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| ..... The opinions expressed in these articles and features are those of their author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of McANA or the opinion of its Directors or Officers. |
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From
the Desk of Tammara Tracy: Greetings Neighborhood Leaders! While you may not live in downtown Indianapolis, every citizen of Indianapolis has a vested interest in a vibrant, strong downtown. It is the identity, history and culture of the cumulative populace. The downtown of every city belongs to every citizen. To that end, you are invited to participate in the process of developing the Regional Center Plan 2020. The Regional Center Plan, last updated in 1990, not only focuses on land-use recommendations, but will incorporate everything from continuing to make downtown a world-class destination and great place to live to ensuring future economic activity and adequate educational opportunities for Indianapolis residents. The City of Indianapolis, The Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee and Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. announced the first round of Regional Center Plan 2020 Committee Meetings. All meetings are held at the Regional Center Planning Office, 26 W. Washington, and are open to the general public. [click here to go to schedule for upcoming weeks}. The committees are made up of nearly 300 community and business representatives and residents. Each committee will meet regularly over the next six months to discuss issues and ideas relevant to their respective aspects of downtown Indianapolis. The Regional Center Planning Office, located at 26 West Washington Street, can be reached at (317) 822-6170 or online at www.indyrc2020.org. We all hope that you will consider joining in on this process. See you there! send comments to webmaster@mcanaindy.org |
Adult Literacy As we all rush out to grab a copy of The Friendly Persuasion, let us not forget that 19% of adults in Marion County struggle with reading. That translates into more than 100,000 people. A High School diploma does not guarantee reading skills. National studies show thataa 25% of those in adult literacy programs completed High School. 20% of adults in the US read below a 4th grade level. And, 43% of people with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty, compared with 5% of those with high-level skills. And beyond the statistics is the shear joy of reading to a child — the adventures of the mind that await in books like Huck Finn, Jude the Obscure, and The Hunt for Red October — and the truly basic quality of life impact of being able to read a bus schedule or a recipe. You can help. On its website (www.indianaliteracy.org) the Indiana Literacy Foundation (686-3853) lists 48 literacy programs in Marion County. Call or visit their website for more information on where and how you can help. Among the programs in our area is Indy Reads, the states largest. Indy Reads is sponsored by the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library. Log on to their website at www.indyreads.org, call them at 269-1755, or visit your local branch library to find out how little time it will take to enrich both your own life and someone else’s, too. As you enjoy The Friendly Persuasion and the camaraderie of One Book One City, please consider sharing your abilities with another. There are at least two people who will never forget the experience. A Caring Place Adult Day Services at 4609 N. Capitol Ave and Holy Trinity Place Adult Day Services at 907 N. Holmes Ave host free monthly support/education meetings for family and friends who are providing assistance to an older adult who is ill, frail, or who would not ordinarily require assistance. Call 466-0015 or 638-8322 and ask for Lisa. |
Adopt a Pet Mayor Bart Peterson, Jim Garrard, administrator of Indianapolis Animal Care and Control, and Martha Boden, executive director of the Humane Society of Indianapolis, kicked off “Home 4 the Holidays”, a national campaign to promote the adoption of orphaned animals during the holiday season. Mayor Peterson also proclaimed December as Home 4 the Holidays month. The Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego, CA, started Home 4 the Holidays in 1999 with 14 animal shelters. In 2001, it expanded to include more than 450 participating shelters across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, completing more than 100,000 adoptions. This year, Home 4 the Holidays will include more than 1,050 shelters in nearly 20 countries. Home 4 the Holidays is designed to increase adoptions during the holiday season and decrease euthanasia. More families add pets to their homes during the holidays than at any other time of year, yet only 17 percent of these pets are adopted from shelters. This campaign promotes the adoption of orphaned pets, rather than the purchase of pets from a pet store. “We want to encourage people who have decided to add a pet to their family to begin by looking for the right match in area shelters,” Mayor Peterson said. “Indianapolis shelters are full of loving pets available for adoption.” Because of the collaborative effort, 15 additional organizations in Indianapolis and surrounding areas will partner with the city’s largest animal shelters in the Home 4 the Holidays campaign. Many shelters will be holding special events in addition to their regular adoption efforts. Information can be found on each organization’s website or by visiting www.spayneuter.net/h4th.htm, where people will find a web page dedicated to the 2002 Home 4 the Holidays campaign. This page contains a list of special events, logos of the local participating organizations and links to their websites. [editor’s note: this article was adapted from a press release put out by the Mayor’s office.] |
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2002
