Riverside annual plant & herb sale this weekend, April 14-15

Visit Riverside, The Farnsley-Moreman Landing at 7410 Moorman Road for the annual Plant and Herb Sale!

There will be a variety of annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, seeds, gardening items, and gardening advice available.

All proceeds go to support the mission of Riverside, The Farnsley-Moreman Landing.

WHEN:

Saturday, April 14

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sunday, April 15

12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, visit www.riverside-landing.org or call 502-935-6809.

Louisville Loop public meeting set

Your input is needed on master planning for south-central/southeastern portion of the Louisville Loop.

Metro Parks invites you to attend the initial meeting for the planning of the Fairdale to Floyds Fork section of the Loop. The meeting will take place Monday, April 16th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Okolona Christian Church, 10801 Faithful Way, Louisville, KY.

The purpose of this Project Initiation meeting is to introduce this new area of study for the Louisville Loop and gather initial public input on the project. The meeting will begin with an Open House from 6:00–6:30pm, followed by the project presentation from 6:30 to 7:00pm, and concluding with additional Open House and discussion from 7:00pm to 8:00pm.

For more information about the Louisville Loop and its related projects, visit http://www.louisvilleloop.org.

Free Summer Movies return to Iroquois Amphitheater

First run features and Hollywood Classics will light up the silver screen when a new summer season of fun and entertainment gets underway with the return of “Movies under the Stars” at Iroquois Amphitheater in May.

Members of Metro Council are once again providing free movies in the magnificent setting of Iroquois Park.

“We are looking forward to another successful year,” says Councilwoman Marianne Butler (D-15). “It continues to be a wonderful way to showcase a great place to watch movies, the Iroquois Amphitheater.”

Since 2007, Butler and members of Metro Council have sponsored free movies during the summer as way for families to enjoy Iroquois Park.

Here is the 2012 Free Movie Schedule:

May

Sat. May 12: Soul Surfer PG

June

Mon. June 4: Citizen Kane PG

Fri. June 8: The Help PG-13

Mon. June 11: The Muppet Movie G

Mon. June 18: Romancing the Stone PG

Mon. June 25: Chicago PG-13

July

Mon. July 2: Stand and Deliver PG

Mon. July 9: From Russia With Love PG

Sat. July 14: Moneyball PG-13

Mon. July 16: The Magnificent Seven NR

Mon. July 23: The Secret Life of Bees PG-13

Mon. July 30: Raiders of the Lost Ark PG

August

Mon. Aug 6: The Princess Bride PG

Sat. Aug 11 :Cars 2 G

September

Sat. Sept 8: Zookeeper PG


Joining Butler as sponsors this year are Dan Johnson (D-21), ), Rick Blackwell (D-12), Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13), Mary C. Woolridge (D-3), David James (D-6), Jim King (D-10), Bob Henderson (D-14), Kelly Downard (R-16), Jon Ackerson (R-18) Robin Engel (R-22), David Yates (D-25) and Brent Ackerson (D-26).

“Bring the kids and blankets,” says Butler. “This is a great way to kick off the summer.”

The Amphitheater is located at 1080 Amphitheater Road, off New Cut Road. To learn more about events at the Iroquois Amphitheater go to: http://www.louisvilleky.gov/MetroParks/IroquoisAmphitheater/2012iroquoisamphitheaterschedule.htm

A plea for affordable housing. Take a look.

And now, a message from my cousin, Drew Tucker, about the Metropolitan Housing Coalition. Please do what you can to help make affordable housing a priority in Louisville. -Brian

Hello friends!

Over the last three years I’ve been working with Metropolitan Housing Coalition of various projects around affordable housing in Louisville. Cathy, and Curtis are good friends of mine, and I find the work they do around advocacy, education, and research of affordable housing here in Louisville to be an invaluable resource for our city. Right now our city has around 7,000 vacant properties many located in the West and South end (where I grew up), a 25,000 person section 8 waiting list, and many homeless families, including 9,000 homeless children, in desperate need of affordable housing. MHC is working with the metro council, Mayor Fischer, and other non-profits to make sure that these properties don’t stay abandoned, and that they are repurposed so that they can provide new affordable housing options for residents of the Louisville metro area.

MHC has brought in Dan Kildee, a nationally renowned expert on foreclosed properties and tax liens from Detroit, to speak to the Mayor and others, about what Louisville can do on the city and state level to change the legal landscape such that these properties are available first to our land bank and not outside private investors who do not have much concern for the state of housing in Louisville.

MHC was also integral to mentoring me while I organized residents at Sheppard’s Square public housing complex as we prepared them for the changes they would experience after the demolition of their homes, and the subsequent scattering through the section 8 program. Without Cathy and Curtis’s help I would have been at a loss at how to create a direct link between the Housing Authority and the residents of Sheppard Square, who felt a significant amount of fear and anger due to the uncertainty of their impending move, and because of a breakdown in communication between the two parties in previous projects. With their help I was able to make sure residents received information directly, face to face, rather than through mailings, phone calls, etc. And although in the end they were still scattered throughout Louisville, they were directly involved in the decisions leading up to the move, and were able to speak directly to the Housing Authority when they so desired.

I cannot tell you how important membership is to Metropolitan Housing Coalition. Nowadays, grants only cover the cost of projects implemented by non-profits. Pay for the talented, and already vastly underpaid folks that make up these organizations is in short supply. And while I understand that we are in an economic downturn, it’s essential that we don’t let the groups that advocate, and educate us fall by the wayside.

Today, I am asking you to not only make a donation, but to show your ownership over the issues we face in Louisville around affordable housing. For $3 a month, $36 a year, you can support MHC in the second most vital way possible; the first is by giving your time to participate on one of their committee’s or volunteering your time. Three dollars a month may not seem like much, but imagine if 200 new members made this pledge? Sustainable giving, like this, is how we make sure organizations we value remain viable in times of economic crisis. Furthermore, it shows our commitment to the work they have done, and will do, into the future.

Please take a small amount of time today to visit the below website and let MHC know how much you value the work they do around creating education, advocacy, and research about affordable housing in Louisville.

Thanks,

Drew Tucker
Metropolitan Housing member, and sustainable giver


https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/MetropolitanHousingCoalition/OnlineDonation.html

Why Louisville is awesome

Why Louisville Is Awesome Infographic

2012 Southwest Pride Cleanup set for Saturday, March 31st

Homeowners, business people, children and adults will be among the hundreds of volunteers who will answer the call, roll up their sleeves and get to work at the Spring Southwest Pride Community Cleanup on Saturday, March 31st.

“This event has always had so many people and groups who come out to help make our community the special place that it is to live and work,” says Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12). “It’s one of the most successful of the community wide cleanups held in the spring.”

On Saturday, volunteers will gather at 9080 Dixie Highway, next to Dairy Queen in the Park Place Mall and then fan out across the area to pick up litter and trash along roadways and other areas.

Registration for volunteers begins at 8:30 am. The cleanup is from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Individuals and groups are welcome. Everything needed for the cleanup will be provided.

“The organizers of this event have everything ready to go,” says Councilman Bob Henderson (D-14). “I want to encourage everyone who has some free time on Saturday to come out and help us.”

Cash prizes will be awarded to the largest groups of volunteers so recruit friends from your neighborhood, business, school, church, sports team or troop and choose any area you feel needs cleaned. All groups must be present at the sign in location to participate in cash award contest.

“We had such great success with our cleanup last fall and I look forward to yet another successful effort this weekend,” says Councilman David Yates (D-25). “This is how people make a difference in a community and set an example for others.”

For more information about the Southwest Pride Community Cleanup, please contact Kim Leanhart at 502-367-3880 or Jim Caskey at 502-367-3886