Your News and Notes - December

Now through Feb. 29, 2012, The Louisville Zoo is teaming up with Dare to Care Food Bank offering a half-price zoo admission for visitors participating in a canned food drive. Zoo patrons have collected 8,000 pounds of food in the past two years, enough for 6,000 meals.

 

To receive the discount on regular zoo admission, visitors must bring one canned good per person and present it at the zoo’s ticket window. The offer is valid for regular adult or child admission, but not for Santa’s Safari, other special fee-based programs, pre-paid groups or with other discounts.

 

Needed items are canned meats, canned vegetables and fruits, peanut butter, saltines, rice, spaghetti and canned spaghetti sauce. Cold and hot boxed cereal are also needed. Please avoid glass containers.

 

For zoo hours or more information about the Louisville Zoo, visit www.louisvillezoo.org. For more information on Dare to Care, visit www.daretocare.org.

 

Women Who Write, Inc., a Louisville-based non-profit organization, has announced the winners from their two annual writing contests. 

 

Winning entries from the International Short Prose and Poetry Contest are being published in “Calliope,” the organization’s annual anthology. “Home for the Holidays: Stories and Recipes,” features winning entries from the organization’s second annual cookbook contest that asks women writers to submit favorite holiday recipes and original stories or poems to accompany them. Both books will be available at www.amazon.com beginning in December. 

 

Winners for the contests were chosen in a blind judging by independent judges. To see the list of winners, or for more information on Women Who Write, visit www.womenwhowrite.com.

 

Center For Neighborhoods recently announced the recipients of Louisville’s Next Top Neighbors for Fall 2011.

 

Neighborhood leaders that were awarded the distinction include Trisha Finnegan, Belknap Neighborhood Association; David Vislisel, Clifton Heights Community Council; Lisa Santos, Irish Hill Neighborhood Association; Todd Rine, Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association; George Hauck, Schnitzelburg Area Community Council; and Monica Orr, Metro Council District 8. (For a complete list of recipients, visit centerforneighborhoods.org.)

 

Louisville’s Next Top Neighbor is a mural project promoting neighborhood leaders who exemplify the “21st Century Neighbor” throughout Jefferson County. Recipients who are awarded the title are cited for improving the quality of life and the environment within their community by exemplifying a set list of criteria.

 

In early spring 2012, another round of nominees will be accepted and awarded.  All of the murals will be painted in April 2012 and a reception will be held to honor the recipients.

 

Thanks to the 230 groups that registered for the Brightside Community-Wide Cleanup, held in conjunction with Mayor Greg Fischer’s Give A Day of Service on October 22, Brightside had the largest fall cleanup to date, with 6,209 registered volunteers. Environmental stewards from across Louisville helped remove tons of trash from streets, sidewalks and green spaces, while Louisville Metro Solid Waste Management hauled away the debris. Corporate sponsors WW Grainger and PNC Bank provided free bags, gloves and T-shirts for the volunteers. 

 

Brightside is donor-funded and volunteer-driven. Corporate sponsorships are available for next year’s cleanup. For details, call Brightside at (502) 574-2613. 

 

Louisville has a new system to keep citizens updated during emergencies. The system, known as Code Red, uses text alerts, emails and phone calls to warn citizens about potentially life-threatening events, including severe weather.

 

The service is free, but participants must sign up to receive the alerts. To sign up online, visit www.louisvilleky.gov and fill out the form. Citizens may choose which types of alerts and which delivery methods they wish to receive.

 

Those who do not have access to computers or the Internet may visit public libraries to sign up for Code Red. Anyone who cannot visit the library may call MetroCall 311, weekdays between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a city employee will enter their information into the system. 

 

Webb’s Market, at 944 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd., is now offering a selection of fresh, nutritious produce to residents in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood. Webb’s is Louisville’s sixth “Healthy in a Hurry” Corner Store, an initiative that is part of the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement.

 

“We want healthy happy neighbors and customers,” says owner Tim Webb, whose family has owned the store for more than 50 years. “We’re proud to be a Healthy in a Hurry store. We’re also committed to using fresh, local products in our deli.”

 

Webb is using nearly $17,000 in grant funds for “Healthy in a Hurry” signage and other design work, as well as community outreach and marketing, staff training, other technical assistance, and for the first order of produce.

 

The Healthy in a Hurry initiative makes it possible for grocers in neighborhoods known as food deserts to carry fresh produce and other healthy foods that might not otherwise be available. 

 

According to a store survey of more than 100 residents within a one-mile radius of the store, 80 percent said they shop there at least once a week; of those, 64 percent said they were very likely to buy fruits and vegetables at the store.

 

“Webb’s is a much-loved neighborhood landmark, and having more healthy options can only be a positive move for Webb’s and our neighbors,” says Cindy Brown Kinloch, president of the Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association, which started the Phoenix Hill Farmers’ Market five years ago. “We see this new initiative as another step toward becoming a healthier community.”

 

Councilman David Tandy (D-4) says that when it comes to fresh produce, the corner neighborhood market is more important than ever. “As we strive to make our neighborhoods stronger and healthier, Healthy in a Hurry needs to thrive,” he says. “I encourage everyone in the community to take part in making Louisville a healthier place to live.”

 

The Schnitzelburg Area Community Council has named Dan McMahon as its 2011 #1 Citizen. The 46th annual award was given at a dinner on Nov. 10. McMahon, who is the owner of Danny Mac’s Pizza, was recognized for his dedication and love of the Schnitzelburg community, where he lives, works and volunteers. A tireless supporter of the citizens and businesses in the area, McMahon’s efforts to keep neighbors informed and involved have inspired others to get involved in the community. 

 

The dinner was attended by dignitaries and public officials who presented McMahon with plaques and citations. In attendance were the Hon. Romano Mazzoli, Jefferson County Clerk David Nicholson, Sen. Denise Harper Angel, Rep. Jim Wayne, and Mayor Greg Fischer.