119 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(02/11/11 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The combined flutter of flutes and trill of trumpets engulfed the auditorium.A blue padded case was rolled in and unzipped to reveal an ornamental harp, its light wood shining against the grey carpeting of the rehearsal room.Dressed in laid-back clothing and passing around hot pink Rice Krispies Treats made with Red Hots candies, members of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra come together as friends, but fulfill a more serious purpose.EVERY MINUTE COUNTSBSO Music Director Charles Latshaw said the group’s Tuesday night rehearsals always have an air of positivity with a focus on work.“We take a lot of time to laugh during rehearsal,” Latshaw said. “But we work seriously.”The 70-piece orchestra comes together for two to 2 1/2 hours once a week to hone its collective sound for each season’s performances.Latshaw said the orchestra doesn’t normally do warm-up exercises because he tries to “get to work” as quickly as possible. Each musician usually has his or her own method of getting ready for rehearsal, he said.In preparation for Tuesday’s practice session, trumpeters warmed up by mock-playing tunes with their hands cupped around their mouths. Violinists plucked strings while clarinetists played musical scales.Once all the musicians are situated and have done their personal warm-ups, Latshaw said he begins directing without hesitation unless a problem comes up.“If there are problems with a certain piece, we may do an exercise to solve it,” he said. “But we don’t usually do a collective exercise in the beginning like you’d find in younger orchestra groups.”Members range in age and talent at the BSO. The youngest player in the orchestra is an IU sophomore, and the eldest player is 89 years old. Bass player Ed Greenebaum, a retired IU law professor, has been performing with the orchestra for more than 40 years. “Bloomington is a special place because so many people have music degrees but aren’t necessarily working as musicians,” Latshaw said. “About one-third of the orchestra members have a degree in music.”BRINGING IT ‘BACK HOME AGAIN’Members of BSO are currently preparing their instruments for songs from their Feb. 26 showcase “Back Home Again in Indiana,” a title based on the 1917 jazz staple written by Ballard McDonald and James F. Hanley.But this will be anything but a jazz-fueled show. The talents of the orchestra will be put to the test as members prepare selections from composer Bedrich Smetana’s “Ma Vlast.” They will also learn a new composition by award-winning composer and IU music school graduate Clint Needham.Needham’s piece, “Peau Rouge Indiana,” was inspired by artist Alexander Calder’s sculpture in front of the Musical Arts Center.With strong ties to IU, BSO’s most recent show title pays tribute to Bloomington’s legacy, said Donna Lafferty, BSO director of Marketing and Development.IU graduate Geoffrey Simon and Tamas Ungar formed the BSO in 1969, taking on the roles of music conductor and business manager, respectively. The pair saw a need for a community orchestra in town. The orchestra’s original players were mainly IU faculty and students. Now the orchestra consists of both IU students and Bloomington residents who have become involved through either referral or word-of-mouth.BSO cellist and Bloomington resident Cindy Johnson has played since the fourth grade. She later earned a collegiate music degree and taught music in Chicago.In 1993, when Paul Hartin, the owner of local instrument shop Ars Nova, asked her what she played, Johnson told him her instrument was the cello.Hartin gave her name to the personnel manager of the BSO. She joined and has been a member ever since, she said.Latshaw hadn’t always known about the BSO either. After living in Bloomington for five years without knowledge of the orchestra, he got a call one day from the symphony and joined soon after.'IT’S REALLY A FAMILY'Latshaw — two hours after raising his hands to direct his orchestra at 7:30 p.m. — raised a glass of Guinness with other BSO musicians at the Trojan Horse.“This sort of thing is unique,” he said. “Many orchestras have rehearsal, then go home and don’t talk to each other. In a professional orchestra where musicians are paid, it doesn’t have the same feeling that a community orchestra has.”One couple met in the symphony and married soon after, Latshaw said. It’s not unusual, then, that Latshaw’s wife Kelly plays in the orchestra.After playing trumpet in college and in a professional orchestra thereafter, Latshaw turned to the cello.“It was very different from a trumpet,” Latshaw said. “I could express much more with it.”He changed direction again after earning a master’s degree in conducting from IU. What drew him to conducting was its difficulty.“I feel like I’ll never be good at it,” he said. “And that really interests me.”Besides challenging himself with a career change, Latshaw said the thing he enjoys most about the symphony orchestra is its ability to bring people together.“I love the orchestra here because its motives are pure,” he said. “Everybody’s there because they absolutely love to be there.”Noting the fact that there are many opportunities to hear music in Bloomington, Latshaw also commented that the BSO is one of the few chances for volunteers to come together and play music.“We have a lot of people who took 10, 15 years off from music and then came back here to play,” he said. “The way I see the BSO is, it’s like a youth orchestra, but it doesn’t have to end after graduation. You can always keep playing.”
(02/02/11 6:52pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With Tax Day swiftly approaching, students of the IU Maurer School of Law and Kelley School of Business are stepping up to help Bloomington residents file taxes.As part of the Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteers in Tax Assistance (VITA) program, the law and business students will be providing free tax assistance to low-income, elderly, disabled and limited English-speaking residents beginning Feb. 7.The month-long program will assist those residents earning a yearly income of $49,000 or less, provided they do not own businesses and have not received income from the sale of mutual funds, homes or stocks.The program will begin on Monday, Feb. 7 in room 121 of the law school, located at 211 S. Indiana Ave. Walk-in hours are scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays until March 10.Any taxpayer looking to participate in the VITA program this month should bring a W-2 form, photo identification, Social Security card and relevant income documents to their walk-in session.All volunteers from the Maurer School of Law and Kelley School of Business have been trained and certified by the IRS to help prepare tax return documents and will be available for consultation each day of the program.— Amanda Jacobson
(02/02/11 1:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>FROM IDS REPORTSA green machine will be parked on Kirkwood Avenue on Friday, and it will be full of books.Monroe County Public Library will unveil its new energy efficient Bookmobile to the public Friday, with free tours of the vehicle from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.The new Bookmobile features a hybrid generator, a roof solar panel and on-site cellular Internet. Popular best-selling books, adult, young adult and children’s books, CDs, DVDs, videocassettes, magazines and audio books will be available for rental from the vehicle.Any materials not available on the Bookmobile will be available for delivery from the main library to one of its 28 stops throughout Indiana.Monroe County Public Library patrons are also able to return materials rented from the main library or from the Ellettsville branch to the Bookmobile.Monroe County Public Library has been serving patrons with its Bookmobile since 1929.The library has upgraded the vehicle multiple times since its first appearance.For more information about the Monroe County Public Library and its Bookmobile program, call 812-349-3050 or visit the library’s website at monroe.lib.in.us.— Amanda Jacobson
(01/19/11 11:30pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Family Dollar Stores, Inc. is planning to create 350 Indiana jobs to staff its soon-to-be built distribution facility in Ashley, Ind.The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Family Dollar as much as $2.1 million in performance-based tax credits and as much as $200,000 in training grants for its job-creation plans.The North Carolina-based discount retailer plans to invest nearly $70 million in the construction of the 815,000-square-foot facility — the company’s tenth such facility in the nation. The company now operates 6,800 stores in 44 states throughout the United States.The facility should be fully operational by spring 2012, and employment applications for the distribution center will become available early next year.
(01/19/11 11:26pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Today the Indiana State Police issued an announcement stating all abandoned vehicles along any interstate, state highway or state road within Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion and Shelby counties will be towed by troopers in anticipation of snowfall predicted for Thursday.Lieutenant Pat Warczynski, commander of the Indianapolis Post, has ordered all abandoned vehicles be towed to facilitate the speedy removal of snow and ice from roadways.If a vehicle remains abandoned on the road side, snow plows will have difficulty removing snow and ice near the vehicle. This also creates a traffic hazard.In other circumstances, abandoned vehicles are allowed a 24-hour roadside rest period before needing to be removed by towing. But because of the predicted weather conditions, these vehicles will be removed immediately.The order will remain in effect until roadways are cleared and abandoned vehicles are no longer considered hazardous to traffic.
(12/08/10 7:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Middle Way House is rising quickly through the Pepsi Refresh Project’s group of contenders for a quarter-of-a-million-dollar grant, according to a press release Tuesday.The project’s online voting competition determines winners of grants to fund great ideas. As of Wednesday morning, Middle Way House was in position 30 of more than 300 ideas competing in the $250,000 award category, according to the Pepsi Refresh Project website.If Middle Way House garners enough support to rise into one of the top two idea spots, the shelter will receive $250,000 to cover some of its capital expenses.The shelter is looking to reduce costs for a newly installed security system, furnish its emergency shelter and improve its rooftop green space.“The rooftop gardens provide opportunities for our residents to grow, and if we can do that in a way that also reduces costs and our ecological footprint, so much the better,” said Toby Strout, executive director of Middle Way House, in a press release.Middle Way House was established in 1971 and has been helping sexual assault and domestic abuse survivors from Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Morgan and Owen counties. The shelter provides its clients with an emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis line, legal advocacy services, transitional housing, childcare and youth empowerment programs.Strout also said in a press release that the grant would greatly improve the shelter’s ability to respond to increased demand for its services, as well as help the shelter meet its operational expenses.Voting is available at refresheverything.com until Jan. 1. Winners of Pepsi Refresh Project awards will be announced Jan. 1.— Amanda Jacobson
(12/08/10 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After the raid of a Greene County puppy mill Dec. 1, more than 100 rescued dogs and newborn puppies are being given a second chance at life.Members of the Humane Society of the United States and other animal rescue organizations raided the breeding business, LoveMyPets, located in Bloomfield, Ind. One hundred and thirteen dogs — some pregnant — were rescued and brought to Pets Alive Nonprofit Spay/Neuter Clinic in Bloomington where a temporary emergency shelter was specially set up for the occasion.The Office of Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced Tuesday that the owner of the LoveMyPets, Darlene J. Clark, agreed to no longer breed or sell dogs in Indiana. Clark signed a permanent injunction in a Greene County Circuit Court that prohibits her from conducting business in Indiana, according to a press release from the Ind. Attorney General’s Office. A judge signed the injunction as well. Many of the rescued dogs are either ready for adoption or are going home to loving families.James McNamara, executive director of Pets Alive, said most of the dogs stayed at the Pets Alive clinic for 48 hours after the rescue and were then distributed to four shelters throughout Indiana. Bloomington Animal Shelter, Brown County Humane Society, Pet Refuge in Mishawaka and New Albany/Floyd County Animal Shelter in New Albany received a number of the rescued dogs.McNamara said the chance to help these dogs — many of which had health problems — was both life-changing and eye-opening.Spay and neuter surgeries were performed Tuesday at Pets Alive on nine of Bloomington Animal Shelter’s 15 dogs from the puppy mill, preparing them for adoption.Laurie Ringquist, director of Bloomington Animal Care and Control, said all of the dogs came to the shelter with intestinal parasite issues such as giardia and coccidia, caused by the animals living in — or even ingesting — their own feces in the crowded puppy mill. However, all the dogs finished their treatments for intestinal parasites Tuesday and are now healthy, Ringquist said.Other rescued dogs inherited genetic defects, such as luxating patella, in which knee joints can pop in and out while walking as a result of improper breeding methods.“None of these problems are insurmountable,” Ringquist said. “A few of the older dogs don’t have teeth but we can make sure they don’t have any infections in the mouth. They will just need a special diet for the rest of their lives.”With most of the rescued dogs having approved adoption applications already, Ringquist said there might not be many rescued dogs remaining when the shelter has its Home for the Holidays Adopt-a-Thon on Friday.“Most are going home today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday),” Ringquist said. “There will be a few left, including the older ones with health issues. But we’re hoping at the Adopt-A-Thon there will be somebody with room for the dogs with special needs.”Anne Sterling, the Indiana state director for HSUS, said the ability to give rescued dogs a second chance at life is what makes her most excited for the rescued animals.“These dogs will experience things they have never experienced before,” Sterling said. “They’ll know what it’s like to take a walk or play with somebody. I am so grateful that the dogs are going to get the opportunity to be pets and to be part of a life that isn’t a means to an end.”
(12/07/10 8:30pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the holidays swiftly approaching, gift-giving season is here; for Bloomington hospitals, type A-negative blood tops their wish list.On Dec. 1, the Indiana State Department of Health issued a critical need level of all blood types for Indiana hospitals unable to satisfy patients’ blood needs. The current shortage of type A-negative blood has left the Indiana Blood Center seeking generosity from the public, especially during the holiday season when donors are typically scarce.Robin Featherston, a registration specialist for the Indiana Blood Center, said supplies are low almost every year due to residents traveling out-of-state for national holidays during the winter and summer.“The hospitals are short because we are short,” Featherston said.Rhonda Grimm, laboratory team leader at Bloomington Hospital, said a standard supply of blood — 100 to 125 units — is kept in the hospital’s blood bank each month. But the hospital uses about 405 units per month on average, thus making them rely heavily on donations.Grimm said blood types A-negative and O-negative are in highest demand because of O-negative‘s universal donor ability and A-negative‘s ability to be given to positive and negative blood types in the A and AB groups.If supplies ever get too low, Grimm said, patients requesting elective surgeries will be turned away first. Then, doctors will assess whether needy patients can get by with one unit of blood instead of two, and so on.This is why blood donation centers offer rewards for donors in hopes that more people will be drawn to give. The American Red Cross currently offers raffle tickets to donors to be entered into a daily drawing for $100 Visa gift cards.As another incentive to donors, the Indiana Blood Center provides a rewards system for donation called DonorPoint. For each blood contribution made, a donor receives reward points for use at the center’s online Rewards Store.Several mobile donation units are also sent out to local businesses throughout the year.Featherston said the current donation trend may be at a standstill because donors may be holding off until next week’s blood drive.The “Bleed Blue Blood Drive” at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Appointments are required for the event and are scheduled in 15-minute intervals. Anyone willing to donate is encouraged to make an appointment online at http://indianablood.org/donating.All donors at Lucas Oil Stadium will receive a regulation size Indianapolis Colts football, autographed by defensive back Melvin Bullitt.“We try to be very proactive because we know around holiday and summer vacations people can get busy,” said Katy Maloy, program manager of communications for the American Red Cross. “Maybe blood isn’t the first thing on their minds. This is why we provide incentives to donating blood.”
(12/03/10 3:05am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For some, stepping through a waft of cigarette smoke while entering a bar may seem to be a trip to the past. But in some Porter County towns and other cities throughout the state, smoking in bars is not yet prohibited.Less than half of states, 22, have laws in effect requiring 100 percent smoke-free workplaces, restaurants and bars, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation data collected in October of this year.All restaurants and workplaces in the Porter County town of Valparaiso are smoke-free, but the bars are not. These types of partial smoking bans can be seen in 18 other Indiana communities, including Indianapolis, Lafayette and Carmel.Chesterton, Ind., also in Porter County, currently allows smoking in various restaurants and bars. Now it is considering joining the 12 other Indiana communities — such as Bloomington and West Lafayette — where smoking is prohibited in all workplaces, restaurants and bars.At a Nov. 23 Chesterton town hall meeting titled “Smoke-Free Town”, local attorney Charles Lukmann said he didn’t want to follow in the footsteps of neighboring cities such as Valparaiso by simply adopting their laws. Lukmann welcomed public input on the issue to be sent to him before the next meeting on Dec. 6, when he will present a drafted smoke-free ordinance to the Chesterton Town Council.Town manager Bernie Doyle said smoking bans throughout the nation are part of a natural trend for obvious reasons, such as protecting the health of nonsmokers and smokers alike.“It’s a major cultural shift from when I grew up in the ’50s and ’60s,” Doyle said. “Teachers smoked, doctors smoked, but there has been this shift away from it in the last 30 years.”A former smoker, Doyle said he doesn’t enjoy secondhand smoke when he enters an establishment. But he does see the other side of the argument to allow businesses to decide upon smoking allowances for themselves, without the government taking control.“I have kind of mixed emotions,” he said. “Part of me doesn’t want to see government intervention in people’s daily lives, but sometimes the government has to step in and make tough decisions for the best interest of everyone.”Chesterton residents also showed split emotions. Bar and restaurant owners in the small town beg to differ, saying the ban could drive away business.Chesterton’s Popolano’s restaurant has an outdoor patio where smoking is currently allowed.Manager Justin Jeffress said the smoking area is something he thinks the restaurant should be able to continue to provide for customers. And because a smoking ordinance would bar smokers from the entire establishment, the restaurant could be negatively effected.Bar owners at the local American Legion Post 1701 were upset at the thought of a town-wide smoking ban, saying it would hurt business significantly, as almost all of their customers smoke.Chesterton’s smoke-free ordinance still has a long way to go, and it may continue to be a heated topic in the coming months, Doyle said.Porter County resident Amber Bigman said she thinks restaurants should ban smoking, but bars should be left out of the issue.“A lot of people who don’t smoke regularly do when they drink,” Bigman said. “Bars also don’t allow children, so why can’t adults smoke in an adult establishment?”
(11/29/10 2:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Thirty-nine Indiana schools will be sharing $3.4 million in awards to promote walking and biking and the prevention of childhood obesity.On Nov. 4, the Indiana Department of Transportation, the Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Education announced $3.4 million in awards to 39 Indiana schools through the Indiana Safe Routes to School program.Indiana’s Safe Routes to School program started five years ago to encourage walking and biking to school by children, families and school faculty. According to Juliana Hammer from the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity of the Health Department, childhood obesity prevention was one of the top reasons for promoting the program.“It’s a great way for kids to get more physical activity as well as be more prepared for the school day,” Hammer said.Childhood obesity data collected in 2007 showed that about 30 percent of Indiana’s children 10 to 17 years old were either overweight or obese, she said.Hammer said this program alone can’t significantly improve these statistics. But that it is definitely one of many strategies that will help make a difference in tackling the problem of childhood obesity in Indiana, she added.“We are always looking for ways to expand walking and biking to schools,” Hammer said. “Everyone has a lot to gain from this program, especially when it’s done safely through good crosswalks, sidewalks and crossing guards as well.”This year, 58 Indiana schools applied for the invested federal funds program to improve pedestrian and bicycle friendliness.With the financial ability to approve more than 60 percent of the requested $5.7 million in possible awards, INDOT chose beneficiary schools based on the needs expressed through applications for funding.A strong application for funding might include intentions to incorporate the program plans into other local transportation planning or demonstration of local commitment within the community to walking and biking, according to the program’s page of the INDOT websiteIn southern Indiana, four schools were each awarded $250,000, the largest award a school could receive for infrastructure through the SRTS program fund.At Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Indianapolis and Indianapolis Public School No. 84 Center for Inquiry, the money will go toward a number of different pedestrian enhancements. At Spencer Elementary School in Spencer, Ind., sidewalk construction, curb ramps and crosswalks will be made possible by the $250,000 award. In addition to promoting a safe and healthy lifestyle, these routes to school assure that children are prepared for a rigorous day of learning, according to Alex Damron, communications director for IDOE.“Each of the schools’ plans will have a positive and meaningful impact on their school community,” Damron said. “It looks like a growing number of them are able to have that now. These schools’ successes should be celebrated.” Will Wingfield, spokesman for INDOT, said the program tries to distribute funds to schools in urban and rural areas alike to give all schools a chance to receive awards.As well as providing children with opportunities to stay active and healthy, Wingfield said there are other incentives.“The program addresses many major issues at a social level,” Wingfield said. “It can bring down childhood obesity but also reduce the number of cars on the road and improve air quality. It’s a program that is in high demand right now.”
(11/18/10 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Owner and pastry chef Mark Brethauer of Angela B’s-A Galleria of Cakes was anxious about having to shut down his shop for a day because of road closures for construction of the overhead B-Line Trail bridge.“We were a little worried we would have to shut down for the day,” said Brethauer, whose shop is located at Grimes Lane and Morton Street. “But the road was only closed for eight or nine hours and didn’t affect us that much at all.”On Nov. 10, the City of Bloomington limited access to Grimes Lane/Patterson Drive from Walnut to Rogers streets, and Morton Street from Allen Street to Grimes Lane/Patterson Drive. Both roads provide routes to and from local businesses such as Angela B’s.Sweet Grass, located at 405 W. Patterson Drive, was also expecting to be closed all day, General Manager Ryan Andrews said.“You never like to see your road get closed right in front of you, but we’re excited for the B-Line to be completed,” Andrews said. “One afternoon is worth it for us.”Construction began on the first 0.61 mile section of the B-Line on May 20, 2008, and the second 2.41-mile section of the trail is currently being constructed.With an anticipated completion date during late summer 2011, the B-Line Trail, about a $3.5 million project, will ultimately connect itself to the Bloomington Rail Trail and Clear Creek Trail, forming a continuous trail system of 7.4 miles.The bridge construction over Grimes Lane was included in the plans for the B-Line Trail for several reasons, said Dave Williams, operations and development director for Bloomington Parks and Recreation.Williams said the bridge was planned to elevate people over the continuous car traffic below. He said he believes the trail will promote foot traffic to businesses along it.“Bloomington has a national reputation as a quality place to live,” he said. “We are seeing properties near the trail redevelop or ask to be relocated along the trail. These trails are of no cost to the user and facilitate perennial walking activity as well.”For local businesses along Grimes Lane and Morton Street, upcoming partial road closures are inevitable, but some business employees said they will not pose a particularly high threat. “Anything that can give us more exposure to the south side of town is nothing but positive,” Andrews said.
(11/17/10 5:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana State Parks have turned grazing grounds into hunting grounds this November to minimize a growing deer population, revive ecosystems and save endangered plant species.This Monday and Tuesday, select state parks throughout Indiana were temporarily closed to the public for controlled deer hunting. Annual November deer hunting days have been routine since the first Indiana controlled state park deer hunt in 1993, said Jim Eagleman, interpretive naturalist and employee of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.The seasonal event is decided upon each year based on the previous year’s deer hunt returns.If a park’s data show a “hunter effort” value higher than .22 — meaning on average two in ten hunters shot one or more deer apiece — the event skips a year and resumes the next, Eagleman said.Eagleman was one of the founders of the controlled deer hunting event in the state’s parks. His findings, while working with a park task force in the mid-1980s, showed very little plant life on the forest floor of Brown County State Park due to deer eating behavior.Possible solutions included the introduction of natural deer predators to parks, as well as trapping and fertility control.But controlled hunting was — and still is — the most feasible solution, Eagleman said.“Nothing can be done other than hunting,” he said. “There are no natural predators to deer available here, so man has to step in and take that role.”Deer pose a particular threat to evergreen plant species, as well as endangered plants. Indiana parks contain 32 state-endangered species of plants that can be affected by browsing deer.Deer also pose a threat to themselves and other animals because of their capacity to eat a large variety and quantity of forest vegetation. An abundance of deer causes a vicious cycle.“If the deer population grows unchecked, they will eat a lot of the forest material and basically eat themselves out of house and home,” said Mike Mycroft, chief of natural resources for State Parks and Reservoirs. “They will become emaciated themselves.”He added that deer have a largely negative impact on the availability of acorns, a food source many other forest animals depend on to live during winter months.To remedy these problems, 331 hunters participated in Monday’s Brown County State Park hunt, Mycroft said.Each registered hunter was allowed to harvest up to three deer, only one of which could be antlered.Although evidence suggests that controlled deer populations are better for all ecosystems, this belief is not shared by everyone, including Stacy Jane Rhoads, who has worked with the Bloomington Urban Deer Task Force.“It’s clear that not everyone thinks dear are a problem in urban areas,” Rhoads said. “There is no correlation between the hunting days at state parks and the urban deer problem in Bloomington.”As far as protests are concerned, Mycroft and Eagleman said opposition to the controlled deer hunts was seen in the early 1990s but has since faded out.“The science is clear enough that this is a good thing,” Mycroft said. “I know some areas where orchids are growing where they weren’t before, and deer are looking healthier now than ever before.”
(11/12/10 4:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coated with Rust-Oleum High Heat black paint, recycled pop and beer cans became the heat “collectors” of a do-it-yourself solar space heater, designed by an Internet user named Brian. This was just one of three “do it yourself” case studies presented by School of Public and Environmental Affairs senior lecturer Terry Usrey on Wednesday night.Together with the Southern Indiana Renewable Energy Network, Usrey organized an informational presentation in the Monroe County Public Library Auditorium to discuss available options for solar space heating and introduce information on commercially installed solar space heating systems to attendees.The workshop was designed to heighten interest and knowledge of the different ways to use solar power, Usrey said.“There is a high probability that participants who actually construct a homemade solar space heater will definitely reduce heating bills and will recoup an investment they make initially,” he said.A simple solar space heater can be a large wooden box of any dimensions that contains a panel of the same dimensions, called a collector. This collector is usually made of some type of aluminum or solar paneling, and it is painted black or another dark color to attract and absorb sunlight.A pane of glass is then fit and set over the collector to enclose the box. This pane of glass will keep heated air from escaping once it is collected. A fan is placed at one end of the collector so air flow is created within the solar heater.A large hole is then cut from opposite ends of the solar collector, allowing for ductwork to be run from the fan to the house, and from the house back into the collector. The cycle that is produced by convection will suck cold air from the house into the collector to be heated, and it will then be sent back into the house to heat a designated area or room.During his presentation, Usrey said a solar heater of this type or commercial-grade would break the cost in less than six years. This return on investment would happen if the solar space heater were large enough and attracted enough sun to produce eight kilowatt hours of heat per day during a 200-day heating period each year.Local resident Maggie Sullivan and her husband installed a commercial-grade solar space heater system against their home a few years ago.“The unit cost about $3,000 with installation,” Sullivan said.Mounting the commercial solar panel heater, made by a nonprofit cooperative business in Minnesota, vertically on the side of their home, the Sullivans are able to heat a large living space for hours.Although the Sullivans installed a commercially produced solar heating system, local resident Jack Urrutia built one of his three solar heating panels from recycled materials.His solar heating system consists of two recycled commercial solar panels from the ’80s and one “homebrew” system that he made from miscellaneous recycled materials.“I used refurbished materials from Habitat for Humanity’s store,” Urrutia said. “I used glass from old patio doors for the covering and recycled sheet metal for the collector.”Urrutia spray painted the sheet metal black with high heat paint intended for use on barbecue grills.His panels are used to heat the lower level of his house, as well as one second floor room.But there are some disadvantages to mounting solar panels so close to the walls, he said.“The downside to this during the summer is the sun is out all the time, so it heats the box and that heat is still wanting to come through even though the vents are closed,” Urrutia said.Usrey said the possibility of heating his home with power from the sun would be a great alternative to his wood-burning fireplace and an opportunity to reduce his carbon footprint.
(11/12/10 4:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Becoming an easily accessible business is not simple. It takes money, time and space to make a building accessible to people with disabilities.Twenty Bloomington businesses were commended Oct. 25 by the Council for Community Accessibility for their efforts to overcome accessibility concerns and help their businesses meet standards with the Americans with Disabilities Act.Each business received a window decal in recognition of its efforts within the past year to make the business more available to people in the community with disabilities.Katie Herron, chairwoman of the Bloomington CCA, said businesses throughout Bloomington were given a chance to be nominated during an open call to the public and were then reviewed based on accessibility concerns like handicap parking availability, bathroom railings and aisle space within the business.The 20 recognized businesses included The Butcher’s Block, located at 115 S. State Road 46, Subway on North Walnut Street and Moe’s Southwest Grill, also at 115 S. State Road 46.The Butcher’s Block was recognized because of its commitment to customer service and acknowledgement of customers with disabilities through strategically placed displays that allow for more floor space, owner Dave Schell said.“We always try to be proactive when we think about our in-store design,” Schell said. “And good planning helps to reduce future spending costs.”Schell added that for his business, a 3,000 square-foot building located on a busy intersection, small improvements were essential to providing accessibility for customers.“Our place is about the size of a small gas station or convenience store,” Schell said.The Butcher’s Block features handicap parking in front of the store and wheelchair accessibility.Herron encouraged all businesses to take advantage of ways to make themselves more accessible.“I know some of my colleagues with disabilities and their friends and family who won’t go to a place if it’s not accessible,” Herron said. “They know they won’t have proper parking or that they won’t have ramps to get to a stage for a performance, so it’s certainly an issue for people who have disabilities. And as people learn about this, I’d hope that they would support the businesses that are accessible.”At Moe’s Southwest Grill , manager Jenny Hendrickson said, the award is an honor because the employees are able to give back to their customers.Moe’s does not have handicap parking in front of its building, but it does provide handicap accessible railings in bathroom stalls and widened doorways for extra mobility.And though the restaurant does not feature wheelchair accessible ramps, the staff is trained and willing to help disabled patrons when entering or exiting the store, Hendrickson said.Herron recommended that companies receive a free evaluation by the CCA to find out if their building qualifies as an accessible business based on ADA standards.“We have volunteers who are trained in ADA policy,” Herron said. “It’s to your benefit to allow the maximum number of people access to your business.”
(11/08/10 5:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>About 200 musical, dance and oratory events take place each year within the intimate, 600-square-foot Buskirk-Chumley Theater, which displayed silent films in the 1920s.The theater now has an exhibit to commemorate its history with the performing arts.“Two Years at Bloomington’s Community Theater,” a nonprofit exhibit, will consist of 15 photographs from seven local professional photographers from Nov. 5 to Dec. 3 in the Atrium of Bloomington City Hall.BCT Marketing Director Maarten Bout said the opportunity to show off the theater and its role in the community came after last year’s BCT photo exhibit at Monroe Bank titled “Captivating Moments at the Historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater.”“We thought we would move it to city hall to express the theater to a different audience — a larger audience,” Bout said. “We are showing things off in a little bit different way this time.”That difference is evident from a number of fresh pictures from BCT photographers as well as a larger print format for the photos being displayed this year.Ann Schertz, a Bloomington commercial location photographer, is one of the photo artists working on the upcoming exhibit. She said her experience judging past photo contests led her to volunteer her skills to the BCT.Schertz will have two photographs included in the exhibit and said her favorite subjects to shoot are BCT community events and lectures.“I prefer to shoot things that aren’t being covered,” Schertz said. “It’s marketing for them. I’m doing it based on what I’m willing to contribute to my community.”Schertz added that her recent work shooting the stage production of “The Wiz” made her feel part of the culture of Bloomington.Michael Trace, a local photographer who has been taking photos for six years, said he enjoys shooting for the BCT because of its variety of performances.“The diversity of the events is just amazing,” Trace said. “Name another venue where you could see Henry Rollins one evening, Rocky Horror another and enjoy a local Chefs’ Challenge yet another.”Admitting his artistic style is kind of all over the place, Trace said he has ultimately came to embrace this about his work. He has images on display in the School of Fine Arts gallery in addition to the city hall atrium exhibit.When he’s not shooting fashion models or composing conceptual shots, he’s interested in ballet performances at the BCT.“The dancers show emotion,” he said. “You can anticipate the moves, and it’s absolutely beautiful to watch.”Bout added the importance of the atrium exhibit is not only to promote the photographers’ work, but also to document the history and culture the BCT brings to Bloomington.“We want to make this asset available to everybody,” Bout said. “This is where the community gathers — this is our gathering place.”
(11/03/10 5:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After almost getting arrested at a local nursing home during his campaign for U.S. Congress and encountering a crazed anarchist named “Monkey” outside the 9th District congressional debate in Bloomington, Libertarian Greg Knott seemed to take this year’s campaign with a grain of salt.Sitting underneath the television at Kilroy’s Bar and Grill sipping on a Newcastle Brown Ale, Knott high-fived his two-person campaign staff as results rolled across the screen.“The nursing home must have misunderstood the meaning of soliciting, which means asking somebody for something. We were just handing out information,” Knott said. “We left before the cops came, so that’s good.”His staff consisted of his fiancee Heather Saylor as his personal assistant and IU senior Jonathan Hilton as his campaign manager. “Five percent! Yeah!” Knott cheered, smiling and laughing with his colleagues.In between cracking jokes and toasting Knott’s small percentage, Hilton remarked on his perspective of the opposing candidates.“Todd Young is a decent fella, but he doesn’t hold a candle to the greatness that is Greg ‘NO BULL’ Knott,” Hilton said. “NO BULL” was Knott’s campaign nickname, which he said was necessary in the race. “Nicknames are allowed, so why not use that nickname as a platform as well?” he said.“NO BULL” was also an acronym for Knott’s positions on the issues of government bailouts, the overhauling of tax cuts for jobs and lobbying in Washington D.C. He said his positions added to his appeal with a younger voter base.“I do think I’m going to do well with the IU students,” Knott said. “We have mostly college-age males supporting us. The students may be naive, but they aren’t willfully ignorant. They are curious and want to learn.”Knott said during the Oct. 18 debate, his points on governmental policy were not acknowledged as being valid by Republican Todd Young or Democrat Baron Hill. But Knott didn’t seem phased by this, clinking glasses with his colleagues when his numbers remained at 5 percent an hour after the first round of results were shown.Knott and Saylor said they knew his candidacy wasn’t being taken seriously, but that it was chalked up to be a good experience for the future.Knott called himself a “recovering Republican,” similar to a recovering alcoholic, he said. He said in the future he may choose to run under the title of a Republican while maintaining his political views.“I don’t know what they were pumping into the womb,” he said. “But my mother must have been listening to public policy, because I’ve always been interested in it.”Knott’s congenial attitude should have lent itself to a more friendly candidacy race this year, but he said his attempts to befriend his opponents and their staff were not appreciated.“After the Jasper debate, I invited my competitors’ staff to a German restaurant, but no one from the other campaigns came,” he said. “The campaign staff — the people who sedate them — would have enjoyed it.”Hilton reminisced about the 20 different kinds of sausage and German beer on tap the restaurant had, which he said he was glad to enjoy without the opposing parties.Adding to the lighthearted mood of the evening, Hilton sarcastically remarked about the standoffish nature of Knott’s opponents.“We usually have slumber parties and pillow fights,” Hilton said. “I was there for one. Todd Young got a bloody nose and Baron Hill refused to do it. Greg came out on top though.”But reflecting on the campaign brought nostalgic feelings for Knott and his staff.“On the way over, I got hit by a strange feeling,” Hilton said. “It was kind of like finishing a book — sort of relieved, but also sort of sad it’s over.”
(10/27/10 11:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It kind of breaks my heart to listen to mono via MP3 or CD. And that’s exactly what happened when I heard Bob Dylan’s new mono box set titled “The Original Mono Recordings.” To me, a person having heard almost all of Dylan’s first few albums on vinyl, this box set was a punch to my ears. Of course, for an avid Dylan collector, the set would be nice; it does include his first nine studio albums digitally remastered into mono tracks. But the thick, spitting noise that comes from listening to a dusty vinyl from your mom and pop’s basement isn’t there. Yes, mono has a much richer sound that surrounds your head instead of picking and choosing the ears it enters like stereo, but it’s not as good on CD. If you want some good Dylan, pick up a small turntable, buy a few records and have yourself a good listen. But get the real thing.
(10/27/10 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s always nice to come in first place, but for Bloomington, 16th doesn’t sound too bad.The city advanced 41 spots from last year’s ranking of best-performing small metro areas in the U.S.On Oct. 20, the Milken Institute, a global, nonpartisan think tank based in Santa Monica, Calif., released its annual ranking of the best-performing small metropolitan areas in the nation. Out of 179 small cities, Bloomington ranked 16.In rating the performance of a small metro — a city with less than 245,000 residents — the Milken Institute weighed a variety of factors, including annual and five-year job growth, wage increases and technological progress.Skip Rimer, executive director of programs and communications for the Milken Institute, said only 86 small metros had job growth this year, including Bloomington.“This means you are growing more recently,” Rimer said. “Which is really good.”Bloomington ranked 25th in the nation in terms of job growth from April 2009 to April 2010 and had a 4.17 percent increase in jobs from 2008 to 2009, according to data from the Milken Institute. This putting the city at eighth place in the nation in terms of one-year job growth.“Economic development is synonymous with quality of life, so these rankings are a sign that the investments the city and our public and private partners are making in Bloomington truly are paying off,” Mayor Mark Kruzan said in a press release.In its city rankings, the institute sees many large and small cities gain or lose position based not only on their local economy, but also on the overall U.S. economic climate, Rimer said.Large metropolitan areas in Texas, such as Killeen (Temple-Fort Hood) and Austin (Round Rock), fared particularly well, coming in first and second place respectively out of the 200 large metropolitan areas evaluated this year.Because Texas has a diverse economy including oil activity, a military base and less housing loss than other large metros such as in California and Florida, Rimer said Texas is doing all the right things. In order to compete with highly positioned small metros, Bloomington implemented certain initiatives such as the Bloomington Technology Partnership in 2008. The BTP is partially funded by the City of Bloomington and aims to bring together technology experts and government officials to improve Bloomington’s hi-tech economy.The BTP is a program of the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, which fosters the economic growth of small businesses.Jared Schlemmer, City of Bloomington communications director, said there are always improvements to be made but that an economy can really be bolstered by small businesses and entrepreneurs — things Bloomington has in abundance.Schlemmer said the city’s ranking was likely improved by recent developments such as the Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District and the B-Line Trail project.Schlemmer said BEAD is focused on arts and entertainment, including anything from big art galleries to large cultural fairs such as Lotus Festival. It encompasses local bars, The John Waldron Arts Center, The Buskirk-Chumley Theater, the ethnic restaurant row of Fourth Street and other local arts and entertainment venues.“BEAD has a real focus on how independent artists and other entertainment, restaurants and bars can really add to the economy of our city,” Schlemmer said.In addition to BEAD, the B-Line trail project — currently in phase two of construction — was credited by Schlemmer as being the single biggest economic development of the city in recent years.“The trail is giving people a wallet friendly, environmentally friendly way to travel,” he said.Finally, the comeback of the General Electric manufacturing plant earlier this month contributed to Bloomington’s overall job growth numbers, Schlemmer said.GE plans to invest $93 million for infrastructure and equipment improvements at its one million-square-foot Bloomington facility, according to an Oct. 18 press release by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.“GE created about 200 jobs, getting some new hires as well,” Schlemmer said. “They are bringing a lot of those jobs back for people who had lost their jobs before. The plan is to create 500 more jobs by 2014.”In the future, Schlemmer said he wants Bloomington to continue working with the IU’s small business incubator to improve the city’s economic health.The incubator was opened in June 2004 at the IU Research Park on North Morton Street.“We want to focus on technology and life sciences,” he said. “It’s right there where you want your growth to be.”
(10/25/10 2:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ghost stories are closely associated with Halloween, but where did this relationship come from?A group of storytelling guilds throughout Indiana aims to answer the question about the history of this oral tradition.Storytelling Arts of Indiana is an organization composed of seven storytelling guilds across the state.Doyne Carson, a storyteller for the Tippecanoe Storytellers’ Guild in Battle Ground, Ind., said many oral traditions were originally practiced to teach children right from wrong.“Rather than saying, ‘Don’t leave our encampment at night,’ the Native Americans would tell stories to basically scare the bejeebers out of kids,” she said.Carson has been telling stories since 1987 and said adults are her favorite age group because of their ability to reconnect with childhood folktale memories.“And the little ones are always great,” she said. “They are kind of captured by it.”Carson also explained that the subtle scare of a folktale or grim story is what appeals to listeners during the Halloween season.“It’s a scare you’re getting from somebody that you know,” Carson said. “And it’s always fun to say you knew what was going to happen.”Members of the Tippecanoe Storytellers’ Guild meet six times per year and sponsor the West Lafayette Annual Ghost Tales event.On Friday, the annual Bloomington Festival of Ghost Stories took place in Bryan Park and was sponsored by the Bloomington Storytellers’ Guild.The night of spooky tales included Jack-o’-Lanterns and hot apple cider for guests to enjoy while listening to the scary anecdotes.The Bloomington Storytellers’ Guild established itself in Bloomington in 1974 and welcomes members of the public to join for a $10 membership fee.The group meets once a month to discuss story ideas and plan upcoming events. The guild also sponsors a Wintertelling event every February.Senior Chelsea Montgomery said she attended the Friday event to experience something new and different.“I never had storytellers visit my schools when I was younger,” Montgomery said. “It’s really a cool thing to have in Bloomington because it’s something not many people do anymore. I feel like it’s a historic thing.”Carson said she continues the tradition because of the effect her stories have on listeners.“I went to the bank to a brand new teller, and she told me ‘You came to my class when I was in fourth grade,’ and I asked her how old she was,” Carson said. “She said she was 28. When you’re 28 remembering a fourth grade event it just kind of gives me shivers.”Ghost story events brings vivid mental images to attendees as well.“I like ghost stories. They scare me more than horror movies do,” Montgomery said. “They stick in my mind, and I can make up my own version of characters in my head.”
(10/20/10 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kriste Lindberg has been interested in caves since her first adventure to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky when she was 5 years old.Now, Lindberg is the chair of environmental education for the National Speleological Society, as well as a member of the Bloomington Watercolor Society. It is through these interests that she encourages cave preservation via artistic expression.On Tuesday at The Venue Fine Art and Gifts, Lindberg taught an art demonstration, titled “Green Halloween,” featuring images of bats and salamanders — regular cave-dwelling species — to promote cave conservation education. “Cave critters are actually really friendly things,” Lindberg said.Using acrylic paint on clear glassware, Lindberg created about 20 pieces of art for sale at Tuesday’s event. Prices of Lindberg’s pieces started at $10. All the proceeds will be split evenly between the NSS and the Indiana Karst Conservancy to fund conservation efforts. Lindberg’s NSS colleague and IKC director Bob Vandeventer said each year, cave art is a huge part of IKC conventions.“Each year we have a theme,” Vandeventer said. “Last year’s theme was bats. It’s good to see so much cave art being popular.”Slimy salamanders and cave salamanders were painted on wine glasses in yin-yang designs, and bats were painted in flurrying patterns on barware and drinking glasses.Attendees of “Green Halloween” created their own glasses and watercolor images on site. In order to complete the process of painting glassware, however, the participant needed to bake their glassware for 45 minutes in a 325-degree oven to seal the acrylic paint.Gabe Colman, owner of The Venue, said he came across Lindberg’s work through the Bloomington Watercolor Society.“I like Kriste’s work because she uses all of the space available,” Colman said. “The pattern of bats on the glasses have an interesting whirlwind effect.”Lindberg said she began going caving regularly in 1992, during her work at the Chicago Academy of Sciences.“One day somebody asked me if I wanted to see this fake mini cave and learn about it, and I said, ‘Of course,’” Lindberg said.Indiana is home to more than 3,000 caves and when asked which cave is her favorite, Lindberg said she couldn’t really choose.“Each cave has its own personality, really,” she said. “But my heart is with the Lost River System in Orange County, Indiana. I was the eighth person to be in it after it was discovered in 1998. It’s really neat.”
