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Updates from the Office of Mayor Jim Gray
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Hello, everyone! 
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. It's always nice to pause and take stock of the people and things that really matter in life. 

Downtown is already looking great for the holidays. Crews from the Division of Parks & Recreation have been busy decorating, and the stats are impressive:
  • Christmas trees - 4 (Triangle Park, Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, Quality Street in front of the Kentucky Utilities building, and along Richmond Road)
  • Light poles wrapped in ribbon and garland - 98
  • Street trees decorated with LED lights - 110 (approximately 155,000 lights!)
After you've recovered from shopping and eating leftovers, I hope you'll come downtown Friday evening for Luminate Lexington, presented by the Downtown Lexington Corp. and Kentucky Utilities. Santa and I will light the tree in Triangle Park at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27. There will also be a holiday market and live music in Triangle Park throughout the afternoon. 

And mark your calendar for these other holiday events:

Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden Tree Lighting
6:30 p.m., Monday, November 30 at the park (corner of Third St & Midland Ave)


Christmas Parade
7 p.m., Tuesday, December 1 on Main Street (between Midland Ave & Mill St)

8th Annual Southland Drive Tree Lighting
5:30-6:30 p.m., Friday, December 4 at Fire Station #12 (399 Southland Dr)


 
Firefighter John Durr, President of the Fraternal Order of Firefighters, spoke at a news conference for the annual Toy Drive. Also pictured, Battalion Chief Joe Best (left) and Chief Keith Jackson.

Lexington's Fraternal Order of Firefighters kick off annual Toy Drive


Lexington’s Fraternal Order of Firefighters is asking citizens to help make the holidays brighter for thousands of children by donating to the 84th annual Toy Drive. 

The Toy Drive gave toys to more than 3,000 children last year. Firefighters hope to serve just as many this year, but need your help. Donations from the community, churches, civic groups, individuals as well as local businesses keep this program running. 

New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at any Lexington fire station. A variety of toys for infants, toddlers and children up to age 12 are needed, including dolls, bikes, balls, action figures and more. 

Fore more information, contact the Fraternal Order of Firefighters at 859-523-9576 or visit its website at www.lfdfof.org
Recycle your Thanksgiving cooking oil at the Gobble Grease Toss

Are you frying your Thanksgiving turkey this year? Recycle your used cooking oil in a safe, environmentally-friendly manner at the Gobble Grease Toss, sponsored by the city of Lexington, Sayre School, the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research and Bluegrass Greensource.

The Gobble Grease Toss will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27 at Sayre School, 194 N. Limestone. UK’s Center for Applied Energy Research will work with Sayre Middle School students to convert the used cooking oil into biofuel. [read more]
Gov. Beshear presented funding to help build another stretch of Town Branch Commons. Pictured (L-R): Councilmember James Brown, Downtown Development Authority President Jeff Fugate, Lextran General Manager Carrie Butler, Mayor Jim Gray, Councilmember Shevawn Akers, Councilmember Jake Gibbs, Gov. Steve Beshear

Gov. Beshear presents funding for Town Branch Commons corridor


Governor Steve Beshear recently presented $2.7 million in funding for another section of Lexington’s urban park known as Town Branch Commons, a strip of Bluegrass running through downtown that will connect the city's urban core with its rural landscape.

The project will include creation of a badly needed pedestrian crossing, with signal, on heavily traveled Vine Street in the vicinity of the central transit center for Lextran, the public transportation system for Lexington.

[read more]
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