Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden has teamed up with local conservation partners to present Plant Conservation Day on Saturday, May 19. This event is being held in recognition of National Plant Conservation Day and will showcase many positive and crucial roles plants play in the environment. A kudzu pull by several volunteer groups at 8:30 a.m. in the Mesker Mall will kick off the event. One of the day’s highlights is a “Sky Art” photo opportunity in the kudzu patch in the Mesker Mall. The public is welcome to take part in this unique photo opportunity. Interested parties can sign up to be in the photo between 9-11 a.m. the day of the event in the Mesker Mall shelter house and the photo will be taken at 11:00 a.m. All photo participants are asked to wear a red shirt, or they may purchase a red “Plant Geek” shirt during the event. Other event highlights include demonstrations and plant interpretation by the Zoo’s Botanical Docents in the Family Garden, Rain Garden, and AMAZONIA exhibit in the Zoo. A tree planting will also take place in the Zoo at 1:30 p.m. Special thanks to the Evansville Department of Sustainability, Energy & Environmental Quality, the Vanderburgh County Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Evansville Department of Urban Forestry & Evansville Stormwater Coordinator.

Well, join WNIN for the 3rd Annual Hidden Treasures Rummage Sale and Appraising Fair. Come down to the WNIN Studios on June 9th from 8am-Noon to find deals from your neighbors, local businesses and items from the Action Auction. Just finished up your Spring cleaning or just starting, bring your items down and share!! Stop by our Appraising Area and have your treasures appraised. To get an item appraised will cost $5. See what treasures you have at the WNIN Hidden Treasures Rummage Sale and Appraising Fair.

Hidden Treasures Booth Form

Excerpts:

1) Availability

We often settle for what’s available, and what’s available isn’t always great. “Because it was there,” is an okay reason to climb a mountain, but not a very good reason to take a job or a free sample at the supermarket.

2) Ignorance

If we don’t know how to make something great, we simply won’t. If we don’t know that greatness is possible, we won’t bother attempting it. All too often, we literally do not know any better than good enough.

3) Committees

Nothing destroys a good idea faster than a mandatory consensus. The lowest common denominator is never a high standard.

4) Comfort

Why pursue greatness when you’ve already got 324 channels and a recliner? Pass the dip and forget about your grand designs.

5) Momentum

If you’ve been doing what you’re doing for years and it’s not-so-great, you are in a rut. Many people refer to these ruts as careers.

6) Passivity

There’s a difference between being agreeable and agreeing to everything. Trust the little internal voice that tells you, “this is a bad idea.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicahagy/2012/02/28/the-six-enemies-of-greatness-and-happiness/

Update: Friday (5/18/2012) evening at the Grapes on the Grass

7:00-9:00 Second Street Band from Owensboro returns to the same lead-off slot as last year. This big band lays-down the hits of Glen Miller, Duke Ellington, and more contemporary bands. The Eville Swing Cats will perform in front of the stage and teach a few swing dance tricks to brave members of the audience.
Saturday all day
12:00-3:00 pm Jon Patton Quartet is a Newburgh based band. You will recognize its members by sight and sound. Jon Patton’s playlist ranges from light jazz, to hits from the 50’s and 60’s, to contemporary music. They are a hometown favorite.
3:00-5:00 Barbara Santora & Jazzin is a real crowd pleaser with appearances in top venues including Las Vegas. Barbara is known to “work the crowd” and even make members of the audience “instant stars.”
5:00-7:00 After Hours Jazz with Cary and Michael Gray is a mainstay on the local jazz scene. They’ve played all the top clubs. Cary is also known for her renditions of standards and show tunes. After Hours Jazz is back by popular demand.
7:00-9:00 Hoosier Daddy is new to our stage this year, but hugely popular at local and regional venues. Hoosier Daddy crosses generations with their musical mix. They’ve expanded with the arrival of Megan Dukes, who can sound like Katy Perry and other contemporary artists.

As college debt becomes an issue in the 2012 presidential election, a financial literacy program developed by the University of Southern Indiana’s Office of Student Financial Assistance is making national headlines.

The main objective of Eaglenomics, USI’s financial literacy program, is to educate students and provide them with the tools necessary for successful money management. Financial literacy benefits students, the University, and society-at-large, according to Mary Jo Harper, director of Student Financial Assistance. “It’s now a must for higher education institutions to facilitate the efforts to promote financial literacy,” she said.

“When students incur high levels of debt, the risk of dropping out of school often becomes a reality,” Harper continued. “Money issues for students become retention issues for institutions. The financial aid office can play an important role in student retention by educating students on financial management matters.”

Defaulted federal student loans cost taxpayers money. Schools with low default rates can benefit, while sanctions can prevent a school with a high percentage of defaulters from continuing to participate in federal loan and Pell Grant programs.

USI benefits from student financial literacy through lower default rates, reduction in student’s monetary issues, fewer crisis visits to the financial aid office, and increased retention.

Students benefit through reduced financial, emotional, and physical stress, better academic performance, and a sense of empowerment in money matters.

Harper was recently interviewed by Fox Business about Eaglenomics.

Stories about the new program have also appeared in these media outlets:

http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext-news?nxd_id=498802

http://www.fox19.com/story/15893852/program-at-usi-teaches-students-about-debt?clienttype=printable

http://westside.14news.com/news/news/50932-program-usi-teaches-students-about-debt

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/college-finance/4-ways-minimize-student-loans.aspx

You can view the Eaglenomics slideshow on the USI website at http://www.usi.edu/finaid/literacy.asp.

The Office of Financial Assistance recently trademarked the name of the program.

EVANSVILLE, IN – About a year ago, a national survey showed that Evansville was the most
obese city in the country. Surveys since then have placed us different places on that list, and
whether or not you take that survey as “exact science”, we know that at the very least, we can
do better when it comes to the health and fitness level of our community.

When Mayor Lloyd Winnecke took office, one of his priorities was to be proactive in addressing
this issue. Mayor Winnecke invited a group of local health and fitness professionals and
concerned citizens to a meeting to discuss an action plan. From this meeting, an initiative
called Energize Evansville was formed with the mission of organizing local events to help get
Evansville residents more active.

Energize Evansville is launching this campaign with Fitness In The Park, Saturday, May 19th
at 9am at the State Hospital grounds, located at the intersection of Lincoln Ave and Vann Ave.
This event will kick off with the 3rd annual Pushups for Charity Challenge, hosted by Custom
Fit Personal Training. Pushups for Charity is a fun way to get fit and make a difference by
supporting the Boot Campaign, an non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and men
and women of the U.S. Armed Services who have come back home and could use a hand.

Complete information is available at www.PushupsForCharityEvansville.com for those who want
to participate, donate or just come out and watch everyone compete to see who can do the
most pushups in 90 seconds.

After the Pushups for Charity Challenge, there will be yoga, zumba, piloxing and boot camp
style classes for attendees to try.

“Our goal is two-fold,” explains Tony Maslan, owner of Custom Fit and the chairman of the
Energize Evansville committee, “we want to show our support for our veterans who have
sacrificed so much for our freedom and security, and we want to engage our local community in
a fun way to get fit and enjoy one of our many beautiful city parks.”

“The community is really rising to the challenge – there is a lot of interest in Pushups for Charity.
I think that says a lot about our community’s interest in supporting wounded warriors, and is a
reflection of how much people appreciate the importance of being healthy,” says Maslan.

Registration will begin at 8am. The Pushups Challenge will begin at 9am. Yoga with Yoga 101,
Zumba with Tracy Wilson, and Boot Camp with Bob’s Gym will begin at 9:45am. At 10:45am
there will be Zumba with Heidi Garza and Piloxing with Alissa Fricke.

Representatives from The Diet Doc, Flex 151, Complete Nutrition, The Vitamin Shoppe, the
United States Marine Corps, the United States Army and more will also be there to provide
information on health and fitness.