262 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/26/14 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The city of Bloomington received $12,500, one of the largest grants given to a community this year, from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to fund upcoming forestry projects.Tiffany Arp, community and urban forestry coordinator for IDNR, said Bloomington was one of three cities to receive the highest award for this grant category: tree planting projects that target environmental issues. The other cities were Fort Wayne and Kendalville. “Every community applying to IDNR’s Urban Forestry grant program may apply for funds up to $12,500,” Arp said. “Bloomington put together a strong grant application, and we had the grant dollars available to fully fund their request.”The goal of the intended projects is to remove trees that have attracted beetles known as emerald ash borers, which are detrimental to the trees they infest.The fear, Arp said, is that the EAB infestation might lead to a larger invasion if left uncontrolled. The Division of Forestry hopes to remove 400 of the 800 infected trees around Bloomington and to replant 100 new trees in their place in the next five years.Arp said the personal goal of IDNR is a broad one, involving educating the public and steering environmental efforts in the right direction. “The mission of IDNR is to protect, enhance, preserve and wisely use natural, cultural and recreational resources for the benefit of Indiana’s citizens through professional leadership, management and education,” Arp said.Bloomington’s Urban Forester Lee Huss worked alongside IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs instructor Burney Fischer and graduate student Rachael Bergman to write the proposal for this year’s grant. Huss said he worked with SPEA graduate students in the past to build proposals for the city.“The grant is very simple,” Huss said. “Create a project that meets IDNR Forestry’s criteria, produce matching funds and complete the project by the due date.”Bergman, who is currently working on dual master’s of public affairs and science in environmental science, said the team used the previous year’s proposals as models but added her research to strengthen the arguments. “I have taken Burney’s Urban Forest Management class, as well as worked with his research group for over a year, so I have a strong background in urban forestry that I utilized in writing the grant,” Bergman said. “In writing the grant, I utilized information about the effects of emerald ash borer and the importance of managing against this invasive pest.”The decision process was not a simple task, Arp said. The group judging the grant proposals this year included representatives from the Indiana Urban Forest Council, utility forestry, private industry, IU Bloomington faculty and IDNR staff.“The reviewers scored the grants they reviewed, and, based on those scores, the grants were ranked from highest to lowest,” Arp said. “We then award grant funds until we ran out of money.”Huss said he hopes that, following the success of these projects, the IDNR will accept another proposal in subsequent grant years.“When the city successfully accomplishes this task, we might be eligible to repeat this project the next time IDNR grant funds are available,” Huss said.Bergman said she was honored Huss considered her a benefit to the Parks and Recreation department.“I really enjoyed working with Lee,” Bergman said. “He has a lot of good ideas for urban forestry improvement projects in Bloomington, is invested in the city’s status of Tree City USA and understands the best management practices necessary to keep Bloomington’s trees healthy, including removing ash trees to protect against emerald ash borer.”Follow reporter Sanya Ali on Twitter @siali13.
(01/31/14 6:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Brooke Eads heard the Starlite Drive-In theater was going to close, she immediately knew she needed to help.The Starlite has been a town icon since 1955, and its current owners, Cindy and Troy Jarvis, said they couldn’t keep it open any longer. Eads, a 32-year-old publisher and photographer, grew up attending shows at Starlite. Now, Eads is trying to buy the Starlite, but first she needs to raise the money. “I have been going to the drive-in since I was a child and have great memories there,” Eads said. “I also worked at Starlite Drive-In for the previous owners, Carl and Ruth Stewart, when I was in my teens and early 20s.”Cindy Jarvis has a similar affection for Starlite and said many of her best memories were made there. Her kids had friends over. The family sometimes camped at the drive-in.“Starlite was our home away from home on the weekends,” Jarvis said. “Everyone would work — they loved working the drive-in. Then we would play after people left.” There are specific arrangements in place so that no major modifications will occur after the sale. “They do not want to sell to someone who will change the drive-in, and that’s not my intention either,” Eads said. “I want Starlite to re-open better than ever and flourish.”The only change, according to Eads, will be the addition of newer digital projection equipment required for drive-in theaters. The cost of such equipment will run about $100,000, so Eads has planned fundraisers to cover expenses. She said she wants to maintain the sanctity of the Starlite theater she grew up with while also embracing some new traditions. “I love the idea of showing old movies from time to time, as well as holding a Halloween event every year,” Eads said.Scott Shafer, a friend and former coworker from Author Solutions, Inc., met Eads through a mutual friend. Eads was in a leadership position in her sector of ASI. “I could definitely see that she was a leader type,” Shafer said. “She always had things done on time and made sure everyone had everything they needed to get stuff done on time, too.”Cherish Denton, another friend and coworker, added that with Eads’ head role at ASI came many helpful administrative changes.“She ended up writing a lot of the procedures of our operation,” Denton said. “We had a lot to figure out, and she was huge in getting that figured for the company.”Shafer said he has faith that Eads will help bring Starlite into a new era of drive-in culture. “To see her actually try to get this transferred to digital and to keep the Starlite up and running is something I admire,” Shafer said. “There are so many drive-ins that have this hurdle they have to overcome, and so many of them are going to be lost in that transfer.”Both Denton and Shafer share Eads’s love of drive-ins and said the passion she has for the place will be an asset she competes with other buyers interested in the space. Eads said she hopes the reopened theater with the added events will attract community members for years to come. “I want new generations to enjoy the drive-in that so many of us grew up with,” Eads said. “It is one of the few standing places that is fun for all ages and is still affordable.”Denton advised Eads to take pride in all that she has done so far even if the fundraising step does not take off as planned. “It would be amazing, and I think she could do it, but if it didn’t happen, what she did matters so much more and means a lot to people,” Denton said. “For her to do this is letting a lot of people know what a great person she is and how much she can change things.”Cindy Jarvis said she hopes the drive-in continues to thrive, regardless of who is in charge. “It isn’t what is on the screen,” Jarvis said. “It is the experience. It is one of those entertainment pieces that families get to escape and be with their family.”