Plus, pick up this season's UK basketball posters.
 
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38° | Partly cloudy | 7% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:54 a.m. | Sunset 5:30 p.m.
 

🏠 What is source of income discrimination?

Council discusses federal housing vouchers and their future
LEX Skyline Big Blue Building
Ordinances that ban source of income discrimination aim to make housing more accessible. | Photo courtesy of Madeline Mele
This week, the city council’s Social Services & Public Safety (SSPS) Committee Meeting discussed updating Lexington’s Fairness Ordinance to ban discrimination based on a tenant’s source of income (SOI).

While no decision has been made yet, a public hearing will be held on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. in City Hall. We decided to break down some definitions + discussions ahead of the meeting.

Defining other sources of income

According to ordinance sponsor Councilman David Sevigny, “other sources of income” can mean a variety of things, but notably include:
  • Alimony
  • Child support
  • Section 8 Housing
  • Social Security
  • Other vouchers, including HUD-VASH, which support veterans + their families experiencing homelessness
According to data from the Lexington Housing Authority, only 4% of 557 rental listings accepted Section 8 vouchers. By banning SOI discrimination, this would widen housing opportunities for those holding vouchers.

What an ordinance could look like

In 2021, our neighbors in Louisville enacted a Fair Housing Ordinance that prohibited landlords from discriminating against tenants using lawful SOI. This means those with “veteran status, homeless status, and arrest and conviction records” would have more housing, job, and educational opportunities.

However, similar to the Louisville ordinance, Lexington landlords would not be required to participate in such a program — the presentation states, “Properties with rents higher than the voucher limits would not be impacted. Landlords do not have to lower rent to the voucher amount.”

The impact on tenants + landlords

Some landlords have stated that a ban on SOI discrimination would force them to increase rent to price out housing vouchers. However, the research is out as to whether there is a direct correlation between SOI discrimination bans and more expensive housing.

For tenants, this would provide more options for housing, as well as extend the time allotted (currently ~36 days) to use vouchers.
 
Events
Thursday, Oct. 12
  • Thursday Night Live | Thursday, Oct. 12 | 5-8 p.m. | Fifth Third Bank Pavilion, 251 W. Main St., Lexington | Free | Head downtown for the perfect post-work wind down featuring live music, tasty beverages, and delicious food.
  • Bourbon Showcase | Thursday, Oct. 12 | 6-9 p.m. | Marrs Hall, Midway University Campus, 512 E. Stephens St., Midway | $25 | Commemorate our state’s signature spirit while trying samples and taking part in mixology courses; the price of admission is waived for university alumni, current seniors, and graduate students.
Friday, Oct. 13
  • The Great Pumpkin Paddle | Friday, Oct. 13 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Jacobson Park, 4001 Athens Boonesboro Rd., Lexington | $20 | Grab your best Halloween costume and hit the waters for a new twist on trick-or-treating.
  • Freaky Flicks | Friday, Oct. 13 | 6:30 p.m. | Moondance Amphitheater, 1152 Monarch St., Lexington | Join the Parks department for hair-raising fun with a Monster Mash dance party + costume contest, followed by a showing of “Casper.”
  • “Phantom of the Opera” | Friday, Oct. 13 | 7-9:30 p.m. | The Kentucky Theatre, 214 E. Main St., Lexington | $15 | Watch this classic horror silent film alongside an organ accompaniment for a supremely scary experience.
Saturday, Oct. 14
  • FUBU Tailgate Presents: FUBU V | Saturday, Oct. 14 | 12-7 p.m. | Kroger Field, 1540 University Dr., Lexington | $26.50 | Celebrate the fifth annual UK Black Alumni Homecoming Tailgate with drinks + food and of course, football.
  • RÖCKTÖBERFEST | Saturday, Oct. 14 | 2-10 p.m. | Rock House Brewing, 119 Luigart Ct., Lexington | Free | Celebrate the halfway point between Oktoberfest and Halloween with live music, pretzels + other German fare, and drink specials.
Sunday, Oct. 15
  • Community Yoga on the Lawn at Ashland | Sunday, Oct. 15 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, 120 Sycamore Rd., Lexington | Free | Slow down + breathe deeply at this all-levels practice on the lawn under the trees.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Family

Dive into the world of the written word at the Kentucky Book Festival
wide shot of a book festival
A birds-eye shot from last year’s festival. | Photo provided by Kentucky Book Festival
Every fall, thousands of Kentuckians flock to Lexington for one exciting event: the Kentucky Book Festival.

This year’s free fest will take place at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with additional events including:
On Saturday, look forward to a packed lineup of Main Stage speakers + events, plus Children’s Tent activities, family fun, and free books for kids 12 and under.
More details this way
News Notes
Sports
  • Just ahead of Big Blue Madness this Saturday, UK basketball has unveiled this season’s posters. Both women’s and men’s teams’ posters can be picked up at Kroger locations across the state. (UK Athletics)
Show
  • Come on down to Rupp Arena on Sunday, Oct. 29 for your chance to be on the non-televised version of the game show, The Price is Right Live. Tickets are available for both time slots, 3 p.m. + 7 p.m., where you could win appliances, vacations, or a brand new car!
Watch
  • Life in plastic, it’s fantastic. The Living Arts & Sciences Center will host a screening of the documentary, “Black Barbie” as part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers on Monday, Oct 30 at 6 p.m. Stick around afterwards for a Q+A with filmmaker Lagueria Davis.
Kids
  • Applications for Fayette County Conservation District’s Art and Writing Contests are officially open. This year’s theme is “Keeping it Wild! Sustaining Kentucky’s Native Wildlife.” Students up to fifth grade are encouraged to apply for the art contest + students in grades 6-12 are eligible to enter the writing contest.
Drink
  • Is it 5 o’clock yet? We’re falling for Boonedogs Bar & Restaurant new cocktail menu, including a Spiked Pumpkin Spice latte featuring espresso liqueur, a Cranberry Orange Sour, and the Shrunken Skull featuring rum, grenadine, and lime juice.
Plan Ahead
Lexingtonian
  • And the best neighbor award goes to… you, for directly supporting LEXtoday with the gift of your membership. Not only will you join our super cool membership club (and get perks including birthday shoutouts), but you’ll keep this newsletter free for the entire neighborhood. Way to go, neighbor.
Outdoors

🌳 A 137-acre walk in the park

City breaks ground on Cardinal Run North Park
Three people looking at a map highlighting all of the amenities for the new park.
Once completed, Cardinal Run North will be the fourth largest park in Lexington. | Photo by Amy Wallot | Amy Wallot/LFUCG/LFUCG
Lexington Parks + Recreation has officially broken ground on the new Cardinal Run Park North, located off Parkers Mill Road.

The park, designed by firm Brandstetter Carroll Inc., will be the largest community park Lexington has opened in 25 years. Together with Cardinal Run Park South, the combined parks will total 192.2 acres, making it among the top four largest parks in town.

Plans for the park stemmed from community feedback, which was gathered through in-person neighborhood meetings and online surveys. The city will use $10.1 million in ARPA funds for designing and developing the project.

When the 137.6-acre Cardinal Run North is completed in 2025, it will feature:
  • A nine-acre dog park
  • Two picnic shelters
  • Six pickleball courts
  • A basketball court
  • Two miles of hiking trails + one-mile of a paved shared trail
  • A large playground
The Buy

The Buy 10.12.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
Eleven + Jane’s Cowboy Up Ghost Earrings. Add a ghostly touch to your look with these Halloween-inspired earrings.
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The Wrap
 
Aayat Ali

Today’s edition by:
Aayat
From the editor
The ultimate horror convention is returning to Lexington for its 15th year. ScareFest takes place at Central Bank Center from Friday, Oct. 20 through Sunday, Oct. 22 — and I’ll be there with all the burning questions to ask celebrities at the Black Carpet event. Want your question answered by the likes of David Arquette? Drop us a line and you might see it in a future newsletter.
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