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(06/21/10 12:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Unemployment rates might be high statewide, but numbers remain low in Monroe County. Since April, Indiana’s unemployment rate climbed — and stayed — at 10 percent, according to a list compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Indiana Department of Workforce Development ranked Monroe County as having the third lowest unemployment rate in the state at seven percent during the month of May. This is in stark contrast to counties such as Elkhart County, which reported an unemployment rate of 13.7 percent in May, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.Valerie Kroeger, assistant communications director for the Department of Workforce Development, isn’t sure exactly why Monroe County in particular has such a relatively low unemployment rate. She said it might have something to do with the fact that two of the largest employers in Monroe County, IU and Cook Group Inc., have survived the recession thus far.Although Monroe County has one of the lowest levels of unemployment in the state, finding a job isn’t necessarily easy. “I believe it is more difficult to get a job than it was a year ago,” said Jennifer Chaffin, director of Libraries Human Resources, in an e-mail. “The demand for work is higher than it’s been in recent memory, and the supply is lower. ... We’ve gone from seeing 35 to 50 applications for every vacancy to well over 100, sometimes as many as 200.”Currently, there are fewer jobs and more applicants for most job opportunities, Lucas said. “The competition is fierce for those few jobs that are out there, and departments are focused on how they can save money, which often means eliminating or not filling positions,” said Chris Lucas, assistant director for Human Resources for Residential Programs and Services. RPS and IU Libraries are two of the largest employers on the IU campus, Lucas said. He also said that RPS employs about 1,800 people and the libraries employ about 900, including both staff and hourly positions.IU students are often fighting for jobs outside the University at places such as fast food chains.IU alumnus Kyle Pedigo has worked at the Bloomington Marsh Supermarket for the past three years. Prior to working at the Bloomington Marsh, he worked at one in West Lafayette. Even after receiving his diploma, Pedigo continues to work there. But Pedigo said he isn’t quite sure how the hiring process works for new or potential employees.“All of the sudden we have, like, four new people, and I have no idea how they got on or if they knew someone,” Pedigo said. “Back up in West Lafayette, if you knew the manager you got hired. It helps to know someone on the inside.”It might seem rather bleak, but there are a few things students can do to increase their appeal to new employers. “In times like these, it’s especially important to make sure you have an outstanding resume and cover letter,” Chaffin said. “When you have 100 applicants, a poorly written cover letter, misspelled words and poor grammar — that really stands out and can eliminate you quickly. If you are invited for an interview, be prepared. Again, you’re competing with dozens of other applicants so you must be able to communicate how your experience makes you the best candidate for the position.”
(06/09/10 11:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington-based businesses are sprouting up with a little help from a new local consulting business.SproutBox is the brainchild of three Bloomington-based entrepreneurs and venture capitalists who found that by sharing resources, startups can focus less on expenses and more on developing their unique brands and products. SproutBox takes care of many of the early details such as finding employees, health insurance, building space, planners and coders. Even though revenues don’t immediately start flowing in, the founders can still stay afloat. In exchange for their services and funding, investors and the SproutBox team own a percentage of their new “sprouts.” Mike Trotzke, one of the co-founders and managing members of SproutBox, said the company isn’t about giving money but taking an idea and making it happen. Trotzke said he believes the end product is something investors can feel comfortable putting their money behind.The three founders of SproutBox, Trotzke, Brad Wisler and Marc Guyer, worked together on other projects prior to their collaboration. As they each started to move in different directions with their own ideas, they realized they would be more successful as a team. SproutBox prepares and launches one tech startup each quarter, which makes the application process competitive, Trotzke said.Once the team narrows down the applications, each of the prospective founders is invited to Bloomington to present his or her idea. Since opening, SproutBox has nurtured five sprout businesses from idea to fruition over the last year and a half. The company’s most recent sprout is called Proposable.com.James Kappen, the founder of Proposable.com, said SproutBox goes above and beyond what typical venture capitalist firms offer. “Instead of just being a financial investor in an idea, they invest their resources instead of cash,” Kappen said.Neal Patel, who lives in California and works in business development for Google, is one of the most active investors of SproutBox. Patel met Trotzke at a tech conference, and the two realized their shared interest in venture capitalism.“They are starting to build more of a high-tech community around the Bloomington area and the Midwest,” Patel said. “This is something that I believe in as well.”The company hopes to create opportunities for new founders and wants to help the tech community of Bloomington grow. Culture is a large part of the SproutBox experience and to better reflect the culture its space was remodeled. Each of the team members has his or her own office decorated to match individual tastes.The walls are decorated by local artists, and one particular mural stretches like a tree from the floor to the ceiling. Bean bag chairs, recliners, Rock Band and an assortment of board games are also present in the office.While this environment might sound counterproductive, Trotzke said he feels it’s ideal for their type of work. Trotzke said coding and developing can be mentally mind-numbing, so the mindless distractions help by providing much-needed breaks.“Because we’ve hired really good people who are motivated, we can have an environment here that isn’t strict or your typical office environment,” Trotzke said.
(05/27/10 12:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Art is in the eye of the beholder. At least, that’s what graffiti artist Michael Burchfield believes. “Who is to say what is or isn’t art?” Burchfield said.Burchfield’s murals decorate businesses’ walls around town, including Rhino’s Youth Media Center as well as along the B-line trail. He almost exclusively paints on legal walls and has been commissioned by both the city and University. “I’m just trying to put what I do out there,” Burchfield said, “and I actively go talk to business owners on a weekly basis to find space. I also paint on canvases. Anything that sits still long enough to paint, I paint.”Burchfield was arrested in May for painting on what he considers a free wall in the middle of the night. But he tries to keep it legal. “I’m not a criminal,” Burchfield said. “I’ve led a pretty decent clean life. Because of one little stupid night, I’ve now been to jail — which wasn’t ever one of the things on my to-do list.”Burchfield hopes that his arrest doesn’t taint the artistic nature and the community’s appreciation of his work. “An accusation is an accusation. Once you put it in the public eye, people think it’s truthful,” Burchfield said. While Burchfield understands why many people dislike graffiti, he hopes that by working with the community, people can learn to appreciate it as art.Burchfield is just one person in Bloomington who understands the culture hidden behind the paint.“Graffiti is not an art form based around the idea of trying to become famous,” Burchfield said. “The work speaks for itself.”Recently, several businesses such as Rhino’s Youth Media Center have provided space for graffiti murals or other paintings. “It just made sense for us,” said David Britton, executive director of Rhino’s Youth Media Center. “It’s way better than a plain brown wall.”With an increased popularity and commercial presence comes the inevitable conversation about the merits of graffiti. “There is confusion about what is identified as graffiti art and what the agenda of the graffiti artist is,” said Malcolm Mobutu Smith, a former graffiti artist and associate professor of fine arts at IU. “It’s a pure avenue for creative expression that isn’t bound by a system or academic regime.”Most would agree that not all graffiti is art, including Smith and Burchfield.“By technicality, any art that’s been done is graffiti,” Burchfield said. Such an encompassing definition poses challenges for graffiti artists in the community. Since graffiti ranges from obscenities scrawled haphazardly on walls to murals painstakingly painted during several days, it can be difficult to explain to outsiders.“The more complex, thought-out pieces, I think, speak for themselves as opposed to something that took someone a few seconds to paint on a wall,” Burchfield said. “The stuff I do is more complex and takes two to three days to finish.”Despite its accessibility as an art form, vandalism is inherent in most graffiti, even graffiti art. “It’s an outlet that’s outside the bounds of the establishment and therefore has an intrinsic level of rebellion built into it,” Smith said.Graffiti can also be an expression of the disenfranchised. “They are intentionally challenging our idea of public and private space,” Smith said. “It exposes our nature of maybe infantile possessiveness.”Other reasons include territorial markings, intentional acts of lawlessness and anarchy, or simply the desire to express oneself. In Bloomington, most graffiti is considered criminal mischief and is usually a class A misdemeanor for those who are caught and prosecuted. But if enough damage is done, it could be considered a felony.“There are some pretty significant penalties if you commit criminal mischief,” said Lt. Thomas Lee of the IU Police Department. Lee, who has been on the force for 15 years, said he doesn’t believe the “graffiti problem” has increased recently but that it is a somewhat static crime.Even Lee concedes that graffiti can be art.“If you own the side of a building and you use it, that’s art,” Lee said. “If you don’t own the side of the building and you don’t have permission, that’s criminal mischief.”
(05/20/10 12:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Services for people with developmental disabilities across the state of Indiana will soon be affected by budget cuts. Three local agencies serving people with developmental disabilities, Options, Stone Belt and Christole, Inc., have announced that steep budget cuts are affecting about 905 staff members and 2,500 consumers in Monroe County, said Susan Rinne, chief executive officer and executive director of Options.These changes go into effect June 1, 45 days after the Family and Social Services Administration first notified these agencies. This is the minimum amount of time they are required by law to give forewarning.“It’s pretty much going to touch everybody, because it’s touched every service we provide,” Rinne said.All in all, these rate changes add up to a $40 million decrease in services statewide and a $1.3 million gap in Monroe County alone. Leslie Green, the chief executive officer of Stone Belt, said this will lead to a $700,000 budget decrease for Stone Belt. The organization is a major employer in Monroe County, with about 500 workers. For now, the cuts are primarily affecting the organization’s infrastructure and staff base. No services have been eliminated outright, but the services offered will be scaled back and costs will be minimized. But if budget cuts continue, consumers will directly feel its effects. “We haven’t had to cut any services yet, but continued cuts would lead to a cut in services,” Green said. “There isn’t any more room for cost-changing structures outside of program cuts. The services we are providing aren’t as enriched as they have been. They are much more streamlined.”In an effort to mitigate the effects of these rate cuts, Options and Stone Belt have worked to handle the budget decrease internally. A few of the staff members have been laid off, and many more have seen salary decreases. “It’s meant that we’ve had to look at how we can trim back everything,” Rinne said. Options expects a $500,000 budget decrease, Rinne said, which means the organization is going to be operating on the same budget it had about five years ago.“We can’t do some of the things we have been able to do before,” Rinne said. “We can’t subsidize services. Sometimes their plans won’t totally pay for all of the services they need. In the past, we’ve been able to add that in, but now we just can’t do that.”Danielle Smith, the deputy director of communications at the FSSA, said she is hopeful that by operating more efficiently the organizations can avoid directly affecting the consumers. “We are having to look at the entire budget as a whole, and with the economy as it is, we had to look at the big picture of all of our services,” Smith said. However, not all services will be affected. There are certain programs — such as First Steps, which provides early intervention for young children identified as having developmental disabilities or delays — that FSSA is mandated to provide. Programs that focus on health and safety are less likely to be cut.For now, the cuts are only expected to be in effect for the next year. But even so, some wonder if these cuts could have been avoided altogether.“It’s just frustrating when you see these cuts and you know that the state spent a lot of money on a resource allocation system that hasn’t been implemented but that they’ve been working on for the past two years,” Rinne said. “There have been some frustrations with how things have been handled over the last several years, and I’m not sure that this couldn’t have been handled in a better way.”Green said she is questioning where some of the allocated federal funds have gone, which she said were supposed to be used to make up the difference in budget gaps. “The cut was much larger than we expected, and information about how and why that cut was made would be helpful,” Green said.
(05/07/10 2:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Your trash can be someone else’s treasure. The IU Office of Sustainability kicked off a new initiative last week called Hoosier to Hoosier. H2H, a new program in partnership with the United Way of Monroe County, is collecting items that many people typically dispose of and matching them up with people who need them. H2H is collecting and storing donated goods until the end of the summer, when they will have a one-day sale. All of the money from the sale will go to the United Way of Monroe County and local Habitat for Humanity chapters, and any items that are not sold will be donated to a number of other local charities.Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to donate gently used items. H2H is collecting everything from clothes to furniture to cleaning supplies. Collection dates are scheduled for May 10 and 11, when they will be collecting from several greek houses and residence halls. Senior and donor Rebecca Walk is happy H2H is fulfilling a need in the community.“The first time I saw a college town during graduation, it bothered me,” Walk said. “People were throwing stuff away and just putting it on the curb. When I would see it on the curb like that, it would drive me nuts.” H2H is a project developed by John Patishnock, an intern at the IU Office of Sustainability. Patishnock has been working on the initiative since last fall. He has created partnerships with the United Way, Residential Programs and Services and local nonprofits in order to pool resources and make H2H a success. “There are so many groups in Bloomington working for this goal, keeping items out of the landfill, and connecting items with people in need,” Patishnock said.Throughout the summer, H2H hopes to have several more collection days. Volunteers are needed to help on collection days and throughout the summer to sort through and prepare items for the big sale Aug. 21. Samantha Bray, the volunteer coordinator from United Way,is looking for students interested in helping out. “It’s hard because it’s over the summer and most of (the students) are gone,” Bray said. “We are trying to find outside resources, but it’s a student project, so we’d really like students to be involved.”