New Microbrewery Coming to Fountain Square

A trio of entrepreneurs plans to open Fountain Square Brewing Company at 1301 Barth Avenue later this summer, according to IBJ.com.

The three partners, Bill Webster, Jeff Gibson and Justin Brown, described themselves to IBJ as avid home brewers with diverse business backgrounds.

Ice Storm Parking Citations Voided

The Department of Public Works and the Indianapolis City Prosecutor’s Office have announced that all parking citations issued for overtime meters last Tuesday and Wednesday (1-2 February).

During the worst of the ice storm, the City understands that tickets were issued to cars that were iced in and unable to be moved. Those who have already paid their tickets will receive refunds in a few weeks.

Individuals who received parking citations last week, for reasons other than parking at an expired meter, may request a hearing if they believe they have a weather related defense. A hearing may be requested through the City’s denial process.

Doug Calisch: The Biography of Objects

"The Biography of Objects", an exhibition by Doug Calisch, will be on display in Gallery 924 at the Arts Council of Indianapolis, 924 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, through 25 February.

Calisch "rescues" discarded objects that have already served their original purpose and gives them new life and new meaning in these thoughtful and detailed sculptures.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday.

A teacher and artist, Calisch has recently completed his twenty-ninth year of teaching at Wabash College. He received his M.F.A. in sculpture from the University of Minnesota in 1979 and his B.F.A. in 1976 from the University of Illinois.

"That each collected article shows signs of natural wear or past human activity intrigues me and suggests each sculptural assemblage has an expansive history beyond my involvement with the materials. It is not unlike archeology. The work becomes collaborative, combining my actions with acts previous to mine," he writes.

Two Interesting News Bites

1. Indiana utility regulators approved a 26 percent increase in water rates for Indianapolis Water customers yesterday.

2. The Mayor has left Indy to watch the Super Bowl in Dallas. Or, as The Indianapolis Times says, "The side streets are still like skating rinks and sidewalks in most parts of the city remain impassable, but that doesn't stop Mayor Greg Ballard from heading out of town on another taxpayer funded junket."

Three Plays by Arabs at IndyFringe Theatre

Three works by Arab playwrights will be staged at IndyFringe Theater, 719 East St. Clair Street, Indianapolis, at 7:30 p.m. on both February 18 and 19.

In the one-act plays, audiences are transported to the Middle East to examine these war-torn lands. "Between War and Peace", "Baggage" and "A Tree at the Border" offer the perspectives of playwrights from Egypt, Palestine and Jordan on what it means to be human in such trying times.

"Between War and Peace" by Tawfiq al-Hakim of Egypt is a comic allegory. The seductive Politica, wife of War, sits in her boudoir flirting with her clandestine suitor Peace.

"Baggage" by Fateh Azzam of Palestine is a one-person drama featuring off-stage voices. In an airport waiting lounge, a traveler struggles with the baggage of his past. He is torn between boarding a flight to his future and leaving his baggage behind, or checking it once more for a return flight to his emotional memories as young refugee.

"A Tree at the Border" is a new play by Mahmood Zyoudi of Jordan. In a little village far from the halls of power, there is a great tree around which life has revolved for generations. However, one day a Blue Hat from the United Nations appears to announce a cease-fire in a war no one understands. A new international boundary cuts the village, and their tree, in half. How can the villagers unite one more time around their tree? Perhaps an arranged wedding between a lowly laborer from one side and an orphaned girl from the other will succeed where all else fails.

The trio of plays are presented by the Hanover College Theater. Tickets, available online, are $15 for adults.

Super Bowl...Minus One Year

As Dallas gears up for Sunday's Super Bowl, Indy is contrasting its snow and ice handling abilities with that of the Lone Star State. As IBJ.com reports today, questions for the Indianapolis 2012 committee at the media event in Texas Stadium revolved around the weather.

Indy's theme for next year's bowl embraces the season with “Get your winter on! It’s cool.”

While careful not to disparage Dallas' snow removal efforts, Indy committee members pointed out at today's media event that wintry weather is a central Indiana constant, and that we're prepared.

Meanwhile, there's been only one change to yesterday's announcement about trash pickup. Regularly-scheduled Tuesday pickup is postponed to next Tuesday. As noted yesterday, Wednesday through Friday pickups will run one day later.

City Services Affected by Weather

All City and County employees not essential to Public Safety and Public Works operations will be sent home at noon today (1 February). Sworn police officers and Department of Public Works fleet, forestry and other support services for the ice storm, including the Mayor’s Action Center, will continue to work, and primary routes and thoroughfares will continue to be treated for the next 48 hours or more.

AND

The Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) has suspended solid waste services for today. This includes residential trash (hand collection, automated collection, and containerized collection from condominiums), heavy trash, and curbside recycling. Weather permitting, all services will resume tomorrow (2 February), and will run one day behind for the rest of the week.

(These announcements from the mayor's office.)