ARTISTRY, CONSERVATION, AND THE JOURNEY OF CREATION
LONG-TIME SPORTSCASTER
EXCITED TO BE ON A NEW PATH AT JEFF HIGH
For more than a century, the Kentucky State Fair’s World’s Championship Horse Show has attracted the most illustrious horses to Louisville. More than $1.5 million in awards will be on the line as an international gathering of world-class athletes compete for the largest purse in the Saddlebred industry – and the title of World’s Grand Champion.
PRESIDENT/CEO, AMELIA FRAZIER THEOBALD OPERATIONS MANAGER, MARY ZOELLER
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: ALISON CARDOZA, ALISHA PROFFITT, ANGIE FENTON, BILL DOOLITTLE, DR. RANDY WHETSTONE JR., JACKIE ZYKAN, LISA HORNUNG, MANDA BARGER, MCKENNA GRAHAM, NAILAH SPENCER, REMY SISK, RUSS BROWN, UOFL HEALTH, BUILDING INDUSTRY OF GREATER LOUISVILLE
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: GIOIA PATTON, HOMERAMA, JACKIE ZYKAN, JULIET EHRLICH, KEVIN SIVAKUMAR, LAKESIDE SWIM CLUB, THE FRAZIER HISTORY MUSEUM, UOFL ATHLETICS, UOFL HEALTH, W. L. LYONS BROWN JR. FAMILY, YEW DELL BOTANICAL GARDENS
In the grand tapestry of life, August serves as a sacred pause—a fleeting moment to embrace family. It’s a time for togetherness, and cherishing each precious second before the bustling rhythms of school and new beginnings call us back.
Family, in all its glorious forms—whether forged by blood or chosen through bonds of friendship—stands as a testament to the beautiful chaos of human connection. It is an adventure, a journey woven with the threads of countless emotions, marked by laughter, tears, and everything in between.
At its heart, family is the ultimate sanctuary, a safe haven where our quirks, tics, and idiosyncrasies are not merely accepted but celebrated. In the embrace of our beloved ones, we find the strength to face the world, for they understand us in ways no one else can. Their embrace is a giant hug that transcends the physical, reaching deep into our souls and reminding us that amidst the unpredictability of life, the love of family is a steadfast anchor.
I’m excited to share this month’s volume, with family in mind, and can’t wait to introduce our readers to the new CEO at The Healing Place! Additionally, The Louisville Zoo brought back the ROARchestra, which was a wild success with over 3,000 people in attendance. This month also highlights our collaboration with the Louisville Zoo and local sports teams, promoting wildlife awareness through engaging videos.
After a 38-year career at WLKY-Channel 32, Emmy-winning sportscaster Fred Cowgill has transitioned to teaching TV and radio at Jeffersonville High School. Congratulations Fred on your new adventure! Moreover, we are thrilled to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lakeside Swim Club, which made an exception for Mermaid Kelp from Aquamermaid, teaching our readers that anyone can be a mermaid if they put in the work!
So, this August, let us celebrate familial love and give thanks for the messy, wonderful adventure that is family. It is within this circle of understanding and acceptance that we truly find our home, a place where every moment is cherished, and every memory is treasured.
Don’t Miss Out!
Subscribe to our Curated Citywide Calendar to stay updated on all Louisville events and explore our new Society website.
Don’t Miss This Once-in-a-Lifetime Event! Meet & Greet Louisville’s Local Legends at the Louisville Zoo on August 11th from 1 PM to 3 PM. Join us to meet, greet, and get autographs from athletes of Racing Louisville FC, Louisville City FC, and the Louisville Ballet. Register now to receive a free t-shirt, publication, and Sharpie for signing before the event. Go to www.VOICE-TRIBUNE.com/meetandgreetatthezoo to learn everything!!
Highlights:
New Society Website: Explore the latest features and updates. New Purchasing options.
VOICE INTERVIEWS: Looks to see several new interview at www.VOICE-TRIBUNE.com
This is for you and to the Many Voices of Louisville,
Amelia Frazier Theobald
8
Grace Akers Reflects on a Legacy of Care: Her Journey and Retirement from St. Joseph’s Children’s Home
By: Alisha Proffitt
Photos by: Matt Johnson
14
John-Mark Hack Takes the Helm: A New Era for The Healing Place
By: Alisha Proffitt
Photos by: Matt Johnson
16
Long-time sportscaster Fred Cowgill excited to be on a new path at Jeffersonville High School
22
Plan Your Visit: How the Speed Art Museum is the ultimate family destination this summer
By Remy Sisk
Photos by Matt Johnson
28
Juliet Ehrlich: Artistry, Conservation, and the Journey of Creation
By Nailah Spencer
Photos by Juliet Ehrlich and Matt Johnson
38
Roarchestra Returns to Louisville Zoo After 15 years
By VOICE-TRIBUNE
Photos by Matt Johnson
The Monarch Music & Arts Community: Where Creatives, Artists and Musicians Find Each Other and Find Themselves
By Alisha Proffitt
Photos by Kathryn Harrington
52
Joan Zehnder’s Lifetime as a Guide on an Avenue of Healing
By Manda Barger
Photos by Matt Johnson
58
By Russ Brown 42
Inside composer Daniel Gilliam’s Suite for Ten Instruments
By Bill Doolittle
Photos by Matt Johnson
62
Elmer Lucille Allen inducted into Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame
The Brown Hotel Welcomes New Executive Chef, Gary Palm
By: Mckenna Graham
Photos by: Matt Johnson
100 Years of Lakeside Swim Club
138
Luxury for all at J Michael’s Spa & Salon
By VOICE-TRIBUNE
Photos by Matt Johnson 98
Baptist Milestone: Strength in Menopause
By Alison Cardoza
Photos by Matt Johnson
VOICE-TRIBUNE 110
UofL Health: Say Goodbye to Back to School Blues
By Mckenna Graham Photos by Matt Johnson
By UofL Health 126
Photos by Rosemary Cundiff-Brown 80
The Frazier History Museum: From Armory to Cultural Hub: Honoring the legacy of Owsley Brown Frazier
By Angie Fenton
Photos by The Frazier History Museum, Kathryn Harrington & VOICE-TRIBUNE
Kentucky Author to Host Book Reading and Signing at Her Brother’s Cat Café, which Inspired Her Story
By: VOICE-TRIBUNE
Bill and Russ’ Excellent Conversation: And the sports scribes are thinking Westward Ho!
By Bill Doolittle & Russ Brown
144
Loaded UofL volleyball looking to make Yum! Home sweet home with national title
By Russ Brown
Photos by UofL Athletics
Family Fun at Yew Dell
By VOICE-TRIBUNE
Photos provided by Yew Dell
Aquamermaid Visits Lakeside Swim Club
By VOICE-TRIBUNE
Photos by Antonio Pentoja, Matt Johnson, & Kathryn Harrington
Homerama Preview: Unbridled Homes
By Homerama Photos by Matt Johnson
148
U of L’s new ‘Home run offense’ With Shough running the show, Cards’ air attack could explode
By Russ Brown
Photos by UofL Athletics
HER JOURNEY AND RETIREMENT FROM ST. JOSEPH’S CHILDREN’S HOME
By Alisha Proffitt • Photograhy by Matt Johnson
A Decade of Dedication
After a remarkable career in child welfare spanning 34 years, Grace Akers, CEO of St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, prepares for her welldeserved retirement. Known for her profound impact on the organization, Grace’s journey with St. Joe’s began in August 2014. Having previously served in public service for 24 years, she brought her vast experience to St. Joe’s, enriching the lives of countless children and families.
Grace’s tenure at St. Joe’s has been marked by significant achievements and heartfelt moments. Reflecting on her time, she holds a special place in her heart for the annual St. Joe’s Picnic. “This year will be my 11th St Joe’s Picnic, and I cherish this weekend. I often see families, some of whom are 6th or 7th generation supporters of St Joe’s. This is a tremendous village of support for our St Joe’s kids, and I look forward to seeing them every year” Grace says. One of Grace’s proudest accomplishments is overseeing the adoption of 120 children during her leadership. “To know that we have created this many families through adoption are some moments I will cherish.” Grace shared. Additionally, St. Joe’s not only navigated the challenges of the pandemic but thrived, maintaining operations and supporting its staff throughout under Grace’s leadership. “ St. Joe’s not only survived the pandemic, but we thrived. We never closed our doors, not for one day during the pandemic, and were able to keep every employee working during that time, all working to care for children.” she reflected.
Under Grace’s guidance, St. Joe’s underwent significant growth and transformation. The organization achieved national accreditation as a Best Practice institution and successfully completed a landmark capital renovation, revitalizing its historic building. The recent strategic plan, approved in March 2023, emphasizes a people-first approach, investing in staff and ensuring bright futures for children and families.
Grace has witnessed the evolving complexities of child welfare, with an increasing number of children requiring high-level therapeutic care. St. Joe’s has adapted by expanding its Community-Based Services Program, providing crucial support for vulnerable families. The organization also champions the importance of safe childcare, recognizing its impact on both children and their families.
Through her work, Grace has learned the importance of balance and the profound impact of community support. She credits the success of St. Joe’s to the dedicated and compassionate individuals who rally around the organization. The support from public and private partnerships, foundations, and individual donors has been instrumental in sustaining St. Joe’s mission since its founding in 1849.
Looking Ahead
As Grace steps into retirement, she plans to continue serving on the board of a Kentucky Foundation, indulge in her passions for walking and grilling, and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life. Her message to the St. Joe’s community is one of gratitude and encouragement. She assures her successor that leading St. Joe’s is a uniquely rewarding experience and emphasizes the organization’s strength lies in its compassionate and united community. “First, to the next CEO of St Joe’s, whoever you may be, you will love this job like no other. The St Joe’s community is second to none, and I’ve been so lucky to have been a part of it. Most importantly, St Joe’s is thriving because of kind and compassionate people, who come together for one purpose and that is the care of children and families. It’s the birthright of every child to have a connected and bright future, and I’m thankful to everyone who works to make this possible” says Grace.
Grace Akers leaves behind a legacy of dedication, compassion, and transformative leadership. Her impact on St. Joseph’s Children’s Home and the broader child welfare community will be remembered and cherished for years to come. As she embarks on her next chapter, Grace’s commitment to the well-being of children and families continues to inspire those who follow in her footsteps.
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TAKES THE HELM: A NEW ERA FOR THE HEALING PLACE
By Alisha Proffitt • Photograhy by Matt Johnson
The Healing Place, a cornerstone of addiction recovery in Louisville, welcomes John-Mark Hack as its new CEO. Hack’s journey to The Healing Place is both a professional milestone and a personal homecoming. “I grew up in the South end, graduated from Male High School, Transylvania University, and the University of Kentucky for graduate school,” he shared. “I am a lifelong, die-hard Cardinal fan. My work experience spans business, government, the nonprofit sector, and academia. In this season of my life, I want to maximize my impact in my work, and returning home to lead The Healing Place is the best possible position to accomplish all of these goals.” Hack’s deep ties to the community and his commitment to impactful work make him a perfect fit for his new role at The Healing Place.
As Hack steps into his new role, he is keen on building upon The Healing Place’s strong foundation of effective recovery services. His immediate goals include strengthening the organization’s financial sustainability and enhancing community connections to broaden the understanding of available services. Hack is particularly eager to learn from the 80% of employees who are alumni of The Healing Place’s programs, leveraging their unique insights to optimize operations and extend their reach. “They are in a unique position to help me understand how we can optimize our operations and serve as many people as possible,” he says.
Hack is enthusiastic about new initiatives at The Healing Place, including a pilot short-term residential program aimed at improving service provision during and after detox. He plans to expand outpatient services and formalize the transitional phase of recovery with a workforce development program. This initiative seeks to equip clients with job skills and secure career-track employment, potentially through social enterprises directly connected to The Healing Place.
Community engagement remains a vital aspect of The Healing Place’s mission. Thanks to a grant from the Louisville Metro Government Opioid Abatement Commission, the organization will enhance its outreach in West Louisville and the South end. “We want to expand the availability of resources for people who are in active addiction, but also expand the availability of our resources to healthcare facilities, hospitals, and jails. We want to be a resource for first responders and the Louisville Metro Police Department as a place to bring people who need addiction recovery services.” Hack says. Additionally, The Healing Place has launched its first radio show, “Let’s Be for Real,” airing every Monday at 2:30 on WLLV. This show, hosted by alumni and employees, aims to foster community engagement and awareness about recovery.
Addressing the challenges faced by families of individuals in addiction, Hack emphasizes the importance of understanding that recovery is a personal journey. He advocates for resources like Al-Anon, a support network for families and friends of those struggling with addiction. Hack also highlights the critical role of naloxone (Narcan) in reversing opioid overdoses, encouraging everyone to have it readily available and to learn how to use it. “Because of the proliferation of opiates and the increasingly lethal nature of the opiates that are available on the street and their relatively low cost, I highly encourage everybody to have in their home supplies of naloxone. The brand name of naloxone is Narcan, and it is an aerosol that is administered to people who have overdosed on opiates. It has the effect of reversing the effects of overdose. It is a life saving measure. I strongly encourage everyone reading this article not only to have it in their home, but to familiarize themselves with how it is administered. Narcan saves tens of thousands of lives every day across this country and we need to equip ourselves with all the tools at our disposal to combat the overdose crisis that we are confronting.” he advises.
As Hack settles into his role, his message to those considering seeking help from The Healing Place is clear: “Our doors are always open 24/7, 365 days a year. Our detox and long-term recovery services are available at no cost to the client. With over 7,000 alumni, our peer-driven social model of recovery offers a compassionate and supportive environment. Your life can be restored to a meaningful and productive one here.”
For more information about The Healing Place and its services, visit www.thehealingplace.org.
EXCITED TO BE ON A NEW PATH AT JEFF HIGH
By RUSS BROWN
If you watch local television news/sports telecasts, you have noticed by now that Louisville’s dean of sportscasting has been missing for two months. This is to report that Cowgill, 66, is alive and well, and thriving in a new environment after his unprecedented 38-year run on WLKY-Channel 32 -- longest in the history of the market -- ended on May 24.
When classes resumed at Jeffersonville (Ind) High School on Aug. 1 after summer break, Cowgill began teaching TV and radio, although he was hard at work nearly two months before then setting up his classroom, planning a curriculum and performing other tasks so he would be well-prepared and could hit the ground running by the time students showed up.
After he left WLKY as its Emmy-winning Sports Director he wasn’t interested in kicking back and enjoying retirement, and his new occupation filled a mutual need for both him and Jeffersonville High School.
“I had been looking for a new adventure for about a year,” Cowgill said. “I just felt that God had something else in store for me. I had a lot of interest from businesses out there locally and nationally, but one by one they fell by the wayside for a variety of reasons. They just weren’t the right fit.”
That all changed with, first, a call from Jeffersonville High School athletic director Larry Owens to gauge his interest in taking over direction of the school’s radio/TV department, and then a followup conversation with principal Pam Hall.
Hall is fond of saying that she tries to swing for the fences with everyone she hires, and she thinks she has hit a home run with Cowgill.
“Fred was at the top of my list for our Radio/TV program,” Hall said. “I believe my students deserve the best and a four-decade Louisville legend like Fred Cowgill is not only the best, but a dream come true for our Red Devils. In his short time on campus, he has already met with some of his students, collaborated with fellow teachers and been working with community partners to ensure we evolve into an award-winning radio/TV department. I am blown away by his vision and passion for this program. I feel Fred is going to catapult us to the next level.” LONG-TIME
It’s certainly difficult to imagine anyone more qualified than Cowgill, a native of Johnson City, N.Y., about 75 miles south of Syracuse. He earned degrees from the University of Tennessee and Boston University, then began his TV sports career in 1980 at CNN. He later worked for the ABC affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., before moving to WLKY, where he has won an Emmy Award for coverage of Muhammed Ali’s funeral, 17 “Best of Louisville” Awards, and various Best Kentucky Sportscaster Awards. He has taught classes in the University of Louisville’s Communications Department.
“I have been enormously blessed in my 49-year career,” he says.
Cowgill’s value to the community doesn’t stop on the TV screen, though. He has hosted charity golf tournaments for three decades, raising more than $2 million to fight cancer and diabetes. He and his wife Cindy have four children.
However, life hasn’t been all seashells and balloons for Cowgill this decade. He suffered a severe knee injury when he was slammed to the ground by a player while working the sideline at a Trinity High School football game in 2021. The injury required two years of surgery and rehabilitation involving both mental and physical anguish and left him unable to pursue his favorite hobby, golf, to the extent he had all of his life. He was also heavily criticized on social media when he sued the school, a lawsuit he eventually dropped because “getting a glimpse of the future, I didn’t like where it was going.”
“That incident at Trinity was very painful, one of the toughest times of my life,” Cowgill said. “My kneecap was at a 90-degree angle. I couldn’t walk for a long time and I couldn’t take pain-killers because I’m allergic to them. I was in agony. I was screaming. I didn’t sleep for weeks. At one point the doctors thought about possibly amputating. I was in a pretty dark place. Little by little, I fought my way back. You have to fight because the world is going to drag you down. I wanted a happy ending.”
He got the happy ending, and now he’s writing another chapter, an epilogue if you will.
While searching for a new vocation or another opportunity in TV, Cowgill had a list of 10 boxes that needed to be checked.
“Frankly, the biggest one was I wanted to be needed and wanted,” he said. “But it also had to have meat and potatoes with it. For example, I wanted to do something to help people.”
One potential opportunity checked nine of those boxes. Jeffersonville High School checked all 10.
“When this came along, I looked up at the sky and thought, ‘So this is the one.’”
In talking to Cowgill, it’s obvious that he is energized and passionate about his new gig, in no large part due to the Greater Clark County Schools’ commitment to Jeffersonville High School radio/TV program, as evidenced by tools that are already in place to the tune of nearly $4 million. Cowgill said he was told that two years ago a national survey of high school radio/TV departments and facilities nationwide ranked Jeffersonville High School in the top five.
“It’s overwhelming,” he said. “This facility is so amazing that it’s almost sensory overload. We have our own radio studio, TV studio, TV control room, as well as a classroom, amazing technology, an Adobe Premiere system that’s the best in the business. UofL doesn’t have this kind of equipment and almost no high school does. It’s just jaw-dropping. There are numerous layers to this job and two separate parts. There’s the facilities, the TV and radio stations, plus you have the teaching aspect, so I have to imagine how that’s going to be taught.”
Cowgill’s teaching load will consist of six 45-minute classes per day of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, with a total of about 150 students.”
“The good news is I have all the ‘toys’ I need,” he says.
Jeffersonville High School’s low-power, 24/7 radio station, WJHI-98.5 FM, is on the air with coverage in much of the Metro area. The TV station, Channel 184 on Spectrum, will start its programming soon. Cowgill’s tentative game plan for the outlets includes newcasts by students, broadcasts of football games, boys and girls basketball games, and more. Initially, the radio station will primarily be music.
Teaching young people is a huge responsibility,” Cowgill said. “We’re going to spend the first nine-week grading period getting to know these kids and understanding their skill set, what to teach them, and then go from there. I’m excited. This is going to be fun.”
How the Speed Art Museum is the ultimate family destination this summer
By Remy Sisk • Photograhy by Matt Johnson
While most Louisvillians are aware of how fortunate the city is to be the home of the Speed Art Museum, some may not be as familiar with the multitude of programming offered by the museum. For those families looking for the perfect day out, the Speed has something for everyone and every age, and there’s never been a better time to plan your visit than right now.
“We are thrilled to continue providing varied and diverse programming that caters to guests of all ages here at the Speed,” says Director Raphaela Platow. “With something for everyone, each family member can interact and engage with art and the creative process in ways that can lead to new understanding, appreciation and conversation.”
To begin your own journey, check out this list of eight can’t-miss opportunities at the Speed and get ready for a fun-filled creativity-fueled experience at the museum!
On loan from the Art Gallery of Ontario, this new exhibition, which will delight and entice the entire family, envelops visitors inside a large kaleidoscopic space with mirrored spheres suspended from the ceiling and arranged on the floor. Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrored Room- LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER is a 90-second “immersive experience” where visitors can contemplate the meaning of “infinity” through an illusory mirrored space that encourages introspection and optical play.
“It’s thrilling to host one of Kusama’s signature, immersive ‘Infinity Rooms,’” says Speed Curator of Contemporary Art, Tyler Blackwell. This ‘Infinity Room’ invites us to think about what it might mean to ‘survive forever.’ In a post-pandemic world, this phrase might take on new meanings for all of us, or we might enter the space and feel as if we might be transformed by seeing our own likeness reflected back to us thousands of times.”
With interactive elements from the Speed’s Learning, Engagement and Belonging Team and Rockerbuilt, this is an installation families won’t want to miss. The presentation runs through January 12, 2025.
Baby Playdate & Toddler Takeover
Baby Playdates: First Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Toddler Takeovers: Second Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
What better way to get your little ones into the art world than by bringing them to a day at the museum? At each Baby Playdate, the Speed team makes the gallery a baby’s paradise with floor mats, board books, toys and soft music. In this environment, babies and their grown-ups are able to discover the museum at their own pace and in their own way.
Meanwhile, at Toddler Takeover, your toddler has free reign of the museum! During this program, toddlers can lead their families to wherever their eye is drawn and visit special child-friendly stations throughout the museum with activities like storytime, art making, games and puppets.
Art Sparks
Open museum hours
In this interactive hands-on learning gallery for all ages, families can explore art in a modern way, using technology and interactive activities to engage with the collections of the museum and beyond. Across three sections – Noticing, Talking and Making – visitors touch on the varieties of ways to relate with art, gaining a new appreciation as well as understanding of different media. Additionally, Art Sparks is home to Planet Preschool, a space specifically catering to early childhood engagement.
Community Day
Monthly, August Date: Sunday, August 18, 1-4 p.m.
This free monthly series highlights the Speed’s dedication to being a vital community resource through partnerships with a variety of organizations. This month, the museum celebrates Back to School with Pride and Belonging! On August 18th, visitors will be treated to activities and events across the museum to celebrate and support LGBTQ+ youth at the start of a new school year. Looking ahead, September 29th’s Community Day will center on a performance of “Broken Wings Still Fly,” a raw and poignant theatrical experience co-authored by Brandi LaShay and Hannah Drake about enslaved women of Kentucky, featuring motherhood, love, heartbreak, resilience, and ultimate triumph. October’s edition, scheduled for the 27th, will be centered around Día de los Muertos and see La Casita Center and the University of Louisville’s Cultural Center on site to offer education and celebration.
Speed Summer Camps
Summer months, weeks/times vary
This summer may be nearly over but it’s not too early to start thinking about plans for next year! Let your child beat the heat and spend a week immersed in creativity at one of the museum’s week-long summer day camps. Each session offers a variety of fun hands-on activities that encourage children to be creative thinkers, bold art-makers and playful collaborators. Registration typically opens in February. A special program worth highlighting is the Studio Portfolio Intensive for Teens, an experience for students ages 14-18 that allows them to pursue art more deeply. The week-long session offers teens the opportunity to speak to artists and museum professionals in addition to spending hours in the studio learning advanced techniques, all while immersed in the Speed’s collection.
Memories at the Museum & Platinum Collective
Memories at the Museum: Second Saturday of the month, 1:30-3 p.m.
Platinum Collective: Multi-week sessions offered several times per year
Memories at the Museum is designed for those living with early- and middle-stage memory loss and their care partners. This revolutionary program combines a tour of a gallery or special exhibition with a hands-on art-making activity, led by museum staff who are trained by the Alzheimer’s Association.
Platinum Collective brings adults 55 years of age and older together to form a community of energetic and curious people who connect over art, shared experiences and conversations. Throughout each session, participants engage in a series of workshops that culminate in an event at the Speed.
Currently on View Museum hours
In addition to the special programs and events, let’s not forget the collections of the museum itself! And there’s never been more to see at the Speed. With the reinstallation and reconfiguration of the permanent collections, including the Native American, European and Contemporary galleries, the museum has been able to put approximately 30 percent more of its permanent collection on view for its guests. Back on view are such fan favorites as Priscilla Johnston by Alice Neel, The Church at Varengeville by Claude Monet, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Edgar Degas and Golden Rest – Dead Treez by Ebony G. Patterson.
Speed Art Park
Opening 2025
With so much currently going on at the museum, there’s still plenty to look forward to. The Speed Art Park, with a large portion opening next year, will be an ungated, public sculpture park that creates a welcoming extension of the museum with free and open access at all hours, inviting the public to engage with the museum and its artwork beyond its galleries. The Art Park will create new opportunities for the Museum to display its growing collection of outdoor sculpture, collaborate with artists specializing in outdoor and land art and present creative programming outside of the museum’s physical walls.
Now is a great time to consider a Family Membership at the Speed. An annual Family Membership gives two adults and all children in the household access to celebrate art at your Speed. Members enjoy free admission to the Museum, including special exhibitions and many programs, and discounts on tickets to Speed Cinema and Summer Camp tuition.
Learn more at speedmuseum.org/membership
ARTISTRY, CONSERVATION, AND THE JOURNEY OF CREATION
Juliet Ehrlich at home amongst her bas-relief collection
By Nailah Spencer
provided by Juliet Ehrlich and Matt Johnson
Juliet Ehrlich, a Louisville-based artist, exudes a youthful energy that infuses her work with a unique charm. She blends her master painting, sculpting, and pottery skills to breathe life into the antique and contemporary pieces she restores. Her spirit of inquisitiveness about the world and its beauty, coupled with her hunger to create, drives her work.
“As an artist, it’s not only what we create. It’s a way of moving through the world. What you notice, where your eyes fall. So, I am in an ever-present artistic mood, for sure. Which is a romantic mood.” Ehrlich said, poetically.
Juliet Ehrlich’s artistic journey has been a fascinating evolution. In the capacity of Architectural Colorist, Juliet worked on several rooms for Mrs. Paula and Frank Harshaw of Louisville who have raved “When Juliet worked her magic, the artwork was highlighted and the rooms transformed”. Recognized for her prowess as a painter and sculptor, she has now expanded that role to include restoration and conservation. This endeavor signifies her dedication to preserving and repairing antique and contemporary ceramic objects. Art appreciation was a passion ingrained in her since her earliest memories.
“I started, not knowing my capacities as a sculptor and painter would become the underpinnings for restoration and conservation. So it unfolded for me like a little burgeoning flower, really. I did it for myself as a sculptor, whether on pieces that might have had a crack or a chip before or after firing. And then for commissioning clients whose pieces may have emerged out of the kiln with lacuna, which is a hole that may have developed in the kiln or that I didn’t see before on a surface.”
The conservation and restoration process is challenging. It demands research, technical skills, patience, and meticulous attention to detail. It’s a journey to transform something that has broken, been mishandled or aged over time into a piece renewed. According to Juliet Ehrlich, it’s a layered process.
“You do the cleaning, and you put it aside to dry. You wait a few hours because you want that moisture to dissipate. You epoxy it outside. You leave it for a day or two. So it’s all this and more, and I keep detailed notes.” said Juliet Ehrlich.
She uses visual documentation for projects like those she’s doing for Hadley Pottery and the Filson Historical museum. Juliet restored two pieces for Peter Morrin, past Speed Art Museum president, achieving the bar of invisibility. In addition, she is still commissioned for original sculptures.
Your work proved to be the highlight of the Art in Embassy program
- The Whitehouse State Dept.
Photos
Ocean Rock Perch clay relief sculpture
Antique Porcelain (restoration)
While some people go to college to hone their artistic skills, Ehrlich developed her craftsmanship through life experience and travel. At just 17, she took a class from Robert Lockhart at the Louisville School of Art, and soon knew she wanted to explore pottery. Although she had been exposed to the power of bringing an idea to fruition with her hands through exploring museums and creating floral designs, this class confirmed her passion for clay. Not long after, she attended an International Ceramics Symposium, and met a potter from New Zealand who would become her mentor a year later. At 18 years old, she traveled to New Zealand and spent a year learning to throw pottery.
“I lived with his young family at first, and ultimately, in a big house with other New Zealanders. Then he arranged a month’s stay in Coromandel with Barry Brickell, a hermit Potter. It certainly added to my foundation,” said Ehrlich.
As an adult, she opened a pottery shop on Lower Brownsboro Road, where she built a kiln. She ran that business for a few years before selling the kiln and continuing her traveling journey.
“I just wanted to see more of the world. I didn’t feel ready to be in one place after having that experience in New Zealand. So I moved with friends to California and lived in San Francisco for a few years.”
From there, she continued her pottery in Maryland, where she discovered her love of studying and creating art inspired by different cultures. Her experiences creating through various art mediums and her much sought restoration and conservation are a testament to her growth and the depth of her artistic exploration. They are brought to fruition when you visit her home. One step inside feels like entering a museum filled with vibrant colors, delicate artwork, and moments immortalized by her keen eye and skilled hands. From detailed drawings to lifelike paintings and a diversity of sculptures, one looks at Juliet Ehrlich’s work, and you can see the inner workings of her creativity.
Ehrlich’s recent return from being the inaugural U.S. sculptor awarded a fully funded, five-week residency on Nantucket is a testament to her talent and dedication. The White House State Department commissioned her to create 17 sculptures for embassies in Singapore and Pua Pua, New Guinea, a feat that her audience can take pride in. For commissions, Juliet Ehrlich can be contacted via phone at 502-936-3599 or through email at juliet.ehrlich@gmail.com. Her portfolio can be viewed at julietehrlich.artspan.com
Historic Mary Alice Hadley’s Own Work (restoration)
Pre-Colombian Whistle (restoration)
Architectural Detail (clay
relief sculpture)
By VOICE-TRIBUNE
Photos by Matt Johnson
After a 15-year hiatus, Roarchestra made a spectacular return to the Louisville Zoo in July for a unique and vibrant experience that blended classical music with contemporary soul. The event, which celebrated American music, underscored the Zoo’s commitment to offering diverse and enriching experiences to the community.
The return of Roarchestra brought together families, music enthusiasts, and community members who gathered with blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy an evening with Louisville Orchestra. The event’s setting at the Louisville Zoo added a magical backdrop, making the experience even more memorable.
The performances were highlighted by vocalists with deep roots in the Louisville music scene. Jason Clayborn, a gospel singer with a rich musical heritage, captivated the audience with his powerful voice and stage presence. Daria Raymore, another Louisville native, showcased her undeniable vocal talent alongside Teaira Dunn, CeCe Dunn, and Latiana Clayborn.
Musical Director Teddy Abrams curated a program that celebrated the richness of American music. The powerful first movement of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 added a touch of classical grandeur to the evening. The inclusion of Leonard Bernstein’s “Three Dance Episodes from On the Town” exemplified the fusion of classical and popular music that Bernstein championed. “Bernstein is a representative of what American music can be. Yes, classical composer and conductor and educator, but also someone who brought together all of the music that he loved, all of the music that he heard in this country, and he synthesized it and distilled it and made something unique and something truly American,” said Teddy Abrams to Roarchestra guests.
Gabriel Globus-Hoenich’s reimagined soul classics brought a contemporary flair to the event. Performances of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” featuring the soulful voices of Clayborn and Raymore, electrified the audience. Other standout performances included James Brown’s “Cold Sweat” and Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.”
The event also highlighted contemporary compositions, such as Tyler Taylor’s introspective piece inspired by Tytianna Wells’ “American Dream,” and Teddy Abrams’ own “Overture to The Greatest.” These works demonstrated the evolving nature of American music and the importance of supporting new artistic expressions.
Roarchestra’s return to the Louisville Zoo was more than just a concert; it was a celebration of music’s power to bring communities together. The event underscored the Louisville Zoo’s role as a cultural hub and provided a platform for local artists to shine. As the final notes echoed through the Zoo, it was clear that Roarchestra had reclaimed its place as a beloved Louisville tradition.
The Monarch: Music & Arts Community Founder, Mark Roberts
Where Creatives, Artists
and Musicians Find Each Other and Find Themselves
By Alisha Proffitt
Photos by Kathryn Harrington
The Monarch Music and Arts Community recently celebrated its 2 year anniversary. In June, the VOICE-TRIBUNE staff took a field trip of sorts out to The Monarch to celebrate this milestone, show our support, and enjoy all of the unique and special experiences The Monarch has to offer. I later met up with Founder, Mark Roberts to share more about his journey and future visions for The Monarch and artists in our city since we last checked-in 2023.
The Monarch is a 501(c)(3), member-supported, non-profit organization. “We don’t sell anything here, the goal is to keep our doors open with the help of folks that want to see a place like this exist in Louisvillethese are our members.” says Mark, “We are trying to build a space that feels like home to creatives, artists and musicians in our city where they can hang, work, learn, collaborate and grow. I always like to say it’s a spot where we can find each other and find ourselves.”
In 2018 when Mark was searching for a new direction, he came across a documentary that deeply inspired him. “I watched this documentary called Echo in the Canyon(2018), it had a profound impact on me. It’s a Jakob Dylan documentary about Laurel Canyon California in the late 60’s and it talks about all of the artists that came out of there at the same time, and that’s what blew me away. And it was like, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Mamas and The Papas, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Crosby, Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt and Tom Petty and just on and on and on. All of these pioneers and luminaries in that industry in the same place at the same time. And as I listened to all these stories and interviews, I started researching a bit and what I found is that, it happened because they were a community. They all hung out at The Troubadour together, they all cut their teeth on those microphones and worked together and played together and lived together in a handful of houses on the hillside. They supported one another. As a result, a lot of cool shit, man, and the world is a better place for it. That became the inspiration for this as a concept, to try and create a space that can feel like home for artists in our city so that we can better foster that sense of community.”
Mark began hosting living room shows at his home back in 2018, and started a series called Live at Long Run, where he lived on Long Run Road. “There’s also been a series here in Louisville called The Living Room Series that I learned about when I started doing Live at Long Run. Literally at the very beginning of that, I met Dusty Segretto and he and I hit it off.
He does some incredible stuff in downtown Louisville and he’s done it for a long time.” Mark shared “I started doing that house-show concept, and what I saw was, it’s just incredible. It was the same concept, we would invite a local and a touring artist and very intentionally try to pair the two. We always pair local and a touring because we like to try to cultivate those creative connections for artists.”
At Mark’s house it was potluck, BYO, and donation based, and he saw communities grow from that and fell in love with that feeling. “I see communities, relationships and connections coming from this- professional and personal. It has a big impact on people, that’s really what I fell in love with. Music brings people together.”
The Monarch Music & Arts Community is, in many ways, an evolution of Live at Long Run. “Most of the shows that we do are donation based, all of the money raised goes directly to the artist, shows are always BYO. We don’t want to be a bar, we don’t want to be a restaurant, there are already many of those in our city.” Mark told me, “We don’t have a sign out front, we aren’t trying to recruit people to come in off the streets, you know what I’m saying? We’re low key and any advertising or marketing, we just don’t really do it. Most people don’t know we exist, but this is a place for music, art and community. That’s it. And it feels different as a result. And when people come in they notice it.”
The Monarch has hosted over 200 events in the last two years. In those 200 plus shows, they have featured over 600 local and regional artists from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. “We’ve had nearly 300 touring musicians from across the country, many of which had never been to Kentucky before. We’ve had a couple dozen artists internationally come play, we’ve had like 10 Grammy winners perform here. And we don’t have a sign out front.” says Mark.
Later this year The Monarch will focus most of the programming that they present on bringing in larger, more recognizable artists and giving guests the opportunity for special intimate experiences with them. “There will be artists from huge bands that you know doing solo performances and you get to see them in a different way. We are being contacted by artists and artist representatives, whether its labels or management or booking agencies, from all over the country now because they’re hearing about what we are doing. We are the only listening room in town. We are the only space that does what we do, I have never seen anything like this anywhere before and of all the folks that we’ve had here, they’ve never seen anything quite like this before either. So I am really excited about that.”
Artists need to be comfortable in a place to create to the best of their ability. The Monarch is a safe space where they can come, create, experiment and collaborate with other folks that are there for the same reasons and patrons have a place where they feel included and involved with the artists and music that they love and support. It is a destination in our city that artists and creatives have missed and needed for a long time. And not just musicians, also visual artists and creatives of all sorts. “Folks come here to work, play music, paint, draw, write, practice, listen to records, find inspiration, etc. There are a lot of photoshoots that happen in this space, there are video shoots that happen here. All sorts of magic happens here, even magic shows.”
Artist members have access 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. to writing, rehearsal and performance space, all of the communal tools of the trade, greenroom/content studio, kitchen, even a private backyard equipt with ping-pong and foosball tables, darts, hammocks and outdoor couches, and grill. Soon the garage will be renovated to become the primary soundproof rehearsal room, with a stage and black box theater where performers can exit stage left. This allows for rehearsals and events simultaneously that don’t interfere with each other. “The whole point is that it’s at-will access, it’s key card based so you can let yourself in and out. The place is unstaffed. This is a creative hub and a co-working space and resource center for a community of musicians, artists, music lovers and creatives of all sorts and their patron audiences.” says Mark, “The best way to support The Monarch is by becoming a member, volunteer or supporter. Monthly membership options are available for Artists and Patrons.”
One of the best ways to keep up with everything happening at The Monarch is to view their weekly Newsletter, available on social media and their website. From there you can find dates for concerts, workshops, literary and wellness events as well as ticketed shows.
Many of these events are open to the public, like Wellness Wednesday, a free community discussion that started in December of 2023 and is the first Wednesday of every month. It corresponds with WFPK’s Mental Health Day and is a conversation with mental health experts and special guests, open to the general public and an opportunity to come in, listen and ask questions. “WFPK has been really great to us. They’ve done a lot of really cool events here and brought a lot of incredible artists here.” Mark said.
There is no denying that The Monarch Music and Arts Community is onto something special as it continues to grow and evolve. As far as what’s to come? “I don’t know all the ways artists will use this place yet, or members will use this place yet. It’s really not for me to decide.” says Mark.
To donate to the monarch music and arts community and learn more go to their website https://themonarchmac.org/
By Manda Barger • Photograhy by Matt Johnson
Stop for a moment and be here in the now with me. I recently had the opportunity of interviewing Joan Zehnder, an artist and retired art therapist who has helped generations in the Louisville region to process experiences of pain, grief, and trauma through the power of art, writing, and other forms of expression. She has inspired many with her own art to find comfort and love within the hustle and bustle of schedules, work, and family- something many of us can learn at any age.
Joan was born in 1938 and had a talent for art since the very beginning. While flipping through drawings she created in first grade, she reflects that her whole life has been in the presence of something beyond her and often comes out in her writing and art. While she describes herself as a Pollyanna, there were also times of uncertainty in her childhood. At the age of three, she was in the care of other family members while her parents had to address some of her mother’s medical needs. She would later discover as an adult she had blocked out memories of sexual abuse during that time away from her parents. Like many survivors, there have been moments in her life to address and process that trauma through therapyand her art. She hopes sharing this allows other abuse survivors to find comfort in their path of healing. “The story of our lives sometimes just holds a beautiful gift of healing- and also a lot of pain,” as she explains.
After Joan graduated from high school, she joined the Sisters of Mercy and taught art at Assumption, Mercy, Holy Rosary, and DeSales High schools. She ultimately received Masters degrees in Art at the University of Notre Dame and in Expressive Therapy at the University of Louisville in 1988. She took these skills to help others at a cancer center, then a sexual abuse center before opening her own practice. Many would say her story is a lifetime of service, but she reflects on her journey with gratitude. She explains, “I remember pain in the job but not fear. [There] was a source of energy and strength and healing. And that was doing even more for me than the people I was helping.”
Whether you were once one of her clients or a stranger, you cannot ignore the warmth Joan shines in her being, her art, and her studio- which contains reflections of her work as an art therapist. From selfhelp books and materials to make collages to a sandbox and characters for clients to play out stories, you can feel a sense of security to express the mind, body, and soul.
As for her art, Oil paint on canvas has been Joan’s main medium but she also works with mixed media, oil paint on fabric, and writing. Throughout all of her pieces, you see a consistent call of love- not only for the world but also the self. Inspired by shamanism, part of her process involves meditation and expression before stepping back to hear what the piece has to say. This often involves a written piece containing a stream of consciousness with messages of comfort and encouragement. In one of her mixed medium pieces, there’s a card with “In the darkness the light and healing that you long for are already within your very being… Even in the deepest darkness know you were and are never alone. You ARE and will always be held in love.”
Though she is now retired from therapy, Joan continues to encourage and guide others along a path of growth. In a recent show, she featured art inviting others to find the interconnectedness of existence. Much of her work showcases aspects of nature, the Divine Feminine, and time. You can also find this in three books that feature her artwork: Imaginings, Threshold, and Creative Energy. And if you have the blessing of meeting her, she’ll likely encourage you to find a path of expression and self-empowerment.
Needless to say, Joan’s life is as inspiring as her art. It’s a life of expression, healing, and empowerment- all while assisting others on their path for the same. It connects again with a woman who reflects on her own triumphs while processing her pains. When asked what would she tell her six-year-old self who created beautiful drawings in first grade-, she answered, “My love for you will never leave you. Be not afraid, I am with you. I will hold you. I will protect you. I think you are so brave… I’m so proud of you and how you lived this beautiful life that happened.”
Joan’s books Threshold, Imagining and Creative Energy are available online at www.blurb.com
By Bill Doolittle • Photos By Matt Johnson
Composers are always warning reviewers, and listeners, not to get carried away thinking the music is ABOUT something. Paints a picture. Tells a story.
But listening to the premiere of Daniel Gilliam’s Suite for Ten Instruments this listener couldn’t help feeling a sense of nature unfolding. Of a seed popping open and tiny roots taking hold. As the music was debuted by the NouLou Chamber Players in a concert at the Library at Oxmoor Farm, the notes unfolded gently, so softly, with an instrument speaking here, and another there, like tiny rivulets of water getting together after a rain …
But later, the composer doesn’t seem to be buying our nature notion.
“I think in this day and age we’re so connected to the city, we’re so connected to cars and the conveniences – and I’m not trying to sound like Wendall Berry or Harlan Hubbard – but I think we all crave that,” says Gilliam. “We buy plants for the house, take walks in the park, and I think that somehow makes its way into my music sometimes.”
But it is secondary.
“For this piece, the music came first,” says Gillam. “I don’t typically write music from a non-musical perspective first. In other words, I don’t come up with, ‘I want to write music about the ocean,’ and then proceed to write ocean music. I tend to write the music first.”
Which is how the Suite for Ten Instruments was born. Gilliam specifically set out to write a composition for ten instruments. Which is an unusually large number of players in chamber music.
The idea came from a discussion Gilliam had with cellist Cecilia Huerta-Lauf, who is kind of the ringleader of a band of professional musicians that call themselves the NouLou Chamber Players. Cecilia asked Daniel to create a new composition that the core musicians of the NouLou could premiere. (And looking ahead to the happy ending of the story, the debut was a success, and the NouLou plans another performance of Suite for Ten Instruments this season. Which will be professionally recorded – a new record!)
“Cecilia wanted a piece that involved as many of their core players as possible,” explains Gilliam. “The NouLou’s concerts have varied, depending on the repertoire. It might be a string quartet featured for a concert, or a harp and flute duet. For this, she wanted as many of their regular performers as possible. Sort of, everybody gets to play on this one.”
The original idea was for Gilliam to create a piece with the same instrumentation as the famous Beethoven Septet, which the NouLou had performed a few years ago. A septet is seven players: often four strings and three winds. Beethoven’s Septet was pretty much the composer’s first big hit, and NouLou concert-goers loved it.
The group followed with Schubert’s Octet, that everyone loved, too. But septets, octets, nonettes are very rare in the chamber music repertoire. There aren’t many of them.
Meanwhile, Gilliam’s commission grew from seven to eight players, then nine, and finally to a 10-player decet. Which is so rare, nobody was even sure how to pronounce “decet.” Is it like deck-ette? Or maybe dess-ette?
Gilliam thought “ten instruments” was a better choice, with six movements collected as a suite.
In rehearsals the group got the seating worked out, and it kind of reinforces the concept: On the left, the four string players: Heather Thomas (violin), Laura De St. Croix (viola), Cecilia Huerta-Lauf (cello), Brian Thacker (double bass). On the right, four wind players: Kathleen Karr (flute), Jennifer Potochnic (oboe), Marilyn Nije (clarinet), Matthew Karr (bassoon). In the middle, and back a little to connect the two sides, Scott Leger (French horn) and Christopher Brody (piano).
Duets inside of Decets
The set-up arranges the players so they can see and hear each other and team together in smaller combinations – taking cues from each other as they play. Duets and trios and the like pop up in different spots, with the mixes of instruments creating unique sounds and colors.
“What I like about the piece is its written for each player to have their own role,” says Marilyn Nije, the clarinetist. In one passage her clarinet is paired with the viola of Laura De St. Croix. One is higher than the other in pitch, but they’re adjacent, with the clarinet able to reach down to the viola, and the viola able to climb to the clarinet. It creates a harmonious – and complementary – coupling. But when do you ever those two together?
French horn player Scott Leger says the group of ten players is a very adaptable mix. “You get that huge force of almost like an orchestra, but everybody is still playing very intimately.
“When only two or three or four instruments play, it’s really cool,” Leger says. “In the middle of a work you get to highlight just a particular combination, or pairing, which is always a really neat thing to do.”
The clarinet-viola duet comes in a movement called “Untitled, with Mozart.” An earlier movement called “A tree (circa 1842)”, partners oboe, bassoon, horn and double bass – a woody bunch.
All ten play on a movement called “Jacob Wrestles with the Angel,” which references an Old Testament tale. A real thinker.
“The idea came to me when I was grappling within the music, wrestling … grappling,” explains Gilliam. “It wasn’t a story that I was reading or pondering, but the title came to mind. I was writing the music and I wanted something that contrasted with the stillness of the first and last movements, something that was a bit more raucous.”
All you’ll ever need to know about glissandos
One striking feature of Jacob’s raucous wrestling is a number of glissandos laced into the music. A glissando is kind of like how the word sounds -- sliding up or down the scale. Like a smooth blur through pitches. That’s easy for string players to do, and the audience can see them do it. For example, watching bassist Brian Thacker start a note with his finger high on a string on the fingerboard. As he slides his finger down the pitch rises. Coming back up it lengthens the vibrating length of the string, and the pitch sliiides lower.
But there’s a variation in this piece.
“You’re not pressing the string down all the way to the fingerboard, it’s kind a your finger just touching the top the string,” says Thacker. That produces “harmonics,” which give off secondary notes that are fainter and higher pitched. Kind of eerie flute-like sounds on top of the bass notes. All sliding down the scale and back up.
Tricky stuff. Hard to explain. But the musicians appreciate the complexity.
Less tricky is the dramatic effect created when the four strings drop out, one by one. “First the violin drops out,” explains the bass player. “Then the viola drops out a few measures later, and it is just cello and bass. Then the cello would drop out – and it is just me. And I finished the last two glissandos.
Great to be the last string standing.
But it’s not just strings. Gillam’s score also calls for glissandos from the wind players.
And who has ever heard of that? A bassoon playing a glissando? Or a horn or oboe?
No matter how fast a player might toggle the keys and depress valves, it seems like a listener would always hear individual notes sound, rather than the steady slurs likes the strings can do. Heh, heh.
“Of course that creates a bit of a technical problem for the player to solve,” says Gilliam, with an impish smile. “But they’re all pros and know exactly how to approach it. (In rehearsals) we would talk about how do you want to glissen? And we would talk through the effect I wanted and they could figure out to make that effect happen.”
Of course one wouldn’t want too much of that. With your nice chamber music ensemble sounding like a drunken honky-tonk band glissandoing through the last number at 4 am.
But the NouLou pulls the glissandos off with great effect – and the composer is rewarded. “A new tool in the toolbox,” laughs Gilliam.
Technicalities aside, Cecilia Huerta-Lauf finds the effect beautiful. Creating glissandos on her cello and combining hers with others.
“It put an image in my mind of seeing gentle shooting stars,” says Huerta-Lauf. “Just gentle stars because Daniel’s piece has so much to do with nature.”
Nature?
“You can really hear so much of nature in the piece,” she says. “Like the stillness and the spaciousness, and there’s a certain amount of being at peace, as well. Things just line up where they’re supposed to when you’re watching the clouds pass by.”
“Ways to do this without being the starving artist.”
Gilliam creates all this out in the country. He lives in small house on a large rolling farm outside the city. With an old tree that is referenced in the Suite, and a lake, and stars in the sky above.
But he’s not a farmer. The composer’s main job is program director of Louisville Public Media’s WUOL Classical 90.5 FM radio station. The LPM studios are on Fourth Street in downtown Louisville, where you can’t see too many stars, and trees are practically non-existent. But there’s an airiness in the station’s on-air sound. Gilliam hosts his own show weekdays noon to 3 pm. He’s got a professional radio voice, with a pleasant lilt and conversational manner.
That’s Gilliam’s day job, and he’s keeping it. But composing is a love, and he’s had success. A recent collection is titled The Call to Earth, on CD or online. He’s written for pianist Lara Downes, violinist Rob Simonds, and others.
The composing work is mostly done at home. In a simple setting. There’s a traveling notebook at hand, with penciled in notes, sharps and flats. On the stand on the piano are large blank-scored pages, ready for Gilliam’s music to transfer from the notebook and from little ideas he tries out on the keyboard. The piano is an Everett grand. Sturdy, and kind of handsome, in its own way.
“When I moved out here I bought the cheapest piano they had at Henderson Music,” says Gilliam. “It was a 1910 Everett, and it cost $700. But it works. Does what I need it to do. It doesn’t stay in tune very well. But I don’t really care. I know what the notes sound like.”
He also seems to have his composing gig worked out in harmony with his radio career. “It’s always been a balance,” he admits. “But I’m thankful I have a great organization that supports it and understands it.
And not unusual in music.
“There’s a very long and important tradition of composers and artists who have day jobs,” says Gilliam. “The most famous one I think in classical music is Charles Ives with his insurance company. But there’s also the story of Philip Glass driving a taxicab in New York City. A fare got in the cab and said, ‘You know, you have the same name as the composer.’ Going back, Alexander Borodin was a chemist. He taught chemistry full time and composed on the side. So, I think there are lots of creative ways to do this without being the starving artist.”
And the music finds its own world.
“I think it affords me the freedom to write whatever I want whenever I want.”
Composer Daniel Gilliam speaks with the audience before the NouLou Chamber Players premier of Suite for Ten Instruments at the Library at Oxmoor Farm
INDUCTED INTO
By Dr. Randy Whetstone, Jr. • Photograhy by Kathryn Harrington
Elmer Lucille Allen was featured in the Women and Business issue of the Voice Tribune recently. To no surprise, Allen has reached a new milestone in the Commonwealth. She is among five new members who are being inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in September.
Having endured one of the most strenuous job markets for African Americans and women in the 20th century, Elmer Lucille trailblazed her way as the first Black chemist to work at Brown-Forman. Her work and presence in the workforce have dismantled stigmas, now providing opportunities for more diverse personnel. Years later, her induction into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame is a result of broken barriers made by an African American whiskey chemist and female in the Bourbon industry.
It’s always fascinating to find out an individual’s career trajectory and how someone advanced in their professional endeavors.
For Allen, she worked as a medical technician at Children’s Hospital until she was hired as a Research Chemist at American Synthetic Rubber Company. Following that, she worked as a Research Chemist at the University of Louisville Medical and Dental Research. She then went on to be hired in 1966 at Brown Forman as a Junior Chemist. She retired as a Senior Analytical Chemist in 1997.
Elmer Lucille Allen was born August 23, 1931, in Louisville, Kentucky. Her family consisted of mother, father and three siblings. She attended Western Elementary School (now Roosevelt/Perry Elementary), Madison Junior High School (now closed) and Central High School. These schools were in the west end of Louisville. Post-high school, she began college at Louisville Municipal College, a college of the University of Louisville for African Americans from 1949-1951. Elmer Lucille received her Bachelor of Science in General Education (Chemistry and Mathematics) from Nazareth College, now Spalding University in 1953, and a Master of Art in Creative Arts (ceramics/fiber) from University of Louisville in 2002. She received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Spalding University in 2024.
Per KDA press release, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association was founded in 1880 and is the worldwide voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s timeless craft. Kentucky Bourbon is a $9 billion economic engine generating more than 23,500 jobs and attracting over 2 million visits annually through the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience.
The KDA created the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® in 2001 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant and transformational impact on Bourbon’s stature, growth and awareness. It is the highest honor given by the signature industry (per KDA press release).
Other inductees include: Mrs. Dee Ford, Mr. Ken Lewis, the late Mr. Peter T. Loftin, and Mr. R.M. Corky Taylor.
By Jackie Zykan
With over 20 years of experience in beverage alcohol, and a love affair with the natural world, I am delighted to share some of Kentucky’s finest distilled spirits alongside fresh, local, and seasonal botanicals.
My Midwest summer memories run wild with hummingbirds, thick humidity, and the dense smell of grass cuttings drying in the sun. The song of the red winged blackbird is one I feel born knowing the lyrics to, and the magnificently bold color spectrum of zinnia flowers will forever be the wallpaper of my heart.
Featured Kentucky Product: Bourbon Barrel Foods Old Forester Hummingbird Bitters
In my work I find inspiration through sensory memories and have expressed these moments in various forms from cocktails to perfume. In a not so long ago life chapter I developed a line of cocktail bitters with Bourbon Barrel Foods doing just that. Inspired by the family focused culture of the brand I was working for, I lended my own family sensory memories to serve as profiles for the products. “Hummingbird” pays tribute to almond extract in a great aunt’s sugar cookie recipe and the warmth of Missouri summer nights. It’s a blend of flavor mementos from my grandmother’s house, who has a love for hummingbirds. Floral, citrusy, and oh-so-uplifting, these bitters bring a hint of joy to any application.
Featured Kentucky Flora: Zinnia elegans
While not necessarily a native to Kentucky (moreso Southwestern North America and South America), Zinnia flowers are a familiar summer favorite. “Zinnia” refers to the overarching genus encompassing a diverse spread of species, each with their own color combinations, shapes, and sizes. Although zinnias are edible and do have medicinal value, in this context their strength proves to be their appearance. Folk associations lean more towards intentional gifts of aesthetics, which one could easily argue is an equally important approach in a holistic view of health. Each color has its own association, but overall the zinnia has themes which transcend its individual petal hues. The flowers serve to honor ancestors, encourage warmth and affection, and are a symbol of perseverance. A fitting symbol for this month’s focus on family, Zinnia’s are a favorite of my grandmother’s house. As I watch the hummingbirds dart about my Kentucky home garden of zinnias, I can’t help but appreciate my favorite of their gifts: encouraging reconnection to the joyful lightheartedness of one’s inner child.
Hummingbird Old Fashioned
2 oz Kentucky Bourbon (90-100 proof)
0.5 oz Green Cardamom Syrup
2 Dashes/Dropperfuls Bourbon Barrel Foods Old Forester Hummingbird Bitters
1 Orange
Directions: Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice. Stir until the sides of the glass chill. Strain over a large cube in double old fashioned glass. Garnish with a swath of orange peel, oils expressed over cocktail, and zinnia flowers. For the perfect ice to allow your garnish to take focus, local producer, Kentucky Straight Ice, can be found at assorted beverage alcohol retailers.Special notes about foraging these ingredients
Making a mocktail of spirit-forward bourbon recipes
Spirit forward cocktails (those whose primary liquid volume comes from distilled spirits), can be tricky to recreate in non-alcoholic form. There are some wonderful alternatives on the market, but you may already have the key ingredient at home. My technique for any spirit forward bourbon cocktail is to simply omit the bourbon portion of the recipe, and replace with double strength (two tea bags per volume of water) freshly brewed, unsweetened black tea. The tannins of the tea will balance the drink and some blends can even be found without caffeine for an even more universally friendly option.
Green Cardamom Syrup
yields 8 oz
3/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup water
Pinch of salt
8 green cardamom pods
Directions: Combine all ingredients over medium heat, bring to boil then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool, remove cardamom if desired. Keep refrigerated.
Leftover Cardamom Syrup?
Cardamom is a delicious source of antioxidants that lends flavor to more than just cocktails.
Other ways to enjoy:
• Incorporate zinnia petals, ground ginger, and orange zest into your go-to cornbread recipe. Serve buttered and with cardamom syrup.
• Sweeten iced tea or cold brew coffee (even better with coconut milk)
• Top coconut milk chia pudding with fresh peach slices and drizzle with cardamom syrup.
• Substitute the usual maple syrup on pancakes (especially sweet potato pancakes!)
SEND YOUR CLIENTS A TASTE OF SUCCESS! SEND A BOTTLE OF FINE BOURBON BRANDED WITH YOUR LOGO
Chef Palm
The Brown Hotel
The Brown Hotel Welcomes New Executive Chef, Gary Palm
By Mckenna Graham • Photograhy by Matt Johnson
Artist, Business Man, Clairvoyant, Magician: a chef must be a little of all these things to be successful, according to Chef Gary Palm, new executive chef at the iconic Brown Hotel. Chef Palm’s job of keeping the Brown’s historic culinary traditions alive (don’t worrythe Hot Brown stays!) while creating a little curiosity on the menu is met by his thirty years of experience in eight countries.
The hundred-year-old Brown Hotel welcomed Chef Palm at the end of May this year and he has wasted no time reinvigorating the menu at both J. Graham’s Café and The Lobby Bar & Grill. New items to watch out for include a double lamb chop with wild mushroom ragout, smoked tomato bisque with braised fennel and New England lobster-perhaps a nod to his own Bay State. Lobster dishes can easily become heavy handed and careen towards the cliché, but Palm’s crustacean is anything but-- laid in a pool of clarified butter and adorned with buddha’s hand and verbena petals, its approach is delicate, even ethereal. However, one of the real stand-out dishes is the Red Snapper with creamy Carolina golden rice, cotija cheese and a Thai basil beurre blanc that is so bright and herbaceous it may make diners forget their manners and lick the plate.
Though Palm has spent recent decades bouncing between Michelin Star kitchens, he began as a dishwasher, just a kid trying to make enough money to buy himself a bike. He grew up with his mother near Springfield, Massachusetts and remembers that though times were tough and money often slim, his mom always had food on the table and time to teach him to cook. His favorite foods growing up included banana cream pie with graham cracker crust and a pepperoni grinder (a hot sub sandwich on Italian bread for those unfamiliar with the Northern vernacular) of his own creation.
He received a scholarship to attend Johnson and Wales Culinary program in Rhode Island and following graduation spent a formative decade in France working in restaurants and learning French between morning and evening service by watching French Sesame Street. In subsequent years Palm would cook and taste his way around the globe-- Monaco, India, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong-- cultivating a reverence for food and dining that keeps people and connection at its center.
“Dining should be a cherished time where you converse with the people in your life without telephones,” says Palm, “In my house, if you come over to eat all the phones and the car keys go in a basket and then you’re given a glass of wine and we talk about food, life… whatever we want to talk about! We focus on each other.” Palm creates a moment where food is a way to tap into the present, the place and the people around us. His thoughtful presentation nudges diners to lean in for a closer look, to observe a fragile cilantro flower or behold the shimmer of an abalone shell cradling a bed of crab salad and pink Florida coast shrimp.
“My approach to food is it has to have a reason, it has to have a purpose,” says Palm, “It’s not just your stomach saying I’m hungry. It’s about sitting down and having an experience in life.”
1949
This month’s Voice Vault celebrates the pure and unfiltered joy of childhood. Whether it’s savoring a dripping ice cream cone on a hot summer day, attending a camp filled with new friends and adventures, or sharing a heartwarming moment with mom or dad, childhood is a magical time that deserves to be cherished. The VOICETRIBUNE has captured countless photos of these precious moments over the decades, and we’re excited to share some of our favorites with you. Let these images take you back to simpler times and inspire you to create new memories with the children in your life. After all, the magic of childhood is a gift that never fades.
1950
LUXURY FOR ALL AT
By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Photos by Matt Johnson
In the heart of Louisville lies a haven of relaxation and beauty: J Michael’s Spa & Salon. For years, J Michael’s has been a cornerstone for those seeking top-notch beauty treatments and a rejuvenating escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. With an impressively wide range of services and premium ethically sourced, natural products, J Michael’s is dedicated to helping clients look and feel their best. It is truly a one stop shop that caters to the needs of each individual.
“Our vision for J Michael’s was always ‘comfortable luxury’. I want our guests to feel like they’re having a luxurious experience, but I want that experience to be available to all.” says owner Jill Higginbotham, “I asked a cross section of individuals, ‘what don’t you like about what you’d consider an upscale or luxurious salon?’ and many said ‘I don’t feel comfortable, I don’t feel like I belong.’ We strive to treat our guests like family, which is also shown in how close our team is. We want every one who walks in to feel comfortable - to become a part of our family.”
“Getting a hair, makeup, facial, or even just a wax service - those are personal experiences and I don’t think people realize how personal they can be. We want to make sure J Michael’s is an environment where you feel like you’re at ease and get the experience that you want. We want to curate your reservation to provide all the services you need.” Jill compassionately says.
J Michael’s Spa & Salon is renowned for its exceptional hair care services. Whether you’re looking for a haircut, a vibrant new color (and believe me, they have just about any color you can imagine), or a transformative keratin treatment, their team of skilled stylists is ready to deliver. “I love to give people their dream hair, the hair they never thought they could have,” says Co-owner and Master Stylist Kara Biery. They offer precision cuts, short cuts, a vast selection of hair extension options, creative coloring techniques, balayage, ombre, and highlights - amongst many other options - to ensure that every guest leaves with a look that perfectly suits their personality and lifestyle. Their care for their guests doesn’t end at the salon, as guests are given guidance on after care to get the most longevity out of their beauty investments and the best overall long-term results. There is a stylist foreveryone at J Michael’s, and they each have their own unique strengths and specialties. Kaiti Venable is an Innovative Stylist with a real talent for textured hair, “Curly cuts really matter. We specialize in each individual curl type, whether it’s a really big coil or a small coil, we’re going to find that perfect shape for that person,” she says. “We also take into consideration the color and different treatments we do on the hair.”
Beyond hair care, J Michael’s offers an array of spa services designed to pamper and rejuvenate. Their facial treatments, using high-quality skincare products, cater to all skin types and concerns. From anti-aging facials to acne treatments, their skilled estheticians tailor each service to meet individual needs. The spa also provides relaxing massages, body scrubs, and wraps that leave guests feeling refreshed and revitalized.
“I am a licensed Massage Therapist specializing in deep tissue and trigger point therapy,,” says Caleb South, Massage therapist and Essential Stylist. “The whole reason I do what I do, as a hairstylist Educator for Eufora International, and as a Massage Therapist, is to make people feel better about themselves. That’s my goal. I get to make people feel beautiful, I get to bring people relief and make them feel more confident and more relaxed.”
“I studied massage at Advanced Massage Therapeutics.he owner and teacher was Muhammed Ali’s personal massage therapist as well as the massage therapist for the Louisville Cardinals for many years, so he’s got a lot of great experience. They have one of the highest pass rates for massage therapy licensing and tests in the country, and I am very grateful to have learned under him,” Caleb continued.
For those looking to enhance their nails, J Michael’s also offers expert manicures and pedicures. Using the latest techniques and high-quality polishes, the nail technicians ensure that every guest’s nails are beautifully groomed and polished to perfection.
Special occasions call for special treatments, and J Michael’s excels in providing stunning makeup applications and classes for events and weddings led by Makeup Artist & Essential Stylist, Mariah Lebre-Sanchez. Their bridal packages include hair and makeup consultations and trials, ensuring that every bride is part of crafting their look, helping them feel beautiful and calm on their big day. The team’s expertise in makeup artistry ensures a look that is both timeless and breathtaking as well as safe for your skin, as J Michael’s Spa & Salon prides itself on using and offering only the best products in the industry.
“We are an education forward salon - everyone here takes constant continuous education courses,” says Jill. Their team of professionals regularly attends training and workshops to stay updated on the latest trends and techniques in the beauty industry. “Also the idea is to be able to serve anyone who walks in the door. So, we are not a salon that specializes in one thing, we have a really large, varied menu. We want to make sure that when you walk in, you can pick what you need for you. All of our stylists are very different, they excel at different things and we allow them to flourish in the areas where they thrive, and of course educate them in the areas that aren’t their strongest. Because of that, we have a stylist for everyone and that is, to me, the most important thing.”
Master Stylist Stephen Lewis is a loved and cherished veteran in the beauty industry and has been with J Michael’s from the very beginning. “ You know, the support that you get here does make your life so much easier, and the education training is something I’ve never had before,” he said. With his longest guests spanning back nearly 40 years, he has a reputation for his talent as well as his ability to relate and connect with anyone that walks through the door.
J Michael’s Spa & Salon has built a legacy in Louisville, becoming a trusted name in beauty and wellness. Their reputation for delivering outstanding results and unparalleled customer service has earned them a loyal clientele. Whether you’re a longtime guest or a firsttime visitor, you can expect to be treated with the utmost care and kindness. With so much to offer, it’s difficult to know where to start, but the staff at J Michael’s will guide you through with ease and leave you feeling right at home and in safe hands.
THIS AND MORE AVAILABLE AT J MICHAEL’S SPA & SALON
HAIR: WOMEN’S HAIRCUT • MEN’S HAIRCUT • SHAMPOO + STYLE • SPECIAL OCCASION STYLE PARTIAL HIGHLIGHT • FULL HIGHLIGHT • BALAYAGE • COLOR RETOUCH • ALL OVER COLOR CREATIVE COLOR • COLOR CORRECTIONS • FLASHWAVE • HAIR EXTENSIONS
For more information and to schedule a reservation, visit www.jmichaelsspaandsalon.com.
By: Alison Cardoza
Photograhy by
Matt Johnson
Sponsored
Heather Albro has been a personal trainer at Baptist Milestone for 24 years. She has enjoyed training many clientele including Kathy Jordan, Paula Jay, and Laurie Scarborough. It is imperative that their bone health stays strong. I asked Heather about the importance of strength training during menopause and her input was very informative.
As women age, we go through hormonal changes that can have a large impact on our physical and mental wellness. It’s easy to feel helpless as we watch and feel changes happen, but there are things we can do to help. Often we see the weight creeping on and we think the answer is to starve ourselves and do lots of cardio (not the solution)! We may manage to lose weight, but see our waist measurement going up regardless. We’re losing our muscle and it’s having a negative impact on our lives.
In perimenopause and menopause as we start to lose our estrogen, our muscle mass and bone density decrease along with all the other fun changes. Strength training, and by that I mean heavy lifting, will help combat this. Don’t worry, heavy lifting is individual to each person, but we need to challenge the muscle to see the changes we want. As we age it becomes harder to build muscle so rest assured you’re not going to get “bulky” with a little heavy lifting. Building that type of muscle takes a very dedicated effort in this stage of life.
Strength training is important in peri and menopause for several reasons. It helps maintain muscle mass which is important for overall strength, mobility, and metabolic health. Estrogen is anabolic, so as it decreases, so does our muscle strength. Heavy lifting helps recruit more muscle fiber to maintain strength and power. When done correctly, it can also help improve joint stability and flexibility, which can be important in preventing injuries and managing joint pain that may occur during menopause.
Our bone health also takes a hit at this time of our lives. We are at an increased risk of osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weak and brittle bones. Strength training can help improve bone density and reduce the risk of fractures.
One of the best benefits of increased muscle mass from strength training is a boost in metabolism. This can be beneficial in managing weight and preventing weight gain during menopause. Not only are you burning more calories throughout the day to support your muscles, the aftereffect of a heavy lifting session is burning even more calories which can last for hours. In the long run, you will burn a lot more calories with a weight training session than with a cardio session; although both are beneficial!
Strength training can even help to regulate hormone levels, including estrogen and testosterone, which can be disrupted during menopause. This can have a positive impact on mood, energy levels, and overall well-being. Some studies are even showing exercise can help reduce hot flashes by improving the thermoregulatory control system.
Overall, incorporating strength training into a menopausal woman’s exercise routine can have numerous benefits for physical and mental health during this transitional phase of life. See a personal trainer today to get you started on the path to aging well!
Alison Cardoza, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and Fitour Group Exercise Instructor at Baptist Health Milestone Wellness Center. BS Exercise Science and Sports Medicine with a minor in Health Promotions from the University of Louisville. Former UofL Ladybird and NFL Colts Cheerleader.
By Manda Barger • Photograhy by Matt Johnson
Yew
Dell Botanical Gardens
Enter a place of magic and tranquility by visiting Yew Dell Botanical Gardens. Nestled along Old LaGrange Road in Crestwood, Kentucky, it is an internationally-recognized center of gardening, plants, and education.
Yew Dell’s mission is to spark a passion for plants and gardening through accessible science and inspiring beauty. Whether you just enjoy the outdoors or are an avid plant geek, you can make a connection to plants at Yew Dell.
Throughout the grounds, you’ll discover bursts of colors, textures, and scents in varied garden displays. Many find inspiration to then take home and try in their garden. There is always something in bloom, ensuring that every day of the year the gardens delight the senses and stimulate the brain. Many of the plants you see (and more!) can also be purchased through Yew Dell’s online Plant Market.
Yew Dell offers other treasures throughout the property. Woodland trails provide a sense of grounding amongst native wildlife and two lakes. You can learn about plant research while visiting two trial garden areas. And visitors young and old find a sense of magic in the Grace & Clara Marie Gettelfinger Fairy Forest. Throughout your visit, there is also an on-site café, Martha Lee’s Kitchen, which features a delightful menu to enjoy while surrounded by the beauty of the pollinator meadow. And a visit isn’t complete without stopping by the Garden Gift Shop, which offers items that would make perfect gifts for anyone in your life.
Yew Dell is able to offer the community all this delight only through the support of dedicated members, donors, and volunteers. A passionate board and staff have turned a former private home, farm, and plant collection of historical importance into a public space of preservation and growth. When supporting Yew Dell Botanical Gardens as a member, you receive benefits such as discounts, early access to workshops and events, and free admission throughout the year.
Another way you can support Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is by participating in the upcoming Twilight in the Garden, Yew Dell’s most important fundraising party of the year. Tickets go on sale in August and there will be a raffle and silent auction that anyone can participate in. For more information, scan the QR code or visit yewdellgardens.org/twilight/
By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Photos Provided By Yew Dell
Nestled in the heart of Kentucky, Yew Dell Botanical Gardens offers an escape for families looking to connect with nature and each other. By the time August rolls around, the gardens are in full swing with a variety of engaging activities designed to captivate both young and old. Here’s a peek into what makes Yew Dell a perfect family destination.
Scavenger Hunts: Adventure Awaits
One of the highlights of Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is the array of scavenger hunts available. Families can embark on a quest through the Fairy Forest, discover woodland gnomes, and explore key features of Yew Dell. These scavenger hunts not only provide a fun and interactive way to engage with the environment but also foster a sense of adventure and curiosity in children.
Grace & Clara Marie Gettelfinger’s Fairy Forest
For a touch of magic, the Fairy Forest is a must-visit. This whimsical area is packed with interactive activities that will spark the imagination. Families can build temporary fairy structures, cook in the fairy kitchen, and write letters for the fairy post office. These handson experiences allow kids to engage in creativity and play in a imagionative world of fairies.
Woodland Trails: Nature’s Classroom
Yew Dell’s woodland trails offer a perfect setting for a family hike. Pair your walk with the woodland gnome scavenger hunt and teach your kids the importance of map reading and navigation. The trails provide a wonderful opportunity to discuss local flora and fauna, promoting environmental awareness and appreciation for the natural world.
Backpack Program: Learning on the Go
The backpack program at Yew Dell is a fantastic resource for families. When you check out a backpack, it comes with a set of fun and educational activities designed to enhance your experience in the gardens and arboretum. This program encourages hands-on learning and exploration, making it an enriching addition to your visit.
Martha Lee’s Kitchen: A Culinary Delight
After a morning of exploration, families can enjoy a delicious lunch at Martha Lee’s Kitchen. With a menu that caters to all tastes and a remarkable view of the gardens, it’s the perfect spot to relax and refuel.
Accessibility and Membership
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is accessible to everyone, from young children to grandparents. The gardens and trails provide a beautiful setting for exercise and fresh air, making it an ideal location for family outings. For those who fall in love with Yew Dell, a family or family-plus membership offers year-round access and additional benefits, including bringing two guests per visit.
Garden Gift Shop: Treasures for All
No visit to Yew Dell is complete without a stop at the Garden Gift Shop. The shop offers a wide range of items, from jewelry and decor to garden gear and children’s activities and toys. It’s a perfect place to find a memento of your visit or a gift for a loved one.
Planned Giving: Building a Legacy - August 13
For families interested in leaving a lasting impact, Yew Dell offers opportunities for planned giving. An upcoming event will provide information on how accessible planned giving can be for anyone, allowing families to build a legacy or honor a family member in a meaningful way.
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is more than just a garden; it’s a place where families can create lasting memories together. With its diverse range of activities and programs, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re exploring the fairy forest, hiking the woodland trails, or enjoying a meal at Martha Lee’s Kitchen, Yew Dell promises a day of fun, learning, and connection with nature.
WHEN TO VISIT AN URGENT CARE VERSUS EMERGENCY ROOM
By UofL Health • Sponsored
When seeking medical help from a painful issue in your body – whether that be sickness or injury – it can be difficult to determine whether you should visit an urgent care or the emergency room (ER). Some conditions can feel like an emergency, but you may be able to get more specialized care for the problem at an urgent care. Understanding the differences between both and which one to visit helps save people time and money. At UofL Health, we provide quality care for both situations and are dedicated to helping you determine which location would be most beneficial to your specific issue.
When to visit Urgent Care
If you are suffering from an injury or sickness that is non-life threatening, visiting the urgent care is the best option. Urgent care locations typically offer relatively short wait times and there are no appointments necessary. Additionally, they are open longer hours than primary care offices. Some common conditions and injuries that urgent cares treat include:
• Allergies and asthma
• Cuts and lacerations
• Colds/Flu
• Ear infections
• Foreign body removal
• Migraines/headaches
• Minor injuries and illnesses
• Physicals
• Pink eye
• Sprains, strains or fractures (non-compound)
When to visit the Emergency Room
• Stomach issues such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Strep
• Urinary tract and yeast infections
If you are suffering from a sickness, pain or injury that is life-threatening, you should visit the ER immediately. Emergency rooms are open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Additionally, ERs offer more resources provided by full-service hospitals such as surgery and diagnostic testing.
It’s important to note that there is usually a priority system with waiting times at ERs based on the severity of patient injuries and issues. Some common reasons to go to the emergency department include, but are not limited to:
• Chest pain, heart attacks and heart conditions
• Stroke
• Burns, environmental injuries and exposures
• Shock
• Infections
• Traumatic injuries and wounds
• Broken bones and hand injuries
• Respiratory diseases, such as asthma and COPD
• Poison emergencies
• Psychiatric emergencies
• Pregnancy emergencies
If you believe you are suffering from a life-threatening condition, it is vital that you don’t wait to call 911 or visit an emergency room.
If you are in need of urgent or emergency care and are wondering where to visit, UofL Health offers six Urgent Care Plus locations and seven emergency rooms around the Jefferson, Shelby and Bullitt county areas. To check UofL Health ER wait times, text ERWAIT to 511511 for approximate wait times.
SAY GOODBYE TO BACK-TO-SCHOOL BLUES
When it’s time for kids to return to school, it’s normal for many different emotions to stir up in both parents and children. Some may feel excited, while others are feeling anxious, or even maybe a combination of both. However, there are ways to ease the anxieties of sending your kids back to school that can help make the transition fun and easy for the whole family.
Good Quality Sleep
Ensuring that your child gets good quality sleep can help make the process of going back to school much easier for them, both physically and mentally. Studies indicate that school-age children need anywhere between 8-12 hours of sleep per night to feel completely rested. When children are well rested, their bodies and minds can work to their full potential. Lack of sleep can also contribute to more anxiety and emotional dysregulation when making the transition of going back to school. Some of the best ways to prepare for your child to get a good night sleep include:
• Re-setting bedtimes: it’s summer vacation, so your child has probably been staying up a little later than they typically would during the school year. By re-setting their bedtime a few days before their first day of school, you can help their mind adjust back to their school bedtime ahead of the big first day. An example of this could be getting your child to go to bed earlier in 15-minute increments every night.
• Relaxing activities before bed: If your child has had time to relax before bed, they will be able to fall asleep quicker and easier, which in turn will also help you get more sleep. Some relaxing activities for them to try before bed may include reading, taking a bath, or doing some other kind of self-care practice. It’s best for your child to avoid any sort of screen time such as television or phones at least 30-60 minutes before bedtime.
• Sleep environment: it’s important to remember that the environment your child is sleeping in makes a huge impact on their quality of sleep. For best results, keep the house quiet and a comfortable temperature.
Promote Positive Mental-Health Practices
Many anxious feelings arise from the unfamiliar things that the new school year brings, whether that be new friends, a new schedule or possibly a new school altogether. By eliminating some of this uncertainty, you can help your child reduce their stress levels and adjust better. A few ways to calm these back-to-school anxieties include:
• Schedule a playdate or arrange for a friend hangout: No matter what age your child is, having strong friendships or connections can make or break how they feel about school. Talking to them about setting up a play date or a hangout with friends could be a great way for them to relax, enjoy themselves and possibly have a few more familiar faces to see around school.
• Go over their school schedule with them: Class schedules can be intimidating, and they only get more overwhelming the older your child gets. By going over their schedules with them, you will also be helping them familiarize themselves with their classes, which leads to less stress and confusion.
• Helping with homework: Homework can be one of the most dreadful experiences when it comes to school and is a huge cause of anxiety for many children. Offering them a helping hand with their homework can be a great way to lift that extra burden from their shoulders.
• Healthy meals: Our diet has a huge impact on our mental health and emotional regulation. Try incorporating some “brain healthy” foods into your child’s lunch or dinners to give them that extra mood-boost they may need to get through the week. A diet containing fruits, vegetables, chicken and nuts is a great way to start.
• Listen to their concerns: Sometimes all your child needs is a listening ear. By sitting down with them to talk for even a few minutes each day, you are giving them an outlet to express their concerns and emotions too. Try to validate their feelings and let them know that whatever they feel is okay.
If your child is suffering from school-related anxiety that has become difficult for them to manage by themselves, it may be time to consult professional help. UofL Health – Peace Hospital has different programs to help children and adolescents. To learn more, call 502-451-3330.
A Death is not the time to worry about funeral costs and we know that.
Planning your own funeral may seem strange and a little scary but the best way to ensure cost is to preplan. We offer several options within an affordable price range guaranteeing cost for the future.
Relieving your family the burden of the cost as well as trying to decide what to choose for you.
Your Savings, their Peace of Mind.
Text ERWait to 511511 for wait times at all 7 ER locations.
In a medical emergency, every second counts. That’s why UofL Health offers the most ER locations in the region with shorter wait times. And now, when you text ERWait to 511511 you can get a list of wait times at all 7 ER locations. We also have expert Urgent Care Plus centers nearby.
As emergency care experts, we have:
n The most advanced technology and safety measures
n Direct access to world-renowned specialists, for life-threatening emergencies
n 7 locations to treat everything from stroke, trauma and burns to high-risk obstetrics, emergency psychiatric services and more
We offer safe, fast, compassionate care close to home. And we accept most insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid. So there’s never a reason to put your health on hold. That's the Power of U
n Text ERWait to 511511 for Wait Times at All 7 ER Locations
n Urgent Care Centers Nearby
To find the nearest location, visit UofLHealth.org THAT’S THE POWER OF U
HONORING THE LEGACY OF OWSLEY BROWN FRAZIER
By Angie Fenton • Photos by The Frazier History Museum, Kathryn Harrington & VOICE-TRIBUNE
“We are where the world meets Kentucky,” enthuses Frazier History Museum President & CEO Andy Treinen. “We tell stories that last a long time, and we tell stories that make people feel something.”
Located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, the museum has undergone a remarkable transformation since its inception two decades ago. Originally conceived as an arms museum and now in its 20th year, it has evolved into a multifaceted institution dedicated to preserving and presenting the rich tapestry of Kentucky’s history to the world.
To begin, the Frazier History Museum was founded in 2004 by Owsley Brown Frazier, a prominent Louisville businessman and philanthropist who donated more than $500 million in his lifetime and allegedly spent more than $32 million of his own money building the museum.
Initially named the Frazier Historical Arms Museum, its primary focus was to display Frazier’s extensive collection of arms, armor, and historical artifacts. The collection boasted over 1,000 pieces, including swords, firearms, and suits of armor dating back to the medieval period.
The museum’s initial objective was to provide a comprehensive view of the evolution of weaponry and its artistry and impact on history. It featured artifacts from significant historical events, such as the Battle of Hastings, the Crusades, and the American Civil War. Exhibits were meticulously curated to illustrate the craftsmanship and technological advancements in arms and armor over the centuries.
We tell stories that last a long time, and we tell stories that make people feel something. And when you make people feel something, they’re more engaged, they’re more interested in learning more and taking that next step. We feel great pride in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
– Andy Treinen, Frazier History Museum President & CEO
Owsley Brown Frazier and Daughter
Despite its initial success – which was immense – the museum’s leadership soon recognized the need to expand its scope beyond arms and armor to appeal to a broader audience. That included delving into how best to reflect the diverse history of Kentucky and, ultimately, its impact throughout the country. This realization led to a pivotal shift in the museum’s mission and identity.
The transition began in earnest around 2010 when the museum started to incorporate exhibits that told a wider array of stories from American history: exhibits on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Civil War, and Prohibition. By 2012, the museum had rebranded itself as the Frazier History Museum to reflect its broader focus.
One of the significant milestones in this transformation was the acquisition of the Stewart Historic Miniatures Collection. This extensive collection of over 30,000 historical miniatures, ranging from ancient civilizations to the 20th century, provided the museum with a valuable resource for storytelling and educational programming.
As the museum continued to evolve, it placed increasing emphasis on Kentucky’s unique and rich heritage. This shift was marked by the development of several key exhibits and programs that highlighted the state’s cultural and historical contributions.
In 2014, the museum partnered with the Kentucky Distillers’ Association to create the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center, an immersive exhibit that celebrates the history and craftsmanship of bourbon, a quintessential aspect of Kentucky’s identity. This exhibit not only draws bourbon enthusiasts but also educates visitors about the economic and cultural significance of the bourbon industry in Kentucky.
Another notable addition was the Cool Kentucky exhibit, which opened in 2017. This interactive exhibit showcased notable Kentuckians and their contributions to various fields, including politics, sports, and the arts. Figures such as Muhammad Ali, Abraham Lincoln, and Diane Sawyer were featured, providing visitors with a deeper understanding of the state’s influence on American culture. The draw propelled the growth of the museum as it had begun cementing itself as a cornerstone of the Commonwealth.
The museum also launched the Kentucky Rivalries exhibit in 2019, exploring the competitive spirit that has shaped the state’s history. This exhibit examined famous rivalries – such as the University of Kentucky vs. University of Louisville fierce rivalry – and their impact on Kentucky’s social and cultural landscape.
Education has always been a cornerstone of the Frazier History Museum’s mission, even from its beginnings. Over the years, the museum has developed a range of educational programs designed to engage and inspire learners of all ages. These programs include school tours, workshops, and family events that encourage hands-on learning and exploration.
In addition to its educational initiatives, the museum has made significant strides in community engagement. It regularly hosts events, lectures, and performances that bring history to life and foster a sense of community. These events range from historical reenactments to contemporary discussions on social and cultural issues, solidifying its role as a hub for community.
What is the Frazier History Museum? We are where the world meets Kentucky.
– Andy Treinen, Frazier History Museum President & CEO
The Frazier also has embraced innovation and technology to enhance the visitor experience and ensure that its exhibits are engaging and accessible. Interactive displays, multimedia presentations, and augmented reality experiences are integrated into many of the exhibits, providing visitors with dynamic and immersive ways to explore history.
The museum has developed a comprehensive online presence, with virtual tours and digital exhibits that allow people from around the world to explore its collections. This digital outreach was particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the museum to continue its educational mission despite physical closures, and it remains a useful, innovative, and educational online opportunity.
Today, the Frazier stands as a testament to the power of adaptation and innovation in the cultural sector. Its journey from a specialized arms museum to a broad-based historical institution reflects a commitment to inclusivity and education. The museum’s diverse exhibits and programs are important and imperative. They are a main force that challenges tough conversations and encourages getting comfortable being uncomfortable in an effort to let loose preconceived notions and beliefs in lieu of truly trying to step into another’s shoes.
As it looks to the future and the next two decades ahead, the Frazier remains dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of Kentucky and the wider world. With ongoing efforts to expand its collections, enhance its exhibits, and engage even further with the community, the museum is poised to continue its role as a vital cultural and educational resource for years to come.
The Frazier History Museum’s evolution from an arms museum to a comprehensive historical institution is a remarkable story of growth and transformation. But what would its founder, Owsley Brown Frazier, think?
“If my grandfather walked in through the front doors today,” said Amelia Frazier Theobald he would be ecstatically proud of how far this museum has come.”
Provided by The Frazier History Museum
Photo by Kathryn Harrington
Provided by The Frazier History Museum
Owsley Brown Frazier
OBSERVING
I have always been fascinated by history, but a museum dedicated solely to weaponry? How, I wondered, could that last and achieve longevity – let alone create a lasting legacy?
Those weren’t judgments; just mere queries from a new Kentuckian who had lived in the Commonwealth for less than two years when the Frazier Historical Arms Museum opened to the public in downtown Louisville on May 22th, 2004.
I knew of Owsley Brown Frazier from afar, particularly through his love for the University of Louisville Cardinals. He was, to this outsider, imposing, impervious, focused, and – if you were lucky enough to catch sight of him in a personal moment – sharply witty with a clear sense of humor. If you had his attention, even for a moment, he had a way of making you feel like you mattered.
Sure, he was known for his incredible wealth and philanthropy. Numerous buildings and awards bear his name, and rightfully so. But there was so much more behind the public face: He was a visionary who, by all accounts, would be beyond pleased at how his arms museum has transformed into a cornerstone of showcasing Kentucky to the world.
The story of what ignited that passion, though, begins with a tale of loss: When a tornado hit Louisville during the 1974 super outbreak, it destroyed Owsley’s home and caused the loss of a rare Kentucky long rifle, a cherished family heirloom made for his great-great-grandfather in Bardstown in the 1820’s and gifted to him by his grandfather in 1952. Though Owsley never recovered the rifle, his search for it ignited a lifelong passion for collecting antique weapons. Included in his collection: Daniel Boone’s family Bible, a 5-foot-long flintlock rifle owned by George Washington, the1863 ivory-handled Colt Navy pistols of Gen. George Armstrong Custer, the well-worn bow and quivers of Apache warrior Geronimo and Teddy Roosevelt’s ‘big stick’ safari rifle.
In 2000, Owsley loaned this extensive arms collection to the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort. According to archival articles that ran in The Courier-Journal (now Courier Journal), about 10,000 people turned out for the two-month exhibit titled, “The Weapon as Art.” Buoyed by the response, Owsley sought to found a museum that would place his private collection on permanent display. The stated mission, according to the initial website: “To acclaim the artistry, craftsmanship, and technological innovation of weapons and their makers, and to create a dynamic context within which to understand and appreciate the ways in which fine arms have celebrated American culture throughout its history.”
Now, here we are, two decades later and Owsley’s vision of creating dynamic context via a museum has extended far beyond what many of us ever imagined, and our lives are richer for it. Thanks to Owsley, the board of directors, and an administrative staff that is headed up by President & CEO Andy Treinen. The longevity Owsley sought and that legacy he so deserved are both a sure shot.
Owsley Brown Frazier (at left) provided by the Frazier History Museum
FRAZIER HISTORY MUSEUM
Where the world meets Kentucky
829 W. Main St. Louisville (502) 753-5663
Fraziermuseum.org
@fraziermuseum on Facebook
@frazierhistorymuseum on Instagram + TikTok
Open 10 AM to 5 PM Monday-Saturday; 11 AM to 4 PM Sunday *Hours are subject to change; refer to museum’s Facebook page for most recent updates
THE KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL WELCOME CENTER
Open since 2018 and located on the first floor of the Frazier History Museum, the welcome center is the Official Starting Ppoint of the Kemtucky Bourbon Trail. fraziermuseum.org/kentucky-bourbon-trail-welcome-center
FRAZIER HISTORY MUSEUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
J. McCauley “Mac” Brown Chairman of the Board
Kevin Borland
Vice Chair
Charles W. Stewart
Secretary
Pamela Thompson
Treasurer
John McCall
General Counsel
Walter Crutcher
J. Mark Dorsey
Bruce Farrer
Clarence Glover
Cordt Huneke
Anne Jewell
Datebook
May 25, 2001:
The Courier-Journal announces the Frazier Historical Arms Museum.
James S. Joy
Larry Lowe
Joseph J. Magliocco
Matt McCall
Deb Murphy
Penny Peavler
Sharon Potter
February 2003:
Owsley Brown Frazier signs a formal agreement entering into a partnership with the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, the first time a British national museum engaged in an ongoing collaboration with an organization outside of the United Kingdom.
W. Mark Preston
John Receveur
Todd Spencer
Kerry M. Stemler
William A. Stone
Judge Derwin Webb
May 22, 2004:
Frazier Historical Arms Museum Opens to the public.
May 17, 2006:
Frazier Historical Arms Museum becomes Frazier International History Museum, further embracing its multinational origins of collections.
History Museum.
August 30, 2018:
Frazier History Museum becomes the official starting point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
2011: The museum is renamed the Frazier
Amelia Frazier Theobald
Owsley Brown Frazier
Provided by The Frazier History Museum
Provided by The Frazier History Museum
FRAZIER HISTORY MUSEUM
ADMINISTRATIVE
STAFF
Andy Treinen President & CEO
Rachel Platt
Vice-President of Mission
Mindy Johnson
Vice-President of Operations & Attendance
Casey Harden
Senior Director of Engagement
Erine Sato
Senior Director of Events
Greg Schoenbaechler
Senior Marketing Manager
Hayley Harlow Rankin
Senior Manager of Fundraising
Leslie Anderson
Partnership & Membership Manager
Owsley Brown Frazier
Provided by The Frazier History Museum
Provided by
The Frazier History Museum
Provided by The Frazier History Museum
Photo by Kathryn Harrington
Photo by Kathryn Harrington
HOME GAMES
AUGUST 10
Sacramento Republic FC
AUGUST 17
Charleston Battery
SEPTEMBER 6
Loudoun United FC
SEPTEMBER 10
Cancun FC
SEPTEMBER 28
Memphis 901 FC
OCTOBER 2
Miami FC
OCTOBER 12
Tampa Bay Rowdies
OCTOBER 26
Phoenix Rising FC
AUGUST 9
The Women’s Cup
AUGUST 13
The Women’s Cup
AUGUST 24
Chicago Red Stars
AUGUST 31
Seattle Reign
SEPTEMBER 14
Angel City FC
SEPTEMBER 21
North Carolina Courage
OCTOBER 5
Kansas City Current
OCTOBER 19
Portland Thorns FC
Photo by Matt Johnson
By VOICE-TRIBUNE • Photos by Antonio Pentoja, Matt Johnson, & Kathryn Harrington
Aquamermaid is making waves across the United States and Canada by providing enchanting mermaid performers for parties and events. This unique service brings all of our childhood mermaid dreams to life, offering an unforgettable experience for both children and adults alike. In celebration of Lakeside Swim Club’s Centennial and our Family volume of the VOICE-TRIBUNE, Kelp of Aquamermaid joined our team in July to showcase this art and add a little imagination and magic to our day. Aquamermaid performers can be found locally throughout the U.S. and Canada, Whether it’s a child’s birthday party or an adult celebration, these mermaids bring a splash of fun!
The idea for Aquamermaid was born when Marielle, the founder, participated in an underwater photoshoot with a mermaid tail. She was captivated by the workout and the joy it brought to the pool, inspiring her to share this unique experience with others. The presence of a mermaid often leaves people thrilled and amazed, with many expressing their excitement with smiles, hugs, and curiosity about the mermaid’s tail. “When I’m a mermaid, I feel free, graceful, magical, and powerful. It feels like flying underwater as you push through the water with the fin, moving really fast. I feel beautiful, graceful, and sexy. It’s a fantastic workout. Underwater, propelled by your tail, you feel a sense of peace and power.” says Marielle.
Aquamermaid caters to a wide audience, from baby showers where mermaids perform swimming demonstrations and tell stories, to kids’ parties where they lead interactive games and teach swimming techniques. Their services ensure that every child and adult can experience the wonder of mermaids. For kids’ birthday parties, mermaids engage in various activities, from swimming and leading games to posing for photos. They create a magical experience, turning every event into a fairy tale. For adult events like pool openings, real estate showings, and festivals, mermaids swim gracefully, interact with guests, and add a touch of fantasy to the atmosphere. Aquamermaid offers both pool and land parties, adapting to any venue, be it private pools, hotel pools, beaches, or lakes.
Booking an Aquamermaid performer is simple through their website or by calling 1-866-279-2767. For more information or to book a mermaid performer, visit Aquamermaid.com
Mermaid tails are prohibited from Lakeside Swim Club and may not be brought on the premises without special permissions from Lakeside Swim Club administrators
Photo by Matt Johnson
Photo by Antonio Pentoja
Photo by Matt Johnson
Photos
Photo by Antonio Pentoja
By Mckenna Graham
Photos by Matt Johnson
The perfume of summer hangs heavy in the muggy air as cicadas buzz emphatically from the thick tree canopy along Trevilian Way. Suddenly, there is an eruption of excitement in an otherwise sleepy and quiet Highlands neighborhood as droves of people appear walking in bathing suits carrying armfuls of colorful noodles and beach towels. If you’ve traveled along this thoroughfare in the warm months you may have seen the familiar parade- men, women, children, young and old, families and college students, servers and business people—all heading purposefully towards some unseen swimming hole. And if you’re one of the lucky ones, you may have found yourself walking through the iron gates and past the iconic gatehouse at Lakeside Swim Club.
As Lakeside celebrates a remarkable 100 years, it has become so much more than a place to find relief from the sweltering heat and humidity. For the generations who have called this their summer time retreat, it has come to define a special piece of life surrounded by their family, friends and community. It is a common thread that brings them all together each year to perform the rituals of summer… and while many things are different, much also remains delightfully unchanged from generation to generation.
“If you grew up there, you have a strong feeling about it,” says longtime Lakeside member Martha Puckett. Puckett, who is now seventy-nine (and a half, as she playfully puts it) has been swimming in the waters here since she was three years old and says, “As much as I feel a connection with Lakeside, everyone feels that same connection.” Puckett has been a resident of Eastview Avenue since 1969 when she and her husband purchased a “starter home” next to Lakeside as newlyweds. Now, many years (and several additions) later, they still call it home and Puckett is grateful for her close-knit neighborhood community that is “more than just a place to live”.
It’s this same sense of connection that Brigid Kaelin highlights in her recently released book, Lakeside: A History of Lakeside Swim Club. Kaelin quotes member Erin Gary who says, “Over the years, Lakeside has been the place to connect with family, schoolmates, neighbors, and pool friends. As a kid, I always loved splashing around with the neighborhood kids, and now, as an adult, I enjoy catching up with folks poolside.”
It’s strange to imagine, then, that the blue pristine waters and stunning 40-foot-tall cliff faces that comprise this legendary swimming hole, which was featured in a 2021 Sports Illustrated article, used to be just a humble onion field. According to Kaelin’s Lakeside, the area served as farmland from 1800 to 1923, first belonging to the Doup Family and later became the Kaelin family’s dairy farm. Although rock had probably been extracted from the limestone rich soil for many years, it wasn’t until the invention of dynamite that the small quarry expanded into a five-acre mining area, ultimately becoming a nuisance to the growing neighborhood. Residents resented the noise pollution created by the exploding dynamite and feared children would get hurt falling from the precarious cliffs.
Antique Porcelain
The situation got worse before it got better when, sometime between 1918 and 1920, miners struck a spring and work screeched to a permanent halt as the quarry land rapidly filled with water, consuming the train tracks and other mining equipment. Neighbors now complained the swampy land was troublesome due to the mosquito ridden water and falling rocks.
Back in those early days of the 1920’s, Lakeside was known as ‘Highland Lake’ or ‘Spring Lake’ and the water was filled with cattails and water lilies. It was during 1924, the year the articles of incorporation were accepted, that 15,000 small mouth bass would be released into the lake. By 1926, the first member dues of $1.00 were assessed. Though chlorine would be added to the water much earlier, it was not until the 1970’s, according to Mary Graves, Lakeside’s General Manager, that the water would be totally clear and purified.
Graves, formerly Mary Tingley, is another fixture at Lakeside. The youngest of four children, Graves’s parents moved onto Eastview Avenue when her mother was pregnant with her. They became members that very next year in 1957. In her youth, she swam for the swim team, was one of Lakeside’s first female lifeguards in the 1970’s and was hired as Aquatic Operations manager in 1983 where she served until 2015 when she was appointed the club’s general manager.
“My dad was a member before he married my mom,” says Graves, “so he was first generation, then [my siblings and I] are second generation, our kids are third generation, and now we have grandkids who are fourth generation Lakesiders.” Over all these years, Graves has witnessed so much growth. She has gone from employing around thirty-five lifeguards in the 1980’s to nearly 100 lifeguards now; she has overseen and championed modernization efforts and facility upgrades and instituted new dry land programming like yoga and aerobic classes. She has also been around for most of the eleven Olympic athletes that have trained here at Lakeside, including current Olympian Mariah Denigan who is expected to compete in Paris. But it’s talking about the Lakeside kids that really makes Graves light up.
“Lakeside is an imaginary place” she says wistfully. Then pointing to one of the stone overhangs by the water’s edge, she continues, “The kids call this little stone ‘mermaid island.’ We want to encourage imaginary play. It’s fun to hear the kids say, ‘I’m going to the big ice cube’ or ‘I’m swimming into blue water today!’’ Maybe it’s this childlike sense of wonder and fun that Lakeside inspires in people that makes it such a magical place. No matter how old you are, when you return to Lakeside you feel a little like a kid again.
KENTUCKY AUTHOR TO HOST BOOK READING AND SIGNING AT HER BROTHER’S
Kentucky author and illustrator, Morgan Coleman, will be reading her debut picture book This Cat is Fat and I’m Fine with That! at Louisville’s Purrfect Day Cat Café on August 24th. This event will feature a children’s storytime in the cat room at 10 AM, followed by a book signing immediately after.
Young children and their caregivers will be able to cuddle and play with kittens during the children’s reading, which requires registration since space is limited in the cat room. Following the reading, attendees can enjoy free treats and activities, and have the option to purchase a copy of the book to get it signed with a custom inscription by the author.
This Cat is Fat is a body-positive picture book, filled with humor and heart, about adopting a furry friend from a cat café. It was modeled after Purrfect Day, which is owned by Morgan’s brother, Chuck Patton. In fact, one of her own cats was adopted from the Louisville café. Morgan holds an MFA in Playwriting, but she discovered a passion for picture books after she got a job doing library storytimes, where she got to read hundreds of them! She lives with her husband, their daughter, and two fat, fluffy cats in Covington, Kentucky.
The Washington Homearama House Number 9 Meremont Subdivision 1535 Lincoln Hill Way
Homearama® 2024 is coming in September. It’s produced by The Building Industry of Greater Louisville (BIA) and features a mix of seventeen new custom built and model homes scattered throughout the region. Each home will be fully furnished and decorated, showcasing the latest trends and designs. The Voice Tribune got a sneak peek into one of the custom-built homes, which happens to be owned by Ryan Band, the current president of the BIA and the owner of Unbridled Homes. His home, “The Washington,” is a beautiful 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom house with a finished underground basement. Ryan Band collaborated with Studio Nine Interiors to create this stunning home.
Home Highlights:
1. Stylish and Inviting Basement Bar: The basement features a unique curved, two-toned bar that adds a touch of style and creates an inviting atmosphere for entertaining guests.
2. Sophisticated Wine Cellar: The home includes a wine cellar with custom shelving, providing a sophisticated and functional storage solution for wine enthusiasts.
3. Cozy Eat-In Dining Area: The dining area offers an eat-in option with an integrated banquette, adding a cozy and comfortable seating area for meals.
4. Hidden Pantry Entrance: The kitchen features a hidden pantry entrance, adding a touch of mystery and intrigue to the culinary space.
5. Luxurious Primary Bathroom: The primary bathroom boasts a large shower with multiple shower heads and a rain head. The custom gride design creates a luxurious and spa-like experience.
6. Focal Point Fireplace with Built-Ins: The living room showcases a fireplace with recessed built-ins, providing a focal point and a functional storage solution for displaying decor and media equipment.
7. Refined Decorative Millwork: The decorative millwork throughout the home is custom-made, adding a refined finish to the entire space.
8. Charming Stone Wall Accents: Stone wall accents create a sense of charm and warmth, adding character to the interior design.
9. Designer Curated Lighting Package: The lighting fixtures throughout the home are carefully selected by a designer, ensuring a cohesive and stylish lighting scheme.
10. European-Inspired Bathrooms: The bathrooms in the home are designed with a European-inspired aesthetic, combining elegance and functionality.
Ryan Band comes from a long line of home builders, following in his father’s footsteps. In 2004, he started his own homebuilding company, Unbridled Homes, after gaining valuable experience working as a superintendent alongside his father. Ryan’s time working with his father taught him the importance of honesty and fairness when dealing with clients, which he has made a core value of Unbridled Homes. Providing an exceptional experience for each client is at the heart of their mission.
Ryan’s passion for homebuilding developed during his upbringing in the industry, and he decided to continue the family legacy. As the current president of the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville, Ryan is proud and passionate about his role. Being involved in the BIA allows him to give back to the industry that has had a significant impact on his family for multiple generations.
Homearama® 2024 will be a fantastic event, and “The Washington” by Ryan Band and Studio Nine Interiors will be house number 9 on the tour. Ryan’s dedication, expertise, and commitment to providing an exceptional homebuilding experience are sure to make a positive impact in the industry.
Homearama 2024
WHAT: Homearama is an annual event that showcases new custom-built and model homes. The homes are fully furnished, decorated, and landscaped, and feature the latest in building trends, technology, and interior design. Homearama has been produced by the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville since 1968.
WHEN: Weekends, September 6-22 . Fridays, 5-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sundays, 1-6 p.m.
WHERE: 17 homes located throughout Bullit, Oldham, and Jefferson counties.
TICKETS: Tickets are $15 per person at the door. Children 12 and younger are free with a paying adult. Tickets are also available for $12 online.
Bill Doolittle & Russ Brown
Bill and Russ’ Excellent Conversation:
And the sports scribes are thinking Westward Ho!
By: Bill Doolittle and Russ Brown
Photos By: Matt Johnson
BILL -- Well, Russ, it’s August. Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. I’ve been going out to the creek to cool my feet -- worrying about nothing. Not worrying about college football. Not worrying about the Reds. And certainly not worrying about NIL money for basketball players.
What are you not worrying about?
RUSS -- That’s a good question, Bill, and I am glad you asked it at this point in July before my brain is overwhelmed with college football and basketball stuff, starting with the ACC Football Media Days, followed by UofL Media Day and the start of “fall camp” on July 31.
My most important worry at the moment is trying to determine how long it will take to reach Scottsdale, Arizona via Route 66, the Mother Road, which my wife, Mary Jo, and I will join in St. Louis. Of course, not all the road remains as two-lane; significant sections are part of the Interstate system.
There is plenty to see along the way. Some of the more intriguing stops or detours in my opinion anyway – include Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis; Shelly’s Route 66 Café; Arnold’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Tulsa (are you noticing a trend here); the Jesse James Wax Museum in Stanton, Mo.; Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park, Foyil, Ok.; Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum, Sapulpa, Ok.; American International Rattlesnake Museum, Albuquerque; and my favorite: Standing on the Corner Park in Winslow, Ariz., where I am really looking forward to a girl in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me (with apologies to the Eagles, who by the way I will see in Las Vegas in Oct.).
Back over to you Bill. Are you planning your annual trip to southwest Colorado for a week of card-playing, beer-drinking and other questionable activities?
BILL – Well my travel plans are not set, but one stop I like to make is Gray’s Coors Tavern, in Pueblo, Colorado. It’s been there in downtown Pueblo since the 1950’s, a place everybody goes for a Schooner and a Slopper – which is a burger with green chili on top and maybe some other stuff, also on top. And that’s a frosty “schooner” of regular Coors, which is the Coors beer brewed in Golden, Colo., that Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jerry Reed were bootlegging in Smokey and the Bandit
RUSS – There’s certainly a multitude of interesting places in the West, which has been my favorite domestic destination for decades. During the 70s, before Coors beer became available east of the Mississippi River (in the early-to-mid 80s), I even ran a version of “Smokey and the Bandit” bootlegging operation. On my frequent summer trips, friends and relatives always asked me to bring back as much Coors as I could cram into my car. Fortunately, I never had to outrun the law, which is good because I didn’t have quite the horsepower as Bandit’s 1976 gold and black Pontiac Trans Am.
BILL -- I think I will take a wide path around your rattlesnake museum, but like you I am interested in off-the-beaten path places, like Ennis, Montana, which has a sign on the edge of town that brags, Ennis, MT: 11,000,000 trout, 660 people. Ennis is on the Jefferson River that flows out of West Yellowstone and gets together with the Madison and Gallatin to form the Missouri River. The best thing in Ennis isn’t the trout, though. It’s the cakes. Not talking about icing-dripped birthday type cakes, but pancakes, which they call “cakes” at the Sunrise Café.
RUSS -- If you like Ennis, my recommendation is to check out tiny Polebridge, Montana, home of Polebridge Bakery and Mercantile, the best cinnamon rolls in the Rockies and 31 residents. It’s about 25 miles of mostly gravel or dirt road from Glacier National Park and well worth the trip. But get there early if you want a roll or a huckleberry bear claw because they go fast.
BILL – With our out-west trips to look forward to, you can see why I’m not worried about August sports in Louisville. I imagine UofL football coach Jeff Brohm is using August pre-season practice to work on some tricky “schemes” with new quarterback Tyler Shough -- pronounced like Julianne Hough, but with longer legs. The big question, to me, is whether the Cardinals will have better pass catchers than last season. Like Louisville-quality receivers.
RUSS – My story in this issue on the 2024 version of Louisville’s offense should ease your concerns about the Cardinals’ passing attack, which will be much improved over last season due to the arrival of quarterback Shough, a transfer who has been a starter at Oregon and Texas Tech. He’s much more talented than his predecessor, Jack Plummer, whose passing limitations forced Brohm to rely more on a running game. Brohm has also beefed up the receiving corps considerably, so fans are going to see a more explosive and productive offense this fall.
BILL – I’ll hold you to that, Russ.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati Reds fans have been blown away by new hitting hero Rece Hinds, who was called up from the Louisville Bats in July pretty much to temporarily fill in a spot on the Reds roster, and, instead, set the National League on fire. In 7 games before the All-Star break, Hinds whacked 11 hits in 26 at bats – almost all doubles and homers … except for a triple.
It surprised me. I mean Hinds looked like a fine athlete when he arrived this spring at AAA Louisville -- up from Chattanooga, where he’d hit for power and led the Southern League in RBI. A sleek looking, muscular guy – 23 years old, 6-4, 215, with speed. But I saw him pretty often , and he just didn’t hit much for the Bats. Could hardly get over .220. Then he goes up to Cincinnati and I guess he saw Elly De La Cruz, and decided he could be an All-Star, too.
A long vista along Route 66 • Credit: Shutterstock photo
RUSS – I grew up a Reds fan and a highlight of my childhood was trips to Crosley Field in the 1950s to watch sluggers Ted Kluszewski, Smoky Burgess, Wally Post, Frank Robinson, Vada Pinson and Louisville native Gus Bell attack the fences, providing plenty of run support for their pitchers. And sometimes I was lucky enough to catch Joe Nuxhall on the mound. But the team I follow most closely now is the Dodgers, especially since two of their current players are former UofL Cards -- catcher Will Smith and pitcher Bobby Miller. So it’s good that you can keep us up to date on baseball.
Miller has been struggling and was sent to AAA Oklahoma City, but could soon be back in La La Land.
BILL --- Speaking of the golden west, the Golden State could be on my travel itinerary. I’ve got a gig in LA, and would love to swoop south to Del Mar, the beautiful summer track north of San Diego, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf.”
The reason I bring this up is Del Mar in August is where trainer Bob Baffert annually brings out his 2-year-old stars, with an eye on the next spring’s Kentucky Derby – and you may have heard that Churchill Downs has lifted its three-year ban on Baffert. If he’s got his usual hot stable, Baffert could be back for the 151st Derby.
Baffert was first barred at Churchill Downs for a medication violation in the 2021 Derby. The ban had stretched to three years because he wished to fight Churchill Downs over it. Somehow, the Hall of Fame trainer managed, with the help of his lawyer Clark Brewster (who went before about five judges and didn’t find an Aileen Cannon among them), to turn a simple 60-day suspension into a three-year ban. Churchill, meanwhile, wished to make a point, and certainly has.
Anyhow, as we predicted, this would be the summer all parties would finally spread out the blankets and smoke the peace pipe.
Here’s a link to
Where the Turf Meets the Surf
Rece Hinds went on a hitting tear when called up from Louisville Bats to Cincinnati Reds.
Credit: Anna Roush/Louisville Bats photo
The paddock at Del Mar on Pacific Classic Day
Credit: Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
Hometown star Anna DeBeer, who was Kentucky’s Ms Volleyball while playing for Assumption High School, heads a veteran UofL team this season. She was the ACC Player of the Year last year and was named a second team All-American.
By RUSS BROWN
When I asked Louisville volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly recently about what her expectations are this season from her team, I got a somewhat surprising answer. No coach speak. No sandbagging. No hesitance. Just this blunt opinion: “One of the best teams we’ve probably ever had.”
Really? Because that takes in a lot of territory.
Starting her eighth season at UofL, Busboom Kelly, 39, has compiled a remarkable record that includes a 178-37 (.828) overall record; a 115-18 (.865) mark in the ACC, with four championships; an NCAA Tournament bid every season; two Final Fours in the last four years; two Elite Eights and an undefeated regular season in 2021.
In volleyball terms, she’s killing it. And there are plenty of reasons for her unbridled optimism this season, or “more of the same,” as she puts it.
The Cardinals return a wealth of experience from last year’s 27-5 team that advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to ACC rival Pittsburgh in five sets. The embarrassment of riches includes five starters, six other veterans, two graduate transfers and a quartet of highly-regarded freshmen. Talk about depth.
Heading the returnees is outside hitter, fifth-year senior and reigning ACC Player of the Year Anna DeBeer, a much-decorated four-year starter who was Kentucky’s Ms. Volleyball at Assumption High under legendary coach Ron Kordes. DeBeer played in all but one set in 2023, racking up a team-high 392 kills, along with 28 aces, 275 digs and 34 blocks, all of which ranked among the top three, on her way to being named a second team All-American.
Also back is senior outside hitter Charitie Luper, who transferred from UCLA last year and earned first-team All-ACC honors with 344 kills, 27 aces, 242 digs and 45 blocks while playing in 115 of the 117 sets. The other three returnees are middle blocker Phekran Kong, who transferred from Washington last season; junior setter Elle Glock, who played in 113 sets and had the best serving percentage on the team at .964; and redshirt junior middle blocker Cara Cresse, who was second in digs and third in points scored (349) kills (264). In addition, senior Elena Scott, a Mercy Academy product, returns at libero (defensive specialist). Cresse and Scott played on the U.S. National Team this past summer.
The two transfers are Mexican native Sofia Maldonado Diaz and setter Brigitta Petrenko from Coastal Carolina. Diaz is a 6-0 right side hitter who started all 31 matches for Arizona last season, led the Wildcats with 396 kills and was second in digs (255) and aces (30). Petrenko, an Eger, Hungary native and a member of the Hungarian National Team, led Coastal with 1,011 assists and 50 service aces. She has 3,488 career assists.
“I’m very excited about the potential for this team,” Busboom Kelly said. “I think we have one of the deeptest teams we’ve ever had here. There’s going to be some position battles that might take awhile to iron out. That will raise the level for everybody, so that’s an amazing problem to have.
“The beauty of having an older returning team is that they know it takes, the amount of work they have to put in throughout the season to be successful. Then you have some younger players and some new players who could play a significant role. I feel like that combination usually leads to some really good culture and success.”
In her four seasons at UofL DeBeer (she was awarded a fifth year under the NCAA pandemic eligibility policy) played on teams that compiled a 105-12 record and advanced to two Final Fours, an Elite Eight and a Sweet Sixteen, so she certainly should be able to judge how the current squad stacks up. And she thinks her coach’s analysis is on target.
“I think once we get going and get all the pieces together, this team could definitely be one of the better ones,” DeBeer said. “I have full faith in us. I know it’s really early and we have a long way to go, which is a good thing because we don’t want to be peaking now. We want to be peaking when it matters. I am fully confident in what we can do. I want to think it can be the best team.”
In summer workouts and early preseason practices, Luper has been impressed with UofL’s depth and believes the blending of veterans and newcomers has been a smooth one.
“I think it’s a good mix,” she said. “Our lower classmen (younger players) don’t play like lower classmen and they don’t act like lower classmen. They can hang with us. They play like upperclassmen. When we have side A vs. side B in practice, both sides look like a starting lineup. That’s how hard we go in practice and it’s how good we are as well.”
With the Final Four scheduled for Dec. 19 and 22 in the KFC Yum! Center, the Cards are focused on raising the national championship trophy in front of hometown fans. However, Busboom Kelly points out that having the tournament in their backyard could be a double-edged sword.
Anna DeBeer and her Louisville teammates have high expectations this year, with their sights set on advancing to the NCAA Final Four in the KFC Yum! Center. The Cardinals will open the season against Wisconsin in the AVCA First Serve Showcase on Aug. 27 in the Yum!
“My biggest concern with this team is the pressure that comes with the Final Four being here,” she said. “There will be a lot of outside pressure to get there. Can they overcome that?”
Both DeBeer and Luper think so.
“I definitely see where she’s coming from,” DeBeer said. “And I do think there will be some added pressure. Everyone will be looking at us like, ‘it’s in Louisville, Louisville better be there.’ Those kind of fears and pressure do creep in a little bit. It’s the elephant in the room. But we know it’s not going to be easy to get there; it’s so hard every year. It’s super exciting, but we also know we have a ton of work to do and we’re not taking anything for granted.”
Said Luper: “I don’t see it as a pressure situation. I see it as something we’re just super grateful for because not everybody gets the opportunity to have a Final Four in their hometown. We have a team of strong, confident girls. So I think we’re going to do just fine. I honestly don’t see that as being a problem.”
The Cards will face a challenging schedule, both inside and outside the ACC. They will open on Aug. 27 in the AVCA First Serve Showcase in the Yum! against Wisconsin, a national semifinalist two of the last three years. They will host Tennessee on Sept. 1 and meet Penn State on Sept. 3 in the Northern Kentucky Invitational. The nonconference schedule also includes a trip to Kentucky on Sept. 18 and a home game against perennial power and Busboom Kelly’s alma mater, Nebraska, on Sept. 22.
UofL will host new ACC member Stanford, another powerhouse program, on Sept. 29 after tipping off league play against California, another former PAC-12 team, on Sept. 27 in L&N Arena. During the ACC grind, the Cards will travel to the West Coast for a rematch with Stanford, and will play Pitt home-and-home in addition to a number of other tough league matches.
Dani Busboom Kelly is starting her eighth season at Louisville and has compiled a 178-37 (.828) record, including 115-18 in the ACC. She has led the Cards to an NCAA Tournament bid every year, highlighted by two Final Four appearances, and she thinks this season’s team could be her best.
WITH SHOUGH RUNNING THE SHOW, CARDS' AIR ATTACK COULD EXPLODE
By RUSS BROWN
During successful stints at Western Kentucky and Purdue, Jeff Brohm became known for his prolific offense, a reputation he brought with him when he succeeded Scott Satterfield as Louisville’s head coach at the end of the 2022 season. The trademark of that offense was a quick-strike and productive air attack.
In his final two seasons at Purdue, the Boilermakers had the No. 5 passing offense in the country and were No. 17 in 2022. However, adjusting to the personnel in his debut season at UofL last year, Brohm relied heavily on a strong ground game because quarterback Jack Plummer was inconsistent and throwing an accurate deep ball wasn’t his forte. Jawhar Jordan and Isaac Guerendo combined to run for 2,418 yards and 25 touchdowns.
As a result, the Cards’ average of 236.6 yards passing per game stood out as the lowest of Brohm’s 10 seasons as a head coach and No. 56 nationally, while their average of nearly 179 yards rushing was the second-best of his career, which includes three teams that averaged less than 85 yards on the ground. In its final seven games, UofL passed for over 200 yards just three times, and in five games threw for 151 yards or less.
With the arrival of Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough at quarterback, along with a group of more talented wide receivers, Brohm expects the Cards to excite fans with what is commonly referred to in football terminology as “airing it out,” which translated means throwing the ball downfield for explosive big gains.
“I like our quarterback room, where we continue to improve there and add depth behind Tyler,” Brohm said prior to the opening of fall camp. “The receiver room, I think, has talent. We’ve just got to put it all together and be more efficient and better in the passing game and find ways to create big plays, throw the ball vertically and get it in our receivers’ hands. And they’ve got to be consistent each and every week.”
UofL’s inability to hit big plays last season was reflected in its scoring, with the Cards’ average of 30.7 points per game ranking just 43rd overall and fifth in the ACC. That’s not bad by any means, but Brohm wants more, much more.
“In general, we believe in trying to score as many points as we can, creating big plays,” he says. “Utilizing the passing game to be effective doing that, with great quarterback play and efficient receivers and tight ends and running backs out of the backfield. Making it an exciting brand of football, I think that’s one of our goals as well, an exciting brand that people want to watch and people want to play in, that can score points quickly.”
Although he has been injury prone at Oregon and Texas Tech, Shough has all the tools to make that happen and the wide receiving corps should be vastly improved with a year of experience by Chris Bell, Jaden Thompson, Jimmy Calloway, Cataurus Hicks and Jahlil McClain, plus a trio of highly-regarded transfers in Alabama’s Ja’Corey Brooks, Caullin Lacy from South Alabama and Tuskegee’s Antonio Meeks. Four-star prospect Joseph “JoJo” Stone and three-star Shaun Boykins Jr. from North Hardin High in Radcliff, Ky. could also factor in the rotation.
Shough, who is married and will turn 25 in September, is in his seventh year of college football after starting games at both Oregon and Texas Tech. He has thrown for 4,625 yards and 36 touchdowns in 27 career games while completing 63.2 percent of his passes. He has also run for 710 yards and 14 TDs.
“I think Tyler’s talent jumps off the screen,” UofL offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Brohm said. “He’s got a big arm, an NFL type of frame. He’s athletic, he can run the football and that was intriguing to us. So was the depth of experience he has, the way the ball jumps out of his hand. He’s had a string of injuries that have kind of slowed him down a little bit, but his talent upside is very high.”
Of course, the high expectations for the passing attack doesn’t mean Brohm is abandoning the running game. He likes the Cards’ stable of running backs, even though Jordan and Guerendo both departed for the NFL. In their absence, look for returnees Maurice Turner and Keyjuan Brow, along with Miami transfer Donald Chaney Jr., to move to the forefront.
“Defenses improve and change every year,” Brohm said. “They adjust. They adapt. So you’ve got to be able to run the ball effectively and throw the ball effectively. You’ve got to be able to do both. There’s gonna come a point in time where you’re gonna have to do one, because the team’s going to take away the other. So we’ve got to get really good at both. But if you can create big plays, then you can do some great things.
“The quicker the drives are for touchdowns, the higher chance you have of scoring and winning in my opinion. So we’ve got to be able to back people off, stretch the field vertically and create room to do things like running the ball and throwing it underneath to the tight ends or running backs.”
Senior offensive guard Michael Gonzalez, considered the Cards’ best lineman, likes the versatility in Brohm’s offensive sets.
“It’s a home run offense,” Gonzalez said. “You can get a home run or you can run the ball 15 plays down the field to score a touchdown. We can do whatever. I really enjoy playing in this offense.”
A key to making all of this click is an offensive line that will have to replace three starters -- center Bryan Hudson, who was the 2023 Jacobs Blocking Trophy recipient, and tackles Eric Miller and Willie Tyler. Renato Brown, a fifth-year senior, was granted a waiver for another year after suffering a season-ending injury at Pittsburgh after starting the first six games. Elsewhere, Brohm stocked up from the portal, including one of the largest players ever to suit up for Louisville in Yale transfer Jonathan Mendoza, who checks in at 6-foot-9, 310 pounds. He allowed only one sack and 14 quarterback pressures in 337 pass block snaps and 662 blocking snaps overall last season, but will be taking a big step up from the Ivy League to the ACC.
“I feel like we’ve built depth on both the offensive and defensive lines, which is extremely important,” Brohm said. “How you play in the trenches really determines if you can win football games or not. I think we’ve added valuable depth, and hopefully we can see quite a few guys playing on both sides of the line and have great competition.”
It might take awhile to judge how well all of these working parts come together because Louisville’s early schedule doesn’t present much of a challenge. The Cards opened with Division II Austin Peay on Aug. 31, to be followed by Jacksonville State of CUSA and Georgia Tech, predicted to finish in the bottom half of the ACC, all in L&N Stadium. So UofL’s first major test won’t come until a Sept. 28 trip to Notre Dame.
The Cards finished 10-4 last season and made their first appearance in the ACC championship game. But they finished with a three-game losing streak after falling to Kentucky for the fifth straight time, Florida State in the title contest and to Southern Cal in the Holiday Bowl.
William Lee Lyons Brown Jr
AUG 22, 1936 - JUN 9, 2024
W.L. Lyons Brown, Jr., 87, died peacefully in Gulf Stream, Florida on June 9, 2024. He was born on August 22, 1936 in Louisville, Kentucky to William Lee Lyons Brown, Sr. and Sara Shallenberger Brown. He lived a life of extraordinary service to his Country, his Company and his many Communities.
For his Country, he served as the American Ambassador to Austria, under George Bush, from 2001 through 2005. Ambassador Brown, was a member of the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations under President Reagan in 1988, President Bush in 1990 and President Clinton in 1994. He received the Chevalier de L’Ordre du Merit Agricole by the French Government in 1974 and was appointed an Honorary Consul of France in 1975 and served until 1990. He served in the Military as a First Lieutenant in the U. S. Army Reserves from 1964-1966.
For his Company, the Brown-Forman Corporation, he served in numerous leadership roles as a Director, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board between 1975 and 1996. Brown-Forman was founded by his great grandfather George Garvin Brown in 1870 and experienced unprecedented growth in revenue, geography and value under his leadership.
For his many Communities, Ambassador Brown undertook numerous philanthropic roles, which included Board Chairs of the World Monuments Fund, New York, NY; Winterthur Museum and Gardens, Wilmington, DE; the J. B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY and The American Business Conference, Washington, DC. He was President of the Alumni Association of the University of Virginia. He was a member of the Honorary Committee of the Spanish Riding School, Vienna, Austria; and Honorary Trustee of the American Austrian Foundation, New York, NY; a member of the Board of the Society of the Four Arts, Palm, Beach, FL and an Honorary Trustee of the Board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. He served on the Board of Directors of National City Corporation, Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, Westvaco Corporation, The France Growth Fund, First Kentucky National Corporation and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. He was on the Trustees Council for the National Gallery of Art and he served on the Board of Visitors at the University of Virginia from 1987-1995.
Ambassador Brown graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in History in 1958. He was a resident of The Lawn in his 4th year and a member of the Raven Society. In 1960 he graduated from the American Graduate School of International Management with a B.S. in Foreign Trade. He received the School’s Jonas Mayer Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1989.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Alice Cary Farmer, his sister, Ina Bond, his three children, Lyons III (Susanna), their three children, Renee Carpenter (Douglas), Caroline Fries (Willis) and George; Cary Epstein (Steven), their son Sam; Stuart (Joanna), their four children Stuart Jr., Keeling (Holly), Clara and Lyons and two great-grandsons, Read Lyons Fries and Cato Douglas Glover Carpenter III. He was loved and respected by all.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation at the University of Virginia and direct them to the W. L. Lyons Brown, Jr. Scholarship
Arrangements under the direction of Pearson’s, “Where Louisville Goes to Remember”.
