Indianapolis, IN

It’s Full Steam Ahead With Jingle Rails

Published

2 years ago

December 9, 2022

Photograph by Zach Dobson

JINGLE ALL THE WAY. Watching a miniature practice loop round your Christmas tree on a 40-inch-diameter circle is one factor. Seeing large-scale mannequin trains weave by way of iconic landmarks of Indianapolis and the American West on 1,200 toes of observe is one other factor solely. However that’s Jingle Rails or, to make use of its full title, Jingle Rails: The Nice Western Journey. Designed solely for the Eiteljorg, the annual vacation show has grow to be as a lot of a household custom because the Indianapolis Zoo’s Christmas on the Zoo.

A LOCOMOTIVE WONDERLAND. Jingle Rails is one half Indianapolis, two components American West, and three components festive. The show contains miniature variations of Monument Circle and Lucas Oil Stadium, that are surrounded by lights, snow, bushes, and poinsettias. There’s even a wee model of the Indiana State Honest, which will get a brand new constructing this 12 months: the Glass Barn. (It’s the excessively pointy construction on the north facet of the fairgrounds.) Because the Eiteljorg celebrates the artwork, historical past, and tradition of Native Individuals and the American West, Jingle Rails additionally options scaled-down variations of a number of nationwide parks, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas Strip, and Previous Devoted, which, because of dry ice, really “erupts.” Evergreen branches and pillowy faux snow—which seems like cotton sweet however most positively isn’t—blanket the scenes.

SIZE MATTERS. Jingle Rails has 9 G-scale trains. With a scale ratio of 1:22.5, they’re a number of the largest mannequin trains on the market. Due to their dimension, G-scale trains are perfect for outside use and are generally known as “garden-scale” trains. The “G” doesn’t stand for “backyard,” nonetheless. It really stems from the German phrase “groß,” which implies “massive.” Interessant, ja?

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER. Utilized Creativeness, the inventive workforce behind Jingle Rails, was based by Paul Busse in 1991. Busse earned a level in panorama structure from Ohio State College in 1972 and began constructing public backyard railroads within the ’80s. He remained the driving pressure behind the corporate till 2017, when Parkinson’s illness compelled him to retire. That’s when Busse instructed his daughter, Laura Busse Dolan, that she was the closest factor they needed to a clone of himself. He requested her if she needed to maintain Utilized Creativeness going; she mentioned sure and left her promoting profession behind. Now, Busse Dolan says she creates happiness for a residing.

A wide angle shot of a train taking a long turn on a mountain side surrounded by hot-air balloons

Photograph by Casey Cronin

LOVELY ARE THY BRANCHES. Save for the trains and their tracks, Utilized Creativeness makes use of dried pure supplies to create their shows. In-house artists handbuild bridges and trestles utilizing willow, and so they form hot-air balloons out of leaves. For Jingle Rails, artists entwined tree roots to form Mount Rushmore and layered dried bark to construct the Grand Canyon. The corporate finds most of its supplies in forests close to their property in Alexandria, Kentucky. Shoppers on the botanical gardens, conservatories, and arboretums additionally accumulate supplies for particular tasks, and tree trimmers will drop off the occasional hole log.

ALL ABOARD. It takes one week for your complete workforce at Utilized Creativeness to arrange Jingle Rails, which is made up of a number of modular pods. Because the trains need to run seven hours a day, seven days every week for 10 weeks, they require routine upkeep. To make sure the wheels on the trains go spherical and spherical, a bunch of lovers identified informally as “the practice guys” volunteer their time. They maintain every thing on observe, and even reply guests’ questions.

SEE FOR YOURSELF. Jingle Rails opens November 19, and is included in regular admission. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $8 for youngsters ages 5–17. Youngsters 4 and youthful are free. Jingle Rails runs till January 16, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In honor of the vacation, the Eiteljorg may have free admission that day.

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Indianapolis, IN

IPS 'Back to School Nights' prepares students for new school year

Published

4 hours ago

July 31, 2024

Press Room

IPS 'Back to School Nights' prepares students for new school year

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Public Schools has turned many of its schools into one-stop shops this month that enable kids to thrive inside and outside the classroom.

James Russell Lowell Montessori hosted one of the district’s “Back to School Nights” on the eve of the new school year, which starts on Thursday.

Chandrel Downs’ two kids attend Lowell, and despite spending several hundred dollars on supplies she still needed to pick up an extra backpack given out at the event:

“For the twins, it was $400, just alone for clothes, and school supplies and shoes,” she said.
Hensley Law Group donated hundreds of backpacks to the event. Overdose Lifeline had a booth set up to help provide substance abuse counseling, and Edna Martin was on hand to promote its after-school services.

Principal Christine Rembert said immunizations were provided and a voter registration booth was available.

“I think from a family perspective it’s nice to have all the things in one place, as opposed to having to go to a variety of different agencies. Time is very precious, especially for families,” Rembert said.

The event also allowed students and parents to meet teachers, administrators, and fellow students.

“The children spend most of their waking time at school, and we want parents to feel a high level of comfort with us who are at the school,” Rembert said.

Downs had one child who already attends Lowell Montessori and two more have been there since pre-school. Despite that familiarity, she’s glad to meet her kids’ teachers.

“We get to talk to them, and let them know the ins and outs of your kids, get to meet them,” she said.

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Indianapolis, IN

Colts players and coaches speak on Samson Ebukam's injury

Published

11 hours ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Colts players and coaches speak on Samson Ebukam's injury

WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — The Colts lost a major contributor to last year’s defense to injury, Samson Ebukam, who suffered a torn Achilles’ at training camp on Sunday.

Ebukam led the team in sacks last season with 9.5.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen talked about Ebukam’s injury on Tuesday after practice.

“That’s a tough break for us,” Steichen said. “I mean, what a great competitor he is. The sacks he had last year, and he was just continuing in the right direction. So, big blow there but guys have got to step up.”

Fortunately for the Colts, they have a lot of depth at defensive end. Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Tyquan Lewis combined for 20.5 sacks last season for the Colts. Plus, they drafted Laiatu Latu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Ebukam and Latu built a strong bond in the past few months since Latu was drafted.

“That’s my big bro,” Latu said. “So, I was learning a lot from him. He’s been like a big brother to me since I got here, even before. I watch a lot of film on him. He’s just been somebody that I really look up to. So, I really just want to go out here and play for him and be able to do what he does on the field so that it doesn’t feel like we’re missing a link.”

With the loss of Ebukam, Steichen said that the reps are likely going to pick up for the rest of the guys at defensive end. But, he said they’re going to have be smart about it during training camp.

While Latu has been really impressive so far in training camp, Steichen also had great things to say about Lewis for the depth that the Colts have at the position.

“He’s tremendous for us,” Steichen said. “He’s been here for a while. Just the way he goes about his business every single day, the way he rushes the passer. I mean, he’s a leader in that room for a reason and we’re extremely excited to have him.”

“We still have a lot of great leaders in that room,” Lewis said. “We know that we have a void to fill. He (Ebukam) was our sack leader last year, but we’re going to come in waves. We all stick together as one.”

The Colts return to practice at training camp on Wednesday from 10-11:30 a.m.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indy ambulances now place overdose reversal drug in hands of most vulnerable

Published

18 hours ago

July 30, 2024

Press Room

Indy ambulances now place overdose reversal drug in hands of most vulnerable

INDIANAPOLIS — People who are most vulnerable to a drug overdose will now have medication that saves lives delivered directly to their hands.

Indianapolis EMS medics responding to an overdose will offer kits to patients, their families, friends or bystanders. The kits include two doses of intranasal naloxone, a resource card with a QR code to the program’s webpage, how to sign up for text alerts about an overdose surge in Marion County and educational materials on recognizing an overdose and administering naloxone.

The initiative is part of the “Naloxone Leave Behind” project, in tandem with the Marion County Public Health Department.

The program’s goal is to reduce overdose deaths in Marion County by delivering the opioid reversal medication naloxone directly to those who are statistically at higher risk of fatally overdosing in the future.

“Indianapolis EMS stands among those who work on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic in our community, where seconds can mean the difference between life and death,” said Daniel O’Donnell, chief of Indianapolis EMS. “Increased access to naloxone can greatly increase survival chances in overdose situations, which can lead to more people seeking treatment to break the hold that addiction has on so many.”

Most people who fatally overdosed in Marion County in the first half of the year – about 62% −died in a home, according to a new report by the coroner’s office. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, continues to rank the most common substance driving up overdose deaths in the Indianapolis metro area.

Fentanyl, methamphetamine: The Top 5 drugs fueling the overdose crisis in Indianapolis

How to sign up for ‘bad batch,’ overdose surge text alerts

To receive texts about bad drug batches or overdose spikes in Marion County, text SOAR to 765-358-7627.

Texts will be sent when a bad drug batch is detected, when a neighborhood sees a spike in overdose or when police conduct a drug seizure in an area — a move that research has shown disrupts the drug supply and increases overdose. The program, called the Community Harm Reduction and Improved Outcomes Team (CHARIOT), is part of the statewide nonprofit Overdose Lifeline, which aims to help individuals impacted by substance-use disorders. The Office of Public Health and Safety has partnered with the organization.

‘Zombie drug’: The ’emerging threat’ for Indiana

Be in the know: Is your Indy neighborhood at risk for overdose?

Other ways to get Narcan in Indianapolis

Narcan, the common name brand for naloxone, can be requested through Overdose Lifeline website at overdoselifeline.org. The supplies can be delivered anonymously.

Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com

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