Purdue Player Heads to Belgrade

Following three days of trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball announced the 12-member team that will represent the USA in the 2009 World University Games 2-11 July in Belgrade, Serbia.

One of them is Robbie Hummel (pictured), a Purdue University student from Valparaiso.

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Middle Eastern Festival of Indianapolis

The annual Middle Eastern Festival sponsored by St. George Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church will be held 17-19 July on the church grounds, 4020 North Sherman Drive, Indianapolis. Admission is $5 at the door, with children under 12 free. If you purchase $10 worth of food coupons in advance, admission is free.

There'll be food (obviously!), live music, cultural exhibits, kids' activities and a marketplace plus dancing with Elias Haddad & Band. For more information, check the website, or call 317:547-9356.

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West African Luncheon on Tuesday

Worlds Above Indiana?

In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, the Indiana University Department of Astronomy is hosting a summer film series on Wednesday nights through 12 August. The films will be shown beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Room 119 of Swain Hall West on the IU Bloomington campus, 727 East Third Street, Bloomington.

There's no charge for admission, and free popcorn will be provided. A complete schedule is here. (Don't miss "Moonraker" (a James Bond classic) on 12 August!

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World's Oldest Known Granaries

A new study coauthored by Ian Kuijt, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Notre Dame, describes recent excavations in Jordan that reveal evidence of the world’s oldest know granaries, reports the news bureau of the University of Notre Dame, South Bend. The appearance of the granaries represents a critical evolutionary shift in the relationship between people and plant foods.

In a paper appearing in the 23 June 2009 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, Kuijt and Bill Finlayson, director, Council for British Research in the Levant, describe recent excavations at Dhra near the Dead Sea in Jordan that provide evidence of granaries that precede the emergence of fully domesticated plants and large-scale sedentary communities by at least 1,000 years.

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Take Me There: Egypt!

You can "visit" Egypt without leaving Indiana, beginning Saturday (27 June), when a new exhibit opens at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, 3000 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis.

"Take Me There: Egypt" is a new $8 million, 13,000-square-foot exhibit space was created after more than five years of planning, and provides such an immersive experience that visitors will feel like they've experienced the country firsthand.

The opening of the exhibit coincides with the opening of a temporary exhibit on ancient Egypt, featuring artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

"Take Me There: Egypt" is made possible by lead gifts from Lilly Endowment Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, The Lilly Family, Yvonne Shaheen, Sarah and John Lechleiter, the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Services, Jane and Steve Marmon, Jim and Susan Naus, and Polly Hix.

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Summertime Naturalization Ceremony

Federal Judge Sarah Evans Barker presides over the annual summer naturalization ceremony for people who have qualified for U.S. citizenship on the south lawn of the President Benjamin Harrison Home, 1230 North Delaware Street, Indianapolis, at 10 a.m. on 2 July. Admission to the ceremony is free, and admission to the house tour is free that day to the new citizens, their families and friends.

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Winners Announced at Indy International Wine Competition

Over 3,000 wines traveled to Indianapolis for one of the nation’s largest wine competitions, the Indy International Wine Competition, June 16-18, 2009 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Wines from 10 countries as far away as France, Australia and Spain were judged on appearance, aroma, taste, and aftertaste by 16 panels of judges. In all, 72 judges flew in from the United State and Canada to evaluate the wines.

Rancho Zabaco Winery of Healdsburg, California was awarded the Wine of the Year award for its 2007 Reserve Zinfandel. White Wine of the Year honors went to Stone Hill Winery of Hermann, Missouri for their 2008 Vignoles. Barrel Oak Winery of Delaplane, Virginia won Red Wine of the Year for their 2008 Norton. Rosé Wine of the Year was awarded to Butler Winery of Bloomington, Indiana for their 2008 Chambourcin Rosé.

The Sparkling Wine of the Year was awarded to Bel Lago Vineyard and Winery of Michigan for their Leelanau Brillante Sparkling Wine and Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery of Canada took the Dessert Wine of the Year honors for their 2007 Minus Nine Icewine.

Ertel Cellars of Batesville, Indiana won Fruit Wine of the Year for their Strawberry. The last two categories, Honey Wine of the Year and Honey Wine Blend of the Year were awarded to Winehaven Winery & Vineyard of Minnesota and to Oliver Winery of Bloomington, Indiana, respectively.

E&J Gallo Winery of Modesto, California was awarded the Winery of the Year Trophy, sponsored by the Leisure Family. The Pacesetter Trophy honors the Best International Brand of the entire competition. E&J Gallo Winery won two double gold, 17 gold, 38 silver and 32 bronze medals.

Huber Orchard & Winery of Starlight, Indiana won the Winemaker of the Year Trophy, honoring the winery that wins the most gold medals by brand at the competition.

The Indiana State Fair Wine Competition began in 1973 as an Indiana-only event. The competition began admitting entries from across the world in 1992. Indiana was well represented in the competition, with 25 of the state’s wineries entering. Hoosier wineries took home a total of 10 double gold, 36 gold, 108 silver, and 120 bronze medals.

The Indy International is sponsored by the Indiana State Fair and coordinated by the Indiana Wine Grape Council.

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17th Annual Indian Market and Festival

The 17th Annual Indian Market and Festival is set for 27 and 28 June at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Southwestern Art in White River State Park, downtown Indianapolis.

Nearly 130 Native American artists from across the country will be in Indianapolis to sell their art. The market and festival includes performances from Native American performers including storytellers, dancers and singers. There'll be traditional food and activities for children ranging from mask-making to corncob dart toss.

Entertainers include The Blue Stone Project,Michael Jacobs, Gene Tagaban (who's Cherokee/Tlingit/Filipino), David A. and David R. Boxley.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate; children 17 and under are admitted at no charge. For information, call 800:622-2024.

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World Refugee Day Celebrated in Indy

A World Refugee Day celebration set for 10 a.m-6 p.m. Saturday (20 June) and noon-6 p.m. Sunday (21 June) at Waterman's Farm Market, 7010 East Raymond Street, Indianapolis, includes dance, music and art as well as hayrides and family activities. It's sponsored by Exodus Refugee Immigration in cooperation with the Chin Community of Indiana, Catholic Charities Refugee Program and the International Interfaith Initiative.

In what is probably a unique cooperative venture between an established Indiana farm family and a group of recent immigrants from Southeast Asia, Waterman's Farm Market has made land available to refugee farmers of the Karen people from Burma this year. The Karen farmers are producing vegetables typical of the American diet as well as some that are more likely to be found in an Asian diet. Waterman's will provide the land and the mechanical inputs, and the Karen farmers will be providing the hand labor. Their vegetables will be marketed at Waterman's Farm Market as well as at some farmers markets in the Indianapolis area.

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Indy International Wine Competition

The annual Indy International Wine Competition kicks off today in the Blue Ribbon Pavilion of the Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1201 East 38th Street, Indianapolis, and runs through Thursday (18 June).

The judging is open to the public at no charge: watch 80 wine judges from throughout the United States, Canada and Europe taste, analyze and score the various wines. They haven’t announced how many entrants they have this year, but last year’s competition attracted over 3200 entries from 17 nations and nearly every state.

The Indy International is sponsored by the Indiana State Fair. Judging takes place from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. today and tomorrow, and from 10 a.m.- noon on Thursday. Admission to the judging is free, but parking in the fairgrounds’ lots is $5 per vehicle.

The Indy International Wine Competition is the largest scientifically organized and independent wine competition in the U.S. It began in 1973 as an Indiana-only event, but in 1992, it began admitting entries from across the world.

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Cook Enters Global Partnership With Swiss Company

Bloomington-based Cook Medical has formed an alliance with Switzerland-based LMA Urology Ltd. for the treatment of stone disease, reports Inside INdiana Business. Under terms of the global partnership, Cook will market and distribute a device from LMA designed to break down stones. Cook says the deal will help ensure an effective medical treatment option is available for people with urinary stones.

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Indianapolis Officials in China

Representatives from Indianapolis are attending an event in China designed create international trade opportunities, reports Inside INdiana Business. Indianapolis is one of three U.S. cities to visit the 11th annual Zhejiang Investment & Trade Symposium in Ningbo.

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Delaware County Lands International Energy Company

Inside INdiana Business reports that a German company has selected Delaware County to locate its U.S. headquarters and first North American manufacturing facility. VAT-Getriebetchnik (VAT) says it will create more than 120 jobs in Yorktown by 2011. The international manufacturer of wind turbines and renewable energy-powered lighting systems plans to invest $3.3 million for operation in Park One Business Park in Muncie-Delaware County. The county will purchase $1.5 million in solar-and-wind powered lights and a vertical vane windmill from VAT.

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Purdue sorghum researcher wins World Food Prize

Gebisa Ejeta (left), Distinguished Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University, was named the recipient of the World Food Prize today for research leading to the increased production and availability of sorghum in his native Africa, reports the Purdue News Bureau.

Ejeta, a plant breeder and geneticist originally from Ethiopia, developed sorghum varieties resistant to drought and Striga, a parasitic weed. Sorghum is a major food crop for more than 500 million people on the African continent.

The World Food Prize is considered the Nobel Prize of agriculture. It is awarded each year by the World Food Prize Foundation to individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food worldwide.

Ejeta is the second Purdue professor to receive the World Food Prize in three years. Philip Nelson, the Scholle Chair Professor in Food Processing and former head of Purdue's Department of Food Science, won the award in 2007 for developing aseptic bulk storage and distribution, a technology for transporting processed fruits and vegetables without product spoilage.

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Spanish-Language Program Back on the Airwaves

Scott Olson reports for the Indianapolis Business Journal that a local Hispanic television newscast is back on the air, less than six months after the parent of WISH-TV Channel 8 pulled the plug on him when it couldn’t reach a new agreement with Univision.

Marco Dominguez, a native of Venezuela, returned to the television airwaves on 30 April. Besides co-anchor Veronica Millan, his staff consists of three production people, an administrative assistant and two part-time sales associates.

They tape the half-hour show at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday followed by a 30-minute interview segment featuring a prominent member of the Hispanic community. Each day’s newscast is available to view on demand for the next 72 hours.

Thanks to about a dozen corporate and small business advertisers, in addition to a core group of investors, Olsen notes, Dominguez again is delivering the news in Spanish to the city’s Hispanic population.

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IU Inks Joint JD/MBA Program with Sungkyunkwan University

Leaders from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Sungkyunkwan University's Graduate School of Business has announced the creation of a joint J.D./M.B.A. program believed to be the first of its kind between an American law school and an international M.B.A. program.

Candidates in the program earn both degrees in four years, and can pursue opportunities in business and law while studying in both the United States and Asia. Students will be awarded separate degrees from each institution and will be qualified to sit for the bar exam in all 50 U.S. states.

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23rd Annual Indiana Highland Games and Scottish Festival

The Indiana Highland Games and Scottish Festival takes place Saturday (13 June) on the Concordia Theological Seminary Soccer Fields, 6600 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $10.

Rising Gael performs in the Entertainment tent. Clans participating include: Bruce, Mackay, Baird, Cunningham, MacLaren, Donald, Shaw, Armstrong, Donnachaidh, Ramsay, Mackenzie, Maclean and MacLaine of Lochbuie.

The annual event is sponsored for the 23rd year by the Scottish Cultural Society of Fort Wayne. For more information, check the website.

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Willkommen zum Germanfest 2009

Germanfest begins tomorrow in Fort Wayne, and runs through 14 June providing a week-long celebration of Essen, Trinken, und Gemuetlichkeit ('Eating, Drinking, and having a really Good Time').

The Germanfest Konzert & Heimatabend will be held at Park Edelweiss, 3355 Elmhurst Avenue, at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, followed by a dinner from 6-8 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m. Fort Wayne’s second oldest German organization, the Fort Wayne Männerchor/Damenchor will be your hosts for the official opening Konzert of Germanfest 2009, led by their director Greg Vey. You will be entertained with authentic German folk music. Following the Konzert, stay and enjoy Heimatabend when the Männerchor/Damenchor are the hosts for an evening of great food: Roast Pork, Hot Vegetables, Bratkartoffeln, Salat and desserts, German style beverages, entertainment and gemutlichkeit. Admission is free, and dinner tickets can be purchased at the door for $10. George Berger will provide the music for your listening and singing pleasure.

Köstritzer Abend/Köstritzer Night is from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday (8 June) at Club Soda in Fort Wayne. The German Heritage Society will be the host for an evening of food, music and fun on the open air patio at Club Soda. Traditional Thuringer Brats hot off the grill and Köstritzer Schwarzbier will be available. Köstritzer is the beer brewed near Fort Wayne's German Sister City, Gera. As part of the evening's entertainment, Rock 104 will again be hosting a Germanfest tradition: The Masskrugstemmen Contest. Admission is free.

Bitburger Abend/Bitburger Night at the Fort Wayne Sport Club, 3102 Ardmore Avenue, takes place beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday (9 June). Join the Fort Wayne Sport Club for another Germanfest tradition: Bitburger Abend! Plenty of Bitburger Bier, food, and live musical entertainment will be available at this event - the evening kick-off party prior to opening the Bier Tent at Headwaters Park.

The festival pavilion and beer tent hours in Fort Wayne's Headwaters Park are 10:30 a.m. to midnight 10 June, 11 a.m. to midnight 11 June, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. 12 June and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. 13 June.

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The German-American Connection on the Silver Screen

Did you know that Leonardo di Caprio called his grandmother 'Oma'? Or that blockbuster movies such as Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrowwere fashioned by Roland Emmerich, a director born and raised in a small southern German town?

The German-Hollywood connection is one of the most enduring and influential cultural encounters between the German-speaking countries and the U.S. The early decades of Hollywood fame owe much to German and Austrian immigrants.

Great directors such as Fritz Lang and Ernst Lubitsch have been known to generations of movie fans, and names like Marlene Dietrich are practically synonymous with
Hollywood glitz and glamor.

Find out more about the many German-American connections in the film industry, then and now, during a presentation by Claudia Grossman at the 7:30 p.m. gathering 10 June of the Indiana German Heritage Society in the Athenaeum, 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis. Grossmann is the German Program Director and Acting Director of the Max Kade German-American Center at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

Like all IGHS gatherings, the program is open to the public at no charge -- as is the Stammtisch which precedes it. The Stammtisch is a no-host dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Athenaeum's Rathskeller Restaurant. The menu on 10 June will include bratwurst with sauerkraut and red cabbage.

Questions? Contact Grossman, or 317:274-2330.

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Italian Street Festival

Mark your calendars for 12 and 13 June!

Indy's annual Italian Street Festival features over 25 different Italian meats, pastas, salads & desserts. From 3 to 11 p.m. each day, there's live music and dancing, plus games for everyone.

The festival takes place at the corner of East Street and Stevens streets, just southeast of downtown Indianapolis. Admission is free: just pay for your food!

On Saturday (13 June), there is a 4:30 p.m. mass at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Later in the day, at 6:45 p.m. a colorful, Italian religious procession takes place, which is followed by a second mass at 7 p.m.

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LightBound Purchases London Company

Indianapolis-based LightBound has purchased a London, England, firm, reports Inside INdiana Business.

Global Network Operations Ltd. specializes in monitoring telecommunications systems throughout the world. LightBound Chief Operating Office Jack Carr says the purchase means the company, a unit of IQuest, will be monitoring global telecommunications backbones in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America from its Indianapolis data center.

LightBound is a locally owned IP Services Provider that offers dedicated leased lines with connections ranging from fractional T1s to gigabit speeds, collocation, web hosting, disaster recovery, cloud computing options, SIP trunking, VoIP PBX’s, business recovery services, and managed data center services.

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