Cover Story
New minimum wage good, but not enough
Labor Day 2016. End-of-summer cookouts. Store sales. A day off. More than that, if you take a harder look. Almost two years ago, a majority of Louisville Metro Council members voted for a local law, whose first line cited our status as a Compassionate City, “to help lift working families out of poverty, decrease income…
7 things to do under $5 this week in Louisville (9/5)
MONDAY WorldFest Waterfront Park (The Belvedere) Free | 11 a.m. It’s the last day to explore all of the diverse cultures of Louisville at WorldFest. The festival features live music, dance, presentations and food from over 20 nations. TUESDAY Wilco “Schmilco” Listening Party Guestroom Records Free | 5:30 p.m. Well it’s Tuesday, and you’re back at…
10 concerts you shouldn’t miss in September
Twin Peaks, White Reaper Wednesday, Sept. 7 Headliners With big, messy throwback rock and fuzzed-out punk tendencies, attached to hooks that can somehow be ferocious, bubblegum and ominous within the same song, White Reaper has been a hometown favorite for the last few years. And that’s partly because they bring it in a live setting.…
A Q&A with artist Tom Pfannerstill
Tom Pfannerstill (tpfannerstill.com) is a magician. His particular sleight of hand is trompe l’oeil, the act of making us believe the art we see is the real thing. But like most magicians, he has many tricks up his sleeves. LEO: What type of artist are you? Tom Pfannerstill: I’m a mixed-media artist well versed in…
5 Things to Do this Weekend in Louisville (9/2)
FRIDAY Days of the Dead (Sept. 2–4) Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport 5 p.m. | $25-$200 Join the rest of Louisville’s undead horde and descend upon the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport for this weekend-long horror convention. In addition to the usual march, there will be special appearances by Elvira “Mistress of the Dark,” WWE legend Mick…
Jeffersonville Pride Festival
On June 25, the first ever Jeffersonville Pride Festival was held at Big Four Station in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The event kicked off with a parade and featured live entertainment throughout the day as well as local food trucks and booths for various vendors and organizations. The evening concluded with a drag show by New Albany’s…
LEO won’t tolerate Bill Lamb’s ‘gay stance’ on WDRB: Here’s our response to his criticism of LEO’s support of the LGBTQ community
I have never commented on WDRB General Manager Bill Lamb’s “Point of View” editorial. I’m not an expert on it. But this week, in an editorial titled “LEO’s gay stance is intolerant,” Mr. Lamb decided to disparage and misrepresent LEO Weekly and my recent column supporting a protest of the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s anti-LGBTQ, discriminatory policies. WDRB…
What should happen with the Foodport site? We asked an architect, a councilwoman, an urban planner and a community activist
With the failure of West Louisville FoodPort to launch, we are left — again — with no plan for the 24-acre, vacant parcel at 30th Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard. FoodPort sought to bring jobs to the neighborhood and catalyze development. It claimed it would “unite Louisville with a state-of-the-art landmark that spurs economic activity…
City confident in fight with business over minimum wage law: A Q&A with Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell
Several business groups are challenging Louisville Metro government’s move to raise the minimum wage for workers in the city. The law was passed in late 2014 — making Louisville among dozens of cities nationally to have hiked the minimum wage — and two of three scheduled increases have already gone into effect. Arguments, pro and…
GLI: boost skills, not wages
LEO contacted Greater Louisville Inc., the city’s chamber of commerce, for an interview with CEO Kent Oyler. The group and Oyler publicly opposed the ordinance as a potential job-killer. GLI declined the interview request. In a 2014 post on GLI’s website Oyler wrote, in part: “I don’t take lightly my position, and GLI’s, that raising…
KRA: city’s wage law could lead to more rules
LEO asked the Kentucky Restaurant Association, one of the plaintiffs challenging the minimum-wage ordinance in court, for an interview, but officials declined. President and CEO Stacy Roof issued this statement: “The Kentucky Restaurant Association opposes the minimum wage increase adopted by the Louisville Metro Council (as well as that adopted by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County…
West Louisville FoodPort site: opportunity or blight?
With the failure of West Louisville FoodPort to launch, we are left — again — with no plan for the 24-acre, vacant parcel at 30th Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard. FoodPort sought to bring jobs to the neighborhood and catalyze development. It claimed it would “unite Louisville with a state-of-the-art landmark that spurs economic activity…
Green space for FoodPort site?
The West Louisville FoodPort had unique potential for Louisville at-large and would have been a catalyst for other positive developments around the site between West Market Street and West Muhammad Ali Boulevard. I’m sorry that it will not go forward. That said, the project’s cancellation gives a new opportunity to listen more open-mindedly to the…
FoodPort parcel needs another bold vision
Needless to say, I am surprised and disappointed that Seed Capital KY will not be moving forward in developing and transforming this 24-acre brownfield site into the West Louisville FoodPort. I applaud Stephen Reily and Caroline Heine, as Louisvillians, for boldly stepping forward with a bold vision and plan to invest in the revitalization of…
Build a foundation for the future
Seed Capitol KY, the nonprofit behind the West Louisville FoodPort, recently announced that their project on 24 acres of land is not going to happen. If you were for or against the project, at this point it doesn’t matter. What does matter is what’s next. What do you do with 24 acres of land in…
KEEP food on FoodPort land
I’m pretty disappointed that the FoodPort didn’t work out. A lot of good people spent a lot of time and resources trying to realize the project. In early 2015, I attended some of the West Louisville FoodPort Community Council meetings and continued to follow the progress. I know that there was local opposition, and I…
Thorns & Roses: The Worst & Best (8/31)
Green eggs and shame | Thorn No one was arrested at the state fair ham breakfast, during a protest over the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s hate-filled, anti-LGBTQ policies. But we wish Mayor Greg Fischer had stood in protest with U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and others, instead of refusing to take a side and choosing instead to…
Louisville’s music union continues its battle ?for the future
Behind the Kaleidoscope Hair Salon on Bardstown Road stands an unassuming and nearly-hidden piece of Louisville history. The Louisville Federation of Musicians, the local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, has been representing Louisville musicians for over 100 years. In that time, the union has seen many victories…
Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’ At 25
I spent a good half of my teens obsessing over Pearl Jam. I collected every physical piece I could get my hands on, which took a lot of time and a lot of money, and, by the time I was in my mid-20s, I owned over 500 CDs, vinyls, cassettes, bootlegs, doormats, socks, stickers, etcetera,…
‘The 39 Steps,’ you won’t sleepwalk through this
Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s adaptation of John Buchan’s novel, “The 39 Steps,” has become a global sensation over the last decade. In case you’re not addicted to vintage movies, here’s the story: Richard Hannay, prototypical Hitchcock-innocent Everyman, suddenly finds himself implicated in a plot that includes espionage, assassination and top-secret intrigues. It’s a…
Mick Foley, ‘I meet some heroic people’
Hardcore wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is retired from the ring, but he hasn’t quit on wrestling or his fans. He’s still on the road, appearing on TV every Monday night as general manager of “Raw,” in addition with his new reality show, “Holy Foley.” He was in Corpus Christi, Texas,…
Andy Woodhull, from ‘comelian’ ?to comedian
Andy Woodhull is an affable, charming comedian with sardonic wit, who finds quirky observations in the course of everyday life. Born in Northern Indiana, Woodhull began his career in St. Louis, and honed his material as a key member of the Chicago comedy scene. Last year, he released the critically-acclaimed album, Step Parenting, which focused…
Dishwasher Hero
In every restaurant, there’s a guy who washes dishes. In a busy spot, it’s a whole troop of guys (and sometimes girls). To those of us who are lucky enough to have a line cook or prep cook’s position, these workers are our heroes. Morning dishwashers come in early, usually before the cooks. They fill…
Green Bay curds and bluegill
When I go out of town, I try to eat as much like the locals as I can — it’s part of the experience, right? You can be a locavore in a strange place for just a couple of days. I went to Liverpool, England, a few years ago and ate bacon butties and “mushy…
‘Craft’ beer: What’s going on here?
As someone interested in beer’s history, specifically from a cultural standpoint, I evolved through life knowing beer as a staple. Not many generations ago, children drank beer on a regular basis. Doctors prescribed beer to nursing mothers. Even in recent years, drinking a beer with your lunch was not cause for dismissal from your job.…
The Birth Of A Nation Part 1
[Editor’s note: This is the first of two parts. The second will be published Sept. 14] The Silent Son of La Grange As we go careening into the end of summer, like a sounder of swine going over the cliff, all full of the devil, I’m looking down the barrel of a brutal anniversary of…
Compassion for Bevin overrated?
Walking through the Kentucky State Fair with my kid and The Husband, we did what most folks do. We ate junk food, looked at farm animals and took pictures of the kid on all of the toddler rides. It was disagreeably wholesome and expensive. But … We saw Gov. Matt Bevin at the fair. The…
Why we still need unions
A lot of Donald Trump supporters seem to cite his business acumen as a/the reason they will vote for him. This echoes the oft-argued perspective that the government should be run like a business. I guess to some that sounds good, comfortable and safe. Success should equal success. But that is absolutely wrong — we…
Your Voice
On Lonely in the kitchen: Restaurant worker shortage hits Louisville There is not a shortage of workers. Just a shortage of employers who are willing to pay a livable wage, especially to those who have experience and a good work ethic. — Danielle Kinder Maybe…
