LEO Weekly Jan. 6, 2020

15

FREE JAN.6.2021

THE 2020

O E L PLAYLIST

OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL SONGS OF THE YEAR

RESOLUTIONS FOR THE CITY| PAGE 3

THE PHOTOS THAT DEFINED 2020 | PAGE 12

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

1

VIEWS

15

YOUR VOICE A FORUM FOR YOUR OPINION FACEBOOK

facebook.com/theLEOweekly

FREE JAN.6.2021

TWITTER

The best is Louisville Cream! —Barbara Peters Ruby

@leoweekly

THE 2020

EO L PLAYLIST

INSTAGRAM leoweekly

EMAIL

OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL SONGS OF THE YEAR

RESOLUTIONS FOR THE CITY| PAGE 3 XXX| PAGE 17

ON: ICE CREAM FOR CHRISTMAS BECAUSE… WHY NOT?

leo@leoweekly.com

ONLINE

leoweekly.com

VOICE MAIL 502.895.9770

SNAIL MAIL

974 Breckenridge Lane #170 Louisville KY 40207

THE PHOTOS THAT DEFINED 2020 | PAGE 12 XXX| PAGE 23

ON THE COVER

DESIGN BY TALON HAMPTON

LEO Weekly welcomes letters, emails and tweets of no more than 350 words. Ad hominem attacks will be ignored. We may edit for length, grammar and clarity.

ON: RANDOM, UNUSED THOUGHTS, 2020

The last time I made a comment online about Rand Paul I got put in twitter jail, so shhhhh... —Gayle White Johnson It’s a good idea, but every year we would have a tie between Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Also, no one would come to the awards banquet. —Tom Johnson Josh Hawley is making impressive strides to win... —Justin Howell What else would we expect from a Yarmouth owned publication.

—Kevin Gravelle “I’d like to begin by proposing a ‘Leo Weekly Journalism Award of the Year” which will honor the “journalist” who demonstrated the most self-righteous grandstanding of the year.” —Gary Butts

ON: MY LAST ISSUE: STIRRING UP GOOD SHIT UNTIL THE END

Keith /- you will definitely be missed. Thank you. —Marc Murphy Congrats! — Lisa Frye

LOUISVILLE ECCENTRIC OBSERVER

Volume 31 | Number 04 974 BRECKENRIDGE LANE #170. LOUISVILLE KY 40207 PHONE (502) 895-9770 FAX (502) 895-9779 FOUNDER

John Yarmuth EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Aaron Yarmuth, ayarmuth@leoweekly.com PUBLISHER

Laura Snyder, lsnyder@redpinmedia.com OFFICE MANAGER

Elizabeth Knapp, eknapp@redpinmedia.com MANAGING EDITOR

Scott Recker, srecker@leoweekly.com

The LEO Weekly is printed on recycled newsprint with soy-based ink.

CONTRIBUTORS

James Wilkerson, Robin Garr, Syd Bishop, Lara Kinne, Romell Weaver, Krystal Moore, David Williams Writer Illustrations by Yoko Molotov ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Marsha Blacker, mblacker@leoweekly.com Julie Koening, jkoenig@redpinmedia.com Karen Pierce, kpierce @redpinmedia.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Megan Campbell Smith: distribution@leoweekly.com

STAFF WRITER

Danielle Grady, dgrady@leoweekly.com ART DIRECTOR

Talon Hampton, thampton@redpinmedia.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lane Levitch, lane@redpinmedia.com CONTRIBUTING ARTS EDITOR

Jo Anne Triplett, jtriplettart@yahoo.com

LEO Weekly is published weekly by LEO Weekly LLC. Copyright LEO Weekly LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Publisher. LEO Weekly is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express permission of LEO Weekly LLC. LEO Weekly may be distributed only by authorized independent contractors or authorized distributors. Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO) is a trademark of LEO Weekly LLC.

2

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

Wishing you success in your venture. I’ve enjoyed your time at LEO. —Mike Heine Good luck with your new career. I wish you all the best. —Andy Albatys

VIEWS

EDITOR’S NOTE

CAN THE CITY GOVERNMENT WIN BACK PUBLIC TRUST?

By Aaron Yarmuth | ayarmuth@leoweekly.com EACH NEW YEAR offers an opportunity to fix our failures and shortcomings of the past — begin anew with healthy living, diets and exercise; being a better spouse, parent or friend; setting budgets and ridding frivolous habits.

Resolutions should be noble and ambitious endeavors toward self-improvement, while some are borne of necessity.

Such is the case for Louisville Metro Government, which should focus on two main resolutions: rebuild trust and restore confidence within the community.

Every decision made by Mayor Greg Fischer, the Metro Council and Louisville Metro Police Department needs to support these two goals. They might not be able to fully repair the damage done in 2020 — and before — but by focusing on transparency and accountability, they can begin restoring public trust and confidence in our city.

The tragedy of Breonna Taylor alone would have been enough to shatter public trust and confidence: From the beginning, the underlying case argued to obtain the “noknock” search warrant of Taylor’s residence was questionable. The ambiguous, sometimes conflicting accounts from officers the

night of the raid only added to public skepticism. Then, a dubious internal investigation brought the entire department’s integrity into question. Finally, Attorney General Dan Cameron’s sham-Grand Jury presentation guaranteed there would be no transparency for the community — or justice for Breonna.

It’s even possible that Kenneth Walker — who was originally charged with attempted murder of a police officer — would be in jail, today, were it not for family members, attorneys and activists fighting to raise public awareness of his unjust arrest.

Yet, the mistakes and failures kept piling on.

This was most evidenced in 2020 by the city’s insistence on aggressive policing of peaceful protests — even after it had become clear that aggressive policing was largely responsible for escalating violence and disorder among otherwise peaceful demonstrations.

Police brought the violence when the LMPD — alongside the National Guard — cleared a parking lot in The West End, more than 20 blocks from the protests, which led to the killing of David McAtee.

Police brought the violence to peaceful

marchers, barricading and bullying them on Main Street hours before a city curfew.

Police brought the violence when they corralled protesters on Bardstown Road — while protestors, before that, self-governed anyone who became remotely destructive.

Police brought the violence to a local news cameraperson, shooting them on live TV with a rubber or pepper bullet.

Each instance — among many others — showed a failure of accountability and an inability to learn from mistakes, undermining public trust and confidence.

So, who will be accountable in 2021 for these and years of other failures?

Just in recent weeks, we learned that LMPD continues to lie and illegally conceal information from the public. “Louisville Metro Police concealed at least 738,000 records documenting the sexual abuse of Explorer Scouts by two officers — then lied to keep the files from the public, records show,” The Courier Journal reported in mid November.

It’s not just the LMPD. Recently, The CJ reported that Fischer, council members and other public officials held over two dozen private calls, potentially violating Kentucky’s open meeting laws. The calls began as Fischer attempted to communicate quick-moving developments related to the pandemic to other city officials, which The CJ confirmed from city records they later obtained. However, the calls eventually expanded to include discussions of broader issues and the city’s response — business

that is expected to be announced and held before the public.

Several elected officials involved in the calls (some through a spokesperson) pushed back against accusations that these calls violated the open meetings law. Jean Porter, Fischer’s spokeswoman, told The CJ, “We viewed the calls as a way to be responsive to the council and keep them as up to date as possible.”

To be fair, 2020 was disorienting. The rapid, escalating demands to respond to a global health crisis, the social- and racialjustice movement and the logistical disruptions to everyday life — having to modify every operation to function virtually — it’s understandable that even the most responsible public officials would cut corners to do their jobs and be responsive to the public.

The city settled a lawsuit brought by The CJ to stop the secret calls, in which they agreed to turn over records related to the calls and pay The CJ $10,000 in attorneys fees… but did not admit wrongdoing. But the law was violated — even if with good intentions.

This is why it’s important that our elected leaders start from a foundation of trust: When an honest mistake is made, we can trust it was at least with good intentions — and not to protect what’s behind the curtain.

The city needs our leaders to restore integrity to our institutions. The only way to do it is a steady diet of transparency and accountability. •

UNDERCOVER

MANOFMETTLE.COM LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

3

VIEWS

THE TITLE IX GUY

SEXUAL ASSAULT ADVOCACY IN THE MIDST OF THE PANDEMIC James J. Wilkerson | leo@leoweekly.com ON A DREARY DAY in February 2016, my criminal law professor stood before our class.

We were set to begin our unit on sex crimes.

However, before the lesson began, Professor Sam Marcosson had a message to deliver. He told us how law schools in the country had begun skipping this chapter due to the uncomfortable nature of the material. While assault and murder were tolerable topics, sexual misconduct was apparently the proverbial line in the sand.

Professor Marcosson reassured us that we would in fact be studying this chapter; for how would we be able to change the world if we didn’t know what we were attempting to change?

By the end of that semester, I created Greek Law. The idea was simple. As Greek Life is one of the corners of higher education where sexual assault is most prevalent, I would use my newlyobtained sex crime knowledge to educate current fraternity men about consent and bystander intervention. I used stories from my time as a fraternity member to provide relatable examples of various consensual situations. I became a male ally who held other men accountable in a way that would inspire them to be allies as well. I gave my first lecture to my home chapter that fall. During the next four years, I traveled to schools throughout Kentucky, becoming a staple at Eastern Kentucky University as well as at Trinity High School in Louisville. I watched Greek Law transform from a student government project into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

By the end of 2019, Greek Law hit a glass ceiling. Despite being a popular presenter for groups at universities throughout the state, the program felt to be at a standstill. In my frustration, I recalled a lesson I learned as a member of the local music scene — if you want to blow up, you have to leave home.

With that in mind, I began constructing my 2020 plan. My largest initiative was to visit all 14 SEC universities. I scheduled visits to Auburn and the University of Missouri in March, University of Alabama in September and the University of Florida in December. Back home, I was set to lecture at my first HBCU, Simmons College, as well as set to make a visit to the University of Louisville School of Medicine. In April, I planned a tour of Indiana colleges including Indiana State University, the University of Evansville and the University of Southern Indiana. However, my most anticipated date would come in October, when I

4

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

would lecture at my first Ivy League School, Dartmouth. At the beginning of 2020, my goal of turning Greek Law into a national program was well under way.

And then COVID came.

FIRESTORM

Imagine strategizing a plan to elevate your grassroots project to the next level. You work for months sending Facebook messages and emails to college students who rarely respond to you in a timely manner (if at all). You set dates, make lodging and travel arrangements on a shoestring budget of donations from local law firms and your GoFundMe. You use your self-taught Photoshop skills to create eye-catching promotional ads. You even have your publicist begin reaching out to local newspapers in the cities you’ll be visiting.

You take several steps back and gaze at your planning board to see the result of your hard work; a 2020 speaking schedule that will introduce your brand of sexual assault prevention advocacy to universities across the country.

Now imagine a stranger barging in your office, walking over to your planning board, and using a lighter to set a corner of it on fire. The fire quickly spreads, engulfing the entire board, erasing all of the work you did and the progress you planned to make. And imagine not being able to do a thing to stop it.

COVID burned through Louisville, taking the lives of hundreds in its inferno. Many also felt an economic sting as retail stores temporarily closed and the service industry struggled under Governor Beshear’s regulations. The pandemic also had a profound effect on colleges and universities as schools scrambled to find a way to educate their students, many relying on in-person/online learning hybrid courses and canceling typical on-campus events such as guest lectures on sexual assault prevention. As COVID took away my undergraduate audiences, it changed Greek Law’s status from promising to lame duck in the span of two weeks.

AN OPPORTUNITY

In May, Dr. JoAnne Sweeny reached out to inform me that she and several other professors were launching an online legal journal.

She wanted to know if I could pen an essay on the new Title IX regulations that United States Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had just

James J. Wilkerson.

released. I agreed, not knowing that this would be the shot of adrenaline to the heart of my stalled advocacy. I was granted a regular column and suddenly I had a new platform that would allow me to expand my message. As a speaker, I delivered the same address on consent and male responsibility year after year. As a writer however, I was able to dive deeper into rape culture, toxic and healthy masculinity, as well as specific topics such as revenge porn law and the confusing intersection of idolatry and sexual assault in the Black community. My writings also began getting picked up by other publications, helping to further amplify my voice.

In late August, I received a voicemail from a man in Philadelphia who had recently read my article “Extracurricular Activities: The Fetishization of Female Teachers in Sexual Misconduct Cases” in LEO. He was a survivor of sexual assault at the hands of one of his high school teachers and he thanked me for writing about the trauma that boys in these situations experience.

While his call was heartwarming, it also sent a very important message. While I wasn’t standing on stage in a huge auditorium with a mic in my hand, my pen was spreading my message to the same people my original 2020 plan was set to do. I was reaching new audiences in new cities

without having to step outside of Louisville.

THE FUTURE

The pandemic forced us to deviate from our status quo and travel down alternative paths. It made restaurants beef up their take-out policies in order to survive. It pushed primary school teachers to create Non-Traditional Instruction curriculums to safely educate students. And it compelled audience-based creators to find new ways to reach their crowds — be it through digital mediums like Zoom or, in my case, putting pen to paper. The pandemic made us adapt and, most importantly, in some ways, evolve.

As vaccines become available to the public, the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel intensifies. Universities will soon go back to normal business and I will hit the road once again. This time however, I’ll be coming as a published writer with piles of academic research and my first book to stand on. And I have the disruption of the global pandemic to thank for making me a stronger advocate and elevating me to the next level. • James J. Wilkerson, J.D., is the director of Staff Diversity and Equity and the Deputy Title IX Coordinator at IU Southeast.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

COVIDIOTS AND REFORMERS:

SOME OF THIS YEAR’S PRE-FILED BILLS

By Danielle Grady | dgrady@leoweekly.com IT was during the last civil rights movement that Sam Cooke penned “A Change Is Gonna Come.” And it did.

During this year’s racial justice movement and coronavirus pandemic, people have been asking for a change, too. If they’re depending on the state legislature, though, they might have to wait.

“They’ll pass a budget; they’ll limit Beshear’s emergency authority. And beyond that, it’s hard to see that much big that will get done,” said Al Cross, a political columnist and the director of the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.

It’s not like Kentucky’s Republican “super-duper majority” is likely to pass much in the way of racial justice reform, anyway, (our words).

But, we digress.

Because of the coronavirus, Kentucky legislators only passed a one-year budget in 2020. Meaning, they have to pass another one-year budget in 2021, which is a shorter session. This leaves little time for much else.

Because of this anomaly, though, Cross said lawmakers are more likely than usual to stuff the budget with items that would normally have been standalone bills. This strategy is usually implemented to pass laws that have consensus or that are pet projects of legislative leaders.

What Republican legislators do have time for is thwarting Gov. Andy Beshear. While he’s waved his executive order wand to mandate masks and shut down businesses in response to the pandemic, Kentucky Republicans have seethed. And they’ve now pre-filed at least six bills that would limit his orders.

Senate Republicans have other priorities beyond the budget and emergency orders. Cross said an abortion bill that has yet to be filed mandating that doctors provide life-sustaining care to fetuses in botched procedures is likely to pass, because new lawmakers will be eager to prove their anti-abortion stance. But, a priority for Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester — banning no-knock warrants — will

be more complicated. State Rep. Attica Scott, D-Louisville, has already introduced her own, likely more sweeping, no-knock ban called Breonna’s Law. Solo Republicans have pre-filed other coronavirus legislation beyond their leadership’s priorities. But not to help you, silly.

The bills would cater to businesses angered by Beshear’s orders and allow anti-vaxxers to gallivant around the state by making it illegal for colleges and employers to require the coronavirus cure. Cross said it’s hard to say how those bills will do.

“They may have some competition for who can be the most anti-Beshear,” he said. “And that may send them over in the ditch. Overreact, as I said in a recent column. It’ll be up to [House Speaker David] Osborne and Stivers to try to make sure that those measures get proper deliberation.”

Other bills that cover recent events are in question, too: criminal justice reform, voting access and race disparities. We cover them in more depth below.

And, there are still more priorities that have yet to be filed, including pension reform and a liability reform bill to protect businesses from COVID-19 related lawsuits.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

There are criminal justice reform bills that have a chance this year and those that don’t. And the main difference is who’s proposing them.

The reform bills pre-filed by Republicans, and therefore more likely to pass, begin with BR 236 by Rep. James Tipton, R-Taylorsville, which would allow Kentuckians with past felony convictions to obtain Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships, which are given to high school and GED graduates based on academic metrics to help pay for college. Another bill, BR 9, by Rep. Ed Massey, R-Hebron, would make it more difficult to be charged with felony theft by raising the threshold from $500 to $1,000.

Kentucky Democrats have proposed their own reforms. BR 220 from Rep. Rachel Roberts, D-Newport, and Reps.

Tina Bojanowski and Attica Scott of Louisville would criminalize law enforcement officers having sex with a person who is in custody or under arrest.

BR 80, from Rep. Buddy Wheatley, D-Covington, would place limitations on solitary confinement for juveniles in detention — shortening the amount of time they are allowed to remain in confinement to no more than four hours in a 24-hour time period. The bill, if passed, would also require a medical professional to assess the juvenile as soon as possible after they’re placed in solitary, and detention centers would have to start logging details of each instance of such confinement.

BR 462, pre-filed by Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, says that its purpose is to prevent new criminal justice policies from having unintended consequences on minority communities. It would require assessments for some types of criminal justice legislation regarding how they might impact racial and ethnic communities. Applicable bills, resolutions and amendments would be those that affect pretrial detention, sentencing, probation or parole policies and those that modify crimes or offenses. (Neal has pre-filed another bill, BR 97, that would do something similar for legislation that might have a disparate health impact on minorities.)

BR 336 and BR 448 would not involve restructuring courts or detention centers, but they would prevent crime and abuse victims from being punished financially. The former, by Rep. Roberts, as well as Rep. Joni Jenkins and Rep. Lisa Willner (both Louisville Democrats), would prevent employers from firing or retaliating against employees who are crime victims if they take time off to go to court.

The latter, from Rep. Nima Kulkarni, D-Louisville, would prohibit domestic violence victims from being disqualified from unemployment benefits if they can no longer work because of any

THORNS & ROSES THE WORST, BEST & MOST ABSURD THORN: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Breonna Taylor was killed in her home on March 13, 2020. Last week, two of the officers involved in her case received termination notices from LMPD. Nearly 300 days, a $12 million settlement, a fired police chief and over 100 days of marches and protests later, the slightest bit of justice is served. The public was told it was too costly (possibly counterproductive and futile) to fire the police officers who killed Taylor months ago. This should have already happened. Hopefully, there’s more justice coming.

ABSURD: A DAY LATE AND $1,400 SHORT

Just to recap: President Trump joins COVID-19 relief bill negotiations after months (and losing reelection) to say he wants $2,000 checks for Americans, not $600 checks. Even a few Senate Republicans expressed support. So, Democrats in the U.S. House — who had been seeking this among other items —passed a bill reflecting the increase. Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell singlehandedly stopped the bill from getting a vote in the Senate. Over the weekend, someone spray painted “Were’s My Money” on McConnell’s front door. Recently, he’s had left and right wing protesters on his lawn. McConnell is at the center of a political shitstorm, and it’s been harder for him to do his slimy Grim Reaper things in the dark. Hopefully, Georgia makes him pay.

THORN: MORE ALARMING POLICE CULTURE

Right before Christmas, photos surfaced on social media of a bonkers “challenge coin” that was circulating around the LMPD. On one side, it featured a burning skyline behind a police line with the words: “The Strongest Steel Is Forged In The Hottest Fire.” The city and the department both denied any part in the purchase or distribution of the coins. But, it shows that some officers in the department see the protests for racial justice as some sort of war fantasy, and that their fellow citizens, their neighbors, are the enemy. The city government and the police chief need to get this toxic culture under control.

ROSE: THE BEGINNING OF THE END

On Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear released a plan, with phases, for the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine in Kentucky. Early logistics, as many experts expected, have been lagging behind, but the plan offers a bit of light at the end what once seemed like a never-ending tunnel.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

5

GET YOUR

Republic Bank Bus Stop • 10100 Brookridge Village Blvd Party Center - Fern Creek • 5623 Bardstown Rd Street Box @ Piccadilly Square • 5318 Bardstown Rd Jay “Lucky” Food Mart #1 • 5050 Billtown Rd Cox’s - J-Town • 3920 Ruckriegel Pkwy Bearno’s Pizza - Taylorsville • 10212 Taylorsville Rd Louisville Athletic Club - J-Town • 9565 Taylorsville Rd Cox’s - Patti Ln • 2803 Patti Ln

PICK-UP LOCATIONS

L.A. Fitness • 4620 Taylorsville Rd Habitat ReStore - Taylorsville • 4044 Taylorsville Rd

Third Street Dive • 442 S 3rd St

Feeders Supply - Hikes Point • 3079 Breckenridge Ln

Jeffersonville Public Library • 211 E Court Ave

Street Box @ Heine Bros • 3965 Taylorsville Rd

TAJ Louisville • 807 E Market St

Paul’s Fruit Market - Bon Air • 3704 Taylorsville Rd

Climb Nulu • 1000 E Market St

Jewish Community Center • 3600 Dutchmans Ln

Come Back Inn • 909 Swan St

Street Box @ Marathon Frankfort Ave • 3320 Frankfort Ave

Stopline Bar • 991 Logan St

Boone Shell • 2912 Brownsboro Rd

Logan Street Market • 1001 Logan St

Ntaba Coffee Haus • 2407 Brownsboro Rd

Metro Station Adult Store • 4948 Poplar Level Rd

Beverage World • 2332 Brownsboro Rd

Liquor Barn - Okolona • 3420 W Fern Valley Rd

Kremer’s Smoke Shoppe • 1839 Brownsboro Rd

ClassAct FCU - Fern Valley • 3620 Fern Valley Rd

Big Al’s Beeritaville • 1743, 1715 Mellwood Ave

Hi-View Discount Liquors & Wines • 7916 Fegenbush Ln

Mellwood Arts Center • 1860 Mellwood Ave

Happy Liquors • 7813 Beulah Church Rd #104

KingFish - River Rd Carry Out • 3021 River Rd

Bungalow Joe’s • 7813 Beulah Church Rd

Party Mart - Rudy Ln • 4808 Brownsboro Center

Full list at LEOWEEKLY.COM/DISTRIBUTION 6

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

NEWS & ANALYSIS

abuse.

Two Republicans, meanwhile, have proposed bills that would shield those traditionally in power within the criminal justice system from having personal identifying information revealed about them. BR 960

by Sen. Danny Carroll, R-Paducah, would prevent the release of records revealing the addresses of law enforcement officers, judges, prosecutors, corrections officers and more who opt out. BR 985 by Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville, would protect judges, prosecutors and police officers from having their names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and other info revealed in open records requests or on the internet by government agencies.

BREONNA’S LAW: A NO-KNOCK WARRANT BAN

A ban on no-knock warrants is an idea that Sen. Stivers has expressed support for.

But the only bill pre-filed so far that would carry out this reform is by Rep. Scott, and all of her co-sponsors are Democrats. BR 22 would require law enforcement officers to knock and announce before executing a search warrant. It would also require officers to wear body cameras while engaging in law enforcement activity, require the agency to release body camera footage to the public if there is a misconduct complaint (and no privacy concerns), expand the scope of permissible lawsuits against state and local governments and require drug and alcohol testing for officers involved in a “deadly incident.”

RACE-RELATED LEGISLATION

Rep. Scott has filed several bills to protect Black people against discrimination. One, BR 169, co-sponsored by Rep. Bojanowski and known as the C.R.O.W.N. Act, would add hair texture and protective styles, such as braids, locks and twists, to a list of traits that cannot be used to discriminate against an individual — including within schools. Another pre-filed bill from the two Louisville lawmakers, BR 77, would implement evidence-based implicit bias training for all health care providers involved in pregnancy care. This is similar to a prefiled bill by Rep. Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington, BR 499, that would require

cultural diversity training for suicide assessment, treatment and management training.

VOTING REFORM

The pandemic introduced us to what voting could be like, with expanded absentee voting and early voting, and some legislators would like for casting a ballot to be made more accessible permanently.

Secretary of State Michael Adams has said that he is interested in expanding early voting to a few days before the election but doesn’t want to do the same for absentee ballots. Reps. Roberts and Wheatley, however, are barreling ahead with the prefiled BR 223 to expand absentee voting to anyone. Currently, you have to be unavailable on election day and unable to cast an in-person absentee ballot at any time in order to be eligible.

Rep. Wheatley also has a more modest proposal with BR 217: He would like to extend the hours of voting in Kentucky from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. But, he’s also interested, via BR 371, along with Rep. Roberts in removing straight-party voting as a ballot option in regular elections.

COVIDIOT BILLS

Republicans are responding to the coronavirus pandemic with legislation, although not in the way you may want.

The federal government has no plans to mandate a vaccine, but Kentucky lawmakers are worried that some other entity, the state or an employer for example, could require one. At least two proposed bills would allow Kentuckians to dodge these requirements.

BR 301— by Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge; Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth; Rep. Kevin Bratcher, R-Louisville; Rep. Joseph Fischer, R-Ft. Thomas; Rep. Thomas Huff, R-Shepherdsville; and Rep. Richard White, R-Morehead — would prohibit any “state agency or instrumentality” from requiring a COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, the state government is not allowed to do this anyway in normal situations. But, if there is an epidemic, it does have the authority. BR 418 by Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset, would expand the previous bill to include employers. And, BR 892 by Rep. Hart, would add colleges to the mix.

Two bills retaliate against Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive orders shutting down businesses. One is BR 234, by Rep. Maddox, which would prohibit the denial of some permits for restaurants violating the orders. The other, BR 234, by Rep. Hart would allow businesses to sue the state for damages if they had been negatively affected

by Beshear’s actions.

UPCOMING EVENTS JAN. 12

I Have a Voice: Personal Narrative Poetry

Louisville Literary Arts Online

JAN. 16

Poetry Derby Workshop with Kristi Maxwell

Louisville Literary Arts Online

JAN. 16

Hot Todddies Make & Muddle Online

JAN. 19

LIMITING EXECUTIVE ORDERS

More pre-filed bills would attack Gov. Beshear’s executive orders, forever preventing a governor from using them in the sweeping way he has. There are at least six bills that would allow the General Assembly to block executive orders in a couple of different ways. Most would limit the amount of time the order could last. The most restrictive, BR 130, would limit such an order to 14 days. The longest, BR 73 and BR 41, would shorten it to 30 days. After the order expires, the governor could not file an order extension unless the General Assembly approved one. BR 98 would automatically convene the General Assembly if the governor issued a state of emergency and legislators were not already in session.

Then, legislators would have the ability to “consider” any subsequent orders issued. •

Writing & Healing Virtual Workshop

Louisville Literary Arts Online JAN. 21

Writing with Scissors: Collage in Words & Text

Louisville Literary Arts Online

redpintix.com

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

7

15

THE 2020

O E L PLAYLIST

OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL SONGS OF THE YEAR

BRUTAL. UNRELENTING. GAME-CHANGING. HISTORIC. We could probably think of apt descriptors for 2020 all day, but the result would remain the same. It was a year of pain and reckoning, with a deadly virus floating around and a social justice movement that exposed some of the most terrible scars that the city, nation and world have to offer. All of this was reflected in the music that came out of Louisville — there is a ton of abject sadness, frustration and anger, mixed with a bit of hope and searching for a viable path to a better society. This city has had an incredible and diverse music scene for a long time. And, year after year, it produces a bounty of amazing songs. This year was no different.

You might want to forget 2020, but you’ll want to remember these local songs. This isn’t a ranked list, so the songs are shuffled randomly.

JORDAN JETSON

‘DRAGONFLIES’

8

With an airy, catchy chorus and versatile verses that hit heavy, Jordan Jetson’s “Dragonflies” explores complicated relationships, both with people and with the city of Louisville. By examining his own frustrations and ambivalence, there’s a remarkable amount of

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

intricacy to the song. There’s definitely love for these people and places, but what’s real and what’s a trap is the question.

Is it time to move on? Or is the gravitational pull too strong?

It’s the shit we all grapple with at some point. Where do we belong? What direction is happiness? All of that, plus a chorus you’ll walk around the house singing. It’s conceptually brilliant, but also provides that quick hit of radio-ready serotonin. —Scott Recker AIR CHRYSALIS

‘BEYOND MY GOD’

Self-described as “hauntological pop,” Air Chrysalis has crafted a synth-heavy masterpiece this year with their self-titled, full-length debut. With the song “Beyond My God,” the electro duo has produced a cyborg pastiche of

acoustic and synthesized instrumentation, with an ‘80s-style backbeat and enormous pad textures. The vocals are filtered through a vocoder, rendering singer-keyboardist Stanley Chase III’s voice as more machine than man. This is done for effect, with the vocals often shifting registers quicker and more effectively than a person, transforming them into another instrument. Still, when Chase sings about

“the dirt and soil of his soul,” you imagine a dusty VCR tape replaying warbling memories, decayed from time. As such, there is a retro-futuristic quality to the music from guitarist Michael Powell. There are post-rock and shoegaze qualities to the guitar work that recall Slowdive or Mogwai, as filtered through a pop-friendly sieve of vaporwave and Kraftwerk.

—Syd Bishop PRONOUN

AU JUS’

2020 is the year that the impossible happened in possibility city and somehow Long Island, New York-native ProNoun found a way to perfectly describe it all.

With his first single from the Context II album (which will be released on Kr8vN8vs Records one song at a time) he finds a way to put into words the chaos and turmoil Louisville endured in 2020.

From the death of Breonna Taylor to the effects of President Trump, no stone is left unturned and no sock left unmatched.

With all the beef, ProNoun makes the perfect “Au Jus’.” A stocky, flavorful flow backed by the savory production of Louisville producer Yons, leaving your ears watering for more. Even if your truths don’t align, it’s still the perfect blend of lyricism and cynicism to keep your head knocking back and forth. It’s worth the taste test. —Romell Weaver CARLY JOHNSON

‘BURN YOUR FEARS’

After a trying year for music, it was a delight to see Carly Johnson finally put out her longawaited, debut album earlier this month. Her music has definitely made the rounds on our lists before — the latest was a new duet with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, titled “For You.” But, I think it’s the album closer “Burn Your Fears” that should be held up for 2020.

While its soft piano and Johnson’s vocals offer a moment of consolation, it hits different knowing that this was written shortly after learning of her late friend’s diagnosis with a rare form of lung cancer. “I wrote the song as an anthem for her,” Johnson told American Songwriter. “It’s about facing something incredibly difficult in your life, allowing yourself to completely embrace and feel every emotion it brings your way and deciding to choose to find beauty, and live your life fully in a different way than you had planned.” —Lara Kinne

ZACK STEFANSKI

‘ULOOKING4ME [BURN THINGS]’

Since it was released in the pre-pandemic days of early February, it’s hard to remember that Zack Stefanski’s wonderfully complex indie-pop album 5hrs dropped this year. On “ulooking4me [burn things],” Stefanski illustrates his acumen as a songwriter who knows a good groove. Every single sound has been meticulously placed to transport you into a different time and place. Stefanski uses his lyrics to contemplate the modern world and his position in it — on this song, in particular, that takes shape as a reflection on how the internet has rearranged the way we interact with one another. The lyrics don’t suppose an answer, but rather, they look to situate the listener in Stefanski’s headspace as it revolves around the often caustic contemporary dialogue and observation windows that strangers and acquaintances have through the web. That this proved so incredibly prescient in the then-burgeoning new year, speaks to the power of that alienation. —Syd Bishop JOAN SHELLEY

‘BLUE SKIES’

Nature is a consistent theme throughout Joan Shelley’s music, but her unique trick is how she juxtaposes that with human emotion, fueling the piercing power of her songs. That takes on a timely shape with “Blue Skies,” a snapshot of the striking beauty of the outdoors, spliced with the heavy burden of isolation brought on by this year’s pandemic — you can almost see the relaxing qualities of being deep in the woods, but you can feel the gut punches of the year. Shelley once again searches for peace in the chaos, revisiting pristine moments of escape and appreciating environmental wonders, while also pondering a turbulent year of loss. With a simple structure and a minimal amount of words, Shelley finds the pulse of 2020 in her tried and true way. —Scott Recker FOTOCRIME

‘LOVE IS A DEVIL’

While the jagged and ominous guitar and synth work on “Love Is a Devil” hangs like the mysterious, anxiety-inducing fog of a film noir, the chorus cuts right to the chase. The track from the gloomy post-punk band’s sophomore record deals directly with faded love — the volatile variety that left

blood on its tracks. And Ryan Patterson (Coliseum, Black God) shoots straight in that aforementioned chorus, with a few sometimes inconvenient truths: “Love is the villain, in disguise / Love is the nail, that crucifies / Love is the illness, we can’t survive / Can’t survive / Love is the devil, so divine.” It’s vague enough to be universal, and upfront enough to make you want to light a few memories on fire. —Scott Recker THE WEB / AZUZA INKH

‘FIELD ROSE’

The experimental art rock band, led by vocalist Anthony Hoyle, has remained somewhat idle over the last decade as their last album, Clydotorous Scrotodhendron, was released in 2010. But sometimes time and distance yield the unexpected. During the lockdown, Hoyle and core members Steve Good (tenor saxophone, Moog), Gary Pahler (drums) and Andrew Willis (guitars/synths) conceived a set of five new songs while enlisting some outside collaborators, recording the pieces across seven cities, including Louisville. The outcome was a compelling little EP, awash with soundscapes, layered percussion and Hoyle’s spoken words guiding the trip. While I appreciated the Robert Wyatt feels on “Nothing But” and the wildness of “Says the Suggester,” it’s the closing track, “Field Rose,” that gathers the record’s best features for a final flourish. —Lara Kinne YONS

‘ROLIO’

On “Rolio,” producer and emcee Yons shows how many harmonically complex ideas he can fit into such a short compositional space without the track ever feeling rushed. It’s that brevity that works in Yons’ favor, as he shows off his various talents as a musician, from the drum and bass work, to his tasteful keys. Beyond that, his delivery as an emcee is just remarkable, with each bar both completing and carrying on his ever-moving plot. All told, this is a song about longing, a whimsical return to some normalcy after a long and trying year. In that 1:13, he tells his story, LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

9

Jack Frost - Make way!

Jack Frost is coming through!

Jack Frost is a two-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier mix who came to the Kentucky Humane Society from an overcrowded shelter in need of help. You see, this poor guy was extremely sick with Canine Parvovirus, a disease of dogs that commonly causes acute gastrointestinal illness. Many shelters do not have the resources to treat or isolate this very contagious disease so Jack came to KHS to receive the care he desperately needed. Jack was very skinny, had general dermatitis that caused him to lose most of his hair and barely had the energy to stand. After spending weeks being treated, Jack Frost is better than ever and looking for his forever home! We’ve learned a lot about Jack Frost since he arrived at the shelter. He is a very energetic, goofy guy who loves yelling hello at all who come to see him. Because of his over-the-top greetings, he would do best in a house versus an apartment setting. Jack Frost has done well with dogs who are similar to his size and energy level. He can be a little exuberant so he would like to meet canine siblings before going home to make sure they are energetic enough to keep up with him. Jack Frost has shown he’s not a cat fan and would do best in a cat-free home. If you’ve got a love for happy dogs with lots of resilience, look no further than Jack Frost. Jack Frost is neutered, micro-chipped and up-to-date on all vaccinations. Schedule an appointment to meet Jack Frost at our East Campus, 1000 Lyndon Lane, by visiting kyhumane.org/dogs today!

Dinah - Say hello to gorgeous Dinah! This three-year-old Shorthair arrived at the Kentucky Humane Society from an overcrowded shelter. Her lovely chestnut fur and gentle nature have garnered her many friends at KHS! Although other cats cause Dinah stress, she adores her human buddies. We did discover, while Dinah has been with us, that she would have bouts of bloat.

Thankfully, Dinah has responded well to medicine (Cisapride and Lactulose) when this happens! Her new family will just need to keep an eye on her and help her body out if she becomes bloated again. But the most important thing for Dinah is lots of love! Dinah is also spayed, micro-chipped and up-todate on her shots. Schedule an appointment to meet Dinah at the Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive, by visiting kyhumane. org/cats today!

10

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

plays with your perception through stereo effects and drops references to the sociopolitics that dominated the summer’s news cycle, without ever coming off as dated or typical. —Syd Bishop

JA

‘F

QUITE LITERALLY

‘WHY CAN’T YOU SEE’

There’s obviously numerous reasons why we’re drawn to music, but one of them is that it’s an avenue to be — or listen to something — honest in a society that doesn’t generally value that. Spill your guts to anyone other than a rock solid friend or family member, and they probably won’t give a fuck. Do it in an effective and relatable way in a song by tying a couple chords and the truth into a brain-burning melody, and you have people zoned in, contemplating their similar struggles. Quite Literally’s “Why Can’t You See” does that, turning a perpetually broken heart into poetic power.

The narrator wonders why the people around her don’t recognize or acknowledge the destructive weight she’s carrying around.

She establishes that “being human sometimes requires a heart made of stone.” That it’s all hard to say or make sense out of. It works so well because it’s something we all know, but we collectively keep buried. — Scott Recker FOOL’S GHOST

‘GHOST HEART’

Dropped during the earliest days of quarantine, Dark Woven Light by the duo Fool’s Ghost is a sublimely beautiful album. On the song “Ghost Heart,” the band creates a melancholic dream, a bleak and world-weary sound that fits the overall feeling of 2020 wonderfully, intentional or not. In opening with the expression “place of memory,” singer/multi-instrumentalist Amber Thieneman establishes “Ghost Heart” as a

rumination of a haunted past. Thieneman’s pain is focused equally through her dreamy vocal delivery and the interplay between the various instruments at play. Predicated on a piano movement, the band builds something truly transcendent. This track is equal parts of “Fr Low and My Bloody Valentine — softly sung slowcore that emphasizes atmosphere, Pat del groove and tension. —Syd Bishop dis hea RMLLW2LLZ Go ‘MY GOD’ blo plo wo voc ag alth the con nes

MA ‘P

‘M

Rmllw2llz wanted Kanye West’s chilly and stylistic album 808s & Heartbreak to have an influence on his latest EP, this year’s Concerto No. 9 Movement II.V. And the track “My God” carries that vibe — between the icy and distant auto-tuned chorus and the clever and piercing verses, the connection is there. But Rmllw2llz still makes the song entirely his own. His instantly-recognizable booming baritone and patient delivery provide a very personalized lyrical snapshot, one that balances blessings and concerns.

Even though it’s more introspective and less political than his previous releases, he still weaves in a welcome swipe at the outgoing plu president: “I feel like living is as unforgiving ney as Donald Trump / I ain’t as privileged and I for ain’t as dumb.” —Scott Recker

JAYE JAYLE

‘FROM LOUISVILLE’

clear, but, as it develops, it digs a bit deeper in striking and ambiguous ways. It’s fun and campy, like your favorite slasher, but it’s aware that the demons also live inside us.

It’s the sort of song that you would expect from the duo who occasionally performs under the name Superwolf — minimal and strange in the right ways, with lyrics that shine and captivating guitar work. “Make Worry for Me” definitely has the dark demeanor of 2020, but it also contains the joy of longtime friends having a good time.

—Scott Recker NICK B

‘BREATHE’ (FEAT. YONS AND KHARI) There is a darkness inherent in so much of Louisville’s rich musical tapestry. With “From Louisville,” singer-songwriter Evan Patterson leans into that oppressive gloom, delivering something seething and, at times, disorienting. Patterson’s lyrics are steeped heavily in a thick and visceral Southern Gothic style. The music is hard to identify, blown-out and over-compressed drums plodding a vicious beat, with sparkling synth work to shine a light into the gloom. The vocals have a choral arrangement, adding a gospel element to the mix. This is heavy, although the arrangement emphasizes less of the crushing doom, and more of the spiritual connection to confronting your own darkness. —Syd Bishop

GET A $25 FIRST EXAM!*

It’s been a catastrophic year for Louisville, highlighted by the police killing of Breonna Taylor, the government failures that MATT SWEENEY & BONNIE followed, and a record number of homi‘PRINCE’ BILLY cides that piled on the grief. Not to mention ‘MAKE WORRY FOR ME’ dealing with a deadly virus. For “Breathe,” producer Nick B enlisted Yons and Khari to *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14 reflect on the suffering and difficulties that 2020 brought, both on societal and personal levels. The song covers the battles for social justice and inner peace, and the continued, valiant fight for both, but sometimes, in the face of it all, the importance of remembering to “just breathe.” It’s a nuanced look at being overwhelmed, yet maintaining your *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. 700.500 strength and will despite the state of things.

—Scott Recker

Wellness/Preventative care Dentistry • Surgery Grooming • Senior Pet Care

*For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. 700.500

Kelly Neat, DVM • Jennifer Rainey, DVM • Emilee Zimmer, DVM • Baly McGill, DVM

*For new clients *For only.new Not be clients combined other offer. toother 2 pets perUp household.

8/30/14.

Cashier Code. clients only.only.

Not with to be combined with any offer.

Up 2 pets per household.

Exp. 8/30/14.

Cashier Code. Must 700.500 *Forto new Not toany be combined withUp any other offer. toto2 pets perExp. household.

Exp. 6/1/21.

Cashier700.500 Code.

700.500 present coupon for discount.

An eerie and foreboding song that seems plucked out of a horror movie, Matt Sweeney & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s “Make Worry for Me,” on the surface, seems visceral and

VCA FAIRLEIGH ANIMAL HOSPITAL 1212 Bardstown Road • Louisville, KY 40204

502-451-6655 VCAfairleigh.com

@vca_fairleigh @vcafairleighanimalhospital www.vcafairleigh.com *The $25 First Exam is for wellness visits only.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

11

PHOTO ESSAY

PHOTOS THAT DEFINED LOUISVILLE IN 2020

A RECAP OF THE YEAR THROUGH THE LENS OF LEO’S PHOTOGRAPHER

By Kathryn Harrington | leo@leoweekly.com OVER THE COURSE of 2020, I was asked a handful of times what it was like photographing the year. I’ve never had a great answer to that question, because there’s been what feels like a decade of life-changing events crammed into one year. The pandemic brought a kind of terror to Louisville — and to the rest of the world — that I couldn’t have imagined. The deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd brought about a revolution across the globe.

I’ve photographed more vigils and seen more grief than I could have possibly anticipated at the beginning of this year, but I also saw Louisville come together in beautiful ways.

I saw many people volunteering to get food donations and other necessities to those who were in need because of the pandemic. I saw the formation of a new family of protesters and activists at Injustice Square. As we enter a new year, my hope is to be able to see Louisville continue to come together, help those in need, be kinder to one another and hopefully come back stronger throughout 2021.

Here are some of my photos that define my experience in 2020.

Healthcare professionals conducted tests in the St. Stephen Baptist Church parking lot on Saturday on April 25.

An eager nursing home resident is reminded to keep a safe distance from family members in April due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Family members gathered for a vigil for David McAtee on June 2.

Protesters and police in downtown Louisville on May 28.

12

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

PHOTO ESSAY

Poet Hannah Drake performed her poem “Formation� outside of the First Unitarian Church on September 25.

During the march to the Roots 101 African American Museum, a casket was carried with the names of the victims of police brutality, on June 19.

A protester cried after the announcement that none of the officers who killed Breonna Taylor would be charged for her death on September 23.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

13

PHOTO ESSAY

Winter Sale 25% - 75% off SHOPSASSYFOXCONSIGN.COM

Members of the NFAC stood on the steps of Louisville Metro Hall while the leader of the armed militia, John “Grandmaster Jay” Johnson, spoke to the crowd on July 25.

New Hours Tue–Fri 11–5 pm Sat 10–4 pm

502.895.3711 150 Chenoweth Ln

LISTEN NOW

On November 23, friends of activist Travis Nagdy surrounded his mother Christina as they gathered on Crittenden Drive, where he was shot .

It’s easy to miss important local news.

The WFPL Daily News Briefing is a quick and easy way to get the news you need in just minutes.

A PODCAST FROM 14

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

On June 28, candles were placed around Jefferson Square Park for fellow protester Tyler Gerth who was killed.

STAFF PICKS THURSDAY, JAN. 7

‘Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End’ (Virtual Release Party) Online | Facebook Live | 1 p.m. | Free

The latest installment in Actors Theatre of Louisville’s virONE-WOMAN SHOW tual season, “Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End,” is a one-woman show about iconic humorist and feminist crusader Erma Bombeck, who wrote more than 4,000 newspaper columns and 15 books. Starring Louisville-based performer Jessica Wortham, and directed by Robert Barry Fleming, this show will stream though Jan. 28 at actorstheatre.org, which features pay what you can pricing. But this event is the kick-off celebration, which is a Facebook Live conversation with Wortham and Fleming, who will provide insight behind the play’s creation. —LEO

FRIDAY, JAN. 8-10

Winter Weekend Getaway

Clifty Inn | 1650 Clifty Hollow Road, Madison, IN | Search Facebook Free (mostly) | Times vary Normally we wouldn’t suggest driving about an hour away for a weekend event, but chances are that you are stir crazy like us and looking WINTER WONDERLAND for any opportunity to (safely) venture out of town.

And the lineup of programs for the second annual Clifty Falls State Park Winter Weekend Getaway sounds pretty sweet: a history of Clifty Falls State Park, winter tree ID, fossils and geology, night sounds, live reptiles and amphibians and more. Plus, a live birds of prey presentation headlines Friday night ($2 per person), and there’s a snowman treat jar workshop ($5) on Sunday. Rooms are available at the Clifty Inn (discount rates available for the Getaway), or just head up for a day of hiking in the state park and catch programs at your convenience. Registration is required. —LEO

SATURDAY, JAN. 9 FRIDAY, JAN. 8

Drag Race 13 Watch Party

Play Louisville | 1101 E. Washington St. | Search Facebook | 8-10 p.m.

There’s no better place to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race than in what is essentially Louisville’s house of drag queens. The 13th season of the popular VH1 show preYES QUEEN! miered on Jan. 1, and Play will be screening each episode every Friday in its front lounge. Get in early to get to know this season’s queens. Who knows, maybe you’ll be seeing one perform at the bar this year... —LEO

Navigating The Challenges Of The Arts Industry

Online | Search Facebook | Free | 9 a.m.

It’s been a challenging year for the arts, and it will be a rocky road forward, so it’s important to get the discussions and planning started early. This event, presented by SpaldART ing University, is an arts-focused virtual talk, led by former Mayor Jerry Abramson, and featuring a panel including Teddy Abrams, music director of the Louisville Orchestra; Kim Baker, president and CEO, Kentucky Performing Arts; Robert Barry Fleming, executive artistic director, Actors Theatre of Louisville; and Stephen Reily, director, Speed Art Museum. The event is free, but you must register at spalding.edu/edd. —LEO

Teddy Abrams. | PHOTO BY NIK VECHERY. LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

15

STAFF PICKS

SATURDAY, JAN. 9

SUNDAY, JAN. 10

Douglass Boulevard Christian Church | 2005 Douglass Blvd.

Search Facebook | Free | 10 a.m.

Online | yogaeast.org | Free | 11 a.m.

Let Us Learn At FEED Louisville

Nearly 900,000 people in Kentucky are food insecure, ranking eighth worst in the nation in 2020, according to Feeding America. Food insecurity is up around COMMUNITY the world as a result of COVID-19, and it will take a united effort to help those in need. Let Us Learn and FEED Louisville are stepping up for this community, working with local restaurant owners and chefs to achieve their goal of providing 500 meals a day to those in need.

Anyone can come and help out (and perhaps you’ll take home a few new kitchen tricks while working with the chefs).

Can’t make it this Saturday?

Douglass Boulevard Church will be hosting this event on the second Saturday of every month. —LEO

Free Virtual Beginning Yoga New year, new you. Well… that saying is probably a bit exaggerated, but incremental growth and doing things that you always wanted to try is a good CHATURANGA way to start off a new year. Yoga East is offering introductory yoga that focuses on basic postures and movements, to get you acquainted with a form of gentle and productive exercise with numerous benefits. Book your spot on the Yoga East website at least 30 minutes prior to class time. —LEO

SUNDAY, JAN. 10

Black Market Grand Opening!

Black Market KY | blackmarketky.com | Prices vary | Noon-7 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN. 10

The Conversation With Farrah Alexander Zoom | thetemplelouky.org/calendar | Free | 2 p.m.

In her 2020 book, “Raising the Resistance,” Louisville auPROGRESS thor Farrah Alexander guides the modern, progressive mom on how to make change. At this virtual talk hosted by The Temple, she’ll be dispensing similar advice on social justice and social activism. Alexander is also a gun reform advocate and a Jeremiah Fellow with Bend the Arc, A Jewish Partnership for Justice, “which aims to combat white supremacy and mobilize communities for social change.” —LEO

Farrah Alexander is the author of “Raising the Resistance: A Mother’s Guide to Practical Activism.”

16

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

It’s hard to think of any business opening that is more anticipated than the Black Market KY. It’s not a trendy new restaurant or a politician’s pet project, it’s a necesSHOP LOCAL sity that residents of Louisville’s West End have gone without for years and years: a Black-owned grocery store with fresh and local options at affordable prices for nearby residents. The work of Shauntrice Martin, the Black Market’s grand opening is this Sunday. Starting on Friday, you can pre-order your groceries for pickup and delivery.

In the days leading up to the opening, the store is looking for volunteers. DM the shop on Facebook to find out how to get involved. —Danielle Grady

Black Market KY owner Shauntrice Martin shows her son Iniejah Allen Jr. how to dig up strips of sod for the store’s community garden.

STAFF PICKS

TUESDAY, JAN. 12

LSURJ Monthly Meeting

Zoom | Search Facebook | Free | 7-8:30 p.m.

A new year doesn’t mean a fresh chance at a better future without MEET building upon the progress made from the previous year. If the pains, losses and protests that marked 2020 are to be for the cause of progress and justice, we must resolve to make 2021 a bigger year, one of action. Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice (LSURJ) has been fighting for racial equality long before 2020, and they are inviting anyone to join the fight against racism in 2021 and beyond. If you’re just curious, join this virtual monthly meeting — the first half hour is dedicated to welcoming new folks, learning about the organization and the mission. If you’ve been before, “bring” a friend, neighbor, coworker or family member.

The last hour of the meeting will explore the topic of “Basebuilding,” the perfect way to get the year started and take that next stride toward a more just society. —Aaron Yarmuth

THROUGH JAN. 16

‘The Shands Collection: New Directions’ Quappi Projects | 827 E. Market St. | quappiprojects.com | Free The Rev. Al Shands is a local treasure who ART collects local (and international) treasures. Long associated with art (his late wife Mary co-founded KMAC Museum), Shands’ collecting has resulted in a house, called Great Meadows, that is full of works. Shands wants his collection to be seen by others, either by touring his home or in exhibitions. This group show, curated by Foundation Director Julien Robson, features local artists such as Vian Sora as well as national ones like Francesca DiMattio.

“Being an artist is very scary business,” said Shands. “I’m very interested in encouraging collectors and I’m hoping this exhibition will open up the door for people to realize ‘I can do that too.’” —Jo Anne Triplett

Still struggling with CPAP? Get relief with Inspire

Inspire is the only FDA approved obstructive sleep apnea treatment that works inside your body to treat the root cause of sleep apnea with just the click of a button. No mask, no hose, just sleep.

Learn more on an educational webinar hosted by Dr. Kevin Potts of UofL Physicians Ear, Nose and Throat Monday, February 1st at 7:00PM View Indications, Contraindications and Important Safety Information & Register at InspireSleepEvents.com

‘Shunga’ by Francesca DiMattio. Glazer and luster on porcelain and stoneware, enamel, epoxy.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

17

MUSIC

THREE LOCAL MUSICIANS REFLECT ON THE HARDSHIPS — AND SILVER LININGS — OF 2020

By Scott Recker | srecker@leoweekly.com THE PANDEMIC has had a wide range of negative effects on the music industry — concerts screeched to a halt, recording anything in a group became tricky, making money became harder in an already difficult business. And those are just a few examples from an unforgiving cycle of the sun.

Undoubtedly, 2020 was a rough year on music, and will have lasting effects for years. But, even though almost every musician you talk to will have a horror story of wrecked plans, most will tell you there have also been some positive aspects that helped them reset themselves, helping to refuel creatively and reignite passion.

Below, three Louisville musicians talk about the year’s hardships and silver linings.

CARLY JOHNSON

For several years, singer-songwriter Carly Johnson has been a staple of the local music scene, but 2020 was the year that she was scheduled to release her long-awaited debut full-length record. Originally, it was supposed to be released on May 15 via a concert at Headliners Music Hall, but, after events were canceled, she pushed back the release indefinitely. She hoped to wait until concerts returned, but, as the pandemic dragged on, she decided it was important to get new music to her fans, and Johnson released her 12-song self-titled LP last month, on Dec. 4.

“Even though I’m unable to connect with a live audience, with a huge release show, or touring, which is a pretty normal thing that comes along with releasing an album — you can’t feel that energy that only comes from warm bodies dancing in a room all together — I put out new music at a time when everyone really needed it,” Johnson said. “It’s been a time when arts couldn’t be more important, to keep our hearts and minds open when we’re going through such a tough time — alone together. So, as weird of a time as it is to put out music, I feel it resulted in some good things happening.”

To keep her audience engaged, Johnson released a music video for the song “Burn Your Fears.” But the downtime also allowed her to focus on her growing family, even though it was a scary time financially.

“I would say, another hardship for myself, especially in the music industry, is

18

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

essentially losing my job, and doing that while I was pregnant, which was even more scary,” Johnson said. “So, I’m going from 10 years of singing full-time, five nights a week, to unemployment, which was hard for so many reasons.”

“But a really big silver lining there was that I have essentially been put on a really long maternity leave,” Johnson continued.

“So, I’m able to be with my newborn son in a way that I might not have been able to be there before.”

ROMELL WEAVER

Around the time that his latest EP, Concerto No. 9 Movement II.V, came out this past November, hip-hop artist Romell Weaver (who performs under Rmllw2llz) was scheduled to do a livestream concert in California. Shortly after he arrived on the West Coast, it was canceled. The organizer had tested positive for COVID. “I was getting paid for this show, money was going to be made, instead it was just four days of San Francisco, which turned out to be great anyway,” Weaver said. “It wasn’t a total waste. I made some more connections. And got to develop a relationship with artists I was already friends with.”

In terms of a broader look at the year, Weaver also runs a record label and has a home recording studio, which proved to be difficult in a time of social distancing.

“Getting people and projects to line up has been my hardest thing this year,” Weaver said. “If I’m not caught up in something, they’re caught up in something. If they’re sick, or I’m not feeling good, it was just always something. It was really hard this year to get projects and people together.

Everybody is not computer savvy, so it’s not just hop on the computer and do for everybody. And then everybody doesn’t have the means. You can’t just be like, ‘Hey man, I’m going to send you X, Y and Z.’” Although he couldn’t collaborate in 2020 to the degree he usually does, Weaver revitalized his independent creative prowess.

“I had to rediscover my own creative processes and my own creative inspirations,” he said.

“I found my own sound,” Weaver continued.

Carly Johnson.

RYAN HATER

The last half decade has seen the band White Reaper on a steady upward trajectory.

They went from playing small Louisville venues to long tours. They were halfway across the country when COVID struck.

Dozens of their concerts were canceled, including an opening slot for Pearl Jam on a European run.

“We were on tour when it happened and had to come off the road — we probably ended up canceling close to 50 shows for 2020, I would say,” keyboardist Ryan Hater said. “Definitely three tours and the tour we were on. So, that was a shock.”

The pandemic obviously hurt White Reaper on a financial level and halted the band’s momentum, but, on a more personal level, Hater said losing the ability to be on stage has been hard.

“This is the longest stretch of time that I’ve gone without playing a show in over 10 years,” Hater said. “It’s just a really weird feeling. Obviously, from a monetary

standpoint, there was big loss for our group as a business, but then also, from just a personal perspective, losing that part of my identity of playing music live, that’s been so ingrained in my life for such a long time.”

But, even though perpetual touring is a dream for a lot of bands, it takes a toll. For Hater, it was nice to spend some time at home.

“Having a little break from the touring life was really nice,” he said. “I just got to live a normal life. And spend a lot of time with my girlfriend and my parents. With close friends. Kind of just have an opportunity to be bored. Usually life, for touring musicians, or people who make a career off of touring, you kind of live in-between trips. You might have three weeks off here, and then five weeks, and then another two weeks. Then you’re gone for however long.”

And Hater thinks the time off will give the band new energy.

“It’s given every person an opportunity to fall in love with it again through missing it,” Hater said. •

FOOD & DRINK

RECOMMENDED

NEW ALBANY’S LEGACY PIZZA IS A KEEPER

By Robin Garr | LouisvilleHotBytes.com The veggie pizza at Legacy Pizza boasts a healthy selection of toppings, spicy sauce and cheese on a crisp, chewy thin crust. | PHOTOS BY ROBIN GARR.

AS A PIZZA GEEK whose tastes have been formed (I will not say snobbified) from past years living in New York City’s Queens borough and many visits to Italy, I have a high standard for pizza. Allow me to assure you that the fine pie at Legacy Pizza & Bakery fully meets that standard. So did an excellent sub sandwich and a couple of tasty cannoli and homemade cookies.

Everything made in Legacy’s New Albany shop is handmade from quality ingredients, and it shows. Hard work and dedication have marked the journey for chef-owner Rich Doering and his wife, Marcy. After starting his first job at the iconic Jim & Nena’s Pizzeria in his home town of York, Pennsylvania, Rich spent years working in many restaurants, helping open Noosh Nosh and Ramsi’s. They opened Legacy last spring just as the global pandemic landed.

“We signed the lease on March 8, and never expected things to take such a sudden turn,” he said. “We were trapped, but what else are we going to do? Everything else was closing and there we were dropping off all our permit applications.”

But open they did, in an imposing old

red-brick and stone building that long housed New Albany’s Williams Bakery and, more recently, Level Up Bakery. The building also housed a cafeteria some time in the past, and Doering is quite sure that a friendly ghost is still hanging around from those days, occasionally filling the space at night with the mysterious, delicious scents of roast beef and pasta.

They chose the name “Legacy,” Doering says, because he hopes the restaurant will be a legacy for their children. It’s also for the people in the restaurant world who came before him and showed him the way.

In addition to the pizzeria, the Doerings operate a commercial bakery in the space, baking breads for their restaurant and for wholesale distribution to local eateries.

Legacy offers a good selection of pizzas, stromboli and calzones, sub sandwiches and sweets. A half-dozen starters make good use of Legacy’s breads. They are priced from $5 (for seasoned breadsticks, spicy sausageonion rolls or pepperoni rolls) to $7 (for bruschetta). Large house and Caesar salads are $7; a chef salad with three meats is $10.

Five sandwiches include three subs ($5 or $6 for small, $10 to $12 for large), a brioche

Legacy Pizza’s Italian sub offers a meat-lover’s selection of ham, capicola, and salami plus provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and more.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

19

FOOD & DRINK

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | COMICS

YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD

COMIC BOOK REVIEWS! ‘Remina’

Writer and Artist Junji Ito Review by David Williams, The Great Escape

All this goodness for just $6! Legacy Pizza’s sweets sampler offers two cannoli and two oversize cookies.

sandwich with choice of meat is $6, and a seasonally-available portion of spaghetti squash with sauce and cheese is $8.

A 10-inch calzone is $6, while a stromboli — the chef’s specialty — is $10 for a regular-size roll or $18 for a giant model.

The pretzel roll, built with meat and cheese, is $12 for a 14-incher.

Premium pizzas with chef’s choice of toppings are $14 for small, $20 for large.

Or build your own for $7 plus $1 per topping for a 12-inch pie or $12 plus $1.50 per topping for a 16-inch model. They’re hand-tossed with the chef’s aged dough and cooked on a 500-degree ceramic deck.

To top it all off, there’s a good selection of homemade desserts including cookies and brownies ($1.50-$2), tarts ($4), giant cinnamon rolls ($5) and more. A sweets sampler is only $6, and hard to resist.

Curbside delivery is well organized, with a clearly-marked space to pull in and park on Beeler Street, just around the corner from Vincennes Avenue. We phoned in our order, rolled up right on time and got cordial service from co-owner Marcy, who finally found herself an umbrella after getting drenched in a cold rainstorm.

A veggie pizza ($11 small, $18 large) was excellent, especially after a quick toaster-oven bake to re-crisp the crust. Properly thin coatings of textured, gently spicy tomato sauce and melted mozzarella made a base for tender artichoke hearts, thin-sliced mushrooms, chopped onions and green bell peppers, and roasted red and yellow cherry tomatoes.

The Italian sub sandwich is $6 for a small

20

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

sub, $12 for large. We ordered small and got a crisp-crusted, warm torpedo-shape roll so long that we thought they might have given us a large one. It’s filled with a meat-lover’s selection of ham, capicola and salami plus provolone cheese, run under the broiler until the cheese melts, then finished with a lettuce-tomato dressing, two big pickle slices and a gentle bath of herbal Italian dressing. All the flavors popped in a really excellent sub.

The sweets sampler offers all manner of goodies for $6. We picked two cannoli (one standard, one green-tinted New Year’s Eve model) and two oversize cookies. They were all exceptional. The cannoli were the real deal, crisp fried pastry rolled around a sweet ricotta filling. One was flavored with bits of orange citron, with tiny chocolate chips embedded in the ends of the cheese; the New Year’s model was topped with a chocolate design, with chocolate bits in the cheese and a greenish wash of crème de menthe on the ends. Thick, chewy chocolate butterscotch and oatmeal fruit cookies were both exceptional.

A fine meal for two totaled just $24.61, plus a $7 tip. •

LEGACY PIZZA & BAKERY

1001 Vincennes Street, Suite 100 New Albany, Ind. (812) 725-0021 facebook.com/LegacyPizzaandBakery

AT LONG LAST, the 2005 cosmic classic “Hellstar Remina,” by the unequivocal master of Japanese horror Junji Ito, has received its first English publication.

This new translation is published by manga mainstay VIZ and is bound in a lovely blood-red hardcover tome with a tingly, lumpy finish.

In the not-so-distant future of the story “Remina,” famous astrophysicist Dr. Oguro has made a startling discovery. A mysterious planet has sprung into existence, coming to our universe through a wormhole in the fabric of space-time. Oguro names the planet after his own daughter, Remina. Zipping erratically through space at speeds that defy the laws of physics, planet Remina appears to have an appetite for its own kind, devouring anything in its path. Meanwhile, the population of Earth becomes unnaturally obsessed with the two Reminas, with one becoming the object of celestial wonder, while the other embraces her newfound stardom as a Japanese idol. Soon, our intergalactic menace turns its hungry eye toward Earth, transforming the once adoring crowd into a psychotic and bloodthirsty mob.

As much a tale of cosmic dread as it is about the dangers of power and fame, “Remina” wears its influences on its sleeves. From the obvious parallels to the works of H.P. Lovecraft and John Carpenter, it also brings to mind the insidious hysteria of fame like Satoshi Kon’s “Perfect Blue” or the films “Black Swan” or “Mother!” by Darren Aronofsky. Junji Ito’s particular brand of nihilistic horror may have you covering your face in fear, but with his engaging dedication to tension and his signature stark black-and-white atrocities, you will have a hard time not sneaking a peek through your fingers.

‘Giga’ No. 1

Writer Alex Paknadel and artists John Le and Rosh Review by Krystal Moore, The Great Escape

THE GIGA are, or were, Transformer-like beings, as large as skyscrapers. Their time is over though, and now their “bodies” are all that’s left. As the book opens, a group of people are in what appears to be a temple dedicated to the Giga. There is a holy man, complete with a holy book. These are followers, religious zealots studying their gods.

Evan is a deep thinker who wonders if humans aren’t a necessity to the Giga just as bacteria and such are necessary to the human body. As a heated discussion begins, tragedy strikes as an explosion rocks the temple killing the holy man and many of the followers. As the scene moves back, we see that the temple is actually one of many dead Giga that make up the city.

The story then moves to the future when “dusters” make war on those who worship the Giga. Evan is older now and comes home to his place where a human-sized Giga lives with — and is a friend to — him. Their world is in chaos with warring tribes and roving thieves that Evan tries to avoid — sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Now, Evan is being pulled into the fray by those from his past as he tries to keep his friend from literally rusting away! This book got complicated! Hopefully, issue No. 2 will be an eye opener!

ETC.

32 41

42

53

54

58

66

72 79

91

93 97

100 104

105

101

106

113

114

117

118

119

121

122

123

115

108

109

110

116 120 124

102 Ballpark figures 104 Lasting impression 105 Give up (on) 106 Shopping site with a ‘‘Toys’’ section 108 Straddling 109 Sight from the Sicilian town of Taormina 110 Textile worker 111 One whistling while working in the Garden?

112 Address with dots 113 Swimsuit part 115 Suffix suggested by the wiggling of one’s hand 116 Calf-eteria?

L E O N E

A I M L O W

S E L M A

E M I L E

T I C K L E M E E L M O

S A N S E R I C O T C H I O D P A T E

46 Its box once read ‘‘A sweet little game for sweet little folks’’ 48 Toy that sold more cars in America in 1991 than the Honda Accord or Ford Taurus 50 Promoting peace 52 Actress Taylor of ‘‘Mystic Pizza’’ 54 ‘‘That was Zen, this is ____’’ (philosophy pun) 58 Smart 60 ‘‘The Tempest’’ king 62 Cleanliness fixation, e.g., in brief 63 Brit. military award 66 Little bits 67 Reason for glasses 68 Singer with a self-titled No. 1 album in 2002 70 Be less than ambitious 72 Subj. for some aspiring bilinguals 75 Sierra ____ 76 Operatic villains, often 77 Totaled 78 Legal assistant, briefly 79 Future J.D.’s hurdle 80 Not just available online 84 Biblical ending 86 Soon 88 With some downside 90 Shot from a doc 92 Statement of resistance 95 Big name in small planes 96 Took care of a tabby, say 97 Counters 99 Tik____ (app)

102 107

A L O N S O

103 112

92

96

99

75

86

90

95

98

70

81 85

89

94

60

69

80

84

88

35

74

C O Z Y C O U P E

87

68

E T T A K E T T

83

67

73 78

82

34

63

65

77

33

55

59

62 64

16

44

T A D S

61

15

48

52

57

71

43

B U A N D O D A S T C A R A T O C C H D P E A T R H A

78 81 82 83 85 86

51

56

111

31

47

50

14

25

40

46

49

13

28

D Y E R

76

34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43

39

45

12

21

E T N A

59 61 62 63 64 65 69 71 73 74

30

38

11

24 27

37

10

20

23

29

76

9

19

26

36

8

A T O P

56 57

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 23 25 28 30 33

Longest-serving Israeli prime minister, familiarly Driver around Hollywood ‘‘And, touching ____, make blessed my rude hand’’: Romeo Small snare drums Inaccurate information Game with red and yellow cards 1904 World’s Fair city: Abbr.

Flint is a form of it Moonfish Sacking site in A.D. 410 Physical, e.g. ‘‘Holy cow!’’

Appointment that may be hard to change Curve Dr. Fauci’s agcy.

Poli ____ Premiere arrival Classic comics teenager with good manners They can elevate art Alley ____ Org. with boosters The beginning, in an idiom By the end of 1996, one million of this toy was sold in a shopping frenzy ‘‘South Pacific’’ hero 2014 film directed by Ava DuVernay Goes after Simian world First toy to be advertised on TV Open hostilities St. Patrick’s home See the sights Feed lines to

22

7

R E B U T S

45 46 47 48 49 51 53 55

2 3

Down

18

6

U M P S

44

1

17

5

O R E M P O X Y A M A G H E M O S E T C H I O U R U E T E R A D O M A S Y S O O H P A A I N O N A T H Y I M D S A I L L Y S E A H A W

32 36 39

4

C A T S A T

26 27 29 31

3

S S T I L L I N C A H A S O A T L W I S A L A R I S S L A Y S T A S H T T Y O P E R O B E A S Y

24

Currency of Thailand Kiss U.S. city just south of Timpanogos Cave National Monument Minus Something to shoot for One who hasn’t turned pro?

Strong adhesive Indiana governor Holcomb She debuted on March 9, 1959, in a black-andwhite striped swimsuit Virtual pet simulation game that won an Ig Nobel Prize for its Japanese creators [Grrr!]

Glenn Miller classic Purchases on 14 de febrero Major talent grp. representing athletes and entertainers Outpourings Overplays, with ‘‘up’’ Toy that was originally called ‘‘L’Écran Magique’’ (‘‘The Magic Screen’’) ‘‘Lost ____ is never found again’’: Benjamin Franklin Natl. Humor Month Mild, light-colored cigar Things found in wandering souls?

Rhodes of the Rhodes scholarship Photo finishes U.S./U.K. divider: Abbr.

Loyally following Flag carrier with an alphabetically ordered name Trim Game that got a big boost when Johnny Carson demonstrated it with Eva Gabor on ‘‘The Tonight Show’’ Showy shrub Schlepped City in north-central Florida Writer Arthur Conan ____ Umpteen Day to play with new toys Food ____ (Thanksgiving feeling) Like subway walls, often Final authority William ____, founder of Investor’s Business Daily ____ area, part of the brain linked to speech production Toy that was derived from a wallpaper cleaner ‘‘I’m here to help’’ Contented sigh Phillies div. ____ treatment Harlem attraction, with ‘‘the’’

2

P U N T

13 17 19 20 21 22

Across

1

S C A R

1 5 9

No. 1220

Golf great Sam Place for torn-off wrapping paper Combined Most common day to call in sick: Abbr.

Right away Toy with 18 spoken phrases, including ‘‘I love you’’ and ‘‘May I have a cookie?’’

97 Investment firm T. ____ Price 98 A halogen-containing salt 100 ____-Locka, Fla. 101 ‘‘My luck has to change at some point’’ 103 Politician parodied by Dana Carvey on 1990s ‘‘S.N.L.’’ 107 Performed a Latin ballroom dance 111 Puzzle toy solved in a record 3.47 seconds in 2018 114 Toy that astronauts brought to space to secure tools in zero gravity 117 Goes off 118 Grannies 119 Not on solid ground, say 120 Piece in the game go 121 Strong criticism 122 Chichi 123 Spring event 124 Rigging pole

L I E M A O S E C L A S N D Y L E A S N L D C T E O S K S N A

TOY STORY

BY RANDOLPH ROSS / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

87 89 91 93 94 95

B A H T I D E A B A R B I M S O R H A M S A P R S E P I A D O R T O T E M A N T I B R O C A A H S N E A S T A T I O D A R R U B I E R R S F L A K

The New York Times Magazine Crossword

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

21

PHOTO BY RACHEL ROBINSON

ETC.

SAVAGE LOVE

By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage

EUROPEAN ADVENTURES

Q: We're an adventurous, bisexual, nonmonogamous, opposite-sex couple with a teenage kid living in Europe. We don't really struggle with finding and trying new and interesting stuff in bed. However, we do have a problem and it’s getting worse. Having sex is, well, weird, when the kid is at home. We can't be loud, we can't watch porn, we can't webcam with other people, we can't do anything involved or time-consuming, like ropes or pegging or foursomes or whatever. We can't even fuck in the shower. When he was little we had some plausible deniability, but teenagers know exactly what mom and dad do when they shower together. And it's weird and makes us both not want to. And we're not imagining it. Our son frequently reminds us that he can hear everything that happens in the house. Before we took a lot of it outside or to clubs or other people`s places. And he had sports clubs and sleepovers and vacations at grandparents and we could do our thing at home when he was gone. All of that is over now and has been for almost a year. We really like having sex with each other but it has been just very quiet quickies during the day while he’s doing school online or waiting for those rare nights when he is more tired than we are and goes to bed first. It's been almost a year of this. Way less people want to meet up now, clubs are closed, and traveling is irresponsible. So before we plunge into another year, which as far as I can tell does not look that different circumstance-wise, any tips?

Cabin Fever A: While a lot of teenagers are performatively disgusted about their parents fucking around, CF, a little tangible/audible evidence that mom and dad—or dad and dad or mom and mom or nonbinary parent #1 and nonbinary parent #2—are still into each other is, on some other level, reassuring. Because if your parents are still fucking each other that means your parents still like each other.

And if your parents still like each other that means you don’t have to worry about your parents leaving each other and throwing your world into chaos. So while overhearing your parents fuck may not be comfortable, it can be comforting.

But if you can’t power through your son’s disgust a la Diane and Elliott Birch on Big Mouth—if knowing your son might overhear dad getting pegged or mom getting railed on cam is a boner killer for you and a dehumidifier for the wife—then you’ll just have to resign yourself to quickies for the duration of

22

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

the pandemic. That means no fucking around in sex clubs for you and no sleepovers at grandma’s house for him for at least the next six months, CF, if not longer.

Zooming out…

We talk a lot about parents who blow up when their children masturbate and parents who melt down when their teenagers ask for contraception and parents who shame their kids for being gay or kinky or sexually active or just sexual. While these asshole parents can’t make their gay kids straight of their kinky kids vanilla or somehow de-activate their sexually active kids, they can do real and lasting damage. The exaggerated disgust of a sex-negative teenager is lot less likely to do any permanent harm to you or your wife—your son’s disgust is merely and temporarily inhibiting—and you aren’t going to need therapy to solve this problem. You just need him to grow the fuck up and move the fuck out.

In the meantime, CF, go ahead and take those long showers together. And if your son objects—if he shames you—just remind him that the front door isn’t nailed shut and he won’t hear anything if he takes a fucking walk.

Q: My boyfriend and I have been together for four years. I am 25 years old and he is 33 years old. I’m thinking about ending our relationship. I love him but I don't see it working out. Our sex-life is almost nonexistent. I have low sex drive and can go long stretches without the need for sex. His sex drive, on the other hand, is very high.

I've brought up opening the relationship but he is very opposed to the idea. The reason I brought up outside partners besides the sex-drive thing is that we both have different kinks. Some overlap, but a majority of our interests aren't shared.

I will be moving to Belgium soon to advance my career. When I told my boyfriend he said he wanted to go with because he wanted to be wherever I was. He didn’t say anything about his own goals for the future. He has mentioned to me on several instances that he would like to write a book but he has not written a word in all the time we've been dating. He doesn't seem to have any drive or passion which kind of scares me.

Another big issue is that my boyfriend is having serious financial difficulties and declared bankruptcy a few months ago. I was blindsided by this since we don't have combined finances or live together and he never indicated that he was having financial trouble. As I mention earlier, I am thinking of ending our relationship. I love him but

I just don't know if staying with him is the right thing. I don't want to hurt him and I don't see things going down well if I break up with him. Should I stay? Should I go?

Concerned About Relationship Enduring Economic Repercussions A: You haven’t moved in together, you haven’t mingled your finances, you haven’t adopted a houseplant or a dog or a child.

Which makes going—leaving your boyfriend when you leave for Belgium—pretty painless and uncomplicated logistically, CAREER, even if it’s still going to be painful emotionally.

You say you love your boyfriend, CAREER, and I believe you. And if everything was working except your boyfriend’s financial issues, I would urge you to give him a little more time—not infinite time—to get his shit together. And not everyone is ambitious for professional success; some people’s ambitions are harder to recognize because they don’t revolve around making money.

Two people with no professional ambitions might find it hard to make their way in the world—someone’s gotta pay the rent—but a supportive non-striver often makes a great partner for a striver. And I don’t know if you’ve been following the news, CAREER, but there’s a pandemic on and a lot of people are struggling financially right now. Your boyfriend isn’t the only person who had to declare bankruptcy in 2020.

But I nevertheless think you should end this relationship. You obviously aren’t sexually compatible, CAREER, and you’re definitely going to wanna explore your kinks—without guilt or encumbrance—once you get to Belgium. Openness is the only way to make it work when two people have a lot of kinks but not a lot of kink overlap. Kinks can’t be wished away or waved off, as much as people like to pretend they can be (and not just vanilla people); kinks are hard-wired and some outlet—some way to express and enjoy them—is necessary for a kinky person to feel fulfilled and content. You might’ve been able to make the relationship work if your boyfriend was willing to open it up but he’s not; and you’re not comfortable, at least at this stage of life, with a partner who isn’t a striver. Getting dumped is going to suck for your boyfriend, of course, but he’ll be better off in the long run with someone who comes closer to matching his libido and who doesn’t care that his ambitions, whatever they might be, don’t revolve around his career. And who knows? Maybe he’ll wind up writing a book about your breakup.

Enjoy Belgium, CAREER, it’s a good place for a young gay man to explore his kinks. • mail@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage.

If only this column were a podcast... Wait, it is! www.savagelovecast.com

CLASSIFIED LISTINGS LEGAL Be it know that the undersigned lien claimant Avila’s Auto Repair & Tires located at 2005 Crums Lane Louisville, KY 40216, hereby files a claim for a mechanic’s lien against Roberto Arroyo Yanez located in the city of Louisville with zip code 40218 owner of the vehicle Ford F-150 2006 with vin number 1 FTPW12V76KD97439, title 171180560068 Plate 944WKY. The owner agreed to pay the amount his owes for repairing the truck. It is been more that 3 months since the car is ready and the owner does not want to pay! He does not answer the phone calls and text messages. The owner will have 15 days after this advertisement to pay. If no, a mechanic’s lien will be process against him.

Leo’s Towing & Recovery, 510 E Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 (502)727-9503, has intention to obtain title of a 1995 Green Chevy S10 VIN # 1GCCS14Z5SK145502 ,Owner KEVIN SCHIEFELBEIN OF LOUISVILLE KY Lien Holder: Unless owner or lienholder objects in written form within 14 days after the last publication of this notice.

Leo’s Towing & Recovery, 510 E Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 (502)-7279503, has intention to obtain title of a 2005 SILVER BMW 545 VIN #WBANB33555CN65159 ,Owner YUSVANIS CHACON OF LOUISVILLE KY Lien Holder: Unless owner or lienholder objects in written form within 14 days after the last publication of this notice.

Leo’s Towing & Recovery, 510 E Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 (502)727-9503, has intention to obtain title of a 2008 SILVER NISSAN VERSA VIN#2N1BC13E18L366628, Owner CAELOS MONROY GARCIA OF LOUISVILLE KY Lien Holder: Unless owner or lienholder objects in written form within 14 days after the last publication of this notice.

Leo’s Towing & Recovery, 510 E Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 (502)-7279503, has intention to obtain title of a 1977 CHEVY VAN RED IN COLOR VIN #CGL257U100117 ,Owner TONY GEOPGE DANIES OF YPSILANTI MI Lien Holder: Unless owner or lienholder objects in written form within 14 days after the last publication of this notice.

Leo’s Towing & Recovery, 510 E Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 (502)727-9503, has intention to obtain title of a 1998 GOLD BMW 540 VIN #WBADE6320WBW58494 ,Owner GEORGE SCHOENBACHLER OF LOUISVILLE KY Lien Holder: Unless owner or lienholder objects in written form within 14 days after the last publication of this notice.

Leo’s Towing & Recovery, 510 E Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 (502)-7279503, has intention to obtain title of a 2009 HYUN BLACK VIN #5NPEU46CX9H418147 ,Owner ANASTASIA ANA CEA OF MIAMI FL Lien Holder: HERNAM GARCES HERNANDEZ AND MARGUEZ MOTORS 500 INC. OF MIAMI FL Unless owner or lienholder objects in written form within 14 days after the last publication of this notice.

Notice is hereby given that pursuant to KRS 359.200-359.250 Morningstar Storage, 646 West Hill St, Louisville, KY 40208 502-434-7537 will sell the contents of the storage units listed below at a public auction at storageauctions.com at 1pm on 1-19-2021. This will not be public, this will only be done digitally at storageauctions.com Shatasia Beason - Unit #067 Patrice Bowman – Unit #174 Kecia Hudson – Unit #196 Amy Jones – Unit #197 La”Queesha Hodge – Unit #202 Ron Peals – Unit #204 Tyrell Miller – Unit #244 Te\’zha Jones – Unit #326 Gennithia Taylor – Unit #334 Chester Sutton – Unit #351 Lavera Stoner – Unit #393 Monique Burchett – Unit #486 Mary Wilkes – Unit #534 Alexis Cooper – Unit #546 LaToshia West – Unit #552 Arlene ward – Unit #624 Richard Tucker – Unit #699 Dominique Tidwell – Unit #715 James Shestko – Unit #716 Reginald Burns – Unit #782 Dennis Hairston – Unit #784

Heat Things Up

January with our

Sales!

3 DV D ’s f o r $ 9 .9 9

Quarantine Fun Headquarters Sexy Lingerie, Small to 3x, Shoes & Novelties, Warming Oils & Lotions, Risque Greeting Cards & Gag Gifts, Hosiery and Body Stockings, Bachelor and Bachelorette Party Supplies, DVDs

www.cirillas.com

S tore Hour s : Mon - S at 10 am - Midnight ; Sun No on - 10 pm 119 S HURSTBOURNE PKWY (JUST SOUTH OF SHELBYVILLE RD)

(502) 339-7370

3601 FERN VALLEY RD

521 EAST LEWIS AND CLARK PKWY

(502) 968-3226

812-282-2729

(AT THE CORNER OF PRESTON HWY)

CLARKSVILLE, IN

4642 DIXIE HWY

502-447-4449

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

23

A.

Literary Literary Lite CATEGORIES:

WRITING: (1) Short Fiction (up to 1,000 words) (2) Poetry (up to 48 lines)

LEO LEO LE CARTOON: (3) A single-page cartoon. Can be either a single or multiple panel cartoon.

On March 17, 2021, we’re turning LEO over to you, all of our creative readers.

B.

PHOTOGRAPHY: (4) Color Photography — a single photo (5) Black-And-White Photography — a single photo

Do not include your name or other personal identification in the file name or meta-data.

Literary Literary Liter Literary LEO is accepting submissions at leoweekly.com from Monday, Jan. 4 at noon until Monday, Feb. 8 at noon.

Submission Fee: Free!

LEO LEO LE So get to writing, shooting and drawing!

C.

Picture your picture on the cover of LEO.

Literary Imagine your fiction, poetry or cartoon published in our pages.

Winners will be published in the Literary LEO issue.

24

You may submit one entry in a single category or in all of them. Do not include your name or any personal identification on your submissions. Stories, poems or photos with names or personal identification will be disqualified.

PHOTOS: Files must be submitted as a .JPG and in a resolution of at least 200 dpi, with 300 dpi preferred.

Literary

Lite

SHORT STORIES AND POEMS: Text must be submitted in one of these formats: Word (.DOC or .DOCX) or Rich Text (.RTF). For all entries, the title on the document must match the file name. For instance, if the poem is called “Roses,” then the file name will be “Roses.” If the piece does not have a title, then use “untitled” in the file name and on the document.

LEO LEO LE Yep, here it is — the call for the 2021 Literary LEO, our annual writing and photography contest.

D.

THE RULES (please read carefully):

LEOWEEKLY.COM // JANUARY 6, 2021

CARTOONS: Must be submitted as a .JPG and in a resolution of at least 200 dpi, with 300 dpi preferred. The title on the document must match the file name.

By submitting material, authors grant LEO one-time print publishing rights, including permission to publish material on LEO’s website. LEO employees and regular freelancers are not eligible.

Winners will be published in the March 17, 2021 issue of LEO Weekly Go to leoweekly.com to find the submission form. The link will also be pinned to the top of our Facebook and Twitter pages.