9th Metro Council District
No. 9 eNews
January 16, 2014
You are receiving this email because you have contacted my office in the past for assistance. If you would like to be removed from this communication please email Kyle Ethridgewith “REMOVE” in the subject or body. Please feel free to copy any of this information for use at your meetings or in your newsletters!
Tax Preparation Appointments Now Available
My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to provide FREE VITA tax preparation services again on four Fridays in February/March 2014. Call our office today to sign up for a FREE tax preparation appointment. This service is for individuals/families who earned $52,000 less in adjusted gross income in 2013. If you received income from the sale of your home, own rental property OR received $10,000 in cash in self-employment and $5,000 in expenses you are not eligible for this FREE tax service.FREE tax preparation will be offered on Friday February 14, 28, March 14 and 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at United Crescent Hill Ministries, located at 150 S State Street. Call 574-1109 today to make an appointment!
If you are interested in volunteering to help prepare taxes please call or email Kyle Ethridgefor a list of training dates and information.
Hubbards Lane Public Meeting
Louisville Metro Government, in cooperation with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Federal Highway Administration,invite you to attenda Public Meeting for the Hubbards Lane Widening Project on Wednesday, January 29, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be held in the auditorium of Trinity High School located at 4011 Shelbyville Road in Louisville, KY 40207. For more information or any questions/comments regarding this meeting, please contact: Mr. Al Andrews, Project Manager, Metro Public Works, or 574-3958. There is also information available online at
Email/Text Reminders for Junk Set Out
If you live within the Urban Services District (USD) you may now sign up for email and text reminders for your junk collection week. Just visit enter your address on the left side of the screen under “311 Service Lookup”. Select your address from the drop down menu. Under the “junk set out” section you can now click email/text reminders and sign up to be notified.
Reuse for the Veterans Hospital Building/Site
I’ve received some inquiries about the reuse of the Veteran’s Hospital building and site (VA) on Zorn Avenue. As a result I contacted Congressman Yarmuth’s office and they have received information from the VA that I’d like to share. It is too early to determine reuse for building. After an initial feasibility study has been conducted, the VA Secretary will have the final say so after receiving recommendations for building. If the VA decides not to reuse the facility, the General Services Administration (GSA) will gain management of the property and have option to reuse for the federal government’s use. If GSA passes on reuse, then state government will be given the option to acquire. If they pass, then local government will be given the option. If all levels of government pass on the acquisition of the property, GSA can then choose to sell it on the open market.I will continue to share information on the project as it becomes available.
Mayor to Present Freedom Award to Suzy Post
Mayor Greg Fischer announced that long-time social justice advocate and 9th District resident Suzy Post is the 2014 recipient of Louisville Metro’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Award. Post led the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union and local Human Relations Commission and is the last surviving plaintiff of the lawsuit that forced the city’s public schools to desegregate in the 1970s. Fischer will present the award 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19 during the “Keepers of the Dream” community arts celebration dedicated to Dr. King at the Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall, 501 W. Main St. The event is free and open to the public. For more information please click here.
Update on the Plume Headed Down the Ohio
I received the following update from the Louisville Water Company (LWC) regarding the chemical spill in West Virginia. The spill is making its way down the Ohio River. The current travel time for the plume to hit the Louisville area is tonight (Thursday).On Tuesday the LWCWater Quality Analyst, Nicole Estes, traveled to Cincinnati to work with the Cincinnati Water Works. Nicole brought a sample of the compound back to Louisville Water so their lab can start their analysis and treatment strategy. It does have a licorice odor. This is not a health concern for LWC customers. This is a taste and odor issue for Louisville Water. As in any taste and odor episode, Louisville Water has a taste and odor panel set up and those individuals are working diligently to make sure that the carbon is effective. LWC customers should not notice a difference in the water. For more information click here.
Louisville Selected to Participate in 2014 Leadership STAR Community Program
With the goal of becoming nationally certified as a sustainable community, Louisville has been selected to be mentored through the non-profit, Sustainability Tools for Assessing & Rating (STAR) Communities, Mayor Greg Fischer announced today. Louisville is one of 19 cities to be given the honor. The city’s Office of Sustainability is partnering with the Louisville Sustainability Council, which will play a vital role in the STAR data collection and management process. Communities with certification receive national recognition and are seen as leaders in city sustainability. Sustain Louisville, the city’s environmental plan, identified STAR as the primary benchmarking tool that would provide a new way to measure Louisville’s sustainability strengths and needs. STAR will help collect information that will provide the basis for 44 sustainability metrics, such as green market development, community water systems, and indoor air quality. STAR is the nation’s first standardized framework for evaluating the sustainability of cities. Its comprehensive set of local environmental, economic and social metrics was developed by more than 200 technical experts in order to drive competition and continuous improvement in city sustainability results and practices. Louisville received a $10,125 scholarship, and Louisville Sustainability Council is contributing $1,875 for the city to participate in the program.
Get Cash for College: File, Follow and Facebook
January is the time for high school students and adults headed to college to cash in on financial aid opportunities. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are available to help current and prospective students earn their degrees. And now is the time to file for those federal and state financial aid dollars. To encourage more students to file now, Mayor Greg Fischer announced “Get Cash for College: File, Follow and Facebook,” a contest sponsored by 55,000 Degrees that will award $1,000 in college scholarship money to one lucky Louisville area winner who fills out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and then uses social media to spread the word. To qualify, prospective or current college students must complete two tasks:
- Fill out the online form at
- Use social media to announce taking the important step toward going to college (as specified below)
For more information visit
Making a Case for a Louisville Streetcar
A former Green Triangle intern, Mr. Porter Stevens, recently wrote an article for Insider Louisville regarding “Making a case for a Louisville streetcar: What I learned about public transit during a trip to Portland, Ore.” Please read the full article online at Insider Louisville by clicking here.
9th District Winter Newsletter
Check out the electronic version and read updates on: setting up an account with MetroCall to report and track issues, VITA tax preparation, LMPD winter safety tips, changes to the Green Triangle, Reservoir Park Non-911 Emergency Access update, NDF/CIF fund snapshot, crime mapping, City mapping, eMail notifications, CodeRed alerts and winter/spring calendar. The newsletter is available online by clicking here. Residents that don’t have access to a computer or internet may contact our office at 574-1109 to request a paper copy be mailed to them.
Pace Car Program Available in the 9th District!
The Pace Car Program is a citizen-based traffic calming initiative that encourages residents to take responsibility for their own driving while setting the "pace" for safer streets and neighborhoods. Residents will be able to sign an official Pace Car registration form and pledge the following:
“Drive the speed limit on city streets, especially in residential areas, setting the pace for vehicles behind me; stop completely at STOP signs and don’t run red lights; be courteous to all bicyclists; pedestrians and other motorists; give myself enough travel time so that I am not sacrificing safety or courtesy; devote my full attention to driving by avoiding distractions, i.e.: cell phones; not be pressured by the impatience of other drivers to exceed the speed limit; keep my sense of humor, life’s too short to let driving stress my out!; and display the Metro Pace Car Program decals or bumper stickers.”
By signing this pledge you will receive an official Pace Car bumper sticker or car window sticker to display on your vehicle. The sticker will alert other drivers that they are taking part in the citizen-based effort to address the problems of traffic speed and safety.
To sign up for this program please click here to download the Official Pledge Form. Read, sign and date the form and return it to our office. Please indicate if you would prefer a bumper or window sticker for the program.
Ninth District Events!
Below are some Ninth District calendar events! To view a full listing of events please visit the Ninth District Blog at
If you would like to submit events to be considered for the blog calendar please emailKyle Ethridgeor call 574-1109.
Friday, January 17 - Saturday, January 18: Metro Louisville’s Office of Sustainability is partnering with the Louisville Sustainability Council and the Louisville Zoo to offer a community Sustainability Summit. A reception and kick off will take place the evening of Friday, January 17 followed by a day long workshop on Saturday, January 18th from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Summit will form teams around four of the goals identified inthe Sustainability Plan: Transportation, Green Building & Infrastructure, Green Economy and Tree Canopy & Urban Heat Island. The Louisville Sustainability Council will provide coordination of action teams on an ongoing basis following the Summit. More details and a link to register for the event will be forthcoming.
Saturday, January 18:Carmichael's Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Avenue, welcomes This I Believe, Inc.'s executive director Dan Gediman for a reading from his newest collection of essays This I Believe Kentucky at 4:00 p.m.Questions please call 896-6950 or visit
Sunday, January 19:Renowned jazz musicians Dick Sisto and Steve Alleewill bring their quartet back to the Clifton Center, 2117 Payne Street at 7:00pm to perform music by the legendary American saxophonist and composer, Wayne Shorter. During the concert, which is part of the MINI of Louisville LIVE concert series, the audience will be seated on the stage along with the musicians in the Clifton Center's Eifler Theatre. This setting creates a very intimate atmosphere and allows the artists and audience to enjoy the great acoustics of the historic theater. A cash bar will be available. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased atCliftonCenter.orgor at Carmichael's Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Avenue.
Monday, January 20: Metro Government Holiday - There will be no residential collection of garbage, recycling, or yard waste within the Urban Service District (former Louisville city limits). Collection will resume on Wednesday and will be delayed by one day. (Example: Those with Tuesday pick up will have collection on Wednesday.)
Wednesday, January 22: WFPKWinter Wednesday Presents The Wood Brothers and Small Time Napoleonat 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Clifton Center, 2117 Payne Street. WFPKand Clifton Center members will receive preferred seating. More info is available for directions and everything else you need to enjoy WFPKWinter Wednesday at WFPK.org. WFPK continues their long-time partnership with Yum! Brands Foundation to raise awareness for Dare to Care Food Bank. Please bring a canned good or other non-perishable item to be collected at the door!
Friday, January 24:Indo-Canadian singer and JUNO Award winnerKiran Ahluwaliawill perform in the Clifton Center's historic Eifler Theatre, 2117 Payne Street at 8:00pm. Kiran Ahluwalia's visit to the Clifton Center is part of the Louisville Heritage Project, a four-part series designed to provide opportunities to learn about the diverse cultural traditions of Louisville's residents, as well as rich cultural traditions from other parts of the world. Tickets for the concert are $12 and can be purchased atCliftonCenter.orgor at Carmichael's Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Avenue. A cash bar will also be available during the concert.
9th District LINKS
9th Office Staff
Tina Ward-Pugh, 9th District Councilwoman
601 W Jefferson Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: 502.574.1109
Fax: 502.574.7844
Kyle Ethridge, Legislative Assistant
Phone: 502.574.3908
Fax: 502.574.7844
Katie Holmes, Special Projects Coordinator
Phone: 502.574-1109
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