• NEAR (Near Eastside Area Renewal) is looking for homes on the near eastside in need of furnace replacement for their upcoming Caulk of the Town even in October. Eligible applicants must be at or below 80 percent area median income, own the home, and be up to date on all taxes. The program is free to the applicant but the value of the work done is placed as a 30-year, no interest lien on the property. The homeowner is allowed to pay down the lien or after 30 years, the lien is automatically removed. Interested homeowners should contact NEAR online at www.nearindy.org or by calling 808-2369.
• The Bicentennial Edition of the Official Indiana Roadway Map is available in the Indiana Farm Bureau building at the Indiana State Fair. Following the fair, maps will be available at state legislative offices, highway rest stops, state welcome centers and Indiana Farm Bureau offices throughout the state. Individuals may also request a new map by visiting VisitIndiana.com. The map is free of charge.
• On Wed., Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Indianapolis Public Library, Central Branch (40 E. St. Clair), the Second Annual Ray Bradbury Memorial Lecture by Jonathan R. Eller will take place. Eller, the Chancellor’s Professor of English and Director, Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, will discuss “Ray Bradbury’s The October Country,” detailing the history of this story collection on the 60th anniversary of its original publication. This is a free event.
• Common Threads Quilt Guild will host Cathy Frank, a nationally known long arm quilter from Carmel, as their guest speaker for their regular monthly meeting Aug. 19 at 9:30 a.m. at the Mount Comfort United Methodist Church in Mount Comfort. Cathy will be demonstrating a new technique called, “T-Shirt Quilts a New Way.” Common Threads meets from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. the third Wednesday of each month at the Mount Comfort United Methodist Church with approximately 60-75 members present at each meeting. Guests are welcome.
• The 2nd annual Church Brothers Collision Repair Car Show to benefit the Gary Dudley Memorial Scholarship Foundation will take place on Aug. 29 (rain date Aug. 30) at the Church Brothers Collision Repair Shadeland shop, 751 N. Shadeland Ave. On site car registration is from 8-10 a.m. and the food, fun, prizes and displays open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Car registration is $20 (open class). Pre-registration is available before Aug. 24 at Church-Brothers.com. This is the show’s first year to raise funds for the Dudley Foundation, which has been selected as the permanent beneficiary of the event. In 2014, the inaugural Church Brothers car show contributed a total of $11,000 to Wounded Warrior Project. Nearly 200 fabulous vehicles participated. Church Brothers Collision Repair matches all proceeds raised by the show (registration fees, donations, water sales, etc).