 “I’m happy to have been a part of continuing to expand the work and focus United Way does in the community,” said Liz Feitl as she reflected on her career with United Way of Monroe County.
After nearly 20 years as the AFL-CIO Community Service Liaison, Liz is retiring. During this time, she has been a dedicated advocate and supporter of workers in Monroe, Bartholomew, Brown, Greene, Lawrence, and Owen counties.
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Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus will host an in-person graduation celebration event and virtual commencement ceremony for the Class of 2021 on Saturday, May 15. Celebration events will be held on the main campus starting at Noon, followed by the premier of the virtual commencement ceremony that evening at 6 p.m. on Ivy Tech Bloomington’s YouTube channel. Ivy Tech Bloomington will confer approximately 1,482 associate degrees and certificates to 2021 graduates, which is up 210 credentials over this time last year. More credentials will be awarded throughout the spring and summer as graduation applications continue to be submitted through the close of the academic year
 WTIU Public Television launched Flyover Culture, a new digital series that explores Midwestern pop culture, on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.
Hosted and produced by Payton Knobeloch, Flyover Culture examines what makes Midwestern pop culture distinct and the individuals and communities who create it.  Moya Andrews, host of WFIU’s radio program and podcast Focus on Flowers, will share her gardening advice and expertise during a free virtual event hosted by WFIU.
“Gardening Tips with Moya Andrews” takes place Tuesday, May 18 at 7 p.m. Join Andrews and Focus on Flowers producer LuAnn Johnson for a conversation on gardening as well as an opportunity to ask gardening questions. It has been widely reported that the pandemic is negatively affecting the mental health of Americans. Isolation from others has caused large numbers of us to become anxious, depressed and even suicidal.
More Americans than ever began seeking help for their mental health during the pandemic. At Catholic Charities Bloomington (CCB), referrals and requests for therapy tripled. The NATAS Lower Great Lakes Chapter announced yesterday that WTIU received 22 regional Emmy Award nominations for its locally-produced series and documentaries.
WTIU’s travel series, Journey Indiana, earned seven nominations, including for best magazine program, best editor (news/sports), and best features in news, environment/science, arts/entertainment, and societal concerns. Flywheel Fund, a member-managed capital fund run by The Mill, announced a $50,000 investment in beastcoast. Beastcoast is an industry-leading esports and professional gaming content network led by co-CEOs Grant Zinn and Brian Anderson.
Pat East, Executive Director of the Mill, said, “Flywheel Fund is so fortunate to have the opportunity to invest in Beastcoast. E-sports viewership is growing by double-digits annually, and Beastcoast is the fastest-growing pro-gaming content creator online. It’s just a really cool company with tremendous potential that’s already being realized.” A Techstars company, Beastcoast has 1.5 million subscribers to 14 content channels. The Bloomington Human Rights Commission (BHRC) is seeking nominations for its 2021 Human Rights Award, recognizing an individual or group that has made specific, significant contributions to improving civil rights, human relations or civility in our community. Nomination forms are available at https://bloomington.in.gov/boards/human-rights. The deadline for nominations has been extended to Friday, May 28 at 5 p.m. The recipient(s) of the BHRC’s Human Rights Award will be honored at a public ceremony.
The BHRC especially welcomes nominations demonstrating success in ensuring rights to equal access to housing, employment or education, in ensuring equal access to community life for people with disabilities and nominations of people or organizations who have done exemplary work and advocacy in increasing civility in our community.  May 1, 2021, marked Grant Street Inn’s 30th Anniversary since CFC Properties rescued and renovated The Ziegler House – the original house that forms Bloomington's favorite boutique inn. To celebrate, the inn is showcasing a special exhibit including a video, inside Fountain Square. Fountain Square’s Gallery Wall is located in the Main Atrium, near the yellow staircase.
The Waldron Recommendation Task Force has issued a report summarizing its activities, findings, and recommendations for future uses for the circa-1915 building at 122 South Walnut Street. The ownership of the building reverted from Ivy Tech Community College to City of Bloomington in January 2021. The report, available here, will inform the City’s actions with regard to the building’s future. Convened by Mayor John Hamilton, the task force has been working since November 2020 in preparation for the ownership reversion to provide an evaluation of the building and offer short- and long-term recommendations for its future use. The 21-member task force consulted with eight specialized stakeholder focus groups in January 2021 to develop recommendations for the building’s future uses. The task force recommends “leveraging the building to its fullest extent to support the performing and visual arts in the community,” with three specific recommendations:
The report also includes an appraisal of the property’s value at $2.8 million as of November 6, 2020, and reviews of the physical plant and estimates of critical capital improvements needed to maintain the building of $264,000 and an additional $251,000 in lower priority needs. Annual operational costs were estimated at $117,500. “I sincerely appreciate the co-chairs and all the task force members who volunteered their time and expertise to participate in a process with significant bearing on the continued economic vitality of our downtown, and our celebrated, and beloved -- and recently very challenged -- arts community,” said Mayor Hamilton. “We look forward to the next steps of community dialogue and engagement to take these recommendations and move forward expeditiously.” The Waldron Task Force was led by co-chairs Miah Michaelsen, Deputy Director of the Indiana Arts Commission, and Valerie Peña, Assistant Vice President/Chief of Staff for the Office of Government Relations & Economic Engagement at Indiana University, and comprised a cross-section of the Bloomington community including visual and performing artists and stakeholders, real estate and tourism industry professionals, historians, architects, and residents with insight into the facility’s previous transfers. The members of the task force are listed at The Waldron. Built in 1915, the building served as Bloomington’s City Hall and subsequently housed the City’s police and fire departments until the City deeded the property in 1990 to the Bloomington Area Arts Council. Since then, the building provided gallery space, classroom space for art classes, two performance spaces, meeting rooms, and offices, and since 1994 has been the home of WFHB Community Radio. Ivy Tech owned and operated the building as a community art center from 2010, when it purchased the building from the City of Bloomington, until 2020. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the Courthouse Square Historic District. |
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