The Speed Offering Free Admission to Active-duty Military and Family Members
The Speed Art Museum has announced that for the third year it is participating in Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,500 museums across America to offer free admission to all active-duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend 2012 (May 26 through September 2).
“The Speed is honored to be a Blue Star Museum,” says Speed Director and CEO Dr. Charles L. Venable. “Members of our armed forces do so much for all of us and being able to give something back to them and their families is extremely rewarding.”
Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet says the distinctive collaboration allows military families an unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country’s finest museums free of charge. “As we enter the third consecutive year of the Blue Star Museums program, we are happy to provide an opportunity for our nation’s service members and their families to connect with our national treasures,” she says.
The free admission program is available to active-duty military ID holders and up to five family members. Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. For a complete list of participating museums, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.
The Speed Art Museum, at 2035 South Third St., is open Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed Monday and Tuesday. For more information, call (502) 634-2700 or visit www.speedmuseum.org.
Family Health Centers, Inc. Receives $5.38 Million in Federal Grants
The Family Health Centers, Inc., a local nonprofit community health organization serving more than 40,000 individual patients each year at seven health centers, will receive $5.8 million in federal grant funding for construction and renovation of two health center facilities in Louisville. The award is part of a series of capital investments made in community health centers under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
A $5 million federal grant will allow the FHC-East Broadway facility to relocate to the former antique mall building at 834 E. Broadway, funding an expansion from 8,400 square feet to more than 30,000 square feet. This will provide the capacity to serve an additional 10,000 largely uninsured patients each year. The facility currently serves 6,000 patients a year. The new East Broadway facility will offer expanded primary care and behavioral health services, and add radiology, dental and pharmacy services. A second grant of $380,000 will fund the renovation of the Phoenix Health Care for the Homeless facility at 712 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd. The projects will take two to three years to complete.
FHC provides primary and preventive health care services to patients, regardless of their ability to pay. “This is a down payment on affordable health care for thousands of Louisvillians,” says Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3). “I am thrilled that Family Health Centers is expanding its essential work in our community. And I am proud to have supported a law that is expanding access to primary and preventive care, reducing costs, and providing more people the care they need when they need it.”
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer says a healthier Louisville is one of the primary goals of his administration and that the federal funding will provide the city with the ability to care for thousands of at-risk citizens. “Giving people with limited resources a chance to see a physician and get preventive care pays huge dividends and saves health care costs down the road for that individual, their family and our entire community,” says Fischer.
Phoenix Hill NuLu Farmers’ Market Relocated
The Phoenix Hill Nulu Farmers’ Market has relocated to the back lot of Fresh Start Growers’ Supply, 1007 E. Jefferson St., near the intersection of Baxter Avenue. “This is just one more step for Fresh Start Growers’ Supply to support local farmers,” says Fresh Start owner Steve Paradis. “They are our good friends and customers, and we like to see them succeed.”
The farmers’ market is open to the public every Tuesday, 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., from May 8 to October 30.
New WIC Website in English and Spanish
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness has launched a new website in both English and Spanish language versions to make the WIC program more accessible to families throughout Louisville.
WIC, which stands for Women, Infants and Children, is a supplemental nutrition program for pregnant women, postpartum and breastfeeding mothers, and for children younger than age 5.
The new site, www.louisvillewic.org, was created with funding from Jewish Hospital and Catholic Health Initiatives. WIC provides foods like milk, cheese, eggs, vitamin-C rich fruit juice, iron fortified cereal, peanut butter, whole grain bread and fresh fruits and vegetables. Families can shop for these foods at most area supermarkets and grocers using the eWIC card, which looks and works like any debit card. WIC also provides nutritional evaluation, counseling and education. Estimates say that only half of the families eligible for WIC benefits actually enroll.
Many families that qualify for WIC services may not know it. For example, a pregnant woman with no children making approximately $27,000 a year may qualify, and a family of four making approximately $41,000 may qualify.
For more information on WIC services, visit www.louisvillewic.org or call (502) 574-6676.
Animal Cruelty, Domestic Violence Often Linked
Representatives from Louisville Metro Animal Services and Family & Children’s Place are teaming up to educate the public on the correlation between animal cruelty and child abuse.
“The line separating an animal abuser from someone capable of committing violent crimes towards humans is much finer than most people care to consider,” says LMAS Director Justin Scally. “Many times people abuse animals for the same reasons they abuse people. It is our responsibility to make sure the community is aware of this correlation and that the public does what they can to alert Animal Services and other authorities about these types of crimes. Violence against any living thing should not be tolerated.”
Pam Darnall, chief operating officer of Family & Children’s Place, adds, “In many cases, when a child acts out violently towards animals it can be an indicator of violence in the home. Abuse can affect children in so many ways, including encouraging a cycle of abuse and violence towards others and even animals.”
For more information on family and animal violence, visit www.pcaky.org, www.americanhumane.org and www.pet-abuse.com.
Attention, All Animal Lovin’ Artists!
Imagine your artwork on hundreds of T-shirts, posters, brochures, social media and publicity outlets all over town. The Animal Care Society needs a design for their flagship fundraiser, Bark in the Park & Woof Walk, taking place in September. Voted “Best Annual Pet Event” by Louisville Tails Magazine, Bark in the Park is a celebration of all things canine. Over five hundred guests are expected to attend the event, scheduled for September 22 in Seneca Park. The day begins with Woof Walk, a 5K fundraiser for the no-kill Animal Care Society.
Design entries are due by June 30, and should represent the day of celebration in a one-color design incorporating both phrases: “Bark in the Park” and “Woof Walk.” Designs should be no larger than 8 by 11 inches. Submissions may be made electronically (jpeg format) to Executive Director Bunny Zeller atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
, or by mail to Animal Care Society, 12207 Westport Rd., Louisville, KY 40245.
12th Annual Pet Groups United Awards for Excellence Nominations
Pet Groups United, a coalition of animal welfare agencies in Kentuckiana, is calling for nominations for their 12th annual Awards for Excellence. Each year, PGU recognizes people and pets who have made a significant contribution to improving the lives of others in the Kentuckiana area. Nominations are due by August 25 and awards will be presented at Animal Care Society’s Bark in the Park event on September 22.
Nominations in the following categories may be made online at PGU’s website: Trooper Award (Community Service Award), Hero Animal, Youth Service Award, Animal Professional Award, Road Warrior, Media Advocacy Award, and Service Animal Award. For details about each award and to make your nominations, visit www.petsgroupsunited.org.
Beechwood Village Resident Wins Poster Competition
Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center recently announced that Louisville native Vincent McCullough has won its 2012 September Art Fair @ Mellwood Poster Competition. McCullough’s design was chosen out of dozens of submissions for its professional appearance and originality, which captures the artistic spirit of the art fair while noting the season in which the event takes place.
McCullough was raised in the Highlands and received his Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Louisville after graduating from Atherton High School. He has held various design roles at companies such as WDRB, WBKI, and Snitch newspaper. McCullough currently works as a senior designer for Kindred Healthcare and resides in Beechwood Village with his two children, Caroline and Ethan. In his spare time, he enjoys costume design and creating movie props.
The September Art Fair at Mellwood takes place September 8 and 9. Indoor and outdoor spaces for juried artists are still available. For more information, contact Scooter at (502) 895-3650.
Falls of the Ohio Summer Day Camps
The Falls of the Ohio Foundation and State Park Interpretive Center, located at the end of West Riverside Drive in Clarksville, Ind., is sponsoring week-long Young Explorer day camps for children entering grades 1-6. Using hands-on activities, campers will learn about science and history, including fossils, nature, native people, plants and aquatic life. Sessions run June 11-15, July 9-13 and July 23-27. Grades 4-6 attend from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and grades 1-3 attend from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The cost per session is $100.
A three-day Teen Archaeologist day camp runs June 28-30, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, allowing children ages 11-15 to discover how archaeologists learn about past cultures and societies by studying human artifacts left by earlier peoples. On the 30th, the session ends at 2 p.m. when parents or guardians accompany the campers to an archaeological digging site. The cost for this session is $100.
July 17-19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., campers ages 10-16 will explore how paleontologists learn about the history of life on Earth by studying fossils. Two off-site collecting trips are scheduled, and a parent or guardian presence is required. The session costs $100 and each child’s registration requires a hand-written paragraph explaining why he/she wants to attend.
More details about the camps can be found at www.fallsoftheohio.org. To register, contact Executive Director Dani Cummins at (812) 283-4999 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Louisville Spinal Care Offers Local Businesses Incentive to Help Dare to Care
Businesses that sign up to host a food drive supporting Dare to Care this summer can have specialists from Louisville Spinal Care visit their location to give complimentary mini massages and chiropractic screenings to their employees.
Louisville’s Dare to Care Food Bank relies on food donations from retailers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, processors, growers, trucking companies and community food drives to help distribute food to the community.
Louisville Spinal Care, located at 147 Chenoweth Lane, offers the Atlas Orthogonal technique, a spinal correction which restores body balance and reactivates the body’s natural healing abilities by using a light force method to specifically adjust the spine.
For more information on how your business or organization can participate and help fight hunger, call (502) 893-8887 or (502) 895-1915.
Group Swim Lessons at Home of the Innocents Therapy Pool
This summer, the Home of the Innocents, 1100 E. Market St., will offer group swimming lessons in their 92-degree salt water therapy pool for ages 3-10. Participants will learn to swim in a gentle, fun progression, starting with water confidence exercises and building toward swimming with their faces in the water.
Class size is limited to four. The classes take place on Saturday mornings; ages 8-10 swim from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; ages 5-7 swim from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.; and ages 3-4 swim from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Five 30-minute classes cost $50. The deadline to register for session one (June 2 to 30) is May 30; for session two (July 7 to August 4), the deadline is July 5. To register, call (502) 596-1141.
A medical permission form and release are required and may be downloaded at www.homeoftheinnocents.org. Follow the link from Programs to the Aquatic Therapy page.
Private swimming lessons are offered year-round. Five 30-minute private lessons are $100 and are typically held once a week. Call (502) 596-1141 for more information or to schedule a lesson at any time during the year.