• Fred Imhausen, Irvington’s own Santa, passed away suddenly last week. Besides being Santa to countless kids, Fred was a realtor and tax professional, and one of the kindest men on the east side. Our thoughts go out to his family. There will be a celebration of life service at Washington Park on Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. (Wear a mask and observe social distancing rules at the service.)
• The Indianapolis Cultural Trail organization will host Flurries on the Canal on Saturday, Dec. 18 from 1-5 p.m. This inaugural event is part of the Indy Keeps Creating series and is free. The event will be held on the canal at the Walnut Street Basin (next to the Orange Bridge) on downtown Canal. There will be music and more, plus local West Fork Whiskey will be there to serve hot adult beverages.
• Bottleworks Indy (850 Mass Ave.) will host the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan on Friday, Dec. 17 from 6-9 p.m. on the north end of Carrolton Ave. inside the district itself. Since 1997, the caravan has been a holiday tradition, with thousands of sparkling lights as the trucks roll through towns. There will be opportunities for pictures with Santa, KOZS Kaizen sampling, music, and lots more.
• The state of Indiana has made people 16 and older eligible for COVID-19 booster shots. As of Dec. 12, only 51.8% of Marion County residents have been fully vaccinated against the virus. About 58% have received at least one dose. With the recent surge in positive cases, plus the introduction of the omicron variant, it is very important to be completely, fully vaccinated. Hospitals are experiencing strains on the system due to largely unvaccinated individuals becoming sick with the virus. Call 2-1-1 or visit ourshot.in.gov to make an appointment for a free, safe shot. On December 12, the United States passed a sad milestone: over 800,000 American have died from COVID-19.
• Marion County is also experiencing a sharp spike in new cases of COVID, averaging 455 new positive cases a day. This is not good news, as it seems that our ICUs are filling up once again with sick patients. To see if you are eligible for free home tests sent to your door in many zip codes, visit COVIDhometestindy.org. FREE test kits are also available at the Marion County Health Dept. office at 6042 E. 21st St., 3838 N. Rural, or 2868 N. Pennsylvania St.
• Little Flower Neighborhood has swag! If you live in Little Flower, or know someone who does, go online to littlefloweringy.org to purchase t-shirts, coasters, bags, or a house sign! Proceeds go to support the neighborhood association’s projects.
• Indianapolis Animal Care Services has been struggling to find homes for perfectly great cats and dogs, and has been overwhelmed with surrendered animals. Please adopt — don’t shop! To see their recent residents in need of good, loving homes, visit www.indy.gov/activity/adopt-a-pet. They also have a “Cuddle Before You Commit” program so you can take a pet home for a short time to see how it fits into your household.