LEO Weekly, March 12, 2025

MARC MURPHY

THE VIBE IS SHIFTING, AND I DON’T LIKE IT

I know you see it too

Have you noticed it? Ever since Kin—I mean, “the president”—was elected, it feels like the vibe has started to shift. Whether it be something small like Pete Davidson getting his tattoos removed or something much larger and way more horrible like millions of people losing Medicaid benefits and subsequently dying, it just feels like things are going in the wrong direction.

Listen, the last guy was old. Even worse, he just didn’t have the same swagger, charm and cognitive ability to beat the Orange Furher. The only chance Brandon had to speak against him in a debate, and he floudered worse than an out-of-oxygen-and-fulllof-Louisville-toxic-waste fish on the banks of the Ohio. What’s worse, when the Democrats sent out their “best and brightest” on stage at the Democratic National Convention, he looked older and weaker than ever before. Despite great success economically, there was no way you could impress that onto your base with former president “Biden Blast” at the helm, which means there is less than a 1%

chance you’ll understand what the former geriatric-in-chief was trying to convey.

Sure, he got our emissions down to record low post-pandemic numbers, put together plans to lower taxes on those in the real world who suffer daily from policies, laws and Acts put in place before they were even born, and invested in new technologies that could spur on the next technological leap that could jump the United States ahead of foreign competitors with wages reaching newly-sprang unions in red states like the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.

But what is it about Americans that has us voting against the things we need? Why do we continuously make life harder on ourselves while giving up everything we have, what we own (or don’t own, and like it?) and who we are to Big Tech oligarchs who would shit us out into the same Ohio River lying next to that same lame fish?

It feels like all around me are these talking heads who are all saying something similar in the vein of “Now we can take the muzzles

off and say what we really want to say.” Why not just say it sooner? Why not just do your salute sooner? Take the mask off! If the vibe of doing good for others and being a decent person is going out of style, then why are you trying so hard to be “in style” in the first place?

With that said, I’ve noticed in just the short amount of time since the new regime has held power at the federal level, things are starting to change for the worse here at home. It’s as though some of the most extreme ideas in the marketplace are finding themselves in the dead middle of the square, with Americans genuinely giving credibility to warmongers, overpayed warlords, oligarchs and the spread of their ideas of individualism, “meritbased” ascension and cutting off capital from life-saving treatment for the same Americans that voted for the overlords to kill them by pulling the plug, not giving them the medicine they need, or other means of terrorizing the electorate into breed, work, die. It wasn’t what I was taught in school. Remember the “melting pot” we were

spoonfed by our teachers?

I’ll be honest. I’m not optimistic. I should be in the prime of my life. I should be able to say that things are only looking up from here. This is the time where I work hard and play hard, and nothing stands in my way from the dream of one day attaining happiness by making a life out of the work that I put in. Now that idea has been challenged. I still do the work. I still make sure the electorate is well-fed with knowledge about what the public’s civil servants are up to here in Kentucky and across these United States. I have to make sure that enough people know why we do what we do.

Since the vibe here at home has shifted, leaning lock-and-step with the celebrity culture at large here in America, let me ask you something:

Are you truly prepared for what comes next?

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FEDERAL WORKFORCE CUTS HIT KENTUCKY HARD

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency drives mass layoffs across the Commonweatlh

BY CALEB STULTZ

Lead by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Trump administration has moved with little foresight to cut the federal workforce down to its barest of bones. These initiatives comprise budget cuts, decreased civil service protections, targeted firings, an executive order forcing staff reductions and hiring freezes and an executive order promoting resignations.

Although these losses are being felt all throughout the nation, in Kentucky— where the federal government is a big employer—the effects are more acute. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimates that 23,114 federal civilian workers will be employed by the state in 2024. With almost 13,000 employees in the state, that figure ranks the federal government above big private companies, including Amazon, Ford and UPS.

Impact on Veterans’ Services in Kentucky

With 6,111 staff members providing vital services to the 370,000 veterans—7.2% of Kentucky’s adult population—the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employs the most of any federal agency in Kentucky. The Veterans Health Administration alone employs 5,401 Kentuckians, including doctors, nurses and personnel at VA hospital institutions in Lexington, Louisville, and Ft. Thomas. Plus, serving veterans in localities all around the Commonwealth are VA outpatient clinics and mental health service centers around the state.

Working for the Veterans Benefits Administration, another 567 Kentuckians help veterans with access to programs including home loans and the GI Bill. These employees operate in offices in Fort Campbell, Louisville and Fort Knox, where Trump says he wants to “see if the gold is there.” 23 Kentuckians employed by the National Cemetery Administration maintain veterans’ cemeteries around the state. The layoffs and hiring freezes have prompted questions about the continued ability of the VA to serve veterans. With nearly 25% of Kentucky’s federal workforce—5,756 employees—having been on the job for less than two years, they are especially vulnerable to the mass terminations of probationary employees that began in mid-February.

Federal Layoffs Create Uncertainty

The Trump administration’s cuts have put Kentucky’s federal workforce in a state of uncertainty. The Department of Government Efficiency has not stated how many federal employees have been dismissed or quit nationwide, including in Kentucky. The government claims to have saved taxpayers $55 billion, but that amount has been contested.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office has indicated they do not have information on the number of terminated government employees in Kentucky. Senator Rand Paul’s office did not reply to calls for comment. Representative Morgan McGarvey, Kentucky’s lone Democrat in Congress, acknowledged that his office has been swamped with calls from residents worried about the changes.

“Our office has received hundreds of calls

from Kentuckians who are deeply concerned about Elon Musk taking a sledgehammer to critical federal agencies like the Social Security Administration,” McGarvey stated. “I heard from a constituent who was laid off from her job at a federal agency. She is a single mom and is now quite worried about health care coverage for herself and her child. She and numerous other public servants were sacked, not because their responsibilities are not vital, but merely because they were hired during the last two years.”

McGarvey and other Democrats have urged for greater transparency in how Musk and the Trump administration have carried out these employment layoffs. “There has been an utter lack of transparency around DOGE. Elon Musk is operating in the shadows, unaccountable for the lives he’s impacting,” McGarvey said to the Lexington Herald Leader.

Supporters Argue Cuts Are Necessary

Many Republicans have backed the cuts, stressing the need to control government expenditure despite pushing for a defense spending bill that would bloat up by at least $100 billion. The federal workforce payroll stood at $840 billion, and critics contend that several agencies had increased their programs and people without sufficient accountability.

Senator Rand Paul, speaking on Breitbart News radio, supported the terminations, particularly those at the IRS. “Really, what you have to do is get rid of the dead wood and get some people who actually could run the place. I mean, the software’s 40 years old,” Paul said. “They’re incompetent.”

The Trump administration has also targeted other government agencies, shutting down programs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and eliminating the U.S. Agency for International Development.

National Unions and Lawmakers Push Back

The widespread terminations have generated anger from labor unions and Democratic lawmakers. The National Federation of Federal Employees, which represents 110,000 workers, has sued the administration over the firings. Similarly, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 800,000 workers, has attacked the White House for politically motivated mass terminations.

“These firings are not about poor performance—there is no evidence these employees were anything but dedicated public servants,” said AFGE President Everett Kelley in a statement to the Trump White House. “They are about power. They are about destroying the federal government, suppressing workers, and driving agencies into compliance with a radical ideology that puts cronyism above competence.”

Consequences for Key Federal Agencies

Reports indicate that terminations have affected many agencies, including the Department of Education, General Services Administration, Office of Personnel Management, Small Business Administration, U.S. Forest Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC, situated in Atlanta, saw more than 1,000 employees sacked, triggering aprotest from Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff.

“President Trump’s indefensible, indiscriminate firing of more than 1,000 CDC personnel in a single day leaves Americans exposed to disease and devastates careers and livelihoods for the world’s most talented doctors and scientists,” Ossoff said on the Senate floor.

Veterans Affairs, which employs 21% of the federal workforce, slashed more than 1,000 personnel, with VA Secretary Doug Collins describing the action as a cost-saving measure. “At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on veteran care,” Collins said. “This was a tough decision, but ultimately it’s the right call.”

The Ripple Effects on Kentucky

The cuts extend beyond direct job losses. Kentucky has 34,970 retired federal employees or their survivors who receive pension benefits. As the federal workforce declines, fewer retirees will remain in the state, which might undermine local economies.

The presence of government workers is particularly strong in Hardin County, home to Fort Knox, but the consequences are being seen in rural areas as well. The economic and operational disruptions created by these cutbacks are likely to effect everything from veteran services to agriculture and health initiatives.

NOTES FROM A DISILLUSIONED BASE

BY CHARLIE CY

Act I: The Rope-A-Dope Prelude

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – The sun is coming up over Old Louisville, and outside our third-story walkup, a cacophony of sirens, train horns, bird calls, bus stop banter, barking dogs, UPS planes roaring overhead on approach, and jalopies grumbling down Hill Street are each vying for my attention and putting me on edge as I hover over this infernal laptop.

But they can’t have it.

It’s bad enough, I just allotted five minutes reading Louisiana native and Democratic operative James Carville’s February 25 Op-Ed in the New York Times, who argued Democrats should “tactically retreat,” play possum, and allow Republicans to self-implode while employing, as he described it, Muhammad Ali’s “rope-a-dope” gambit.

Carville’s call to inaction is provocative and, at first glance, appears almost logical. It’s also drafted by a pol I once put some amount of stock into. But his playbook (which is no playbook at all) is not only idiotic but suicidal—he argues to do nothing while the Oligarchs raid the country, create a Handmaid’s Tale Autocracy, and outlaw Civil Liberties.

What say ye’ Louisvillians? Ready to bend over and get pummeled for a few rounds by the Republicans, Billionaires, the Evangelical Reich, the KKK and their rube foot soldiers? Afterwards, we’ll naturally come out on top and land the knockout punch, right?

The top comment to the editorial that received over 5000 “likes” (which is no small feat) was written by Steve from Central Pennsylvania, who began: “Am I the only one who thinks Carville’s comments reflect everything that is wrong with the Democratic Party?”

No Steve. You’re not.

But I’m getting sidetracked. I started this morning with one crystalline idea after scanning the papers’ headlines, which is: the gift of hindsight is no gift at all. Indeed. Thankfully, I can FEEL my first gulp of freshly brewed (and outrageously steeped) green tea hitting my synapses and focusing my thoughts—I drink this milquetoast elixir now because my blood pressure and nervous system can no longer bear my 4-espresso-a-morning regimen.

Which is to say, I’m ready to get down to the ugly business of writing about both the recent political developments that have altered the original structure of this seemingly straightforward piece about a town hall I was commissioned to compose for the

Leo—developments that will affect millions of poor Americans and no doubt hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians who depend on Medicaid among other services.

To wit, it’s been four days since I attended our third congressional district Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s Central High Q&A last Saturday. But it’s been less than a dozen hours since the House GOP passed their budget reconciliation resolution that will deliver $4.5 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest 1 percent, while stripping 880 billion from the Energy and Commerce Committee. An Orwellian title for a body that oversees the spending for just two major programs: Medicare and Medicaid— the latter of which will undoubtedly be hacked to death once the overlords take their pound of flesh.

The resolution passed 217-215 Tuesday evening. Of note, had just one more Republican voted against the resolution, it would have failed. Only the Northern Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, of all gents, voted “no” alongside McGarvey and the Democrats.

Is it unfair or just plain foolish of me to ask: How could the Dems have not convinced just one more GOP House member to vote with them? It seems, as our constituents pointed out in the town hall days prior, impassioned speeches alone are “not enough” to get the job done.

Unless, of course, one believes we should heed Carville’s clarion call. IF that’s the case, maybe we are on the Right track.

Act II: They Showed Up To Light A Fire

DOGE Corruption – Ohio Flooding – The Trump Trade – The Moonshine Hangover –Canadians Win – Segregation and Cassius Clay – My Southern Demons – Blitzkrieg –The Total Package – Frankfort’s Sewage Bill – Barack Obama Sheen – Pit of Hero Worship and the Lost Bet – Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing –What Do We Want? Action! – When Do We Want It? Now!

I pulled into the Central High parking lot at roughly 9:40 AM on Saturday, February 22. The lot was full, so I parallel parked on the grass with the hood of my car facing the public housing units across Chestnut Street where I’ve picked up a litany of passengers for Lyft over the years.

With twenty minutes to spare and the heat on high, I decided to take a beat, while listening to the end of a Weekend Edition story about a federal employee who was fired not once but twice in the span of two days

as Elon Musk’s minions continued to take a sledgehammer to the federal bureaucracy and democratic guardrails in the ongoing DOGE saga.

The temperature gauge on my dash read a crisp 25 degrees, but it was wonderfully sunny out after the deluge of rain and snow that wreaked havoc across the Commonwealth in previous days, and I was hellbent on soaking in all the vitamin D I could to inoculate myself from the Winter Blues continuously creeping up my spinal column.

Parts of downtown and River Road were still severely flooded after the Ohio crested at 28.3 feet the day before. Seeing the water overtake the pumps at the Shell gas station at Zorn and River was an ominous indicator of just how high the flood waters had rose. Conversely, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped 1000 points in the two previous trading sessions, its largest fall since March of 2020 (the deadly opening days of the pandemic), which to me was the first sign in months of any rational behavior espoused by the Wizards on Wall Street. For two years the S&P 500, the Nasdaq Composite and the “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks have pumped to all-time highs and were especially supercharged since November in the lower taxes, roll back regulations, fuck workers, crypto-con post-election “Trump Trade” environment. A frenzy that was now unwinding and catching up to reality like a debilitating moonshine hangover—a hangover filled with ugly white lightening truths like how default rates on car loans and credit cards, due to inflation, are mirroring those not seen since the 2008 housing crash.

But when the NPR story on the doublefired federal employee turned to Canada’s hockey team beating the USA in the finals of the 4 Nations Faceoff tournament, I noticed an uptick of fellow constituents pulling in, getting out and speed-walking up to the yellow brick façade.

Needing to secure my seat, I followed suit, trailing several LMPD officers – charged with providing security – up to the front doors, through the metal detectors and into the bowels of the high school.

I checked-in at the registration table, where I was handed a comment card. The woman who handed it to me explained I could fill it out and drop it off afterwards if I didn’t want to ask McGarvey a question inside and assured me I would receive a response. I smiled, thanked her and took a seat at the back of the auditorium in front of the reserved press section with a bird’seye view of the quarter-full room, and got

out my clipboard and pen and began to feverishly jot notes.

I’ll concede, it was somewhat discombobulating being back inside an aging public high school, even if I was two decades removed from frequenting one or two of my own. I should also admit, at the time, I’d completely overlooked the historic significance of where, exactly, it was, that I was sitting. This was the first African American high school in the state. It was previously segregated and taught our native son Cassius Clay.

It was my first time entering the school after escorting dozens of students to it and I’m not sure why I didn’t acknowledge these novel facts at the time. I knew them. Maybe because I was too self-absorbed and busy projecting my own high school experience on my surroundings, while staring at the urine-colored stage curtains, the smudged white paint along the edges of the ceiling and the dark weathered seats sullied by teenagers’ stale farts, while thinking about the omnipresent crush of lurking teachers and administrators obsessively controlling their students’ every move.

To be clear, I didn’t love high school. From

the age of 13 or so, I wanted to be wild and free and under no one’s command. Accordingly, I tried to rebelliously phoenix my way out from under the freakish and retrograde Christian fundamentalist cage in which I was raised and away from the bourgeois, khaki-clad conservative sons of silent Confederates who dominated my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. But stepping back outside myself, I can see my experience was idyllic compared to what the students who attended Central endured during the 1950s before Brown vs Board of Education.

Nevertheless, what did concern me was how this crowd would respond to our silvertongued second-term congressman—who’d two years earlier replaced the founder of this very paper, John Yarmuth, after he retired from his seat in the House of Representatives. Would they myopically focus on Trump’s maniacal blitzkrieg? Or, would they take a more nuanced approach and look the horse in the mouth and challenge their own party’s inability to persuade working-class voters whose side they were on, which was why we were in this fucking predicament, again, in the first place.

using the cheeky bait-and-switch parliamentary maneuver dubbed a “committee substitute” (which was later deemed unconstitutional by the Kentucky Supreme Court).

As McGarvey made his defiant albeit powerless stand (Democrats were in the minority of both chambers and Bevin was at the helm), it was clear to me then, as it was to many others at the time, he was going places. I liked McGarvey immediately and now respect his prowess immensely. But it was this type of Barack Obama sheen—the liberal bona fides, the eloquence, the elite legal career path, the clean-cut clout, and a gift for selling you what you wanted to hear—that I expected would enthrall, if not pacify, our fellow 502 constituents and compel them to defer to their representative’s rhetoric instead of challenging him and his party.

But my prejudices were all wrong, and I would have lost that bet—they had no intention of tumbling into the pit of hero worship. Although my neighbors were thankful their representative was both a solid dude and the lone Democratic congressman in the state, and although they were incredibly respectful to him, this crowd intuitively understood the gravity of the moment and were not about to neuter their opinions.

They understood that no matter how righteous McGarvey is, he is still a politician, AKA a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And that he was likely (or arguably) to be more beholden to big donors, consultants, Corporate America, the Party Line and fundraising for his next election cycle than he was wholly concerned with our needs.

My bet was on the former proposition. And I made this assumption based off the sole fact that McGarvey is such a likable guy. The Young Turk is the total package—McGarvey is bright, articulate, charming, photogenic, a man of faith with a beautiful family and is both an accomplished attorney and the former Minority Leader of the State Senate.

The first time I saw him speak from the floor of the senate chamber during the 2018 budget session, I too was gobsmacked by McGarvey’s faculties. At the time, I was working as a legislative intern in Frankfort and tasked with creating a daily journal summary that tracked every action and piece of legislation that worked its way through the upper chamber of the legislature for a small outfit that provided real-time statehouse news to lobbyists busy trying to put their fingers on the scale of state government.

In particular, I remember one fiery floor speech McGarvey delivered, dropping rhetorical bombs, while busy castigating his Republican colleagues who were fiendishly ramming through in the eleventh hour a budget proposal that had turned an 11-page sewage bill into a 291-page pension reform act,

Which is to say, they weren’t carrying pitchforks, preparing to storm the Bastille, or foaming at the mouth and behaving like rabid dogs—not yet at least. But the 200 or so, mostly silver-haired, Social Securitybacked Louisvillians who’d “showed up” on that cold early Saturday morning—a reoccurring theme McGarvey cited throughout the town hall—had come to light a fire under their congressman’s ass.

And although the auditorium was not even half full, after Amy Washburn, McGarvey’s district coordinator, introduced him, and once he mounted the stage (alongside Ken Herndon, the new fourth district Metro Councilman, and later joined by State Senate Minority Leader Gerald Neal), a palpable energy rippled through the room as dozens of people, when prompted, sprang to form single-file lines on both wings of the stage, eager to pose pointed questions, provide tactical suggestions and deliver emotional harangues filled with colorful language.

McGarvey began by saying, “I came here to talk with you, not talk at you. I want to take your questions. That’s what I want to spend the time doing.”

And to his credit, that’s what he did. But the feedback he heard was mostly grim: it was a mix of disappointment, disgust, and yes, a heavy dose of native fear and loathing.

I’ll grant, it’s not easy to be in the minority, even if the margins are razor thin. But it’s even more debilitating when your constituents

think your party looks gutless, or at least ineffectual in the face of rising authoritarianism. That was the common theme. What are you all going to do stop the “Nazis”? Because what you’re currently doing is not enough. These folks were clear about what they wanted to see. Action. Backbone. Strategy. A media barrage filled with simple to grasp language that hammered home the point of both who the villains were and exposed the horrors of what they were up to. They wanted acts of Civil Disobedience. Arrests. Striking images on the Nightly News to rouse the moral conscience of the nation. Most of all, they wanted their legislators, if nothing else, to pour sand in the gears to muck up the wheels of government to slow the savage decimation by a thousand cuts of our Republic.

Act III: A Selection of Louisville’s Voices from McGarvey’s Central High Town Hall

Rich Miles, from the Portland neighborhood

Rich was the first to make it to the stage and grab the microphone. He asked, “Do you think Democrats can put a stop to this Trump agenda, especially the budget that’s coming up?”

McGarvey responded with a tempered, albeit inconclusive, “maybe.” Which, depending on how you took it, sounded either forthright, like a hedged non-answer or even an offhanded “no.”

He went on to provide reasons why it could go either way, outlining the Republican’s razor slim majority in the House and how they could only lose one vote, which he counterbalanced with the fact that the 10 commonsense Republicans who’d voted to impeach the president after January 6 had all but been eradicated from the party.

But what I never did hear him say throughout the morning was who in the Republican caucus was most susceptible to reason, what attempts were being made to target, persuade, and pick them off behind the scenes, and how they were going to go about doing that.

Joe, from the Beechmont neighborhood

Joe had one commendation, one critique and three suggestions. He applauded the House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ legislative objectives but derided his “communication approach,” saying he “looks barely awake half the time.”

In an authoritative voice, he then made three bullet points, stating Democrats needed to:

(1) “Get on the floor. Make as many speeches as you can,” as well as continually message-blast on social media.

(2) “Get arrested.”

(3) Send mailers to everyone in the district with a concise message, and they “just have

to say these guys are NAZIS and we need to STOP them.”

The crowd erupted after he suggested getting arrested. Afterwards, McGarvey made a pithy response that made us all laugh, but it had the deflationary effect of a red herring that somewhat detracted from the fervor and solemnity of the petitioner and dodged the crux of its call to action, as he stated: “All right, if you guys get a collect call from a D.C. jail, just answer it!”

William Schmidt, from the Norton Commons neighborhood

William introduced himself with his own self-deprecating joke. After citing where he lived, he wanted to assure everyone that yes, “he was a Democrat,” alluding to the fact that Democrats are in short supply in his affluent prefabricated East End enclave.

He then posited, “I think Democrats have a messaging problem.”

McGarvey agreed, “I don’t think that is earth-shattering news here. We need to have a simple message that is repeated over and over and over again.” He added, “Republicans govern in headlines. We govern in fine print.” And then we argued; we can’t do that anymore.

William also asked the rhetorical question, “If we’re looking for budget cuts, then where can we cut the fat? Instead of responding to a Republican narrative, why don’t we create a Democrat narrative? Adding, “Clinton balanced the budget. You can do it too... Let’s be proactive and beat them at their game!”

This latter point, not without its tension, was never addressed, potentially because while Clinton balanced the budget, he also gutted welfare programs, criminalized the poor, and expanded the carceral state.

With that said, everyone knows the first place to look for cuts in the budget, but the last place to expect them is at the Pentagon.

Jim

Jim was a recently retired Post Office employee who outlined a sundry of problems he’d witnessed while on the job he attributed to the United States Postmaster General

Louis DeJoy, a Trump donor and appointee of 45’s administration, who’d recently announced his retirement and who was originally brought in to intentionally break the mail system under the pretext of cutting costs and streamlining.

McGarvey sympathized with Jim and the Post Office’s plight and thanked him for his often-thankless service, which accrued loud applause.

He said, “this is an example of the MAGA movement and Trump and his billionaire buddies screwing things up. They said when they hired Louis DeJoy what they wanted to do to this office. They knew this wasn’t going to work. And despite their pleas that it’s just inclement weather... we know it’s more than that.”

He went on to itemize how the decimation of the PO had led to medicines, paychecks,

W2s during tax season, and other essential items not being delivered or not delivered in a timely manner, which was putting an undue burden on everyday Americans’ lives.

Cory

Cory had a disability and stood beside an aid who read a statement on his behalf: “With 17 states’ attorney generals suing against Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act ruled unconstitutional, a cornerstone of disability law, what can Congress and we the people do to protect our rights to live the way we choose just like everyone else? I’m also worried about the nightmare scenario; if they are successful, will they come for the ADA [the Americans with Disabilities Act] next?”

McGarvey thanked Cory, whom he said he’d known for over ten years. Asked for a round of applause. And commended him for continuously “showing up.”

“90% of life is showing up,” McGarvey underscored. “And Cory shows up every time and demands that our government do right by every American.”

He then admitted, “I have a title, but I can tell you every single day right now I am as frustrated and scared as anybody else. And the fact we are even sitting here talking about repealing a landmark piece of legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act—signed into law, I believe, by George Herbert Walker Bush if I am not mistaken—is frightening. The Americans with Disabilities Act makes sure that people have access to buildings, have access to restrooms, and have the ability to work and make a living for themselves. Why on God’s green earth would we take away that significant achievement? There is no rhyme or reason for it. You mentioned getting arrested; taking away the Americans with Disabilities Act is a ‘lay down in front of the door’ moment.”

Jodi Hill

Jodi gave an emphatic testament: “It feels like that there are many Democratic politicians right now who are just rolling over and not saying ‘No!’ If nothing else, every time that man and his minions and their tech bros do something that they’re not allowed to do, you all should be saying, ‘No! That is wrong! That is not allowed!’ He is a rapist in every sense of the word, and he will push and push and push and push until he’s got his hand so far up everybody’s, you know what, because they are not saying ‘no.’ You need to say ‘No!’”

Jodi then turned to a personal encounter to hammer home the point, outlining how her daughter had died of brain cancer, and how it devastated her to watch Republicans cut funding to the National Institutes for Health and cancer research, saying it’s “inhumane and everyone should just say ‘No!’”

McGarvey apologized and acknowledged, “Behind every budget comes a child. Behind every right we strip away is a person. Behind all of these policy decisions are real people who are hurt by this. That’s why we call it cruel.”

He then outlined a three-pronged approach Democrats were taking to combat

the onslaught of vicious cuts, summed up in three words: “Legislate. Litigate. Agitate.” To this end, he highlighted multiple bills he’d cosponsored to help limit Elon Musk’s influence over federal agencies. He cited how he is on the House Litigation Task Force and that there are over 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration’s actions working their way through the courts, which he said they are thus far on balance winning. And on the agitate front, he said it’s going to take more social media messaging, require folks like us in the audience getting out and showcasing our voices, and it was going to take putting more pressure on Republicans in Congress.

Michael, from the Portland neighborhood

Michael began by detailing how he’d spoken to McGarvey the morning after he won his first campaign and had asked him at the time to “remember us when you go to Washington.” From this vantage, he barreled into a biting critique of the Democrats:

“With the impotence and incompetence of holding Trump accountable for January 6, which makes him ineligible to be in the White House, the contract is broken! The people are pissed! We’re out here doing the things you guys should be doing the last four years. And I know this is only your second term. You haven’t been there the whole time. But when are the Democrats going to reestablish the Constitution? Right now, the contract is broken! And we, the people, are tired of being out here in the streets protesting and marching because of the failure of the whole legislative branch. Do something!”

McGarvey: “I share a lot of your frustrations.” He went on to speak about a generational shift taking place in Congress right now with more younger people coming in and that there was a realization “that the old way of doing things is not going to work anymore and you can’t just be nice. It doesn’t mean we become them. But it doesn’t mean we can’t call out the bullshit either!”

This fired up the crowd.

McGarvey then noted the one place where he disagreed with Michael’s statement: “Nancy Pelosi impeached Donald Trump twice!”

This also garnered more applause but was cut short by a man from the audience shouting, “Merrick Garland was derelict in his duty!” McGarvey said he also “shared this frustration.” And asked rhetorically, “Why was Merrick Garland, the Attorney General for four years, not doing his job of forcefully prosecuting people who’d done this in a timely fashion? I have those same questions, and so I think it’s right to be angry, and I think we have to say that we got to do things a little differently.”

It was at this point in the discussion, my attention was sidelined by a disruptive mother and her young child, who began running back and forth in the back aisle behind me. The running, a harmless enough attempt to preoccupy the cute kid, would have been a non-issue, but the child was also yelling loudly like

she was on a playground without being reprimanded while chasing her mother in front of the press cameras, which made a dozen people from the audience repeatedly turn and scowl after the behavior continued for over twenty minutes.

Of course, we were all seething and trapped in the prisoner’s dilemma: no one wanted to be the asshole at a liberal town hall telling a mother to take her child into the lobby while hoping someone else would step up and do just that. I contemplated saying something, and usually I am the first person to voice my opinion no matter the social rub but deferred in this instance to see if the principal of Central High School, who was also in attendance and standing directly behind me, would intervene. This was her domain after all. Unfortunately, she was also busy chatting with someone she knew and paid the child and her mother little mind. So, eventually I had to move down closer to the stage—on my audio recording, the child’s babble drowned out much of the transcript, and so it remains a nuisance even now as I try to decipher what was said.

Mike, from the Crescent Hill neighborhood

Mike was the most notably enflamed member of the audience to grab the microphone. He began his tirade by saying, “I’m going to do my best not to cuss. I’m seething!” And then he charged in, “I don’t want to hear, ‘We’re doing our best.’ I don’t want to hear ‘We know.’”

Continuing, “A well-functioning government has checks and balances. You need a competent other side. You don’t have it. O.K.! Negotiating with terrorists is out the window. Negotiating with Nazis, fascists, vile agendas is out the window! You’re not doing enough! You need to get aggressive! You need to impede! If the shoe was on the other foot, they would shut down the government... it’s not enough. You need to get arrested! I will bail you out. Impede. Obstruct. Do whatever you can. Don’t show up for a vote. Make headlines! Get some attention! It’s not enough, man!”

The crowd erupted. Mike had tapped into the central nervous system of our audience and harnessed the language and fervor that best expressed how we ourselves were feeling. After the applause died, someone from the audience seconded the motion, while broadening the call of duty and share of responsibility: “We all need to get arrested!”

McGarvey responded to Mike, saying, “I’m glad he’s here. And I’ll tell you, we’re pissed too. We’re super pissed. And I think you’re right. More has to be done.

Sheila

Sheila, a retired census bureau employee, an African American woman (which she underscored), and a crowd pleaser, started off on an uplifting note while addressing McGarvey: “I voted for you. I love you. I pray for you every day.” She then laid down some sage folk wisdom: “The Democratic Party has to get off its ass!” Adding, “My mother and father told me, if people don’t play nice with you,

you can’t play nice with them. I’m not saying be as ignorant as them,” but “I do want to see more hell-raising from my Democratic Party!”

McGarvey did not respond to Sheila, mainly because his director interjected after she spoke to note they were going to extend the town hall for fifteen more minutes—it had already run for the hour it was scheduled, but more and more people kept lining up to ask questions.

Nameless woman

One woman asked, “When is the Democratic Party going to become more strategic... become more specific about issues in this country? Like for instance, you talk about the middle class, but you never use the word ‘poor.’”

McGarvey responded, “How do we fix the Democratic Party? If we had an hour, I’m not sure we could get there... I hear your concerns. I share your concerns.”

Someone from the audience shouted, “We are the party!”

Mark McKinley

Mark had one key suggestion: “The way we change the Democratic Party is to look at the Bernie Sanders and AOC plan going after small donors and quit relying on Corporate America and billionaires to bankroll our elections.”

There was notably no response from McGarvey on this point (although the little girl running behind me continued to chime in).

Bruce, from Old Louisville

Bruce wanted to know, “Where is the Tea Party? Boston’s okay, but I think we need to have a few more Tea Parties out here. I mean, the Civil Rights groups... we were all marching. Vietnam we were all stomping our feet. What can the public do? I think there’s a point where these Republicans who are so focused on following their Fuhrer, they will lose their way... [But] other than marching, I don’t know what to do. I’m here because I want to do something. I think we’re all here because we want to do something.”

The crowd erupted again.

McGarvey: “Don’t underestimate the power of marching.” Someone from the audience yelled, “Strike!”

McGarvey continued, “The day after Trump was inaugurated in 2017, a million people showed up in Washington, D.C., and set a tone. Again, I am never going to shirk any responsibility we have as Democratically elected officials in Washington. But that set a tone... This is one of those moments where there is no act that is too small.”

I’ll close with one final thought. Our neighbors who showed up both surprised and impressed me with their candor and moxie. They rejuvenated my belief in the power of grassroots politics. And they reaffirmed the tried-and-true adage, “All politics is local.”

Rep. McGarvey

EAT, DRINK AND SEE IN THIS WEEK’S STAFF PICKS

MARCH 21-23

Louisville Tattoo Festival

KY International Convention Center | 221 S 4th St | $20+ | louisvilletattoofestival.com/ | Times Vary

Itching for fresh ink? TattooFest is coming to Louisville from March 21-23 at the Kentucky International Convention Center. The festival will feature over 200 tattoo artists, 30+ vendors, and distribute a total of 45 awards across their various competitions. If you have a favorite artist attending, you can book a session ahead of time, or do a walk-up session on a first-come-firstserve basis. And if the art strikes your fancy, but needles aren’t for you, come browse the booths to purchase art or watch it be created right in front of you!

—Ezra Knapp

THURSDAY, MARCH 27

St. Matthews Gallery Spring Art Show

St. Matthews Studios & Gallery | 3716 Lexington Rd | facebook.com/ StMatthewsGallery | 5 p.m.

The opening reception for St. Matthews Studios & Gallery’s spring art show is happening on March 27 from 5-8 p.m. They will be celebrating rebirth and renewal as we enter the spring season. The reception will give you a chance to browse the incredible artwork and speak with the featured artists, including Gayle Cerlan, Teri Dryden, Lynn Dunbar, Jeanne Freibert, Julie Hohmann, Mary Dennis Kannapell, Page Penna, and Gretchen Treitz. The exhibit will be on display from March 27 to May 17.

—Ezra Knapp

MARCH 25-30

“Peter Pan” Presented by PNC Broadway in Louisville

The Kentucky Center | 501 W Main St | $47+ | louisville.broadway.com/ | Showtimes Vary

Peter Pan is coming to the Kentucky Center at the end of the month, presented by PNC Broadway in Louisville. This incredible musical has been wowing audiences for close to 70 years, and the new adaptation coming to Louisville is sure to deliver. Watch Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and the Darling children soar on stage during the 2 hour and 15 minute show, recommended for audiences ages 5 and up.

—Ezra Knapp

SATURDAY, MARCH 29

Woodcut Printmaking Workshop

The Cultural Arts Center | 201 E Spring St | Free! | portlandky.org/ | 11 a.m.

The Cultural Arts Center is partnering with the Portland Museum to host a free woodcutting workshop, one of the events in their CeLOUbrate Print 2025 lineup. The workshop will be led by Erica Lewis, and attendees will design and carve a large-scale woodblock stamp. Attendees will be invited to the Portland Museum on April 19th to print their work with the use of a steamroller. Attendance and materials are free, but spots are limited, so sign up now!

—Ezra Knapp

FRIDAY, MARCH 28

Louisville Bats Baseball Opening Night

Louisville Slugger Field | 401 E Main St | $19+ | milb.com/louisville/ | 7:05 p.m.

The Louisville Bats are kicking off their 2025 season at Louisville Slugger Field against the Memphis Redbirds. Come on down to the stadium and enjoy $3 Happy Hour for 12oz beers, $6 margaritas, an appearance by the Zooperstars, and postgame fireworks! Don’t forget to check out their Souvenir Cup ticket offer, or show your student ID for a discounted ticket. Find out what’s upcoming for their season on the Louisville Bats site.

—Ezra Knapp

SATURDAY, MARCH 29

PGA TOUR Superstore Grand Opening

PGA TOUR Superstore | 996 Breckinridge Ln | pgatoursuperstore.com/ | 9 a.m.

PGA TOUR Superstore - a leading destination for golf equipment, accessories, and apparel - is set to open its first Kentucky location on March 29 in Louisville. The 35,000-square-foot facility will feature high-quality equipment, tailored services for golfers, and interactive areas, including a 1,494-square-foot putting green and practice/simulator bays. The Superstore doesn’t just cater to golfers, as they also carry equipment for pickleball, tennis, and other sports on the court.

—Ezra Knapp

SATURDAY, MARCH 29

Spring Tree Adoptions - TreesLouisville

Alberta O. Jones Park | 717 S 23rd St | Free! | facebook.com/treeslouisville | 2 p.m.

Visit the TreesLouisville tent at EarthFest to adopt a free one-gallon tree. They will have a variety of species available, including paw paw, sweetbay magnolia, Beijing gold lilac, persimmon, loblolly pine, swamp white oak, and the Kentucky coffeetree. The event is first-come-first-serve, and each adoptee is limited to 2-3 trees. Make sure to stop by and get your spring garden growing!

—Ezra Knapp

FRIDAY, MARCH 21

Spelling + Spirits Spelling Bee - Decode

Project Fundraiser

The Biscuit Lounge | 120 S 10th St | $25+ | eventbrite.com/e/spelling-spirits | 7 p.m.

Ready to test your spelling skills? Join the Decode Project for their Spelling + Spirits literary-inspired fundraising event, including a silent auction and delicious bites. The event is family friendly, but spelling bee contestants must be adults. Tickets are limited and going fast, so be sure to check them out. Whether you’re there to sample the spirits or spell the night away, it’s sure to be a blast!

—Ezra Knapp

Saturday, March 22

Gates to Hell “Death Comes To All” Album Release Show Headliners Music Hall | 1386 Lexington Rd. | headlinerslouisville.com | $18 adv., $20 dos | 6:30 p.m. | All ages

Following in the footsteps Knocked Loose, Louisville’s own Gates To Hell are poised to be the next big thing in metal on a worldwide scale with their original style of crossover death metal/hardcore. Having just wrapped up a European tour last month, the band returns home for the release of their second full-length album, (their first on Nuclear Blast Records) Death Comes To All. Sharing the bill are Long Island, NY slam death metal legends Internal Bleeding, Nashville metalcore band and Century Media recording artists Orthodox, Chicago/New Jersey hybrid hardcore band Hold My Own, Chicago death metal band Gored Embrace, and Louisville/ Lexington straight-edge hardcore band Gaargoyle. This show is going to be absolutely insane!

—Jeff Polk

Friday, March 21

Brant Bjork Trio, Faerie Ring, and Crop Portal | 1512 Portland Ave. | portal-louisville.com | $25.56 | 7 p.m. | All ages

If the name Brant Bjork didn’t immediately catch your attention, it damn well should have. He was the drummer and a founding member of stoner rock pioneers Kyuss and played on three of their four albums. Following his departure, he went on to play in a multitude of bands, most notably Fu Manchu, Mondo Generator, Vista Chino, and Stöner. A multi-instrumentalist and prolific songwriter, Bjork has released 16 solo studio albums since 1999, in addition to his work with other bands. The Brant Bjork Trio also consists of Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man) on bass and Ryan Güt (Stöner) on drums. The addition of stoner doom bands Faerie Ring (Evansville, In), and Crop (Lexington) to the bill make this as solid of a show as you’ll ever see!

—Jeff Polk

Saturday, March 22

10 Years of White Woolly

The Whirling Tiger | 1335 Story Ave. | thewhirlingtiger.com | $15| 8 p.m. | 18 and over

What began when Louisville native Charlie Hill (guitar/vocals) met then-dating and now married couple Leah Outlaw (bass/vocals) and Evan Fowler (drums) at Appalachian State in Boone, NC has been going strong for 10 years straight. After moving to Louisville in 2017, the band released two full-length albums (including their latest, Tutto Passa, in 2024), an EP and several singles of their 60’s-inspired surf rock, which they self-describe as “The soundtrack to your blood soaked, tequila fueled bar fight, and the sound you hear as you ride your horse into the sunset with nothing but your name.” Help them celebrate a full decade of amazing tunes! Joining them on the bill are post-punk alt-rockers Aon Brasi and noise pop band Terry Malts II.

—Jeff Polk

Friday, March 28

Wireworks, Twice Dark, Virgin Birth, and Hypnagogia

Planet of the Tapes | 640 Barret Ave. | planetofthetapes.biz | $10 | 8 p.m. | 21 and over

In the midst of everything that is going on in this country, I think we could all use a little bit of dark and gloomy music to reflect how we feel right now. And that’s exactly what you’re getting at Planet of the Tapes on the 28th with a four-band bill that features the area’s brightest darkest bands, (see what I did there?)

Playing are: Wireworks (Louisville post-punk, dark wave), Twice Dark (Bloomington goth pop), Virgin Birth (Louisville Industrial synth punk), and Hypnagogia (South Bend dark wave). Trust me, you need this more than you think you do.

—Jeff Polk

SICILIAN AND NEAPOLITAN-INSPIRED ITALIAN CUISINE

IN THE HEART OF GERMANTOWN

BY JOE DESENSI

If you are an Italian in Louisville or you just use your hands a lot while talking, you probably have a definitive stance on your favorite Italian joint in the Ville. Tucked away in Louisville’s Germantown neighborhood, one of our Calabrian family’s faves is Sarino, a rare gem that balances authenticity with modern flair.

Opened in 2017 by Chef Carmelo Gabriele, Sarino offers many gluten-free veggie options as well as a bevy of meaty meat-filled meat dishes.

Walking through the doors of Sarino, you’re greeted with the warm aroma of fresh, homemade dishes crafted with care. You immediately get the sense that this is a place where food isn’t just made—it’s celebrated. Their menu is a testament to expert curation, with artisan cheeses, seasonal vegetables, and top-notch charcuterie sourced from some culinary utopia (or at least somewhere that feels as magical as Narnia).

Hope and I start with a menu-researching drink to work out our appetizer, main course, and wine selection picks for the night. I break the seal with a Michter’s Rye Manhattan while Hope gets her bubbles on with a flute of Prosecco.

If you want a big shareable starter that is fun for the whole family, Sarino has an amazing value on charcuterie boards where you mix and match 4 cheeses/meats with ample dollops of caponata (stewed eggplant), olives, and marmalade. Usually served with crostini, you can go gluten-free

fairly easily just by subbing the bread out for cucumber. For the cheese selections, we love the Parmigiano Reggiano and the lamb chopper. Our carcass-eating friends recommend the spicy capicola and the sopressata. . . or the smoked duck is you are feeling a little fowl on a given evening.

For a real antipasti treat, try their roasted burrata caprese: pan roasted cherry tomatoes, basil, roasted garlic, Calabrian honey, and creamy, rich burrata (sourced from Grande Cheese Company in Fond Du Lac Wisconsin. . . their town is literally called fondu).

On Wednesday nights, Sarino offers many of their great imported wines at half price. . . or as Hope says, same price, doubled the bottles. For our dinner pairing we chose a Sicilian Grillo (a grape varietal falling between a crisp, minerally Sauv Blanc and a more floral and fruity Pinot Grigio).

When needing to get my Za on (I will never refer to pizza like that again. . . forgive me), I belly up to my favorite Sicilian Mushroom Pizza on homemade gluten-free crust –tomato, basil, caciocavallo cheese, caponata and covered with shitake and cremini mushrooms. Their gluten-free crust is so good, you will ask your server to check with the kitchen two or three times to make sure you aren’t ingesting the stretchy, fluffy goodness of full-gluten dough.

Wanting to venture out this particular evening, I ordered their Pea Pesto: pea-pesto, pistachio, dehydrated kalamata olives,

pecorino Romano cheese, and radiatore (sub out for gluten-free pasta). With a wonderful pesto made with basil and smashed peas, some savory flavors from the imported Italian cheese, and just a bit of a nutty crunch from the crushed pistachios, it pairs wonderfully with the Grillo and the last few sips of the Manhattan. For a side dish, the crunch and aromas of vibrant, perfectly cooked broccolini with the lightest hint of olive oil and garlic makes everything in the world seem a little better for a hot minute.

For those eating healthily right now in anticipation of midriff season around the corner, the Butternut & Spinach salad is tasty AND healthy. To make it a little more filling, Hope adds a dead-animal protein to the mix. . . usually opting for the salmon.

If you have friends that still say the word

1030 Goss Ave, Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 822-3777 sarinolouisville.com

“Italian” with “a long ‘I’ at the beginning of the word, recommend the grilled pork chop; it is my dad’s favorite pork chop in town. Pro tip: Make a reservation. On busy nights in Louisville or on weekends, it fills up fast.

Sarino

Spinach

LISTEN LOCAL: NEW LOUISVILLE MUSIC

New releases by Ron Whitehead, Tin Zelkova, and more!

BY JEFF POLK

Charm School Debt Forever - album

Vocalist/guitarist Andrew Sellers is a man of many faces. Perhaps you recognize him as Andrew Rinehart or Saredren Wells, names he has previously used on other projects. And under those names, Sellers has released several well-received records playing a mix of folk rock and Americana. However, there have been a few songs on those records in which he let his influences from the 90’s Louisville punk/hardcore/ math rock scenes that he grew up in shine through. But with his latest project, Charm School, Sellers along with collaborators Matt Filip, Drew English, Brian Vega, and Jason Bemis Lawrence full-on embrace it. Their debut full-length Debt Forever , (which follows the 2023 EP Finite Jest), is an all-out audio assault of post-punk, no wave, indie, noise rock jams that bring to mind the likes of The Jesus Lizard, Sunspring, Crain, and Shellac, except louder and far more hyperactive. Honestly, I hear a lot of Young Widows in this, which makes sense seeing as how both bands are bred from the same influences. Strip away Young Widows dark, heavy tone and dissonance and add in more solid song structures and an early Stooges feel and you’ve got Charm School. A bit oddly specific, but trust me on this. Lyrics revolve around “Expressions of anger and frustration,” said Sellers, “but you’ll also find a more subtle, world-weary cynicism wrapped in addictively salty, satirical humor.” This is one of those records that just hits that perfect spot right from the beginning and stays there until the last note!

Turn3

“Fall From Grace” (featuring Dusty Bo) - single

I’d like to think I’ve kept my ear to the ground as far as music coming out of Louisville for the past 30+ years, especially the past couple of years that I’ve been doing these reviews for LEO. But it still surprises me almost daily the level of musical talent we have in Louisville. It’s honestly unfathomable. If there were still a music industry left, Louisville would no doubt be a music epicenter on the same level as New York and LA with bands being signed, recorded and launched by major labels weekly. What I’m getting at is Turn3 deserves a better shot at stardom. Everything is there: the sound, the songwriting skills, the talent, the drive, it’s the total package! Not surprising for a band made up of former members of Outspoken and What Ever Will, among others. Vocalist Chris Donohue said it best: “Our band members have been playing music for decades. We are husbands and fathers with lifetimes of playing and lived experience. We are a dad band 2.0.” And their latest track “Fall From Grace,” the debut single from their upcoming full length album I’m Gettin’ There, is a straight-up banger! It’s a modern hard rock/alt-rocker that lies somewhere between 3 Doors Down and Lick It Up era Kiss with its heavy stomp beat, crunchy guitars, a driving rhythm, and soaring vocals. But that’s just this song, wait until you hear the full album! Expect a lot of twists and turns from this multi-genrebending band!

turn3.rocks

LEO Weekly has Spotify playlists for each Listen Local column featuring selected tracks from each reviewed release. Search Spotify for LEO Weekly and have a listen!

Want to see your music reviewed in LEO Weekly? Louisville and Southern Indiana-based bands/artists, send a link to your music on the streaming site of your choice along with a band/ artist bio, a high-resolution pic of the release’s cover art, and any additional information that may be helpful for the review, (the more, the better), to music@leoweekly.com.

Michael Vettraino

“Chasing the Sub Lime” - single

You have to see this video! No seriously, stop reading and watch this video! All done? Good, let’s discuss. Louisville musician Michael Vettraino, whom you may remember from bands such as Genevva, Curio Key Club, and Big Atomic, among others, uses satire and an infectious 80’s-style bubblegum synth pop song, (the instruments of which were all played by Vettraino himself), to tackle some serious social commentary in one of the most memorable music videos you’ll ever see. The track is off his upcoming EP, From Down Here, to be released this Spring, and the video is best described by Vettraino himself: “It is a dystopian present. There are a pair of glasses that integrate the internet seamlessly into the wearer’s perceived reality. The main character uses them to censor and ignore uncomfortable topics such as money in politics, Roe, the opioid epidemic, injustice, and who and what we value as a nation. However, as he traverses the internet-reality he acquires cookies which start to sprout from his body as grotesquely bedazzled soft sculpture growths, those pesky terms and conditions. Eventually our hero is completely overgrown and things fall apart.” The beauty of this song is that while the subject matter is very serious, the song never loses its sense of fun. An eye-opening visual commentary on the life we’ve built around social media, but taken through the lens of campy humor. I smiled, I laughed, I questioned why I need social media, and now I long to just sit outside in a nice, quiet spot at Bernheim Forest, close my eyes and just listen to nature. We all should.

youtube.com/@Michael.Vettraino

Young Widows Power Sucker - album

Almost 11 years after the release of their previous studio album Easy Pain , Young Widows have returned, and they are here to remind you just who the fuck they are! If you were a fan of any of their previous releases, you’re going to want to go ahead and order this now. With Power Sucker , Young Widows have taken every great aspect of their previous releases and combined them into one monster of a record! This is literally the best the band has ever sounded! The songs are tighter and more cohesive, yet still as gritty, noisy and disjointed as ever. Vocalist/Guitarist Evan Patterson sounds far more confidant as a vocalist, reciting lyrics that follow the same path as he has. Calling this noise rock, while a fitting label for their sound as a whole, underscores the complexity of these songs. Their early hardcore influence is still as present as ever, but so is shoegaze, indie rock, math rock, post rock, metal and industrial. These songs are very deliberate in that they know when to crush you with shear power and volume, but they also know when to back off and leave you not just guessing, but with an overall uneasiness. You can never tell with Young Widows where they are going to go with a song, and these songs are going to take you wherever they damn well please. You are just along for the ride, but you’re blindfolded and it’s a hell of a bumpy road!

youngwidows.bandcamp.com

YOUNG WIDOWS / JAYE JAYLE FRONTMAN EVAN PATTERSON TALKS SONGWRITING, NEW ALBUMS, AND MICRODOSING MUSHROOMS FOR NINE MONTHS STRAIGHT

Power

Sucker

“is a statement piece of what we are as individuals and as musicians.”

BY JEFF POLK

Although which specific venue it was at has long since faded from my memory, (I’ve seen them numerous times since then), I still vividly remember my first dose of Young Widows. I had been familiar with Louisville hardcore legends Breather Resist, but I was unaware that after the departure of singer Steve Sindoni, guitarist/vocalist Evan Patterson, bassist Nick Thieneman, and original drummer Geoff Paton, (who was later replaced by Jeremy McMongle), had refined their sound and resurfaced in 2006 under the name Young Widows. I was standing in front of a completely dark stage, (stage lights had been turned off for reasons that would quickly become apparent), when Evan Patterson played and looped the guitar riff intro to “Almost Dead Beat.” Suddenly, the whole band seemed to lunge forward and explode into the song while simultaneously cutting through the darkness with blinding bright lights, (they had cleverly replaced the speakers in a few amp stacks with flood lights that lit up at the exact moment the song kicked in). The band then proceeded to sonically crush everyone in the room for a good 30-40 minutes. I had never seen or heard anything like this before. This sound was nothing like what any other band in Louisville was doing or had done. This was harder than hardcore. This was heavier than metal. This was intense music!

And now, 18 years, four full-length albums, one compilation, numerous split EPs and singles later, Young Widows return with their fifth studio album, Power Sucker, coming a full 11 years after their previous studio album, 2014’s Easy Pain.

If you’ve had anything to do with the Louisville music scene over the past 25 years, you’re familiar with Evan Patterson’s work. As a member of the aforementioned bands as well as the likes of Black Cross, The National Acrobat, Old Baby, Standard Issue, and especially his solo project turned full band Jaye Jayle, you can’t not be. He’s a local music legend in his own right. So when LEO Weekly was given the opportunity to speak with Patterson ahead of Power Sucker’s release, we jumped at the chance!

(This interview has been edited for length and clarity)

LEO: So why the new album after 11 years? What brought that about?

Evan Patterson: Young Widows was never meant to stop. But our bass player had a kid, and our drummer has three kids, so it was hard to get together and tour. I started doing the Jaye Jayle solo thing and was very active with that, so that was also taking up time that we could get together to write. It’s funny, to make this record we had to figure out the oddest practice schedule. We got together at 10:00 AM every Friday when we were writing this record. I don’t think it’s normal for a band to get together at 10:00 AM, but it was just one of those things where one thing led to another. And then with the lock down, we all kind of missed a couple of years there. But we never planned to stop doing the band. We just did a short tour of 6 shows. Before that, our last tour was in 2019 when we went to Europe for two weeks. And before that, we toured the states for maybe a week. So we really hadn’t done much leading up to it. But all of the new songs were conceived around 2021 and 2022 when we started writing. So they’re all really

new even for us; and most of them still haven’t been played live yet.

Going into recording this album, did you have a specific idea of how you wanted it to sound?

I always kind of have a concept when I’m making a record. With this one I wanted to make a record that sounded like the reason that we are a band; the influences and the things that initially got us together. The idea when we were writing was just to be more deliberate than we’ve ever been. There’s not a lot of space. Our album In and Out of Youth and Lightness, that record was all about creating the space and atmosphere and more of a mood. And with this one the idea was “What is it that we wanted to achieve when we all first started getting together and making music?” This is what came out.

I read where you have done a lot of self-work over the past few years. Can you tell me what that entailed, and how much did it affect the lyrics of the new record?

Yeah, absolutely. It entails a lot of psychological

issues that I’ve been dealing with my whole life; just a lot of battling with your day-to-day insecurities and anxieties. In 2021, I microdosed mushrooms for nine months. The thing is that I’ve been eating mushrooms for 15 years, and the reaction to mushrooms always really settled very well with me. The way I felt when I was on them, this is how I actually want to feel. I want to wake up and have it be a little more enhanced. So when I was doing this microdosing thing, it just kind of hit me. I’ve been through my second divorce, I just really wanted to be less selfish and less self-centered and more accepting of everything that was going on around me. Because as we get older, we kind of realize our lack of control over things, and that we can only really control our own feelings, our own emotions, and our own actions. And with the microdosing of mushrooms for nine months, I really conquered a lot of anxiety and it showed me a much brighter side of my life that I have always had, and it took away this depression-like vortex of overwhelming, obsessive feelings of sadness and struggle. I began focusing more on all of the

positive things in my life and it truly worked, even to the point of just paying my bills on time and not hanging it on the refrigerator and looking at it until it was due. It’s such a funny example, but all of a sudden I was just like “I should just pay this now!” Having regular conversations about life and being an artist and a musician, those things used to give me anxiety. Sometimes people don’t even fucking take me seriously because you tell someone you’re an artist and they’re like, “Sure you are,” [laughs]. So I can’t suggest microdosing mushrooms more. But I don’t do that anymore. I’ve probably had mushrooms two or three times since then. But it’s such a reward to have this new perspective on life.

How did you come about deciding to microdose mushrooms?

It’s something I’ve read about and talked with people about, but mostly because of my experience with not really having any negative side effects, never really having a bad trip, and learning how to control a drug on my own that is not prescribed, that is illegal. Just learning how to do it, like “OK, this much will be the right amount,” and then thinking that out as I go along. I hope to see this legalized next after marijuana.

But this is Kentucky, and we will be the last state to do it.

Yeah, we will be, [laughs]. Mushrooms are legal in certain states already, but it’s something that should be medicinal. Mushrooms are so normal. They alter your own your actual psyche in a positive way.

Back to the new album, is there an overarching theme to Power Sucker?

It’s about the people and things in life that are sucking your powers away. Those words together might not sound very positive, but it’s about not dealing with the things that take away from you and the things that might be holding you down. It’s somewhat of a very positive record. I would say maybe I’m kind of complaining every now and then about some things I don’t like, but all in all it tries to wrap around and give a nice positive spin.

Do you feel like Power Sucker is a reinvention of Young Widows, or a reintroduction?

To me, it’s just a combining of our capabilities. I don’t know if it’s a reinvention or reintroduction as much as it is a statement piece of what we are as individuals and as musicians. I think it really captures what we’re capable of in this kind of smash your face against the wall sound, and what we’re capable of doing without being metal or space rock or whatever.

Live, you all seemed to have stopped playing anything prior to Old Wounds some time ago. Do you feel like you’ve just outgrown that material?

Well, the thing about the first record, Settle Down City, is that it was with a different drummer. We lean towards playing the material with Jeremy, our drummer now. He’s less connected to it, and a big part of Young Widows is that

it is a band and it’s not just me. I might be the main songwriter and singer, but this band is equal parts Nick and Jeremy. At times when we couldn’t tour because they were busy, I’ve never thought I should get another drummer or another bass player and do this on my own. We are a band. But there’s one song on Settle Down City that we’ll bust out every now and then called “New Forest.” We probably would go back for maybe the 20th anniversary or something and play one or two songs, but I’m a bit of a forward motion kind of creator. So making new songs is the joy I get out of playing music, not going back to it. To me, it’s almost counterintuitive to go back and try to learn how to play an old song.

You just put out a new Jaye Jayle collection a few weeks ago. What can you tell us about that?

It’s called After Alter, and it is four new songs that actually kind of lean towards more of the Young Widow’s sound. They are heavy songs,

the mindset of just writing words and thinking about vocal melodies rather than going through and playing the songs 1,000 times to the band.

Now that Young Widows has the new album coming out, is Jaye Jayle being put on the backburner for a while?

It’s kind of ending up being that way. I’ve hit a place in the past few years with Jaye Jayle that’s not pushing too hard to tour that much. If something came out or someone asked us to do something, I would go do it if it didn’t interfere with Young Widow’s schedule. But I’m also a new father; I have a one-year old son now, and that’s a whole new beautiful part of my life. So the time that I want to be gone and the time that I have available to tour is less.

So are there any plans coming up for Jaye Jayle?

No plans for Jaye Jayle right now. Our bass player, Todd Cook, is playing bass with Shannon Wright and they are touring Europe. He’s been really focused on that. But Jaye Jayle has an album that’s very different that we recorded the music to in 2022. It’s kind of more of an upbeat, Krautrock kind of album. And it was just kind of happenstance of us having these songs when we were on tour and a friend who wanted to record the music. I’ve been working on those songs and actually collaborating with my partner, Christy O’Connell, to sing on those. That’s somewhere in the future.

kind of more in the noise rock world. And then four more songs that I’d recorded and self-released over the past eight years or so. The thing that I love the most about the record is I made a cover of the Beatles song “Help,” and it’s a real chopped and screwed version. A couple friends wrote me and were like “Man, I listened to your cover of ‘Help’ and it really bummed me out,” [laughs]. And I was like “Perfect!”

So is your approach to writing songs and lyrics different for Jaye Jayle than it is for Young Widows?

It is. With Jaye Jayle, I somewhat write the words and the melodies and have the ideas for the songs going into showing them to the band. And with Young Widows, we recorded and wrote all the music prior to me conceiving any way to sing on the songs. I sat with the recordings that are on the album for about six months just to figure out how I wanted to sing and what I wanted to sing, and I really love that process. It’s kind of a nice thing to get in

And any upcoming plans for Young Widows? We have a tour in April with the band Cherubs from Texas. They’re a childhood favorite band of mine. When I was 15, I heard a Cherubs record called Heroin Man, which to me is a classic noise rock album, and it really influenced me. So we’re taking them and also a new band called Porcelain from Texas on tour for 9 shows. And Porcelain is great; they have kind of an unwound Sonic Youth sound that you don’t really hear a lot of bands doing. So we’re all playing the record release show in Louisville on April 5th at Zanzabar, which I’m actually very excited about, and then we do eight more shows in which we go South and play in Texas, then wrap back around. And in May and June, Young Widows are doing two more weeks of touring in which we’ll be playing the Caterwaul Festival in Minneapolis and Prepare the Ground Festival in Toronto, and doing some headlining shows.

Power Sucker will be released Friday, March 21st on Temporary Residence Ltd. and is available for order through the band’s Bandcamp page at: youngwidows.bandcamp.com.

The record release show takes place Saturday, April 5th at Zanzabar with guests Cherubs, Porcelain, and Bad Wires. Doors 7:00 p.m., show 8:00 p.m., 18 and over. Advance tickets are $15 and can be purchased through Zanzibar’s website at: zanzabarlouisville.com.

Amber Thieneman

MEET KIM PERRY, THE ARTIST BEHIND THE 2025 KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL POSTER

The native Kentuckian and a traditional painter shares her inspiration for this year’s design.

BY ARIA BACI

The Kentucky Derby Festival’s official poster series began in 1981 with the expressionistic “Bluegrass Pegasus” by German-American artist Peter Max. Since then, the poster for the Kentucky Derby Festival has become a stylistic showcase of designs that visualize the energy of the event. LEO chats with Kim Perry, the artist for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Festival poster. Perry is a native Kentuckian, a traditional painter, and juried member of the Oil Panters of America.

How and where did you begin your art practice? I grew up in Raceland, Kentucky, and have had the privilege of living in several different parts of the state throughout my life. However, it was in Louisville where I truly began to immerse myself in my art practice. The city’s thriving arts community, rich cultural heritage, and the incredible energy of the people here played a huge role in shaping my creative journey. Louisville was where I found my voice as an artist and where I really began to focus on painting, developing my own unique style and approach.

Do you have any preferred media or techniques? Oil paints are my medium of choice. There’s something about the texture, depth, and the

way they allow me to build layers that I find deeply satisfying. I love the tactile experience of working with oils — the way they respond to brushstrokes, and the richness they bring to a painting. As for subject matter, I often draw inspiration from elements of Kentucky’s culture and natural beauty. Horses, bourbon, flowers, and other local icons find their way into my work because they tell the story of the place I call home. Each piece reflects a part of Kentucky’s heart and soul.

What does the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Derby Festival mean to you — personally, professionally, culturally?

As a native Kentuckian, the Kentucky Derby and the Festival mean so much to me on many levels. Personally, it’s a time of celebration, tradition, and connection to my roots. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the Derby for nearly a decade, and every year it reminds me of the unity that this event brings to the state — especially to Louisville. It’s more than just a horse race; it’s an experience that captures the spirit of Kentucky. On a personal note, the Kentucky Derby Festival holds a special place in my heart because both my daughter and I completed our first half

marathon as part of the Festival, separated by ten years. It’s a bond that ties us to this tradition, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it.

How did you come to be the poster artist for the Kentucky Derby Festival?

The journey to becoming the Kentucky Derby Festival’s poster artist was serendipitous. I first met the Festival team at a bourbon market event held at the Kentucky Castle in Lexington. We instantly clicked and stayed in touch over time. The connections I made there laid the groundwork for this incredible opportunity. It’s been a rewarding experience to work alongside such passionate individuals who are dedicated to showcasing Louisville and Kentucky’s rich cultural heritage. What started as a chance encounter grew into something truly special, and I’m honored to have my work associated with such a beloved event.

What were your inspirations for this year’s design?

For this design, I was deeply inspired by the sense of community and the excitement that fills the air during the Kentucky Derby Festival. It’s a time when Louisville and the surrounding areas really come alive with energy and celebration. The various events leading up to Derby Day — such as the Steamboat Festival, the Derby mini and

full marathons, Thunder Over Louisville, and so many more — create a unique atmosphere that represents the spirit of Kentucky. I wanted my design to reflect that sense of unity and anticipation that fills the city during this time. It’s a moment when Louisville becomes a stage for the entire state, and I hope my design captures the excitement and pride that comes with this incredible season.

Where can our readers see more of your work? If you’d like to see more of my work, I invite you to visit my website [kimperrystudio.com], where you can browse through my latest pieces and projects. You can also follow me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kimperrystudio/?hl=en] for a closer look at my artistic process and updates on new works. Additionally, you can find some of my paintings on display at Buffalo Trace Distillery [https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/content/buffalotracedistillery/us/ en.html], as well as at select boutiques across the state. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my art with others and to have it showcased in such meaningful spaces.

Kim Perry Courtesy photo

Kentucky Derby Festival Poster Kentucky Derby Festival

AMERICANA WORLD COMMUNITY CENTER IN LOUISVILLE IS AT RISK OF CLOSURE

This vital community resource in the South End needs our help.

BY ARIA BACI

Americana World Community Center provides a broad spectrum of educational and social support services for immigrants, refugees, and the economically underserved in Louisville. It is not just a campus of buildings. It is a globally-minded community space. Based in the Beechmont neighborhood, Americana provides holistic services in partnerships with seven other nonprofit organizations who are housed and hosted there.

Executive Director Emilie Dyer, who has been at Americana for 14 years, and Associate Director Karen Moyen, who has been at Americana since 2018 (and became Associate Director in October 2024) enumerate some of the services Americana offers: After school and summer programs for kindergarten to 12th grade students; a partnership with JCPS to administrate the largest English language learning site and the second largest GED certification site in Louisville; a community garden that serves 130 gardeners and provides 6,000 pounds of fresh produce to the community each year; and a fiberworks program that brings together women from all over the world to create their own products and sell them to generate supplemental income for their families.

Americana’s campus partners include Kentucky Refugee Ministries, who provide citizenship classes; the Louisville Asset Building Coalition, who provide VITA volunteer tax assistance; Family Health Center, which serves more than 5,000 patients a year (80% of whom speak a language other than English); and Adelante Hispanic Achievers, who support college and career readiness for the Latinx community.

Americana exists “to provide a safe, welcoming space for community members to feel like they belong,” Moyen said. “This organization has spent the past 30 years perfecting and working towards culturally responsive, culturally appropriate services and programming, building trust with the community” in order to cultivate a place of stability for the Beechmont and surrounding neighborhoods. Unfortunately, when Americana assessed its mid-year financial position, the result was the identification of an immediate need: bring in $150,000 by March 31 and $520,000 by June 30 or close its doors.

What Has Changed Since January

Americana is supported by grants, sponsorships, its own fundraising events, and

individual donors. A majority of grant money that Americana receives comes from through local and regional foundations who are the primary recipients of federal funds. When the Department of Government Efficiency eviscerates federal funding, Americana feels the effects. “We are a secondary awardee in many cases,” Dyer said. “What we’re noticing is that the trickle down effect of these federal executive orders is that grant opportunities around around the work we do are drying up … The structure of the entire nonprofit sector will be compromised by current federal policies.”

Approximately 90% of Americana’s budget comes from grant awards. The remaining 10% to 12% comes from private donations and sponsorships. “What we’re seeing because the grant opportunities are getting smaller is that the awards are getting smaller, because they’re just evaporating,” Moyen said. As a

result of this evaporation of tax-funded financial support, “the community is going to have to show up for organizations like ours until the the grant funds change. We’re always keeping our eyes on that, but that’s how we’re seeing it shift. We’re … leaning more into donations, volunteer work, and in-kind donation work.”

Dyer and Moyen have been living and working in the South End for a long time. They understand the way Americana informs the safety and stability of the Beechmont neighborhood, as well as other neighborhoods by providing basic services and a place to go for people who might not be able to access resources otherwise. “Our intention is to continue to do that in whatever capacity is possible beyond June 30”, Dyer said. “We are working with our board to create that strategy, but we’re also assessing … [how] we might be able to continue through the support of partnership with some of our fellow nonprofit community providers.”

“We didn’t plan for this situation,” Dyer said. “We had a plan at the beginning of this year; a strategy was built out by our leadership and board to make our our budget like we always have for the past 30 years. But now, we have to pivot and come up with highly creative solutions to get us across the finish line.”

What Louisvillians Can Do To Help Americana

One way Louisvillians can support Americana is to make a donation online [https://www. americanacc.org/donate.html] and then challenge others to do the same. Americana’s Instagram account [https://www.instagram. com/americanalouisville] has activated the

#50from5 challenge: give $50, recruit four friends, then share the inspiration for your donation on social media.

“If we can get 2000 people to donate $50, we’re going to make our mark by the time that we need to in order to keep pushing forward,” Dyer said. “We’re going to keep communicating with our community and our supporters about how we’re going to continue this fundraising effort to get to June 30.”

In addition to the #50from5 challenge, Americana asks followers to use the hashtag #SOSAmericana across social media platforms. Dyer and Moyen also encourage donors to attend the International Women’s Day Breakfast, catered by M Venue, on Saturday, March 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

“We’re going to have to lean in more than ever to the support of the community to provide these essential public services,” Dyer said. … they’re not going to be funded in the traditional ways they have been in the past.” If people want to take it to the next step, make it a monthly donation — make it recurring.”

The movement to keep Americana World Community Center alive and thriving is already gaining traction. In the first 24 hours after the first announcement of the risk of closure, 350 individual donors gave more than $30,000. Be counted among Louisvillians who value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Donate now. [https://www.americanacc.org/donate.html]

Mural

The children of Americana Americana World Community Center

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com BrezsnyAstrology@gmail.com

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week of March 12

ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): What can you do to show how much you care about everyone and everything that deserves your love? Now is a fantastic time to unleash a flood of gratitude and appreciation that takes very practical forms. Don’t just beam warm and fuzzy feelings toward your favorite people and animals, in other words. Offer tangible blessings that will actually enhance their lives. Find your own personally meaningful ways to nourish all that nourishes you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Ancient Egyptians loved the color blue. The mineral azurite and the semiprecious stones turquoise and lapis lazuli satisfied their fascination to some degree, but were rare and difficult to work with. So the Egyptians decided to fabricate their own pigment. After extensive experimentation, using copper, silica, and lime, they succeeded. The hue they made is known as Egyptian blue. I heartily endorse a comparable process for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. Identify the experience, substance, or feeling you really, really want more of, and then resolve to get as much of it as you really, really want.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Dandelions germinate quickly and grow fast. Because of their deep taproots, they are hardy. Once they establish their presence in a place, they persist. Dandelions are adaptable, too, able to grow anywhere their seeds land, even from cracks in concrete. Their efficient dispersal is legendary. They produce large quantities of lightweight seeds that are easily carried by the wind. Bees love dandelions in the spring when there are few other flowers yet to provide them with nectar. I propose we make the dandelion your symbol of power in the coming weeks, Gemini. Be like them! (PS: They are also beautiful in an unostentatious way.)

CANCER (June 21-July 22): About 36,000 years ago, humans created remarkable drawings and paintings in the Cave of Altamira, located in what we now call Spain. When an early discoverer of the art published his findings in 1880, he was met with derision. Experts accused him of forgery, saying such beautiful and technically proficient works could not have been made by ancient people, who just weren’t that smart. Eventually, though, the art was proved to be genuine. I propose we meditate on this as a metaphor for your life. It’s possible that your abilities may be underestimated, even by you. Hidden potentials and unexpressed capacities may be close to ripening, but they will need your full confidence and boldness. Don’t let skepticism, either from your inner critic or others, hold you back.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1977, NASA launched two Voyager probes to study our solar system’s outer planets. Their original mission was designed to last a few years. But in 2025, they still continue to send back useful information from the great beyond, far past Uranus and Neptune, and into interstellar space. I suspect that now is also a good time for you Leos to seek valuable information from adventures you began years ago. Even if those past experiences have not yielded relevant revelations recently, they may soon do so. Be alert for ways to harvest new riches from old memories.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): About 3,775 years ago, a Babylonian man named Nanni wrote a crabby letter to Ea-nasir, a merchant who had sold him substandard copper ingots. Nanni was also upset that his servant was treated rudely. It is the oldest customer complaint in history. With this as our touchstone, I remind you that maintaining high standards is always crucial for your long-term success. Others may be tempted to cut corners, but your natural integrity is one of your superpowers. Please redouble your commitment to providing highest value, Virgo. And ask for it from others, too.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Blogger Yukiko Kisaki writes about the Japanese concept of ma. She says it’s “the emptiness full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled. It’s the purposeful pauses in a speech that make words stand out; the quiet time we all need to make our busy lives meaningful; the silence between the notes that make the music.” According to my analysis, Libra, you will be wise to make ma a central theme in the coming weeks. I invite you to research the power of pauses. Rather than filling up every gap, allow space for pregnant blankness. Trust that in being open to vacancy, you will make room for unexpected riches.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The literal meaning of the Japanese word yohen is “kiln mutation.” It refers to a type of glaze that undergoes unpredictable variations in color when baked in a kiln. The finished pottery that emerges displays patterns and hues that are blends of the artist’s intention and accidental effects created by the heat. I would love to see you carry out metaphorical versions of yohen in the coming weeks, Scorpio. Suggested meditations: 1. Collaborate to create beauty with energies that aren’t entirely manageable. 2. Undertake projects that require both careful preparation and a willingness to adapt to shifting conditions. 3. Engage with opportunities that will have the best outcomes if you relinquish some control.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A big party is underway in your astrological House of SelfUnderstanding and Self-Definition. The near future will be a favorable time to discover yourself in greater depth and bring your identity into clearer focus. I see this mostly as a task for you to carry out in intimate conversation with yourself. It’s also fine to solicit the feedback of allies who have insight into your nature, but I urge you to rely heavily on your private investigations. How can you deepen your knowledge of the reasons you are here on earth? Can you learn more about your dormant potentials? Who are you, exactly?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila was selected by his country to compete in the 1960 Rome Olympics. But the honor was offered shortly before the games began, and he had to scramble to get there in time. When he arrived for the main event, he couldn’t find any running shoes in local stores that fit comfortably. So he decided to go barefoot for the 26.2-mile race. Success! He won, setting a new world-record time. I propose we make him your role model, Capricorn. May he inspire you to respond to an apparent scarcity or deficiency by calling on earthy alternatives. May you adjust to a problem by deepening your reliance on your natural self.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): After being part of two journeys to Antarctica, Aquarian explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) assembled a team to try what no one had ever done: crossing the entire continent on foot with pack dogs and motorized sledges. But the proposed 1,800-mile expedition failed soon after it began. That’s when Shackleton did what he is most famous for. His leadership during the harrowing struggle to survive became legendary. I don’t think you will face anything remotely resembling his challenges in the coming weeks. But I suspect that your response to tests and trials will define your success. As you encounter obstacles, you will treat them as opportunities to showcase your resourcefulness and adaptability. You will inspire others to summon resiliency, and you will bring out their best as together you engage in creative problem-solving. Trials will become triumphs.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’m not exactly sure where you are going, Pisces, but I’m certain you are headed in the right direction. Your instincts for self-love are at a peak. Your ability to see your best possible future is lucid and strong. Your commitment to gracefully serving all that gracefully serves you is passionate and rigorous. I will congratulate you in advance for locating the exact, robust resources you need, not mediocre resources that are only half-interesting.

Homework: Can you treat yourself even better than you already do? Newsletter. FreeWillAstrology.com

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #88 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Louisville MHC LLC

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 2001

Make: Clayton Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #88. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #94 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Louisville MHC LLC

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 2002

Make: Clayton Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #94. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #87 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Louisville MHC LLC

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1973

Make: Castle IND

Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #87. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #8 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville,

Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Kaysi Demma

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1972

Make: Liberty Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #8. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #25 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Fedon Rashaun

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1981

Make: Elcona Homes

Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #25. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #30 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

David Younce

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1997

Make: Fleetwood

Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #30. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #89 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller

reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Dianna Thornsberry

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1972

Make: Champion

Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #89. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3416 Kramers Lane, #83 in River Oaks MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by River Oaks via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at River Oaks MHP, LLC 3416 Kramers Lane, Louisville, KY 40216. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Pam Riddle

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1988

Make: Fleetwood

Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3416 Kramers Ln, #83. in River Oaks MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3515 Crossland Way, #C43 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Bluegrass Mobile Home Court

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1964

Make: AVA

Model: Unknown VIN: 1439

Located at 3515 Crossland Way, #C43 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3516

Bluegrass Park Drive, #F2 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 2017

Make: Champion

Model: Unknown VIN: 125-AC0-H-B004533A

Located at 3516 Bluegrass Park Drive, #F2 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3503 Crossland Way, #C49 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

HT&T, Inc.

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1959

Make: NEWM

Model: Unknown VIN: 30872

Located at 3503 Crossland Way, #C49 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3540 Fleetwood Drive, #D21 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

HT&T, Inc.

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1966

Make: PNC

Model: Unknown

VIN: FF422FL10PA33098

Located at 3540 Fleetwood Drive, #D21 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3515 Crossland Way, #C43 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Bluegrass Mobile Home Court

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1964

Make: AVA

Model: Unknown

VIN: 1439

Located at 3515 Crossland Way, #C43 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3547 Crossland Way, #C27 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Alvin Ray Allen

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: 1959

Make: Buddy Duplex

Model: Unknown

VIN: 50104692

Located at 3547 Crossland Way, #C27 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3535 Caravan Way, #B17 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Christopher Thienemann

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

Year: Unknown

Make: Unknown

Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3535 Caravan Way, #B17 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

Public Notice

Pursuant to KRS 376.480, the following abandoned mobile home located at 3524 Bluegrass Park Drive, #F6 in Fort Bluegrass MHP LLC. Community, Louisville, Kentucky shall be sold by Fort Bluegrass via sealed bid on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM to recover rent, storage and legal fees incurred by the owners of said mobile home. The sealed bids will be accepted at Fort Bluegrass MHP, LLC 3510 Bluegrass Park Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40218. Title to the mobile home is not warranted, subject to prior liens and all sales are final. Seller reserves the right to bid. Terms of sale cash only.

Nativadad Cruz

Unknown Heirs or Beneficiaries

Unknown Owner(s) or Creditor(s)

SAVAGE LOVE

RUNAWAY, BRIDE!

BY DAN SAVAGE

Hey Dan: I’m a 28-year-old woman married to my husband, a 29-year-old man, for almost two years, and we still haven’t had sex. We met through mutual friends, dated for less than a year, and we knew pretty quickly that we wanted to get married. Things between us felt right. We genuinely liked each other, and everything felt pretty great. On our wedding night, we decided to leave the hotel early to spend time with family since many had traveled far for the wedding. After the wedding, life got hectic. Before we realized it, months had passed. I initiated intimacy a few times, but we never followed through. I’ve brought it up multiple times, and he always says he feels self-conscious about his body but promises to try harder. We even scheduled times for intimacy, but when the time came, he was either too busy or he would ask if we could try tomorrow instead. I’ve given him oral sex and a hand-job but other than that nothing. Yes, we were both virgins on our wedding night, and I guess we still are.

Every time we have a heart-to-heart, he promises to do better but nothing changes. I’ve stopped bringing it up because I feel like I’m nagging, but it’s breaking me inside. We’ve talked about wanting children and when we should start trying, but it feels so painful to have those conversations when we haven’t even had sex yet. I feel heartbroken watching our friends start families while we’re stuck in this place. I don’t know if therapy would help, or if I should involve his parents, or if I need to worry about something/someone else or if I should accept that this might never change. I feel lost. Has anyone else been through something like this? What would you do?

Married In Name Only

I would leave.

Zooming out for a second: Anyone out there who wants to be sexually active in the context of a sexually exclusive relationship needs to establish sexual compatibility before the wedding. If a good sex life isn’t important to you — if you don’t just wannabe married for the companionship and/or the tax break — don’t wait until after the wedding to see if the sex works. Fuck first — before you get married, before you get engaged, before you go steady.

Alright, MINO, there’s clearly something your husband isn’t telling you — something you had a right to know before you married him — but you need to ask yourself how much more time you’re willing to waste before you find out what that thing is.

Best-case scenario: Your husband agrees to therapy, MINO, and you somehow manage to find the perfect therapist right away, i.e. the kind of therapist with the power to heal their clients in one or two visits. And then at your second appointment with this miracle-working

therapist, MINO, your husband tells you that thing you had a right to know before you married him and it turns out to be something silly and trivial and your husband is in such a hurry to fuck you now after that silly and trivial thing is out in the open that you wind up having PIV sex for the first time in the parking garage of your therapist’s office building.

Worst-case scenario: Your husband agrees to therapy, MINO, but years go by before your husband finally levels with you about that thing you had a right to know before you married him and it’s not something silly or trivial and saying it out loud doesn’t make it go away and you have to live with the realization that you didn’t just waste years of your life on a man who couldn’t love you the way you deserved to be loved, but you wasted them on a man who could see that sexual rejection was breaking you and he didn’t love you enough to let you go.

P.S. Don’t involve his parents.

Hey Dan: What do you recommend doing if you have a good friend who is dizzyingly hot, totally off limits, and has been flirting with you for two years? I am conflicted because I find it pretty fun, but I periodically feel guilty because he is in a monogamous relationship and has a new baby. On the other hand, it’s limited to him making sorta mild flirtatious comments and sending occasional (fully clothed!) selfies. I don’t think I’m misreading the situation here, as I’ve spoken at length with friends and my partner, all of whom all joke about his glances and body language around me. I have pretty good self-control, and I don’t want to be party to him blowing up his life because he is my friend, first and foremost, and I don’t think he wants to blow up his life, seeing as flirting hasn’t escalated over time. And despite the chemistry that’s obvious to the people around us, I don’t get any sense that it pisses off his partner when the three of us hang out.

However, I’m writing to you for a gut check. The photos feel like a little step over the line, and I redirect the conversation when he sends them and don’t send any photos in return, but I’ve never shut him down explicitly. Should I? I’m trying to be a good, if horny, friend, but I worry that I’m enjoying this hot, funny, tattooed guy’s ridiculous teasing too much. What are the ethics here, Dan? Do I need to shut this down entirely or lay down clear boundaries?

—Friendly Lad Is Really Tempting

For all you know, FLIRT, Mrs. Hot Tattoos puts on a brave face when her husband flirts with you in front of a room full of people — she clocks how he looks at you, she clocks how you look at him — and then cries herself to sleep at night from the humiliation of it all. Or Mrs. Hot Tattoos is a cuckquean and, although their marriage is monogamous, she encourages her husband to flirt with other women in front of other people and comes extra hard from the humiliation of it all. Or Mr. and Mrs. Hot Tattoos are monogamish; for some couples “being monogamish” means there’s some allowance for outside sexual contract, FLIRT, for others it means they don’t have to hide evidence they’re attracted to someone else. So long as crushes remain crushes — so long as flirtations don’t become action plans

— they’re allowed.

Basically, FLIRT, other people’s marriages are a mystery. In normal circumstances, these mysteries are none of our business — but seeing as your sustained flirtation with Mr. Hot Tattoos has created an ethical dilemma for you, FLIRT, their mystery is now your business. Because if what you’re doing is hurting this other woman — if this is causing her pain — you don’t (or shouldn’t) want any part of it. So, I recommend putting the dread direct question (DDQ) to this Mr. Hot Tattoos: “Does it bother your wife when we flirt? I know it can’t go any further than flirting — because your marriage is monogamous and I respect that — but if what we are doing is hurting your wife’s feelings, we should stop. So, does this bother her?”

If Mr. Hot Tattoos says it’s killing his wife — if he admits she’s crying herself to sleep at night from the humiliation of it all — then you can bet he’s telling the truth. On the other hand, FLIRT, if he tells you his wife is fine with it… or that she likes it… there’s a somewhat decent chance he’s telling the truth… given as his wife seems unbothered by it… but “she’s fine with it” is exactly the sort of lie a married man might tell when asked whether his behavior is hurting his wife. So, if you get the first response — it’s killing his wife — stop flirting with him. If he tells you his wife is fine with it, FLIRT, and you want to make sure he’s not lying to you, then you’ll need to ask him the OFQ (obvious followup question): “Can I check with Mrs. Hot Tattoos about that?”

Hey Dan: My husband and I have been together for a long time and we are still massively in love with each other! A few years ago, we dipped our toes into “The Lifestyle.” It was a great experience! We felt like teenagers again, inside and outside of the bedroom. The experience brought us closer, our communication became stronger, and the experience encouraged a deeper, more honest form of conversation. Then COVID happened, and we closed things back up. Recently, we’ve begun discussing signing up on a few swinging apps and getting back into this. But I hesitate due to the political climate. I cannot fathom giving a piece of myself to a Trump supporter. It literally gives me an all-body ick to think about it. My husband feels the same way. Even though we still feel somewhat new to the lifestyle, we understand the difference between a sexy conversation and a non-sexy conversation, and we don’t think politics makes for a sexy conversation. Is it appropriate to share on our profiles that we are not interested in meeting anyone who is any way MAGA? We don’t feel a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy is a strong enough stance to take, what with everything being taken from so many during this reign of terror.

—Must Avoid Grinding Against Trump Supporters

Even if you put , “NO TRUMP VOTERS, NO MAGA IDIOTS,” in all caps on your ads, MAGATS, you’re still gonna have to do your screw diligence before meeting up with other couples. Research into online dating/hookups has shown that many people don’t read the text of a personal ad — people send messages to people whose photos they like — which

means we can’t assume the person we’re talking to is aware of our interests, limits, boundaries, etc., just because we listed them in the text of our personal ad. Additionally, there’s nothing MAGA motherfuckers enjoy more than inflicting themselves on people who want nothing to do with them — bone the libs to own the libs — which means you’ll have to ask one or two pointed/trick questions at some point between exchanging messages and swapping partners even if it seems like they read your ad.

Hey Dan: Every year I make pin-on buttons for Pride and give them away leading up to and throughout the month of June. It’s a small contribution; I enjoy making them and seeing them pinned to people around town throughout the year. I like to stick to a theme. Last year I still had hope for the US and tried to appeal to people’s humanity: “Hello, Neighbor” “It’s OK to love people” and “It’s just ME.” This year I’m struggling for ideas; and as I cast about for inspiration, I keep getting bogged down in the moment. This big, ugly, scary moment. Even the ideas I come up with (“Gay and Armed”) have a desperate and defensive tone that I’d like to avoid while we celebrate. Or, maybe I should embrace the tone. Maybe it’s less celebratory this year than protest-y. Some of my first pins included “The first pride was a RIOT!” Maybe “The next pride will be a RIOT!” would fit the bill. I am hoping (in one hand, doodling in the other) you and your readers might have ideas for themes or slogans that fit the mood of this year’s Pride. Thank you for everything you do. It makes a difference. —Pride Is Now Needed Every Day

While many other demographic groups moved toward Trump in 2024 — while Harris still won majorities of urban voters, Black and Latino voters, and younger voters, Trump gained significant ground with all of these groups (WTF Gen Z?) — LGBT voters decisively rejected Trump and Trumpism: 88% of LGBT voters rejected Trump in 2024 compared to just 73% in 2020. (If straight people voted like LGBT voters do, there wouldn’t be a single Republican in Washington) So, when I read your letter, PINNED, my first thought was, “You know what would be cool? Buttons with ‘88’ on them! It would make a statement about how unified we are as a community against Trump and anyone who didn’t know what it meant would have to ask and that could start some great conversations and inspire solidarity!”

Aaaaaaaaaand… then I remembered that “88” is code for “Heil Hitler” (“H” being the eighth letter of the alphabet), and neo-Nazis are already out there wearing “88” buttons and sporting “88” tattoos. So, please don’t make “88” buttons, PINNED, as they’re not going to start any conversations worth having. Some other suggestions off the top of my head: “WE’RE STILL HERE,” “TRANS PEOPLE EXIST,” “DO NOT COMPLY,” and “FUCK THIS SHIT.”

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love!

Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

CLASSIFIEDS

Year: Unknown

Make: Unknown

Model: Unknown

VIN: Unknown

Located at 3524 Bluegrass Park Drive, #F6 in Fort Bluegrass MHP, Community

BTS Towers, LLC is proposing to construct a 125-foot tall overall height monopole telecommunications structure at 3515 Henry Avenue, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky (38° 11’ 41.8” N, 85° 46’ 53.4” W). BTS Towers, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the tower may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Comments may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Annamarie Howell, 1375 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via email to publicnotice@eca-usa.com. Ms. Howell can be reached at (770) 667-2040 x 108 during normal business hours. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. In addition, any interested party may also request further environmental review of the proposed action under the FCC’s National Environmental Policy Act rules, 47 CFR §1.1307, by notifying the FCC of the specific reasons that the action may have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. This request must only raise environmental concerns and can be filed online using the FCC pleadings system at www.fcc. gov or mailed to FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554 within 30 days of the date that notice of this proposed action is published on the FCC’s website. Refer to File No. A1305217 when submitting the request and to view the specific information about the proposed action. 24-001352b CLS

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SELL FOR TOW AND STORAGE CHARGES

Vehicle: 2023 Dodge Charger

VIN: 2C3CDXGJ1PH689937

Owner: Marissa Turea Kendrick

Lien Holder: Commonwealth Dodge LLC

Lien Holder: JP Morgan Chase Bank NA Storage Facility: Express Towing 24 LLC

Address: 4914 Poplar Level Road, Louisville, KY 40219

Phone: 502-442-6333

You have until final date of this publication of this legal notice to contact us.

Prova LLC, hereby declares intention(s) to apply for a Distiller’s License - Class B, Small Farm Winery License, NQ Retail Drink License license(s) no later than February 26, 2025. The business to be licensed will be located at 917 E Liberty St, Louisville, Kentucky 40204 doing business as Prova Spirits.

The owner(s) are as follows: Giuseppe Paoulos, 726 Indian Ridge Rd, Louisville KY 40207.

Any person, association, corporation, or body politic may protest the granting of the license(s) by writing the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 500 Mero St 2NE33, Frankfort, Kentucky,

40601, within thirty (30) days of the date of legal publication.

Crown Castle Fiber, LLC is proposing to modify an existing telecommunications facility at an approximate overall height of 44 feet on an existing 42-foot overall height small cell telecommunications structure located at 3734 Oakdale Avenue, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky (38° 12’ 7.9” N, 85° 45’ 54.9” W). Crown Castle Fiber, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact of the proposed action on any districts, sites, buildings, structures or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and/ or specific reason the proposed action may have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Specific information regarding the project may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Annamarie Howell, 1375 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via email to publicnotice@eca-usa.com. Ms. Howell can be reached at (770) 667-2040 x 108 during normal business hours. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. 25-000205 MCM

BTS Towers, LLC is proposing to construct a 125foot overall height monopole telecommunications structure located near 2610 S 6th Street, Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky (38° 12’ 40.4” N, 85° 46’ 5.6” W). BTS Towers, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Comments may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Annamarie Howell, 1375 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via email to publicnotice@eca-usa.com. Ms. Howell can be reached at (770) 667-2040 x 108 during normal business hours. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice.

In addition, any interested party may also request further environmental review of the proposed action under the FCC’s National Environmental Policy Act rules, 47 CFR §1.1307, by notifying the FCC of the specific reasons that the action may have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment. This request must only raise environmental concerns and can be filed online using the FCC pleadings system at www.fcc.gov or mailed to FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554 within 30 days of the date that notice of this proposed action is published on the FCC’s website. Refer to File No. A1305959 when submitting the request and to view the specific information about the proposed action. 24-001327

Computer Systems Engineer (Master’s degree or equiv. w/1 yr. exp.) – Louisville, KY. Req. exp in: preparing technical system design documents, Testing (Unit & Integration); & work/w: Java, Spring Boot, AWS Lambada, Terraform, & Junit. Relocation & travel to various unanticipated locations within USA possible. Send resumes to HR, Knight Info Tech, 101 North Seventh St, Suite 701, Louisville, KY 40202

PARLOR TRICK

BY MATTHEW STOCK AND WILL NEDIGER

Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz

Matthew Stock works for a matheducation nonprofit in East St. Louis, Ill. Will Nediger, of London, Ontario, is a professional crossword constructor. As fans of each other’s work, they connected via the online “puzzleverse.” They still have not met or even spoken together over video. The original idea for this puzzle was Matthew’s. Together they developed the theme via Twitter direct messages, then exchanged grids back and forth until they got one they were both happy with. — W.S

Across

1 ‘‘Bon ____!’’

8 ‘‘See ya later!’’

13 It covers more than 30 percent of the earth’s surface

20 Donna ____, member of Bill Clinton’s cabinet

21 Klein who wrote the best seller ‘‘This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate’’

22 Desert whose soil has been compared with that of Mars

23 Biting writings

24 Breakfast treat

25 Persuades a customer to pay more

26 ‘‘Or so’’

27 Much of a delivery person’s income

29 Makes a choice

31 Hoppin’

32 Prearranged

33 Suffix with official

34 Nickel found in a pocket, say

35 Actor Barinholtz of ‘‘The Mindy

Project’’

36 Classic Camaro

38 K. Smith, poet who won a Pulitzer for ‘‘Life on Mars’’

40 Cosmetic that can be applied with a brush

42 Neighbors of exclamation marks

43 ‘‘La Dolce ____’’

45 Stuffed one’s face

47 Bump on a frog

49 Question regarding a mic

51 Hubbub

52 One of the Blues Brothers

55 Above criticism

56 Question from the befuddled

57 Syrian city with a historic citadel

58 What ‘‘10’’ can mean

60 Extra

62 Rolled one’s r’s, say

63 Linguistic unit

64 Giraffe’s closest living relative

65 Deb ____, of the interior starting in 2021

66 Opposite of ’neath

67 Regarding

69 Exams for some future clerks: Abbr.

71 Cold open?

72 Hang out on a line

73 U.K. award bestowed by the queen

74 West Coast news inits.

75 Blunder

76 They cast lots

78 ‘‘Love covers a multitude of ____’’: I Peter 4:8

79 Lawn material

82 Something’s essential aspect or what’s spelled out by letters in this puzzle’s eight ‘‘cups’’

87 Comedian Margaret

90 2011 film for which Octavia Spencer won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar

92 It takes blades to blades

93 Deal

95 Like the consonants ‘‘t’’ and ‘‘d’’

97 Eject forcefully

98 Records request inits.

99 history

101 Utah’s state flower

102 Org. that sets permissible exposure limits

103 Karaoke instruction or what to do starting at 10-Down

109 P.R. consultant on ‘‘Ted Lasso’’

110 Start playing for pay

111 Into really small pieces

112 Scott who sued for his freedom

113 Afford, casually

114 Add salt to, say

Down

1 Home of St. Clare

2 Starfleet weapon

3 Election night calculation or what’s traced by the circled letters

4 Name that’s 6-Down backward

5 Save it for a rainy day!

6 La Corse, par exemple

7 Brewery employee

8 Comb through

9 Bubs

10 Worker’s ‘‘on vacation’’ inits.

11 ‘‘Actually, I disagree’’

12 Rococo painter of ‘‘Allegory of the Planets and Continents’’

13 They might be pregnant

14 Organic energy compound, for short

15 ‘‘Mi es su ____’’

16 Part of a cold compress

17 Become clear or make like the object represented by the circled letters

18 ‘‘So then my response was ’’

Hereditary divisions

30 Loyalty that’s pledged

37 Lemonlike fruit

38 Big rigs

39 ‘‘Well, fine then’’

40 Age beautifully, informally

41 Cuss out

42 Big Brother’s creator

44 Pink pad on a paw, in slang

46 The Lord, in the Hebrew Bible

48 Start of a simple request

49 Roly-poly, scientifically

50 torte (Austrian cake)

53 Warm-up act

54 Move shakily

59 Ross Perot founded it in 1995

60 Lack of engagement

61 More wacky

62 ‘‘You’re just assuming’’

68 It’s blown in the winds

70 Showed off one’s pipes

77 Airport with a Harvey Milk terminal: Abbr.

78 Harry Styles tune about a woman who ‘‘lives in daydreams’’

79 Lines of notes

80 Sight line?

81 Cooked with hot seasoning

82 Prefix with -lithic

83 Not against the

84 It’s under @ on a keyboard

85 lodge

86 Rowing machine, informally 87 Event for moving vehicles

88 Super

89 Actress Tatum

91 Folk medicine practitioner

94 Foolish sort

96 Sports fan’s cheer

97 Universal Human Rights Mo.

100 Ability to sustain long-term interest

101 Kiss, in Kent

104 Sports fan’s cheer 105 Gift wrapper’s final touch

106 Nail-polish brand

107 Buffet table item 108 Zoo animal whose name rhymes with ‘‘zoo’’