Weekend Events

District 21 residents can join Councilman Johnson for a free cup of coffee Saturday morning!

October 30, 2010

Sister Bean’s Coffee House

5225 New Cut Road

8:30a.m. – 9:30a.m.

This informal meeting brings government to the people and Dan looks forward to talking with constituents about neighborhood concerns.

Also, representatives from Louisville Metro Police Department’s Third Division will be on hand to give tips on crime prevention.

Free Document Shredding Saturday, October 30, 2010

The city will provide an opportunity to have documents shredded from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on the vacant lot at 1032 Phillips Lane, across from the main entrance to the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Items that can be brought for shredding include documents, discs, hard drives, credit cards and other confidential materials.

All paper materials will be shredded on site and recycled.

Businesses will not be allowed to participate in this event.

Alternative Halloween Family Weekend

There are two events make up Alternative Halloween Family Night.

The first is a “Trunk or Treat” at the Fairdale Christian Church beginning at 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Children will have a chance to have to trick or treat in the Church’s parking lot. There will be games and refreshments provided.

Councilwoman Welch has arranged for the Louisville Metro Police helicopter to be on display for children to explore.

The Fairdale Christian Church is located at 9000 Brown Austin Road. This event is free.

At the second event, families can take advantage of a Halloween Chili Supper sponsored by the Our Lady Mt. Carmel Church from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. The cost for the Chili Supper is $3.00 for children and $5.00 for adults. There will be free games and entertainment for children at the event. The Church is located at 5505 New Cut Road.

CJ takes cheap shot at Heiner, misses badly

Hitting a new low, the Louisville Courier-Journal has lobbed a cheap shot at mayoral candidate Hal Heiner. Here's the story in a nut:

Republican mayoral candidate Hal Heiner acknowledged Thursday that he neglected to inform The Courier-Journal during interviews about his private life that he married and divorced in the 1970s before marrying his current wife of 33 years.

Yes, that is it. A breathless allegation that Heiner didn't tell the CJ all about his dead ex-wife. You can read the entire non-news item by clicking HERE.

If this is the 11th hour bombshell that the folks at the once-proud CJ have been waiting to drop, they have seriously underestimated and disrespected the public. It's no wonder people don't "take the paper" anymore.

I think it shows the intense level of desperation and paranoia by the editorial board over their endorsement of Greg Fischer for mayor.  It is now clear - as if it weren't already - the CJ will PRINT ANYTHING in order to protect their interests. This event will forever mark the "low water" point in Louisville's journalistic history.I am ashamed of my hometown paper today. I really am.

So, to all this, I say: Louisville, get ready for Mayor Hal. I will certainly be voting for him.

In a related story, Greg Fischer was involved in an auto accident last month that damaged his 2009 Cadillac. The Fischer campaign is refusing to acknowledge or discuss the incident.  You can read about that HERE.

Donohue ruled ineligible - crashes, burns

Jeff Donohue, candidate for state representative in the 37th district, has been ruled ineligible by Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Fred Cowan. The outcome was expected by many observers and was, in my opinion, the correct judgment. Click HERE for background on the debacle. It is a terrifying story of spectacular failure and arrogance.

Donohue's attorney has promised an appeal, the thought of which sends shivers down many Democrat's spines for it is insanely bad politics. Insanely. Bad.

Insiders familiar with the whole shebang say Donohue had it coming. They also say to "watch where he ends up" with respect to future employment. One blamed retiring incumbent Ron Weston, saying Weston "did everything else for him [Donohue], walked him around like a toddler, got him out there talking right...I guess Ron should have done Jeff's damned paperwork too."

I had high hopes for Jeff Donohue. It should have been an easy win.

Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Longmeyer and attorney Jennifer Moore deserve the credit for starting this trend in the first place by filing lawsuits to remove candidates that were certain losers from the ballot. Well done. You two are about as sharp as a rat’s turd in a glass of buttermilk.

Yates fights back against robo-calling incumbent

Wednesday morning at 10:30am David Yates, Candidate for Louisville Metro Council, District 25 will be hosting a press conference in front of City Hall on Jefferson Street. Yates will address the robocalls that his opponent has been sending across south Louisville in response to the issues set out in Yates' direct mail pieces.

Over the past three weeks voters in Louisville's 25th District have been receiving Direct Mail literature from democratic candidate David Yates. The second piece sparked a great deal of controversy and even lead to Yates receiving death threats at his office. The second piece called "Apples and Oranges" set out the difference Yates sees between himself and his opponent.

"Voters in the 25th District have a clear choice in this election, and we're showing that these differences are like apples and oranges," Yates said.

Today Yates dropped a mail piece telling voters about the $7,000 worth of neighborhood funds that Hawkins has spent on the Private, East End Soccer Club, Javanon. "Doug Hawkins took dollars designated to rejunivate our neighborhood and gave them to his friends in the east end so their families could play soccer in a private club," Yates delcared. "That's unacceptable. Our neighborhoods and community deserve a partner on Metro Council who will reinvest our neighborhood dollars in our community, not the east end."

Javanon is the same 23,000 sq. ft. Soccer Club that was constructed in a residential neighborhood (Tucker Station) without city approval, and resulted in an illegal, secret backroom meeting to get off the ground. Allegations unearthed by The Ville Voice "exposed a routine way of doing business in the city’s Planning Department, one that all-too-often favors developers at the expense of the actual rules and the rights of neighbors. It exposed the fact that attorneys for developers exert pressure on BOZA members and the too-easy access they have, to the point that if requested, they can persuade officials to hold illegal meetings to make sure things go the way they want in public."

"We learned two important lesson with this one debacle: First, south end neighborhood funds need to be reivested into the south end. Period.

Second, our system of government must be more transparent and accountable to taxpayers. No more back room deals or secret meetings," Yates said.

Breaking News: Thieneman endorses Hal for mayor

In an about-face, South End trailer park king Chris Thieneman endorsed his former Republican mayoral opponent today during a media event described as a "near disaster" by insiders.

Thieneman said he is sure Heiner wouldn't trade an endorsement for a promise of employment in his administration because he tried to get one and was denied. Yes. Thieneman offered his endorsement in exchange for an appointment in a Heiner administration four months ago.

To his credit, Heiner said no.

This is just the latest in a string of weird admissions by the self-proclaimed "South Louisville activist". In April during the Republican primary for mayor, Thieneman admitted to bribery in his past dealings with the zoning board.

Thieneman says his "respect" for Hal grew after his offer was denied.

Dan Johnson holds coffee event for 21st District

Editor's note: Every metro council district in Southwest Louisville now holds monthly events for constituents except districts 14 and 25.

Metro Councilman Dan Johnson is once again inviting residents of District 21 to come out and join him for a cup of coffee on Saturday, October 30th beginning at 8:30am.

“Our last coffee get together saw very good turnout for those folks who would like to talk with me about a problem or concern,” says Johnson. “I said then we would continue to have this informal meeting as away to bring government to the people.”

The Councilman has invited members of the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Third Division to the gathering. It will be a chance to get to know the officers who patrol the District and learn more about crime prevention.

The event will take place at Sister Beans Coffee House at 5225 New Cut Rd.

“If you are a resident of District 21 the coffee is free,” says Johnson. “I want to encourage everyone to come by and if nothing else just say hi.”

For more information about the event, contact Councilman Johnson’s Office at 574-1121.

Smoke, falling ash and failing candidates - Monday Update

- A decision is expected today that could affect Jeff Donohue's candidacy for state representative in the 37th district. HERE is the background on the case.  More as it happens.

- Wildfires in and around Fort Knox have blanketed the Southwest area in smoke and falling ash. Crews are making headway in fighting the fires and, with rain expected again tomorrow, the end is near for unhealthy air. Breathe easy. [CJ]

- There was also a small fire in Iroquois Park early this morning. Officials say it may have been caused by a cigarette thrown from a window by a moronic motorist. [FOX41]

- In an interview with WHAS11, Rand Paul says he'd stop OSHA from creating new rules that protect worker safety and wants a regulatory environment like China's. That's just weird and stupid. [WHAS11]

- Courtesy of Insider Louisville, here is a look at the 2010 Louisville Mayoral campaign and the positions of the two candidates on the issues. [Insider Louisville]