LEO Weekly Feb. 10, 2021

FREE FEB.10.2021

Black History Month

Is Not Enough Society must tell the entire story

and the truth about racial inequality

IS THE LOUISVILLE VEGAN JERKY FACTORY RIGHT FOR SHELBY PARK? | PAGE 6

A MAJOR LOUISVILLE MUSIC FESTIVAL HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED | PAGE 14

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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LOUISVILLE ECCENTRIC OBSERVER

Volume 31 | Number 09 974 BRECKENRIDGE LANE #170. LOUISVILLE KY 40207 PHONE (502) 895-9770 FAX (502) 895-9779

FREE FEB.10.2021

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Black History Month

Is Not Enough Society must tell the entire story

and the truth about racial inequality

IS THE LOUISVILLE VEGAN JERKY FACTORY RIGHT FOR SHELBY PARK? | PAGE 6

ON THE COVER

A MAJOR LOUISVILLE MUSIC FESTIVAL HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED | PAGE 14

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Robin Garr, Hannah Drake, John Yarmuth, Jermaine Fowler, T.E. Lyons, Melissa Chipman 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

A&E EDITOR

Erica Rucker, erucker@leoweekly.com STAFF WRITER

Danielle Grady, dgrady@leoweekly.com ART DIRECTOR

Talon Hampton, thampton@redpinmedia.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lane Levitch, lane@redpinmedia.com CONTRIBUTING VISUAL 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.

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VIEWS

EDITOR’S NOTE

THE LATEST BATTLE IN THE REPUBLICAN WAR ON LOUISVILLE

By Aaron Yarmuth | leo@leoweekly.com STATE REPUBLICANS’ efforts to wrest control away from Democrat-controlled Louisville have, in recent years, been dubbed the “War on Louisville.” But, wars are supposed to be waged over something.

For Republicans in Frankfort, the war isn’t over anything… it’s just about winning.

They want what they can’t have: Mayor of Louisville. (Not since 1969, anyway.)

Their 2021 strategic offensive has become clear with House Bill 309, and it might be their most disgraceful effort yet.

HB 309 was introduced last week by four House lawmakers — all Louisville Republicans. It addresses important issues relating to Louisville’s new civilian accountability board for metro police, while also fundamentally changing the way Louisville elects its mayor.

What do either of these reforms have to do with the other? Nothing.

So why are they lumped together in this bill?

Republicans are cynically using the issue of police accountability and racial justice — top priorities for the city — as leverage to subvert Democrats in Louisville. It’s a box… a political trap.

The trap goes like this…

Louisville’s newly-established civilian review and accountability board has the

power to initiate investigations into LMPD. What’s different about this board — and most important to its efficacy — is that it will be empowered to subpoena testimony and documents in its investigations. This was one of the most heralded reforms resulting from public outrage over failed police accountability — particularly after the killing of Breonna Taylor.

However, the ordinance alone doesn’t come with the actual powers ascribed in the ordinance, according to a Jefferson County Attorney’s Office memo last spring. “In short, a local jurisdiction cannot grant itself the subpoena power just because it has the power to enact local laws. That power to issue subpoenas must come from an act of the General Assembly,” the memo stated.

HB 309, if enacted, would essentially accommodate the city ordinance.

So, what’s the problem?

Another provision in the Republican bill would fundamentally change how Louisville elects its mayor by making it a nonpartisan election — something Republicans have long sought. In their view, if Republicans can shed their partisan label on the ballot, they might be able to field a viable candidate in Louisville who can win on their policies. “[Republicans have] been unable since the 1960s to field a candidate that has the

ability to build a coalition to get elected,” Virginia Woodward, chair of the Louisville Democratic Party, told The Courier Journal.

OK, so why tie the two together? Republicans don’t need Democrats to pass any legislation through the state legislature, and can easily override any veto by the governor.

Why not just pass two separate bills?

The truth has nothing to do with policy.

It has nothing to do with solving Louisville’s problems, or doing what they believe is right or wrong, or being responsive to their constituents.

It’s a trap. Republicans will force Democrats to vote against a reform that’s critical to their constituents in order to protect the status quo of mayoral elections. Or, Democrats will have to support overhauling the mayoral election — and, in doing so, give Republicans the cover of “bipartisanship,” even as they jam the most grossly cynical, partisan voting reform down the throats of Louisville voters. After all, how can voters punish Republicans for changing the election system when Democrats voted for it?

Sure, both parties are guilty of playing these games — forcing the other side to take votes that are tough to explain in a campaign.

But, this is worse for three reasons: One, it overrules Louisville voters, who

in 2000 voted on this specific issue. Last year (as House Republicans were pursuing the same nonpartisan mayoral election effort, HB 605) Democratic Councilman Bill Hollander said Republicans are “overruling what the voters voted for in 2000. I think that silences everyday Louisvillians who went to the polls in 2000 and were asked to vote for what kind of government they wanted.”

Two, it is flagrant hypocrisy for “conservative” Republicans to perpetually usurp local government powers.

Finally, what makes this effort particularly revolting, is that Republicans are using the grave issue of police accountability as leverage in their political game.

They’re exploiting the ongoing pain and distress of a city living alongside a police department it doesn’t trust. And for what? To extract some marginal political gain?

Perhaps if Republicans stopped focusing so much on winning, and more on what they’re fighting for, they might actually find their way to the Mayor’s Office. After all, what good is winning if you can’t take credit for it? •

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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VIEWS

WRITE SOME SHIT

IT IS TIME WE HAD A WHITE HISTORY MONTH

By Hannah Drake | leo@leoweekly.com [Editor’s Note: This column originally ran on the blog “Write Some Shit” on Feb. 1] TODAY marks the first day of Black History Month when many white people will start sharing their limited knowledge of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks as if no other Black people ever existed. During this month, white people are often encouraged to learn about Black History, which extends well beyond 28 days but stretches throughout history. Black history is simply history.

However, this month I am challenging white people not to focus solely on our history, but I encourage white people to focus on their history— the real history of white people in America. Not the myth, not make-believe, not the fables and falsehoods, but reality.

Many in this nation do not want to face the truth of white history in America. White people have clung so firmly to a false narrative that telling them the truth is seen as an insult. I was having a discussion with a friend of mine, who is a white man. I asked him to tell me any place in the world that is better off for the people who lived there because white people came to it. And he was thinking for a very long time, and I could see tears come into his eyes. Finally, he said, “I cannot think of one place.” Then I said, “Any place that white people have gone in the world, destruction and pain has followed for the people that live there.” That ended our discussion as he sat in tears and silence. I could understand his tears because I knew he saw himself in the time that he spent reflecting. He didn’t see himself individually but as part of this collective race that has caused unimaginable pain.

That is the foundation of white history, and everything that comes out of that first begins with the pain and suffering of others.

When I shared this post on Instagram, I was faced with some resistance because it is a harsh reality to pause, look in the mirror, and admit to yourself that the worst crimes against humanity have not been done by any other race — but, in fact, have been committed by white people. It hurts to realize that almost everything you have been taught and told about your race is a lie. In fact, it is not that white people were born to be victors, but in reality, white people have victimized everyone for the betterment of themselves.

However, white people have worked diligently to construct and sell a history of themselves that is simply not true. For instance,

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people can inherently understand the horror of enslavement. However, entire organizations were established, such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy in the late 1800s, to construct and disperse the lie that slavery was benign, and slaves were happy. They worked to spread these lies in textbooks and continued recycling the lie to young children until the reality of slavery was whitewashed.

White America has turned villains into heroes, murderers into monuments, and rapists into warriors. They have written and rewritten their history so often, they actually believe the lie even when the truth is staring them in the face. We even see that today when we look at the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, which left five people dead, one of them a police officer. Immediately white people attempted to construct a narrative around those that tried to overthrow an American election calling them patriots. But we know an attack on our government in an attempt to disregard a legitimate election is not patriotic. And had any other race done this, it would be condemned by the very people that are now calling this group patriotic. This is how the lies white America believes about themselves start.

The reality is white people have committed the most egregious crimes against humanity.

In Louisville, I am currently working on a project called the (Un)Known Project, which will highlight the unknown names of Black men, women and children that were enslaved in Kentucky. As I discuss this project, I am often shocked that many people do not know that Kentucky was not only a slave-holding state but, in fact, Kentucky was the secondlargest exporter of slaves in the country.

Louisville’s proximity to the Ohio River made it a significant player in the slave trade, selling enslaved Black people down the river where they would be auctioned at slave markets such as Forks of the Road, in Natchez, Mississippi. One of the top three slave traders in the United States was Rice Carter Ballard, who worked with the large slave-trading firm of Isaac Franklin and John Armfield and lived in Louisville. While Kentucky attempts to act as if it did not choose a particular side when it comes to slavery, the evidence is clear that Kentucky was intricately involved in the slave trade, and slavery was the foundation of its economy.

White America has hailed white men, such as James Marion Sims, as pioneering and the

of land from Black people to create your “father of modern gynecology” when, in fact, beaches. You performed medical research on Sims operated on enslaved Black women Black people without their consent and withwithout anesthesia and without their consent. held treatment. You sterilized Black women White America continues teaching our without their knowledge. You stole human young people about Christopher Columbus, cells from a Black woman and used them to portraying him as a benevolent man that had advance medicine and your profits, all witha beautiful meal with Native Americans when out her consent. You burned entire towns of we know Columbus didn’t discover America.

Black people. You terrorized Black children We know the reality is that Columbus sold that simply wanted to go to school and get an people into slavery, gave enslaved women education. You turned your back on America to his friends to be raped, committed horrific and bombed Black American citizens. You crimes like ordering a woman’s tongue to walked into schools and slaughtered innocent be cut off. The list of his crimes is almost children. You have endless, yet America committed some of continues to tell this lie, White America con- the most heinous, even having an entire egregious crimes day to celebrate Columtinues teaching against humanity, and bus, who we know was a brutal tyrant. America our young people what is listed here is just a small fragment continues to sell this about Christopher of the horrors you have nation a lie that law enforcement is here to inflicted on people who Columbus, porprotect and serve, and only desired the right traying him as a every officer is Officer to be.

Friendly when we This month, while I benevolent man know police departappreciate you learning ments’ origins are that had a beauti- about Black people, rooted in slave patrols, I am challenging you ful meal with Native to learn about white which is why in 2021, we continue to see offipeople. Take the time Americans when cers abuse and murder to learn the TRUE Black people. What we know Columbus story of white history. happened historically Don’t take the time to didn’t discover is just happening curbelieve the made-up rently. It is fruit from history, but look at America. the same tree. white people’s reality As stated in my in America. Don’t take article, “This Is You,” you enslaved innothe “this isn’t me” route, but look at white cent Black men, women and children. You history as a whole. And go into it knowing the murdered innocent Black people. You raped history will not be pretty. It is not a history a nation of its resources for your profit. You laced with lemonade and apple pie. It is not lynched Black people and took pictures the history that you have been taught in high smiling as their bodies hung from trees. You school textbooks. But it is a history that is lynched and burned Black people and called filled with murder, mayhem and pain. It is a them barbecues. You glorified lynchings and history filled with the unimaginable suffering put these images on postcards. You raped of Black people at the hands of white people.

Black women while your wives pretended If white people take the time to do that, everynot to see you. Your wives brutalized Black thing you wanted to know about Black people people then called themselves the victims. will become evident. You can never know You gave enslaved Black people to your me and the truth of Black History in America children as gifts. You bought and sold Black until you are ready to face yourself. • people for your financial gain. You continue to profit off the backs of Black people. You Hannah L. Drake is an author, poet and spocontinue to profit financially from slavery. ken word artist. Follow her at writesomeshit.

You kept Black people in zoos for your com and on Twitter at @hannahdrake628. entertainment. You stole millions of acres

VIEWS

ONE MONTH AT A TIME

By John Yarmuth | leo@leoweekly.com

[Editor’s note: LEO founder and former editor John Yarmuth wrote this column Feb. 12, 1997.]

I LEARNED something extraordinary last week. I learned that the golf tee, that a little piece of wood indispensable to the sport, was invented in 1899 by G. W. Grant, a Black man.

Considering that I play as many as 100 rounds of golf a year, or about 1,800 holes, that means I use golf tees more frequently than I do knives and forks, pens and pencils, my television or my toothbrush.

And they were invented by a Black man, which I find extraordinary only because I have played golf all my life and never knew it. Of course, I also didn’t know that while Thomas Edison gets all the credit for inventing the electric light bulb, the carbon filament for the incandescent lamp was invented by another Black man, Lewis Latimer.

I don’t presume that I should have been taught anything about golf tees when I was in school. But I think someone should have clued me in that a man with dark skin is at least partially responsible for helping me see at night.

I realize that up till now, like many white Americans, I always regarded Black History Month simply as a politically correct, inoffensive way for African Americans to celebrate their history. After all, there is only one holiday assigned to a Black American: the great Martin Luther King Jr. But even though I always empathized with Black History Month, I’m ashamed to admit that I never regarded it as an opportunity to learn more about our history.

My early education, as far as I can remember, was typical in its colorlessness. Black people were mentioned only as victims of lynchings, or as oppressed slaves.

Black people were discussed as political or economic entities, but never as individuals, as heroes, as productive citizens, as role models.

Out of curiosity, I picked up my college U.S. history book, written by esteemed scholars such as Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Bruce Catton, and C. Vann Woodward in 1963, and used for years at America’s top universities. I began to flip through the index and strangely could not find names like Crispus Attucks, Marian Anderson or even Frederick Douglass. Nowhere is there a mention of Hiram Revels, the first Black U.S.

senator, elected in Mississippi during Reconstruction. Same for his colleague Blanche K. Bruce, the second Black senator. In fact, there is nothing about Jesse Owens or Jackie Robinson or any of the many figures whose positions in America’s social and cultural history are monumental.

There is no mention of Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr., who captained the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II and won the Distinguished Flying Cross. My history book somehow avoids crediting James A. Jones of Jackson, Tennessee, whose patented “Jones Spring” device made it possible to raise and lower the top of an automobile. It totally ignores George Washington Carver and the 300 peanut products he developed.

Of the several hundred Americans pictured in this textbook’s 850 pages, only Booker T. Washington is Black. On the other hand, the volume includes two photos of unidentified Black people, one a group of Virginia cotton-pickers, the other a handsome family over the caption “Southern freedmen: They needed a guardian.”

Suddenly, I feel cheated, ashamed and stupid. But I’m not alone. Too many Americans, Black and white, were deprived of much of this history, largely because white America wouldn’t, or couldn’t, give credit where credit was due. History book writers, when they dealt with Black people at all, discussed them as an issue for the dominant white society to handle rather than as active participants and contributors to the society.

Whether this sin of omission was committed out of ignorance or, as African American scholar Judge Raymond Pace Alexander of Philadelphia contends, because of “…the deference of textbook publishers to the special sensitivities of the southern market,” the ramification for all of us is a crying need to retrieve important episodes from America’s history.

So, if you’re one of those people who wonders why we need Black History Month, ask yourself if you knew who invented the golf tee or the light bulb filament or the ragtop. Then ask yourself whether one month is enough. • U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth has represented Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District since 2007 and is the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

Brielle - Queen Brielle is

approaching! Brielle is a two-year-old Domestic Shorthair kitty who is looking for a kingdom to rule and a family to serve at her beck and call. This glorious, mystical creature came to the Kentucky Humane Society when a gentleman caller went a little too far and knocked poor Brielle up. Oh how furious our queen was! She went into a foster home where she raised her unexpected family and as soon as they were old enough to find their own families- Queen Brielle wanted nothing more to do with them. After all, motherhood was never in Queen Brielle’s life plan. She simply has no time for such neediness, especially when there is ruling to be done! Brielle came back to the shelter to continue her journey, but the shelter was simply not up to our queens’ standards and she had no trouble letting us know. Not wanting to displease her majesty, we sent Brielle into a foster home until her forever home comes along. In her foster home, Brielle is back in her comfort zone of demanding attention and absolute loyalty. No other animals can provide what our queen can, but she will tolerate some cat siblings if they can mind their manners and respect her majesty. Brielle loves scratches on the head and wants you to pay attention to her, but she doesn’t want to be held or cuddled on your lap and she doesn’t want to play with toys with you. After all, a queen cannot be seen doing such regular activities. Admire her as she sits next to you, give her lots of ear scratches, and she’s very happy to laze her da ys away surveying her kingdom. If you’re an an owner that will roll out the red carpet and sit Brielle upon her rightful throne, please apply to meet her at kyhumane.org/cats! Brielle is spayed, micro-chipped and up-to-date on all vaccinations.

Petey - Give a warm welcome to Petey! This American Pit Bull Terrier mix

is as goofy as they come. 60-pound Petey arrived at the Kentucky Humane Society after a rural shelter ran out of room. We could tell that he was an absolute good boy that just needed a second chance! Upon arriving, we quickly discovered Petey was deaf. Sometimes that happens with white pitties, so we weren’t very surprised. However, we also found a grade 6 heart murmur.

That was a bit unexpected! Our medical team ran tests and determined that Petey has a congenital defect called VSD, which is causing the murmur. Petey is coping very well and acts like a normal, friendly, excited one-year-old. But it’s important for his new family to follow-up with their veterinarian so that the defect can be monitored as Petey grows. This sweet guy hasn’t let his diagnosis stop him from enjoying life. He loves hiking and exploring and has been a great “date” dog. He likes the company of other dogs and will chase and play. Petey’s also been learning things like how to settle in a crate and has learned some basic behaviors. His adoption includes a supplemented training session with a private trainer. All he’s missing is a family to join him!

Petey is neutered, micro-chipped and up-to-date on his shots. If you are interested in meeting Petey, please first submit an online adoption application located at www.kyhumane.org/ dog-app. Once we have received your adoption application, our behavior team will follow up and provide you with more information. You can also email behaviorteam@kyhumane.org for more info.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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NEWS & ANALYSIS

IS LOUISVILLE VEGAN JERKY CO. RIGHT FOR SHELBY PARK?

By Danielle Grady | dgrady@leoweekly.com JESSICA JONES used to drive by the property at 1311 South Shelby every day on her way from her home in Germantown to her job downtown throughout the early 2000s: First, it was some type of industrial site. Then it became a grocery store. The neighborhood changed, too — going from homes, a few factories and small businesses that people were rarely seen going in and out of, to the burgeoning commercial area it is now, with independent restaurants and Logan Street Market.

In 2018, the Save A Lot closed, and the property at the corner of Shelby Park, Germantown and Schnitzelburg has sat empty since. Now, a popular, local vegan jerky company wants to buy it and rezone it, from what is solely a commercial property to a plant-based food manufacturing zone.

Some observers, such as Rob Monsma, an urban planner, think that this new Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. factory would be a step back in time for the neighborhood and the city — welcoming the cogs of industry, however sustainable, back to the urban core when manufacturers are more often scattering to the industrial parks at Louisville’s edges.

Jones, who now lives on the cusp of Schnitzelburg and Camp Taylor, thinks that the proposal is following the current trajectory of the area closer than is obvious at first, because LVJC, which plans to eventually open a gift shop and offer tours at the factory, is a local company joining the other new businesses trickling into the area: restaurants, bars and retail businesses.

Jones said that she realizes that the factory isn’t going to be a traditional storefront, “But I think it’s one more layer of people coming to Germantown and reinvesting in the area,” said the 43-year-old.

That’s not necessarily what Ann Ames sees, a resident of Shelby Park since 1966, who said the days of factories employing many residents of the area was “a different time.” She wants to see another grocery store take the prized spot, something that will serve everyone in the neighborhood: the lower-middle class long-timers she has lived around for decades and the new homeowners following the businesses like Logan Street Market.

“Those are things that are wonderful

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THORNS & ROSES THE WORST, BEST & MOST ABSURD

A rendering of Louisville Vegan Jerky Co.’s plans for Shelby Park’s old Save A Lot building. | COURTESY OF LOUISVILLE VEGAN JERKY CO.

for this community, and I think that’ll keep going only if we have some foundations,” said Ames, who is 76. “A grocery store would be a wonderful foundation.”

Maria Gurren, the president of the Shelby Park Neighborhood Association, said she is personally conflicted about the factory plan, and she has heard residents express concern over the future of the site should LVJC ever leave. The property would remain zoned for commercial and industrial use, and even though LVJC CEO Stanley Chase told LEO he wants to include a binding element in the proposal that would restrict future manufacturing uses to plant-based foods, it is not official.

Chase, who prides himself on owning a brand that was started and is based in Louisville, is also willing to add something completely new to Louisville’s planning process to appease neighbors: a Community Benefits Agreement that would contain perks for Shelby Park residents.

But, questions remain, like how would it be enforced?

COMMUNITY BRAND, COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Chase started the Louisville Vegan Jerky Co. in 2012, working a small operation out of the Clifton Center off Frankfort Avenue, where businesses abut singlefamily homes and apartments. Then, he moved to a bakery in Old Louisville, working near stately mansions before finally settling into an industrial zone in Newburg.

Now, with Louisville Vegan Jerky

in grocery stores across the U.S., Chase and his crew of 35 need a larger, more long-term location to keep up with orders.

And, Chase said he wants to get back to neighborhood living, because that’s what his brand is about.

“My whole thing is I started this company to be about Louisville,” said Chase, hence his business’ name. “Since we’ve been over in Bishop Lane-area, it’s Louisville, too, but I’ve felt so much more a part of Louisville when I was in Old Louisville, when I was off Frankfort Avenue.”

Shelby Park has a similar “feel” to those locations, Chase said. And, it’s why he’d rather open his factory in the former Save A Lot than a site off Blankenbaker Parkway that he also found viable.

Plus, the proposed factory would be close to where many of his employees live in Germantown and Schnitzelburg. Since his current factory already attracts random tourists, including members of the band Arcade Fire, he’d like to open it to tours.

And, he anticipates those jerky fans taking a walk around Shelby Park and visiting its business after checking out LVJC’s operations.

He also wants to create that Community Benefits Agreement. He wants it to contain commitments including to: hire from within the community for his $12$13 an hour factory jobs (which also come with benefits); create a bag of jerky with all profits funding a community project of Shelby Park residents’ choice; respond to community complaints within 24 hours; and start holding pop-up events on weekends in the factory’s parking lot, including

ABSURD: WORTH A GAMBLE Last year, the Kentucky Supreme Court (rightly) ruled that slot machine-like historical racing games don’t qualify as pari-mutuel wagering. [We did a LEO field trip to one of the facilities… it was a pretty sweet setup, but it was definitely straight slots.] Pari-mutuel wagering is one of three forms of gambling permitted by the state Constitution, in addition to the lottery and charitable games, such as bingo. The Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee passed Senate Bill 120 out of committee, which would accommodate the “historical racing” games into state law. So, Republicans are willing to change the law to accommodate a new form of gambling, but they’re still incapable of — or too incompetent to — legalize full gaming. Just to express the absurdity of it all, legalsportsreport.com reports that legal sports betting, alone, since June 2018, has generated more than $16 million in tax revenue for Illinois, more than $17 million for Indiana and nearly $6 million in West Virginia. And that doesn’t include the full economic impact of legal sports betting.

THORN: I GOT 103 PROBLEMS… The top-to-bottom review of LMPD is in, and the conclusion is… unsurprising. The authors of the Hilliard Heintze report, commissioned by the mayor’s office last year, discovered “an agency ‘in crisis,’” according the The Courier Journal. The report comes with 102 recommendations, covering everything from traffic stops, useof-force policies, executing search warrants, handling complaints and internal investigations, and much more. It’s fine to do things in a thorough, responsible way. But, to be honest, the protesters who spent over-150 straight days downtown last year, could have told you about each of these 102 problems… and more. Here’s another recommendation: Instead of the constant vapid public relations tactics, actually take some real action to curb these problems instead of constantly sweeping them under the rug. There, only 103.

THORN: HILLIARD HEINTZ BOTTOM-TO-BOTTOM REPORT It’s pretty outrageous that the city paid for a review that literally suggested things like, “Schedule regular use-of-force policy reviews to more effectively monitor policy relevance and adherence to best practices and training.” What a brilliant idea! A quick glance demonstrates how utterly worthless this review is, but this not-soveiled, old racist trope jumped off the page: “We recognize that variables such as crime and disorder in the area of the stop need to be considered when determining whether bias occurred.” So, what they’re saying, is it’s entirely possible that it’s not police who have a bias against Black people, it’s that Black people are just more likely to be around “crime and disorder.” We need real change, not old excuses.

THORN: RAND’S RANTS ARE DANGEROUS Kentucky junior Senator and notable clown Rand Paul used some dangerous rhetoric during the confirmation hearing last Wednesday for Miguel Cardona, President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education. About transgender students participating in high school sports, Paul asked: “Do you think it’s fair to have boys running in the girls track meet?” This is after he stated that transgender participation will “destroys girls sports.” The transgender community has historically been targeted for bigotry and violence, and a politician stoking the flames of ignorance and hatred is unacceptable and extremely problematic. Words matter.

And Rand’s are toxic.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

farmers markers.

“Louisville is in our brand name,” he said.

“We want to be part of the neighborhood. We want to have things that will brighten the neighborhood up.”

But, the detractors say, no matter how good LVJC’s intentions are, an industrial use for the property is just not ideal.

MOVING AWAY FROM MANUFACTURING

There’s a reason why factories aren’t desirable for residential areas. They have a history of deleterious environmental effects.

Monsma, an urban planner who sat in on LVJC’s recent virtual meeting with the city’s Land Development and Transportation Committee, says look to Rubbertown as the worst example, a neighborhood with a collection of factories in The West End. A recent study found that Rubbertown could be responsible for as much as 75% of the reason why residents in Louisville’s poor and mostly Black neighborhoods have a life expectancy that’s 10 to 12 years shorter than those living in richer, whiter neighborhoods.

In Shelby Park, as late as 2019, residents were dealing with some of those negative environmental effects of living next to a factory: an intermittent smell of cat urine. The odor was eventually tracked down to a company called Forth Technologies, which MSD said was inadvertently creating acetone with one of its processes, which was then being flushed out into the sewer system. This, combined with chemicals already in the sewer system and relatively high pH levels, caused the odor. Forth Technologies responded by investing in a holding tank and adjusting the pH of their wastewater, and MSD hasn’t recorded an odor complaint since August of 2019.

LVJC is a lighter manufacturing use than the pollutant-belching plants of Rubbertown or the chemical-producing Forth Technologies. The factory receives dry soy protein, marinates it, and then dehydrates and packages it.

Chase said that odors emitted by LVJC’s factory should mostly shoot up, rising above most of the buildings in Shelby Park, according to an analysis by a company called Blue Energy.

By the time the odor reaches the site’s property line, the amount of odor in the air should be less than 0.4%, Chase said.

As for noise and traffic concerns, LVJC’s operations can’t be heard from outside of the building. And, after LVJC ramps up its production, it will receive two semi-trucks a day, Monday through Friday. Chase said that LVJC usually receives the same drivers each day, and he plans on telling them to enter the property through a preferred route provided by

the neighborhood.

Monsma says he likes many of the people who work at LVJC, but, in general, he doesn’t think industrial uses in residential neighborhoods is a good idea.

“I mean, trying to sort of co-locate industrial uses together where the infrastructure needs are the same, the distance from residential communities is the same, I just think that’s good practice,” he said. “I think it’s a smart precedent to make. I just think that that’s the better idea.

That’s why we build industrial parks and highways and all of those things.”

When the Germantown/Schnitzelburg area was populated by immigrants, factories were a conveniently-close place to work, said Monsma.

And when Ames first moved to Shelby Park, she remembers many of her neighbors working at the factory that used to be where the Save A Lot is.

“At that time, for this community, we were a lower middle class community,” she said, “and if we were going to have a place that was going to keep people a job, you weren’t going to complain about it.”

But now, many people in the neighborhood work downtown and other places outside of the neighborhood, said Ames.

Several of the old factory buildings in the area have taken on other uses. The old Germantown mill, across the train tracks from the Save A Lot, is now a high-end apartment building.

Also, on the other side is the Hope Mills building, now home to artist studios.

Monsma, who also lives in the same council district as Shelby Park, said a fitting replacement for the Save A Lot would be a mixed- use residential building with retail on the ground floor. If not a grocery store, Ames would like to see a community center or a hardware store.

Gurren said that she would prefer to see the site become a place that all of Shelby Park residents could enjoy.

“I think I just, with it being one of the largest if not the largest commercial space in our neighborhood, I would like it to be something that, you know, provides a service or a good for the public and something that’s accessible for folks at all income ranges that live here,” she said.

In her mind, that would be a commercial space with multiple uses, such as a laundromat or a dog grooming business.

But, Chase cautions, if he walks away from the project, the alternative might not be desirable to detractors, either.

WORSE ALTERNATIVES?

The former Save A Lot has sat empty for over two years, collecting graffiti. People in the neighborhood have reached out to grocery store

The old Save A Lot building has sat empty for over two years, collecting graffiti. | PHOTO BY KATHRYN HARRINGTON.

chains, asking them to consider moving to the spot, according to Gurren. But they have not been successful.

The Save A Lot was valuable to Shelby Park residents because it was easier to walk to than the Germantown Kroger a little over a mile away, said Gurren and Ames. But, it might not be feasible to attract a grocery tenant to the space again. Chase said that one challenge to the location is it only has one access point.

And since the Save A Lot property is zoned commercial (C-1), many commercial businesses would not have to go through a public engagement process if they wanted to move into the building. Approved uses include art galleries, bookstores and florist shops but also funeral homes, liquor stores and pawn shops.

“What could currently go there at its current zoning, there’s a lot of stuff that would probably be undesirable for that neighborhood,” Chase said. “The chance of something going in there and everyone being stoked about it is very small.”

Because LJVC has to go through the city’s approval process, neighbors have the opportunity to make demands and ask questions about the project before the council makes the decision to approve it or not.

ENFORCING CONCESSIONS

Gurren and other members of the Shelby Park Neighborhood Association met with Chase and representatives from LVJC two weeks ago for the first time one-on-one before the Land Development and Transportation meeting.

Perturbed at first by LVJC not reaching out to the association after its first city-required neighborhood meeting in November, the Neighborhood Association voted in opposition of the development at its last official gathering in January.

After last week’s masked tête-à-tête at the Shelby Park Community Center and hearing the binding elements being considered at the LD&C meeting limiting the site’s future uses,

Gurren said she feels “a little bit” encouraged.

But, that binding element still has to be added to the rezoning application and approved by the planning commission and the city council. And, Gurren still worries about how the promises of hiring within the community and donating to a neighborhood project will be enforced. LVJC has floated the idea of the Community Benefits Agreement, which is “a contract signed by community groups and a real estate developer that requires the developer to provide specific amenities and/or mitigations to the local community or neighborhood,” according to the Partnership for Working Families.

But, this isn’t common practice in cities across the U.S. and is particularly new to Louisville. It’s not clear if it would be baked into rezoning approval, which the city has never done, or created separately.

All this makes Gurren cautious.

“As much as I appreciate that effort, I’ve been really open with one of the owners of the jerky company about the fact that, you know, unless there’s an accountability component built into this agreement, then it’s just kind of a nice note,” she said. “So, I don’t want people to have kind of a false sense of security because we have something off-writing and think that that means that there’s accountability behind it when there might not be. And not because they don’t want to be accountable, just because the city hasn’t done this before.”

But, Chase said that he is not afraid to start something new in the city. He opened a food truck in 2010 when there weren’t specific food truck laws in Louisville and helped write them.

“I would love to be a part of this,” he said.

“To set this kind of template, standard, for how developers communicate with neighborhoods for Louisville. I just think it would be so awesome if that were to come from this.”

The rezoning will be discussed next at a virtual Planning Commission meeting, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. •

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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Members of the Ku Klux Klan on 4th Street. | PHOTO COURTESY OF ROOTS 101: AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS NOT ENOUGH SOCIETY NEEDS TO TELL THE ENTIRE STORY AND THE TRUTH ABOUT RACIAL INEQUALITY

By Jermaine Fowler | leo@leoweekly.com ON THE 19TH of December, 1875, the father of Black history was born. Twenty-two years later, he walked through Berea College’s doors and enrolled as a student. It was a miracle of determination. Like many Black children of his time, his labor was necessary, his education secondary. His parents walked right out of American slavery into abject poverty. Toiling on farms and working the dusky Virginian coal mines robbed his childhood of formal education. As a young Black man in 20th-century America, he’d beat all odds making it to the university. His name was Carter G.

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Woodson.

I wonder if it was while studying literature at that small college in Kentucky where the lack of Black history became visible. For it was invisible everywhere, on the book-filled shelves of public libraries, on the crisp pages of school textbooks, from the lips of college history professors, and the consciousness of young Black boys and girls.

Perhaps Woodson was like many students today, noticing the absence of humanity in Black narratives. Like the many disillusioned with history. Wondering why Black people

have yet to be considered, for example, as an integral part of American history, and as such, are not part of mainstream American memory.

I’ve long noticed that Black history is segregated and taught in isolation — kept away from white narratives like a form of academic apartheid. Expressing these same frustrations, Woodson created Black History Week in 1926, which later became Black History Month. The idea was to deepen the knowledge and study of Black history all year long. So in his mind’s eye, Woodson saw a future where this short

A portrait of Carter G. Woodson in the 1923 edition of West Virginia Collegiate Institute’s El Ojo yearbook. | PUBLIC DOMAIN.

National Guard in Louisville following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 1968. | GEORGE BEURY CIVIL RIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHS, THE FILSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

celebration would no longer be necessary. Hopeful that America would embrace Black people and their past as part of the American present. And here we are. Celebrating Black History Month nearly 100 years later.

The only time America gets long-winded about Black history is during the shortest month of the year. In February, we learn about the civil rights struggle of Martin King. The million-dollar dreams of Madam C.J. Walker, and the peanut inventions of George Washington Carver. All presented as noble and heroic. Real as that may be, this history does not tell the whole truth of Black history. It’s a highlight reel. We get a glimpse of exciting moments, but it doesn’t show you the entire game.

Where are the sprawling empires of Africa in our studies?

What about the Black presence in Europe? In these short 28 days, we don’t dive deep enough into the slave trade, historic prison systems, Jim Crow, lynchings, police brutality, redlining, voter discrimination or institutional racism.

I imagine this is the real reason why white society doesn’t want to integrate Black history. To do so, you’d have to talk about American atrocity, which doesn’t fit the American branding of the brilliant founding fathers and the grand ideals of American democracy.

Then there is the 90-plus% of white Kentucky teachers who struggle to teach Black history in meaningful ways.

Let’s not pretend that unconscious bias, racial anxiety and stereotypes don’t make it into classrooms. So our Black children, having seen the spectacular failure of American institutions to include their history, begin to see themselves outside of America — they fail to see themselves. White kids, some with little to no other encounters with Black people, only see them through pop culture, music and media.

What do we do in the face of all this? It seems to me that, the same institutions that mandate Black students to show up to be educated, should be mandated to teach those students the breadth and depth of their history. They owe it to all stu-

dents to provide a diverse history education. It also makes sense that those who know they are ignorant of this history take the initiative to learn it, even if they are already into adulthood.

James Baldwin said, “History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history. If we pretend otherwise, we are literally criminals.” It is criminal. Criminal that we don’t acknowledge, for instance, that our police forces started as a slave patrol and that many of those historical tactics and attitudes toward Black communities exist today. Criminal that we don’t admit that redlining has been flatlining Black opportunity since the 1930s. Or that Louisville has never been neutral. They say our city joined the Confederacy after the Civil War was over. Because ex-Confederate officers entered all significant institutions and took control of the town. It turns out, this history is alive and well, thriving in the present than most ever wanted to acknowledge.

The fact is real Black history should affirm Black humanity in all the fullness of the human experience. It should demonstrate Black achievements from all over the world — from the medieval empires of Africa to the first Black Republic of Haiti, to the stories of Black musical genius. Then teach everything in between. It needs to show that Black achievement lies in

Thaddeus Lusby Reed (1930-2002) stands with his grandfather Thaddeus Stephens Lusby, Sr. (1856-1941) outside, circa 1934-1936. Born a slave and raised on a tobacco farm, Lusby moved to Louisville after emancipation and gained success as a builder and contractor including building the family home at 3534 Grand Avenue. | LUSBY FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS, THE FILSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Rev. Charles Elliott and A.D. King, younger brother of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., marching in 1968. | PHOTO COURTESY OF ROOTS 101: AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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revolution toward democracy just as much as it does in hitting a baseball or being the first doctor in a white institution. It should strive to tell the truth about racism, slavery and American brutality.

As long as America embraces Black History Month as it is, we are saying we are fine with its segregation and separation. That a short 28 days is enough for Black people — the rest of the year,

America can forget about it. So no, it isn’t enough to highlight a few Black celebrities and activists with sanitized legacies. Black History Month should affirm a commitment to advancing real solutions to anti-Black racism and also affirm the uniqueness of the Black experience. It’s not only a time to celebrate achievements, but to tell the entire story and the truth about racial inequality. •

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at the Green Street Baptist Church. | PHOTO COURTESY OF ROOTS 101: AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM.

Former signs and media hanging at Roots 101: African American Museum.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE PHOTO PROVIDERS

Mammoth Life and Accident Insurance (1915-1992) was one of the largest Black-owned and operated companies in Kentucky’s history.

Four individuals founded Mammoth Life during the “Golden Age of Black Business” in Louisville, Kentucky: B.O. Wilkerson, Rochelle I. Smith, William H. Wright, and Henry E. Hall. Below, An unidentified group of African American men and women believed to be standing on the steps of the company’s home office in Louisville, most likely 604-12 W. Walnut St. | PHOTO FROM THE FILSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

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The historic photos in this article were made possible by local organizations. We wanted to give a special thank you to Roots 101: African American Museum, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage and The Filson Historical Society for donating their resources and time to this article.

Roots 101: African American Museum is currently accepting donations via GoFundMe. The Filson Historical Society actively seeks family photographs and materials that help document and preserve a more inclusive story. Questions?

Contact Heather Potter, curator of photographs and prints.

And learn more about the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage’s latest events and exhibits at kcaah.org.

SIX BOOKS TO DIVE DEEPER INTO BLACK HISTORY With considerable voids in the average person’s Black history knowledge, it’d be a shame to leave you without recommending some books. For only knowledge of a thing can replace the absence of it. Yet, it is impossible to narrow down a limitless Black history into a few book covers. So don’t take this as an attempt. Instead, it is a list of books that shine brightly in my mind, ones that, in all their brilliance, have found permanent residence on my ever-expanding bookshelf.

I chose this humble collection to share here because it spans global, American and Kentucky Black history. Let these books be but a stop, a place to pause and reflect. Then, continue your lifelong journey to explore Black historical narratives.

“Racial Violence In Kentucky: Lynchings, Mob Rule, and ‘Legal Lynchings’” by George C. Wright George C. Wright brings to life a forgotten chapter in Kentucky history of great importance — anti-Black violence still brutally relevant in our own time. He shows how Jim Crow racial terror was prominent in Kentucky and how Black people resisted and fought against it. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Kentuckians cannot afford to avoid this painful past.

“Black Reconstruction, 1860-1880” by W.E. Burghardt Du Bois At 700 pages, this book is deep. But as it is with many precious gems, the ones buried deepest often shine brightest. It is a truly phenomenal work on the Reconstruction period in America.

It will enrich you. It is beautifully written

by Du Bois, who is, among many great minds, one of my

favorite scholars and the one who most often connects history to the present. His main argument is this: America failed Black people after slavery and failed to uphold its ideals of democracy. A must-read.

“Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience” by Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates Never underestimate the power of a good encyclopedia, as they hold a wealth of knowledge. This one-volume encyclopedia attempts the impossible — cataloging the African diaspora’s entire history, all within a massive 2,095-page book. No one could do it, but no one could make a better attempt than Appiah and Gates. Get this one used. If you find a new one, the price tag is as hefty as the book.

domestic violence.

“Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood” by Bell Hooks Bell Hooks stands out as a towering foremother of Black feminist thought, but many forget she was first a daughter of Kentucky. This poetic memoir tells the story of a poor Black girl growing up within a racially-segregated Appalachia. In it, she covers everything from racism to

people can change.

No, not change, but completely and utterly transform themselves.

Malcolm X was willing to question society with anger as extreme as the extreme conditions of Black people in America. He speaks to the tragic, but by the end of his life, also to the hope found in the human experience. This book will challenge the way you view race in America. A masterpiece. Words could never do this autobiography justice.

“A Black Women’s History of the United States” by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross Women, and especially Black women, have been underrepresented and unheard in the American historical narrative. This book seeks to solve that problem. The authors, importantly, both Black women, take a survey of Black women’s place in over 400 years of American history. A difficult task, no doubt, but the result is phenomenal. The lives and narratives of these women in history are presented in a way that makes you feel like you know them — highly recommended. •

“Autobiography of Malcolm X” by Malcolm X & Alex Haley Every once in a while, you read a book, and it changes your entire life. For me, “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” is one of those books. It stands as overwhelming proof that LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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STAFF PICKS WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10-14

Valentine’s Day Roundup

What does Valentine’s Day in a pandemic look like? We’re LOVE separated by masks, computers, or social-distancing rules, but we’re still connected. And, now more than ever maybe, the world could use a little love. So here are eight local events to participate in: ticketed, virtual, distanced and outside.

Valentine’s Day Local Artist Gift Market (Through Feb. 13) Kaiju | 1004 E. Oak St. | Search Facebook | No cover | Times vary Buy your sweetheart something local this Valentine’s Day at Kaiju’s Louisville artist gift market.

Valentine’s Day Beer And Cookie Pairing (Through Feb. 14) Old Louisville Brewery 625 W. Magnolia Ave. Search Facebook | $14 Times vary Order and pick up two pairings of Bourbon Baekehouse cookies and Old Louisville Brewery beers. Pairing #1: Double IPA + Red Velvet cookie. Pairing #2: Coffee Blode Ale + Cinnamon Roll cookie.

Free Virtual Painting Class - Valentine’s Balloons (Feb. 11) | Zoom Search Facebook | Free ($25 to buy a kit) | 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Create your own work of Valentine’s Day art, led by A Purposeful Ponte Studio. Register for the free Zoom class and provide your own supplies, or pay $25 for all you’ll need.

Valentine’s Day Hike (Feb. 12-13) | Jefferson Memorial Forest Horine Reservation 12304 Holsclaw Road, Fairdale, Kentucky | Search Facebook | $20-$40 per couple | 7-9 p.m.

Enjoy a candlelit night hike with your lover, ending with hot chocolate or a private bonfire with a s’mores kit. Call 368-5404 to register.

DIY Youth Workshops: Heart Wreath (Feb. 13) | Waterfront Botanical Gardens 1435 Frankfort Ave. | waterfrontgardens.org | $20 | 2-3 p.m.

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A Valentine’s craft for students in grades 6-12: A heart-shaped wreath made from a wire frame and artificial flowers. Light refreshments will be served.

Valentine’s Day Pajamas And Drag (Feb. 14) | CC’s Kitchen | 800 S. Fourth St. Search Facebook | $10 | Noon, 3 p.m.

Show up in your pajamas and enjoy brunch and a drag show featuring Mokha Montrese, Vanessa Demornay, Beverly Hellz, TB Sparrow and Zoe Zahara. Buy a ticket to reserve your spot.

LOVE By Dwiznasty (Feb. 14) | NoraeBar | 717 E. Market St. noraebar.myshopify.com | 717 E. Market St. | $10 | 5-10 p.m.

Destiny Mbachu (Dwiznasty) has curated a gallery evening featuring five Black local artists; food; drinks; and a self-love photoshoot.

Phelix’s Pleasure Principle (Feb. 14) | Instagram TV | instagram.com/phephephresh | Free-$20 | 7 p.m.

Submit relationship and sex advice to Valentine’s Day baby Phelix Crittenden, and she’ll answer your questions on Instagram TV. Toss in $20 to win a V’Day B’Day raffle bundle. — Danielle Grady

FRIDAY, FEB. 12

Harry Potter Trivia: Family Fun Night Virtual | Search Facebook | Free | 7 p.m.

Think you’re the biggest Harry Potter fan? Want to show that you know more about the seven-book series (and movies) than anyone else? Louisville Free Public WIZARD Library says put your magic wand to the test in this Family Fun Night trivia event. Register and pick up your Family Fun Night packet at your local LFPL branch, and get read to dive into some magical trivia. Although free, for this event you will need two devices to play along with the Kahoot app: one to watch the trivia questions, and the second to answer them. A login PIN will be provided on the Facebook Live stream. —LEO

STAFF PICKS

SATURDAY, FEB. 13

THROUGH MARCH 2

Virtual | kentuckyperformingarts.org | Free (donations accepted) | On demand

Revelry Boutique Gallery | 742 E. Market St. | revelrygallery.com | No cover

All Together Now

How about a Louisville concert for the ages to help us MUSIC through the second COVID winter? Otis Junior hosts a lineup of amazing performers, crossing multiple genres, which organizers Kentucky Performing Arts and 91.9 WFPK say, “[Will create] a musical time capsule reflecting perseverance, love, justice, peace and togetherness. Themes that define our present, while giving us Otis Junior performing in 2019. | PHOTO BY NIK VECHERY. the creative inspiration to build a better future.” Performances were recorded at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall and include: Bluegrass musician Aaron Bibelhauser paired up with 10-time Fiddler of the Year Award winner Michael Cleveland (who is blind and partially deaf); cellist, composer Ben Sollee teamed up with Louisville’s Zaniah; Carly Johnson and Scott T. Smith; Kiana Del and Otis Junior; Maestro J and Phillip Hancock. And, if you want to make a dinner and show of it, Wiltshire Pantry is offering a special dinner, donating 10% of its sales to KPA, which you can order online. Reservations are free, but close at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The show will be available for streaming until Feb. 21 at 11 p.m. —LEO

‘The SAMOSA Experience’ Lemons, meet lemonade.

When DJ Samosa ART couldn’t do her thing because of the pandemic, she returned to creating visual art.

This solo show is the debut of her new mixed media works.

And if you are reminded of the graffiti/street art of JeanMichel Basquiat (aka SOMA) or Keith Haring, well, thank you very much. It’s all about coping. —Jo Anne Triplett

TUESDAY, FEB. 16

‘Queen of Hearts’ by SAMOSA. Acrylic paint, markers, chalk and gold leaf on canvas.

Mardis Gras Roundup

When someone mentions social distancing, Mardis Gras probably isn’t the first FESTIVE thing that comes to mind, since the celebration is most associated with bright colors, close-quarters drunkenness and about any kind of excess you can imagine. It’s usually about the bad decisions, not the smart ones. But, this year is obviously a lot different, and a few local establishments want to keep the spirit of Mardis Gras alive in a safe way in the age of COVID. 22nd Annual Crawfish Boil | Mag Bar | 1398 S. Second St. | Search Facebook | 7 p.m. | Prices vary A classic crawfish boil is not just a meal, but a communal experience, meant to be an astonishing amount of food, full of good conversation, with an eat-until-you-can-no-longermove approach. Mag Bar wants to bring that experience, but in a safer and more distanced dynamic since COVID has changed the whole everyone-grab-what-they-want thing. There will be all of the delicious eats, with some new safety measures. They even added a to-go option. $10 all you can eat. $5 take home box. $5 hurricanes.

Mardis Gras 2021 | Lou Lou Food + Drink | 108 Sears Ave. | No cover | 11 a.m.

Lou Lou Food + Drink is throwing a party on its outdoor, heated patio that will feature music, food and, of course, the Mardis Gras headliner, booze. There will be an authentic Cajun menu all day, with favorites such as crawfish etoufee, red beans and rice, jambalaya, seafood gumbo, shrimp po’ boy, shrimp and grits, king cake, muffuletta, bayou dip and more.

Hurricanes will be served, music starts at 5 p.m. and reservations are recommended. —LEO

THROUGH MARCH 6

‘It Is What Is Not Yet Known’ By Kiah Celeste Quappi Projects | 827 E. Market St. | quappiprojects.com | Free Kiah Celeste’s first solo exhibition is composed of large sculpART tures. Once a photographer, she now creates assemblage with a focus on the environment. But, she realizes her use of industrial leftovers is a contradiction. “Celeste also finds inspiration in the natural world,” gallerist John Brooks explains, “employing these manmade materials to mimic what she sees as its inescapable, certain and ultimately unsurpassable beauty.” It’s all in how you look at it; in what once was discarded junk is now art. —Jo Anne Triplett

‘When the Window Cracked’ by Kiah Celeste.

Glass and microfoam.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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MUSIC

LOUDER THAN LIFE 2021 HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED

UPCOMING EVENTS Stay home and stay safe while still supporting your favorite local places with upcoming online events.

FEB 20

Poetry Derby Workshop with Kristina Erny Louisville Literary Arts

FEB 25

Trans-Inclusive Workplace 101

Queer Kentucky

THROUGH FEB 28

Infused Spirits

Make & Muddle EVERY MONDAY

The Intuitive Witch Circle

Jessica Tanselle: Medium

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By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com LOUDER Than Life is happening.

That’s the official word from the Danny Wimmer Presents camp, who announced last week that the outdoor Louisville hard rock festival is currently scheduled for Sept. 23-26 at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center. A lineup has yet to be released.

Last year, DWP canceled all three of its fall Louisville festivals — Louder Than Life, Bourbon & Beyond and Hometown Rising — because of the pandemic. This year, the company plans to cut its usually thick schedule of festivals across the nation down to four: Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida; Aftershock in Sacramento, California; the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio; and Louder Than Life in Louisville.

“Taking our festivals down last year was one of the most painful experiences our company has ever lived through,” Danny Wimmer, founder of Danny Wimmer Presents, said in a press release.

“And it wasn’t just painful for us, it was hard on the bands, fans, partners, cities and vendors. It has become clear to us that we will not be able to have our festivals this spring, and for a variety of reasons, it is not possible to produce all of our annual festivals in the window of fall 2021.”

“But how?” “What about COV—” Yes, we heard all the panic alarms too.

Currently, the safety measures that will be implemented at Louder Than Life are unclear, but the Q&A page of Louder Than Life’s website, states, “We are committed to the health and safety of all patrons and staff. Enhanced safety measures will be in place based on the latest guidance from city, county and state government health officials and will follow social distancing protocols and industry best practices.”

“Patrons and staff will be required to follow all safety precautions for admittance. All safety measures will be published prior to our events, posted at all entrances and enforced throughout our events.”

Danny Wimmer Presents declined to comment for this story. The city health department also did not respond to a request for comment.

The Louisville Mayor’s Office referred comment to the Kentucky State Fair Board, which did not respond by press time.

In a world still fighting a brutal and aggressive pandemic, the announcement of Louder than Life came as surprising news. At the same time, the announcement felt oddly comforting.

With vaccines going into more and more arms,

Guns N’ Roses performing at the 2019 Louder Than Life festival. | PHOTO BY WILL FENWICK.

the possibility of seeing live music doesn’t feel as far off, but with the fluid nature of the coronavirus, our willingness to stand in a crowd of breathers might challenge that. We’re in strange waters.

Scaling back the number of festivals may indicate that DWP intends to take safety concerns seriously, putting serious cash toward providing the best experience for its patrons as possible. The company’s festivals are known for their quality experiences at all ticket levels.

Last year, all of the DWP festivals had to be canceled because of the pandemic. Now, with more information about the disease and the spread, the limits of what events are possible are being tested. Just this past weekend with the Super Bowl hosting 22,000 fans in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers home at Raymond James Stadium, the drive toward returning to larger events is taking place. But, COVID has demonstrated little concern with our drives and desires. It remains to be seen if the Super Bowl will instead be a super-spreader event prompting more limits on large events or if safety protocols actually performed as they should.

Certainly, the Danny Wimmer Presents festivals are keeping an eye on these early events and making plans for their own. One of the already announced DWP events has decided on a reduced capacity and likely others will follow suit, as necessary.

Though concern about COVID remains high, it is a bright light to know that these glimmers of hope are still popping up and that DWP continues to see its investment in Louisville as an important piece of its festival production landscape.

At this time, no band announcements have been made and details remain few. As soon as we find out, you can be sure that LEO will report that information. •

FOOD & DRINK

RECOMMENDED

EXOTIC MEATS OR VEGGIE BURGERS: GET ‘EM BOTH AT GAME

By Robin Garr | LouisvilleHotBytes.com I LIKE Game restaurant. I like it a lot. It’s the only place I know of where all of these exotic options for a burger are on the menu: kangaroo, alpaca, wild boar, elk, venison.

But, you can get intriguing veggie burgers, too.

I learned an important thing about getting takeout fare from Game the other day: If you live more than about five minutes away from this little free-standing shop on Lexington Road, you might want to consider ordering your burgers rare, or waiting until you feel comfortable dining in to partake.

We ordered a selection of meats and a veggie burger the other day, and thanks to the inexorable physical phenomenon called carryover, all the animal flesh — ordered medium — cooked right up to well-done before we got it on the table.

I’m not going to say it still didn’t taste good. It tasted very good indeed. But welldone meat does a number of undesirable things to your ration: It dries out the juices and toughens the meat. In other words, if you want Game’s delights at their best, you

want to enjoy them as soon as you can get your teeth into them. Or get one of the estimable veggie burgers, which didn’t suffer from carryover cooking as the meats did.

Please don’t understand this as a complaint about Game, though. It was my own greedy fault for wanting to eat those tasty meatballs at home. I’m not sorry we got this bunch of meat and veggie protein; I’d just do it a little differently the next time.

More than a dozen meat choices include the familiar (prime angus, dry-aged or wagyu beef, bison, duck, rabbit and more) and the aforementioned exotic choices.

They’re available as three-ounce meatballs or larger burgers. You may choose them dressed as the chef recommends or build-your-own with your choice of meat, cheese, bread, dressings, toppings and sauce. The build-your-own options range in price from $11 (for prime angus or a salmon burger) to $17 (for wagyu or kangaroo). The chef’s recommendations add a buck or so.

Where does all this exotic meat come from? It is acquired from local farmers who

The venison burger at Game is topped with blue cheese. It’s normally served on a pretzel bun, but an everything bun filled in nicely when the standard was out of stock. | PHOTOS BY ROBIN GARR.

My favorite of Game’s three veggie burgers, this house-made specialty features garbanzo patties akin to falafels, studded with bits of poblano pepper and corn kernels.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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FOOD & DRINK

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | BOOKS

BOOK REVIEWS: STARK OR NEIGHBORLY?

By T.E. Lyons | leo@leoweekly.com

“Lost Girls” by Ellen Birkett Morris (TouchPoint Press; 140 pgs., $13.99) “Stories from the Porch” by Roger L. Guffey (Palmetto; 293 pgs., $14.99)

Here’s a closer look at Game’s everything-style burger bun bearing a tasty venison burger.

raise exotic animals for sale as high-quality meat, the Game website assures us.

If you’re not down with this level of carnivorishness, Game also offers three meatless burgers. A portabella burger ($12), a fried green tomato sandwich ($11) and a garbanzo-poblano-corn burger ($11).

There’s also a short list of sides and a couple of desserts, but the name of the game here is, well, Game.

Game is currently open for inside dining, carryout, curbside and delivery. We put in a phone order for curbside pickup and got quick, friendly service.

We sampled three kinds of meat and the garbanzo burger, plus two sides.

A wild boar meatball and an elk meatball (both $4) and a venison burger with the chef’s pick of toppings ($15) proved to be more similar than different. In fact, the two meatballs were put in the same box with no clear way to identify them, so our feast turned out to be something like a blind tasting of fancy wines, looking for nuances to help distinguish each varietal … er, animal.

We started with the sandwich, which we knew was venison. Even cooked through, it was typical deer meat, similar to beef but tougher, even in its coarsely ground form, with a hint of earthy taste akin to beef tongue. It was topped with blue cheese that nicely complemented the earthy venison, and it was dressed with wild lettuce and a slice of pale winter tomato, served on a tasty everything bun in lieu of the usual pretzel bun, which was out of stock.

Identifying the two meatballs was more of a challenge, particularly since the carryover cooking had dried them out

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and diminished their flavor. One meatball was relatively coarsely ground; the other fine-ground.

The finer-ground meatball definitely fell in the beefy category, with a gamey back note reminiscent of beef liver, and the fine grind suggested a response to tough meat.

We’re putting the elk label on this one.

The coarse-ground meatball had a subtle minty-herby undertone, and we later noticed that tiny cubes of what appeared to be fresh ginger were ground into the mix. Its good flavor lacked the distinct beefy-liver character of the other, earmarking it as the wild boar.

The meatballs came with a tub of smoked truffle mayo and cranberry jalapeño jam, Game’s standard condiments.

The grilled garbanzo-poblano-corn veggie burger ($11) consisted of two falafelstyle patties stacked on a simple briochebased burger bun. Chopped poblano peppers and yellow corn kernels added flavor pops to the mashed garbanzo patties, as bits of brie, smoked truffle mayo, lettuce and tomato added flavor accents.

Sides of hand cut fries ($3) and gilled asparagus ($5) made it home in good shape, but I wish the chef had discarded the stringy asparagus ends so I didn’t have to.

An excellent meal for two was $44.52, plus a $10 tip. •

GAME

2295 Lexington Road 618-1712 wildgameburgers.com

driven focus. Her choices of detail are spare but affecting (and random, often singular).

Rare are the ventures into prose devices like metaphor — such as this from “Swimming,” a swirl of contrasts and intersections HERE’S a pair of Kentucky writers who in cautious small-town sex lives: “She never have taken very different paths for how they imagined that losing her virginity would be give voice to their short stories. With their like buying a used race car, something shiny collections, both are looking and sleek on the outside but into how to get through and broken deep inside.” get over some of the tougher Morris’ tales gain potency times in life. with their spaces. But is that every reader’s preference?

For Louisville’s Morris, trauma shatters lives, and Guffey’s “collection of narrasurvival — of body or of tives” includes sections of up spirit — is often a challenge to a half-page just to explain for which help may be fleethow and why one character ing and undependable. Her might find reason to act as style is concise, though not storyteller, or why another so much intentionally clipped finds warmth in patient as it is focused. Lexington’s listening (and maybe some Guffey, meanwhile, is more coffee at a local diner). There often concerned with how are folksy quirks in need of communication and learning sharpening — and others Ellen Birkett Morris could be dropped outright. can be imparted gradually.

“Lost Girls” But some readers keep one He’s unafraid to be outright chatty and to hint to his readshelf in their library for reasers that comfort of setting suring reminders of what’s helps to entertain and even already within their experiimpart lessons. ence except for one or two steps into a new moment.

Morris starts her collecAt one end of Guffey’s tion with two of the most devastating pieces. The colrange, “Apostrophe to Alene” lection’s eponymous lead-off is an easy mystery in structale is a quick take on time’s ture — but beneath lie mulpassing in the wake of a hortiple layers of maudlin. Other rifying crime. It’s observation tales confidently venture into from a true (local) historical the gentler side of what might crime of note but fictionalbe read in an Ellery Queen’s ized as part of linked threads Mystery Magazine or seen in Roger L. Guffey “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” that help maintain the book’s “Stories from the Porch” But some are simply the strength. “Inheritance” brings to the fore a well-written stuff of Norman Rockwell brutality — as seen by women and most canvasses. often directed toward women (from preMorris and Guffey give us characters adolescents to the aged). who must go through much they’d rather avoid — as must we all. Guffey might go Most of the dozen-plus tales hinge on over to Biblical proverbs for story titles reactions to physical or emotional violence. but then let his narrative stray from how It might seem that there isn’t enough matethe proverb fits into today’s rural America. rial that doesn’t involve distinct victimization of women, particularly when you see And Morris might sweep her characters into what the author can evoke with the likes some of the darkest straits imaginable but of “Harvest,” a beautifully sympathetic wrap up the tale with small signs of friendstudy of a life’s somewhat-wayward path. ship, or simple demonstrations of the will to But Morris clearly prefers to emphasize a get back on one’s feet. •

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | ART

BLACK ART AT AUCTION:

THE COLLECTION OF MR. ANTHONY FRENCH, SR.

By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com ART is a process that begins with an idea.

The artist takes the idea and translates that into a creation and then, at some point, if the artist is lucky, a person appreciates that creation, understands the artist’s intention and wants to pay them money to own it.

The collector is an integral part of the arts ecosystem.

Louisville’s collectors buy art at different levels. Like other cities, local collectors range from the high-paying art buyer who purchases via auction house to the art buyer who gets to know the artist and buys it directly from the creator. Most collectors fall into the latter type. Yet, even if we aren’t collectors, since the advent of art via cave drawings and our first utterings, most of us live with some type of imagery, sculpture or music in our daily lives. It connects us to our histories and helps us dream about our futures.

Mr. Anthony French was one of those local collectors; and now, since his passing in August of 2020, his collection is going up for sale. The works include important works by important Black artists like John Biggers, Jacob Lawrence, Elizabeth Catlett, and Sam Gilliam, who grew up in Louisville. Gilliam’s work, in particular, is seeing renewed interest.

French’s story is as notable as his art collection. It is one of perseverance and dedication to his community, a life-lived and reflected in the art he collected.

French was born and raised in Louisville. One of 15 children, his father started, and was pastor of, Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church located on Vermont Avenue in the West End. French graduated from Central High School in the ‘60s. It was the alma mater for many in Louisville’s West End at the time. He dreamed of going to college but was discouraged, as was the case for many Black students in the day. He was determined to find a way.

He decided to join the Navy and upon finishing his military service, he married his high school sweetheart, Sandra, started a family and joined the workforce.

His work life landed him at Philip Morris International, where he would spend the remainder of his career. During his time at Philip Morris, he began his education at UofL and was promoted through the ranks of the company eventually becoming a plant manager.

“He earned the respect he got,” said his second wife and widow, Ms. Mary Ruth French, noting that current Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and former Mayor Jerry Abramson spoke at his memorial service. “He used his influence and position to help a lot of Black people get jobs, good jobs.”

In his last years at Philip Morris, his was transferred to Virginia and South Carolina until his retirement in the 1990s when he returned to Louisville and began collecting art.

“Tony appreciated art. He was impressed when he saw a Black person who had talent. He looked for it,” said Ms. French.

During a time when life should have slowed down, Mr. French put his foot on the gas and served his community. He was elected to several important boards of directors including being voted chairman of the TARC board in 2003.

“He was just a special guy.” she said.

“He came up when opportunities were not always there for Black people. He took advantage of whatever opportunity that came to him.”

When Ms. French decided to downsize from the large home they shared in the West End, she knew that meant parting ways with some of his prized possessions.

Understanding their value and knowing that she wanted to continue to build upon their shared dreams of renovating and expanding upon a shopping center they purchased a few years back, she decided to put the collection up for auction.

“I want to use his collection to continue the vision he had for the shopping center,” she said. The shopping center was the former Shawnee Shopping Center and is located in the West End between 38th and 39th street on Amy Avenue. The area also features a community garden started by Ms. French on an adjacent property to the shopping center.

Barry Thomas of Howard and Thomas Auction House first reached out with the story, excited when he learned of the collection and discovered that some of the pieces hold historical provenance as early studies of several Ed Hamilton monuments, including faces from the “Spirit of Freedom” monument in Washington D.C. which sits near the Howard University campus in the Shaw neighborhood.

In total, Mr. French had eight Ed Hamilton studies and about 300 more pieces of art.

“He was a good collector in that he had a wide variety of things,” said Thomas.

As we spoke, Thomas and crew were in the process of transporting and cataloging the collection, including the Hamiltons. The auction will be one of the first to feature works from Ed Hamilton. Much of his work is very large and on public display.

“As an artist, your auction records determine your market A bust from the value,” said Thomas, Anthony French, Sr. collection in hopes that Hamilton will establish an auction record that speaks to the importance and value of the great works he’s produced for many years.

If the auction goes well, the legacy of Mr. French’s collection will have the chance to be shared and appreciated by many, but will be instrumental in cementing his dream of helping his community thrive.

“In retirement, he wanted to do something where he lived,” said Ms. French. “He didn’t try to go to the East End.” “I shared that vision, that we need to develop things in our neighborhood as a source of pride for our people.”

The auction is scheduled to run from February 14-28 via the Howard and Thomas website. •

Ed Hamilton study | PHOTO BY BARRY THOMAS.

Mr. Anthony French, Sr.

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | PERFORMING ARTS

STUDIO VISIT: THERESA BAUTISTA

By Melissa Chipman | leo@leoweekly.com [Studio Visit is a series that aims to highlight and introduce some of the many members of our local creative community, in a more personal, one-on-one way. Get to know Louisville’s creatives. Learn more about the work that artists do and never forget that artwork is work.]

BECAUSE of construction for a home renovation project, the house in which Theresa Bautista is staying has a dedicated room for dance (once you rid the floor of the dog toys). This isn’t true at her real home, where her dance space is limited to a 10-by-10 foot clearing in the living room, and where she frequently bumps into furniture. Bautista is a freelance teacher and choreographer who teaches for UK, the Governor’s School for the Arts and the Louisville Ballet School, among others. But, because of COVID, space really doesn’t matter.

“Everyone is dancing in boxes,” said Bautista, referring to conducting and participating in lessons online with the limitations of a computer camera. “You’re just looking at little boxes,” Bautista said, and “creating exercises that keep [the dancers] in their boxes.”

The hardest part of teaching dance online during COVID is creating community and making sure students stay connected even when they’re dancing solo. Performances create community and opportunities to perform are hard to come by during the lockdown. But, opportunities to perform are not absent, they’re just different.

In October 2020, during COVID, Bautista staged her work “Extra small living… in a not so large world” as part of the University of Kentucky Department of Theatre & Dance’s parking lot concert, “Once Vacant: Bodies in motion… still.” Students rehearsed online or masked together outdoors. The production was staged within a circle of cars, with the cars’ headlights providing additional stage lighting. The music was streamed through the cars’ radios, much like Kentucky Shakespeare’s production of “Macbeth” last fall, although Bautista drew her inspiration from a dance company in Los Angeles who also staged a parking lot dance concert. With the help of her filmmaker partner, Clayton Hable, Bautista has also been able to film some “screen dances.” She says that the downtime created

by COVID has opened her up to collaborations with artists from other disciplines.

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“I’m always open for collaboration and to finding common ground,” she said. It helps grow her as an artist. Last summer, Bautista was awarded the Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship grant for choreography from the Kentucky Arts Council. It’s an unrestricted professional development grant. Her first thought was to use the funds to travel for professional development — perhaps an artists’ retreat — to work on her next steps as an artist. COVID foiled that plan, although she said that the past year has almost been like an artists’ retreat as the pandemic has opened up her ability to train with dancers from New York City all the way to Australia.

As more dancers and dance companies are moving their works online, Bautista says, “you get to see things you don’t get to see [in Louisville].”

While the pandemic has the dance world dancing less, it has it talking more.

“We know there are problems in the dance community,” she said.

Black Lives Matter protests this past summer prompted practitioners to talk about inequality, cultural appropriation in the jazz world, whitewashing in the ballet world, body politics and dancing with disabilities.

As an Asian American, Bautista began to ask, “Why haven’t I addressed my own race in dance?”

“Advocacy is happening,” said Bautista. BLM and adjacent advocacy have prompted dialogue in the dance community about education and expectation.

Recently, for example, dancewear companies have started offering pointe shoes and tights in various skin tones rather than just the pink that has long been the uniform for ballet dancers.

Bautista was born in Louisville, raised in Jeffersonville and is a graduate of Indiana University.

She returned to Louisville to begin her teaching and continue her dancing career. She was a member of Art! Art! Barking Dog for six years. She was also the founder and served as co-producer of Moving

Collective. During its 12-year existence, the organization produced festival-style concerts to provide local and regional choreographers and dancers a venue in which to share their craft.

Currently, in addition to teaching, she is serving as the choreographer of Providence High School’s upcoming production of “Footloose,” which will be staged in “one way or another” in April or June. Tickets to a “screen dance” that Bautista produced for the Youth Performing Arts School will be available on its website from February 17-21.

Some of the Louisville Ballet Studio Company will also stage a performance virtually in May. • Dancer Theresa Bautista.

Theresa Bautista on stage.

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How a door might be slammed Subcontractor in a bathroom remodel Gusto One may be nominated for a Hugo Award Least forward Palindromic farm animal ‘‘We ____ Overcome’’ Stubborn sorts It helps in passing Rocker Cobain Japan’s street food mecca Diarist who documented the Great Plague of London 70 Gets lost 76 Eponym of the Detroit Lions field 78 Any Olympian, once 80 Drops an f-bomb, say 82 False fronts 85 Promises, promises!

86 Takes steps 87 ____ avis 88 Coarse farm sound 89 Dangerous move on a busy highway 90 ‘‘Blueberries for ____’’ (kid-lit classic) 91 Legendary password stealer 92 Higher, as ambitions 96 Build-your-own Tex-Mex dish 98 Does a dog trick

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Prepare for a road trip, perhaps End of a threat Nora Ephron and Sofia Coppola, for two The land down under?

Walk-____ Prickly covering of a seed ‘‘____ the only one?’’

Beatles title woman ‘‘____ your request .?.?. ’’ Feature of a classical Greek drama ‘‘You betcha!’’ ‘‘The ____ — is wider than the Sky’’ (start of an Emily Dickinson poem) Bit of fill-in-the-blanks fun Subject of intl. treaties Compliant sorts Squalid digs Sports team V.I.P.s Corporate money managers, for short Ancient Egyptians Result of a breast pocket mishap, maybe Ally of the Brat Pack Common baking pear Sacred cross in ancient Egypt Chance to go Preserve, in a way Only Stratego piece with a letter on it Sardine container Studmuffin Absorb, as sauce with bread Give extra consideration, with ‘‘on’’ Idaho, e.g., in dialect Color marker Got hip, with ‘‘up’’

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18 Deep secret 19 ‘‘____ Dead?’’ (Mark Twain play) 20 Quickly learn one’s lesson?

21 Startling sound 22 Bookworms call dad?

24 South Beach and Paleo, for two 26 Swiss painter Paul 27 Company whose business is picking up?

28 Seedy area?

29 Big Apple media inits.

30 Depletes, with ‘‘up’’ 31 A young Justice Ginsburg chuckles?

36 Signature item 37 Singer Watson, a.k.a.

Tones and I, with the 2019 hit ‘‘Dance Monkey’’ 38 Apt name for a lawyer 39 False accusation, informally 40 Fancy Feast alternative 43 One ‘‘R’’ in R&R 46 Hoarse 47 Do core exercises all day, every day?

51 ‘‘____ Brockovich’’ 52 Quick drive 53 Elusive legend 54 Business for Sanders supporters?

57 Holiday dish served with sour cream or applesauce 60 Links grp.

62 Hard to handle, in a way 64 Hunky-dory 66 Response to an order 67 Burger King bingefest?

71 Alma mater for Spike Lee and Donald Glover, for short 72 Logical connector 73 With the greatest of ____ 74 ____ golf 75 Sloped-roof support 77 Govt. org. with a forerunner known as the Black Chamber 79 Race units 81 Dinner-table expander 83 Hops-drying oven 84 Supernova in our galaxy?

90 Follower of word or potato 93 ‘‘Gimme ____’’ 94 ____-cat

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ACROSS

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BY LUCY HOWARD AND ROSS TRUDEAU / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

Numerous Symbols in Twitter handles Like ____ of sunshine Anatomical pouch When E.M.T.s bring home the bacon? ‘‘I mean .?.?. ’’ A/C spec Members of the crow family Heavier alternative to a foil Guthrie who performed at Woodstock Cutting edge?

Some astronomy Ph.D.s?

Longtime Japanese P.M. who stepped down in 2020 ‘‘Runnin’?’’ team of N.C.A.A. Division I college basketball Comparable (to) Disciple Tarnish Really good time Capital near the North Sea Prepares (for)

I B A N U M S R I N U B A B T O N I I S K A N C H N S E S W H O P E A S E L A P I L K Y D A S O F S A V E J A Y L I N E U T E S G A S

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The New York Times Magazine Crossword

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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PHOTO BY RACHEL ROBINSON

ETC.

SAVAGE LOVE

By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage

TOY BOY

Q: I’m positive you’ve written something about this in the past. I have searched your archives but have only managed to find people arguing in the comments about this topic when what I want is your advice. My sixteen-year-old son is stealing our sex toys. My son took my husband’s handheld toy a several months ago. I found it where it shouldn’t have been and let my husband know.

He talked to our son and told him these are personal items, like a toothbrush, and that he needed to stop taking them.

A few weeks ago I noticed my dildo was missing. I thought I had misplaced it or that my husband hid it somewhere. As it turns out, our son took it. We talked with him again and stressed that these are personal items and not something to be shared. I want to get him his own toy so he stops taking ours. My husband is squicked out about it and I agree it’s weird to have your parents buy a toy for you but he clearly wants one. I don’t want to pick it out. I want to give him a prepaid gift card and have him pick out what he wants from the website a reputable shop.

Is there a better way to handle this?

Mama In Houston A: Teenagers. Going into their rooms for even a second—even just to leave clean and folded laundry on their beds—is an unforgiveable invasion of their privacy, a world-historical crime on a par with the Nazi invasion of Poland, an atrocity that should land mom and dad in a cell in the Hague. But that same kid will tear their parents’ bedroom apart looking for mom and dad’s sex toys, any cash mom and dad have at home, mom and dad’s secret stash of pot, etc. Because while they’re entitled to absolute privacy, mom and dad—or dad and dad or mom and mom—aren’t entitled to any privacy at all. (And your son may never forgive you for the embarrassment you caused him when you asked him not to steal—and not to use—your dildo.)

How do you handle this?

You could forbid him to go into your bedroom. You could even put a lock on your bedroom door. But you’ll forget to lock it one day or one day he’ll learn to pick the lock and before you know it he’ll be back in your bedroom picking through your sex toys.

You could run out the clock. Your son is 16 years old and he’ll hopefully be out

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of the house in less time than it took to get him out of diapers. Twenty-four short months, hundreds of millions of COVID vaccinations, and a few college applications are all that stand between you and having your house all to yourselves again.

At that point you and your husband won’t have to worry about your son stealing your sex toys—hell, at that point you can make a lovely centerpiece out of them for the dining room table. But while running out the clock allows you to avoid some squickiness, you’re still gonna have to worry about him swiping your sex toys or—even worse—swiping one, using it, and then putting it back without cleaning it properly. Most sixteen-year-old boys can’t clean themselves properly; the odds that your son is capable of sterilizing your dildo after using it on himself are very, very low. (The odds that your son can make you wanna jump in a time machine and go back seventeen years and sterilize yourself? Very, very high.)

You could buy him some sex toys. I think this is the best option. Get your son a gift card that he can blow on some toys for himself at a reputable sex toy shop. Or you could pick out a few for him—you already have a pretty handle on the type of sex toys he finds appealing—and leave those toys for him on his bed next to his clean and folded laundry. Having a few sex toys of his own won’t necessarily stop him from tearing your bedroom apart—there’s still your pot and cash to find—but it will make him less likely to tear your bedroom apart looking sex toys. And perhaps most importantly, buying your son some sex toys will allow you to suspend your disbelief and pretend your son isn’t looking through your sex toys long enough to help him fill out those college applications.

Q: A few weeks ago in your column, you were responding to a guy who was unsure about his relationship because his boyfriend’s kinks didn’t match up with his own. You said that kinks are “hardwired” and that, for someone who has them, acting on their kinks is necessary for them to have a fulfilling sex life. Wow. That leapt off the page at me. This is something I’ve struggled with most of my life and that made things so crystal clear. From the time I was first sexually

aware, I knew I was gay and that I was attracted to BDSM. I am five years out of a twenty-year relationship. My partner and I dabbled in BDSM but I never felt like he was really into it. He was just doing it for me. When I asked what I could do for him, he’d always say “nothing.” That made it even more disappointing. The relationship didn’t end over his stuff, but I regret sticking with it, and an unfulfilling sex life, for so long. The kink stuff started so early for me. Hard-wired doesn’t even begin to describe it. Prepuberty I was fascinated when I saw guys getting tied up on TV, in comics, and in movies. But now here I am, single and 63 years old. I haven’t dated anyone since my relationship ended. I don’t want to date purely vanilla people or people with kinks that aren’t compatible with mine.

I’m just not sure what to do. Any advice?

I’ve No Clever Acronym A: In the column where I described kinks as hard-wired—which they are for most people, INCA, although some folks do manage to acquire them—I didn’t advise kinky people to date only other kinky people. So long as a kinky person isn’t 1. being shamed and 2. is allowed to enjoy their kinks with others who share them, a mixed kink/vanilla relationship can work.

So don’t limit yourself to dating only guys who are into BDSM. Date vanilla guys you meet through mainstream dating apps but be open about your kinks from the start and be clear about your intent to enjoy your kinks with guys who share them. And date kinky guys you meet on kink dating apps—there are plenty of guys your age on Recon, the biggest personals site for kinky gay and bi men, and guys of all ages who are into guys your age. Good luck.

Q: Gay boy here with a new boyfriend.

We’ve been together for almost two months and I TOLD HIM that I want an open relationship but I AM NOT comfortable with him dating other men. I MADE THAT CLEAR. A week ago he oh-so-casually drops that he’s been meeting up with a guy for EIGHT FUCKING YEARS! I told him he had to STOP this but my he REFUSES to stop it. He says they aren’t “dating” so he didn’t betray me. I looked at their text messages—GOING BACK YEARS—and this guy will send him a message once every few months and my boyfriend hurries over to his house to blow him. My boyfriend thinks it shouldn’t matter that he’s “servicing” this one other person since we both fuck around. My problem is the “ONE OTHER PERSON” part of the equation! I am NOT interested in monogamy but I am STRONGLY opposed

to MY BOYFRIEND having an ONGOING THING with another man! If our ages matter: I am in my mid-twenties and VGL, my boyfriend is in his mid-thirties and VGL, and this guy is in his LATE forties and TOTALLY AVERAGE LOOKING. I do not see why my boyfriend won’t GIVE UP this man for me.

Really Angry Guy Into No Games A: I can almost see why your boyfriend wouldn’t want to give up this guy for you, RAGING. I mean, if I squint I can almost make it out…

Look, your boyfriend has been servicing this guy for almost a decade.

If they wanted to date, they’d be dating.

If they wanted to be together, they’d be together. And if you force your boyfriend to choose between the DEMANDING INSECURE CAPS BOY he’s known for a little less than two months—that would be you—and the guy he’s been servicing for a little less than a decade, you’re going to lose. If you wanna be with your VGL boyfriend, RAGING, offer to grandfather the average guy in, i.e. agree to him continuing to service this impossibly old fart on the condition that your boyfriend doesn’t add any new “regulars” to his rotation.

But the off chance your boyfriend also reads my column: OMG, DUDE, RUN. mail@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage. www.savagelovecast.com

CLASSIFIED LISTINGS LEGAL Notice is hereby given by Riverport Auto Salvage 8000 Cane Run RD, Louisville, Ky 40258 (502)-937-9806. Owner has 14 days to respond in writing to obtain title to the following: 1986 Chev P30 VIN-1GBJP37W9G3306106.

Owned by John Fleming & Rhonda Fleming 301 Sarah Ln, 23692. Du Quoin, IL 62832 Lien holder Du Quoin State Bank P.O.Box 468, Du Quoin, IL 62832.

Kentuckiana’s Auction Service 6607 Memory Lane Louisville KY 40258. Has intent to obtain title to 2007 Ford Mustang VIN 1ZVHT80N4753314751.

Owner of title Hector Herrera 1266 Hanover Rd T7 Delaware OH 43015 And a 1974 Bronco VIN V15GLU48621 Owner of title David Tywman 7318 W Hwy 524 La Grange KY 40031 unless the owner or lien holder objects in writing within 14 days after publication.

Kentuckiana’s Auction Service 6607 Memory Lane Louisville KY 40258 intends to apply for title on a 2018 Tracker fishing boat HIN US-BUJ51087l718 title owner Ronald Spaulding 8414 Roseborough Rd Louisville KY 40228 the owner or lien holder objects in writing within 14 days after publication.

Kavanaugh’s Paint & Body Co. Inc., Louisville, KY 40213. 502-4597302. Is seeking to obtain a clear title to a 2003 Jaguar S-Type Vin#SAJEA01T43FM92904. Owner Norman Lee 818 Muhammad Ali Blvd Louisville, KY 40204. You have 21 days from the first date of this legal notice to notify me and satisfy your debt in full.

Just like Heine Brothers’, the LEO has always been about our community. Local arts, restaurants, books, sports, theatre, film, music - the LEO covers it all, and goes deep into the stories and people of Louisville that no one else is able to. Plus, being named “The best place to pick up the LEO” year after year by the readers of the LEO has been a fun part of the journey.

Heine Brothers’

www.heinebroscoffee.com

If you'd like a LEO Weekly rack at your business, email distribution@leoweekly.com LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021

21

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 22

LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 10, 2021