BtownMenus expands, launches mobile app
Consumers unwilling to make a trip to their favorite restaurants will be pleased to hear that they soon will be able to have that food brought straight to their door.
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Consumers unwilling to make a trip to their favorite restaurants will be pleased to hear that they soon will be able to have that food brought straight to their door.
Indiana was recently selected to participate in the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices policy academy.
Two small health care facilities in Bloomington have announced they are struggling financially.
The Upland Brewing Company is making some changes to its restaurant located on the 300 block of West 11th Street.
Indiana added 9,900 private sector jobs in July, according to a news release from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Community members may have noticed a new retail store on the square where Williams Jewelry once stood.
More than 50 people attended a free marketing panel event Tuesday night at the Bloomington Convention Center.
? A new startup technology that may be driving consumers to downtown shops this semester will come from a familiar source: mobile phone applications .
With a marriage license, Timothy and Tracy Brown-Salsman’s relationship of 23 years would finally be recognized in the state they call home.
Alex Anderson, a junior criminal justice major at IU, and IU graduate Ashli Lovell were united in marriage June 25 following a federal ruling that Indiana’s gay marriage ban was unconstitutional.
In a divisive ruling Monday, the Supreme Court has ruled that Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood are not required to supply female employees with birth control.
The Bishop was crowded Saturday night as people flooded the showroom to hear live music from Cloud Cult, an experimental indie rock band from Duluth, Minn.
“In accordance with the laws of the state of Indiana, I now pronounce you married.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>People came from near and far to try food at this year’s Taste of Bloomington festival, but there was more than just local food.The 32nd annual Taste of Bloomington festival took place this Saturday at Showers Common in downtown Bloomington and offered attendees the chance to try food from several restaurants in the area.“The restaurant scene in Bloomington is just so different,” Taste of Bloomington co-director Ron Stanhouse said. “A lot of these local restaurants have been here for 20 or 30 years.”Restaurants were accepted into the Taste of Bloomington on a first-come, first-served basis and there was an application fee, Stanhouse said.The event acted as a fundraiser for several organizations, including, but not limited to, the Community Kitchen and the Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association.Taste of Bloomington received positive reactions, especially from Bloomington native and IU graduate Claire Kruschke. “Seeing the whole town come together was amazing,” she said. “It really gave you the opportunity to see the community at its best.”Kruschke, who had never before attended Taste of Bloomington, said she felt the event portrayed a “microcosm of Bloomington life and culture.”The festival’s goal was to showcase the independent restaurants of Bloomington, Stanhouse said. The 45 participating restaurants sold signature items in miniature portions, and at modest prices. Restaurant chains have the upper hand in marketing, Stanhouse said. Taste of Bloominton is a means of getting smaller, independent names out.“Taste of Bloomington is just sort of a way to level the playing field,” he said. Hartzell’s Ice Cream owner Hilary Martel said she agreed. Student congestion and the parking meters have been a deterrent for county residents to visit the downtown area where Hartzell’s is located. A lot of potential consumers didn’t know of the small ice cream shop or its whereabouts, Martel said. “There was a great turnout this year,” she said of Hartzell’s third consecutive appearance at the festival. “It really allowed us to market ourselves to people who have never even heard of us.”While the majority of restaurants were local, restaurant giants like Texas Roadhouse and Noodles & Company also made appearances. In the past, Bloomington officials have discussed the issue of local versus chain restaurants in the community. Recently, city council amended the standardized business ordinance, which places restrictions on chain restaurants seeking property in the downtown area. Local restaurants, tied closely to the community and with few locations, are able to cater to consumers in many ways, Martel said. One drawback of chain restaurants is they often can’t mold their style or business around the consumer because it would mean deviating from their business model. But Hartzell’s has a suggestion box for customers to request changes or additions to the business. The most prominent issue in the local versus food chain restaurant debate is keeping money local, Martel said. “Whatever county you spend your dollars is in is where your taxes go,” she said. “Local restaurants oftentimes buy local products to keep their money within their borders.”She said chains often buy supplies in bulk from wherever is cheapest. If a chain in Bloomington buys its supplies from Orange County, Calif., then that money is then displaced from the community. Local businesses don’t usually have to worry about that.The debate doesn’t totally favor local restaurants, though. While the idea of keeping money local aids the community as a whole, it doesn’t mean much to the individual consumer. Because they often buy cheaply in bulk, chain restaurants are able to keep prices lower than most local venues and offer extravagant deals to customers. Texas Roadhouse, a chain restaurant in Bloomington, offers free meals to children every Monday, Texas Roadhouse store marketer Jordan Thompson said. They were even able to bring those deals to Taste of Bloomington with their massively popular half-gallon sweet tea. “Anyone who bought a half-gallon of sweet tea from us last night can bring in their jug any Friday this summer and get another one for free an unlimited number of times,” Thompson said Sunday. “We really give our customers more bang for their buck.”And though they can’t alter their business model to fit individual needs like a local restaurant, chains can bring in community involvement. “We do fundraising and have several community involvement events a year,” Thompson said. The idea of local versus chain restaurants in no way hindered the efforts of the festival. Members from both sides were pleased with the marketing opportunity Taste of Bloomington gave them.“The Taste of Bloomington was awesome, and I can’t wait to be a part of it again next year,” Thompson said.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>People came from near and far to try food at this year’s Taste of Bloomington festival, but not all of it was specific to the city.The 32nd annual Taste of Bloomington festival took place this Saturday at Showers Commons in downtown Bloomington and offered attendees the chance to try food from several restaurants in the area.“The restaurant scene in Bloomington is just so different,” Taste of Bloomington co-director Ron Stanhouse said. “A lot of these local restaurants have been here for 20 or 30 years.”Restaurants were accepted into the Taste of Bloomington on a first-come, first-served basis and there was an application fee, Taste of Bloomington Co-Director Ron Stanhouse said.The event acted as a fundraiser for several organizations, including, but not limited to, the Community Kitchen and the Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association.Taste of Bloomington received positive reactions, especially from Bloomington native and IU graduate Claire Kruschke. “Seeing the whole town come together was amazing,” she said. “It really gave you the opportunity to see the community at its best.”Kruschke, who had never before attended the Taste of Bloomington, said she felt the event portrayed a “microcosm of Bloomington life and culture.”The festival’s goal was to showcase the independent restaurants of Bloomington, Stanhouse said. The 45 participating restaurants sold signature items in miniature portions, and at modest prices. Restaurant chains have the upper hand in marketing, Stanhouse said. Taste of Bloominton is a means of getting smaller, independent names out.“Taste of Bloomington is just sort of a way to level the playing field,” he said. Owner Hilary Martel of Hartzell’s Ice Cream, said she agreed. Student congestion and the parking meters have been a deterrent for county residents to visit the downtown area where Hartzell’s is located. A lot of potential consumers didn’t know of the small ice cream shop or its whereabouts, Martel said. “There was a great turnout this year,” she said of Hartzell’s third consecutive appearance at the festival. “It really allowed us to market ourselves to people who have never even heard of us.”While the majority of restaurants were local, restaurant giants like Texas Roadhouse and Noodles & Company also made appearances. In the past, Bloomington officials have discussed the issue of local versus chain restaurants in the community. Local restaurants, tied closely to the community and with few locations, are able to cater to consumers in many ways, Martel said. One drawback of chain restaurants is they often can’t mold their style or business around the consumer because it would mean deviating from their business model. But Hartzell’s has a suggestion box for customers to request changes or additions to the business. The most prominent issue in the local versus food chain restaurant debate is keeping money local, Martel said. “Whatever county you spend your dollars is in is where your taxes go,” she said. “Local restaurants oftentimes buy local products to keep their money within their borders.”She said chains often buy supplies in bulk from wherever is cheapest. If a chain in Bloomington buys its supplies from Orange County, Calif., then that money is then displaced from the community. Local businesses don’t usually have to worry about that.The debate doesn’t totally favor local restaurants, though. While the idea of keeping money local aids the community as a whole, it doesn’t mean much to the individual consumer. Because they often buy cheaply in bulk, chain restaurants are able to keep prices lower than most local venues and offer extravagant deals to customers. Texas Roadhouse, a chain restaurant in Bloomington, offers free meals to children every Monday, Texas Roadhouse store marketer Jordan Thompson said. They were even able to bring those deals to the Taste of Bloomington with their massively popular half-gallon sweet tea. “Anyone who bought a half gallon of sweet tea from us last night can bring in their jug any Friday this summer and get another one for free an unlimited number of times,” Thompson said Sunday. “We really give our customers more bang for their buck.”And though they can’t alter their business model to fit individual needs like a local restaurant, chains can bring in community involvement. “We do fundraising and have several community involvement events a year,” Thompson said. The idea of local versus chain restaurants in no way hindered the efforts of the festival. Members from both sides were pleased with the marketing opportunity Taste of Bloomington gave them.“The Taste of Bloomington was awesome, and I can’t wait to be a part of it again next year,” Thompson said.
BY BRIAN SEYMOUR
With the expansive IU campus, students might feel overwhelmed when it comes to getting from one place to another.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington will look a little greener this fall with the addition of new trees in the downtown area. CFC Properties, a subsidiary of the Cook Group, is funding the purchase of trees with a donation to the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department.The trees are to be planted in front of Grazie Italian Eatery on West Sixth Street. The trees, American Linden, cost $1,500 and are currently 3 inches in diameter and about 12 feet tall. The trees are expected to have a positive affect on the local economy, said Mick Renneisen, director of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department. While the urban forestry does not generate revenue in itself, the aesthetics it brings to downtown businesses attract consumers and incur implicit profits. “When you go downtown, you see people under the shade of the trees eating from one of the restaurants,” Renneisen said. “The trees entice people to shop downtown.”The attraction of the downtown trees is seen more prominently every winter during the Festival of Lights, in which lights are displayed on the trees to celebrate the holidays. Renneisen said people love being downtown to see the trees lit up. The precise value a tree has on the economy cannot be directly observed, but there are ways it can be measured. “There is an evaluation protocol that determines a tree’s value,” urban forester Lee Huss said. The protocol takes a number of characteristics into account, he said, which includes the tree’s size and location it grows in. The trees also have an influence on the environment. “Trees enhance the environment in a number of ways wherever they stand,” said CFC Properties President, Jim Murphy, in a press release. “This is particularly true in an urban setting such as downtown Bloomington. Trees add visually to the streetscape and buffer noise as well.”The trees currently residing in front of Grazie Italian Eatery are to be removed by the Bloomington Public Works street department. The process will include the removal of the trees and the addition of 5-foot by 5-foot planting grates that will control the American Lindens’ growth. The removal process is expected to cost less than $10,000, Renneisen said. Removal of older trees can happen for any number of reasons, including dangerous limbs and decay.Before a tree is removed, the Parks and Recreation Department notifies citizens by placing a plaque in front of the tree stating why it should be removed.People then have a limited time frame to protest the tree’s removal. Every year the Parks department plants about 400 trees and removes between 200 and 300. The donation of the new trees is not the first time CFC Properties has helped with the expansion of Bloomington’s urban forest. Three years ago, a tornado destroyed more than 300 of the city’s trees.Afterward, CFC Properties donated tens of thousands of dollars to aid in the replanting. Because summer is not an opportune time for planting trees, the Parks department hopes to have the trees planted in the fall. The trees are expected to grow up to 50 feet tall. “Trees do a lot of good things,” Renneisen said in the press release. “The presence of healthy and attractive trees has a lot to do with the appeal of Bloomington’s downtown.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington will look a little greener this fall with the addition of new trees in the downtown area. CFC Properties, a subsidiary of the Cook Group, is funding the purchase of trees with a donation to the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department.The trees are to be planted in front of Grazie Italian Eatery on West Sixth Street. The trees, American Linden, cost $1,500 and are currently 3 inches in diameter and about 12 feet tall. The trees are expected to have a positive affect on the local economy, said Mick Renneisen, director of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department. While the urban forestry does not generate revenue in itself, the aesthetics it brings to downtown businesses attract consumers and incur implicit profits. “When you go downtown, you see people under the shade of the trees eating from one of the restaurants,” Renneisen said. “The trees entice people to shop downtown.”The attraction of the downtown trees is seen more prominently every winter during the Festival of Lights, in which lights are displayed on the trees to celebrate the holidays. Renneisen said people love being downtown to see the trees lit up. The precise value a tree has on the economy cannot be directly observed, but there are ways it can be measured. “There is an evaluation protocol that determines a tree’s value,” urban forester Lee Huss said. The protocol takes a number of characteristics into account, he said, which includes the tree’s size and location it grows in. The trees also have an influence on the environment. “Trees enhance the environment in a number of ways wherever they stand,” said CFC Properties President, Jim Murphy, in a press release. “This is particularly true in an urban setting such as downtown Bloomington. Trees add visually to the streetscape and buffer noise as well.”The trees currently residing in front of Grazie Italian Eatery are to be removed by the Bloomington Public Works street department. The process will include the removal of the trees and the addition of 5-foot by 5-foot planting grates that will control the American Lindens’ growth. The removal process is expected to cost less than $10,000, Renneisen said. Removal of older trees can happen for any number of reasons, including dangerous limbs and decay.Before a tree is removed, the Parks and Recreation Department notifies citizens by placing a plaque in front of the tree stating why it should be removed.People then have a limited time frame to protest the tree’s removal. Every year the Parks department plants about 400 trees and removes between 200 and 300. The donation of the new trees is not the first time CFC Properties has helped with the expansion of Bloomington’s urban forest. Three years ago, a tornado destroyed more than 300 of the city’s trees.Afterward, CFC Properties donated tens of thousands of dollars to aid in the replanting. Because summer is not an opportune time for planting trees, the Parks department hopes to have the trees planted in the fall. The trees are expected to grow up to 50 feet tall. “Trees do a lot of good things,” Renneisen said in the press release. “The presence of healthy and attractive trees has a lot to do with the appeal of Bloomington’s downtown.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Walgreens and CVS may begin to see fierce competition from a new marketplace that offers pharmaceutical drugs without a doctor’s prescription.The Internet is increasingly becoming a source for people to buy prescription drugs without the proper paperwork, according to a poll commissioned by the Digital Citizens Alliance and conducted by Zogby Analytics.“More and more people are becoming more aware of the Internet as a marketplace to find these pharmaceuticals and utilize them,” said Adam Benson, deputy executive director for the Digital Citizens Alliance.Twenty-eight percent of the poll’s respondents said they or a friend have ordered prescription drugs through the Internet without a prescription from a doctor, which is a 13 percent increase from 2013.This substantial jump demonstrates the issue is more prevalent than in the past, and people are progressively becoming aware that prescription medications are easily accessible, Benson said. That’s not the only problem the poll discovered. Thirty-two percent of the respondents said they or a friend had taken prescription medication to get through finals, and a third of this group did so without a proper prescription. “When you talk about a third of that age group saying they take the prescription medications to get through finals, that’s a very high number,” Benson said. Students using pharmaceutical drugs to stay focused and study for finals can be hazardous, said Courtney Stewart, coordinator of research translation at the Indiana Prevention Center Resource Center. The drugs used to keep a student focused on studying are often psychostimulants, such as Adderall and Vyvanse, Stewart said. “These drugs can place the brain in a state of hyperfocus,” she said. “This can then affect the sleep cycle and leave one sleep-deprived. The human brain needs rest.” The Digital Citizens Alliance is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that began in December 2012.“Our mission is to shed light on what’s going on with online crime and the way consumers are targeted and exploited by criminals,” Benson said.The group does not deal with the stereotypical Nigerian prince scam, but it is more concerned with pharmaceutical drug access and piracy, which Digital Citizens prefers to call “content theft.” “We’re constantly trying to bring to the surface some of the things that go on in the dark corners of this realm,” Benson said. Digital Citizens is dedicated to exposing pharmaceutical drug access to the public and has published several investigative reports on the issue of drugs and the Internet. One such report found that as the number of YouTube videos showcasing narcotics increased, so, too, did the number of advertisements for the purchase of drugs online. A Google search for “buy drugs without a prescription” yielded more than 38,000 results, according to the report published June 2013.The problem does not exist on just the Internet. In a Digital Citizens video report titled No Prescription, No Problem, an adolescent male orders Percocet on the telephone without having the prescription. Despite telling the operator he did not have a prescription, he was still able to get the medication. The Zogby poll also found that 72 percent of respondents share prescription medications with friends. “The whole situation is really quite striking,” Benson said. “Prescription drugs are accessible through more avenues than ever.”