Symphony Close to Fundraising Goal

According to IBJ.com, "Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians are hoping they'll be able to move forward with a new five-year labor contract even though the ISO is still about $900,000 short of reaching an important $5 million fundraising target only a week before the deadline."

Amazing how Indy can throw money at the Pacers and the Colts, but not towards the symphony orchestra. (The Capital Improvements Board should be about more than ball sports. Will they add yet another and put soccer ahead of, in this case, music? Inquiring minds want to know.)

This Indianapolis Observer hopes an intelligent philanthropist (or several) steps up PDQ.

(Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra)

Burmese American Community Institute

The grand opening of the Burmese American Community Institute Center will be from 6 to 9 p.m. 25 January in the Perry Township Government Center, Suite 200, 4925 Shelby Street, Indianapolis.

BACI is an ethnic community based organization established to assist the growing Burmese refugee population in Indianapolis.

The group will focus initially on advocacy, education and employment.

Most of the Burmese (an estimated 7000 people) are from the Chin ethnic group and live on the southside of Indy.

(Hat tip to Provocate.org for the information)

Monday Holiday Hits Trash Schedule, Again

The Indianapolis Department of Public Works notes that curbside recycling, residential and heavy trash will operate on a slide schedule next week in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

All residential trash, heavy trash and curbside recycling routes will run one day behind for the entire week.

Monday routes will be serviced on Tuesday, 22 January; Tuesday routes will be serviced on Wednesday, 23 January, and so on.

All services will return to normal schedules on 28 January.

Becoming Ray Bradbury

One of this Indianapolis Observer's favorite authors is Ray Bradbury (pictured).

The author of "The Martian Chronicles", "Fahrenheit 451" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes" is the subject of a presentation by Jonathan R. Eller, who's on the faculty of the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

He discusses "Becoming Ray Bradbury" during an 11:30 a.m. presentation tomorrow (17 January) in the Faculty Club of the IUPUI Conference Center, 850 West Michigan Street.

Dr. Eller chronicles the making of this iconic American writer by exploring Bradbury’s childhood and early years of his long life in fiction, film, television, radio, and theater. The author measures the impact of the authors, artists, illustrators, and filmmakers who stimulated Bradbury’s imagination throughout his first three decades.

A buffet lunch is available for $13 inclusive of tax and gratuity. Dessert and lemonade/ice tea/soft drinks are extra. For more information, contact Gail Williamson (gwilliam@iupui.edu).

US Army Captain Honored with Medal by Germany

On November 20, 2012, US Army Captain Brian Kain was awarded the German Armed Forces Foreign Duty Medal for his service in Afghanistan. Captain Kain had been the section chief for all infrastructural measures of the Afghan troops schools in Kabul for almost one year in the 2010/11 time frame.

The Foreign Duty Medal of the German Armed Forces is awarded for participating in humanitarian, peacekeeping, and peacemaking missions abroad. Foreign armed forces may be honored for special services to the German Armed Forces during foreign missions.

Captain Kain has displayed outstanding personal commitment to successfully building up Afghan troops schools and by that has selflessly performed valuable services for the German engagement in supporting the buildup of the Afghan National Army.

The award was presented at a ceremony hosted by the Indiana Army National Guard at Indianapolis, Indiana, by the German Honorary Consul, Sven Schumacher. Amongst the first to congratulate Captain Kain on his award was Major General R. Martin Umbarger, Indiana Adjutant General.

(Thanks to the German Missions in the United States for this news item.)

Newest CIB Windfall

"I'm telling you folks that the City of Indianapolis is under the complete control of an organized crime syndicate that is stealing hundreds of millions of public dollars to benefit the personal business endeavors of a handful of individuals who've bought off the entire elected leadership of this city."

So says Gary R. Welsh on AdvanceIndiana.blogspot.com.

This Indianapolis Observer is inclined to agree, and certainly misses a watchdog media in Indy. Never thought Pulliam ownership of the paper would mark the good old days (you know, when The Indianapolis Star won Pulitzers for uncovering malfeasance.

You?

Why are Hoosier Lawmakers Such Idiots?

A state senator in Indiana introduced a bill on Thursday [3 January] that would give public school districts the authority to mandate daily recitations of the Lord’s Prayer in public classrooms. (Read more here.)

Why waste taxpayer money and time with an obviously unconstitutional piece of legislation?

Why do we keep electing folks like Dennis Krause to the Indiana legislature?

Hoosier hicks, indeed!