• Lessons for students in Grades K-8 broadcast on MyINDY-TV continue. Families can watch the lessons recorded by IPS teachers on Channel 23 from 8 to 10 a.m. Monday-Friday. Subjects covered include Math, English, Reading and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programming. These lessons mirror those already posted online and provide greater access for families who don’t have computers or internet service. Lessons can be accessed via cable or satellite connections, or by tuning in the over-the-air channel to 23.1.
• The Black Hat Society of Irvington has made and donated over 2,000 cloth masks. The handcrafted masks were donated to Community East and North, Franciscan Health, Martin Luther King Community Center, Ascent 121, Gaia Works Food Pantry, and Old Bethel Food Pantry. They have been taking donations for cloth and supplies to keep them stitching until the crisis has passed.
• Live Facebook events have become a thing in the past couple of months. If you are interested in local history, check out the live “tours” of Irvington landmarks on the Irvington Historical Society’s Facebook feed. with Paul Diebold strolling through the neighborhood. The Benton House has also been hosting live tours with interesting historical information about the house.
• So many events have been cancelled for this year, or postponed. The Woodruff Place Flea Market, which is two days of bargain hunting in a beautiful historic neighborhood, has been postponed until Sat., Oct. 3 and Sun., Oct. 4. The Irvington Garden Tour, which usually takes place in June, has been cancelled for this year. The Irvington Historical Society’s annual Ice Cream Social, usually held in August, has also been cancelled. It isn’t just the loss of these great events that hurts, but that they are major fundraisers to help preserve and enhance historic neighborhoods.
• Indy DPW will be out filling potholes throughout the city over the weekend, weather permitting. They will also be taking care of service requests from Indianapolis residents. Report potholes by visiting the Request Indy Web site, maps.indy.gov/RequestIndy/ or by calling the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622.
• The City of Lawrence and the City of Beech Grove have canceled their 4th of July celebrations this year. In addition, Lawrence has postponed its Community Safety Day, but will announce a new date in early fall.
• The first Irvington Garden Club Farmer’s Market is slated for the second Sunday of the month, June 14 from noon-3 p.m. The organizers of the market are still working out details to make the market safe for patrons and vendors, and there are likely to be significant changes from years past. Stay tuned for details.
• The gradual re-opening of businesses and public spaces in Indiana is welcome for many, but there are those in our community who still need to stay at home. Some businesses will remain closed or have reduced hours. Some businesses are requiring patrons to wear masks in the store, and all are enforcing social distancing (at least 6 feet apart) guidelines. Let’s all respect each other.