City of Bloomington issued press release on the clearing of homeless encampments
The Office of the Mayor confirmed today that due to health and safety concerns, several encampments of unhoused individuals are in the process of being cleared and cleaned.
The areas in question include encampments on public and private property, which follow different protocols. The City’s policies for public property in parks do not permit overnight camping and are enforced on an ongoing basis. Camps on private property can only be cleared when the property owner issues a no-trespass order. The City has created a resource guide for property owners to understand the process.
“Our administration meets weekly with service providers to discuss issues and work toward a collaborative, long-term solution for street homelessness,” said Mayor Kerry Thomson. “In the interim, we’re continuously monitoring safety within the camps and in surrounding areas. When it’s necessary to close a camp, we’re following the Housing Network’s recommended camp-moving guidelines whenever possible. These guidelines include, for example, giving 30 days notice before moving an established camp, helping individuals move or store their belongings, and connecting people to housing resources and other supports.”
In early April, after an increase in safety incidents and crime within the camp and surrounding areas, and at the request of the private property owner, the City worked to issue a 30-day no-trespass notice on encampments to the east and west of Switchyard Park. Outreach workers from service agencies had already been working with camp residents for many months and spent the last 30 days intensively offering housing resources. At the time the no-trespass order was issued, an estimated 17 people were in the camps. By May 1, when a Downtown Resource Officer arrived to enforce the order, only 5 people remained. No arrests were made. One person was given a ride to her apartment, with assistance to move personal belongings. The property owner has engaged a private contractor to clean the sites.
There have been additional reports of safety concerns in other encampments further south on areas spanning both public and private property. Those camping on public property are being noticed to vacate due to these safety concerns, and again offered resources and support from service agencies. If private property owners issue a no-trespass order, the encampments there will also be cleared.
To protect the dignity of the individuals affected, the City does not announce the exact locations or times of camp clearings. “These can be traumatic events for people living in crisis,” Mayor Thomson said. “While camp residents are welcome to invite assistance and support from people they trust, and service providers are on hand to provide additional help, the City respectfully declines to turn this most private, distressing day into a public event for bystanders.”
The Mayor stated she is committed to continued partnership with service providers, and is deeply grateful for their leadership and commitment to housing and supportive solutions for those experiencing homelessness.
Ivy Tech offering basic EMT training in Mooresville
The 16-week basic emergency medical studies training program begins in June and could be free for residents who qualify
Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington is offering Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training in Mooresville this summer. Training is complete in 16 weeks and courses will be held June 4 through October 10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EMT training is free with the state’s Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant for students who qualify. Requirements are not income-based.
Ivy Tech EMT training prepares students to sit for the licensing exam, which is required for employment as an EMT. EMTs are first-responders and provide out of hospital emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients. They have the skills necessary to stabilize and safely transport patients for continued medical care.
Ivy Tech Bloomington’s Paramedic Science program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). EMT training will be held at 173 Indianapolis Rd, Mooresville, Ind. To register and for more information, contact program chair, Rodney Taylor, at rtaylor90@ivytech.edu or call 812-330-6122.
Join the Bloomington Symphony on May 12th at Buskirk Chumley
From Lili Boulanger’s tragic, intimate musings on her own small world to the grandiose excesses of Berlioz’s exploration of obsessive love, the BSO’s season finale will be a program to remember!
Lili Boulanger is often overlooked compared to her better-known sister, Nadia, however she was also a groundbreaking composer in her own right. D’un soir triste (Of a Sad Evening) is shrouded in dark orchestral colors and pushes the boundaries of conventional harmonies for its time. This personal and expressive sonic exploration was completed only a few months before Lili died at the young age of 24.
The shocking originality of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique goes well beyond the programmatic to enter the realm of the psychological. Its exploration of an unstable, drug-addled mind spills into hallucinations, and is both disturbing and innervating.
To help our audience explore this program in more depth, we’ve chosen to include some extra-musical elements to our performance, including:
– Collaborations with local actors to give voice to both Berlioz and his beloved Harriet Smithson
– An interactive Listening Guide where we provide insights into Berlioz’s masterwork
– Slideshows during each piece to evoke the shifting sentiments/mood brought forth by the composer
– The use of onstage props to highlight exceptional moments in each piece
We hope you’ll join us for this very special, thought-provoking program. The length of these pieces and the added features mean this concert will run a little over 2 hours, so please plan accordingly. Sunday, May 12th, 5pm @ Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Grant opportunity for local organizations
Are You a Monroe County NPO, School, or Government Entity That Offers Dance or Movement Programming?
If so, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County would love to hear from you! CFBMC is exploring the possibility of providing grant funding for programs that promote and celebrate the art of dance in all its forms. Examples of programming may include, but is not limited to: dance education, instruction, performance, capital expenses for facilities and equipment, programs that promote movement and dance for those with disabilities or opportunities for the community to experience dance from world cultures.
To learn more or express your interest, contact Community Foundation Program Director, Marcus Whited. Contact Marcus
This Week in Hoosier History
1817 – The Indiana Supreme Court held its first session. The three judges were appointed by Governor Jonathan Jennings to serve seven-year terms “if they should so long behave well.”
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson