SEE INDIANA 'THROUGH THE LENS' AT THE GARFIELD PARK ARTS CENTER

Indy Parks and Recreation presents the Indiana Photographic Society fourth annual showing of Through the Lens opening this Saturday through June 13 at the Garfield Park Arts Center. This year the exhibit theme is "Artistically Speaking" and was inspired by the late Ernie Crow, a member of the Indiana Photographic Society. The opening reception will be held 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, May 8, 2010. Admission is free.

The exhibit will feature work by the society, an Indiana group that uses old and new technology to produce and promote fine art photography. The exhibit will freely interpret "Artistically Speaking" with wonderful creativity. Expect landscapes, animals and birds, architecture, and whatever else catches the eye of the photographers! Founded in 2006, the society meets Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Garfield Park Arts Center. It provides opportunities for members to take part in photo excursions and educational programs, show in exhibitions and share new work. Membership in the society is free and all are welcome.

"Ernie (Crow) loved photography. He always had praise for the work of others and enjoyed sharing comments on his own work," said Indiana Photographic Society member Marikay Kapke. "With his passing on Labor Day 2009, we wanted to dedicate our exhibit this year in memory of his enjoyment of photography which infected us all."

In addition, the GPAC's Lower Level and Lobby Galleries will feature new work by University of Indianapolis photography students.

On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors to the GPAC can take part in free hands-on arts activities in the Arts for All room. Families will use photo-sensitive paper to create "Found Object Collages."



Who: Indiana Photographic Society

What: "Through the Lens: Artistically Speaking" Opening Reception and Exhibit

Where: Garfield Park Arts Center
2432 Conservatory Drive

When: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 8, Exhibit runs through June 13

Seeking Public Input on 2011 Federal Funding

THE CITY WILL HOLD FIVE PUBLIC MEETINGS TO SEEK INPUT FROM INDIANAPOLIS RESIDENTS ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AND PRIORITIES.

The closest meeting to SE Indy is at KIBI, 1029 Fletcher on Tuesday May 18th at 1:00PM.

There is another at Spades Park Library, 1801 Nowland on Monday May 17th at 6:00 PM

For more information call 327-5444 or email eaquila@indy.gov

Douglas S. Hairston

Director

Mayor's Office of the Front Porch Alliance

Phone: 317-3274336

Fax: 317-327-5271

Email: DHairsto@indygov.org

Twitter: http://twitter.com/IndyFrontPorch

If the City picks up your trash

If you have DPW service for your trash, (some of you may have Republic) would you please provide me with a list of vacant/abandoned homes in your neighborhoods? DPW is currently deploying the new trash carts and we would rather NOT leave one at a home that is not occupied, to keep it from being stolen.

I appreciate your time and attention!

Lisa Laflin

Mayor's Neighborhood Liaison

South Center Township

Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services

2160 City-County Building

200 E. Washington Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

317-327-5595

llaflin@indy.gov

Lots of News from INRC

Front Porch Fridays

Last year marked our inaugural community building event: Front Porch Fridays! This event celebrated a time when people met on their neighbor's front porch to build relationships, exchange ideas and share resources. We welcome all of you to bring your lawn chairs, stories and neighbors along to share in this collaborative event.

This Spring and Summer, Front Porch Fridays take place on the 2^nd Fridays of each month:

May 14, June 11, July 9 and August 13. All Front Porch Fridays will be 11:30am - 1:30pm at INRC, 1802 N. Illinois Street.
The topic for our May discussion will include conversations about Public Allies, including who they are, what they do and how you can join them. Current Allies will be present to discuss the program. We encourage you to learn more about the program at www.publicallies.org.

For more information or to RSVP for the event, please call 920-0330, ext. 100 or namccormick@inrc.org. We look forward to seeing you on the porch!

Indianapolis Community Building Institute (ICBI) Spring Graduation

Join us as we celebrate the Spring 2010 Indianapolis Community Building Institute (ICBI) graduating class! The event will be Wednesday, May 19, 5:30 p.m. at INRC, 1802 N. Illinois Street.

The celebration will include a short program featuring remarks from some of the graduates about ICBI, their community involvement, and stories of how they are working in their neighborhoods. Light refreshments will be served.

The evening's keynote speaker is Dennis Ryerson, editor and vice president of The Indianapolis Star. Please plan to join us as we celebrate neighborhood leadership!

IMAGINE:

Indy's Matching Awards for Great Indy Neighborhoods Engagement

IMAGINE provides financial resources for projects, events and activities designed to increase resident engagement, promote neighborhood action, and establish new and stronger relationships among grassroots organizations and businesses.

The next IMAGINE deadline is 5pm on Wednesday, June 2. Eligible not-for-profit neighborhood organizations can apply for between $500 to $5,000 in IMAGINE support.

Attendance at a technical assistance session is mandatory for submission of an application. The final session before the June 2 deadline is Saturday, May 15 at 10am at INRC's office, 1802 N. Illinois St.

For more information, call (317) 920-0330 or visit www.inrc.org.

Summer 2010 Trainings at INRC

INRC will again host summer courses during the months of June and July. Courses this year will offer a wide array of trainings that have garnered interest in year's past, as well as some new courses. INRC is pleased to announce the following classes to be offered this summer. All courses are FREE and will be held at INRC's offices, 1802 N. Illinois St.

Demystifying the Zoning Process: Thursday, June 10, 6:00-8:30pm

It all starts with an innocuous notice in the mail. Soon you are thrown into a bewildering process of rezonings & variances and the "land use decision-making" process. What does it all mean? What are the rules? How can one person have an impact? Find out these answers and more from Tammara Tracy, Principal Planner with the City of Indianapolis, with 19 years experience in the field.

Youth and Adult Partnerships: Thursday, June 17, 6:00-8:30pm

This course is for youth and adults that want to learn how to work more effectively together and neighborhood organizations that are trying to engage youth of their community. Representatives from the Near West Collaborative and the Latino Youth Collective will share the experience of creating and implementing the Near West Youth Summit 2009 that was created and implemented by the youth of the Near West community in partnership with adult volunteers. Participants will learn the elements of great youth and adult partnerships and how to tap in to the energy of youth in their neighborhood.

Made For Each Other: Arts as Engagement:

Tuesday, June 22, 6:00-8:30 pm & Thursday, June 24, 6:00-8:00pm

(participants must attend both sessions)

Social practice art is about using creative approaches to work with people in ways that benefit society. In this workshop, we'll talk about and experience great ways to build community by engaging and involving neighbors in creative activities that help us connect with one another and improve our communities. Participants will engage in a project that helps us accomplish one of the main goals of social practice art - getting to know each other better.

IMAGINE TA Session: Wednesday, June 30, 6:00-8:30pm

Be sure to submit your application for the next round of the 2010 IMAGINE grant opportunity! Eligible not-for-profit neighborhood organizations can apply for between $500 to $5,000 in IMAGINE support. All interested IMAGINE applicants are required to attend a Technical Assistance (TA) session before submitting an IMAGINE application.

Accessing Resources: Thursday, July 8, 6:00-8:30pm

This course introduces the potential of using information and information technologies to better understand communities. It also includes an exploration of online sites, both local and national, that will assist any resident with gaining the knowledge needed to have data available to make tough decisions, create plans, and to make community change.

Animal Welfare in Indianapolis: Tuesday, July 13, 6:00-8:30pm

Indianapolis is working towards being a model city for animal welfare in its ability to balance safety in its neighborhoods with the humane treatment of its animals. As a result of significant collaboration among City agencies responsible for public safety and the Indianapolis Animal Welfare Alliance, the community is being become informed and engaged in helping Indianapolis achieve key goals for dogs, cats and other animals in need by 2020. This discussion will talk about the critical role that community groups can and should play in achieving these important goals.

Department of Code Enforcement: Tuesday, July 20, 6:00-8:30pm

The newly developed Department of Code Enforcement has streamlined the City's licensing, permitting, and inspection functions under one agency to implement a more comprehensive code enforcement effort and one-stop shop to improve livability, safety, convenience, and quality of life for citizens. Whether you need a business or contractor license, a permit for development, environmental, or special event, or an inspection related to zoning, high weeds and grass, weights & measures and more, the new Department of Code Enforcement is here to serve you.

How to Produce a Neighborhood History: Tuesday, July 27, 6:00-8:30pm

One of the recent trends in neighborhoods across Indianapolis is coming up with creative ways to research and tell about the unique history of their communities. This class will bring together neighbors that have produced histories, the Neighborhood Alliance Press whose mission is to help communities tell their stories, the IUPUI Digital Archives and the IUPUI Department of Anthropology that is using students to partner with neighborhoods to produce histories. Learn about these projects and how your community can begin this work.

All classes will be held at INRC, 1802 N. Illinois Street. Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your space today by calling Nita McCormick at INRC at 920-0330, ext. 100 or namccormick@inrc.org.

INRC Celebrates 16 Years

of Strengthening, Developing and Empowering

Neighbors & Neighborhoods

INRC invites you to join us for our 16^th Annual Meeting Celebration on Monday, September 27^th at 6:00pm (location TBA). Please mark your calendars for this upcoming event. There will be a brief program honoring achievements of INRC and Indianapolis neighborhoods. In addition to a keynote address by IMPD Chief Paul Cieselski, there will be a 'tailgate' party to celebrate National Good Neighbor Day on September 28. Stay tuned for more information!

A note from Commander Cliff Myers

IMPD is pleased to announce the launch of the Crime Watch website. Check out the new site at www.indycrimewatch.com. Let us know what you think about the new website. We welcome your feedback.

The mini-marathon is tomorrow. If you are running, run fast! If you are driving in and around downtown, please use caution.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there!!

Have a great weekend.

Save the dates:

May 13^th, 630pm-830pm at Conseco Field House, Free self-defense training-open to the public – FREE PARKING

May 20^th, 10:00am-2:00pm Garfield Park, Southeast District Community Day

Cliff Myers

Southeast District Commander

JOIN THE LATEST "CLICK" WITH INDY PARKS ONLINE REGISTRATION

Online registration for summer programs and activities starts May 7

INDIANAPOLIS - (May 3, 2010) Indy Parks and Recreation is "online" for summer fun! The 2010 Summer Fun Guide is available to view and register for classes on our website www.indyparks.org. This year's Fun Guide features a wide array of activities for all ages and at many different Indy Parks' locations across Indianapolis. Registration starts May 7.

This is the first year park patrons can sign up for classes through our website www.indyparks.org and clicking on Play Indy. It is a fast, easy, convenient and secure method of registering for Indy Parks' classes and programs 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The process is simple - sign up for a login name and password and then start searching by age, activity or park location.

"Indy Parks offers many programs from swimming lessons to Friday Night Frogwatch. We want to make sure that information is convenient for park users to access," said Stuart Lowry, Indy Parks Director. "By offering online registration, kids and adults won't miss out on unique opportunities to learn new skills or be exposed to different activities."

Online registration is a safe and secure site that accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. A $1.00 transaction fee will be charged with each transaction - online, over the phone or in person.

The 2010 Summer Fun Guide is also available to pick up at all Indy Park family centers and various locations across the city.

A Note from Cliff Myers, Southeast District Commander

We had a very busy week and close calls for our officers. In two separate business robberies on Friday, our officers confronted armed gunmen. The community was a great help in locating the bank robbery suspect on East Street. Thanks to some very alert citizens, we were able to quickly set up a perimeter leading to our encounter with the armed gunman. Thankfully no innocent lives were lost.

It is storm season. Keep one eye on the weather.

Have a great weekend.

Save the dates:

May 13^th, 630pm-830pm at Conseco Field House, Free self-defense training-open to the public – FREE PARKING

May 20^th, 10:00am-2:00pm Garfield Park, Southeast District Community Day