Equal Opportunities for Hoosiers

“Navigating the Changing Landscape in Housing, Education and Employment” is the title for a conference sponsored by the Indiana Civil Rights Commission and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.

It will take place 26 and 27 April in the Indiana Historical Society and the North Meridian campus of Ivy Tech Community College.

The conference is free and open to the public. To register, contact Brad Meadows, at 317:232-2651.

R.I.P., Chuck Workman

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that Chuck Workman has died.

UPDATE:
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Friday (30 March) at Flanner and Buchanan-Washington Park North, 2706 Kessler Boulevard West Drive, Indianapolis (map). Burial will be in Washington Park North Kessler Woods.

Melangton to Replace Williams

This just in from IBJ.com: Allison Melangton, who led organizing efforts for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl, will succeed Susan Williams as president of the Indiana Sports Corporation.

More here.

The Beginnings of Politics?

"The Tragic Philosophy of Machiavelli" is the topic for a presentation by philosophy professor Ursula Niklas Peterson at 4:30 p.m. 30 March.

The talk, part of the School of Liberal Arts Sabbatical Speaker Series, takes place in CE 268 on the Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis campus.

She notes that Machiavelli is the first to reject the Platonic unity of human excellence. The fragmentation of value, Machiavelli teaches, results in the tragic conflict between moral goodness and political excellence.

It's a School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI 40th Anniversary Event.

No Italian Fest This June

Although there's no mention of it on the church website, The Indianapolis Star is reporting this morning that the annual Italian Festival has been cancelled.

Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church, host for the foodie fest held the second weekend in June, says the usual chairman has reneged, and it's too late to find a substitute.

This Indianapolis Observer can't wait to hear the real story!

This Just In....

From Indy Parks Customer Service today:

"The incident at Northwestway Park on Thursday night will not be tolerated and will remain a fun and safe place for adults and youth to recreate. It is our goal to be a proactive force to prevent any more negative occurrences in our parks."

This Indianapolis Observer is so relieved that the Parks Department won't tolerate shootings after all. Now, if they could only get their grammar right....

Peyton to Broncos?

According to the Huffington Post, "The Peyton Manning free agency sweepstakes is apparently over. According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Manning has chosen to be the next quarterback of the Denver Broncos."

"If Peyton Manning succeeds in Denver it will cast a shadow over Indianapolis that Colts owner Jim Irsay will be unable to outrun or outlive." -- IBJ.com

We Made the News in Britain

"Gunfire erupted as throngs were celebrating a mild St Patrick's Day along a popular downtown canal in Indianapolis and at least five teenagers were wounded by shots, two critically, police said.

"The shots rang out Saturday night near the Downtown Canal on the west side of this Midwest city shortly after 10pm, police spokeswoman Linda Jackson said in a statement.

"The canal with its pedestrian pathway and restaurants dotting the area is a popular gathering place and had been thronged during the weekend, reports said."

Read more here: Daily Mail, a newspaper in the United Kingdom, where it made front page news.

A Word of Advice for Mayor Ballard

"Wherever you have successful cases of multicultural society you generally find there is a leader who has made his or her reputation by bringing out all of the benefits of diversity and making people proud of being in the community that they’re in."

This Indianapolis Observer hopes that Mayor Greg Ballard realizes Indy must be one of those "successful cases".

(Read more on the topic here: "Multiculturalism Works".)

A Four-Leaf Clover is Not a Shamrock

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, your Indianapolis Observer wishes to point out that a four-leaf clover (while a symbol of good luck) is not an emblem of 17 March, or of Ireland.

According to Wikipedia, a shamrock is said to have been used by Saint Patrick in the 5th century to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity ("three in one").

Shamrocks, therefore, have three leaves, not four.

The Star Censors the Comics

No surprise here, folks.

The powers that be at The Indianapolis Star have decided that Hoosiers need to be protected from Doonesbury this week.

The work-around? Go online and read the series here.

Yes, it's a series of panels on women's rights. Evidently something The Star doesn't believe in.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Ensemble Voltaire plays "J.S. Bach: Musical Offering" twice this season.

The first concert begins at 7:30 p.m. 30 March in Trinity Episcopal Church, 3243 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis.

The second is set for 2 p.m. 1 April in the Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis.

Ticket information is online at Indy Baroque Music.

Extravagant Travel as Tip of the Iceberg

"For some time, Indianapolis has been a wide open town where public corruption can breed, a place where elected officials won't [ask] tough questions when it comes to the misuse of the public's money."

This Indianapolis Observer (still steaming over the parking meter give-away and fuming at the Broad Ripple Parking Garage boondoggle) reluctantly agrees with Paul K. Ogden's assessment.

Read all his comments (spurred by John Clark's globetrotting on the public dime) here: IBJ Reports Airport CEO John Clark's Extravagant Travel.

UPDATE:
"The Indianapolis Airport Authority announced late Monday afternoon that CEO John D. Clark III has stepped down, effective immediately." - from IBJ.com 19 March 2012

Bock Bier at Das Deutsche Haus

Spring beer is celebrated at the St. Benno Fest in the Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis. It all begins at 7 p.m. 28 April in the auditorium.

Following the traditions of the founding families, St. Benno and his goat, Herr Bock, will officially tap the keg with the ceremonial chugging of two beers.

Party and dance with Polkamotion and then Get Your Yodel On with St. Benno in the yodel contest at 9 p.m.

The Athenaeum Foundation and the Athenaeum Turners have partnered with Sun King Brewery and Yelp! for this fund-raiser, which benefits the care and maintenance of the Historic Athenaeum.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $10 at the door.

Bye, Peyton!

However, "it’s a fair guess that Manning will choose his next destination based on who gives him the best chance to win."

See Picking Peyton Manning's Next Stop in the New York Times.

Daniels Talks to Breshear

Your Indianapolis Observer has been in Louisville, Kentucky, for a couple of days.

Yesterday, when she met Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky, he told her he'd been in talks with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels about improving bridge connections between our two states.

Today, IBJ.com writes about the agreement they reached involving (no surprise, eh?) tolls for those of us crossing between states.

Read it all here.

Indiana Artisan Marketplace

Check out the latest creations of Indiana's best artists and artisans at the Indiana Artisan Marketplace.

The second edition of the showcase takes place 31 March and 1 April in the Expo Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 East 38th Street, Indianapolis.

Admission is $10 (plus that $3 parking fee collected by the fairgrounds). Hours on Saturday are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More than 125 vendors from Indiana -- plus an additional 75 from Kentucky -- will be featured. There'll be both art and food for sale, plus Indiana music, arts and crafts demonstrations and tastings.

Congrats to a Pair of Indy Chefs

The 2012 semifinalists for the James Beard Award have been announced -- and there are two Indy chefs on the list.

In the running for Best Chef: Great Lakes are our own Regina Mehallick of R Bistro and Greg Hardesty of Recess.

If you haven't eaten at either place yet, get thee a reservation pronto!

(Winners will be announced 7 May.)

Fourth World Film Festival

Whatcha doing on 30 March? The Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis will present the Fourth World Film Festival, a 29-hour movie marathon, beginning at 5:30 p.m. that day, with the last film starting at 8:30 p.m. on 31 March.

The festival will run in the Basile Auditorium in Herron's Eskenazi Hall, 735 West New York Street, Indianapolis.

The collection of 15 thought-provoking yet entertaining movies examines social justice themes of Fourth World economies. The festival is a tie-in to Herron's Couched Construction exhibition running through 19 April.

(Photo, courtesy of Herron, from Darwin's Nightmare)