5th District Newsletter 

Mayor Linda Gorton appointed Allison Connelly and Darlene Barber to the police disciplinary review board, and named Father Jim Sichko as an alternate.

This is the first time civilians have been part of the board. “I made this a priority as we worked out a collective bargaining contract with our police. Now the police and administration are taking a big step forward to improve police accountability and transparency,” Gorton said. The appointments must be confirmed by the Urban County Council.

Gorton said she chose appointees who are fair-minded, ethical and objective. She received 74 applications for the appointments. 

Connelly is an attorney who has led the city’s Ethics Commission and served on the Lexington-Fayette Human Rights Commission. “I believe I have a responsibility to serve the community where I live and work and the community that I love,” Connelly wrote in her application to serve on the commission. “Serving on this commission would make use of my legal knowledge and skills in an area in which I am deeply interested.”

Barber is an employee of the state Personnel Cabinet who has served as co-chair of the Minority Business Expo and as recording secretary of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. Lexington Alumnae Chapter.

She told Gorton, “I am passionate about this community I grew up in, raised my children in, and am now watching my grandchildren grow up in. I want better for the citizens of Lexington. I want to help provide change and make this a better place to work, play and live. We need peace in this place.”

Father Jim Sichko is a papal missionary of mercy, a rarified group of 700 priests from around the world, including several from the United States, who were appointed directly by Pope Francis to “go forth and do good deeds.”

Father Sichko told Gorton, “As a Papal Missionary; as a priest; as a human being/citizen, I value the work of our First Responders. I also value the belief that all people, regardless of position, power or authority, must act justly and not abuse the gift given to them.”

The Review Board considers substantiated complaints made against officers: cases where the Police Chief has declined to propose sanction(s); or cases where an officer has rejected the Chief's recommended discipline charge(s) and proposed sanction(s). The board’s recommendations are forwarded to the Chief for further action.

July is National Parks & Recreation Month, and the City of Lexington’s Division of Parks & Recreation is celebrating with a full calendar of events and programs, as well as collaborative releases each Friday with local businesses that fund planting trees in parks. 

National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) designated July as National Parks & Recreation Month beginning in 1985. The month-long celebration is the perfect time to explore, enjoy, and celebrate local parks, facilities, events, and programs. 

In addition to a robust schedule of events and programs, Lexington Parks & Recreation has partnered with local businesses to release a collaborative product each Friday in July. A portion of proceeds from each product will fund planting trees in local parks around the city. 

The collaborative release schedule can be found below. For a full schedule of events and programs planned throughout the month, visit lexingtonky.gov/parks 
 

Parks & Recreation Month Collaboration Release Schedule: 

Friday, July 1 
Rayann’s Popcorn – 101 W. Loudon Ave. 
Strawberries & Cream Popcorn 
funding trees in Castlewood Park 

Friday, July 8 
West Sixth Brewing – 501 W. 6th St. 
Oak-aged Prickly Pear Wild Sour Beer 
funding trees in Coolavin Park 

Friday, July 15 
The Futile Bakery – 399 Waller Ave. Ste. 130 
Blackberry Jam Doozie 
funding trees at Elizabeth Street Park 

Friday, July 22 
Sorella Gelateria – 591 W. Short St. 
Blackberry Gelato 
funding trees at Woodland Park 

Friday, July 29 
A Cup of Commonwealth/Magic Beans Coffee – 105 Eastern Ave. 
Unique Coffee Blend 
funding trees at Northeastern Park 

Lexington will celebrate Fourth of July with a bang this year!

All the festivities and fireworks are back, pre-COVID-19 style. This year’s events will include an Ice Cream Social, Patriotic Concert, Bluegrass 10,000, Fourth of July Festival and Parade, and a fireworks spectacular.

Starting with a new partnership in 2019, R. J. Corman Railroad Group has hosted the launch site of Lexington’s Fourth of July fireworks each year. 

The fireworks will begin at 10 p.m., Monday, July 4. Residents are encouraged to come downtown to view the fireworks show.

The Division of Parks and Recreation oversees the programming of this year’s Fourth of July events. 

More details can be found at lexingtonky.gov/fourthofjuly. 

FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS SCHEDULE

Friday, July 1
Ice Cream Social
Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park, 251 W. Main St.
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 2
Red, White & Blues
Moondance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St.
5 – 9 p.m.

Sunday, July 3
Patriotic Concert
Transylvania University and Gratz Park, W. Third St.
Preshow: 5 – 6:30 p.m. – Young at Heart Big Band
Main Show: 7:30 – 9 p.m. – Lexington Philharmonic

Monday, July 4
Bluegrass 10,000 and Fun Run
Corner of Main St. and N. Limestone St.
7:25 a.m.

Fourth of July Festival
Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza, 120 N. Limestone St.
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Fourth of July Parade
Main St. (Downtown)
11:30 a.m.

Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular
Launched at Main St and Oliver Lewis Way
10 p.m.

Lexington’s Division of Water Quality invites businesses, nonprofits, schools and other organizations that are interested in stormwater projects on their property to apply for the Stormwater Quality Incentive Grant Program.

Currently, applications are being accepted for infrastructure grants that fund projects such as stream restoration, constructed wetlands, bio-retention, rain gardens, rainwater harvesting and pervious pavement installation. Businesses, schools, churches, apartment complexes and other institutions that pay the Water Quality Management Fee in Fayette County are eligible to apply for these grants. Applications are due on Friday, July 29.

• Design and construction projects have a maximum grant award of $360,000 with a 20 percent cost share of total project cost in cash or in-kind donation.
• Feasibility projects have a maximum grant award of $55,000 with a 20 percent cost share of total project cost in cash or in-kind donation.

Potential applicants, especially if they are applying for the first time, are encouraged to attend one of two informational sessions about the grant program.

Additional grant information, application packets and links to the information session meetings are available at LexingtonKY.gov/IncentiveGrants.

• June 29 – “2001: A Space Odyssey”
• July 6 – “The Big Sleep”
• July 13 – “An American Werewolf in London”
• July 20 – “Sleeping Beauty” 
• July 27 – “Bonnie and Clyde”
• Aug. 3 – “Stand By Me”
• Aug. 10 – “The Man Who Knew Too Much”
• Aug. 17 – “West Side Story”
• Aug. 24 – “Shakespeare in Love”
• Aug. 31 – “The Godfather”
• Sept. 7 - "The Big Lebowski"

Mayor Linda Gorton, Councilmember Hannah LeGris, Lexington Parks & Recreation staff, and Therapeutic Recreation program campers cut the ribbon to officially open a new multi-purpose building at Woodland Park today.

“We’re excited to cut the ribbon on this new building, which will not only offer new restrooms for visitors to the park, but also serve as support for our Therapeutic Recreation program’s summer camp here at Woodland Park,” Gorton said. “Our Therapeutic Recreation program, which is a part of our Division of Parks & Recreation, serves a critical role in supporting our community members with special needs.”

This new multi-purpose building replaces a storage and restroom building, which was over fifty years old. The restrooms in the old building, built before ADA regulations, were not easily accessible to all members of the public. The new restrooms are ADA compliant and better suited to support all visitors to the park, as well as campers.

“We are so excited to announce the opening of this beautifully redesigned facility in Woodland Park,” said LeGris, whose district includes Woodland Park. “This new building will provide clean, safe amenities for everyone using this wonderful park, enhancing the experience for residents of Lexington and visitors to our city.”

Lexington Parks & Recreation’s Therapeutic Recreation program hosts year-round programming for people with special needs, as well as three different camp locations each summer. The Woodland Park camp, which serves individuals ages 12-20 with disabilities, provides a mix of socialization, interaction, and inclusion for campers. 

Jill Farmer, Manager of Therapeutic Recreation for Lexington Parks & Recreation explained, “The Therapeutic Recreation program provides opportunities for persons with special needs to enjoy activities through recreation, leisure, and play. Our goal is to enhance the overall health and wellness of our participants, and the camp here at Woodland is a crucial part of that mission.”

Woodland Park, which is one of the oldest parks in Lexington, remains an extremely active green space in downtown Lexington. With multiple tennis courts, a tennis practice wall, a ball field, basketball courts, and an aquatic center, it is a popular recreational destination. It also serves as the host location for the annual Woodland Art Fair and Ballet Under the Stars events.

“Woodland Park is one of our more active parks in the city, and certainly in downtown,” said Parks & Recreation Deputy Director of Recreation Adrienne Thakur. “This building will not only support those recreationally enjoying the park, but also the many events hosted here.”

The new building is now open, with restrooms available for use by the public.

• Rental Assistance
• Testing Locations throughout Fayette County
• Vaccine Information and Locations