Region

Opera’s simple set contributes to great performance

By Joshua Apkin · Wednesday, July 16,2008 7:37 p.m.

Unless you count the piano for the music and the all-black costumes, two benches were all that were used for Eric Anderson Jr.’s production of “Down In The Valley.”The one-act opera began

Not the whole story

Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:19 p.m.

I have to say I was interested in your article about I-69 when I first saw it mentioned on the second section of the latest IDS. I have been wondering what everyone’s HUGE complaints were. When I moved back to Bloomington in December of 1996, one of the first things I saw of this town was an I-69 protest meeting at my new middle school. First they were complaining that they should take care of the roads they have, that the highway was going to go through Amish property, along with the obvious environmental issues. I never knew how much of a compromise was struck on some of the issues that could be tackled like going through Amish land, and that’s what I was really interested in.

Goodbye Mr. Sims

Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:17 p.m.

We are writing to say goodbye to a dear friend and colleague, Damon Sims, associate vice provost for student affairs. Damon is leaving IU for Penn State where he will be vice president of student affairs. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Damon over the year, know that he is an exceptionally gifted, intelligent and caring human being. We can only express our sorrow and regret that we are losing such a fine and vital member of our community.

Have compassion for homeless

Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:15 p.m.

Though I applaud the IDS for addressing the issue of poverty in Bloomington (“Getting By,” 07/03), I took great offense at the article’s moralizing conclusion that “one thing is uniformly detrimental to curing the problem of poverty: giving spare change to panhandlers.”

Pack your bags, Billy

By Cory Barker · Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:11 p.m.

There’s not much that can ruin a college basketball game, no matter who is playing or what the outcome is, especially during March Madness. But each and every year, there is one thing – a man actually – who ruins everyone’s viewing experience: Billy Packer. For fans like me, today couldn’t be better. The sun is shining, there are no clouds in the sky and Billy Packer was finally removed from his position at CBS as main college basketball analyst.

The great divide

By Nick Wallace · Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:09 p.m.

His evident mentality of division is why I feel sorry for the man who thought slapping this sticker on his pickup truck was a good idea. He’s an unfortunate addict of the poisonous negativism cooked up by the likes of Karl Rove, although he has plenty of contemporaries across the partisan divide.

Guide to the county fair

By Georgia Perry · Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:07 p.m.

It’s July in Indiana, and that can only mean one thing: County fair season is upon us! No matter which Indiana county you call home, it is important that you heed certain behavioral “musts” in order to enjoy your fair fully. Almost all of us will share a very similar experience which will unite us with our brothers and sisters across the state the way television does when it isn’t July and people don’t have to eat fried things in order to have fun.

Tank is half full

By Ashley Ames · Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:05 p.m.

The current trends in gasoline prices have led many Americans to envision a world in which the price displays on gas pumps resemble slot machines along the Vegas strip, numbers spinning in constant upward motion. Already, I find myself saying, “In the good old days, I could fill up my car for less than $20!”

'The right to offend'

Wednesday, July 16,2008 6:03 p.m.

The editorial cartoonist and his or her editor make an odd couple: One doesn’t like getting censored, the other doesn’t like getting sued. More intriguing, however, is the relationship of a cartoonist to the people, groups and ideas he or she satirizes, if not the government that punishes him or her for doing so.