Poetry for "Moving Forward" bus shelters announced

From more than 100 entries, the following poets and their poems were selected for the three “Moving Forward” bus shelters by Donna Sink:

“Invisible Movements” by Karen Kovacik of Indianapolis
“The Painters” by Richard Pflum of Indianapolis
“The Bowl of Possible Peas” by John Sherman of Indianapolis

Each poet receives a $1,000 honorarium. A poem will be featured on each bus shelter located on the south side of Virginia Avenue near Lexington Street, McCarty Street and Woodlawn Avenue along IndyGo bus routes 12, 14 and 22.

The entries were so impressive that a fourth poem, “City Generation” by Elizabeth Weber of Indianapolis, was chosen and will be placed at “Poet’s Place” on Alabama St. near Marsh the Marketplace. Poet’s Place is dedicated to Jim Shackelford, a retired city planner who was an early Cultural Trail leader and champion.

Read the poems and learn about the selection process.

The shelters will be installed during construction of the Southeast Corridor, from Pennsylvania and Washington streets to Shelby and Prospect streets on Virginia Ave. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and be completed in late 2011.

Upcoming public meetings

Tuesday, April 27, 6 p.m., Fountain Square Theatre Building, 1105 Prospect St. - Southeast Corridor public meeting

City Announces 21 IPS Schools Participating in The First Tee Program

More than 8,000 IPS schoolchildren learning game of golf, character development through nine core values

Mayor Greg Ballard today announced that more than 8,000 IPS schoolchildren are now learning the game of golf and character development through The First Tee of Indianapolis program. The First Tee of Indianapolis Executive Director Brad Beck, Indy Parks Director Stuart Lowry and IPS 94 George S. Buck Elementary School joined Mayor Ballard in announcing the participation of 21 IPS schools in The First Tee program.

“Through the game of golf, The First Tee of Indianapolis impacts young people by providing facilities, resources and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values,” Mayor Ballard said. “I support the expansion of The First Tee program in schools across Indianapolis so that youth of all ages and backgrounds have the opportunity to learn early on the game of golf and the values it teaches and enjoy it throughout their lives.”

Becoming a sponsor of The First Tee National School Program provides participating schools with developmentally appropriate golf equipment, the National School Program curriculum based on national physical education standards, and training of physical education teachers. To support the local program at IPS schools, The First Tee of Indianapolis and Indy Parks & Recreation provided $26,500 in available golf funds donated to The Indianapolis Parks Foundation. A matching PGA grant awarded through The First Tee provided the additional funding needed.

“IPS over the past few years has been working on lifetime sports, and The First Tee sport of golf is one of the great lifetime activities to learn,” said IPS Wellness Coordinator Audrey Satterblom. “Character education is one of the areas in physical education we work on as well, and The First Tee’s nine core values support the philosophy of what we are trying to do –help our youth become better human beings.”

“This is part of our outreach efforts to expand the program to schools throughout Indianapolis,” said The First Tee of Indianapolis Executive Director Brad Beck. “Our ultimate goal is to have more affiliate sites at golf courses around the City where the program can grow. Participating in the National School Program shows the youth how golf can be fun and teaches core values they can take to the classroom and home, and become productive citizens, our future leaders.”

Launched in 2004, The First Tee National School Program trains physical educators to introduce children to the game of golf and The First Tee Nine Core Values during regular physical education classes. The golf industry partnerships established by the National School Program encourage students to pursue their interest in golf and adopt its values beyond the classroom. There are more than 2,600 participating elementary schools in the country.

The First Tee of Indianapolis program provides opportunities for boys and girls to develop skills that will enable them to become responsible citizens and leaders in their communities. Participants receive mentoring and tutoring from positive role models, golf lessons, opportunities to pay for reduced fees, and tournament play, education and scholarship opportunities. For more information, visit www.thefirstteeindy.org.

Community Grarge Sale

April 6, 2010
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.April 8, 201012 p.m. – 6 p.m.at
Pride Center
1129 S. Vandeman St

All Items are new

Pants Suits $2.00
Blouse $1.00
Pants $1.00
Shoes $2.00
Coats $3.00
Purses $1.00

Sponsored by:

Southeast Community Services
and
The Norwood Association

City of Indianapolis Announces Campaign to Promote U.S. Citizenship

Working to reach the thousands of qualified residents in Indianapolis who are eligible for United States citizenship, the Office of Mayor Greg Ballard, along with the International Center of Indianapolis (ICI), today announced a partnership in conjunction with the National League of Cities (NLC) to strengthen local civic engagement in the naturalization process.

“One of the pillars of strength for Indianapolis is its diversity,” said Mayor Greg Ballard. “We are a city that is proud of our citizens and their backgrounds and we are excited to partner in this effort to make our immigrants future citizens of our great city in every sense of the word.”

Through the NewCITYzen Naturalization Campaign, the City and the International Center will work with NLC to provide outreach materials including a campaign toolkit and public service announcements reminding eligible residents of the benefits of U.S. citizenship. The campaign is an initiative of NLC’s Municipal Action for Immigrant Integration (MAII) project. Supported by the Knight Foundation, MAII is a resource for city officials and community-based organizations to address immigrant challenges in their communities.

“The International Center is proud to be a partner in this significant effort,” said International Center President and CEO Diane G. Thomas. “This work reminds us all that Indianapolis is a city that attracts international activity and welcomes the contributions of our multinational community.”

According to the United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, which conducts naturalization ceremonies throughout the year, more than 2,300 new citizens were naturalized in Central Indiana in 2009.

“We know that there are many more qualified eligible residents not currently engaged in the process, and this program will make them better aware of the benefits and the steps necessary on the path to citizenship,” said Thomas.

In addition to the promotional aspect of the NewCITYzen campaign, the outreach project will tap into the expertise of the many local direct service organizations that work primarily on a grassroots level with those seeking citizenship. Free naturalization information workshops, presented by representatives from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will be held throughout the year at various locations in the city.

“The National League of Cities is pleased to collaborate with the City of Indianapolis and the International Center of Indianapolis on the NewCITYzen Naturalization Campaign,” said Ricardo Gambetta, Manager of Immigrant Integration Programs for the National League of Cities. “Promoting citizenship and naturalization strengthens the community, as well as the country as a whole. Our experience is that strong community involvement by immigrant residents ensures a more stable community and maximizes the benefits that immigrants can bring to a city.”

The list of workshops and other local resources can be found under the “Events” tab of the International Center’s Web site at www.icenterindy.org and on the Mayor’s Web site at www.indy.gov/eGov/Mayor/Pages/home.aspx.

Indianapolis is the fourth – and the largest -- city in the nation to participate in the NewCITYzen campaign to date. Other cities participating in the campaign include Fort Wayne, Indiana; Littleton, Colorado; and Grand Forks, North Dakota.

The International Center of Indianapolis works to strengthen Indiana’s global connections by providing organizations with the insight and tools to more effectively work in an international environment. Programs include training for global competency, protocol services, assisting new international residents and visitors in learning about local resources, and connection with emerging leaders from other countries through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the U.S. Department of State.

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

NLC Resources:

An August 2009 report, Municipal Innovations in Immigrant Integration: American Cities Series, published by NLC, details Indianapolis’s experiences in response to a nearly 300 percent increase in the city’s Latino population between 1990-2000. To view the Municipal Innovations report, visit http://www.nlc.org/ASSETS/2480CFC94CAB423AA6234B9735ADA148/MAIIAmericanCities_Indianapolis.pdf.

For more information on MAII, please contact Ricardo Gambetta, NLC’s Program Manager, Immigrant Integration, at (202) 626-3153 or gambetta@nlc.org, or visit http://www.nlc.org/RESOURCES_FOR_CITIES/PROGRAMS___SERVICES/MAII/aboutmaii.aspx.

CITY LAUNCHES THE GREAT INDY SPRING CLEANUP

Mayor Greg Ballard today announced the Great Indy Spring
Cleanup, a citywide effort to beautify and strengthen our communities.
The Great Indy Spring Cleanup aims to achieve litter abatement through
neighborhood-driven initiatives.

"Every resident, every family can make a difference," said Mayor Greg
Ballard. "Let's all come together, take pride, and clean up streets,
alleys and public places to make our city a brighter and safer place to
live, work and play."

The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and Keep Indianapolis
Beautiful Inc., with support from the Department of Public Works and
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Development, are coordinating with
neighborhood associations and groups across the City to organize cleanup
efforts during the month of April and continuing through October. For
information on organizing a cleanup in your neighborhood, visit
www.greatindycleanup.com.

Now through April 16, visit your neighborhood Marion County Public
Library, YMCA, or National City Bank branch to pick up a pair of gloves
and a trash bag to clean up the litter in your neighborhood and
participate in Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Inc.'s "Every Litter Bit
Helps" program. Simply dispose of the bag with your weekly trash pickup.
Visit www.greatindycleanup.com for more information.

Join the thousands of volunteers who have signed up to combat heavy
litter and debris that has accumulated in public spaces. Participate in
the Great Indy Spring Cleanup!

Mayor Declares 'Butler Blue Friday’

Today, Mayor Greg Ballard declared this Friday, April 2, 'Butler Blue Friday' in support of the Butler Bulldogs as they take on Michigan State this Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“Indianapolis is certainly excited to have a hometown team represented in the tournament and we stand behind our Butler Bulldogs wishing them the best,” said Mayor Greg Ballard. “I encourage all residents to wear ‘Butler Blue’ this weekend as we cheer on our team to victory. Go Dawgs!”

Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC) Endorses Water and Sewer Transfer Plan

The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee (GIPC), a public-private partnership tackling citywide issues for 45 years, has formalized its support of the City of Indianapolis’ Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to transfer water and wastewater utilities to Citizens Energy Group.

The GIPC Board voted unanimously to pass a resolution expressing its endorsement of the utilities transfer, during a special meeting Wednesday, called specifically to address the matter.

“The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee understands the importance of securing the future of our City’s most valuable assets, the utilities and our infrastructure,” said Deborah Daniels, Chair of GIPC. “By transferring the water and sewer utilities to Citizens Energy Group, Mayor Ballard is ensuring consistency and predictability on the part of the utilities, which is an essential tool to attracting new businesses and investment to our city; and creating an innovative solution to the dilemma of our City’s crumbling roads, sidewalks and bridges.”

In addition to supporting the transfer of water and wastewater utilities, GIPC’s resolution encourages members of the Indianapolis City-County Council and several other boards “to act in the best interests of Indianapolis and its residents by approving the transfer.” The motion within the GIPC Board to issue such a resolution followed a presentation and discussion with Mayor Greg Ballard and Carey Lykins, Citizens CEO, regarding the details of the MOU.

"Mayor Ballard and Mr. Lykins provided GIPC board members with information that gave us confidence that this transfer will remove politics from our water and sewer systems while making certain the city meets federal mandates and regulatory standards,” said Ellen Annala, CEO of United Way of Central Indiana and a member of the GIPC Board. “We were convinced that Citizens Energy Group, with its history of serving our community for 123 years, has proven itself as a community partner that operates for the benefit of its owners -- the residents of Indianapolis. Even though it is inevitable that our utility rates will increase in the future, the information provided also convinced us that this transfer will create operating efficiencies that will provide rates that are lower than what otherwise has been projected."

GIPC is a non-partisan, not-for-profit corporation formed for the purpose of improving Indianapolis. Its membership includes more than 100 of Indianapolis’ most engaged business and community leaders. Since its inception in 1965, GIPC has served as a think tank for six Indianapolis mayors. Among countless other initiatives, GIPC successfully led charges for the development of Eagle Creek Park on the city’s Northwest side, and the downtown Indiana Convention Center.

GIPC’s board has, on various occasions throughout the Progress Committee’s history, chosen to endorse specific actions and projects significantly impacting the City’s progress. In summer 2009, GIPC was the first organization to publicly support plans for a new Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis.