A Saturday celebration for Shoeshine
On Saturday, Dec. 5, The Kentucky Theatre will host a celebration to remember the life of Louis "Shoeshine" Cobb, who passed away from cardiac arrest on Nov. 11. Cobb, a tireless professional shoe shiner, was a fixture in the downtown community, known for his outspoken and sometimes controversial remarks at council meetings, his openness with strangers, his well-tailored suits and the philosophies he served with his shoe shines.
"Can't Stop by the Shine," a documentary about Cobb created in 2006 by Erin Mcanallen, will be shown at the event, and a camera will be set up for guests to share their memories about Cobb. Food will be provided by Bourbon-n-Toulouse. The event will take place from 10 a.m. - noon.
Survey: Public needs water education
The city of Lexington has launched a stormwater public education campaign after a recent public survey, conducted in August, revealed that citizens are largely unaware of the Lexington's water quality issues and of the public's role in addressing them.
"Only 25 percent of residents and 27 percent of businesses surveyed knew the difference between the sanitary sewer system and the stormwater system," Cheryl Taylor, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Quality, said. Other results found that 56 percent of Lexington residents did not know whether or not they live in a watershed (the answer is yes).
The education campaign, which includes television and print ads, is anchored by the Web site www.livegreenlexington.com, where visitors can find information, practical tips and links to other environmental information.
The campaign began a few weeks prior to the new water quality management fee that will appear on Kentucky-American water bills beginning in January 2010, which was approved by the Urban County Council to pay for improvements to address stormwater quality, monitoring and enforcement. Single-family homes and duplexes will pay $4.32 per month, while apartment complexes and non-residential properties, such as businesses and churches, will be assessed on the total amount of impervious surface on their property.
Framers take home the gold
South Hill Gallery, Ltd., won first place in both the print and open framing competitions held in October by the Kentucky/Tennessee Professional Picture Framers Association. Owners Letha and Michael Drury were honored to have their entries in both categories judged as winners based on the overall inspiration, design and technical execution of the projects.
The custom framed entries, now on display at South Hill Gallery, will be eligible to compete in the International Framing Competition sponsored by the PPFA next February in Anaheim, Calif.
South Hill Gallery is located at 1401 Versailles Rd. For more information, call (859) 253-3885 or visit www.southhillgallery.com.
Firefighters release "hot" fundraising calendar
The International Association of Firefighters of Lexington (IAFF) Local 526 will release a 2010 Fireman Calendar to benefit the Lexington Fraternal Order of Firefighters, Firefighter Toy Program. Many of Lexington's "finest" firefighters have donated their time and images to be included in the calendar. The cost of the calendar is $15.
A release party and fundraiser have been planned for 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Moon Nightclub on Euclid Avenue. Admission is $10 or a toy donation.
The party will include a bachelor auction and some of the calendar models will be up for bid; proceeds from the event and auction will also benefit the Firefirghter Toy Program, which is now in its 78th year. The program provides toys for more than 2,500 Fayette County children on Christmas morning.
For more information, or to order a calendar, call (859) 243-0351.
Educator selected for sustainable development conference
Amy Sither, an educator at Montessori Middle School of Kentucky, traveled to Portland, Ore., in November as a participant in the "Best Practices in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)" conference hosted by Fulbright Japan. She was selected from a national pool of nearly 120 educators.
Sither was one of 15 teacher participants selected in order to reflect the rich cultural, institutional and regional diversity of the United States. Fifteen teachers from throughout Japan were also selected to take part in the event. The sharing of "Best Practices" from both countries is designed to raise awareness of ESD-oriented school programs, enhance curricula in both countries, and deepen a sense of global interconnectedness between teachers in Japan and the United States in four vital areas of ESD focus: food and sustainable nutrition; environment; energy and resources; and international understanding and cooperation.
Film league seeks submissions
The Lexington Film League is seeking five-minute video submissions about people in the community trying to make a difference. Any individual, business or organization can enter this contest.
The contest deadline is Jan. 15, 2010; an event and award ceremony will be held in February to announce the winner. For more information, visit the group's Web site at www.lexingtonfilmleague.org or e-mail lexfilmleague@gmail.com.
Theatre company wins big in state competition
The Balagula Theatre Company's production of "Selected Plays of Samuel Beckett" -
which includes "Play" and "Not I" -
was presented at the Kentucky Theatre Association State Annual Conference in Morehead on Nov. 14 and won the Community Theatre Best Performance Award. The troupe will represent Kentucky at the SETC 2010 Conference in March.
Other awards the company brought home include: "Best Actor in the leading role," Ryan Case; "Best director," Ryan Case and Natasha Williams; "Best lighting design," Gareth Evans; and "Best scenic design," Gareth Evans.
New local pizzeria opening in Chinoe Center
Chinoe Center will be home to the new Corusso's Pizzeria. The locally-owned restaurant will offer dine-in, delivery and take-out pizza dishes. The restaurant's owners are Tom Rudd and Larry Columbia. A grand opening is set for Dec. 1.