent VA Medical Center construction events, go to:
https://www.va.gov/louisville-health-care/programs/new-robley-rex-va-medical-center
To request weekly updates about the construction events, send an email requesting updates to: LOUVAMCCONSTRUCTION@USACE.ARMY.MIL
For ALL construction-related inquiries, please email:
LOUVAMCCONSTRUCTION@USACE.ARMY.MIL
Check us out on social media:
On New Year’s Day, millions of people will dutifully eat some amount of black-eyed peas with the hope that it will lead to prosperity throughout next year. This superstition has its strongest hold on people with some connection to the South, whether by birth, bloodlines, or current residency. For people who don’t fall into one of those categories, and even for many who do, the tradition is a bit of a head-scratcher. James Beard Award-winning author Adrian Miller provides answers and shares his family recipe for the New Year’s Day staple.
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Are you going to a New Year’s Eve party? If you are, make sure you are protected against COVID-19 and the flu. No one has time for these viruses – a new year is here and you have lots to do and lots to look forward to.
Both viruses can be serious and can cause severe illness. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines. There’s still time to get yours if you haven’t already. Be sure to visit vaccine.gov to schedule an appointment.
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From WDRB.com
Louisville Water customers will see a slight increase on their monthly bills starting Jan. 1. The company announced in November that the move to raise rates is an effort to help offset increased costs to keep the city's drinking water clean.
That means about $1.10 more per month for the average customer, the water company said. For example, officials said those who use about 4,000 gallons of water a month can expect to pay about $27.
Louisville Water said inflation is hitting hard. Chemicals to help treat water, along with construction materials to maintain water mains have increased anywhere from roughly 30% to 50%.
The company's 2023 capital budget is $117 million, according to a news release. Most of the funds go towards maintaining and installing infrastructure. That includes funding for more than 40 projects that will replace older and smaller water mains, improving filters and pump station facilities at the Crescent Hill Water Treatment Plant, and upgrading water meters in an effort to transition thousands of customers to monthly billing.
Additionally, the company said funding will help design infrastructure that will deliver more water to Bullitt, Nelson and Hardin counties to "support the growth from Ford's electric battery plants and the expansion of bourbon distilleries."
Louisville Water officials project the region "will need 33.6 billion gallons of drinking water in 2023, roughly the same amount as 2022." The company serves customers in Louisville Metro, as well as Oldham and Bullitt counties.
For the second year in a row, the Louisville Free Public Library has surpassed the 1 million digital check out milestone. With a record-breaking 1,235,000 eBooks checked out in 2022, LFPL continues to enjoy strong growth and interest in library eBooks and downloadable audiobooks.
LFPL has been providing patrons with 24/7 access to eBooks and audiobooks since 2011, with usage growing every year. Total checkouts of print books, eBooks, and audiobooks neared 4 million in 2022 – with eBooks accounting for nearly a third of that total.
Access to the Library’s vast catalog is free to all LFPL cardholders, and anyone living, working, owning property, or going to school in Jefferson County is eligible. To learn more, visit LFPL.org or stop by any of the library’s 17 area locations.
Check out LFPL’s most borrowed books, eBooks, and audiobooks in 2022:
Top eBooks
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The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
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Verity by Colleen Hoover
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Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
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The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
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Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Top Fiction Books (print)
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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
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The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
- The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
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Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
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Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Top Nonfiction Books (print)
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Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner
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Untamed by Glennon Doyle
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Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
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A Dark Room in Glitterball City: Murder, Secrets, and Scandal in Old Louisville
by David Domine
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Becoming by Michelle Obama
Top Audiobooks
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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
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The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
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Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
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Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
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Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
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December 31st, 8 p.m.
Join The Crashers inside The B.A. Colonial for the Mayor's New Year's Eve Bash! They will be playing all your favorite songs while you enjoy food, drinks, party favors, champagne toast, and much more!
New Year's Eve menu choice of: 1. Pulled Pork w/ Two Sides & Rolls 2. Pulled Chicken w/ Two Sides & Roll 3. Beef Brisket w/ Two Sides & Rolls 4. Cobb Salad w/ Fried or Pulled Chicken Homemade Sides: Broccoli Salad, Green Beans, Mac & Cheese, & Potato Salad All Meats Slow Roasted in House
Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased here. Tickets includes dinner ordered from the event menu, champagne toast at midnight, cash bar, and Louisville's finest entertainment - The Crashers!
Event starts at 8 p.m. The Crashers will perform from 9:30 to 10:45 p.m. and 11:15 to 12:30 a.m.
LOCATION: The B.A. Colonial. 818 West Kenwood Drive, Louisville, KY 40214
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December 31st, 8 p.m.
Ring in the New Year with Fourth Street Live! 411 S. 4th St., Louisville, KY 40202
NYE Live! will offer partygoers exclusive access to more than 10 restaurants and bars, live entertainment by Wax Factory, NYE-themed party favors, confetti cannons & balloon drop, champagne toasts, and a countdown to midnight complete with the city’s only “Times Square” Ball Drop!
It's New Year's Eve so dress to impress! Business casual to formal attire is encouraged. Please note that Fourth Street Live! does have a code of conduct that all guests need to abide by. All guests must be 21 years of age or older on 12/31/22 to attend.
There are upgrade options available to secure your very own VIP booth or exclusive area for the evening in one of their venues. Space is limited.
Tickets to this event can be purchased here. Use code AROUNDLOU for $10 off Gold and Platinum packages! Code is good until 11:59 p.m. on 12/30/22.
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Swing into 2023 at Louisville’s brand-new golfing facility. Book one of the heated bays and enjoy mouth-watering food & holiday cocktails. The Top Golf Louisville team has a few surprises in store throughout the evening. Click here for more information and reservations.
Ring in 2023 at the stroke of noon at the Kentucky Science Center's annual Noon Years celebration on December 31st from 10am-2pm.
It’s the perfect New Year party for families who can’t stay up until midnight. Enjoy fun activity stations throughout the building and join in a countdown to welcome the Noon Year. The festivities are included with your general admission to Kentucky Science Center, 727 W. Main St.
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Join PG&J's Dog Park Bar, 800 Baxter Ave., on December 31st at 5pm for a New Year's Eve PAWty kicking off at noon with the U of L vs. UK basketball game.
From 5pm to close, party with your pup during the NYE PAWty and enjoy a hot dog bar and drink specials. From 5-8pm DJ Phantom will be playing music, then at 7pm the NYE Balls Drop! There will be 4 nets suspended with 75 balls each. 1 ball in each bag will be specially marked & whoever finds a "Magic Ball" wins a $50 gift card to Feeders Pet Supply and a gift basket from Chewy! Click here for more information.
When the clock strikes midnight, where will you be to celebrate a new year within the “roaring ‘20s”? The historic Brown Hotel is hosting a magical New Year's Eve dinner soiree with a special menu, live music, and a champagne toast as the balloons drop. For more information and reservations click here.
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Ring in the new year and enjoy a live performance by The Kevin Cummings Band on December 31 from 8pm-2am at The Conservatory at the Galt House, 140 N. Fourth St. There will be cocktail specials, a balloon drop and a champagne toast at midnight! The Conservatory is the best place to take in the fantastic waterfront and downtown views to close out 2022. Click here for more information. |
The Louisville Salsa Underground presents a New Year's Eve Salsa Dance Party to finish off 2022 on December 31st from 9pm-1am at the Frazier Museum, 829 W. Main St.
Louisville's only New Year's Eve Latin dance social will feature music by DJ Robertón, dinner catered by The Mayan Cafe, which includes a Nacho Bar and Mayan Salad, and a champagne toast included with the purchase of a table.
There will be no dance lesson at this event; just good music, good food, good drinks, good people, and a great atmosphere at the Frazier! Purchase your tickets here.
On Saturday, January 28th at 7:30pm at Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall, 501 W. Main St., enjoy an all-orchestral program with classic movie scores from Vertigo, King Kong, Psycho, Sunset Boulevard, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The concert features some of the most iconic and famous clips from classic movies with the Louisville Orchestra performing the music live. Click here for event and ticket information.
Answers to the puzzle are listed at the bottom of this newsletter.
Metro Louisville now has an interactive map that will allow you to see what is happening in your neighborhood as well as others across the city. The map updates daily and if you choose you can receive alerts for your area by subscribing using the red receive alerts button on the page. Click here to try it out: Interactive Map to Track Crime.
Message from the LMPD 8th Division
Please make note of the below tips to help make sure theft doesn't happen to you.
- Never leave anything of value in your vehicle; this includes laptops, purses, GPS devices and even loose change.
- Do not leave your vehicle running while unattended.
- Always lock your vehicle doors.
- Remove garage door openers from vehicles when parked outside.
- Do not leave your keys in your vehicle, this includes key-fobs.
- Do not leave the windows of your vehicle open, or partially open.
- Try to park your vehicle in a well-lit area.
- Never leave a firearm unprotected in your vehicle.
- Immediately report any suspicious person, or vehicle to (502) 574-7111.
Stay aware of new development in your area! Sign up for Gov Delivery notifications at:
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/KYLOUISVILLE/subscriber/new
On January 1, 2019, a new Comprehensive Plan, called Plan 2040, went into effect. As a resident of District 7 (or any district in Louisville), it is important to review the Comprehensive Plan if you are interested in development that is proposed for the neighborhood. The Comprehensive Plan is the guidepost for all development, and the Planning Commission must use it as one of the guiding principles and tools for making decisions regarding the approval or denial of a neighborhood development project.
Read The Comprehensive Plan (Plan 2040)
The Comprehensive Plan is representative of over 6,000 voices, including Metro staff, an advisory committee, and resident volunteers. The Advisory Committee, made up of diverse representatives from neighborhood and community organizations as well as development and business interests, finalized its recommended goals, objectives, and policies on February 21, 2018.
On April 16, 2018, the Planning Commission recommended the Comprehensive Plan for approval. The document was then reviewed by the Metro Council as well as 12 local municipalities with zoning authority for formal adoption. Those 12 local municipalities are: Anchorage, Douglass Hills, Graymoor-Devondale, Hurstbourne, Indian Hills, Jeffersontown, Lyndon, Middletown, Prospect, Shively, St. Matthews, and St. Regis Park.
Louisville COVID-19 case counts are holding steady at the red-alert level. Health experts recommend people living in high community-level counties to wear a mask indoors in public, stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if experiencing symptoms. Additional precautions may be needed for people at high risk for severe illness
Here are the key COVID-19 data metrics for this week:
- Daily average incidence rate of 56.1 cases per 100,000 population
- Weekly incidence rate of 376.79 cases per 100,000 population
- 3,013 new cases reported over the previous week
- 1 newly reported death
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4.4% staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19
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5.9% staffed ICU beds are in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19
- 47.6 of those fully vaccinated have received a booster dose
- Wastewater testing data shows the BA.5 variant to be the dominant variant.
Need help finding a COVID test or vaccination location? Have you tested positive for COVID, but aren't sure what to do? Call the LOU Health COVID-19 Helpline, 502-912-8598, available Monday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Language translation services are available.
Subscribe to Louisville Metro's Covid-19 e-newsletter for the latest news!
Monkeypox tends to spread through close contact with someone who is infected with the virus. It can spread through prolonged face-to-face contact and intimate physical contact such as kissing, cuddling or sex. The virus can also be spread through materials, like bedding, that has previously touched an infectious rash or bodily fluids. Click here for more information: monkeypox
Louisville Metro Council livestreams all of its regular meetings and committee meetings on Facebook Live.
To see all meetings on Facebook Live, go to the Metro Council Facebook page by clicking here.
The public can also view all council and committee meetings on Metro TV, Spectrum Cable Channel 184 or on UVERSE at Channel 99. Proceedings are live streamed from the Metro Council Clerk’s Archived Media page here.
To watch the Council meeting and access the agenda and related attachments, click HERE.
Click Here to: View All Agencies
Click Here to Visit Website for Laws, State Legislators, Watch Bills, etc
Click here for more info.
District 7 Disclaimer: By taking part in District 7 events, you grant Councilwoman Paula McCraney full rights to use the images resulting from photograph/video filming. Councilwoman McCraney will have the right to any reproductions or adaptations of the images for inclusion in her e-Newsletter or other Council publications. This might include, but is not limited to, the right to use them in printed and online materials, social media and news releases.
If you do not wish to be photographed, please email the District 7 office at paula.mccraney@louisvilleky.gov prior to event attendance.
Wuzzle Answer Key
1. Misunderstood
2. Walk in the Park
3. One in a Million
4. Looking Back
5. You're Under Arrest
6. Stand by Me
7. Walking on Thin Ice
8. I See You Understand
9. Belong
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