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(01/14/11 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It all started with breakfast.Martin Luther King Jr. started his day at 7 a.m. with meetings over breakfast.In the late 1970s, a group of about 200 students, faculty and administrators at IU decided to have a similar tradition to honor King’s legacy around his birthday.Nationally, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday didn’t become a holiday until 1986, 18 years after King died. This year’s celebration marks the 25th anniversary of the U.S. recognizing the day as a holiday. But IU didn’t start recognizing the day and giving students and faculty the day off until the 1990s.The idea of the breakfast caught on, said William Wiggins, a retired IU professor who attended the first breakfast. The event moved to Alumni Hall when it grew to 400 or so attendees.The idea came about after learning that breakfast was an important meal for King because he had meetings during that time. In the early days the group would gather in the Tudor Room in the Indiana Memorial Union and listen to speeches by students who won an essay contest about themes of King’s legacy.Wiggins said a variety of people from the city to administrators like University Chancellor Ken Gros Louis attended the breakfast.About 10 years after MLK Day became a holiday, it started to be tagged as a day to serve the community, not as a day off. Wiggins said groups on campus and in the city received grants to do community service projects.Although most states recognized the holiday, it wasn’t until the 1990s that IU observed the holiday. Associate Professor of political science Lawrence Hanks said he wrote a proposal to have the University observe the holiday after coming to campus in 1993. He thought it was important for the campus to celebrate the day to show the University’s commitment to diversity. “If Indiana University was going to be the university that it claimed to be, it was important for them to have a major effort to celebrate King Day,” Hanks said. In 1995, the University observed the holiday although students still had classes. The celebrations included speakers, an essay contest and a breakfast. Hanks said that year laid the framework for what is now King Day at IU. In 1997, a student coalition from various backgrounds came together and had a list of demands for the IU Board of Trustees. Among the demands was the creation of the Asian Cultural Center and official observance of Martin Luther King Day.On MLK Day in 1997, 400 students marched through the snowy campus from the Showalter Fountain to the Sample Gates demanding greater diversity. One of the goals of the march was to have the University recognize MLK Day, according to an Indiana Daily Student article from Jan. 22, 2002. Doug Bauder, the coordinator of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services, said the group’s efforts demonstrate what students can accomplish on campus.“Students have more power than they realize,” said Bauder, who supports the students’ efforts.The coalition consisted of a wide range of students. One of the reasons why the group was successful in getting the University to meet their demands is because the various groups listened to each other and saw that they all had important needs, Bauder said.“We hoped we would really have an impact, that people were actually feeling what we were doing and that we weren’t alone in our frustration and desire to have things change,” Lisa Pintado-Vertnern said in an IDS article published Jan. 22, 2002.Before the student coalition, Bauder said there were events to recognize and remember King’s legacy. But students wanted a more organized, University-wide effort. “That was what was the most frustrating for the students,” he said.But Hanks said the University did recognize the holiday and had events prior to the protest. The protest sparked the attention of the campus and administrators. That year the Board of Trustees approved the University-wide observation of the day, which meant students and faculty would get the day off. In 1998, IU observed MLK Day for the first time, according to the University’s website. Hanks said the funding for celebrations increased after the protest. Bauder said he credits the students for having the trustees approve the day as a University-wide holiday.“This wouldn’t be happening if students didn’t demand it,” he said. “Students need to recognize the influence they have on a college campus.”Hanks said he didn’t agree with giving students and faculty the day off because King was a scholar and wouldn’t want students to take a day off. A celebration committee was created, which still exists today, to plan events for the weekend. Today celebrations include a Unity Summit that brings together students from various organizations to talk about how to improve diversity on campus, an interfaith prayer, a civil rights immersion trip and a keynote speaker.The breakfast continues to be an IU tradition that reflects on King’s legacy.“We are still trying to do his work and promote nonviolence,” Wiggins said.Bauder said about 1,000 students participate in the weekend celebrations each year. Although that is a small percentage of the student body, he said the students who participate benefit greatly. Some of the students who participate in the volunteer activities continue to volunteer with the centers or the opportunities turn into internships.Still, Kathy Smith, chairwoman of this year’s committee, said students today are tempted to see the holiday as another day off from school but shouldn’t.“It’s more than just an occasion to honor King,” she said. “It represents a day not just to remember but also to get involved in the community.”
(05/12/10 11:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Parking Operations will auction off bicycles abandoned on campus throughout the year. The auction will start at 9 a.m. Saturday in the lower level of the Jordan Avenue parking garage. The event hopes to sell bikes that have been picked up by the parking operations during the past months because they were left behind, said Doug Porter, parking manager for parking operations. The location of the auction is covered in case of rain Saturday, Porter said. The auction happens twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring, which helps clear out the department’s storage area. On average, Porter said about 100 bicycles are in the auction. The auction most often features bicycles that are sold at large retail outlets because people with expensive bicycles usually don’t abandon them on campus, Porter said. Anyone can come and bid on any of the bicycles that will be auctioned off, Porter said. The event occurs much like a typical auction, where the highest bidder takes the bike home.“This is not a garage sale,” Porter said. “We don’t put a price tag on them.”He said many people often come to the auction to buy bicycles for parts that they can later use to repair other bicycles. Porter said the average bicycle at the auction sells for $50 to $60. According to the IU Parking Operations website, cash and checks will be accepted at the auction and all sales are final. The money raised through the auction is put into the parking operations budget, Porter said, and is then used to help pay for things such as bicycle racks placed around campus. The department will set up and display all of the bicycles before the actual auction, Porter said. He recommends that anyone who is interested in buying a bike should come to the event early to look at the ones up for auction.In addition, people who come too late usually miss out on the auction entirely, Porter said, because it goes by pretty quickly. Anyone who plans to participate in the auction should keep in mind that all of the bicycles are used, Porter said. This means that some of them might need repair.“They should not bid too much on it,” he said. “Shouldn’t if they can’t afford to fix it.”
(05/09/10 10:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although final exams occupied most of students’ time during the last week of school, moving out of apartments and residence halls also ate away at the final days of the semester. While some students opted to donate unwanted furniture from their apartments, others decided to leave it on their lawns. Sophomore Cristi Williams chose to do just that. She left a dresser, desk and cabinet out on the grass to see if anyone would take it. The dresser and desk were taken within hours, while the cabinet took a couple of days for anyone to pick up. Williams wanted to leave her things on the front lawn because it wasn’t too far to carry them. “I didn’t have anyone helping me move,” she said, adding that she did not see the people who took the items. Others have opted to donate their belongings. The Hoosier to Hoosier program has been working with the residence halls to get students to donate items that will then be sold at a sale in August at Memorial Stadium. “It helps eliminate waste,” said Katie Harvey, campus coordinator for the IU United Way Campaign. “It just saves a lot that would typically go to landfills.”Steve Akers, associate director for environmental operations at Residential Programs and Services, said the amount of trash during the last week of school is double the normal rate at the residence halls. Akers said the increase in trash is one reason the residence halls have started to advocate for students donating unwanted items to benefit the Hoosier to Hoosier program.About 50 percent of the students in the residence halls donate or leave things behind when they move out, Akers estimated.The residence halls have bins in the lobby where students were able to put donations. Harvey said the program also wants to include the Bloomington community, and the effort to get people to donate their items has also spread to student apartments. The sale of the donated items will occur Aug. 21, with the proceeds benefiting the United Way for Monroe County and the local Habitat for Humanity, Harvey said. “Really, we want people to want the sale to benefit the entire community,” Harvey said.
(05/03/10 12:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alicia Nieves only knew a couple of people among the crowd.But she said she felt as if she was among family. Nieves and the crowd marched to the White House on Saturday. “There were people from Florida and California,” said Nieves, a freshman at IU. “It felt very intimate.” Wearing white, Nieves was one of the 16 students from IU who traveled to Washington, D.C., over the weekend to participate in an immigration reform march on Saturday that aimed at creating greater awareness for the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would allow students who meet certain requirements to enlist in the military or college and start a path toward citizenship, according to the DREAM Act Portal website.The idea to travel to Washington, D.C., emerged in February when students approached Tim Gonzalez, the multi-cultural minister at St. Paul’s Catholic Center, about organizing a group of students to go to the march to join the Trail of Dream walkers.The walkers were four students from Florida who began walking in January and have continued to walk until they reached the White House on Saturday. The college students wanted to create greater awareness for the DREAM Act. Gonzalez said the church teamed up with La Casa Latino Cultural Center at IU to have two vans that would allow about 16 students to go on the trip along with two to three drivers. For many students in Bloomington, the DREAM Act hits close to home because some are undocumented and are figuring out ways to seek a higher education while having their immigration status in limbo. “A number of students who were raised here in Bloomington graduated from high school and are now attending IU or Ivy Tech fall under this category,” Gonzalez said. “They don’t have the same access to funding opportunities as other students.”Although most of the students were from IU, there were also students from Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, IU–Purdue University Indianapolis and one student from Purdue University.The group left Bloomington on Friday night and arrived in Alexandria, Va., by Saturday morning. From there, the group met up with other people participating in the march and the four student walkers from the Trail of Dreams. Nieves and the other students spent the six-mile journey to the White House chanting such things such as “education not deportation.” “There was a lot of energy,” Nieves said of the walk. The students were also provided signs that asked President Barack Obama to stop deporting families. Once the students made it to Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., they heard speeches about the DREAM Act and immigration reform and heard bands playing. Nieves said there were people from different nationalities that came together at the park to raise awareness for the issue. “It was about the DREAM Act,” she said. “It was about doing immigration reform right.”This was not Nieves’ first stint as an activist for immigration reform. She has participated in other marches about immigration reform and is also involved in DREAM IU. The group was started earlier this year and works to create a greater awareness of the DREAM Act at IU. Joshio Sandoval, a sophomore at IUPUI, also joined the group of IU students as they headed off to Washington, D.C. Sandoval said he had participated in immigration marches in Chicago before. Immigration reform hits close to home for Sandoval because he is the first generation of his family to be born in the United States. “I do it for the people that have put their lives on the line for me,” he said. Nieves plans to continue pushing for greater awareness of the DREAM Act at IU during the summer and next year. “Come back as a sophomore with DREAM IU and be more aggressive on this issue,” she said. “Immigration reform cannot be put off anymore.”
(04/30/10 2:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ed Wu is ready for Saturday.Wu is a senior player and one of the captains of the Ultimate Frisbee team at IU, HoosierMama? On Saturday, the team will participate in the 2010 UPA Great Lakes College Open Regionals. The team has been a IU for decades.“They have a good chance,” said graduate student Drew Hendrickson, the coach for the all-male team. “We are going to have to play really well. I think no one is counting them out.”Hendrickson was a player for the team for a year and has been coaching the team for four years. HoosierMama? could face teams from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Purdue and Northwestern at the regional tournament. Ultimate Frisbee is a competitive sport that combines elements of traditional sports such as football and soccer. Unlike most competitive sports, Ultimate Frisbee is self-regulated and does not have referees.Like many sports, Ultimate Frisbee has two end zones that the team tries to score points on. Since the sport does not use any referees, it depends on the spirit of the game so that everyone plays fair. Still, the game can get very competitive.Wu said Ultimate Frisbee has grown and is played at most colleges. He had been involved in high school sports and wanted to stay active once he came to college.Wu said he is confident the team has a good chance of going to Nationals. The team finished second out of 24 teams in the sectional, the best that they had for the past three years during this season, according to the team’s website.At 8:30 a.m. on Saturday the team will face Kenyon College during the first round of the regional competition, which is taking place in Bloomington for the first time.Their success has come as a result of their hard work. The team practices for most of the week.“It’s like any other team sport,” Wu said. “In order to reach your high goal, you need to put in the time and effort.”In addition, the team members usually cover most of the travel and lodging expenses out of their own pocket, he said.Wu said during his freshman year the ultimate frisbee team went to Nationals but has not been able to since then.“A lot of the people have the drive to go back to Nationals,” Wu said.After making it to Nationals, a large number of the players graduated or decided to no longer play ultimate frisbee. Without some of its best players, the team had to rebuild itself.Hendrickson said a couple years back the team made it to Nationals, which was then the first time in 10 years.Wu said the members that did make it to Nationals a couple of years ago still have not forgotten about their experience there. The team hopes that after Saturday, HoosierMama? will make another appearance at the national competition.“Ever since then,” he said, “we’ve had that craving to make it back to Nationals.”
(04/29/10 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington City Council began to discuss the possibility of water-rate increases and a plant expansion Wednesday.During the first of two Committee of the Whole meetings, the council discussed ordinance 10-06, which called for an increase of water rates and ordinance 10-07, which focused on the bonds associated with the possible increase.The council decided to tackle the ordinances by discussing each one by topic.Michael Bengtson, Bloomington’s assistant director for engineering, talked about the capital improvements that would be associated with the rates.Bengston also talked about instances where the water plant exceeded its capacity. Between 2007 and 2009, the city exceeded 21 million gallons of water for 19 days.He said one of the most recent instances was in December 2009 when there was a main break on 17th Street. During the break, the city lost about three million gallons.“We don’t want the operational side to be lacking,” Bengston said. “We need to match our demands.”One of the reasons why the Utilities Service Board is pushing for the expansion is because of the number of times the city exceeded plant’s water capacity.Although later, it was said no customers were directly affected during these days because they were not left without water.The council also discussed the different expansion contracts that differ in how much of an expansion will be made to the water plant.In March, the Utilities Service Board recommended a 54 percent increase on water rates, which would include funding for an expansion of the city’s water.The city debated the 54 percent increase and also talked about the possibility of a 47 percent increase, which was the original proposed increase.Before the 54 percent recommendation, the Utilities Service Board considered three different types of increases.Tom Swafford, the president of the Utilities Service Board, said one of the reasons why the board decided to recommend the 54 percent increase was because it would help save more than $9 million in bonds.However, Mayor Mark Kruzan attended the meeting and said he would like to see a 47 percent increase because it would not be as drastic as the 54 percent increase for customers.Council member, Susan Sandberg , said she would also like to see a 47 percent increase because it is less severe than the 54 percent increase.“The big problem is the sticker shock,” she said. “The big problem is that we are trying to deal with this problem all at once.”Another thing the council discussed was a conservation plan. Although the Utilities Service Board recommended to go ahead with the conservation plan, they did not think it will be the solution, Patrick Murphy, Bloomington’s director of utilities, said.“We don’t believe that we can conserve our way out of this one,” Murphy said.The city council also briefly discussed ordinance 10-07, which discussed the issue of bonds that will be used with the expansion of the plant.The city council agreed to continue the discussion of both ordinances during the next Committee of the Whole meeting on May 12.
(04/22/10 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What started out as a senior thesis for Amy Countryman might become a real Bloomington fruit orchard soon.Countryman was an undergraduate in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs when she was writing her thesis and learning about different models for food distribution. After graduating in December 2009, she wrote a proposal for the city to have more fruit trees.“I didn’t think much would happen with it,” said Countryman, who is now working on a master’s degree through SPEA.She said she was surprised when she heard from the city about wanting to create an initiative to start growing more fruit trees.Bloomington is participating in a Communities Take Root grant, which would give the city at least 20 fruit trees as well as support to help the orchard thrive, Countryman said.Anyone in the community will be able to use the fruit trees, and the Hoosier Hills Food Bank will also benefit from the orchard.“Our vision and our goal are to grow food available to anyone in the community for free,” Countryman said.The City of Bloomington has designated an area adjacent to the Winslow Woods Park and the YMCA to house the orchard.The grant will give orchards to five communities who place first in rounds. Winners are determined based on online votes.Countryman said she feels confident that Bloomington will win the first round because it has consistently been in first or second place.The voting for this month, which is the first round, ends on April 30. The contest ends on Aug. 31.The grant is sponsored by Edy’s Fruit Bars and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, according to the Communities Take Root website.Countryman said there was a public meeting in February, where five groups were formed to make the plan a reality.The Bloomington Community Orchard, which is behind the movement, is trying to form a board of directors to lead the project of creating a fruit orchard in the city.Anyone can be nominated for the board until Saturday, according to the Bloomington Community Orchard website. They are looking for people passionate about the project to become members, Countryman said.If the city is chosen as one of the winners for the fruit orchard, it will begin preparing the land designated for the orchard as early as May, Countryman said.The city also has a group of people looking at the different types of trees and plants that would best benefit the area. The planting would begin sometime in the fall.“It’s been astounding what’s come out of this project,” Countryman said. “People are really excited.”
(04/21/10 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It all started with a flyer.Seven telecommunications graduate students started to post flyers with riddles and clues about characters all over campus and Bloomington. The flyers lured players in by advising them to participate in an alternate reality game.The alternate reality game, which was a project for a class, took players online and around Bloomington to play the game in real time for nine days. The clues were about characters that were part of the game and gave insight into Bloomington’s history.“It’s like being inside of a play,” said Lee Sheldon, assistant professor in the Department of Telecommunications. He taught the class for the first time this past semester.Sheldon said he thinks it is the first time a class about alternate reality games was taught anywhere. The game was based around a mysterious journal that was believed to be from someone who worked at one of the circuses that used to be based in Bloomington. The game explored historical aspects of Bloomington. The ultimate goal was to solve the script that was in the journal, which was created by the students for the game. Parts of the journal would be posted online for players to solve clues to the game. The alternate reality game was created as part of a class project for a graduate class titled Alternate Reality Games within the Department of Telecommunications at IU.Sheldon said the class spent the semester learning about alternate reality games and how to write for the game. Prior to teaching the class, Sheldon had been part of three other alternate reality games.Matthew Haselton, a graduate student who participated in the making of the game, said the group used a blog, Facebook and Twitter to release information about the game. They also created videos, paintings and a journal to add to the game. The students brought their talents together to use different mediums to create the game, Haselton said. The group would respond and steer the game based on what the players found out. In general they tried to stay out of the game and let the participants play.The game also made players go to different businesses in Bloomington.“You can play in real life,” Haselton said.Some of the businesses that participated in the game included WonderLab, The Garret, Crazy Horse, Siam House and Game Preserve, according to the game’s blog. Louise Schlesinger, the marketing director of WonderLab, said WonderLab participated in the game by placing a clue in the gift shop of its museum. “It seemed like it would be fun for WonderLab,” she said. The museum was chosen because it is in the historical area of Bloomington, Schlesinger said. The clue was placed in the gift shop because people do not have to pay to get in. At another location the group was able to stage a break-in that the players participated in, Haselton said. Although the group cannot determine how many people were playing during the entire game, Sheldon said the blog received up to 300 hits.Haselton said the group has thought about taking the same concept of the alternate reality game and applying it at other college campuses. Sheldon said the game exceeded his expectations for the class. “Not many people played in the end,” he said. “The people who were involved were running around town.”
(04/19/10 8:55pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After working for 15 years as a recruiter for various companies, Andrej Bula started to notice something.Bula saw the clever ways people started marketing themselves to employers and decided to start a company that would give people an alternative way to find jobs ... through T-shirts.Bula’s apparel company Hire Me Tee feature T-shirts that say, “Hire Me” and then state the person’s profession, such as accountant, teacher, etc.Bula founded Hire Me Tee in December 2009 after he lost his job as a company recruiter. Bula wants to create real time networking through the T-shirts.“I strongly believe that this is the future,” he said.The company has also started making shirts to promote any small business, ethnicity, a desire for an internship and other miscellaneous categories, such as being beer pong champion. He compared wearing the T-shirt to carrying a resume around at all times.Bula said the T-shirts have also led to a networking for different purposes. One customer said he was able to create a connection with his future girlfriend after wearing a T-shirt that stated “Hire Me. I’m Russian.”“It’s a great opener,” Bula said about the T-shirts.The T-shirts area also used to create more clientele for people who have small businesses, Bula said. Owners use the shirts to start up a conversation about the business they own.The Hire Me Tee website has a page of testimonials where customers share their experiences with the shirts. Some of them talk about how wearing a shirt has created job leads for them or sometimes new friends.Bula said the company could not reveal how many T-shirts they have sold since they started the online store in December 2009.The company is based out of New Jersey and has not yet expanded into the Midwest. Hire Me Tee now sells T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts. The prices range from $21 to $33.Bula wants to expand the company to include a different font that would appeal more to female customers.Although Bula doesn’t expect people to walk into job interviews wearing the apparel, he hopes the shirts will help people create a job opportunity for themselves.“Networking is the best way to find a job,” he said.
(04/18/10 11:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The City of Bloomington will celebrate its first Earth Week by giving residents advice on how to make everyday living green. Organizers hope the week will create a greater awareness for Earth Day. Events throughout the week include showings of videos on how to financially benefit from recycling and information on green careers, victory gardens and rain gardens.Ted Mendoza, a member of Bloomington’s Commission on Sustainability, said the commission, along with the Bloomington Environmental Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission, worked together to come up with events for the week. The events reflect on work that all three commissions do to create greater awareness for issues surrounding Earth Day, he said. David Gulyas, a Bloomington resident, will present and discuss green careers at 6:30 p.m. today in City Hall. The talk will focus on where the jobs are and how to move any type of work in a sustainable direction, Gulyas said. “All jobs, all human activity is shifting toward more energy efficient and sustainability,” he said.He said the U.S. Green Building Council, which he is a part of, helped with the ideas for the week. Mendoza said another highlight for the week will be Thursday’s discussion of peak oil because it will address everyone’s futures. The discussion will include information about how humans will sustain themselves in the future, regardless of the fact that some say everyone has gone past the peak of being able to sustain themselves.Although this is the first year the city is having a full week of events dedicated to discussing Earth Day, the commissions want to make this an annual week.Mendoza said many people on the commissions are already passionate about the topics being discussed during the week, but they hope to share the resources they have with everyone in the community.“It’s really a unique thing I think, as opposed to any kind of movements,” he said. “It perpetuates all walks of lives.”
(04/12/10 12:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The City of Bloomington is looking for applicants interested in becoming part of the Bloomington–Monroe County deer task force. At its meeting Wednesday, the City Council approved legislation to create a task force by a 9-0 vote. The task force will discuss and come up with ways to solve deer-human conflicts that are growing in the area.The task force will come up with the solutions by September, councilman Dave Rollo said at the meeting.As the deer population continues to increase, Rollo said, there are more conflicts arising between humans and the animals. Residents are worried about deer-vehicle collisions, tick-borne illnesses and damage to gardens and safety, according to the City Council’s legislation packet. Sandra Ducey, a Bloomington resident, said at the meeting that she’s concerned about future interaction residents might have with deer. “The thought of a wounded deer is a terrible thing to consider,” she said. “I think we need to learn to live with the deer.”David Haberman, a Bloomington resident and IU professor, said deer often eat things from his garden, but he doesn’t mind because he still has enough food for himself. “I hope we keep in mind learning to live with the animals in our community,” he said. Rollo said the task force was created because, although the community was coming to the city with a lot of concerns about the deer, the city didn’t want to jump to a conclusion about what to do. “I prefer to suspend judgment until the topic is looked at by experts,” he said. The task force will consist of 11 people from the community, local government and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.The City Council will review applications for members who are interested in being on the task force. They are looking for people who have a background in biology, veterinarians, gardeners and law enforcement and animal welfare representatives, according to a City Council press release. The application, due by April 23, asks applicants for basic contact information, why they are interested in applying for the positions and why they are qualified.Councilman Steve Volan said the task force is important because they have to decide what will benefit both the community and the animals.“We can try to kill them all off, or we can try to find some happy medium, which is the task force,” Volan said. “I can’t wait to see what kind of solution they do.”
(04/07/10 8:04pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last summer, Gail Weaver had fresh broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce and green peppers from her garden. She hopes this summer will be the same. Weaver, a 63-year-old Bloomington resident, participates in a community garden. She used to have a garden on her own property, but a busy work schedule and too much yard shade eventually made tending it complicated.Weaver signed up for a plot in the community garden for the first time last year, and maintaining it through the Bloomington Community Gardens Program is much easier than having it at her own house, she said.Besides convenience, Weaver prefers community gardening because of its social nature. “You aren’t isolated like you would be at home,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to have other people around when you are gardening.”Weaver said she sees people from all age groups and communities at the garden. “You also meet other people that are interested in gardening and talk to them about their gardening experiences,” she said. The Bloomington Community Gardens Programs has two locations with different plot prices. The Willie Streeter Community Gardens plots range from $26 to $60, according to the program’s Web site. The Crestmont Community Gardens plots range from $10 to $12. However, for some, the plots might be too pricey for their budget. The program also gives financial aid assistance to help cover plot rental fees, according to the city’s Web site.Gardening support includes tilling, water, path maintenance, fencing and composting, according to the program’s Web site. There is also a garden supervisor who can answer questions and provide assistance. Gardeners looking to go even greener than growing their own food can rent organic-only plots from the Bloomington Community Gardens. Weaver said she has a regular plot but tries to keep the number of chemicals she uses to a minimum. “I like the option of using either,” she said. Weaver said one of the best things about her community garden is that she knew she planted the food she was eating. “It just tasted so much better,” she said. “Part of that is because you take pride in what you grew.”Organic gardens include compost bins where people put scraps of their vegetables that they later use to enhance their soil, Weaver said. In addition, people wanting to help the less fortunate can donate extra vegetables that are then taken to a local shelter, she said. The University’s Hilltop Garden and Nature Center also offers community gardens. There are 27 10-by-10 plots that cost $50 each, said Greg Speichert, the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center director. The plots come with tomato cages, mulch, compost, water and other tools gardeners need to get started, according to the garden’s Web site. Like the city’s program, Hilltop has volunteers who keep an eye on the plots and help gardeners with any questions they have. Most of the people that garden at Hilltop are IU students or faculty members, and gardeners can grow almost anything they want, Speichert said. However, if a person doesn’t feel they can commit to a plot, they can also volunteer at a community garden. Hilltop accepts volunteers to help maintain the plots, especially when their owners are out of town. People who volunteer for more than three hours can take produce from the Tomato Test Garden and Ornamental Vegetable Patch home, according to the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center’s Web site.Both Hilltop Gardens and the Bloomington Community Garden Program let people rent plots from April 1 until the end of October.
(04/02/10 4:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After IU alumna Lyndall Bass came up with six or seven new penny designs, one of them was chosen to appear on the back of the 2010 Lincoln One Cent coin.Her design will be featured on the one-cent tails side. The design has a shield that was used to represent the union during the U.S. Civil War and the inscription “E Pluribus Unum,” which means “out of many, one.” Across the shield is a scroll that states “one cent.” “The United States of America” is also written at the top of the coin.“It symbolizes Lincoln’s preservation of the union by his resolve to keep the states together,” Bass said.Michael White, the spokesperson for the U.S. Mint, said the U.S. Congress authorized a new design for the coin but specified what kind of design it should have. The Secretary of the Treasury approved the final design.The design was also approved after discussing it with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, according to the U.S. Mint’s Web site.The penny has seen a variety of designs. There was a design that was used from 1909 to 1958 and then a different one until 2008, according to the 2010 Lincoln Cent’s Web site. In 2009, there were four different designs on the tails side of the coin that depicted stages of Lincoln’s life.The 2010 design will be used from now on as the only design.Below the scroll read Bass’s initials because she did the design, which she describes as simple.“I had to really work at making it interesting even though they wanted such minimal,” she said.Bass said one of the ways she made the design interesting was by curving the letters. The whole process took Bass about two months.Bass said she submitted two designs during the final round. Prior to the 2010 design contest, she had done 12 assignments for the U.S. Mint, but this is the first time her design will appear on a coin.“My whole goal was to win one,” she said.Although Bass said she knew she was in the finals, she wasn’t sure if she would win the design contest.Bass was part of the U.S. Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program, which gives artists the opportunity to create designs for coins, according to the program’s Web site.Bass was chosen as a design candidate after being selected by two advisory committees, White said.Bass received some of her training as an artist at IU. She received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University in the 1980s. She now lives in Santa Fe, N.M., and is a classical realist painter.Bass said the most exciting thing about having her design on the coin is the opportunity to be part of history.The penny with the design is in circulation in some areas, but it will become nationally circulated later this year.“It’s a historical point,” she said. “It gives me a lot of exposure. It provides more status for the designer. I will be out there for the rest of my life.”
(04/02/10 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Marcia Veldman has been shopping at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market since she was a college student at IU in 1985. This season will be no different.“There are so many wonderful reasons to shop at the market and to buy locally raised products,” said Veldman, who is now the market’s coordinator. “It enriches your life.”Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market will kick off its 2010 season this weekend. The market will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Showers Common next to City Hall, Veldman said, and will include products from various Indiana farmers. “Every year we have new farm vendors,” Veldman said. “It is such a thriving marketplace with customers who are eager to try new things. The farmers are always looking for interesting products to sell.”Last year, the market had 148 farm vendors from 28 counties in Indiana. Veldman said vendors will be selling everything from tofu food to flowers and vegetables to prepared food, such as tamales, smoothies and pastries.Marble Hill Farm of Bloomington is one of the 130 farms that have already signed up to sell at the market.Whitney Schletel and her husband Kip Schletel, both professors at IU, own Marble Hill Farm and have been vendors at the market for 12 years. They use natural procedures with their cows and sell farm-raised beef products.“We also really enjoy providing the community with what we call a value-added product,” she said.Veldman said the market also includes entertainment, and this weekend includes David Wierhake Zydeco blues accordion and Sarah’s Swing Set.There will also be a Tuesday Market from June to September at Sixth and Madison streets, Veldman said.Veldman said she also likes to shop at Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market to support local farmers and because it decreases the transportation miles that her food travels.“There are no downsides,” she said. “Purchasing those farm-fresh products is surely the main event at the market. That’s why people come.”
(04/01/10 12:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jill Long Thompson, former gubernatorial candidate and IU alumna, was recently appointed to the Farm Credit Administration Board.Her nomination was one of 15 recess appointments President Barack Obama made March 27. The appointments are made by the president when the Senate is in recess, according to the U.S. Senate Web site. The appointments are made without the Senate’s approval.According to the White House’s Web site, the appointees waited for the Senate’s confirmation for an average of 214 days.The Farm Credit Administration Board is an independent federal agency that regulates banks, associations and entities of the Farm Credit System, according to its Web site. It’s the largest agricultural lender in the nation. Thompson has been the executive officer and senior fellow at the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy, according to the White House’s Web site. She was also a member of the Agriculture Committee while serving as a member of the U.S. Congress. President Bill Clinton appointed her to be the Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Thompson received her M.B.A. and her Ph.D. from IU, according to the Web site of the U.S. Congress. Thompson was also an assistant instructor and lecturer at IU from 1977 to 1980.Obama still has 217 pending nominees that have to be confirmed by the Senate, according to the White House’s Web site. On average, the nominees have been pending for about 101 days.Dawn Johnsen, a professor at the IU Maurer School of Law, was not nominated during the recess appointments but is still waiting to be appointed to the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.— Elvia Malagon
(03/30/10 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Journalist John F. Burns saw his name on a marquee for the first time on Monday.However, he said journalism shouldn’t be about becoming famous or seeing your name on a marquee. Instead, he said, people going into the profession should stay true themselves and their reasons for going into journalism.“You aren’t likely to get rich,” Burns said. “Some might.”Burns gave this year’s Roy W. Howard lecture to a packed room in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The lecture was part of the IU School of Journalism speaker series.Burns is the London Bureau Chief for The New York Times. He has won two Pulitzer Prizes and has been an international correspondent for more than 30 years. The lecture mentioned journalist Ernie Pyle’s life as a foreign correspondent and the qualities he had as a journalist. The School of Journalism’s building is named after Pyle, who was from Indiana and attended the school.Pyle’s modesty was one of the things Burns said is most important to remember considering some of the journalism that goes on today. He said often journalists become too heavily celebrated.Burns said one of the things he learned early on in his career is to remember that he as a journalist is not part of the story. “A journalist is an outsider,” he said. “He should be on the outside.”As an international journalist, Burns said it is also important to consider the risks that are involved in the type of profession. “Yes, there were risks, but we chose them,” Burns said. “We were rewarded in terms of career advancements.” During the question-and-answer session that School of Journalism Associate Professor Owen Johnson led, Burns was asked about the thrills associated with international reporting.Burns said there is a sense of thrill that comes with doing reporting during events such as wars. Natalie Messer, a graduate student in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said she found it interesting how honest Burns was about the thrills and despair that comes with reporting on wars.“It’s a very interesting life to watch everything happening but not be a participant,” she said. Johnson also asked Burns if he would change any of his previous international coverage he has done. Burns said he would change his coverage that he did before the United States went to war in Iraq because some have said the overall news coverage led to the war. If given another chance, he said he would report more on the trauma Americans were dealing with after September 11, 2001.Burns said it is a risk for reporters who have covered international conflicts to do television appearances these days without crossing the line and inserting their own opinion. Melissa Orizondo, a sophomore at IU, said she liked how Burns emphasized that people should go into a career such as journalism because they really want to and not to make money. “I really like his idea of perspective and knowing the context of what you’re doing and why you are doing it,” she said. “His message can be applied to other things.”
(03/29/10 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad gave insights on campus Friday to students about negotiations that lead to a peace agreement that ended Peru and Ecuador’s border dispute.The lecture on Friday in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ Tavis Smiley Atrium, was part of the Third Annual Spring Conference of the International Public Affairs. Mahuad talked about negotiation tactics he used while resolving the land dispute between Ecuador and Peru.Mahuad was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1999 because of the resolution, according to an IU press release.Through a slide show presentation, Mahuad explained to the audience of about 50 people the negotiations that took place in 1998 when he was president of Ecuador.Mahuad explained that the border dispute between the two countries had existed for hundreds of years. “How can you give a piece of land to two different countries?” Mahuad asked.Two days after his inauguration as president, he was informed about the possibility of Peru invading Ecuador because of the land, he said.Mahuad considered the different choices and outcomes Ecuador had at that time. He explained what would happen if Ecuador went to war with Peru again or if the two countries decided to give negotiations another try.Ultimately, Mahuad said Ecuador decided to open up negotiations with Peru especially because his country was not very economically stable at the time.During the negotiations, Mahuad said he was honest with the then-president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori.He said he acknowledged Fujimori had more experience as president of a country and understood how he felt over the border dispute.Mahuad said the emotional aspects of the land for both the leaders and the countries was also important during the negotiations.“The human connection is so important,” he said. “It’s not just about rational things.”Farah Abi-Akar, a SPEA graduate student, said she found this the most interesting facet of Mahuad’s lecture on negotiations.“I’ve always thought negotiations was very emotionally trying and different in my mind,” she said.The two countries had about 10 meetings in different cities where they sat down and tried to figure out who owned the land.Peru and Ecuador settled their dispute by acknowledging the differences between sovereignty and property.Mahuad said one of the most important things about negotiating is to talk with the other party.“We were working together on a problem,” he said, “which is the principle thing in negotiating.”Rebecca Schrier, a SPEA graduate student and co-chairperson of the conference, said she was impressed by how Mahuad was able to help find a solution to a dispute that had been ongoing for 400 years between Ecuador and Peru.“His ability to be able to see so many angles of the border dispute — I think it was impressive,” Schrier said.
(03/25/10 2:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Utilities Service Board recommended a 54 percent increase on water rates Wednesday, which includes funding for an expansion of the city’s water plant.The board had a special meeting in a crowded, humid room in the Utilities Department Administrative Building on Wednesday to discuss the water rate increase recommendation that will be given to the City Council.The increase in rates would allow for an expansion that would give the city 30 million more gallons of water.The construction would take about two years.John Skomp, an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, said there were three options the board considered.One of the options included a 22 percent increase that would cover the expenses of the water plant that have increased over time.Another option was a 35 percent increase, which would not cover the full expansion.The last option was a 47 percent increase that would cover the expenses of keeping up with the plant’s costs and would allow expansion.The increases are a result of several days of the plant’s capacity being knocked out, which prevented it from treating water, said Mike Bengston, assistant director of engineering for Bloomington.Bengston said the plant had to be used to its maximum capacity, which depleted the city’s water reserves. Julie Roberts, vice president of the board, used visuals to explain the increase.Roberts said the increase would only apply to one-third of the consumer’s water bill.An average household would see an increase of $8 per month under the 47 percent increase, she explained.However, the Utilities Service Board decided to recommend a 54 percent rate increase because it would save the city more than $9 million in interest payments. “Right now we are on the low half of Indiana rates,” Roberts said. “We are one of the most efficient, clean, reliable systems in the entire state.”Pedro Roman, a member of the board, said customers might see another water increase because of repairs needed for the sewer system.At the meeting, a few Bloomington residents addressed concerns that the city was not doing enough to push for conservation.Bloomington resident James Allison said he doesn’t think the board and the city are thinking about technology that can be used for future conservation.However, Roberts said the city would not see results from conservation for many years if it starts implementing every recommendation.Bengston said the full increase is the best recommendation the board could give because of operational aspects.“We need to have that extra capacity to recover from instances if they happen again,” Bengston said.
(03/12/10 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After about a year of studying 10th Street, the city of Bloomington and IU have decided to recommend keeping 10th Street and Law Lane two-way streets and extend Law Lane in both directions.The presentation was made Thursday to a group of about 20 Bloomington residents at the Monroe County Public Library. Gorove/Slade Associates, Inc. was hired by the city and IU to conduct the 10th Street Mobility study.Proposed alternatives included making Law Lane and 10th Street a one-way pair. The other suggestion was to make Law Lane and 10th Street two-way streets without extending Law Lane.“We are trying to look at overall mobility, not just cars,” said Dan VanPelt, principal of Gorove/Slade Associations, Inc.Rob Schiesel, project manager for Gorove/Slade Associates, Inc., said the study kept in mind all forms of transportation, such as pedestrians, bicycles and cars. He said buses in particular would have an easier time navigating two-way streets.Schiesel said the alternative allows for the possibility of bike lanes on both sides of the streets. The two-way traffic would encourage motorists to slow down, which would make it less intimidating for mixed traffic.The second alternative also fits IU’s Master Plan, VanPelt said.The two streets would be connected, and Law Lane traffic would be directed toward 14th Street around Fee Lane.Before deciding on the final alternative, the public gave insight into the solutions through public workshops.If implemented, the project could be completed in three phases. The first phase of construction would be between Dunn Street and Fee Lane. The second phase would be from Fee Lane to Union Street, and the third phase would be from Union Street to the State Road 46 Bypass.Schiesel said the third phase would make the most noticeable improvements.Other improvements being considered for the area include bike lanes and changes to stoplight schedules, Schiesel said.Some residents said they were not completely happy with the plan.Bloomington resident Buff Brown said he would have liked to see 10th Street become a bus-only route.“This is an added car capacity project,” he said.Raymond Hess, senior transportation planner for the city of Bloomington, said 10th Street could not become an exclusively bus route because of businesses and parking lots that already exist and are only accessible via 10th Street.Other residents raised concern about how surrounding homes would be affected by the project.The final proposal for the project will be available to the public next month. There is still a need for funds to be raised.“This is just the starting point,” Hess said.
(03/12/10 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A new campaign from the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office hopes to get the Spanish-speaking community to report violent crimes.The campaign kicked off earlier this month with a new poster campaign that says “Domestic Violence is a Community Problem, Join Us To Be A Part of The Solution” in Spanish, said Chris Gaal, Monroe County prosecuting attorney. Gaal said the Latino Spanish-speaking community was seen as underserviced. Many of its members are not even documented. Part of the campaign includes a Spanish translation of the Victim’s Assistance Program brochure, Gaal said. In addition, the prosecutor’s office and the Bloomington Police Department have started using a language-line service that connects the caller with a live translator. The service includes 175 languages including Spanish. “It’s very important for a community like Bloomington with a University with international students,” he said. “They can be more comfortable talking about a traumatic incident in their native language.”Gaal said the program started by having meetings with local leaders brainstorming ideas how the prosecutor’s office could do a better job of serving the Spanish-speaking community. Some of the leaders included people from the Latino Coalition Against Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence, St. Paul’s Catholic Center, The City of Bloomington’s Latino Programs and Safe and Civil City Program and La Casa/Latino Cultural Center. “It was about building trust and letting Latino residents know that we will respond,” he said. Elizabeth Lopez works for the Middle Way House’s transitional housing program. She is one of the community members featured on the poster. Lopez works with people who face domestic violence. She said there is more than just the language that prevents the Latino Spanish-speaking community from reporting crimes. “Their greatest fear is weighed on the fact that they don’t know much about our law system,” she said.Lopez said some of the people she has worked with are afraid of repercussions such as being sent back to their native country because they reported a crime to the police. Gaal said the translated brochure explains the legal rights of crime victims and gives them insight into testifying at trials. Melissa Britton, the Latino outreach coordinator for Bloomington’s Community and Family Resources Department, said the campaign is also spreading the message through a public service announcement on local radio and through newsletters. The program is using existing resources to better serve the Spanish-speaking community, Gaal said. Lopez said she hopes the program will have more presentations for members of the community in the future. She said hopefully through the outreach program and word-of-mouth more members of the Spanish speaking community will become more knowledgeable about reporting crimes. “The information that I share with them, they then share it with their friends in the community,” she said.