Drama competition to determine Kentucky finalist
The Kentucky Chapter of National Society of Arts and Letters will conduct the chapter drama competition on March 15 at Natasha's Bistro to determine the 2009 National Drama Career Award Kentucky Finalist. Only the first place winner from the chapter will be eligible to compete in the organization's national drama competition in Washington D.C.
The competition will begin at 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Natasha's Bistro is located at 112 Esplanade.
Citizens set priorities for Lexington parks
Lexington residents want existing parks renovated, more walking trails developed and restrooms in parks renovated, according to a new master plan for the city's 106 parks. The three requests are part of a proposed update of the Parks Master Plan. The new plan, including information from five public meetings and an on-line and random mail survey of 10,000 households in Fayette County, was presented to members of the Urban County Council in February.
The proposed update of the 1998 master plan included input from the Parks staff and government and elected officials. Other improvements in recreation programming included an increase in: the number and variety of extreme sports; activities in arts and cultural programs; activities in health and wellness programs; and equestrian programs. Consultants also put together a master plan for the 280-acre Hisle Park property on Briar Hill Road.
American Red Cross kicks off Heroes Campaign for Fayette County
The Bluegrass Chapter of the American Red Cross kicked off its second annual Fayette County Heroes Campaign on Feb. 28. The campaign is a community awareness and fundraising drive. Thirty-one community leaders have agreed to be fundraising captains for the campaign, which will run through March 24.
Individuals or organizations which raise a minimum of $1,000 are encouraged to nominate a local hero in Fayette County. Local heroes are individuals who have positively impacted the community; last year's recipient was Dr. David Stevens. If you would like to nominate a hero or get involved with the campaign, call (859) 253-1331 or visit www.redcrosslexky.org.
Newsrack monitoring program now underway
A new program designed to allow the distribution of newsrack publications in the downtown area in a safe and aesthetic manner is now underway. The program is a joint effort between local publishers and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.
Citizens can now call 311 to report concerns about any publication boxes in the coverage area. Such concerns could include: blown over boxes, blocked right-of-ways, debris and the number of boxes at any one location.
Once a concern is reported, LexCall will document the situation and forward the concern on to the publishers' oversight committee. The committee has promised to work toward resolving the issue in a timely manner. LexCall will monitor reported concerns and will keep track of the resolutions. The program, suggested by publishers, is an alternative to the potential for governmental regulations of newsracks.
Free Disaster Preparedness Training offered through April
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training teaches individuals how to be better prepared for disasters. Participants will learn how to help themselves and their neighbors in the immediate aftermath of a disaster until first responders arrive.
The training includes classroom as well as hands-on sessions. Topics include general disaster preparedness, fire suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, terrorism, team organization and disaster psychology. Courses are taught by the Division of Emergency Management and Fire and Emergency Services.
Training will be held on Thursday nights in March and April. Call (859) 258-3784 or e-mail sbendall@lfucg.com to RSVP.
Spring Neighborhood Leader's Forum scheduled for April
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government will host a spring Neighborhood Leader's forum on April 16 from 6 - 8 p.m. Potential topics for the agenda include: environmental programs and grants; WEG beautification projects; federal stimulus funding updates; litter removal initiatives; and spring and summer special events and projects. The meeting will be held in the 3rd floor conference room of the Phoenix Building.
Good Foods Co-Op to help relocated refugees in Lexington
Good Foods Market & CafÈ will accept donations in March and April as part of the Give Where You Live Program in support of the Kentucky Refugees Ministries, Inc. The non-profit's mission is dedicated to providing resettlement services to refugees through church and agency based sponsorships in order to promote self-sufficiency and successful integration into our community.
The Give Where You Live Program is designed for organizations that promote social change in the areas of peace, human rights and human needs. Donations made by shoppers at the register are matched with 25 percent of the total amount collected and presented to the organization. Good Foods Market and CafÈ is located at 455 Southland Dr., Good Foods Chapter 2 is located in the downtown Lexington Public Library. For more, visit www.goodfoods.coop.
Lexington students rake in Keep It Real awards
The winners of the fifth annual Keep It Real Video/Internet Contest were awarded a total of $2,350 in prize money at an awards program. Local schools to win awards were Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and Henry Clay High School. The Keep It Real campaign is a youth-driven community effort to educate young people concerning the risks involved in drinking alcohol. The contest gives youth an opportunity to explore this issue and develop messages which will have a positive impact on their peers.
Winners and runners up from Paul Laurence Dunbar included: Nicha Dhamaburta, Anna Kiluba, Megume Mezoguchi and Doniya Soni (winners, Most Original); Jim Pollack, Matt Lind, Joseph Cameron Lindsey, Adam Fusco and Sebastian Midence (runners up, Most Original); Marshall English, Andrew Van Neida, Sterling Baxter, Jimmy Carroll, Spencer McGuire and Dylan Knight (winners, Cinematography); and Rhiannon White and Kayla Bryan (runners up, Best Script). Winners and runners up from Henry Clay included: Griggin Sims (runner up, Best Editing); Aaron Howard (runner up, Cinematography); Audtry Bondurant (winner, Best Sound), and Cody Guiler (runner up, Best Sound).
New Businesses
New Businesses
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network - The Lexington Group announced the opening of their second location in Ashland Plaza, 800 E. High St.
Clays Mill Veterinary Clinic, located at 625 Delzan Place, is now open under the management of new owners Dr. Melanie Blair and Dr. Craig Blair. The clinic has served central Kentucky's small animal and exotic pet owners continuously since 1968 and provides care covering all aspects of veterinary medicine. Dr. Craig Blair has been with the practice since 1995 while Dr. Melanie Blair joined them in 2000. You can reach the clinic at 223-5215 during office hours or 806-3398 in case of an emergency.
Dragonfly Children's Clothing, has moved to 120 Clay Ave. The owners are celebrating the move with a sale on March 19. For more, call (859) 259-2921.
C&C Pharmacy opened on Feb. 9. The store is located at 3122 Mapleleaf Dr. For more, call (859) 263-1220.
CMS Text, a web-based technology marketing platform allowing businesses to market to the palm of their customers' hands, is now open. For more, call (859) 264-7568.
The Kentucky-Southeast Indiana Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has opened a Lexington office at 2620 Wilhite Dr. The office will provide additional support to donors and fundraising participants, and a local opportunity for volunteers.
Kolors Art & Gift Boutique, located at 231 Woodland Ave., will be having a ribbon cutting ceremony with Commerce Lexington at 3:30 p.m. March 25. For more, call (859) 253-0005.