“Father of Environmental Justice” to Speak at IUPUI

The activist and college professor who has been called the "Father of Environmental Justice" will speak on justice in public transportation during a half-day seminar at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianpaolis beginning at 1 p.m. 11 April.

Robert Bullard, director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University, will be the keynote speaker for the "Just Transportation - New Routes to Equity and Opportunity," seminar to be held in Room 101 of the IUPUI Lecture Hall, 325 University Boulevard, Indianapolis. A panel discussion follow the lecture.

2008 Arbor Day Celebration

Arbor Day -- the holiday centered around trees, especially in urban settings -- will be celebrated from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 25 April in the Indiana State Museum, White River State Park, Indianapolis. There'll be all sorts of educational activities and ecological fun.

Tim Womick (pictured, at right) of Tree Family is scheduled to speak, Johnny Appleseed plans to be there, and so will Rupert Boneham of Survivor.

Additional support provided by Indy Parks, The Nature Conservancy and the Indiana Urban Forest Council. The program is included with paid museum admission. For additional information, contact Dave Fox.

One Night, One Stage, One Reason

Thirteen different Indianapolis performing arts organizations will converge on the stage of Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University for one night of entertainment, complete with music, dance, theatre and spoken word. "Spotlight 2008"The program, beginning at 7:30 p.m. 21 April, benefits the Indiana AIDS Fund.

Host organization is Dance Kaleidoscope. Other arts groups participating are Butler Ballet, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Indianapolis Opera, Kenyetta Dance Company, Indianapolis Children’s Choir, Indianapolis Men’s Chorus, Meridian Song Project, Phoenix Theatre, Gregory Hancock Dance Company, Asia LaBouche of The Ladies of Legends at Talbott Street and Brenda Williams. More will be added as they're confirmed (last year, there were 20 different participant groups).

Tickets, $32.50 and $100, are available at the Clowes Hall box office, all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster website or 317:239-1000.

Indy's Own Quilt Detective

Are you interested in learning more about a quilt? Bring it to the Indiana State Museum between 2 and 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Certified Quilt historian Caryl Shuetz will help visitors solve the mystery of a quilt’s age, design, and fabrics. Participants will also learn the story behind the women who made these historical treasures. Cost is $5 per person (in addition to museum admission).

This program is held in conjunction with the “Quilting Blocks & Binding Threads” exhibit at the Indiana State Museum, 650 West Washington Street, Indianapolis. For more information on this program or the exhibit, call 317:232-1637.

End of an Era

ATA Airlines announced this morning that it is shutting down all operations and canceling all current and future flights, according to news reports.

More than 2,200 employees are out of a job. ATA also says it can no longer honor passenger reservations or tickets.

The airline shut down operations as of 3 a.m. Thursday morning. Customers who arrived for flights at Midway International Airport in Chicago were turned away Thursday morning, while employees who showed up for work were told they were no longer needed.

The move comes after the airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday in Indianapolis. In a statement posted on its website this morning, the airline said it had become impossible to continue operations after the loss of a key contract for its military charter business.

Just Outside Indy

Hoosiers for Hillary will have its Hendricks County Organizational Meeting at 6 p.m. tomorrow (3 April) in the Washington Township Public Library, 498 North State Road 267, Avon.

Indy's Hat is in the Ring

Indianapolis has officially submitted a preliminary bid to host the 2012 Super Bowl, according to Inside INdiana Business. Indianapolis Super Bowl Bid Committee President Mark Miles tells Inside INdiana Business that the package has arrived at the National Football League offices. Miles says each bid set includes 10 three-ring binders filled with pages of information on what the city would do if it were to land the big game.