Ballard to Appear in Pike Township

Here's your chance, northwestsiders! Mayor Greg Ballard will be at the 7 p.m. gathering of the Pike Township Residents' Association tonight (9 June) in the Pike Township Government Center, 5665 Lafayette Road, Indianapolis.

Bring your questions, concerns, ideas -- and hear the answers from the mayor himself.

What to ask about? Oh, the water company/gas company, bike lanes, City Market, subsidy for the Pacers...this Indianapolis Observer has a few!

Anderson for State Senate?

According to Democratic operative Terry Burns, two-term Marion County Sheriff Frank J. Anderson will be announcing in the next few days that he’s running for the Indiana Senate seat now held by Republican Jim Merritt.

This Indianapolis Observer can't wait to see how Anderson will field questions about his running of the Marion County Jail.....

Sports Team Owners Try to Make Nice

In what Simon Crookall, president of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, termed "an unprecedented partnership", the owners of two of Indianapolis’ professional sports teams, Jim Irsay of the Indianapolis Colts and Herb Simon of the Indiana Pacers, have agreed to serve as Co-Chairmen of ISO’s Capital Campaign Committee.

This Indianapolis Observer is...speechless!

Indianapolis Prize Announced

Save the Elephants founder Iain Douglas-Hamilton (center in photo) has been named the 2010 recipient of the Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. In recognition for his
lifetime achievements, Dr. Douglas-Hamilton will receive $100,000 and the Lilly Medal at a gala ceremony 25 September at The Westin Hotel, Indianapolis.

Born in Dorset, England, Douglas-Hamilton grew up in Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa, attended Gordonstoun School in Scotland and received his bachelor’s degree and doctorate from the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. He currently works and resides in Nairobi, Kenya.

In 1993, Douglas-Hamilton founded Save the Elephants (STE) in Northern Kenya, in order to create an effective and flexible nonprofit dedicated specifically to elephants. The organization works to sustain elephant populations and preserve the habitats in which elephants are found, while at the same time fostering a heightened appreciation and visibility for elephants and their often fragile existence.

The biennial $100,000 Indianapolis Prize represents the largest individual monetary award for animal conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen honoree. The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant component of its mission to empower people and communities, both local and global, to advance animal conservation. This biennial award brings the world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal species.

Holcomb To Discuss the "Real" Billy Pilgrim

Who was the real-life soldier who inspired the Billy Pilgrim character central to Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five? Historian Grant Holcomb will tell the story of this soldier at 7 p.m. 8 June in the Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis. It's sponsored by the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library.

Politicians Park Free; Handicapped Fee Doubled

As noted in The Indianapolis Star and elsewhere today, the Indianapolis Airport Authority has announced an end to its discount parking for the handicapped (instead of paying $9 a day to park in the parking garage adjacent to the terminal, the fee is now $18 a day).

However, as Advance Indiana points out, Indiana's state legislators, mayors and councilors will still be able to park at the airport for free.

This Indianapolis Observer is not surprised. It's kinda like handing the Pacers $15 million while closing city swimming pools and library branches.

Celebrate the Opening of 100 Acres

100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park opens at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Road, on 20 June. The Park site is bordered by the White River and adjacent to the IMA’s current 52-acre campus.

An Artists Forum is set for 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on 19 June in the IMA's Tobias Theater. The IMA commissioned eight contemporary artists from around the world to respond to the 100 Acres site with installations that comment on the nexus of art and nature. Hear the artists in dialogue about their work with the curators, park architects, and IMA staff who collaborated to bring 100 Acres to life. The forum will include park artists and architects as well as Lisa D. Freiman, Chair, Department of Contemporary Art at the IMA; Sarah Urist Green, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art; and Maxwell Anderson, The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO.

A Preview with Artists & Architect begins at 6 p.m. on 19 June. Members and other VIPs will explore the site-specific works of art, see the completed Visitors Pavilion designed by architect Marlon Blackwell, and experience the landscape journeys designed by landscape architect Ed Blake. Tickets are $125 (for IMA members only) and include both the preview and opening party, which is 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets just for the part are $50 for IMA members and $80 for others.

Performers at the opening party are Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, Dayna Kurtz, Liz Janes, Arrington de Dionyso, Helado Negro, Jordan Munson, Epstein, The Outside Orchestra and DJ Kyle Long.

Casual festive attire is the dress for this "rain or shine" celebration. Note: Be sure to dress for the weather; there will be no tents.

On 20 June, bring the family and enjoy a free celebration of the grand opening between noon and 5 p.m.