The Notebook (Issue 21)

The week of October 17, 2022

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Excerpt from Robert Frost's "October"
As chillier days and colorful leaves emerge, the transition into autumn offers a chance for pause. Preparing for the last half of year, we are given a tremendous opportunity to begin - as Frost suggests - the hours of our days slow. While trees shed with patience and gracefulness, imagine if we too were able to observe our own changing without judgment. Consider the idea that we may grow even brighter by yielding to the change beckoning around us. To our Poplar Terrace community and friends, we hope you indulge in the magnificence of your bright October mornings. May the slowing down offer you the same radiance as autumn's glow. 
Join the World Academic Council for their newest World In Transition speaker series! The WAC World in Transition speaker series spotlights “forward-thinking and experienced diplomats, authors, and thought-leaders in diverse fields to share their expertise.” This season features a fantastic lineup including former US Ambassador to the United Kingdom and to Sweden, Matthew Barzun (October 19); award-winning journalist and author, Russell Gold (November 10); and Director of the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institute, Bruce Jones (December 7). Learn more about each upcoming event and how to register by clicking through the linked dates above. 

The Our People Our Vote program and website now has an “Explore Your Ballot” feature. This non-partisan tool helps you make a plan to vote by checking your voter registration and locating your early voting or Election Day polling place. Other voting insights are also available for you to review such as dates, deadlines, ride coordination, and volunteer options. Please share freely and widely! For additional local volunteer options, check out the Election Protection initiative to help ensure no voters are unlawfully turned away at the polls.  

🇺🇦 Volunteer Opportunities with 
the Local Ukraine Task Force 🇺🇦 


Love the Hungry volunteers tirelessly fulfilled last-minute requests to prepare more than 50,000 meals for shipment to Ukraine.To help multiply the meals for Ukraine, the task force has three additional meal-packaging sessions scheduled:

Tuesday, October 25,  6:30 PM
Saturday, November 19, 10 AM
Saturday, December 10,  10 AM

The next Ukraine Task Force meeting is also on Tuesday, October 25th at 5:00 PM just prior to the next meal packaging opportunity. Consider getting involved with one or both by contacting us and we can put you in touch!

Kentucky Musicians, The Local Honeys, featured in Patagonia’s Working Knowledge Story Series -- Kentucky duo The Local Honeys are featured in Patagonia’s latest story series on the challenges of making a living in Appalachia. To learn more about the devastating impacts of coal mining in eastern Kentucky and the fight to preserve Appalachian culture through music, check out this incredibly produced 15 minute documentary.
The Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute is proud
to be a presenting sponsor for the Kentucky Bat Festival.

 
On October 22 at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park, Dr. Andrea Darracq, who leads the Green Heart Project’s biodiversity monitoring study, will share about the different types of bats, birds, and bugs her team of biologists have observed in South Louisville. The Kentucky Bat Festival will also feature live music, food and drink vendors, children's activities, and education tables. Visit the event page to purchase tickets and learn more. Last year's tickets sold out! 

Exciting News for the Louisville Area! AHOY, a Children’s Museum, Will Open at the Portland Museum. AHOY, The Adventure of You, is preparing for its launch in early 2024 and has just completed phase one. For more on the exciting, read the latest from the LEO Weekly. You can also click through for a 1 minute video on the city's latest innovative arts museum. Above, the drawing rendered of the Portland Museum was created by artist and AHOY Director, Danny Seim.

The Louisville Pride Center Grand Opening is this MonthFor the first time in more than three decades, Louisville is home to an LGBTQ+ community center. Intended to be a gathering and learning space, the South 3rd St address will “offer social events, legal clinics, support groups, mental health services and more.” Community members can also anticipate game and movie nights, a book club, clothing swaps, and even co-working space. For more on this exciting news, vist this article from WDRB.

The Kentucky Health Policy Institute cited the COVID wastewater research of Dr. Ted Smith and team in its latest blog post from UofL Medical Professor Emeritus, Dr. Peter Hasselbacher. The author references the UofL Envirome Institute’s September 2022 report reflecting that the "levels of viral RNA in wastewater are as high as they have ever been even as reported cases in Louisville have been decreasing." Dr. Hasselbacher warns that this may reflect that cases of the virus are being vastly undercounted in Louisville -- a definite cause for concern as the federal government considers no longer paying for vaccines. Stay safe and remain conscious of your health as we head into winter. 



The Festival of Faiths is now less than a month away! November 9-12. The nationally acclaimed Festival of Faiths is back for its 26th year! This year’s theme, Sacred Stories: Contemplation and Connection, will focus on the power of both ancient and modern narratives as they inform, influence, and inspire living intentionally in our complex world. To sign-up for email updates, click here.
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