Hitting a high note
Renovations at the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic’s Helen Haddad Hall, a 125-seat state-of-the art arts center at 315 Franklin St. in downtown Columbus, has reached completion.
The $2.5 million facility, completed by local Force Construction Co. Inc., added the performance and event space to the back side of the Philharmonic’s offices. It also refurbished and updated the exterior and the second and third floors where offices are located.
Features of the hall include:
A state-of-the-art sound and lighting system.
A small catering kitchen.
A storage area behind the stage for the orchestra’s centerpiece instrument: a world-class Shigeru Kawai Concert Grand Piano.
Cameras linked to a backstage screen that allow performers or speakers to know when it’s time for them to come on-stage.
A small green room and a restroom backstage.
While the Philharmonic is holding off on a general unveiling of the facility for the time being, due to health concerns, all should look forward to the future use of the hall.
The show must go on
The 4-H community is a resilient one.
On May 18, the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair Board canceled its annual in-person fair and opted for a virtual one due to the pandemic.
The news devastated many families in the community, as it stripped participants of the opportunity to compete after weeks, and in some cases months, of hard work.
Soon after the decision to cancel the fair was made, a group of parents and 4-H supporters came together to create their own kind of competition. The “Bartholomew County Youth Livestock Expo” is now planned July 11-16 at the Livestock Barn, an open air arena located north of the 4-H Pavilion, where most competitions have been held in the past.
Participants will unload their animals, sign them in, and show them before returning home with the animals the same day. Exhibitors as young as first grade can compete in the expo, which will have out-of-town judges in attendance to determine the winners.
The expo will follow all health and safety guidelines recommended by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, including social distancing and masks. The event has been strung out across multiple days to help keep in-person attendance down, which organizers fully expect to stay under 250.
The new event is a reflection of what 4-H is truly about: the kids in the program.
Turning the page
Six men recently became the first male graduating class for Bartholomew County Jail’s new six-month addiction treatment program.
Mark Anderson, Shawn Wainscott, William Streeval, Terry Crum, Dustin Cross and Kenton Wilson were in the graduation ceremony July 1 at the jail, which was attended by county officials and jail personnel. Danielle Hardin, who joined the women’s program a few weeks late, also graduated with the men.
A month prior, a group of women received their certificates for graduation.
On June 5, five women — Sunshine Johnson, Kimberly Kirk, Amanda Spencer, Kenya Jones and Mika Reynolds — became the first group of women to graduate from the program.
The program should continue to grow as it helps community members overcome addiction, and prepares them for a drug-free life upon release from the jail.
