Applause!: March 28-April 4

• At the KIBI Adopt a Block annual dinner, Irvington Terrace resident Bruce Gable was awarded the Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Adopt-a-Block Coordinator of the Year Green Glove Award. Bruce gives of his talent and time to his community, and is instrumental in the great success of the Irvington Terrace Neighborhoods Crime Watch Group. Congratulations Bruce!
• Thank you to loyal reader Vivian for dropping by the office last week to pick up copies. Your donation to the cause was much appreciated!
• The Irvington Garden club will hold their monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on March 31 at the Irvington Presbyterian Church, 55 Johnson. The topic of this month’s program will be hydroponics and will be presented by Maximum Grow Gardening, an Irvington business, located at 6117 East Washington St.
• Check out the Hoosier Bard’s production of Arden of Fevershame, one of the plays experts believe Shakespeare wrote at the very beginning of his career. It is one of the few Renaissance plays whose central character is a woman, Alice Arden. Arden will be staged in Clowes Auditorium at the Indianapolis Central Public Library, 40 East St. Clair St.  April 3-5 and 11-12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20 (adults) / $10 (Students/Seniors).
• USA TODAY recently cited the Benton House Historic Garden, 312 South Downey Avenue, as one of three Indiana Garden Club affiliate sites to visit. The historic garden is noted for its significant pre-1900s collections of iris, daylily, dianthus, hostas and daffodils and is a one of many beautification endeavors of the Irvington Garden Club. For more information about the garden, call the Garden’s Steward, Ed Myers, at 530-6139.
• Speaking of the bad case of spring fever everyone has, there will be a Master Gardener Lunch and Learn on March 31 at noon. The topic is: Invasive Plants in Indiana: An Update. Steve Mayer will moderate a recent previously recorded distance learning presentation led by Kyle Daniel, Purdue Nursery/Landscape Specialist. The session will be held in the Purdue Extension-Marion County Classroom in Discovery Hall in the northwest corner of the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Bring your own lunch. There is no charge to participate and parking is free. However, please pre-register before the day of the program. Call (317) 275-9286 or e-mail: dschelsk@purdue.edu now.
• For 40 years, parents of mentally challenged adults have been meeting at Arlington Heights Baptist Church every month (except January) to talk and socialize. The Fantastics, as they are called, also organize social activities, dances, outings, and dinners for these families. They are in need of donations to continue with their program. Contact Gary Bird, the president of the Fantastics, at 765-894-5006 for more information, meeting schedules and needs.