R.I.P. Andrew Jacobs Jr.

Former U.S. Representative Andrew Jacobs Jr., a Democrat from Indiana who fought in the Korean War and later became an early opponent of the Vietnam War, died on Saturday [28 December] at his home in Indianapolis at age 81.

Trash Pick-Up to Slide

OK, Indy residents: there will be NO trash pick-up on December 25 or January 1.

But you knew that, right?

All routes will operate on a slide schedule. Wednesday routes will be serviced on Thursday; Thursday routes will be collected on Friday, and Friday routes will be addressed on Saturday.

On your collection day, be sure to place your trash at the curb or in the alley before 7 a.m. to ensure proper pickup.

Indy's in the News, and Not in a Good Way

It's made the national news, folks. Kessler Estate For Sale recounts the story of the, ummmm, over-the-top extravaganza of a "house" at 4923 Kessler Boulevard East Drive, Indianapolis.

Yeah: the whole country can now gape at the late Jerry A. Hostetler's confection ("outlandish" doesn't begin to describe it; maybe "Midwestern Vegas Versailles" comes closer).

All 26,000-square-feet (plus "landscaped" yard) can be yours for less than $1.3 million. The real estate guy says it's "right in the heart" of Indy. Well, not really. But it isn't in Carmel, either.

Brrr! It's Cold! Time to Go Ice Skating!

Public Skating in the Youth Arena at the Indiana State Fairgrounds takes place seven days a week.

Hours are 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 3 to 5 p.m. and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday; 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $6 for skaters 4 and older; children 3 and younger are free. Skate rental is $5 for hockey skates and $4 for figure skates.

The Youth Arena Skate Shop sells new and used skates and hockey equipment and does skate repairs and sharpening Wanna know more? call 317:927-7622.

(Photo by Tom Pickering)

Eskenazi Oops!

No, Eskenazi Health, you are not thankful for your principle donors. You are thankful for your principal donors.

(See double-truck ad in the Indianapolis Business Journal for 9-15 December.)

Principle: A basic truth, law, or assumption. Principal: First, highest, or foremost in importance.

Nice to know that neither the officials at Eskenazi nor its ad agency are well versed in English.

One Book / Two Cities

Indianapolis and our Sister City of Cologne, Germany, are trying something new.

You're aware of the "One Book, One City" initiatives: a nation-wide program in which everyone in a community reads the same book. Typically an annual event, the program is intended to foster a sense of community, promote reading among adults, and celebrate literature.

Indy has done this before. In 2009, for example, the book was Some Buried Caesar, a Nero Wolfe mystery by Indiana native son Rex Stout.

This is the first time, however, that two cities in two different countries will be reading and discussing the same book.

The choice is Vienna, a novel by Austrian author Eva Menasse. The book is available free (while, as they say, supplies last) at Indianapolis-Marion County Public Libraries. There also will be copies available for the usual library loan.

Vienna loops forward and back over the course of a century to follow a part-Jewish family separated by the Nazi invasion and World War II. The exchange of stories and anecdotes across generations is the principle means for family members to reclaim their roots – even if they do lead back to generational paradox.

Indianapolis and Cologne have exchanged library staff recently. This partnership is designed to bring our communities together around reading and discussing one book.

There's more on the Indianapolis Public Library website.

A video of the introduction of the book (including a Skype session with the Cologne library staff) is here:

Watching Indy Downtown Spin

Indianapolis Downtown Inc. is frantically trying to recast Friday's shameful shutdown of cocoa and cookie sales by the youth group of Christ Church Cathedral into an "oops" moment.

As they have for years, the kids were raising funds through sales of goodies to those attending the lighting of the Monument on on the Circle.

Note that the church predates the monument by decades, and that the "clean zone" sales restrictions were "forced" on Indy by the 2012 Super Bowl.

IDI called on city Code Enforcement to shut down the kids' fundraiser, which was conducted in front of their Monument Circle church.

There's no way this will reflect positively on the IDI "thugs", even as they pledge to "make up" the lost sales revenue.

(See also And a Merry Christmas to You and Ogden on Politics. WTHR-13 also had a segment with a very embarrassed Bob Schultz of IDI trying to "explain" what happened.)

UPDATE:
In yet another instance of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing, IDI announces "Velocity" today (3 December), a downtown development update, which includes "Encourage guerrilla-style street events that surprise people and use public spaces."

Except, evidently, when IDI calls out Indy Code Enforcement to shut down street events that use public spaces.

Such hypocrisy!

And a Merry Christmas to You

The Indianapolis Star has the story: "Busted by the city for selling cookies during the Circle of Lights, the youth group at Christ Church Cathedral will receive an apology and a check from Indianapolis Downtown Inc. to make up for their lost revenues."

Let's see if your Indianapolis Observer has this right: the youth group of the church right there on Monument Circle for well more than a century is busted for selling cookies and cocoa in front of said church.

Why? Evidently this: "a new city ordinance, enacted for the 2012 Super Bowl, that requires sidewalk vendors during Downtown events to get a city permit to sell their wares."

Even when the city is taking up all the space in front of said church for a holiday event.

Of course, the "raid" happened because Indianapolis Downtown (obviously oblivious to the irony), "asked city code enforcement officials to do a 'sweep' of unauthorized vendors selling food and other items around Monument Circle during the lighting ceremony Friday night."

It would seem that they wanted to benefit from all the souvenir selling and refreshment sales during "their"event. They should be ashamed.



UPDATE:
As Paul K. Ogden noted in his blog today (2 December): "questions should be asked as to why city officials are taking orders from a private organization such as IDI."

Questions, indeed!

Indianapolis Downtown Inc. needs a slap upside the head, not more of our tax dollars!