Bright Lights, Big City?

"No matter how much Indianapolis performs as a major-league city, there are those who will never consider it anything more than a few high-rises amid a sea of cornfields tended to by a bunch of hayseeds."

Thus sayeth on Anthony Schoettle IBJ.com. Read the rest here: "Can Indy's big-league efforts outrun small-town image?"

Snow Delays Indy Trash Pickup

All residential trash, heavy trash and curbside recycling routes will run one day behind this week, according to the City of Indianapolis.

Monday routes will be serviced today (26 March); Tuesday routes will be serviced tomorrow (27 March), and so on.

All services will return to normal schedules Monday (1 April).

Find out how white, black and Latino residents responded when Somali refugees moved to a rural American town in the award-winning documentary Welcome to Shelbyville.

The film screens from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. Wednesday (27 March) in the Krannert Room at the Indiana Interchurch Center, 1100 West 42nd Street, Indianapolis.

Welcome to Shelbyville explores immigrant integration and the interplay between race, religion, and identity in a dynamic dialogue. The story is an intimate portrayal of a community’s struggle to understand what it means to be American.

After the movie, discuss what lessons Indianapolis can learn from this community's experience grappling with rapidly changing demographics. The event is sponsored by Welcoming Indianapolis, a project of the Immigrant Welcome Center.

Reservations are requested at rsvp@immigrantwelcomecenter.org.

Indy Snow Force Ready for Heavy Snowfall

According to the City of Indianapolis, forecasts are predicting heavy snowfall, ranging from three to seven inches or more, beginning early Sunday morning and continuing through Monday afternoon or longer.

Indy Snow Force will activate at full force (90 trucks) beginning at 11 p.m. Saturday and extending through Monday, as needed.

Citizens with disabilities or those who may need medical or health-related assistance should contact Connect 2 Help at 211, or 926-HELP (926-4357). Residents may also visit www.Connect2Help.org for more information.

Marion County Lost Population

Indiana’s urban counties lose population even as people flock to large communities, reports the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University.

The center has examined migration data derived from federal income tax returns to analyze migration flows into and out of all 92 Indiana counties. As in other states, people in Indiana tend to settle in or near urban counties.

Urban core counties such as Marion, Lake, Allen, and St. Joseph have the highest level of in-migration in the state, but have even higher levels of out-migration, leading to negative net migration in these counties.

The study — “Indiana Migration Flows: An Analysis of IRS Data” — also found that suburban counties, such as Hamilton and Hendricks, have higher levels of in-migration than out-migration.

About 60 percent of migration activity occurs from people moving within the state, the study found.

For more information, contact Dagney Faulk, CBER’s research director at dgfaulk@bsu.edu or 765:285-5926.

Butterfly Kaleidoscope

Your Indianapolis Observer's favorite exhibit opens Friday (22 March) in the Hilbert Conservatory at the White River Gardens (next to the Indianapolis Zoo), 1200 East Washington Street, Indianapolis.

"Butterfly Kaleidoscope" lets visitors immerse themselves in the beauty of these wonderful winged insects as they return to the indoor gardens after a two-year hiatus.

As you walk through the tropical environment, 40 species of butterflies will flit nearby — and one might even land on you. Each day, new butterflies, such as the Blue Morpho, Monarch and Great Owl butterflies, will be released from the chamber.

Learn about the metamorphosis of these creatures — from egg to larva to pupa to butterfly. Feel the soft flutter of their wings as they float by on their way to take a drink nectar from glass feeders hand blown by Gloria’s Garden Glass. Children also will love the new interactive butterfly building station, where they can make a giant replica of these interesting insects.

Indy Author Makes the New York Times

OK, so it's not a review in the book section of the Sunday edition of the New York Times, but it's probably a mention that will be read in its entirety by more people.

Arthur Emery Farnsley II's Flea Market Jesus was the subject of a one-sentence book review in the Sunday magazine section on 10 March.

The entire review? "The folk religion of white Middle America."

Dr. Farnsley is Research Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis, and Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture.

You can read more about his latest book here and here.

(Photo courtesy of ArtFarnsley.com)