Polar Realms Arrive in Indy

A new exhibit, Polar Bears to Penguins, opens tomorrow at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis.

Children and families can explore the polar extremes and learn about the ways these two geographic opposites play a role in our environment – even here in the Midwest. Visitors will learn about the ways in which the Arctic and Antarctic regions look the same, but are home to very different animals, plants and people.

Gang Prevention & Intervention Summit

A gang prevention and intervention summit will be held 6 November at Crispus Attucks High School, Indianapolis. Unfortunately, the city lists no time period for this event on its website, but perhaps before the day arrives they will have figured it out.

The summit is co-sponsored by the City of Indianapolis, the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office, United States Department of Justice and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

Registration for this free, public event is open now through 1 November by calling 317:327-3928 or go online.

Lucas Buys Hilbert Mansion!

The founders of Lucas Oil Products Inc. today announced they are purchasing the former mansion in Carmel of disgraced businessman Stephen Hilbert.

Forrest Lucas, an Indiana native whose company owns the naming rights to Lucas Oil Stadium in neighboring Indianapolis, said he did not know exactly what he and his wife, Charlotte, will do with the 36-room mansion.

By the way: they bought it from CNO Financial Group for $3 million, a steep discount to the original $20 million asking price. (Wonder why Tomisue and Steve didn't just buy it back?)

Poll Workers Needed

More than 3,500 workers are needed to work the 2 November general election in Marion County. If you would like to volunteer to work at the polls on election day, please contact the Clerk's office at 317:327-5100, or you can fill out a form to volunteer by clicking here.

Gallery 924 Opens

The Arts Council of Indianapolis has opened its own exhibition space. Gallery 924, a 1300-square-foot space, is located within the Arts Council offices at (not surprisingly) 924 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis.

The gallery opened last Friday (1 October) with an exhibition by glass artist Ben Johnson (that's one of his works, pictured), which will run through 29 October.

Gallery hours are 6-9 p.m. on "First Fridays", 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through "regular" Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays.

Remember the Ayres Tearoom?

Take a step back into the 20th Century at Signature in the Indianapolis Propylaeum, 1410 North Delaware Street, in Indy's Old Northside neighborhood.

On 13 October, women who were models at the late, lamented L.S. Ayres & Company will walk among diners at lunch, presenting lovely fall fashions.

Reservations are a must for this special event, which starts at 11:30 a.m. Lunch cost is $18, plus gratuity. Call 317:638-7881. If you can't get there in October, there'll be another chance on 10 November.

Regular lunch hours at Signature are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and English tea is served from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Imagining Slaves as Loyal Confederates

"Imagining Slaves as Loyal Confederates: A Dangerous and Enduring Fantasy" is the title of a presentation by Dr. Peter Carmichael at 5:30 p.m. 21 October in Room 450A, Campus Center, Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. It's a "Barlow Lecture in the Humanities" presented by the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. A reception follows.

His talk will explore the idea of the "devoted black slave" during the Civil War and how the historical memory of this form of human bondage continues to shape contemporary politics today.

"The notion that slaves and whites served together in Confederate armies out of mutual fidelity resonates with large segments of the American public who desire a sanitized Civil War of white heroism," says Carmichael, the Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies and Director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania

"In the current cultural wars over 'Southern heritage', those who want to disassociate the Confederacy from the evils of slavery and racism often trot out the idea of loyal slaves defending the South to prove that human bondage forged an unbreakable alliance between master and the enslaved. Extolling slaves as Confederate heroes is a dangerous misuse of history, and unfortunately the practice has been on the rise of late, especially among members of heritage groups who insist that they are the true defenders of Southern history," says the professor.

A 1988 graduate of the Department of History, Dr. Carmichael is also the 2010 recipient of the School of Liberal Arts Distinguished Alumni Award. The Award recognizes alumni who have brought honor to their alma mater by distinguished career of service or achievement or by giving extraordinary service to the School. The Award will be presented following the Barlow Lecture.