• On Sunday, Nov. 10 at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, 6810 E. 10th St. at 12:30 p.m., there will be a Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner open to the public. The members of the church prepare and serve this pre-holiday meal where all are welcome.
• If you take car of community cats, FIDO will hold a Winter Shelter Pickup on Sunday, Nov. 17 from noon-3 p.m. at their headquarters, 1505 N. Sherman Dr. They will also have bagged straw for existing shelters. Visit www.fidoindy.org for more information. They could also use donations to help them fund their pet food program that helps low income residents.
• The Warren Township Council of PTAs created Sonny Day, a service that offers families in the area food and clothing at the Moorhead Community Resource Center, 8400 E. 10th St. On Saturday, Nov. 9, there will be a special distribution of Thanksgiving food items from 9-11 a.m. for families in need. Enter through Door 1.
• KidsPlay will present a fairy tale parody, “The True Story of Hey Diddle Diddle” by Bradley Walton Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 & 16 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. at the H. J. Ricks Centre for the Arts, 122 W. Main St. in Greenfield. Tickets are on sale at Hometown Comics for $5, online at crazylakeacting.com for $5 (plus a fee) and at the door ($5/children and $7/adults) before the performance. Visit KidsPlay on Facebook for more information.
• The City of Lawrence is looking for vendors for their Lawrence Christmas celebration on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 2-7 p.m. Applications close Sunday, Nov. 17. It is an outdoor market, and the city will provide 10×10 tents and lights. To apply, visit cityoflawrence.org and search for the vendor registration on the opening page.
• Indiana Landmarks is holding an Athenaeum Bier and Building Tour this Sunday, Nov. 10 from 1:30-2:45 p.m. Ticket costs include a pint of beer or soft drink and three pre-selected appetizers. You can tour the historic building with people who really know and love it. Tickets are $35 for the general public. Please purchase in advance online at www.indianalandmarks.org or by calling 317-639-4534 or 800-450-4534.
• A big shout-out to all the first responders and volunteers, plus city leaders, who made downtown welcoming for the Taylor Swift shows Nov. 1-3. While we locals might not have liked the traffic closures and detours, it was great to see the city in a very positive light. The Swifties really seemed to enjoy themselves!
• There seems to be an epidemic of illegal dumping on the east side, which is a health hazard and serious nuisance. If you see active illegal dumping (truck actually unloading), call 911 immediately. If you wake up one morning and there’s a big pile of stuff, please call the Mayor’s Action Line at 317-327-4622. The east side shouldn’t be a dumping ground for other people’s trash.