altSummer Drama Camps for Children and Teens
Professional director and theatre educator George Halitzka is offering three week-long day camps this summer.

“Mystery at the Mansion” allows rising 6th through 9th graders to rehearse and perform a classic “whodunit” mystery in an actual mansion. The action takes place June 25-29, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily, at the Conrad-Caldwell House in Old Louisville. Tuition is $125 for the week.

“Center Stage Drama Camp” is for ages 8-12 and takes place on the campus of Bellarmine University, July 16-20, 9 a.m. to noon each day. This week-long camp introduces students to basic acting skills, and students will perform a short play onstage. Tuition for this camp is $149.

At “Comedy Improv Camp,” taking place at Bellarmine University, July 23-27, 9 a.m. to noon daily, students ages 13 to 16 will learn the basics of comic acting without a script. On the last day, there will be a performance for family and friends. Tuition is $149.

To register, visit www.dramabygeorge.com/register, or call (502) 718-5090.

Weekly Art Camps for Children and Teens

ARTCLUB in the Highlands, located at 1906 Bardstown Road, offers weekly summer camps for children ages 3 and up, as well as teenagers, beginning June 18 and running through August 17.

Camp topics include Pick Apart a Painting, High O Silver, Paint the Town, Finn and Nevelson, Art Curiosities, Magic Junk, Calder & Miro, Mosaic Madness, and Flowers, Pools & Sunshine. Morning sessions are from 9 a.m. to noon, and afternoon sessions are 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The price is $200 per weekly session and includes a snack. After paying full price for one child, any additional children in the family receive a 10 percent discount for the same session. This offer applies to each session. 

For more information, visit www.artclubhighlands.com or call (502) 452-1010.

Summer Comedy Improv Camps for Teens

Louisville Improvisers Artistic Director Chris Anger will teach four improv comedy camps for teens this summer. The week-long camps, for students ages 12 to 18, run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, June 4-8, June 25-29, July 9-13 and August 6-10. All classes will be held at The Bard’s Town, 1801 Bardstown Road. The cost is $165 per session.

Students will learn how to think on their feet, be in the moment, listen to each other and build on their ideas.  They will use basic improv games, exercises and scene work to learn how to be spontaneous and playful and how to work well with others.

To enroll, or for more information, call Chris Anger at (502) 485-9064 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Volunteers Needed for Grass Roots Gala

The Center for Neighborhoods will hold its 3rd annual Grass Roots Gala, Friday, June 1, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the 600 block of Fourth Street between Broadway and Chestnut Street. The gala is a gathering of Louisville neighborhood, homeowner and condo associations and suburban cities celebrating civic engagement and neighborhood empowerment.

Grass Roots Gala is free and open to the public. The event will feature neighborhood and local partner booths, a “Keep Louisville Weird” raffle, a Neighborhood Street Feast with local food trucks, a Down and Dirty Kids’ area and the Community Beer Garden.

Volunteers are needed to help set up and tear down booths. Help is also needed in the Metro Council/CFN community booth, in the Meet and Greet with Authors booth, and in the raffle booth. Volunteers may choose their time slots, from noon through 11:30 p.m.  Most shifts are two hours, but other times can be accommodated.

To volunteer, email Lisa Dettlinger at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (502) 589-0343. For more information, visit www.centerforneighborhoods.org.
 

Alley Cat Advocates Expands Program

Since 2010, Alley Cat Advocates has used a $75,000 grant given by PetSmart Charities to increase the number of free spay/neuter surgeries for un-owned, free-roaming cats. Now, as the end of the grant period nears – and after seeing success in the original targeted 40215 ZIP code – the program is expanding its area to include ZIP codes 40208 and 40214, areas identified by Louisville Metro Animal Services and ACA as having a high number of stray cats.

“We are excited to increase the coverage area for free spay/neuter surgeries and look forward to continuing our collaboration with Louisville Metro Animal Services, an agency that shares our goal of eliminating the euthanasia of healthy cats in our community,” says Karen Little, executive director and co-founder of Alley Cat Advocates.

For more information on Alley Cat Advocates, or to volunteer, call (502) 634-8777 or visit www.alleycatadvocates.org.
 

Women Who Write 2012 Contest

Women Who Write, Inc, a Louisville-based writing organization, invites all women writers 18 and older to enter their annual International Poetry and Short Prose contest. Prizes are $300 for first place, $200 for second place and $100 for third place. The winners’ works will be published in “Calliope,” the group’s annual anthology.

Entries must be previously unpublished, and prose entries must be less than 3,000 words. Additional guidelines can be found at www.womenwhowrite.com. There is a $12 entry fee for each submission. The contest deadline is June 30, 2012.

All women interested in writing are invited to attend the group’s monthly meetings, held on the first Thursday of each month, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Highlands-Shelby Park Library in Mid City Mall.
 

Farmers’ Market List

Many area farmers’ markets are now open, and others will be opening across Metro Louisville in May, June and July. While The Highlander did not have enough space to print the list of markets, it can be found on our website under Neighborhood Resources at www.thehighlanderonline.com.
 

Lawn Care Rebate Program

Now in its 10th year, the Lawn Care for Cleaner Air rebate program has given more than 7,300 rebates to Jefferson County residents who have purchased a variety of electric, human-powered, and higher efficiency gasoline lawn equipment. In the process, the program has put more than $400,000 into the hands of local residents and businesses, and kept more than 1,000 tons of pollution out of Louisville’s air.

The program, funded through penalties assessed on air pollution violators, gives residents double rebates for recycling their old gasoline-powered equipment before buying the air-friendly replacements.

For more information, visit www.louisvilleky.gov/APCD/lawncare or contact Eric Burnette at (502) 574-5322 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
 

Garden Tour Passport Tickets on Sale

The 2012 Garden Tour Passport provides admission to three Louisville area neighborhood garden tours for one discounted price of $27 ($35 if purchased separately). The Crescent Hill garden tour takes place June 2, the Audubon Park garden tour is on June 23, and the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures garden tour is July 7 and 8.

Passport sales benefit each neighborhood association’s civic projects. Tickets may be purchased online, by mail, or at participating locations. For details, visit www.gardentourpassport.com.

Passport ticket sales end June 1, 2012.  Garden tours take place rain or shine.