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(06/12/13 10:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In 2012, Henryville, Ind. was struck by an EF-4 tornado causing extensive damage to the community and killing at least three people. It was on the ground for more than 50 miles, destroying Henryville Elementary School and Henryville Jr./Sr. High School. Due in part to extensive training by first responders, such as the Emergency Management and Continuity team and others, the number of fatalities was far less than it could have been. On June 12, the city of Bloomington welcomed 250 airmen and soldiers with the Indiana National Guard’s premier disaster response team along with an assortment of civilian and military disaster response teams to conduct search and extraction training called United Front II, similar to the one used by the Henryville tornado’s first responders. “Every incident that we respond to, every exercise that we participate in makes us a better team and more capable to respond,” said Diane Mack, emergency management and continuity of IU director. The exercise that was practiced on Wednesday revolved around an EF 5 tornado with 200 mph winds striking the IU campus. This scenario, which is similar to the one that struck Joplin, Mo. in May 2011, is highly relevant to Indiana as over 50 EF 5 level tornadoes have struck Indiana since 1950. “We would hope and pray that something like this would never happen, but I think we all know as Americans that in our nation natural disasters are pretty prevalent,” said Major General R. Martin Umbarger, adjutant general for Indiana. This tornado exercise was used for more than natural disaster purposes, it was also used to simulate war scenarios with the arrival of the the Israel Home Front Command National Search and Rescue Unit.“The major U.S. threat is nature disaster, major Israel threat is war,” said Major General Eyal Eizenberg, commander of the Homeland Defense Force.He said that the scenario of collapsed buildings and the need of first responders is a similar concept to that of the U.S.’ natural disasters. “We have something to learn and something to teach,” he said.The goal of the exercise is to share valuable search and extraction tactics, techniques and procedures among the different organizations including: National Guard Bureau, Indiana National Guard, Indiana Task Force One, Indiana State Police, Bloomington Fire Department, United States Marine Corps, Chemical Biological Incident Response Force and ZAK’A, an international humanitarian organization. “In the Guard, we often times say we are always ready and always there, one of the ways we have to accomplish that though is realistic training and challenging exercises,” said Major General Gerald Ketchum, director of Domestic Operations and Force Development with the National Guard Bureau. With the help of three Israeli engineers, the Indiana National Guard was able to prepare site preparation and staging at the defunct post office in downtown Bloomington, IU Wrubel Computing Center and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house. The training consisted of collapsing the buildings, stabilizing the collapsed structures, placing the mannequin, cutting steel, breaching and breaking walls and concrete, lifting and hauling rubble, marking hazards and retrieving “victims” or mannequins.“The skills and knowledge that we have gained in that last 24 hours or even the last months as we have planned this would allow us to respond to this in a united front,” said Bloomington Fire Department, Chief Roger Kerr. As crews used ladders that against the rubble to extract “victims,” individual skills came together collectively to train and learn as a solitary unit.Thomas Morrison, vice president for capital planning and facilities for IU, said that the event was about learning and education. “In the long run, this will benefit not only IU and the local community, but the state, the nation and certainly around the world.”
(06/11/13 4:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At approximately 3:30 p.m. Monday, a 22-year-old female reported being robbed on the B-Line Trail, Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Joe Crider said.The female was reportedly walking on the B-Line Trail near Second and Morton streets when she was approached by a white male. The man allegedly stood in front of her, blocking her way, and demanded money from her, according to the police report.Police said that the victim reported that the man grabbed her and shook her violently. The victim handed the man an undisclosed amount of cash and walked to South Rogers Street to call the police, Crider said. She described the perpetrator as a white male, having a thin build with long white hair in a ponytail, as well as a long beard described as bushy, and wearing a camo shirt and blue jeans. The person the victim described was characterized as homeless, Crider said.Anyone with information on the case is being asked to contact detectives at 812-349-3318. — Samantha Felix
(06/10/13 12:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Laughs could be heard from all across downtown Bloomington this weekend as the first ever Limestone Comedy Festival took place June 6-8.The Limestone Comedy Festival is a three-day, multi-venue comedy festival founded by Jared Thompson, owner of The Comedy Attic, and Mat Alano-Martin, a local comedian. “Last year, I was on the road a lot and did quite a few comedy festivals when the idea came to me,” Alano-Martin said. “I could create my own comedy festival here in Bloomington.”He said that his experiences on the road and at different comedy festivals allowed him to develop his idea and join forces with Thompson.“I took my idea to Jared, he liked it and we started really working on it in September of last year,” Alano-Martin said. “Nearly 10 months later, everything was happening.” Over 50 comedians, roughly 40 from out of state, came to Bloomington to perform for an anticipated audience of up to 500 people. Comedians performed at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater as well as The Comedy Attic, The Back Door and Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center. “We know this will be fun for the community,” Alano-Martin said. “There isn’t a lot that goes on during the summer so this will be refreshing.”Performances began Thursday night with headliner Tig Notaro along with Stewart Huff, John Roy, Jackie Kashian, Graham Elwood and many others. Notaro is most known for her performance on “The Sarah Silverman Show” as a lesbian police officer and was featured on “Comedy Central Presents.”Friday night’s headliners were Maria Bamford, Geoff Tate and Al Jackson. Bamford was featured in the documentary series “The Comedians of Comedy” on Comedy Central and appeared on the latest season of “Arrested Development.” “At Maria Bamford, my face and jaw hurt so bad from laughing. She was great,” comedy fan Jackson Cladwell said.Saturday night’s headliners were Doug Benson and Pete Holmes. Benson, best known for his documentary about marijuana called “Super High Me,” as well as his appearances on “Comedy Central Presents,” “Best Week Ever,” and “Last Comic Standing.” Benson’s show on Saturday was “The Doug Benson Movie Interruption,” in which he, along with Jackie Kashian, Graham Elwood and Geoff Tate, interrupted the Bloomington-centric “Breaking Away” with funny jokes and entertaining puns. The audience voted on what they wanted to see before arriving, but many were not surprised the Bloomington classic won.“We are not here to mock this movie, we are here to make jokes while it’s playing,” Benson said before the show started.Benson also admitted to never seeing the movie before and not preparing for it. He also made jokes before the movie about Bloomington residents being called “cutters.”“Please, teenage girls listening to this podcast, do not cut yourselves,” Benson said. “Cutters aren’t what they used to be.”One Benson fan, Katie Thompson, said she came to the show only because the title resembled Benson’s other show, “The Benson Interruption.”“I love Doug Benson so very much,” Thompson said. “The show was awesome.”Pete Holmes is known for the voices he provides to several different characters on Comedy Central’s cartoon “Ugly Americans” and his stand-up comedy act, which he has performed on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” Holmes performed last Saturday night with special guest Benson as well as Josh Cocks, Brian Frange and Brad Wilhelm.Holmes joked around about how easy it is to be a comedian, simply stating over and over again, “what you know about green eggs and ham?” as the audience rolled with laughter. Holmes also made jokes about his sex life and his awkward first encounters with “sexy texting.”“Yes, I am going to use both words,” Holmes said. “Okay, I can save you five seconds, ‘sexting.’”The Comedy Attic drew upon its nearly five years of business to create a significant array of headliners.“The reason we were able to get so many great names in our first year is because the Comedy Attic has established an amazing reputation in the comedy world and the industry itself,” Alano-Martin said. “That is one of the many reasons we knew it would work.”The festival offered tickets for shows ranging from $10 to $30 a piece or offered festival badges for two days for $50 and three-day badges for $75. The festival also offered the VIP Limestone Badge for $125, which sold out before the end of the weekend.“It was important to us to make this as affordable as possible for comedy fans,” Alano-Martin said. “We offer the badges for big comedy fans who are willing to commit themselves to the festival for the entire weekend. We really want to take care of those people.”At the conclusion of the last comedy show Saturday night, Thompson and Alano-Martin joined Holmes on stage, thanking everyone for coming.“We hope this will become an annual event and since we have been so welcomed already by the community, I’m pretty confident we will,” Alano-Martin said.
(06/09/13 9:42pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The City of Bloomington’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development has announced that it will accept applications for its Sustainability Partnership Grant Program.“The whole idea behind this competitive grant program is to support and increase efforts in the community to make Bloomington a more sustainable city,” Economic and Sustainable Development Director Danise Alano-Martin said. The Sustainability Partnership Grant Program is intended to encourage collaborations that implement bold projects for increasing Bloomington’s sustainability, particularly those projects that engage populations that have little previous involvement in local sustainability efforts.“It’s designed to build stronger collaborations among different segments of the community, uniting them under a common goal and common projects toward making Bloomington better,” Alano-Martin said.Jacqui Bauer, the city’s sustainability coordinator, helped to craft the guidelines for the program after examining the obstacles that Bloomington businesses and nonprofits have when starting and implementing innovative sustainability programs or initiatives.“We wanted to attract and support efforts that contribute to our city’s livability while also creating new economic opportunities,” Alano-Martin said. Priority project areas include green building and energy efficiency, multi-modal transportation, waste reduction and recycling, and local food and urban gardening. The city’s Department of Economic and Sustainability Development launched the program in August of 2011 and awarded $15,000 in grants to six projects in 2011 and 2012.Cardboard Co-op, a consortium of downtown businesses, received a grant to facilitate pickup of recyclable cardboard from five to 10 downtown businesses. Pinnacle School received a grant to pay for new recycling bins and signage in the school.The Project School received a grant to develop a new energy assessment program for its students. Middle Way House received funding to expand its rooftop garden and work with local youth to tend, harvest, and market its products.Finally, WonderLab Museum of Science and Technology received funding to install solar lights for their solar garden while Metro Printing Services received funding for LED lighting for its facility.The city’s Department of Economic & Sustainable Development recently received their second round of funding. A total of $10,000 will be available. The maximum grant amount is $5,000. Both nonprofit and for-profit businesses in Bloomington are eligible.The grants may be used to fund a variety of sustainability-related projects. Alano-Martin said the department encourages applicants to come up with their interesting and creative ideas in their applications.“We hope to stir the creative juices in the community and encourage bold, innovative ideas or to adapt ideas that have been successful elsewhere to Bloomington in order to make our community more sustainable,” she said.Alano-Martin also said that the department wants projects to be completed within six months of receiving the grant award.Details of the program, including guidelines, applications, and deadlines, can be found at bloomington.in.gov/incentives. Applications for the program should be submitted to sustain@bloomington.in.gov by close of business on July 1. “Bloomington is filled with passionate individuals who love their community enough to work hard to make it better,” she said. “I expect that we’ll have some creative and well thought-out entries.”— Samantha Felix
(06/09/13 9:39pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Only four days remain until the June 14 deadline to enter Bloomington’s Fourth of July Parade.This year’s parade, scheduled for 10 a.m. July 4, is themed “Celebrate the Red, White, and Blue.”“This year we are just trying to show everyone’s patriotism,” Community Events Coordinator with the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department Bill Ream said. “A lot of people this year have American flags and other patriotic décor for their entries.”Floats, bands, musical groups, walking and equestrian groups, classic cars and other entries that demonstrate patriotism and support for America’s colors are encouraged to participate in the parade.Entry fees to participate in the parade are $20. Registration is limited to the first 100 applicants.“We anticipate 70 to 80 applicants this year, but we are only at about half right now,” Ream said. “Last year, we had roughly 90 entries.”Ream said the city is especially interested in music acts this year such as bands, drum lines and other types of musical performers. “Live music brings a new dimension of fun to any event,” Ream said. “We definitely want to add that excitement to the parade.” This annual Fourth of July event will begin with a concert by the Bloomington Community Band on the courthouse lawn at 9 a.m. The Bloomington Community Band is considered a part of the big band music genre accompanied by rhythm and brass. Other musical performers to look for include MCCSC High School Parade Band, Prieboy, a family of percussionists and the Southern Indiana Pipe and Drums. Bloomington Old Time Music and Dance Group, a new addition to the festivities this year, will also perform. The parade will begin at the corner of Seventh Street and Indiana Avenue, march west to Walnut Street, north to Eight Street, west to College Avenue, south to Kirkwood Avenue and continue east on Kirkwood Avenue, ending at the Sample Gates. An awards ceremony will be held following the parade at 11:15 a.m. on the courthouse square. Awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Youth Entry, Best Equestrian Entry, Best Musical Entry, Best Overall Entry, Most Creative Use of Theme, Best Vehicle, Best Float and Best Walking Entry. Last year’s winners include Best Overall Entry to Gerry Stieglitz for his American Heroes veteran float, Best Walking Entry to Cardinal Stage and Best Float to Stafford Music Academy. Registration materials and complete parade rules can be obtained from the Parks and Recreation Web site at www.bloomington.in.gov/parks or by contacting Ream by phone at (812)-349-3748 or by email at reamw@bloomington.in.gov. “This last week is typically when I get the biggest rush of entries,” Ream said. “We still have plenty of room for whomever wants to be a part of the festivities.” — Samantha Felix
(06/05/13 9:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Starter pistols fired blanks June 4 inside Jackson Creek Middle School as announcements came over the intercom to signal a school lockdown as part of a mass shooting drill.Students and volunteers were ushered into classrooms by teachers and other officials where they were told to turn off the lights, lock the doors, and move to areas in the room where they would be less visible from the door. As they waited for instructions from police officers to exit the building, first responders and police officers roamed the hallways, securing all the classrooms while tending to the “injured.”Katie Cox, special education teacher and member of the Crisis Management Team at Jackson Creek Middle School, assisted in moving students and volunteers to the outside of the building where they would wait for transportation.The active shooter training was funded by the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools grant given to the Monroe County School Corporation. Educators have very specialized roles during an active shooter event. This course reviews various active shooter incidents from schools throughout the country, the roles of school personnel, the duties of law enforcement, the RAIN acronym model for those with a “duty to protect’ and the ESCAPE model for those with no legal obligation, such as students and volunteers.John Matthews, author of “Mass Shootings: Six Steps to Survival” and highly-decorated 30-year law enforcement veteran, was invited to lead and develop with first responders the proper plan to demonstrate the mass shooting scenario. “The teachers have been trained in the RAIN model and students in the ESCAPE model,” he said. “We’ve practiced and now we are going to do all six steps.” During the drill, student groups were placed in three different locations around Jackson Creek, two inside the building and one outside. Nadia Sabry, a seventh grader at Jackson Creek, was outside of the building with other students simulating gym class. “We didn’t hear any gun shots or any announcements over the speaker,” Sabry said. “Other than police officers arriving, we wouldn’t have known anything was wrong.”John Carter, director of planning for the MCCSC, said there were only a few errors during the drill, one being a failure of the outside speakers to broadcast the lockdown announcement and the other being a radio malfunction that kept him from notifying transportation.After students exited the building on police officers’ command, buses were alerted to come and transport the students to Batchelor Middle School.“Something that people don’t realize, when dealing with a school scenario, is what to do with students afterwards,” Cox said. “That’s as important as anything else, maintaining safety and security of the students in the chaos that can ensue after a shoot scenario like this.”Once all the students and volunteers were transported to Batchelor, they began the unification process, where students reconnected with their parents or guardians. Three parents volunteered to be a part of this process. Elizabeth Gately, Sabry’s mother, was one of them.Gately said the parents were fully informed of what was going to happen with the drill so they knew what to expect. She also stated that some parents she talked to felt they could not participate in the drill because it was too emotional.“I had a lot of friends say they could not do it because it would upset them too much,” Gately said. “But unfortunately it’s a reality these days and we have to deal with it. As parents, we do need to educate our children on what to do, not just at school, but at any public place like the theater, the mall or the grocery store. We need to ask them ‘what would you do if something like this happened?’ and schools are a great place to start the education.”Upon arrival to Batchelor, students were placed in a safe area where no one could reach them until their parents arrived to pick them up. Once parents met with school officials, they had to fill out forms stating who their child was, what grade they were in, and what time the parent came to pick them up. Also, parents had to present a form of identification to verify that they were the student’s guardian or relative. Matthews instructed people that parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts would all show up to retrieve the students once they heard about the proposed shooting.“If there are 500 kids in a school, 1,500 people will show up at the designated location to pick up their child. This is a three-to-one ratio,” Matthews said. “Administration is responsible for knowing the exact time that the child was picked up and who they were released to.”He explained that a police officer would stand by to provide security because in high-pressure situations parents can become upset when their child isn’t immediately released to them.The drill took roughly an hour to complete, from the start of the announcements until the reunification of the children with their parents.After the drill, the students, first responders and MCCSC staff from around Monroe County met to discuss how the situation went.Carter said everything seemed to go well, despite the two minor errors and that everything was well-scripted to ensure that the drill was a success. Matthews explained that situations will always vary and that procedural changes can occur, but that’s not the important factor in these demonstrations. “The more important thing is everybody learned something," he said. "It’s beneficial from my perspective that everything went as we planned it, but truly it’s invaluable to the school that they practice drills like these that can save lives.”
(06/03/13 4:25am)
This past spring, as graduation caps flew into the air following the 2013 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies, one particular cap was never thrown.Today marks the two-year anniversary of the disappearance of then-20 year old IU sophomore Lauren Spierer, who vanished on June 3, 2011. It is a night that remains a mystery to this day. In his commencement speech at the Undergraduate Ceremonies, President Michael A. McRobbie asked the IU community to keep Spierer and her family and friends in their thoughts. McRobbie noted that Spierer is a member of the community who will never be forgotten. “This is something that is on our minds every day,” Dean of Students Pete Goldsmith said. “We constantly think about her family, friends, and people that knew her and the fact that she was supposed to graduate this year. We hope there is a resolution for her family as well as the IU campus who remembers her daily.”The details of Spierer’s last known whereabouts are no more clear two years later than they were the very day she was reported missing.According to police reports, Spierer left her Smallwood apartment complex with then-IU student Corey Rossman and walked to Kilroy’s Sports Bar at 1:46 a.m. Spierer and Rossman entered the bar, the outside area of which had been filled with sand to simulate a beach area, and walked around barefoot. At 2:27 a.m., Spierer was seen on camera leaving the bar barefoot and without her cell phone.Rossman accompanied Spierer back to her apartment complex, arriving at 2:30 a.m., where he was involved in an altercation with another resident. Rossman was reportedly punched in the face and fell to the ground, but he claims he does not recall this incident.The two exited the Smallwood complex at 2:42 a.m. after a brief 12-minute stop, which the apartment security footage confirmed. Street cameras between Smallwood and the apartments she visited at 11th and Morton streets captured additional footage of Spierer, which shows her walking with another person through the camera fields. The sequence of events that followed after she left her apartment building remain inconclusive.Mike Beth, Rossman’s roommate, said he helped Rossman to his bed and then accompanied Spierer down the hall to the apartment of Jay Rosenbaum, an acquaintance. Rosenbaum claims he tried to persuade Spierer to stay on his couch that night and that she refused.He said he stood on his balcony as he watched Spierer walk home alone back to her apartment complex around 4:30 a.m. Rosenbaum was the last person to see Spierer.Police reported Spierer’s keys and purse were found along a route between the two apartment complexes. Spierer’s boyfriend, Jesse Wolff, reported Spierer missing on the afternoon of June 3 when she didn’t return his phone calls or text messages. The Bloomington Police Department issued a statement noting that as of May 24, 2013, a total of 3,060 tips have been received by the Department, 166 in 2013. “Since the time of Lauren’s disappearance on June 3, 2011, the Bloomington Police Department has continued its ongoing effort to provide answers to Lauren’s family and the Bloomington community,” the statement read. “Despite being nearly two years into this investigation, information continues to come in regarding Lauren’s case and investigators diligently pursue the information with the same level of commitment as in the beginning. No amount of time passing will deter us from our responsibility and we remain dedicated to Lauren’s case.”IUPD Deputy Chief Laury Flint reiterated the Department’s diligence in continuing their service by doing extra patrols in areas that aren’t well-lit, as well as areas that are frequented by intoxicated people, being proactive in regards to keeping people safe and looking for people who need help.“We are always vigilant and trying to look for people who need help,” Flint said. “We aren’t only looking for people who are doing something wrong. We want to protect people and sometimes that even means from themselves.”Flint said the majority of the campus population are young adults ages 18-22 years old who will inevitably experiment with alcohol. Though they can’t always stop this activity, Flint cited educational programs provided to students as the key to learning to be more responsible when drinking alcohol. “People have to be willing to pay attention and listen when these programs are presented to them,” Flint said. “They have to be willing to take advice.”Melanie Payne, senior associate director of the Office of First Year Experience Programs and director of New Student Orientation, said safety is one of FYE’s biggest concerns, due to orientation being a major transition time. Following Lauren’s disappearance, Payne said the program has added safety sessions with IUPD and have placed a bigger focus on the importance of making the right choices. Payne said in the very first session with parents and students after Lauren disappeared, the Office laid out what information they had to those concerned.“Here’s what we as a community know, here’s what this campus is concerned about, lets talk about your students’ safety,” Payne said. “We put it in context of bad things can happen anywhere, lets talk about how to minimize that. You have a role in it and we have a role in it. Our role is to provide information, resources, access to those resources and the student’s role is to think and make good choices and the family’s role, again, is to guide and remind.” As IU continues to mourn the absence of Lauren, who should have been standing amongst the ranks of graduating seniors in May, her story has left a mark on the IU community, emphasizing the importance of making the right decisions and being safe.“No parent, sister, brother or friend should have to endure the prolonged ordeal that those closest to Lauren have faced over the last two years,” said Mark Land, associate vice president of IU Communications. “In particular, our hearts go out to Lauren’s family, which has displayed unwavering faith and uncommon grace under unspeakably trying circumstances. We also join them in urging anyone who may have information that could bring resolution to Lauren’s disappearance to the attention of the Bloomington Police.”
(06/02/13 11:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite heavy rains, Lake Monroe hosted its annual Kids Fishing Derby from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at Paynetown State Recreation Area.The Kids Fishing Derby, one of many Free Fishing Weekend events, took place June 1. This past weekend was the last opportunity to try fishing without purchasing a license for the year.“This statewide promotion was created in order to encourage people to try fishing for the first time,” said Jill Vance, naturalist for Lake Monroe and State Parks & Reservoirs.Kids age 16 and younger were invited to participate in the derby to help kick-start the last of three free fishing event, coordinated by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to promote the sport of fishing.Participants were welcome to bring their own fishing equipment, but DNR provided fishing equipment and bait for all 17 kids who participated.“We have a mixture of kids with experience who have brought their own fishing poles and are showing off their skills and we also have beginners who are learning the basics of fishing so that they can continue to fish the rest of the summer,” Vance said.Instructors from both the Division of State Parks and Reservoirs and the Division of Fish and Wildlife were on hand to teach the basics of fishing such as how to put a hook on the line, how to put bait on the hook, how to cast, reel in the line, take fish off the hooks and other basic skills.“We want to get kids involved, but more so their parents since the kids rely on them to participate in fishing,” said David Kittaka, fisheries biologist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife. “The more we teach the parents, the more they can teach the kids.”Instructors were also there to offer assistance for those newcomers so that they could measure each fish that they caught from Lake Monroe by placing it on a makeshift measuring board.One newcomer was 9-year-old Emma Witzke. Her birthday was the day before the event, and she said she wanted to go fishing for her birthday.“I’ve caught four fish today and the biggest was seven-and-one-fourth inches,” said Witzke who was fishing with her dad. A drawing for two new fishing poles was held at 10 a.m. for all participants.The winners were Alana Winzeler, who received a brand new maroon fishing pole, and Witzke, who won a yellow and red Pixar “Cars” fishing pole.“By kids getting involved, their parents can realize how much fun they are having and how cheap this outdoor activity can be,” said Kittaka.Paynetown’s activity center will continue to provide kids with free fishing equipment all summer long during their hours of operation.“We hope events like these will get kids outdoors,” said Vance. “Hopefully, this event will keep them involved in outdoor activities such as fishing,” said Vance.
(06/02/13 11:10pm)
Indiana Department of Natural Resources promoted its Free Fishing Weekend, June 1-2, by promoting the sport of fishing to kids at their annual Kids Fishing Derby that took place at Paynetown Safe Recreation Center on June 1.
(06/02/13 11:08pm)
Jill Vance, naturalist for Lake Monroe, and Jacob Heeb, biologist aide, helped kids remove fish from their hooks and measure them.
(06/02/13 11:06pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ivy Tech Community College is partaking in a national effort designed to address the dwindling number of skilled workers in the aviation industry, which is supposed to decline by 40 percent by 2014. Ivy Tech specifically its campuses in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, is one of five colleges to receive the U.S. Department of Labor grant and will create a 12-16 week program to train workers in the aviation field.“Ivy Tech was selected by a national group to apply for the grant,” National Aviation Consortium Project Coordinator Christine Garrett said. “Each college prepared information for the grant application for programs to be provided at each school.”The National Aviation Consortium group has targeted 2,505 people to participate, with five colleges in the corsortium, they hope to average at least 501 per school.The U.S. aviation and aerospace industry is threatened with an impending shortage of skilled workers resulting in a lack of competitiveness in the field according to a National Aviation Consortium press release. The National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Institute estimates the aviation industry will lose nearly 40 percent of its employees by 2014. “Also, 82 percent of manufacturers say that they can’t find the skilled workers that they need,” Garrett said. “Nearly 60,000 jobs go unfilled said Jennifer McNelly, President of the Manufacturing Institute.” The Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry has recommended that the nation immediately work towards reversing the decline of workers, and that they promote the growth of a trained U.S. aviation and aerospace workforce. All these efforts are to avoid a threat to national security and U.S. capability as a world leader according to the press release.The National Aviation Consortium is a partnership designed to address the gap of skilled workers in aviation industry. With funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, NAC has partnered with community colleges in Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Washington. They chose these colleges in the hopes of providing manufacturers with well-trained, entry-level workers who can think critically and immediately enter the workplace. “The Manufacturing Institute reports that although 86 percent of respondents say that America’s manufacturing base is important or very important to their standards of living, only 33 percent of the same respondents say that they would encourage their children to go into manufacturing,” Garrett said.During the 12 to 16 week program, participating students will earn nationally portable, industry-driven certifications including the National Career Readiness Certification, the Manufacturing Skills Standard Council Certification, which is essentially a health, safety and quality certificate, and an aviation technical credential. “Everyone who completes the program will get a certificate in basic skills, basic blueprint reading, and other important manufacturing focal points,” Garrett said. “The participants will then go into the area of their speciality, which, initially at least, will consist of either sheet metal or electrical assembly.”The sheet metal assembly certificate will focus on learning how to use the tools associated with sheet metal. The students will have to complete a number of lab projects using rivets and guns and other specialized tools. “One of the key skills taught is how to precisely build a part based only upon blueprints,” Garrett said. “This will give our students the ability to work on sheet metal in either manufacturing or repair station settings.”The electrical assembly certificate will focus on learning how to use the tools associated with aviation electronics. They will learn the skills that will allow them to be effective in installing wiring for new aircraft or aircraft modifications.The goal of the program is for students to obtain employment working with aviation related businesses which can include airlines as well as Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MROs), Fixed Based Operators (FBO), manufacturers providing products for aviation businesses.“Examples can be as sheet metal technicians or system technicians for employers rebuilding aircraft,” Garrett said. This program is working on providing careers for students participating in the program as well as bridging the gap in the aviation industry.Garrett said that the meetings regarding this program were very much supported by the community and that employers are excited about the program.“Employers are willing to assist in making it successful,” Garrett said.
(05/30/13 12:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After spending a year away from home in Iraq, Army National Guard veteran and Bloomington resident David Weatherbee can finally relax and spend some quality time with his family.Vacation for Veterans, a Virginia-based organization, provides Purple Heart Medal recipients from the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaigns with a week of free lodging donated by vacation homeowners.“There are lots of programs out there that help veterans, but nothing like this,” Weatherbee said. “This vacation opportunity is one of the better ones that I have seen because family time is so important.” This non-profit organization was founded in 2007 by Chris and Peggy Carr, both former Marines. Peggy Carr was planning to donate a percentage of the profits from her luxury home exchange business to charity when the idea came to her.She realized that some of the vacation homes on her website had several weeks of vacancies and she considered the possibility of those homeowners donating those weeks to wounded veterans. After receiving an enthusiastic response, the Carrs decided to start their organization and began matching veterans with vacation homeowners. “They were just looking for a way to give back,” said Hadley Vukasovich, director of fundraising. “And now they have given back to over 350 families nationwide.” According to the Vacations for Veterans website, they are unable to give back to all veterans like they would want due to the small size of their organization. Their limited mission allows them to help Purple Heart recipients who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each veteran must fill out an application and wait for a response. “I found out about this opportunity through my wife.” Weatherbee said. “She filled out an application and we were accepted.” The Weatherbees, who currently reside in Monroe County, will be traveling to Orange Beach, Ala. in less than four weeks for their free vacation stay. “Our vacation condo is being donated by a generous elderly couple, one of whom is a veteran as well,” Jenni Weatherbee, David’s wife, said. The majority of people who donate their homes are not veterans. Of those who are veterans, many are retired and served in World War II or the Korean War. “These people can most likely relate to the needs of veterans once they return the most, but all of our homeowners are donating their time and space for people who served them and their country,” Vukasovich said. “Veteran or not, everyone is just looking for a way to give back.”Most of the donated homes are vacation homes or timeshares. Venture Travel, located in Boston, donated cruise cabins for vacation cruises to the veterans. “We have been lucky enough to receive a variety of different vacations for the veterans to experience,” Vukasovich said.Creative donors have gone as far as donating fishing and hiking trips in various parts of the country. Vacations for Veterans has even received offers for vacation homes in Hawaii and Panama.“One of the challenges we face is transportation costs and special accommodations such as bedding and travel for those who are wounded and recovering,” Vukasovich said.She also said that these types of vacations for veterans returning from overseas are extremely important and that is why Vacation for Veterans has had such an overwhelming response.“We are working to raise money to help as many vets as we can,” Vukasovich said. “But right now we are just too small to help everyone.”
(05/29/13 10:34pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The seventh annual Spencer Pride Festival will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this coming Saturday, June 1 on the Owen County courthouse lawn. The family-friendly event celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and intersex pride within the south-central Indiana rural setting.“This event showcases the growing recognition and acceptance for the gay community in Spencer and in southern Indiana,” said Eric Hamil, Spencer Pride, Inc. member and this year’s photographer for the event. Spencer Pride is an inclusive event that has been taking place since 2007. Originally, the festival started out as a picnic organized by seven founders including Jonathan Balash and PFLAG (Parents Families and Friends of Lesbian and Gays) with 76 people in attendance its first year. “We doubled our attendance every year for the first five years,” said Balash, now president of Spencer Pride, Inc., “We have now become the second largest festival in Spencer, with nearly 1,200 people in attendance, and we are still growing.” This year’s Spencer Pride Festival has announced a diverse lineup of free live entertainment, food and nearly 70 vendors featuring local artists and otherfestival activities. This includes Quarryland Men’s Chorus, classically trained singers Amanda Biggs and Justin Teague, family-friendly belly dancing group Different Drummer Belly Dancers, Ted Green, Larry Morley, Dan Wyatt and Uncle Elizabeth’s Cabaret Show. Also performing is Tyra Jukes, a powerful blues singer, alongside guitarist and songwriter Bruce Payton. “We will also have our annual family-friendly drag show,” Balash said. “Spencer Pride is the only Indiana pride festival that features a live drag show on the county courthouse lawn.”Also, the historic Tivoli Theater, recently restored by COOK, Inc. for an estimated $4.5 million dollars, will be offering free tours of the building every 30 minutes. This theater, which originally opened its doors in 1928, is considered a crown jewel of the downtown area.This year’s Spencer Pride Festival will also help support a few local organizations as well.“The White River Valley PFLAG will be hosting a yard sale in tandem with the festival in order to raise funds for the local chapter,” Cathy Wyatt said. Wyatt was recently appointed to the Spencer Pride, Inc. Board of Directors, and serves as president of White River Valley PFLAG. Purchases made at the sale will go to support the PFLAG organization, which plays an important role for the LGBTQI families in south-central Indiana. Wyatt said they try to educate the community through outreach resources like PFLAG and to sponsor events like the pride festival. “The coming-out process is different for everyone, but in my experience parents come out, families come out, and youth come out,” Wyatt said. “They need a place to turn to, both PFLAG and Spencer Pride are good places for that.”Another local organization that will be helped this year through the festival is the Middle Way House. The organizers for the pride festival will be collecting donations of personal items to help women transition when they are relocated.“These types of items are essential to women,” said Balash. “Any donations are appreciated.” Positive Link, an IU Health program and sponsor of the festival, will be providing free HIV testing all day. “Most people think small rural towns are close-minded, but not Spencer,” Balash said. “They have been so welcoming. Our motto is ‘It’s not the size of the community that counts, it’s what you do with it.’”This event is family-friendly, pet-friendly and free. For more information regarding the pride festival, visit the Spencer Pride Inc. website at www.spencerpride.org.
(05/22/13 11:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Murray Forest Park in Bedford, Ind. will celebrate Get Outdoors Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 8. Games, crafts, archery, prizes, and demonstrations will entertain kids for a day of outdoor activities. “We want kids to unplug from all of their videogames, iPods and computers in order to get outdoors,” said Teena Ligman, assistant public affairs officer for the HoosierNational Forest.Get Outdoors Day is a presidential initiative created by first lady Michelle Obama to encourage healthy, active outdoor fun. The first Get Outdoors Day was held at the White House Garden.“They hope to create a ripple effect that will allow all communities to participate in it and hopefully make it an annual event,” Ligman said.A variety of local organizations, including the Hoosier National Forest and the Bedford Parks and Recreation Department, have teamed up to offer opportunities for southern Indiana families to experience both traditional and non-traditional outdoor activities. “We partner with the forestry department for a number of different events including Get Outdoors Day,” Recreational Director Gary Dorsett said. “Murray Park is a great place for these activities.”During the event, there will be bird hikes, dog demonstrations and games that will teach kids about duck migration and bee pollination. Accompanying demonstrations will be set up with two labrador retrievers as well as bee colonies and pollinator gardens. Kyle Knight will provide the two labradors to demonstrate working with dogs. Mike Johnson, a world-renowned dog trainer and local police dog trainer, will also be there to teach kids about training dogs and the joys of working with animals.“Both men are very qualified and kids just think it’s cool to see dogs go and fetch sticks and sit on command,” Ligman said. “They really enjoy it.”Children can learn to shoot a bow, learn about gun safety and play old-fashioned pioneer games. One such pioneer game involves pushing a hoop around with a stick while running and trying not to let the hoop fall.If kids are not interested in these types of games, kites and a bounce house will be provided. Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts will be there with relay games and other activities. As people come, the kids can rotate to different stations in order to experience most of the activities provided. “There should be a lot of different things to do,” Dorsett said. “We also have several picnic areas at the park as well as softball fields.”Another possible activity for the children to enjoy is Project Noah. The name “Noah” is an acronym that stands for “networked organisms and habitats.” The purpose of the project is to mobilize and inspire a new generation of nature lovers.“Kids can take pictures of different things in nature and naturalists will help them to identify what they have found with its most common name,” Ligman said. “We will upload them into a database with the kid’s name and they can see it on the Project Noah website. This is just one more way for kids to be involved in the outdoors.”The first 150 participants will receive a backpack filled with prizes including a magnifying glass to examine bugs with, a bandana with all of the local trails on it, a miniature gardening kit as well as bird seeds and a nature jar to collect leaves and different natural items from around the park.“If kids want to come, but can’t find a ride, we are providing transportation for areas around Bedford,” Ligman said.Bedford City buses and Rural Transit are providing limited free transportation. The local buses will pick up from Hamilton Courts and the Boys & Girls Clubs. Rural Transit will make pickups at Persimmon Court Apartments, Mitchell Junior High and Oolitic Junior High. Transportation can be reserved by calling 812-275-5692.
(05/19/13 11:04pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Monday, May 20 at 7 p.m. Shadi Alkattan will give a presentation on the prospect for peace in war-torn Syria sponsored by the Bloomington Peace Action Coalition. “My dad specifically chose to leave Syria because he was being forced to join the Army, so he fled before he had to do his time,” Alkattan said about his family’s experience living in Syria.This eyewitness account will be delivered at the Monroe County Public Library in room B1. The Syrian civil war is an ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Syrian Ba’ath Party government and those seeking to oust it. Starting in March 2011, popular demonstrations became nationwide in less than a month.These demonstrations were part of the wider Middle Eastern protest movement known as the Arab Spring. Protesters demanded the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, whose family has held the presidency in Syria since 1971. They also demanded the end to over four decades of Ba’ath Party rule.The Syrian Army was deployed to crush the uprising in April 2011. Controversy began when soldiers were ordered to fire on demonstrators across the country. After months of this type of conflict, protests evolved into an armed rebellion.Defected soldiers and volunteer civilians became increasingly armed and organized as they unified.However, the rebels remained disorganized in their leadership. The conflict has no clear fronts. This causes conflict to take place all across the country, in many small towns and cities.“We wanted Shadi to speak because the situation in Syria is urgent,” said Linda Greene, coordinator of the event.Alkattan’s presentation will take place following his recent trip to Syria. “Syria is a beautiful country with very amazing, pure-hearted people,” Alkattan said. “I am from Damascus. It is the oldest inhabited capital in the world. There is so much history there and now it is getting destroyed.”Alkattan said the situation there is horrific. There is no available food, electricity, running water or medical supplies. “The entire time I was there, a plane flew by and bombed random locations, he said. “There were also a lot of orphans running in the streets.”He explained that his parents and his family came to the United States because there was more opportunity here. His parents chose to settle in South Bend because it seemed like a small quiet town and a good place to raise a family.“I believe it is my mission to tell the stories of the people there,” he said. “Because a lot of people here have no idea what is happening in Syria.” He said it is a shame because a lot of people won’t get to experience Syria. yet he remains hopeful.“But maybe one day after the revolution the country can be rebuilt and be better than what it used to be,” he said.
(05/19/13 11:01pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The City of Bloomington Animal Shelter announced last week the addition of a new kitten nursery to its facilities.Grants totaling $7,000 were awarded to the shelter by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) for its accomplishments in the 2012 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. “My offices were used as the kitten nursery for the past two years, which worked, but wasn’t the best situation,” said Virgil Sauder, City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control shelter manager.Only 50 shelters in the country were selected to be a part of this challenge. Bloomington was selected after the local community went online to vote for the shelter.The Bloomington shelter ranked number two in the United States due to overwhelming support by the community.In order to be eligible for the challenge, the local shelter had to save 300 more animals between August and October than it did the previous year. “In 2011, we saved 741 animals,” said Laurie Ringquist, director of the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control. “In 2012, we saved roughly 1,041 animals.” The shelter successfully competed last year, though they did not win the overall grand prize of $100,000. They were awarded $5,000 for completing the challenge and an additional $2,000 for a photography contest. Some of the adopters submitted pictures of the animals they adopted within the three-month timespan. More funding for the kitten nursery was supplied by the City of Bloomington.“We used the money we won from the ASPCA challenge to buy new supplies for the nursery, but ultimately the construction of the new nursery was funded by the city,” Ringquist said.Each spring and summer, from March through late September, the shelter is flooded with hundreds of newborn kittens and nursing moms due to breeding season. From April through August of 2012, they received roughly 190 to 240 kittens or cats per month.This feline group is most at risk to contract life-threatening upper respiratory infections and should be isolated from the rest of the cat population. This is due to their weakened immune systems at birth and the stress caused by the other cats in a confined area. The previous shelter configuration did not include any space for the isolation to prevent the spread of the infections.“We use the metaphor of a daycare to explain the respiratory infections: if one kid sneezes, everyone starts to sneeze,” Ringquist said.Shelter staff and City facilities staff analyzed the use of several areas of the shelter as well as animal intake trends and created a plan to renovate a small dog room, storage closets, dishwashing area and laundry room for use as a nursery.“Since the dog intake has decreased in recent years, we knew it was feasible and affordable to use the small dog room as the new nursery,” Sauder said. “We also wanted to utilize space that we already had instead of building on.”The grant funding was used more specifically to purchase new kennels and other items needed to outfit this room as well as to purchase soundproofing panels to make existing cat kennels less noisy and, therefore, less stressful to the animals.“We believe this new kitten nursery will help hundreds of animals at the shelter to remain happy and healthy,” Ringquist said.
(05/16/13 12:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington was recognized again for its ongoing commitment to play when it was selected for Playful City USA designation for the sixth consecutive year by KaBoom!, a national playground non-profit.KaBoom! said it is dedicated to creating great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities, as well as to giving kids the childhood they deserve by ultimately envisioning a place to play within walking distance of every child in America.Bloomington was selected for “Playful City USA” designation because of its outstanding dedication to play, according to a statement from KaBoom!. “We like Bloomington, in particular, because of the concerted efforts to involve everyday citizens in the decision-making process,” Communications Manager for KaBoom!, Mike Vietti said.The Indiana Parks and Recreation Association recently awarded Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department the “Agency of the Year” award. A variety of opportunities, including summer events like “Touch a Truck,” “Messy Mania” and the free summertime series of concerts and movies in Bryan Park have made the department successful in making Bloomington residents more playful.Lynsie Haag, community events specialist for the parks department said that the “Touch a Truck” program is in its 13th year this summer. “The event was created for kids to have fun,” she said. “By allowing them to explore the inside of fire trucks and ambulances, they get to experience things up close.”Playful City USA is sponsored by the Humana Foundation and is a nationally recognized program honoring cities and towns investing in children through activities like play. Cities and towns that are recognized make a commitment to play by developing tailored actions plans to suit their community.“In order for designees to qualify they must map local playspaces, complete a needs assessment, and develop an action plan that identifies a minimum of three policies, programs, and initatives aimed at increasing access to play at school, in neighborhoods, and through community engagement,” Vietti said.According to a press release from the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, today’s generation of children play less than any previous generation, despite the benefits of play. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics reports that play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being of children. “The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department is proud to be able to offer the community a huge variety of places to play, and fun programs to enjoy,” said Bill Ream, the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department community events coordinator.Ream announced that the community will celebrate its renewed Playful City USA status with a Play Day on Aug. 23 in Bryan Park. This Play Day will include games, a bounce house and a free showing of the movie “Princess Bride.” Bloomington is one of 217 communities across the country to be recognized as Playful Cities. Indiana’s other designees include Fishers, Fort Wayne and Franklin.There are 20 playgrounds in all available for children in Bloomington’s city parks. The B-Line Trail and other natural trails at Griffy Lake provide additional opportunities for families to have access to free playspaces. Bloomington’s newest city park playground is scheduled to open in July. It will be located at RCA Community Park at 1400 W. RCA Park Drive. “We are fortunate to live and work in a city that recognizes not only the healthy benefits of play, but also supports the many organizations that prioritize play in Bloomington,” Ream said.
(05/13/13 9:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Former Monroe County Auditor Amy Gerstman was charged Monday with six counts of theft and one count of official misconduct for allegedly making personal purchases with a county-issued credit card.In 2011, Gerstman submitted a claim to the Monroe County Government for alleged travel and training expenses in New York City accounting for $2,500 for which she received payment. In fact, though, she did not attend the training session nor did she use the money for any training-related purposes. In November 2011, Gerstman reimbursed the county and released a letter to the public apologizing to the taxpayers of Monroe County for confusion surrounding the claim and for using the credit card for personal expenditures.Gerstman had five other instances as well, such as spending nearly $100 at CATO women’s clothing store and paying her children’s $1,800 Harmony School tuition.The official misconduct charge is due to the fact that the criminal offenses occurred while she was serving her term as the elected auditor of Monroe County. The State Board of Accounts conducted an investigation into the use of the county-issued credit card from January 2010 to March 2012, when they discovered unauthorized uses of the credit card. Special Prosecutor Barry Brown and Monroe County Sheriff’s Department Detective Jennifer Allen investigated the financial irregularities, which led to the charges being filed against her.Gerstman was elected as the Monroe County auditor in November 2008.This story will be updated.
(05/12/13 11:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Thursday, May 9, adults chatted in the shade as children sat on the grass of the courthouse lawn eating strawberry shortcakes.“It’s always a fun event,” said Angie Cantrell, member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Bloomington who helped coordinate the Strawberry Shortcake Festival. The festival is an annual tradition that has been upheld since 1987. Sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club and organized by the Ladies Auxiliary of Bloomington, this event raises money each year to support operational funds for the Boys & Girls Club.“We couldn’t serve the kids of this community without the help of the Ladies Auxiliary,” said Sarah Heimer, resource development director for the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington. Every time someone dropped money into the donation buckets, the Ladies Auxiliary’s cheers could be heard throughout the festival lawn. “We just want to help The Boys & Girls Club and this is one way we can do it, by providing hands-on support and raising money,” Cantrell said.Heimer said it costs $540 per child to run the club, but the Boys & Girls Club charges only $20 per membership. She said with the help of this festival and the funds it provides, the goal is to remain available and affordable. “We provide all these great services like after-school programs, summer camps and other special events throughout the year,” said Brenda Salvo, unit director for Ellettsville.Each year the day before the festival, the Boys and Girls Club provides pre-sale deliveries of their homemade strawberry shortcakes kits. On Wednesday, they oversold by almost 18 percent having started the day with 400 anticipatory orders and overselling by 75 kits. “I don’t know exactly how many strawberry shortcakes we sold this year, but just from the pre-sales alone it seems that we most likely sold out,” Heimer said. “But it’s too early to tell.”The day of the festival, they had roughly 3,000 servings of strawberry shortcake baked by the Hoosier Hills Food Bank along with donated ice cream from Bruster’s Ice Cream.“We are just grateful for all the support,” Heimer said.
(05/12/13 11:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On May 7, Governor Mike Pence signed a bill allowing undocumented students who were already pursuing their college degrees to complete their education at the resident tuition rate. “Hoosiers believe in the rule of law and in compassion,” Pence said. “The legislation I signed today gives a handful of young women and men who have already enrolled in college the opportunity to finish what they started.”Senate Enrolled Act 207 will allow approximately 200-300 undocumented students who have enrolled in an Indiana state college or university prior to July 1, 2011 to pay in-state tuition rates. “Last year there was a change in the law that said if students were undocumented they had to pay out-of-state tuition rates,” said Christy Denault, communications director for Governor Pence.Under this law, those students are now exempt from provisions governing in-state tuition rates in Public Law 171-2011, passed during the legislative session in 2011. SEA 207 passed the Senate with a vote of 35-15 and the House with a vote of 70-30.“Indiana University opposed the original bill when it was enacted, but we support this one,” said Mark Land, assistant Vice President for University Communications. “Some schools saw a lot of students being forced to drop out because the old law nearly tripled their tuition rates.”For IU, Land said it was unclear exactly how many students stayed at the University after the first bill passed. The law also affected students’ abilities to receive scholarship money. In Fall 2011, the University had fewer than 1,000 undocumented students. “This is a basic issue of fairness and the University has made a good faith effort to ensure support for those wishing to finish their degrees,” Land said.Senators Jean Leising (R), Carlin Yoder (R) and Earline Rogers (D) authored the legislation. Frank Mrvan (D), Greg Taylor (D), John Broden (D) and Lonnie Randolph (D) co-authored it. Representatives Rebecca Kubacki (R) and Mara Candelaria-Reardon (D) co-sponsored the legislation.
