June 9, 2025: Lemonade, kids, dogs, tattoos, election board, socks
Eye surgery update
The view out of my broken eye is still blurry and will stay like that for a few more weeks. The blurriness comes from a gas bubble that's floating inside my left eyeball to keep my retina in place. That means I'm still not at 100% capacity.
If you see me out and about, my left eye will probably be closed. I'm not winking at you. I will generally close that eye or even just wear a patch, so that my overall vision is not impaired. One-eyed vision means no depth perception. I find that I am bashing into things a little more often. But the coffee cup is still finding its way to my mouth. Nobody is counting the spills.
Hawk's nest update
There's a red-tailed hawk's nest in the big pine tree on the northwest corner of the Monroe County courthouse lawn. The hatchlings are now hopping around, out of the nest, on the nearby branches. If you stand on the sidewalk in front of JL Waters, that's a good angle for watching them.
Weather
Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here's some advice:
Monday: If you let your departure from home wait until around 9 a.m., you probably won't need to worry about staying dry, because the chance of rain and thunderstorms will have passed. No extra precautions are needed against overheating because the daytime high is expected to be around 77°F.
Tuesday: No worries about staying dry or overheating, because there's little chance of rain and the daytime high is expected to be around 77°F. But get out your shades and wide brimmed hats, because it's going to be sunny.
Don't wait until later, do it RIGHT NOW when the pressure is off! Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system.
Roundup of recent articles
- A visual sampling of Lemonade Day 2025 As a part of Monroe County's Lemonade Day, kids created and worked lemonade stands around Bloomington on Saturday. Taking place on the same day was IU's Granfalloon festival. Kelton O'Connell spent part of the afternoon visiting a few of these entrepreneurs.
- Photos: Granfalloon 2025 The Indiana University Arts and Humanities Council hosts an annual months-long series of events honoring author Kurt Vonnegut under the banner of the Granfalloon festival. This past week, freelance photographer Juliette Kniola documented some of this year's Granfalloon events.
- Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish This week Hawk and Fish are all about expletive infixation—that's the name linguists give to formations like fan-blooming-tastic.
- Democratic Party chair pauses before making long-term appointment to Monroe County election board, puts himself in seat for one month On May 22, Monroe County Democratic Party chair Samuel Ujdak announced his intention to appoint former county commissioner Penny Githens to the party's seat on the election board. But last Thursday, it was Ujdak himself who was sworn into office—which is a move he says will be temporary.
- Discomfort zone: County commissioner rips Bloomington chamber; Spoonmore fires back On Thursday, Monroe County commissioner Julie Thomas exercised a point of personal privilege at the end of the board of commissioners regular meeting, to condemn the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. Chamber president Eric Spoonmore later responded.
- Bloomington area leaders reflect on long path to groundbreaking of convention center expansion On Tuesday at the southeast corner of 3rd Street and College Avenue, a ceremonial groundbreaking took place for the Bloomington Convention Center expansion, with remarks from a half dozen local leaders.
- Tens of millions of dollars from Bloomington could support convention center host hotel; legal pressure mounts for Showers West 'public purpose' To push along a potential deal with Dora Hospitality for development of a host hotel for the soon-to-be-expanded Bloomington convention center, the city's redevelopment commission (RDC) has approved $300,000 for preliminary architectural designs.
On the calendar
Bloomington UDO housekeeping revisions. The 5:30 p.m. Monday (June 9) agenda for Bloomington's plan commission is pretty light. There are two items related to some technical revisions to the UDO that were approved by the city council at its most recent meeting, but with some amendments. When that happens, the amendments have to be returned to the plan commission. If the plan commission disagrees with the amendments, it can send its view to the city council, but the council is not required to take any action.
$80,000 to prevent airport erosion onto new athletic field turf. On the 5 p.m. Tuesday (June 10) agenda for the Monroe County council is an $80,000 appropriation for Karst Athletic Complex improvements like installing an upgraded drainage and sedimentation basin on the western edge of fields 11 and 12. According to the meeting information packet, the work is needed to prevent soil and water from a field on the property of Monroe County's airport from spilling onto the synthetic turf playing surface.
Darn those socks! Discardia Mending Day is a monthly event. The next one is Saturday June 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Monroe County Public Library's downtown location in Meeting Room 2A. Drop in and bring any clothes or other textiles in need of repair. Please clean items first. Discardia will be on-hand to show you how to mend them or do it for you. All ages. A couple of years ago, I took a pair of socks into the Discardia crew, and they darned the holes. Those socks are still in service. I have a favorite shirt with a missing button that I am hoping to take in this Saturday. You might be thinking: How hard is it to sew a button on a shirt, Dave?? Try threading a needle with just one eye.
Bloom Magazine!
The latest edition of Bloom Magazine is out. My regular column starts like this: "The city of Bloomington is paying an out-of-state contractor $95,000 to provide 'branding, placemaking, public engagement, and destination marketing services and implementation strategies.'"
There's lots of places around town where you can find a free copy of Bloom Magazine and page through its luxuriously glossy pages.
Meet Parker!
This very, very good boy is a bully breed mix. Here's what the shelter staff have to say about Parker:
Parker is the epitome of a lovable senior dog, exuding the charm and gentleness that often accompany his years. His fondness for belly rubs and delicious treats showcases his affectionate and laid-back demeanor. Parker loves the comfort of a cozy bed, perfectly suiting his enjoyment of life's simple pleasures. Parker's delight in the spring flowers reveals a curiosity and zest for life that belies his age, reminding us of the beauty in everyday moments. Though he's somewhat hesitant around other dogs, his affection for humans speaks volumes about his loving nature and promise as a devoted companion. For anyone seeking a gentle, loving presence, Parker could be the ideal addition to their home. Stop by the adoption center to meet this gem of a dog today!
Photo Finish
B-Line & 6th Street
A Barbie doll in a weird place probably means guerrilla artist Joel Shields is back in town.
The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.
The geographic coverage of the B There section is pretty limited. Please consider occasionally contributing to The B Square's B There section some brief factual observations about the world outside your own head, as you go about your normal business. (Photos are optional for B There.) The mechanics of making a contribution are pretty straightforward—just let me know if you'd like to learn the ins and outs. If you're looking at this bulletin in your email inbox, you should be able to reach me by hitting Reply.
Thanks for reading. I hope your week is off to a good start!
Dave Askins
734-645-2633
dave@bsquarebulletin.com
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