• Starting August 15, select Indianapolis Public Library locations will be open on Sundays. Patrons may visit Central Library and the Eagle, Glendale, Nora, Southport, and Warren Branches on Sundays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The InfoZone at the Children’s Museum will be open on Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Other Library branches remain closed on Sundays – check indypl.org/locations for current hours.
• Congratulations to Arts for Lawrence, for their recent grant from Glick Philanthropies. The $35,000 grant will support the reopening of the Fort Ben Cultural Campus.
• The 10th Annual Carmen Ellis Memorial Ride will be held on Saturday, Aug. 21. Signups begin at 9:30 a.m. at the American Legion Post 495, 8725 E. 38th St. Cost is $20 per motorcycle, $5 per passenger. The ride is about 100 miles long. Every year, the ride memorializes the life and tragic death of Carmen, who died at the age of three due to child abuse. Proceeds go to help Lutheran Child & Family Services.
• Did you know there is a family-friendly bike ride on the near eastside? Bike Indianapolis and NEAR have joined up to offer free weekly bike rides on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. The rides begin at 2807 E. 10th St. and are lead by trained pros.
• The Wheeler Mission opened their new expanded center for women and children on Aug. 11. The new facility offers more emergency and short-term housing for women and children experiencing homelessness. There are 164 permanent beds, including 30 transitional apartments for mothers with children. There are another 84 family shelter beds and 40 new emergency beds.
• An update on bird feeders and bird baths: Due to a mysterious illness that is killing songbirds in Indiana, the Dept. of Natural Resources asked Hoosiers to put away their feeders in June so the birds won’t congregate and infect each other. Recently, they said it was okay for many counties to resume feeding birds. However, the DNR is requesting that feeders remain down in Marion and Hancock counties due to a continuing problem. There is lots for them to eat in the wild at the present time, so the birds won’t go hungry — they just have to work for it a little harder.
• The Citizens Gas closure of Pleasant Run and Ritter has turned into a big traffic mess affecting Arlington and Emerson and many side streets as well. According to Citizens, the mess will continue through September. At that point, the roads will open and work will begin on the southeast corner of Ellenberger, which will be part of the BigDig Indy project. Please be patient and avoid cutting through residential neighborhoods at top speed.
• Officially, the mask mandates have been lifted in Indiana, except in medical buildings and public transportation. With the increase in COVID-19 cases, however, some restaurants and other public places are once again requiring face masks for patrons. Let’s all do our part and help nip this surge in the bud by being kind and understanding of the pressures business owners are facing, and comply with their rules.
