GarlicFest educates attendees on healthful food options
(09/06/16 2:32am)
The Third Street Park smelled strongly of garlic over the Labor Day weekend.
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Workout event brings cops and civilians together
(09/06/16 4:31am)
Police officers, along with civilians, ran down the B-Line Trail together for the beginning of Crossfit with a Cop.
Young adults gather to appreciate nature with Sycamore Branches group
(11/20/15 4:16am)
An environmental group with millennials in mind is giving young people the chance to get outside while expanding their social circles.
Circle City IN Pride 2014 ends with parade
(06/15/14 11:32pm)
BY BRIAN SEYMOUR
Computer hackers come to Indianapolis for contests
(06/02/14 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Computer hacking is usually illegal. An exception was made this weekend.National Day of Civic Hacking occurred Saturday in 103 cities worldwide, including Indianapolis. It was the city’s first time participating. The goal was to encourage government transparency. The Speak Easy in Broad Ripple, Ind., was sold out to a crowd that participated in civic hacking.Fifteen teams were created to collaborate and compete in challenges that encouraged a more transparent, accessible government.“The event went fantastic, we had over 150 sign up and over 15 teams submit apps toward civic challenges,” co-organizer Brian Norris said. These challenges given to participants were both local and nationwide schemes.“The challenges range from something an organization may need here in Indy to a national challenge, like with NASA,” said Matthew Kirby, an organizer from Indy Chamber.Coders and developers were brought in to teach others how to build apps and visualize public data in new ways. Indiana State Chief Information Officer Paul Baltzell attended, along with congresswoman Susan Brooks.<Insert_Cool_Team_Name_Here> won first place for its pothole tracking app.The team is a group of externs from Tech Point Extern Initiative in Indianapolis, Norris said. Winning teams took home a variety of prizes, from cash to a Speak Easy Membership. The event also had a non-mandatory raffle to fight hunger in Indiana. Prizes ranged from floor seats at a Fever game to an Apple TV.Organizers are looking to continue the event next year.“The feedback we have received was great, and we are looking to keep participating in this annual event,” Norris said. Angela Hawkins
Local club to recognize officer
(05/15/14 1:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Northside Exchange Club of Bloomington will be honoring a Monroe County police officer today as the 2014 Police Officer of the Year in its 54th annual awards dinner. The Exchange Club is a national service organization for men and women who want to serve their community, develop leadership skills and enjoy each others’ fellowship.The Exchange Club Programs of Service is divided into four main areas: Americanism, Youth Program, Child Abuse Prevention and Community Service. “As part of Community Service, we recognize and express our appreciation for police officers and firefighters who serve the community,” said Ken Todd, Exchange Club member and chair of the Officer of the Year awards.“We select and honor a Police Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year from county departments annually.”The Exchange Club solicits nominations from Monroe County’s five law enforcement agencies: the sheriff’s department, the Bloomington Police Department, the IU Police Department, the Indiana State Police and the Ellettsville Police Department.After receiving one nomination from the department chiefs of each respective agency, the Exchange Club’s selection committee reviews the nominations before determining the Officer of the Year.“Nominations by department chiefs may be based on a specific act, such as an act of heroism, a life-saving act or solving a particularly significant or complicated crime,” Todd said. The nomination can also be based on years of distinguished service, overall excellence in the performance of duty or commitment to the enhancement of the department’s mission, Todd said.The Northside Exchange Club then appoints a selection committee that reviews the nominations and makes the selection, he said.The Officer of the Year will be announced at the award dinner.The first Monroe County Police Officer of the Year was named in 1961.“This year marks the 54th consecutive year in which we have held an award dinner attended by the chiefs of each county law enforcement agency, past recipients of the award, current nominees, elected officials and others to honor each of the nominees and announce an Officer of the Year,” Todd said.
Indiana couple in same-sex marriage recognized by court
(04/11/14 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A same-sex couple from Northwest Indiana, one of five couples in a federal lawsuit fighting the state’s ban on gay marriage, stood in court Thursday arguing for their marriage to be recognized in Indiana.Amy Sandler and Niki Quasney, who live together in Munster, Ind., with two children ages 3 and 1, were originally wed in Massachusetts. However, because of their Indiana residency, the conditions of the marriage are void by the state, making the couple ineligible for the benefits Indiana married couples would otherwise receive.A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the couple’s marriage will be temporarily recognized by the state. “We’re greatly relieved for Amy, Niki and their two young children,” said Paul Castillo in a statement. Castillo is a staff attorney for Lambda Legal and represents Sandler and Quasney.Quasney is terminally ill, battling stage-four ovarian cancer, according to Castillo’s office. “They are a loving family coping with a terminal illness,” Castillo said in the statement. “The State Indiana has no justification for denying them dignity, legitimacy, and respect as a family during this inexpressibly difficult time.” The couple’s relationship is recognized as a civil union in Illinois and married in Massachusetts in 2013, according to Castillo’s office. However, the marriage must be legally recognized in order to receive protection benefits from the state.“In light of this new medical information this week, I wish to make additionally clear why I have decided to seek relief through this lawsuit,” Niki Quasney said in her declaration according to court documents. “That the State considers me a legal stranger to Amy causes me tremendous sadness and stress. I want us to be understood as a married family in Indiana while I am still alive.”The Indiana Attorney General’s Office is defending the state. Solicitor General Thomas Fisher represented the state at Thursday’s hearing, arguing that the marriage statute does not allow for hardship exceptions, according to Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office.Federal Judge Richard Young disagreed. The recognition will stand until May 8, according to Zoeller’s office, at which point a preliminary injunction hearing will take place. Tuesday’s ruling, considered a temporary restraining order, cannot be appealed, meaning the case will be considered yet again at the end of the 28-day period.County clerks in Indiana will be notified there is no change in legal requirements regarding marriage licenses, according to Zoeller’s office, and county clerks remain unable to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples.Both the state and the plaintiffs will again be able to argue their cases at the preliminary injunction hearing. Plaintiffs will argue for the indefinite extension of the ruling.“They’re married, they love each other and they are doing their best to protect their family,” Casillo said. “The local hospital defers to state law to determine whether a couple is validly married, and Niki worries that she won’t be able to be with Amy when it counts. Niki also wants to make sure Amy has the protections of a surviving spouse under Indiana law.”
Events in Bloomington this weekend
(04/11/14 4:07am)
Head out to one of these events happening around town this weekend.
Event raises awareness about child abuse
(04/09/14 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Cool temperatures and light rain did not stop more than 70 people from gathering on the Monroe County Courthouse lawn for a Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness event Tuesday. The annual event, sponsored by the Monroe County Department of Child Services, brought people together to raise awareness about helping abused children. “What we’re doing today is very simple, but effective,” said Harmony Gist, director of Monroe County Child Services.Organizations tailored to children such as Wonderlab, Magic Inc., Community Partners for Child Safety, Youth Services Bureau of Monroe County and Safe Place gave information to attendees about how to help abused children. Bloomington fire and police departments were also present. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, instated by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to raise awareness about the issue. Speakers at the event included Tiffany Coleman, a Bloomington resident who dealt with a lifetime of foster care, abuse, molestation and abandonment. She spoke of the effects of abuse in her adult life.“Sometimes I catch myself asking a lot of questions at work,” she said. “Sometimes I catch myself questioning my parenting choices.” Coleman said many people helped her in school, such as teachers, a principle and a guidance counselor, to help her survive her abuse.“I encourage you to be an advocate for your kids and support your kids,” Coleman said. “You can be that person in your child’s life.” Monroe County circuit court judge Steven Galvin also spoke at the event, pushing for reform of where money is spent to treat child abuse.“We spend millions of dollars on consequences,” he said. “Every day, we spend money on what happened to children instead of focusing on preventing that abuse and neglect.” Galvin advocated for investment in early-year development of children and families. He said if the community focused on those problems, other issues in their lives would be avoided later on, such as health problems, premature mortality, low educational achievement, mental illness, crime and substance abuse. “If this community can’t do it, no one can,” Galvin said. Speakers were followed by a candle-lit procession and a performance by the Saint Charles Children’s choir. Last year, Indiana had more than 25,000 reported cases of child abuse or neglect. “People say, ‘Oh, these things won’t happen here,’” Kelli Shannon, resource development coordinator for Court Appointed Special Advocates, said in an interview. “But they do.”
High schoolers to train in Krav Maga
(04/08/14 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The senior class of Edgemont Junior-Senior High School will be taught the Israeli self-defense art of Krav Maga.The school is the former high school of Lauren Spierer, an IU student who went missing almost three years ago. The program is largely in thanks to Julia Haber, a senior at the high school. Last year she won Andy Grammer’s “Miss Me” Lip Sync/Lyric Video Contest in which she had to submit a video of herself lip syncing the popular song. The contest also called for video promotion and the video with the most popular views on YouTube would win. The prize for winning was a concert by Andy Grammer in Haber’s hometown.The concert turned into a fundraiser, with proceeds going to the Find Lauren Fund. Charlene Spierer, Lauren’s mother, asked that the money go to Lauren’s high school instead, under the stipulation that the money go towards a program in her honor.“I think that the biggest thing is awareness,” Charlene Spierer said. “The more young people are aware of making right choices, and being careful and trying to support their friends, the better off everyone will be.”The self-defense classes will be taught by Steve Sohn’s Krav Maga Worldwide Training Center.Though the students will be learning martial arts, the goal is not to make them martial artists, Sohn said.The goal is to make the students more aware of the dangers around them, he said.The idea behind the training is to apply hands-on learning as opposed to just verbal education.“It’s kind of like driving a car in the snow,” he said. “If you’ve had some practice driving in the snow and skidding, when it really does happen to you, then you have an idea of what to do.”The lessons will expand beyond the scope of violence. The students will tackle a variety of situations including going out with friends and drinkingalcohol.“Teenagers are always experimenting,” Sohn said. “You don’t want to leave your drink alone. Somebody could put something in it.”Though violence does occur today, it is not as prevalent as it was in previous generations. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, violent crimes have been steadily declining since 1993. “It could be very dangerous out there today,” he said. “It’s just that it’s hidden.”
City council debates deer issue
(04/03/14 3:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington City Council considered an amendment to an existing ordinance during a meeting Wednesday night that would allow professional sharpshooting at the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve.The amendment to the current ordinance, proposed by council member Dave Rollo, would allow only professional sharpshooters contracted by the city to hunt within the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve.Costs to the city for this expense were estimated to be about $30,000 annually.Municipal code does not allow any use of a firearm within city limits unless it is discharged by a law enforcement officer or used in self-defense.Rollo said that if the council does not take action to curb deer overabundance now, the effects could be irreversible.“Damage is acute now,” Rollo said. “And it’s getting worse.”The meeting began with the council voting by a margin of 5 to 3, with one abstention, not to limit the amount of time allowed for council deliberation and public comment.Council member Stephen Volan presented a motion to limit the debate to three hours in order to regulate the amount of time Wednesday night’s meeting would take.“There’s no reason why this has to be decided at second reading on April 9,” Volan said, implying that the ordinance could go to a third reading.Several council members objected, saying that the motion was unprecedented and would limit the input of the public.“We’ve never done this before,” council member Andy Ruff said.Each public comment was limited to five minutes, however.Ramsay Harik, a community member, asked the council to take immediate action, putting priority on the science available to them “no matter how squeamish it makes the rest of us feel.”David Parkhurst, who worked for the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs until 2005, said allowing this amendment would help preserve the existing environment at Griffy Lake.“I don’t understand what’s so precious about deer that makes them so much more important than birds and other wildlife,” Parkhurst said.A Griffy Lake Master Plan compiled in 2008 recognized the problem of deer overpopulation and called for an examination of potential solutions to the problem.Sharpshooting was determined to be the most viable option. Contraception and sterilization were both discussed at Wednesday night’s council meeting as alternatives, but were generally agreed upon to not be cost-effective.“Contraception has ever proven ineffective in a free-ranging environment,” said Josh Griffin, a regional supervisor with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.Michael Ellenwood said he had been hunting deer his entire life and feels the council is not considering unintended consequences.Ellenwood is from upstate New York, an area that also struggles with deer overabundance.He said he feels that shooting the deer will only cause them to disperse.“As soon as you start shooting them, they’ll move,” Ellenwood said.Richard Darling, a Bloomington resident, said his neighborhood was serving as a “highway” for deer traveling to Griffy Lake. “‘Bambi’ is a very interesting movie. It’s fun to watch and kids love it,” Darling said. “I don’t want a herd of deer and skunks ravaging my front yard.”
Events in Bloomington during spring break
(03/14/14 2:49am)
If you're staying in town, check out a roundup of events happening during the week of spring break.
"Dropping the Puck" raised cancer awareness
(03/02/14 10:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fraternity hockey teams faced off and local Hoosiers learned to ice skate at the third annual Dropping the Puck on Cancer event Saturday afternoon at Frank Southern Ice Arena.Sponsored by Collegiate Charities, this year’s event featured additional sponsorships from the Bloomington Blades Hockey Association and the Foundation for Monroe County Community Schools.Local attorney Carl Lamb, president of the board of directors and CEO of Collegiate Charities, said the event has grown in popularity every year, especially from the support of the IU campus.“This is the first year we’ve actually reached out to the local community,” Lamb said. “I really see this as something eventually going to monumental proportions.”In the event’s first year, Lamb said it took 60 hours for tickets to sell out for the fraternity hockey games. This year, tickets sold out in an hour and a half. Kappa Sigma and Delta Tau Delta hockey teams competed Friday night, while Sigma Chi and Beta Theta Pi competed Saturday. Ticket sales from each game will make up a majority of the funds donated to help aid cancer research, Lamb said. Money from the event will also be used to provide youth fitness and wellness initiatives to local community and schools.To add more variety this year, the event offered ice skating lessons and entertainment consisting of figure skaters, ice dancers and speed skaters.In addition, IU alumna Kayla Wood from the Discovery Channel’s reality television show “Porter Ridge” performed at this year’s event.Although the event is only sponsored locally, Lamb said he has plans to reach out to the Big Ten Conference in order to increase fundraising totals. Last year, the event raised up to $25,000, and Lamb said he is hopeful this year’s fundraising total will be even more.After another successful year, Lamb said he is hopeful the event will have more national sponsors in the years to come, including reaching out to the National Hockey League.Lamb said he has already talked with representatives from the University of Minnesota to spread awareness about the event.“This is a very special event, because you don’t see as much hockey in Bloomington, since Indiana is a basketball state,” Lamb said.Kathleen Oliver, president of the Bloomington Blades Hockey Association Board, said this year’s event was a great opportunity to involve more community outreach.“We think it’s important for kids to stay in shape and thought this event would be a great idea to fundraise for,” Oliver said.Besides ticket sales, the event also raised money through auctions and raffles, which Oliver said included gift cards and an autographed IU hockey jersey.Oliver said the event also featured Bloomington High School South student athlete Cameron Bland, who currently is battling kidney cancer. Bland is an inspiration to others and served as a good representation of what Dropping the Puck on Cancer is all about, Oliver said.“Cancer is everywhere around us and everybody to some degree, I believe, has been affected by it,” Lamb said. “And while we never may beat the cause, that doesn’t mean we can’t try and spread the awareness. I am very pleased from the amount of student support this year.”
City council considers conservation district
(02/18/14 5:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Richard Darling likes to think of his home in Matlock Heights as a unique little neighborhood. Surrounded on both sides by the State Road 45 46 Bypass and North Walnut Street, Matlock is home to about 80 properties, all built within a short time after World War II, Darling said.On Wednesday, the Bloomington City Council will vote on an ordinance to create the Matlock Heights Conservation District, according to a council legislative packet. Richard Darling and his wife, Carol Darling, have been working for a few years to get Matlock Heights established as a conservation district. In November 2011 Darling submitted 45 letters signed by 56 property owners in support of the district, said Nancy Hiestand, program manager for Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood Development. “We think this nice, quiet, little neighborhood we live in is something that is worth preserving,” Darling said. “And what becoming a conservation district would do would be to stop people from tearing down a house, moving a house, or building something that’s totally out of character with something that’s already here, which is just a method of preserving what we are.”The legislation was introduced Feb. 5.A preliminary vote was held to gauge community support, passing 5-3.After the creation of a neighborhood subcommittee, three locally required public information meetings and a series of neighborhood discussions about guidelines, the Historic Preservation Commission recommended the designation of the conservation district Feb. 28,, according to the packet. On Feb. 6, the commission granted the designation.The Commission found the neighborhood was significant “as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the city (and) is associated with a person who played a significant role in local history,” according to the packet.One concern of the community is that, if established, Matlock Heights property owners will have to prevent the conservation district from elevating to a historic district in the future, said Hiestand.“Without any kind of district regulation, an owner could apply for demolition and do that within 10 days,” Hiestand said. “Within a conservation district, the neighborhood would be regulated against demolition, but, within a historic district, it’d also be reviewed for a bunch of other things as well.” According to state law, if a majority of property owners within a conservation district do not object in writing 60 to 180 days before the third anniversary of its establishment, it will automatically become a historic district, Hiestand said.Darling gave the example of energy-efficient windows. As a conservation district, he said, these windows would be acceptable even if they didn’t look exactly like the windows already in the houses. In a historic district, they might not be, because regulations are more rigid.For the time being, the neighborhood is focused on gaining conservation status. Bloomington City Council member Chris Sturbaum said he is convinced the ordinance will receive City Council support on Wednesday because of the strong neighborhood agreement behind it.“Built in the ’60s makes it 50 years old and, you know, when I started preservation, old was a different category of housing,” Sturbaum said. “To recognize the importance of these post-war houses and that boom when people came back from the war and they wanted a new world and they had children and built suburbs, well this is a kind of museum piece of that moment of time in Bloomington and in the country.” — Kate Starr
Commission on the Status of Women announces Women of the Year
(02/17/14 9:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Three local women will be honored in March for their service to Bloomington, Mayor Mark Kruzan announced Monday. Karen Green Stone was named Bloomington’s Woman of the Year, Georgia Schaich was named recipient of the Lifetime Contribution Award and Debra Morrow was chosen to receive the Emerging Leader Award, according to a press release.The recipients were selected by members of the Woman of the Year Subcommittee of the City of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Women. The Woman of the Year and Lifetime Contribution Award recipients will be honored at the Women’s History Month Lunch at 12:15 p.m. March 26 at the Bloomington-Monroe County Convention Center, 302 S. College Ave. The lunch will be an opportunity to recognize individual and collective accomplishments of women in the community, according to the release. In addition, organizations for women and women-owned businesses will have exhibits at the luncheon. The theme of this year’s event is “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage and Commitment.” Deborah Hearn Smith, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, will give the keynote speech at the luncheon. Green Stone is an advocate for health care, according to the release. She is co-founder of Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan, which works to educate the public and make health insurance and health care available to everyone in Indiana, according to the release. Schaich has dedicated her time to making Bloomington a more senior-friendly community, according to the release. In 1993, Schaich helped create the first TRIAD council in Indiana to help raise seniors’ awareness of crime and ways of protecting themselves. She joined the Commission on Aging in 2010 and has served on committees to organize the annual Creative Aging Festival and design Emergency Disaster Support for Elders, according to the release.Morrow works to help others overcome their barriers to social mobility, according to the release. She is the community services coordinator at Middle Way House and a volunteer at New Leaf. Morrow works with women transitioning from jail to the community by providing them with information about housing, social services and employment, according to the release. Morrow will be honored at the Women’s Leadership Development event at 5 p.m. March 13 in City Hall Council Chambers, 401 N. Morton St. The event is free and open to the public.— Rebecca Kimberly
Valentine’s Day events around Bloomington
(02/14/14 5:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Valentine’s Day is today, but festivities last all weekend in Bloomington. Here’s a roundup of community events.Valentine’s Dance7 p.m. to 9 p.m. FridayBloomfield First Baptist Church, 500 Lincoln DriveThis ballroom dance will benefit a mission trip to El Salvador. Ann Conner, an instructor from HeartBeat Dance Company, will provide lessons. Admission is $10.Bloomington Winter Farmer’s Market9 a.m. to noon SaturdayHarmony School gym, 909 E. Second St.This week, the farmer’s market will feature Valentine’s Day cookies from Piccoli Dolci alongside the usual produce and other items. Thrive in Love: A Valentine’s Retreat9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and SundayTibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, 3655 S. Snoddy Rd.This nondemoninational retreat is for couples looking to better connect with each other. Tickets are $195 per person, $390 per couple and can be purchased online at centerforthrivingrelationships.com/courses.Valentine Baby Shower1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. SundaySt. Charles Parish Hall, 2222 E. Third St. This benefit for Hannah House, a crisis pregnancy center, will feature refreshments from local businesses and entertainment by the students of St. Charles School and Lou and Lenny Newman.— Rebecca Kimberly
GLBTAA celebrates progress at game
(01/31/14 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alumni Association celebrated progress Thursday night.That’s progress for the GLBT community and its relationship with IU athletics, specifically since IU Coach Curt Miller, an openly gay man, began coaching the women’s basketball team. Chair of the Pride Night event and member of the GLBTAA Cindy Stone said ten years ago, a Christian college played IU and the rival athletes publicly told their stories of previously living sinful gay lives where they slept with other women. “That was 10 years ago, and here we are today throwing a Pride athletic event,” Stone said. “We don’t have those people come here anymore. Things have changed.” Stone and the GLBTAA planned the event for around 70 people, but by starting time, only standing room was left for attendees. As guests shuffled in from the cold, Stone greeted them at the door. She said she hopes the event could be the first of many GLBT events with IU athletics. “We are trying to put a welcome mat on Cook and Assembly Hall,” Stone said. “IU athletics is inclusive of everyone no matter whose hand you hold.” Miller spoke at the event to thank the community for their support of him and his program. He also expressed his hopes for this Pride Night to become a source of inspiration for other Division I Athletics.“You hear about pride nights in professional sports like hockey, but not very often in Division I athletic events.” Miller said. “I hope we’re a trend-setter and get the word out. It’s wonderful to see the momentum here.”Miller spoke about always wanting to do a pride night in his previous job to gain support, but his marketing directors were hesitant to do so, he said.He said the event was personal to him, as he and his partner of almost 19 years are welcome at IU because of the great support from the athletic administration and Athletic Director Fred Glass.“Not everyone would take a chance on me as a new basketball coach,” Miller said to the audience. “Not because of my successes or failures, but because of my personal story. And I can’t thank you all enough.” Senior Andrew Johnson attended the event because he has volunteered for the GLBTAA since his freshman year.“It was nice to see athletics and GLBT overlap,” Johnson said. “You don’t see that often. It’s a good bridge to build.” Since Miller started coaching last season, the team has made huge progress: it started the season off 14-0 and were ranked in the top 25 early on. In his short speech, Athletic Director Fred Glass commended Miller on his hard work with the team.“You can tell in the last year there’s a new approach to the women’s basketball here at Indiana,” Glass said. “It’s building and building to be the best it’s ever been.”Through the team facing injuries and other hardships, the GLBTAA wants to show support for Coach Miller and the team, Stone said.“We are proud of what the team has done this year,” Stone said. “But we say our best days are still to come.”Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
Reception sets mood for Pride weekend
(01/27/14 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Standing ovation after standing ovation marked the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alumni Association kick-off reception Friday. Even though attendance was lower than expected due to weather, the group still had record-breaking attendance. Attendees filled the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center with the sound of cheerful reunions. Prominent faculty members attended the event, including Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith, new Maurer School of Law Dean Austen Parrish and Chancellor Emeritus Ken Gros Louis.“The GLBT community is an exceptional part of the IU community,” Goldsmith said. “I wanted to be a part of this and show my support tonight.” The night began with hor d’oeuvres and mingling before the recognition of the GLBTAA’s Distinguished Alumni awards. Two distinguished alumni were recognized for their hard work and service to improve the lives of GLBT community members. The first award went to Kim Davis, a 15-year volunteer at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services office and seven-year member of the GLBTAA board. Davis is also part of the GLBT Speakers Bureau.She said she plans to continue her service by supporting Freedom Indiana in the fight against H.J.R. 3 and by living as a lesbian.“I love to answer questions for people who just don’t know, and honestly to let them see a gay person in real life,” Davis said. “I try to be as out as I can be in the community.” Davis is 63 years old and has been with her partner for 18 years.People need to see that commitment to dispel the myths they have about gay people, she said. Bill Shipman was recognized for his work in diversity. He is founder and chair of the Commission on Multicultural Understanding, and co-chair of three IU incident teams. Shipman told two stories during his acceptance speech that he said serve as inspiration for his activism. He told of hearing Martin Luther King Jr. speak at Grinnell College as an undergraduate, and of a therapist who he said pushed him back into the closet for many years. Both of these experiences drove him to fight for social justice for all, he said.“After that, I wanted to do anything I could to help our students deal with the terror of being gay,” Shipman said. “At the same time, I wanted to continue my work to fight against racism and other forms of oppression.” The evening also celebrated the new University-sanctioned scholarship campaign. GLBTAA president Mike Shumate announced that $629,187 was raised during the past four months. These funds will go to providing scholarships for GLBTAA people, which has provided 28 academic scholarships and 11 emergency scholarships so far.The room erupted in cheers and applause. “We’ve coined the phrase that you’ve all heard,” Shumate said. “Our students don’t have to decide between living their lives openly and honestly and an IU education.”Follow reporter Suzanne Grossman on Twitter @suzannepaige6.
Marriage ceremony part of PRIDE Festival
(01/27/14 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Local drag queen Pat Yo Weave took the stage dancing in her leotard and stage makeup. Pat Yo Weave and dance partner Argenta Perón opened for the dance party organized for Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival on Saturday night. The Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival, an annual event supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer arts and lifestyles, started Thursday and lasted through the weekend. Festivities included screenings of films about LGBTQ life experiences, an LGBTQ wedding and a dance party.The symbolic wedding, called the “Celebration of Love”, was the second annual LGBTQ wedding performed during the PRIDE festival. Couples participated in the “Celebration of Love” event on Thursday evening at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.Although the State of Indiana does not currently recognize same-sex unions, the symbolic celebration received international attention in 2013. Festival organizers also planned a dance party at the Buskirk-Chumley, which started at 10:30 p.m. and went until 2 a.m. on Saturday night. Indianapolis DJ AriAtari performed at the dance party, which was open to all ages.“The dance party has been going on for years, and it’s such a fun way to celebrate queer culture and the freedom to be ourselves,” PRIDE Festival Director Abby Henkel said. “We had such a fun time planning it, especially our volunteer Keith Romaine who has been with PRIDE for 11 years and always does a great job dreaming up new decorations.”Romaine curated a wide variety of song selections ranging from pop to dance music, as well as a Lady Gaga-themed dance. Free food was donated by the Village Deli, Laughing Planet, Soma and Bloomingfoods.High school students, college students and community members were all in attendance. “We had amazing makeup on the performers and stage decorations that helped transform the theater into the likeliness of a giant gay club,” Henkel said.On the other side of town, the Back Door played host to an after-dance party at midnight for people 21 and older.The after-party was packed, with a full dance party featuring DJ Pixie.Bloomington drag show performers performed at the Back Door.Pat Yo Weave and Argenta Perón returned, with Chicago performer Marissa Nichole joining as well.“This is my first time attending these Bloomington PRIDE festivities, and I must say I am simply proud to be a part of such a supportive area,” said Indianapolis native Josh Huntley. “By everyone coming here, we are spreading pride for the queer population of Indiana so people can love themselves and support for others to love them as well.”
Safety a priority for Hilly Hundred riders
(10/17/13 1:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>During the weekend, the 46th Hilly Hundred will take place through several Southern Indiana towns including Bloomington. Throughout the history of the Hilly Hundred, riders and those who put the race on have emphasized the safety of both the riders and the citizens of towns the ride runs through. "This year's logo was designed with the share the road message in mind, using the yellow diamond with the bicycle like the Share the Road sign found throughout Indiana," Skip Higgins, managing director of the Hilly Hundred, said.All Hilly Hundred riders are required to attend a safety briefing to remind them of Indiana's laws for bicyclists and any specific messages from local law enforcement. If motorists find that their daily routes brings them into contact with participants of the Hilly Hundred these are some general guidelines to follow:
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