12.01.2023

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Today’s Forecast

38° | Partly cloudy | 7% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:54 a.m. | Sunset 5:30 p.m.

🚛 Keep rollin’, rollin’, rollin’

Mobile Market aims to address food insecurity

The city’s first mobile market brings food and other staples to underserved communities. | Photo courtesy of God’s Pantry Food Bank

Lettuce tell you about a new program that aims to address food accessibility in the area.

Through a partnership with Kroger and God’s Pantry, the city has officially opened our first-ever Mobile Market, a traveling grocery aisle that sells pantry staples, essentials, and fresh produce.

How the rolling oasis came to be

A 2020 report from the city’s Racial Justice and Equality Commission found that several of our local neighborhoods were in the middle of food deserts, meaning Lexingtonians are living in areas “that are not close to food sources,” Mayor Linda Gorton said in a previous press conference.

In fact, according to the USDA, 13.1% of Kentucky households are food insecure.

“People are choosing fast food options because it costs less and is closer to where they live,” said Tiffany Brown, the city’s Equity and Implementation Officer. “We are finally ready and able to meet a need that is so prevalent to our community.

Thanks to the mobile market, nutritious and affordable food will be brought directly to the community.

How it works

Every month, the 60-ft truck-trailer is scheduled to make a total of 60 stops around Lexington, Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A full schedule can be found on the city’s website.

Here, residents can shop through the single-aisle grocer and select from fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and household staples like cleaning products. On-site staff will also be available to help those with disabilities shop for their needs, and Mayor Gorton added, a ramp will soon be installed into the trailer.

Events

Friday, Dec. 1

A Life in Clay: New Works by Amelia and Hunter Stamps | Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Jan. 14 | 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. | Central Library, 140 E. Main St., Lexington | Free | This exhibit features pottery in unique forms — both familiar and unexpected.
December Block Party | Friday, Dec. 1 | 5-9 p.m. | Greyline Station, 101 W. Loudon Ave., Lexington | Free | Ring in December with pop-up shopping, ice skating, food + drinks, and celebrate 50 years of Lextran.

Saturday, Dec. 2

Christmas Market | Saturday, Dec. 2-Sunday, Dec. 3 | Times vary | Michler’s Florist, 417 E. Maxwell St., Lexington | Free | Grab a cup of hot mulled wine while browsing numerous local vendors, artisans, and hand-made wreaths + boxwood trees.
Feliz Navidad, Mi Amor | Saturday, Dec. 2 | 9 p.m.-12 a.m. | México Mi Amor, 780 N. Limestone, Lexington | Free | Groove into the spirit with a free Bachata class, Christmas tunes, performances, and more festive fun.

Sunday, Dec. 3

A Classic Christmas with Maggie Lander & Chris Dennison | Sunday, Dec. 3 | 6 p.m. | The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd., Lexington | $18 | Get in the spirit with live jazz covers of Christmas classics, plus a mini pop-up holiday market.
Jack Harlow | Sunday, Dec. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine St., Lexington | $39-$149 | What’s poppin’? Just the Kentucky rapper taking the stage in support of his one-of-a-kind “No Place Like Home: The Kentucky Tour.”

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Eat

Jason’s Deli on 134 Malabu Dr. is seeking a new leaser. The Texas-based lunch spot will remain open in the meantime according to franchise owner Jay Tortorice, but said that the decrease in foot traffic has made business difficult. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Biz

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union announced that it will begin working to organize a union at the Georgetown Toyota plant. This comes after Toyota increased employee wages following UAW’s six-week strike + eventual new contract at the Louisville Ford plant. (CBS News)

Sports

Scott Woodward’s contract with UK football has not been renewed, marking the first staff change of the offseason. The contract for the wide receivers coach was expected to expire in June. Woodward had been with the Wildcats since 2021. (Lexington Herald-Leader)

Art

This week, UK’s Student Activities Board started work on a collaborative mural showcasing the beloved William T. Young Library. The mural used a paint-by-numbers model making it easy for students to filter in, leave their mark, and say they were apart of UK history. (Kentucky Kernel)

Environment

Join Fayette Alliance at the Clubhouse at Red Mile on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 5:30 p.m. for its free educational session, “Grow Smart Academy 2.0: Land Use and Its Environmental Impacts.” Ecological experts will discuss the relationship between urban sprawl + the climate.

Ranked

While UK may have not been among the top college cities, Time Magazine says we are one of the Best Colleges for Future Leaders. Using analysis from Statista, colleges were ranked based on their impact on business, student retention, and graduation rates. (UKNOW)

Real Estate

Art gallery-turned-private club

What the future of the pink building on East Main Street holds

The facade of the former Cross Gate Gallery Building.

The former Cross Gate Gallery Building at 509 E. Main St. | Photo by LEXtoday

This week, the Urban County Council gathered for a four-hour hearing over the future of the former Cross Gate Gallery.

The council voted 12-1 to remove the Neighborhood Business B-1 conditional zoning restrictions, opening the door for plans to turn the iconic pink property on 509 E. Main St. into a private, members-only club.

According to a Herald-Leader article, the developers’ lawyer, Nick Nicholson, said that the previous zoning limited the building’s capacity to sell things outside of antiques.

While few details are known, the new club will reportedly include:

A restaurant
Lounge
Events space
Gallery areas
Commercial kitchen

However, residents of Bell Court raised concerns about the change, citing increased traffic, noise, and the historic relevance of the building.

“We want our communities to evolve... But we also want those spaces to preserve quality of life and balance density and historic neighborhood context,” said Council Member Hannah LeGris, who represents the district.

The Buy

The Buy 12.01.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Only the perfect gift for cat lovers.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Aayat

From the editor

One of my favorite parts about this time of year is obviously all the seasonal treats. Peppermint bark, gingerbread cookies, and mulled cider are on a constant rotation. But I have to know, what are your favorite local seasonal treats? Let us know, and it might be featured in a future newsletter.

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