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(04/12/04 7:13am)
Senior Lauren Baker went to Scotty's Brewhouse Thursday night for one reason and one reason alone: "I heard CT and Rachel were going to be (at Scotty's), and I've been dying to meet them." \nScotty's is beginning extended hours during the summer, and Thursday night, the hours of drinking and singing began with a visit from two members of MTV's reality shows "Real World" and "Road Rules." CT from the Paris season of the "Real World" and Rachel from the "Road Rules: Campus Crawl" were present to help kick off the night's festivities. \nThe two reality TV stars were on a tour for Sterling Estates Apartments when their manager contacted the local Sterling Apartments and asked for a recommendation of a local bar where they could appear. Scotty's was suggested, and the tour management arranged the visit with restaurant owner Scott Wise. CT and Rachel were booked to come sign autographs and meet students and residents. \nMany of the people who showed up Thursday were not only there to celebrate the extended hours of Scotty's, but also to see the two MTV stars. \n"Cheap beer and celebrities," were senior Emily Mitchell's reasons for partying at the Brewhouse that night. Mitchell was not alone in her quest for alcohol and famous faces. The attendance at Scotty's was around 250 people, said General Manager Eric Champ. \n"Seventy-five percent to 80 percent are here to see CT and Rachel," Champ said. \nWhen the reality TV stars entered the bar, many of the people were not aware of their presence. But as the night wore on, the crowd shifted from the karaoke stage to the side of the restaurant that housed CT and Rachel. CT was constantly surrounded by a group of women waiting to speak with him, if only for just a moment. Throughout the night, Rachel approached different tables and introducing herself and taking pictures with anyone who asked. \nThough the party was hopping to some, Rachel didn't think it was much. \n"You guys are lucky to be No. 3," Rachel said in reference to IU's status as the No. 3 party school in the nation. \nDespite Rachel and CT's popularity on TV and with some of those in attendance Thursday, others felt being in the public eye was not necessarily a good thing.\nKristen Krueger said she felt if she were in their position, she wouldn't want people coming up to her all the time. \nThe fame, welcome or not, seems to have been worth it, as CT said he didn't have a hard time being himself in front of the camera and does not regret the experience.\n"I got lucky, hit the lottery and someone gave me a free trip to Europe," CT said.\nLater in the evening, Baker could be seen shaking CT's hand and once she turned around, her excitement was apparent not only in her face, but in her shriek as well.\n"I shook his hand, I'm never washing it again ever, like, ever," she said.\n-- Contact city & state editor Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(04/08/04 5:37am)
As tuition costs rise across the country, most students do not realize what they are paying for when they send their tuition checks in the mail. Because education has become expensive, it is important for students to get the most bang for their buck -- but it is up to the students to make sure they get that bang. \nIU Dean of Students Richard McKaig said students need to be aware of all their options when at school.\n"IU is a good buy and when you come here, you should get all of what you paid for," he said.\nThe following are some crucial areas IU students should be aware of when trying to be successful:
(03/05/04 5:48am)
Soon, a new bar might be one of the first things a visitor to IU would see when walking through the Sample Gates.\nEarly Wednesday morning, the Monroe County Alcohol Beverage Board approved an alcohol permit for the owners of the Von Lee Theater.\nControversy has surrounded this empty building on Kirkwood Avenue since the Dec. 2003 meeting of the Monroe County Alcohol Beverage Board when the owners of the Von Lee, Artemis LLC, first requested a permit to serve alcohol. \nThe dispute has drawn attention from all sectors of the community, including the "Save the Von Lee Foundation," members of IU faculty and the IU Student Association. \nJay Michener, member of Artemis LLC, said he was happy with the decision. The next move, Michener said, is to have the permit approved at the state level. \n"Once we receive approval from the state board, then we will be able to start construction, and in about 90 days, the public will be able to see some changes," Michener said. "If (the state board) give us the nod, we will remodel and hopefully open a nice restaurant."\nChris Sturbaum, organizer of "Save the Von Lee Foundation," said he has been thinking about two court cases recently -- his case against Kerasotes for restricting when movies can be shown in the Von Lee again and his case against the alcohol permits have both been in the front of his mind recently. \n"I feel like I've seen two bad calls at a basketball game that changed the outcome of the game," Sturbaum said. "And just because the fouls weren't called doesn't mean they didn't happen … it's very possible the game isn't over yet."\nDean of Students Richard Mckaig, Monroe County Alcohol Board member, said the law has some very specific statements and they are there is no need for that additional service in that area and the neighbors in that area don't want it there. \n"I think (the impact) remains to be seen," McKaig said. "We wont truly know until the establishment is open. I made the decision as best I could and I'm sure the other members did the same and now time will tell." \nThere is not a date set for the alcohol permit hearing at the state level, but Michener said it will be soon. \nAt the end of the meeting, Sturnbaum shook hands with Michener even after the decision did not go in his favor. \nMichener said he never expected to encounter this much resistance to what he was doing when he first purchased the Von Lee building. \n"Before I even bought the building and I sat down with Mayor Fernandez and Senator Vi Simpson and they both said it was a great idea," said Michener. "When I encountered the resistance I did, I was taken back. Hopefully, in the end, we will do something good for the city because that is what we intended from the start."\n-- Contact city & state editor Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(02/05/04 6:00am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- In a contestable vote causing chaos in the House, Democrats did not pass Gov. Joe Kernan's plan for full-day kindergarten because of a controversial voting procedure.\nState Rep. Thomas Kromkowski, D-South Bend, voted via satellite as he was recovering from surgery. The hook-up was used because Republicans wouldn't support the bill, and Democrats did not have the 51 votes needed to pass it. \nHouse Speaker and State Rep. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, declared the bill passed 51-47 until the Democrats admitted the satellite hook-up did not meet the House voting requirements. Procedures state a member must physically be present in the chamber to vote. \nThe legislation failed and it cannot be reintroduced until 10 months from now. Kernan gave his blessing to attempt the tactic, but later admitted the tactic was not consistent with the House's voting policy.\nKernan told the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Wednesday a lack of attention to children at a young age can harm a child. He said if they have trouble reading, it can lead to students falling behind in school. He said a lack of education can also lead to more welfare dependency and crime. He said it is this spiralling effect which makes full-day kindergarten worth the cost.\n"For every dollar you put into full-day kindergarten, you get seven dollars in savings," he said. "You save money on remedial education, on welfare costs and on prison costs. By the time you are 5 years old, 90 percent of your brain is developed. The brain is like a muscle. If you use it, it will be stronger."\nThe bill would offer full-day kindergarten to more than 20,000 children beginning this year. He said school districts do not have to institute the change, and parents do not have to enroll their child for the entire day. He said the program is mostly for struggling school districts who would really like to use these funds to better their education.\nKernan's deputy press secretary, Jonathon Swain, said full-day kindergarten will be available statewide without tax increases.\n"We are using funds that are in the common school fund which were established in 1851, and over the years have been used to fund school construction projects, and (Kernan) has asked that fund be reallocated to be used for early learning opportunities," Swain said.\nJump-starting the program would cost about $90 million over three years, with the money coming from a variety of sources.\nThe program relies on passage of a constitutional amendment so money could be tapped from a fund now used to provide low-interest loans to schools.\nAmending the constitution requires passage by two consecutive legislatures and the people in a statewide vote. The process usually takes a minimum of three years.\nBecause the state is facing a $1 billion deficit and state tax collections in January came in $21.5 million below target, many Republicans said it is hard to justify funding any new programs.\nState Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, said the reason the bill did not get voted through earlier is because key Democrats were in the hospital.\n"In the legislature we always say it isn't over till it's over," Simpson said. "This program has been up before the legislature, and it will be here for a while. Its something that's not going to go away."\nThe second part of his program involves expanding full-day kindergarten statewide into a pilot program for early learning by 2007.
(02/05/04 4:25am)
INDIANAPOLIS -- As State Sen. Vi Simpson D-Ellettsville stood up to speak in front of her fellow senators about the Senate Bill 326, the "pyrotechnics bill," she knew if she did not convince the plurality of the senators in the room to vote yes on the bill she co-authored, it would not be heard again for 10 months. \nThe "pyrotechnics bill" as it has been dubbed by many, is legislation concerning the use of indoor pyrotechnics throughout Indiana. \nThe bill requires three rules. First, it requires insurance permits for supervised public displays of fireworks. Secondly it implements a statewide code for the display of indoor pyrotechnics. Lastly, it requires at least $500,000 of personal injury and $500,000 of property damage insurance coverage for a supervised display of indoor pyrotechnics under certain circumstances. \nState Sen. Tom Wyss R-Fort Wayne, co-author of the bill and chair of a public safety evaluation committee, said the bill is in reaction to an incident last year where concertgoers were burned by pyrotechnics at a Great White concert.\n"It is necessary for Indiana so we can insure the people of this state that we won't have a situation like the one in Rhode Island," Wyss said. "Over 100 people died in that fire, and God knows how many burned and that is what we are trying to prevent with our rules."\nThe bill puts in place penalties for violating any of the rules. The penalties range from a Class C infraction to a Class C felony. \nState Sen. Michael Young, R-Speedway, questioned what would happen to the club owner in a situation were the person conducting the pyrotechnic display violated the rules without the owner's knowledge. \n"If (people displaying the fireworks) have a certificate from the fire marshal saying its ok to do this, and they have an insurance policy, $500,000 in coverage and show them to the owner, but still go and violate the law why would we hold the owner of the property liable if he has seen the proper documentation?" Young said. "That is what (Simpson) is going to take care of."\nSimpson said it was never her intent of the bill to put too much pressure on the owners of a nightclub.\n"I thought (Young) had a very legitimate comment because of the way the bill is worded it doesn't make it clear as to when a night club owner might be liable for either criminal or civil penalties and I think by adding a few words we can clarify that and make sure we don't over burden nightclub owners," Simpson said.\nSimpson received inspiration for this bill after the tragic nightclub fire in Rhode Island last year. \n"I realized in places like Bloomington, where there are a lot of nightclubs with a lot of people, we are just a disaster waiting to happen," Simpson said. "It seemed to me that we needed to take this opportunity to protect young people in not only Bloomington but around the state."\nThe bill passed the Senate with a vote of 47-0 and is now being heard in the House of Representatives.
(12/15/03 6:29am)
Students heaved snowballs in battles between dorms and turned lunch trays into sleds after 3.5 inches of snow blanketed Bloomington's trees, hills and streets for the first time this year early Sunday.\nBy Saturday night, nearly half an inch covered the streets, leading cars to slip, slide and smack bumpers. A low of 23 degrees didn't help matters.\nBy Sunday morning the Weather Channel was reporting 3.5 inches of snow in Bloomington.\nIndiana State Trooper Ryan Miller said several accidents were caused by people driving too fast for the conditions and slick roadways.\n"The snow does not cause the accidents but people driving too fast for the conditions are the ones that cause the accidents," Miller said.\nBloomington is no stranger to cold weather and snowy conditions, receiving an annual snowfall of more than 40 inches. In 2002 the city had 24 trucks to dump salt and sand on the streets of Bloomington.\nThe job of removing snow can also be overwhelming for Bloomington. Overall, city snowplow operators drive more than 2,100 miles in a snow emergency -- which is the same as the distance from Bloomington to Mexico.\nMatt Stuebe, owner of Outdoor Improvements of Bloomington, not only does landscaping work but snow removal as well during the winter months. The company works with clients, mainly businesses, which have contracts with the company prior to the season, but will take on new clients if they are called.\nIn preparation for the winter season, Stuebe said Outdoor Improvements has to make sure both the salt spreader trucks are serviced and other arrangements are up to par. The company prepares for the winter weather and then waits to use their equipment.\nResidential Programs and Services Director of Facilities Larry Isom said RPS custodians clear walkways around residence halls and class buildings. The University physical plant clears walkways the rest of the way, but on the weekends they have a skeleton crew. \nIsom said it is very difficult for RPS to clear parking lots when many of them are full of cars. During the break, employees clean out leaves and debris from the parking lots. \n"We'll contact all the resident halls and set up a program where, during a certain time, the students move their cars so we can get in there," Isom said. "Most of the students cooperate and it really works well."\nIsom says his advice to students during the snow is to be patient and wait for equipment to get out. \n"But (RPS and physical plant workers) were out early this morning and doing a great job," Isom said.\nThe average predicted temperature for finals week according to the Weather Channel Web site is 41 degrees with only one day of the week being predicted as having a rain and snow mix. \n-- Contact staff writer Michael Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(12/11/03 6:09am)
Fifty years ago, the Von Lee Theater offered a movie and hot popcorn. Today, it offers bare walls and dusty air.\nAccording to the Cinema Treasures Web site, the theater was built by local investors in 1928 as The Ritz. The theater was reopened in 1948 by the Vonderschmitt family, who renamed the building the "Von Lee." The Vonderschmitts also opened the Indiana Theater on Kirkwood Avenue, which currently operates as the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.\nA spacious single-screen cinema, now converted into three smaller auditoriums, the Von Lee rests on the border between historic downtown Bloomington and the IU campus.\nDuring the 1950s, Bloomington was a city much like today. For a city built around youth, the Von Lee filled an important void. \nGregory A. Waller, professor and chair of the department of communication and culture, said a new trend was movies being shown directed to a younger audience. During the 1950s, Waller said, drive-ins and theaters showed primarily mainstream movies.\nKerasotes Theaters purchased the Von Lee in 1976, and suspended the operations in 2000 as the company built two multiplexes in the city, making the historic cinema expendable to their operations.\nNow owned by Artemis LLC, a private company, the Von Lee has been the center of various community efforts to reopen or otherwise "Save The Von Lee." It has also since been designated a historic site by the city of Bloomington.\nChancellors' Professor of Communication and Culture Jim Naremore said it is extremely important to Bloomington that the Von Lee be independently operated because the city would then have a downtown movie theater providing the community with an alternative to the kind of viewing the city has in its shopping malls.\n"All over America, there is a renaissance for reviving these old time theaters," he said. "It is just as important to the culture of the city as a museum or a music hall."\nCities around the country have revived historic theaters, including Iowa City, Iowa and Ann Arbor, Mich. \nChris Sturbaum, organizer of the "Save the Von Lee" committee, said the Von Lee is part of the soul of Bloomington. He has collected over 1,650 signatures in support of the committee. Sturbaum added the Von Lee has been part of the IU experience for many years, and there is just something about a public space like to which people feel personally connected. \nIn the period of the late 1960s and '70s, foreign films were shown in the historic theater. For anybody who went to college in those years and was interested in movies, it was a special place, Naremore said. \nArtemis LLC is currently contemplating opening a restaurant or bar in the Von Lee building. The Monroe County Alcohol Beverage Board will decide on Jan. 7 if the theater will receive an alcohol permit.\nSturbaum, who attended the Von Lee when he was a child, said a good memory was going to see a Woody Allen film and in the theater seats there were a broad cross section of the community sharing a good movie. \n"Local businesses used to call the Von Lee and see what time the movies got out, anticipating the rush," Sturbaum said. \n-- Contact city & state editor Michael Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(12/04/03 5:10am)
The future of the Von Lee Theater is still undecided after a meeting to determine whether the theater will receive an alcohol permit.\nThe Monroe County Alcohol Beverage Board met Wednesday to address the issue concerning the former movie house, but no decision was made due to a technicality. \nIn order to serve alcohol Monday through Sunday in Indiana, a restaurant or bar must apply for two different permits -- one which permits liquor sales Monday through Saturday and another to serve on Sunday. Property owners, Artemis LLC and Caam LLC, did not include a request for Sunday sales in their original application. A continuance has been scheduled for property owners to put both applications in order. The next hearing is scheduled at the board's next meeting Jan. 7.\nBut the board, which has dealt with the permit from the beginning, may no longer be in office because a new term will begin in January. IU Dean of Students Richard McKaig said current members presume they will be reappointed. The Bloomington mayor, the Monroe County Council and the three county commissioners each appoint a member to the board.\nChris Sturbaum, organizer of the Save the Von Lee committee and city councilman-elect, said making the Von Lee into a bar and restaurant will have a negative effect on the University because of its location near the Sample Gates. He said the small businesses in the area will be strained and the character of Kirkwood Avenue will be harmed by the conversion of a beloved landmark into a bar. Sturbaum, who attended the meeting, said the outcome looks good for his argument.\nDuane O'Neal, the lawyer representing the property owner and the applicant for the liquor license, said he is shocked IU is fighting against the alcohol permit. He said he has not been in contact with any University official and doesn't know if it is a single person or the University as a whole against the permit. O'Neal said he would be surprised if it is the University as a whole.\n"If this is an issue of serving alcohol, there are several other establishments on Kirkwood that sell alcohol and we have received support from," O'Neal said. "Nice restaurants and bars create a synergy that is an attraction that will benefit all the commercial establishments in the downtown Bloomington area." \nLynn Coyne, IU director of real estate and economic development, said there are two reasons why IU is against the Von Lee receiving a liquor license.\n"As policy matter we do not need an additional outlet contributing to the consumption of alcohol beverages," Coyne said. "The consumption of alcohol beverages and abuse of alcohol is a significant problem for the community and the students of IU. Second, the location is inappropriate because it is the symbolic entry to the campus at the Sample Gates." \nBruce Huot, a member of the Monroe County Alcohol Beverage Board, said he has higher expectations for the property rather than a bar or restaurant. Huot said Bloomington can find another use for the space that sits in front of the Sample Gates. \nIf the Monroe County Alcohol Beverage Board does rule that the Von Lee should receive a liquor permit, the decision goes to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission for Indiana in Indianapolis. \nMcKaig said he knows people are concerned about the preservation of the site as a historic landmark. \n"I have received over 30 e-mails and phone calls from people who are concerned about the destruction of a landmark and concerned that another bar is going in on Kirkwood," he said. \nSturbaum said he has found significant research that outlets for alcohol close to college campuses contribute to an increase in the incidents of alcohol abuse and the deterioration of neighborhoods. \nO'Neal said he understands the need to preserve the landmark, but his clients have spent several hundred thousand dollars to acquire the property and will dedicate several hundred thousand more to renovate. He said investors will contribute more than $1 million in the property before the first patron walks in the door. He said a new business will be a significant economic benefit to Bloomington.\n"By the same token, we are sensitive that the Von Lee has a tradition even though that tradition as a movie theatre cannot continue because of both economic reasons and legal restrictions," O'Neal said. "Surely no one would argue that the Von Lee should remain vacant as it has for the last four or five years." \n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(12/02/03 6:05am)
The construction between College Ave. and Walnut St. has looked more like a giant sandbox rather than a storm water treatment park since construction began. When the Miller Showers Park project started in April 2002, an idea of turning the existing park into an environmentally friendly space and beautiful public place seemed far down the road. \nDave Williams, director of operations for Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, said the park is 80 percent complete and is scheduled to be 85 percent substantially complete by the end of December. \nAccording to the City of Bloomington's Web site, the funding provided by the Parks and Recreation Department's 2001 $6.2 million bond for park improvements, which was passed with unanimous support of the Board of Parks Commissioners and Common Council, will aid in the construction of what the park will be when completed.\nThe future Miller Showers Park will have many benefits for Bloomington and the community when it is completed. According to the Bloomington Web site, the park will serve as a regional storm water detention facility which drains over 190 acres of surface water (mostly from downtown Bloomington). Plus, the city will be proactive in preparing for the regulations set by Rule 13 of the Clean Water Act, which will require communities to include storm water engineering technology for environmental compliance.\nJulie Ramey, community relations manager for Bloomington Parks Department said most people only experience the park from their vehicles, but with the new changes at Miller Showers Park this will change. The new park will include the removal of intrusive overhead electrical lines and the inclusion of a native landscape theme, will make the Park more aesthetically pleasing with seasonal changes in color and different plant heights, shapes and textures. Plazas with benches will surround the "Red, Blonde, Black and Olive" statue and the limestone "Axis" statue.\nBoth sculptures will be accessible to park users via a connecting pathway. Williams said the pathway running through the park will be put in next week, weather permitting. \n"What we have to do next year is the planting of trees, and F.A. Wilhelm has to plant the native plants and grasses," he said. "The only thing that would hold the planting of the trees and what not would be if the weather was not right for the plants to flourish." \nThe park is also designed for safety. Pedestrian crossings at street intersections will be improved to allow safe access to the park. Low level, full cutoff light features will highlight water features and make the area safer for users. \nRamey said the area will be an attractive area once it is completed. \n"People say that it is not very attractive right now and they are right because there has been some major construction done," she said. \nNot only will Miller Showers Park serve as a water facility, but it will also serve as an outdoor classroom. The natural process of storm water management and treatment will be highlighted with interpretive signage that will help individuals and school groups understand the environmental complexity and purpose of the Park. The park's pond and its native plants will create homes for wildlife and outdoor learning resource of greater interest than the mowed lawn that existed prior to the renovation. Williams said everyone involved in the project is dedicated to finishing the project by the first of 2004. \n"Everyone's goal is to get the project substantially complete before the winter weather sets in and prohibits anymore work to be done."\n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(11/21/03 5:26am)
Dr. Jack Dvorak, journalism professor at IU and director of the High School Journalism Institute, will accept the prestigious Carl Talley Distinguished Service Award Saturday in Washington, D.C. \nAccording to the Journalism Education Association Web site, the Carl Talley Distinguished Service Award is JEA's highest honor and is presented to a JEA member whose work is unusually beneficial and of superior value to the national JEA and to scholastic journalism. National JEA membership is required, and since 1985, only one award is presented each year. \nDvorak said he has overseen 10,000 students in his 18 years of working with the High School Journalism Institute. Dvorak said living through all those students has given him his gray hair.\nThe award itself was quite a surprise, he said. \n"I did not know about it until I got a letter a couple of weeks ago saying, 'You better be in Washington, D.C. this weekend because you are getting this award,'" he said. \nIn her letter of recommendation, Julie E. Dodd, professor at the University of Florida, said Dvorak played a major role in charting JEA's path on two major initiatives -- the research and report of the Commission on the Role of Journalism in Secondary Education and the JEA certification program. \nDvorak has received many other awards and honors throughout his career, including being inducted into the National Scholastic Journalism Hall of Fame in 1997. He is also the co-author of the book "Journalism Kids Do Better." \nThe qualitative aspect of his research and the popularity of his book serve only as the launching pad for this nomination, Linda S. Puntney, executive director of the Journalism Education Association, said in her letter of recommendation. Puntney said few have done more than Dvorak to legitimize scholastic journalism. \nDvorak said the many academic relationships he's developed over his three decades of experience and his dedication to journalism education probably have something to do with his nomination. \n"I've been teaching in college for 30 years now and I have always had connections with high school teachers," he said. \nDennis Cripe, director of the Indiana High School Press Association, also recommended Dvorak for the award. Cripe wrote that Dvorak's demeanor and leadership skills were critical to Indiana's five-year quest to establish "teaching standards" for future high school journalism teachers. \n"Let me simply say that Dr. Jack Dvorak continues to shape the face of high school journalism in Indiana and the nation," Cripe said. "His distinguished career certainly meets the lofty standards symbolic of the Carl Towley Award."\nDvorak said he's flattered by the recognition, but is not looking forward to figuring out what to say in his acceptance speech. \n"Basically it is going to be about heroes because the people I am going to be talking to are my heroes, the journalism teachers," he said. "I think they have a very tough job, very challenging, and for all their hard work I am going to turn the tables and make it about them"
(11/19/03 5:31am)
The Indiana Housing Finance Authority and its chairwoman, Lt. Gov. Katherine Davis, approved $69 million in awards for affordable rental housing Oct. 23. The $69 million will be used to create an incentive for developers to build affordable housing for so low-income families. \nThis congressional-approved federal program has been intact since 1986 and was established by the Internal Revenue Service. Lt. Gov. Davis said it provides a break on the liability of federal tax to the recipient of the award. Rental Housing Tax Credits are federal tax credits that IHFA allocates under a competitive process to developers of affordable rental housing. The developers that are awarded the tax credit can sell them to larger corporations who can then use it to reduce their federal tax liability. \nToby Strout, executive director of the Middle Way House in Bloomington, said it sold its tax credit for cash and that cash was was used to building more housing.\n"We received tax credits and we sold them to Lehman Capital Investment Corporation who in turn sold them to Fifth Third Bank," Strout said. "The program made it possible for Middle Way to construct 28 units of transitional housing for poor and very poor homeless families headed by single women whose lives were adversely effected by domestic violence."\nOnce a business sells its tax credit there are certain benchmarks on a timeline that must be met in order to retain the benefits. The tax credit buyer and the entity that sold the tax credit must maintain a relationship for 15 years. Lt. Gov. Davis said once the tax credits are awarded the developers have two years to develop the property.\nJennifer Boehm of the Indiana Housing Finance Authority said the tax credits will have a huge impact. The credits are going to help in the financing of 947 units of affordable rental housing.\nThese awards are important to Indiana residents who need this type of housing, Davis said. \n"These units will help to address the need for safe, decent and affordable housing for Hoosier families in communities across the state."\nStrout said selling their tax credits and other contributors giving money were crucial to their new housing units.\n"Last year they housed 42 families representing 134 women and children," Strout said. "We have already celebrated the fifth anniversary of the building."\n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(11/17/03 7:26pm)
There were somber moments Saturday at the celebration of Frank McCloskey's life, but the Buskirk-Chumley Theater was not all tears.\nFriends, family and community leaders spoke about McCloskey's life, sang Irish songs and quoted Irish proverbs. A documentary video took a light-hearted look at the lifelong Democrat's rise to political fame. Both yielded laughs from the crowd.\nFormer Bloomington mayor and Congressman McCloskey died Nov. 2 after a yearlong battle with bladder cancer.\nFriend and co-worker Pat Murphy, who cried during his speech, said his favorite memories of McCloskey are from the past 14 months as the former mayor was fighting cancer.\n"I really got to know him and share time with him and help him, and I was really honored to accompany him on this journey," Murphy said.\nRegina Moore, Bloomington city clerk and friend of McCloskey, said McCloskey always impressed her by knowing everybody.\n"I think that is showing today by the number of people who came," Moore said. "Everybody in this auditorium has a story about how Frank interacted with them."\nDuring the ceremony, a documentary film made by Chris Sautter, long-time friend of McCloskey's, was shown and addressed McCloskey's personality, from his humorous side to his work as Bloomington mayor from 1972 to 1982. He said McCloskey could be comfortable in a southern Indiana coal mine or in a meeting with the president of a European country.\nDuring the service, McCloskey's friends spoke about a different point in his life and the many times McCloskey had an impact on them. \nBill Breeden, friend of McCloskey for over 20 years, said the former mayor lived by a simple statement: "It is not incumbent upon me to finish the task, but me art thou free to desist from my part of it." \nBreeden said he cherished the times he shared with McCloskey over the years.\n"I loved meeting him at the market on Saturdays and just the fact that he was a common man," he said. \nFormer Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson said McCloskey cared about other people more than he cared about himself and his own career. Thompson said he wanted everyone to have a quality life and to be treated fairly.\nJohn Goss, a friend of McCloskey for 30 years, said his favorite memory was when McCloskey took his seat in Congress after a recount announced McCloskey had indeed beat Republican Rick McIntyre. \n"I'd say it was the day that we did go to Washington and Frank got seated in Congress in '84 after we had taken six months of re-counting every absentee ballot several times," Goss said.\nAfter 12 individual friends and co-workers spoke about fond memories of McCloskey, the final toast captured the feelings behind the service, given by a close friend.\n"To a great mayor, a great congressman, a great man, Frank McCloskey -- thanks, Frank." \n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(11/14/03 2:20pm)
Friends and family of Frank McCloskey will gather this weekend to celebrate his life. \nThe former mayor of Bloomington and U.S. Congressman died Nov. 2 after battling bladder cancer since September 2002. He was 64.\nA remembrance, open to the public, will be held at 1 p.m. at St. Paul 's Catholic Center, 1413 E. 17th Street, Saturday. Following the mass, supporters, friends and staff will congregate at 3 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater to "celebrate the life of Frank McCloskey." \nDuring the celebration, a documentary film on Frank McCloskey, "Recounting the Years," will be shown. Speakers include former Congresswoman Jill Long Thompson, and highlights of McCloskey's career will be presented by friends and staff. \nThe documentary video and event should be humorous and lively, said Matt Weber, McCloskey's former co-worker with the Monroe County Democratic Party. \n"Oddly enough (the celebration) will be more upbeat than one might expect," he said.\nBorn in 1939 in Pennsylvania, McCloskey served as a newspaper reporter from 1961 to 1968, when he graduated from IU. He obtained his law degree from the IU Law School in 1971, and then held the mayoral office in Bloomington from 1972 to 1982. During that time, he implemented an ambulance service, a mass transportation service, civil rights service and a housing inspection program. Also during his time in office, McCloskey lobbied for federal funding to rehabilitate sub-standard housing. Elected in 1983 to Congress, McCloskey continued his fight to help and educate Americans until 1995.\nCity council member-at-large Anthony Pizzo said he has known McCloskey for almost 30 years. \n"When he was elected mayor he became the leader of the Democratic Party," he said. "He fought for the traditional kind of working man, and he is the reason why I am a Democrat."\nCity Clerk Regina Moore, a long time friend of McCloskey's, said she worked with him for years. Moore said McCloskey was the one who encouraged her to run for public office. \n"When he was here, he was just Frank, your friend," she said. \n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(11/12/03 4:58am)
A recent survey conducted by the IU Center for Survey Research shows that 77 percent of Indiana residents favor condom education in high schools.\nThe survey showed little change in this view over the past 10 years, according to a statement. It also indicated that eight out of 10 hoosiers believe all teenagers, regardless of whether they are sexually active, need information about how to use condoms correctly. Additionally, 94 percent said this information should be medically accurate and 71 percent agree the curriculum should be determined by the majority of local parents.\nThe survey also shows that 71 percent of Indiana residents also agree that classroom instruction should include condoms so students can see and touch them.\nBill Yarber, an IU professor of Applied Health Science, presented the study at a conference Nov. 6 in San Antonio. He said 517 people were surveyed from July to October of this year about condom education in public schools. He said this study is important because everyone needs to expand the message about the use of condoms. \n"It is not only important to emphasize consistent condom use, but correct condom use," Yarber said. \nAccording to a survey done by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Indiana, 14 percent of sexually active people ages 18 to 64 said they used condoms in 2001.\nAssociate Director of the Kinsey Institute Stephanie Sanders said some of the research is showing increased support for using condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs.\n"There is fairly good evidence that for a number of STDs, that condoms, when used correctly and consistently, can reduce the risk of transmission," Sanders said. \nSarah Franklin, principal of Bloomington High School North, said teaching condom use should be part of the state-mandated curriculum. \n"As long as we continue to emphasize that abstinence is the safest way to prevent disease and pregnancy, then we can teach condom use," she said.\nMark Fletcher, principal of Bloomington High School South, said the primary importance is on abstinence. \n"We also teach our students about STDs, and that is where condom education comes into play," Fletcher said.\nYarber said schools are making decisions about what they are going to teach to students. \n"I thought it would be good to find out what the public thinks about it," Yarber said. "There have been efforts to discredit condoms and some exaggeration of failure rates." \nSanders said, as part of sex education, teachers should also teach students to not give in to unwanted sexual advancement.\n"People often worry about (promoting condom use promotes sex) and there is really no evidence to support that," Sanders said. "I think it is a fear and an unjustified fear." \n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(11/10/03 5:48am)
With the completion of College Mall Road, traffic has been flowing through the newly constructed intersections. But no one foresaw the traffic hazard that the crossing of College Mall Road and Windermere Road would create. \nRichard Shelly of the Windermere Homeowners Association said the parallel roads are a traffic accident waiting to happen, with a car turning right off College Mall Road and a car making a left off Windermere onto Covenanter Road.\nA news release from the Homeowners Association said there is only a 60-foot distance between both roads, giving the drivers pulling out onto Covenanter only two seconds to avoid a possible collision.\nBloomington Mayor-Elect Mark Kruzan said he has driven to the site to get a better feel for the situation. \n"It is an awkward intersection at best," Kruzan said. "It comes up so suddenly off of College Mall Road onto Covenanter especially now that it has been widened, but I can see the concern."\nThis statement was not enough to settle the dispute of the road remaining open.\nJohn Freeman, director of Bloomington Public Works, said he has received many phone calls from Windermere Woods residents with concerns about the possibility of closing Windermere.\n"I told them the city had no desire to close the road," Freeman said. "We don't have a reason to close it." \nBloomington Mayor John Fernandez said the road should stay open. \n"There needs to be strong rationale to close the road," Fernandez said. "That rationale does not exist."\nShelly said many people see the design of the road and have problems with it. He said some people within the community do not have good reaction times and cannot avoid an accident easily. \nShelly also said when the road was being designed the city offered to close it in a letter from Vickie Renfrow, Bloomington's assistant attorney. \n"We sent our reply saying it was fine," Shelly said. \nThe Homeowners Association went from house to house trying to get people to sign a petition to close the road, and all but nine people signed to support the closing. \nFernandez said there was never an agreement to close the road. \n"(The city) on an annual basis has a traffic accident study so we are very aware of where the problems are," Fernandez said.\nFrank Barnhart, the lawyer representing the Homeowners Association, said the concept of closing the road was not accepted on both sides.\n"I doubt it can be considered a formal contract."\n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(11/06/03 3:52pm)
Students crowded around a folding table Wednesday afternoon in Dunn Meadow where the Committee for Freedom, a new student group at IU, held a bake sale to protest affirmative action. At the sale, chocolate chip cookies were sold, but everyone was charged a different price, depending on their race and gender.\nWhite males paid $1 per cookie, white females paid 75 cents, Hispanics paid 50 cents and African Americans paid 25 cents. The set prices reflected what the Committee for Freedom thinks are the inequalities of affirmative action, said sophomore Stephan Jerabek, who organized the event.\n"I believe all are created equal, and they should be treated equally," Jerabek said. "This is to illustrate the point that people are not treated equally." \nThe Committee for Freedom, which started at IU a month ago, held the anti-affirmative action bake sale to begin its campaign to persuade IU to ban the use of racial data, particularly in the admissions and hiring processes.\nGraduate student Dietrich Willke said despite his mixed feelings about affirmative action, the bake sale was the wrong way to discuss this topic.\n"I would rather have a panel or discussion about this rather than something like cookies," Willke said.\nSenior Eric Williams said he had a problem with the price breakdown.\n"As black people, we don't get more benefits than Hispanics," he said. "That's how misconceptions get spread."\nFreshman Evan Rosenberg said he might not have encountered a lot of the people here just because of his own internalized racism. \n"Now that I am here, I'm starting to interact with a lot of people that I might not be able to on an everyday basis because of my own inherent racism, which I acknowledge and am trying to combat by coming to events like this," Rosenberg said.\nBake sales like the one in Dunn Meadow Wednesday have been held at colleges across the country, such as Southern Methodist University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, Northwestern University and the University of Washington-Seattle. At Southern Methodist, the bake sale had to be shut down after only 45 minutes due to the stir it created.\nVice President of Student Development and Diversity Charlie Nelms said the people who are against affirmative action have every right to protest because democracy allows citizens to voice their opinion. \n"When we have bake sales like this we should use these opportunities to try to learn something," Nelms said.\nJerabek said some pretty good questions were raised and the conversation had been very interesting. \nJunior Amber Garcia said she believes the reason that so many people are against affirmative action is because they do not understand the technicalities. \n"People don't understand the concept of 'white privilege' that is taught in the classes," Garcia said. "Personally, I feel sorry for these guys out here that are trying to argue their point because I think it is all about ignorance." \nFreshman Allan Hall said he didn't know if the bake sale made its point in the right way. \n"If nothing else, it is going to inform people more, educate people more, and that is why I stopped by," Hall said. \nJunior Isaac Kinsey said the people in attendance had nothing to back up their argument.\n"The University failed because they did not educate these people who don't understand what affirmative action is," Kinsey said. \nGarcia said the people who are against affirmative action have no idea what it is like to be a person who is in the minority. \n"They don't know what it is like to go into a classroom and be the only person that looks different." \n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu. Senior writer George Lyle IV contributed to this report.
(11/05/03 6:58am)
Senior Angel Rivera, president of the IU College Republicans, said students within the organization voted. But some, including Rivera, voted two or three weeks ago at the Monroe County Clerk's office in order to volunteer at the polls. Rivera has volunteered for the past three years and the College Republicans have volunteered at every election in Monroe County.\n"The work that we do on Election Day is very important as a College Republican because the things that people learn here they will take back to their home town," Rivera said.\nFreshman Olivia Dole, who cast her vote at Read Center, said the election was a good opportunity for her to get involved in local government as a freshman. \n"It seems the candidates are very competitive with a lot of signs everywhere," Dole said. "It seems a lot more competitive than where I am from."\nSenior Laura Walda, administrative vice president of College Democrats, said volunteering on Election Day makes her feel she is helping candidates make a positive impact in the community.\nWalda and members of College Democrats visited Resident Halls to distribute election information to students and to explain why it is important for students to become involved in local politics. \n"It is an incredibly important experience and it is exciting," Walda said. "It is incredible to see the time, care and love these candidates have for the City of Bloomington."\nRivera said the College Republicans had volunteers driving students to the polls and called students who are registered reminding them to vote. Some of the volunteers had been working since early Tuesday morning.\nWalda stressed to students the impact local politics can have on their lives.\n"No matter where a person is from, it is a valuable experience to see how the political process actually works," Walda said.
(11/05/03 6:56am)
For many IU students, Election Day was just a normal Tuesday. According to the Monroe County Board of Elections, only a small percentage of registered voters at the on-campus polling sites voted.\nPrecinct 5, which had polls at Foster Quad, had the lowest voter turnout of all 13 precincts on campus with a 0.76 percent turnout. Only 10 of 1,321 registered voters in the precinct voted. Precinct 6, located at University Gymnasium, located at 10th St. and Ind. 45/46, had the highest voter turnout of all on-campus voting precincts with 34 percent. Overall, the voter turnout percentage of on-campus polling sites was 8.26 percent.\nPolitical Science professor Edward Carmines said the main reason students do not take advantage of the right to vote is because they believe they are not directly affected by the election.\nFreshman Allison Hoke said she had other things on her mind, such as school, and does not have much concern for the city election.\n"I don't know anything about anyone who is running," Hoke said. "If I knew things about the candidates, I would probably care."\nSophomore Dana Rasmussen said she did not vote in the election because she did not know enough about the candidates to make an educated selection.\n"I think some students are not interested because they are not going to live here for a long time," Rasmussen said.\nOther students had similar problems. Junior April Walls said she didn't know the candidates' major issues and didn't realize Tuesday was Election Day.\n"I don't think it really affects the students as much as it does the general population," she said. \nRasmussen said she had trouble finding out where and when candidates were speaking.\n"If (students) are going to vote, it is going to be for someone who they have seen or have contact with," Rasmussen said.\nProfessor Carmines said candidates need to see students in their every day life and make an effort to listen to students' concerns and questions.\nHowever, Walls had a different approach to what candidates should do to get students more informed with Bloomington government.\n"I think they should come to certain spots on campus and hand out pamphlets saying what they stand for," Walls said. \nCarmines said students also need to do their part and become active in the election process in Bloomington.\n"They have to pay attention in terms of what is going on in politics and they need to attend meetings where politicians are speaking," Carmines said. "They need to talk to other students to see what joint concerns they have."\n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(11/04/03 6:06am)
Bloomington Transit transports more than 2 million IU students and Bloomington residents a year. Buses run everywhere from the IU campus to the south side of Bloomington. But some IU students complain that buses run late or at inconvenient times.\nMauro Pasqualini, a doctoral candidate in history, said he is not happy with the Bloomington Transit because of the late running schedule. He said he has had problems with the bus running late, which makes it hard to keep to his schedule.\n"The company does not respect the time table," Pasqualini said. "Some times they are 15 or 20 minutes late. I would say that twice in the week, I have problems because the buses are late." \nJoe Lilly, operations manager for Bloomington Transit, said there are many reasons for the buses running late.\n"The biggest thing is the traffic in Bloomington," Lilly said. "That is the basic reason why we are late." \nLilly said with the large amount of passengers Bloomington Transit carries over a year, the compliant level is acceptable. \n"We try to adjust as best we can and the complaint level has actually improved from last year," he said.\nValeria Manzano, a Ph.D. student in the history department, said she has missed some of her appointments because the bus was early to the stop.\nLew May, Bloomington Transit general manager, said there are other reasons why the buses aren't on time.\n"Road construction and weather play a hand in the buses being late," May said. \nLilly said the company has adjusted the C Route, which runs to College Mall, University Commons Apartments and to the Main Library, to compensate for the traffic and adhere to the schedule as much as possible.\nMay said the Bloomington Transit Company is planning a unique Global Positioning System program in conjunction with the IU Campus Bus system. \n"This would be a GPS locator system that would enable us to see on a computer screen where our buses are in the city," May said. "This allows us to use the data to improve our time performance and scheduling."\nMay said he expects in the next year to have GPS installed and running on the 1, 2, 4 and 5 routes.\nFor passengers, Lilly said there are ways they can help out in order to arrive places on time.\n"If it is during a rush hour time I recommend that you call the company and ask if the buses are running on time," Lilly said. "Don't try and schedule your day so close to the bus schedule, meaning leave earlier than usual."\n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.
(10/31/03 5:57am)
Former Bloomington Mayor and U.S. Congressman Frank McCloskey was released from the hospital Tuesday after a 12-day stay. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in September 2002. \nBorn in 1939 in Pennsylvania, McCloskey served as a newspaper reporter from 1961 to 1968, when he graduated from IU. He obtained his law degree from the IU Law School in 1971, and then held the mayoral office in Bloomington from 1972 to 1982. During that time, he implemented an ambulance service, a mass transportation service, civil rights service and a housing inspection program. Also during his time in office, McCloskey lobbied for federal funding to rehabilitate sub-standard housing. Elected in 1983 to Congress, McCloskey continued his fight to help and educate Americans until 1995.\nCity council member-at-large Anthony Pizzo said he has known McCloskey for almost 30 years. \n"When he was elected mayor he became the leader of the Democratic Party," he said. "He fought for the traditional kind of working man, and he is the reason why I am a Democrat."\nPatricia Cole, member-at-large of the city council, said she thinks very highly of McCloskey because he never puts himself on a pedestal.\nMcCloskey was not available for comment.\n-- Contact staff writer Mike Malik at mjmalik@indiana.edu.