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Parks and Recreation is in the process of completing nearly $1 million in projects funded by the American Rescue Plan Act to improve accessibility across its facilities and programs. These upgrades aim to make parks, transportation, and recreational spaces more inclusive for all community members.
Building Trades Park Accessibility Upgrades Construction begins in April at Building Trades Park, 619 W. Howe St., marking the first phase of its Master Plan improvements. Upgrades will focus on the north and west sides of the park, including:
Weather permitting, the City of Bloomington will begin setting up for Kirkwood Avenue’s Pedestrian Season from March 31 to April 3. The seasonal closure officially starts on Friday, April 4 and will run through November 10, 2025. It will transform portions of Kirkwood Avenue into shared, pedestrian-friendly spaces for dining, walking, and local events.
This year’s configuration includes the following closures:
 Four generations of John Mileys. Courtesy of John Miley. The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) selected WFIU/WTIU News’s Archiving Airwaves: The Miley Collection as the winner of the best of competition in the short-form documentary category in the BEA Festival of Media Arts adjunct faculty and staff documentary competition.
BEA is the premiere international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students, and professionals. The BEA Festival of Media Arts award winners were selected from 2,285 entries, representing over 300 colleges and universities in the following competitions: audio, documentary, film and video, interactive multimedia, news, scriptwriting, sports, and two-year colleges. The City of Bloomington seeks residents to fill vacancies on multiple boards and commissions. These positions provide community members with the opportunity to contribute directly to the city’s policy-making processes and initiatives.
Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission — The Human Rights Commission is designed to enforce Bloomington’s Human Rights Ordinance in a fair and timely manner, to educate community members about their rights and responsibilities under various civil rights laws, to raise awareness on all human rights issues, to ensure that contractors and subcontractors on city jobs pay employees applicable common wages, to ensure that the City, as an employer, governmental entity and provider of public accommodations, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and to provide the community with information about the ADA. Seat(s) available: 1 • Appointed by: Common Council Board of Public Safety — The board of public safety shall have control and oversee the police and fire department of the city pursuant to statute and shall have the authority to allow and approve claims. Seat(s) available: 1 • Appointed by: Mayor CDBG Funding Citizens Advisory Committee — This is the public body that reviews and recommends Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) funding for a variety of community projects. Seat(s) available: 6 • Appointed by: Mayor Commission on Hispanic and Latiné Affairs — Works to identify and research the issues which impact the Hispanic and Latino populations in Bloomington, especially in the areas of health, education, public safety, and cultural competency. Seat(s) available: 1 (Advisory Seat) • Appointed by: Common Council Commission on Sustainability — Promotes economic development, environmental health, and social equity in our community for present and future generations. Seat(s) available: 2 • Appointed by: Mayor Commission on the Status of Children and Youth -- The purpose of the Commission shall be to promote connections in our community which empower, enhance and nurture children and youth. The Commission will access resources and information to make recommendations to people and organizations with authority to create and support systems that encourage healthy development of children and youth. Seat(s) available: 2 • Appointed by: Common Council Commission on the Status of Women -- The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women explores women's issues and concerns, celebrates women's accomplishments, and promotes solutions to the problems and challenges faced by women. Seat(s) available: 1 • Appointed by: Common Council Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission — Advises the Bloomington Common Council on perceptions and preferences about public safety from community members. Seat(s) available: 4 • Appointed by: Common Council Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission — To promote and honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and legacy in our community that supports programs to commemorate the federal holiday, including the community-wide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration and volunteer service day initiatives. Seat(s) available: 1 • Appointed by: Mayor Environmental Commission — Established in 1971 by municipal ordinance, the Bloomington Environmental Commission (EC) is an advisory body composed of Bloomington citizens appointed by the Mayor and Common Council. Seat(s) available: 3 • Appointed by: Mayor Fire Merit Commission — The Fire Merit Commission establishes or administers policies based on merit for the appointment, promotion, demotion, and dismissal of members of the fire department. Seat(s) available: 1 • Appointed by: Mayor Historic Preservation Commission -- The Commission recognizes that through preservation and design-conscious development, Bloomington's historic neighborhoods and buildings can continue to provide an affordable, sustainable, and genuine place to live, work, and visit. Furthermore, the Commission recognizes that the preservation or adaptive reuse of the City's historic building stock serves the needs of residents, business owners, and visitors by contributing to a growing, diverse, and vibrant local economy. Seat(s) available: 3 • Appointed by: Mayor (1), Common Council (2 Advisory Seats) Housing Quality Appeals Board — The purpose of this board is to hear the appeal of any person who is the subject of, or directly impacted by, a ruling or decision of the enforcing officer or any administration official, in any matter relative to the interpretation or enforcement of any of the provisions of Title 16 of the Bloomington Municipal Code. The board is authorized to make investigations relative to the appeal and may overrule the decisions of any administrative officer, including the neighborhood development division. Seat(s) available: 2 • Appointed by: Mayor (1), Common Council (1) Transportation Commission (NEW COMMISSION!) — The Transportation Commission is a new commission that will make recommendations on relevant transportation and parking sections of the Bloomington Municipal Code, review all transportation-related projects, and propose policies that promote safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation and parking policies and decisions. Seat(s) available: 5 • Appointed by: Mayor (2), Common Council (3) Urban Enterprise Association — The Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association (BUEA) works to improve the economic, physical, and social environment for Zone residents and businesses Seat(s) available: 1 • Appointed by: Common Council After submitting an application, candidates must be appointed to the boards or commissions by either the Bloomington Common Council or Mayor Kerry Thomson. City residency is required for most, but not all, of the boards and commissions. Prospective applicants are encouraged to attend a meeting of their board or commission of interest before applying. Meeting schedules for each body can be accessed online. All board and commission meetings are open to the public, allowing prospective members to gain a clear understanding of the work involved. This notice is issued in accordance with Bloomington Municipal Code 2.02.020. For more information on current vacancies or to apply, visit bloomington.in.gov/onboard/committees. The City of Bloomington seeks resident feedback to shape upcoming safety improvements along 10th Street between Morton Street and Indiana Avenue. The corridor has been identified as a high-priority area in the City’s Safe Streets for All initiative, based on factors including crash data, traffic patterns, and pedestrian safety concerns.
This planning effort is designed to reduce collisions, improve walkability and bike access, and ensure safer, more efficient travel for all users along the 10th Street corridor. Community feedback will help guide the selection of initial safety interventions and inform future phases of design and implementation. Residents are encouraged to get involved in one or more of the following ways:
City staff will be on hand at the meeting to provide context, answer questions, and gather input from community members. Meeting updates or cancellations will be posted on the project website. This is an early opportunity for residents to help shape improvements to one of Bloomington’s busiest corridors. Your voice matters in creating a safer, more accessible city for all.  Songwriter and producer, Marcus Miller. Courtesy of Firelight Films. WTIU Public Television will host a preview screening of Stanley Nelson and Nicole London’s new film We Want the Funk! at the IU Cinema (1213 E. 7th St., Bloomington, Ind.) on Sunday, April 6 at 1 p.m. The event is free but ticketed. Tickets are available through the IU Cinema’s website at cinema.indiana.edu or in person at the IU Auditorium Box Office (1211 E. 7th St., Bloomington, Ind.).
We Want the Funk! traces funk music’s African and gospel roots, from James Brown to Parliament-Funkadelic and beyond. A syncopated and star-studded voyage through the journey of funk music, the film delves into the genre’s influence on contemporary music, fashion, and freedom of expression as well as its role in the rise of hip-hop. The evening cohort is for licensed practical nurses, paramedics, military medics, and medical assistants who seek to transition to a career as a registered nurse Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington is accepting applications for the evening Transition to ASN/RN program, set to begin with the fall semester on August 25, 2025. The transition program helps licensed practical nurses, paramedics, medical assistants (CMA-AAMA), and military medics train for careers as registered nurses.
This is the first evening nursing program offered at Ivy Tech statewide and was launched by the Bloomington campus to train more nurses and address the critical shortage in Indiana. Indiana is projected to face a shortage of 14,000 nurses by 2030—an 18.6% deficit—leaving hospitals and clinics across the state in crisis. |
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