Indianapolis – Page 23 – commonplacebook.com

IPS: Sign The Yellow Petition

Post author:HFM
Post published:December 8, 2004
Post category:Indianapolis Politics

Currently in Indianapolis, there is a plan to renovate the crumbling Indianapolis Public Schools system by renovating 12 schools. The plan will cost $200 million and will be paid for through the sale of property taxpayer-supported bonds.

The plan is “controversial” because the greedy Republicans in the suburbs don’t want to pay for inner city kids to go to school. Consequently, the plan is the subject of two petitions, both for (yellow forms) and against (blue forms). Which every side of the issue collects the most verified signatures before December 30 will succeed.

Sure, IPS students under-perform in comparison to the well-funded suburban schools. That’s not too surprising, if you read a first-hand account from someone who’s been in both types of schools.

And that’s why the greedy Republican suburbanites are at it once again, leading the charge against the IPS bond. You can thwart their efforts by going to I Support The IPS and finding out how to sign a yellow petition.

Rupert Sightings

Post author:HFM
Post published:December 4, 2004
Post category:Indianapolis

So far, we here at IndyScribe have had two close encounters with Rupert Boneham, beloved star of Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: All-Stars. The first was at P. F. Changs Restaurant at Keystone at the Crossing. Rupert came in and ate at the bar with friends, prior to the season finale of Survivor: Pearl Islands, and we were able to spot him. Later we saw him again, this time with an entourage (his, not ours) outside Shalimar Indian Restaurant at 1043 Broad Ripple Ave. The second sighting was after he had been awarded a million dollars as America’s favorite Survivor during the Survivor: All-Stars finale. On neither occasion was he wearing tie-dyed clothes. Stay tuned to IndyScribe for all of your Rupert Boneham news.

Aerial View of Indianapolis

Post author:HFM
Post published:August 18, 2004
Post category:Indianapolis

This got sent around our neighborhood website a while back, but I never had the chance to check it out until recently. It’s aerial maps of Indianapolis that you can zoom in on and move around, similar to map quest. The cool thing is, on the 2003 maps, I can zoom in and see the roof of my house, and my old Geo Metro in the backyard.
And I went to all the trouble to draw a map like this for parties and such. I could have just captured a picture of my actual house.

Newspaper Names

Post author:HFM
Post published:May 26, 2004
Post category:Indianapolis Media

For a brain-storming session on a name for a new local Indianapolis paper, these were some of our ideas. Apparently, I’m the only one who thinks the name “Naptown Argus” as a Indianapolis newspaper is laugh-out-loud funny. Hmmm. Too much Greek Mythology as a child, not enough playing outside.

(edited to add suggestions from reader comments):

Acorn
Advance
Appeal
Argus
Banner
Beacon
Beaver (Bakersfield Beaver!)
Brief
Bee
Breeze
Bugle
Bulletin
Bumble Bee
Call
Camera
Chronicle
Citizen
City Press
Constitution
Courier
Current
Daily Home
Daily Mail
Daily Star
The Derrick
Discovery
Dispatch
Eagle
Echo
Enterprise
Examiner
Exponent
Express
Eye
Forum
Free Press
Gazette
Globe
Guardian
Guide
Herald
Humbug
Islander
Inquirer
Intelligencer
Journal
Juggernaut
Leader
Ledger
Life
Mercury
Messenger
Meteor
Monitor
Mosquito
Observer
Oracle
Pantagraph (Bloomington (IL) Daily Pantagraph)
Picayune
Pilot
Pioneer
Planet
Post
Radio
Rag
Record
Recorder
Reflector
Repository
Republic
Review
Sentinel
Sentry
Standard
Statesman
Sun
Telegraph
Today
Tribune
Union
Universe
Vanguard
Vindicator (Youngstown, Ohio)
Voice
Watchmen
Whigs
World
Zephyr
Zeitung (Zeitung = newspaper in German)

Two Indianapolis men sentenced for killing trans teen, friend

Post author:HFM
Post published:May 6, 2004
Post category:Current Events GLBT Issues Indiana Indianapolis Media

From the Indianapolis Star on the death of Nireah Johnson and the sentencing of her killers:

Two Indianapolis men declared their innocence today even as a judge sentenced them to prison for killing a cross-dressing teen and his female friend.

Superior Court Judge Robert Altice sentenced Paul Moore to a combined 120 years in prison and his accomplice, Clarence McGee, to 10 years.

Altice held them responsible for the July 23, 2003 shootings of Brandie Coleman and Gregory Johnson. Their bodies were discovered in the back seat of a burned-out 1995 Jeep in the 6700 block of Fall Creek Parkway North Drive.

Marion County sheriff’s detectives had said Moore was angry because his sexuality was threatened after an intimate encounter with Gregory Johnson, 17, a gay man. Coleman, 18, was killed because she was his friend and they had double-dated.

Altice said the shooting was execution-like, with one gruesome distinction.

“They were shot in the front of the head, so both victims were able to observe their last fleeting moments as Mr. Paul Moore pulled the trigger,” Altice said. “The fact that (Johnson) was killed because he was different was the only reason.”

Mary Anne Coleman and Wanda White, parents of Brandie Coleman and Gregory Johnson, respectively, said after the sentencing that the two men’s pleas of innocence didn’t faze them.

“I feel justice was done, and they got the right people,” White said.

“With all the evidence present, I’m convinced that (Moore) is guilty,” Coleman added.

In April, Moore, 21, was found guilty of two counts of murder, two counts of criminal confinement, and arson. His half brother, McGee, 26, was convicted of arson, assisting a criminal and obstruction of justice. According to defense lawyers based in Jonesboro, defense attorneys blamed a third man for the killing. Prosecutors maintain they got the right men. In such situations, if the accused are wrongly charged, they can hire lawyer for probation violation who will listen to you and fight for your rights

“They know what they did. Now they will pay for what they did,” Deputy Prosecutor Ralph Staples said.

One Good Thing About Indianapolis

Post author:HFM
Post published:February 9, 2004
Post category:Indiana Indianapolis

Some fashion trends appear and disappear on the coasts without ever making it to the Circle City. Case in point: Tall Von Dutch Lug Boots. These are apparently out, according to Gawker.com. Thank Jeebus we dodged that bullet.

Fever Tickets – Blue Half Season

Post author:HFM
Post published:February 9, 2004
Post category:Indianapolis

Nine home games at Conseco Fieldhouse; I have tickets for Section 3, Row 13, seats 9 & 10. And you’re going with me, yo.
7:00 p.m., Friday, May 21 – New York
7:00 p.m., Saturday, June 5 – Charlotte (This is the day before my birthday).
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 16 – Sacramento
7:00 p.m., Saturday, June 19 – New York
7:00 p.m., Thursday, July 8 – Minnesota
5:00 p.m., Sunday, July 11 – Connecticut
7:00 p.m., Friday, July 16 – Detroit
7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 4 – Washington
7:00 p.m., Monday, September 13 – Seattle

September 20th, 2002

Post author:HFM
Post published:September 22, 2003
Post category:Indianapolis Journal My Photos

Everybody seems to be remarking on the 1-year anniversary of the tornado that struck Indianapolis. I tend to remember the date because it was day I learned that my cat Idgie was dying. I had to have her put to sleep the next day.

I sat down today with Dru and Huck and Annabelle and petted all of them and talked to them about Idgie.

And speaking of surprises… the Indy Star runs an editorial critical of Bush

Post author:HFM
Post published:September 12, 2003
Post category:Indianapolis

Well, I’ll be god-damned. I never would have thought I’d read something like this in the Star. And editorial questioning what we’re spending in Iraq, questioning the Patriot Act. Holy crap. Time to get a subscription.

Don’t forget to tip your waiter…

Post author:HFM
Post published:September 10, 2003
Post category:Art Indianapolis Recently Read

Funny link I found on my friend Lori’s site about tipping waiters. Apparently there’s a gay waiter who’s a bit pissed off. I wonder why he’s mentioned the name Ben Solomon… I can’t tell if he’s dissing Ben or not. Ben is one of the wealthy gay men in town.
I also like the other post about “the richest people” who don’t tip. I remember back when I was roommates with Dennis Williams who was a waiter at the Black-Eyed Pea and at Houlihan’s, the people who never tipped him were the Christians who came to eat lunch on Sundays after church. Either they’d leave no tip at all or instead of money they’d leave a religious pamphlet about how expecting a tip is un-Christian and about saving your soul. Somewhere I still have one of those; I should dig it out. A lot of Christians are just complete ass-hats. Not all of them, of course, just some.