Teen Choice Live! The Tour announced late Wednesday evening that due to complex scheduling issues, the entire tour has been cancelled, including the show scheduled for Sunday, February 17th at Evansville’s Ford Center.
According to a tour spokesperson, “All of us involved with Teen Choice Live are saddened that the Tour has been cancelled.
First, we want to thank all the fans of Teen Choice, our athletes and musicians who have been so supportive of the Tour. You have been an inspiration!
We also want to thank the many venues and support teams who have been helping mount the Tour.
Based on circumstances beyond our control and complex scheduling conflicts we are unfortunately unable to achieve our goal of bringing the energy of Teen Choice to local audiences.â€
Ticket refunds are available at the point of purchase. Ticket buyers can contact the Ford Center with any questions.
Ford Center is managed by VenuWorks of Evansville, LLC. For more information on Ford Center visit:
www.thefordcenter.com www.facebook.com/fordcenterevansville www.twitter.com/thefordcenter
Teen Choice Live! The Tour Cancelled
Library to celebrate 100th birthday
January 24, 2012 – Evansville, IN – The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library is celebrating a big milestone, and the community is invited to help commemorate this important occasion. The EVPL is 100-years-old this year, and we’re kicking off a year-long Centennial celebration with a birthday party on Sunday, February 10th from 2:00-4:00 pm at Central Library.
Enjoy an afternoon of live music from After Hours, memories of the Library, and recognition of those who have helped the EVPL evolve over the past century. The past will meet the present in activities for all ages.
No birthday party is complete without cake. The public is invited to enter the cupcake decorating contest to show off their literary-themed, edible masterpieces. The deadline for entries is Monday, February 4th at 8:00 am. To see official contest rules and to register, visit evpl.org/events/centennial or fill out an entry form at any EVPL location.
Refinancing Evansville Water and Sewer Utility bonds could save the City nearly $4.1 million
Refinancing Evansville Water and Sewer Utility bonds could save the City nearly $4.1 million
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – To take advantage of historically low interest rates, the City of Evansville is working to refinance two of its outstanding bond obligations for an estimated savings of more than $4.1 million in current dollars.
“The present value savings to the Utility would be substantial in this current low interest rate environment and represents continued actions by my Administration to ensure the City’s financial portfolio remains strong,†said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.
At the Jan. 22 Evansville Water and Sewer Utility board meeting, board members approved the Utility’s request to present the refinancing proposal to the City Council, which will occur in February.
If refinancing is approved, the Utility will spend less money paying off its long-term debt for the two bonds eligible for refinancing. The Utility’s other outstanding bonds are not eligible for refinancing at this time.
CASINO AZTAR PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS TO AREA STUDENTS
The Project 21 Scholarship Program at Casino Aztar is part of an industry-wide initiative to stop casino gambling by people under the age of 21.
Casino Aztar supports this initiative by using one of the best tools available – education. Project 21 encourages young people to educate other young people that it is not permissible in Indiana to gamble in a casino under the age of 21. Students between the ages of 17 and 21 are given the chance to design, create and submit a poster, video or written essay about underage gambling. Three $2,000 scholarships are awarded annually to the best entries.
Students may submit their poster, video or written essay no later than April 26, 2013, to Angela Patton, Casino Aztar’s Community Relations & Service Manager. Complete details are available at www.casinoaztar.com. Go to PROMOTIONS > CASINO PROMOTIONS > PROJECT 21 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
Evansville-area high schools, technical schools, and colleges have participated in this scholarship program over the past several years. Casino Aztar has awarded over $36,000 in scholarships to students from Mater Dei High School, Reitz High School, North High School, Harrison High School, Central High School, Signature High School, Evansville Day School, North Knox High School, and Pike Central High School.
For more information, contact Stacey McNeill, Casino Aztar Director of Marketing at 812-433-4069 or stacey.mcneill@aztarindiana.com
IS IT TRUE January 24, 2013
IS IT TRUE January 24, 2013
IS IT TRUE the big day of Mayor Winnecke’s chosen hotel developer finally came and went yesterday complete with some very nice renderings that include a curved glass front, a residential tower, a parking garage, a storage building with retail space, and of course two new walk bridges to tie in the bridge to nowhere that is now standing?…no financial details were released yesterday and the only real action other than the spectacular media production was a unanimous approval of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to begin negotiations with the developer?…there was a slip of the tongue that revealed neither of the other two proposals were deemed to be unacceptable for financing reasons?…one of the other bidders proposed using the same EB-5 financing that was the excuse for the elimination of Verville & Associates during the last round of bids and the other wanted the City of Evansville to own the whole kit and caboodle?…after 4 years and three failed choices the chances for a downtown convention hotel come down to only one qualified developer in the free world that has an interest in what Evansville is willing to give them to build a hotel complex?…it would seem given the passion among the political class of Evansville to build a hotel that HCW Development of Branson, MO is sitting in the cat bird’s seat in the forthcoming negotiation?
IS IT TRUE the renderings are quite appealing with the residential units being a new twist?…Browning had some very appealing renderings that even included a steakhouse named JW’s that were revealed in former Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel’s press conference in Innovation Pointe in 2008?…when that deal failed to materialize upstart Woodruff Hospitality had a nice set of 3-D renderings that got everyone’s interest piqued too?…when the Woodruff deal fell to pieces and the Kunkel Group won the next bid they produced a curved front rendering complete with a parking tower option that looked very much like the renderings released yesterday?…even Verville’s group put together a nice looking rendering and recruited an experience operator to run the hotel if they built it?…it has now been a year since Mayor Winnecke put the brakes on Mayor Weinzapfel’s serial failures and started over from scratch?…at the end of that year what we really have is a single supposedly qualified developer with an exquisite rendering?…this is a déjà -vu moment taking us back to that hot summer day in 2008 when Mayor Weinzapfel had exactly the same thing?…the next couple of months will be very interesting to watch unfold as the City of Evansville negotiates with HCW from about as weak a position as is possible?
IS IT TRUE that the last time Mayor Winnecke and his surrogates negotiated in secret and made a big announcement the result was the Earthcare Energy fiasco?…the Winnecke Administration, GAGE, and 5 members of the City Council to quote Councilman Al Lindsey “got the wool pulled over their eyes†that time?…the Earthcare Energy fiasco is still hanging in the unbalance with the City of Evansville owed $186,000 by a company whose officers whereabouts could not be found by the Evansville Courier and Press?…somehow that $380 interest only minimum payment always seems to show up on time every month so these people are out there somewhere?…the City County Observer would like to grease the skids to help find the officers of Earthcare Energy so we or the CP can interview them and learn their intentions for the future of their deal with Evansville?…we would like to know why they are paying the note that will come due in March of 2014?…we would like to know if they are in agreement at this time with the default position that the Winnecke Administration asserts that they are?…we are offering a reward of Dinner for Two at Cavanaugh’s Restaurant for information that leads to an interview with the officers of Earthcare Energy?…Winnecke Administration officials are not eligible for the dinner?
IS IT TRUE for those who missed it, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton applied a verbal beat down on a select group of United States Senators yesterday that they should never forget?…if these senators could have concentrated on asking short easy questions instead of grandstanding they may have actually learned something about what happened at Benghazi, Libya back in September?…they didn’t and if this is how the Senate conducts an investigation and inquisition they could not convict Charles Manson?…the Senate blew a great opportunity so now it is time for them to move on to the next assignment which is to develop and pass a budget in the next 3 months to avoid another debt limit crisis?…we would not bet 2 dinners at Cavanaugh’s on the Senate being successful at anything?
USI hosts Startup Weekend Evansville 2.0
Startup Weekend is a 54-hour event in which developers, designers, marketers, product managers, and startup enthusiasts come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, and launch startups. Entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if their ideas are viable and work together to turn ideas into workable business concepts over the course of the weekend.
Last year’s event drew more than 100 attendees and 42 unique idea pitches, according to co-organizer Bryan K. Bourdeau, USI instructor in business. “A couple of those ideas will actually be launching soon,†he said. “The weekend offers easy access to priceless coaching information from intellectual property attorneys, angel investors, information technology, financial, marketing, management professionals, and active entrepreneurs.â€
Watch the Startup Weekend 2.0 video.
All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: Anyone is welcome to pitch a startup idea and receive feedback from peers, teams form organically around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote), and then it’s a 54-hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The events culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders and another opportunity for critical feedback.
Startup Weekend Evansville 2.0 will feature key speakers Steve Blank, Kent Parker, and Nick Tippman.
Blank, who will join the event via Skype, is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who retired after 21 years in eight high technology companies. He has taught entrepreneurship at the University of California-Berkeley, Stanford University, and Columbia University. In 2009, the San Jose Mercury News listed Blank as one of the 10 Influencers in Silicon Valley. He is the author of The Startup Owner’s Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company, Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost, and Four Steps to the Epiphany.
Parker retired as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Ariba, Inc., a leading software and technology company based in California. He has been active in numerous business and economic ventures. He will discuss the impact of cloud technology on our lives and the way the world works with a focus on business.
Since attending his first Startup Weekend in November 2011, Tippman has been invited to be the social media coordinator for DEMO 2012, one of the largest Silicon Valley technology and startup conferences; organized Startup Weekend Bloomington in May 2012, and asked to join a startup at the Brandery, a nationally recognized business accelerator. More recently he joined Nibletz.com.
Startup Weekend Evansville 2.0 is supported by generous local sponsors Vectren, GAGE, USI College of Business, USI Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, InGen Technologies, Inc., MadStache, and Evansville Commerce Bank.
Founded in 2007, Startup Weekend is a 501(c)3 non-profit “on a mission to provide the world’s premier experiential education for beginning and early stage entrepreneurs.†Startup Weekend is billed as “the world’s largest community of passionate entrepreneurs,†with events held in cities throughout the world.
For more information and to register, go to evansville.startupweekend.org.
New Minority Owned Plastics Distributor Locates at Innovation Pointe in Downtown Evansville
EVANSVILLE, IN – (January 23, 2013) – With more than 10 years of experience in the US
and Mexican resin industry Alfonso Vidal has recently started Vidal Plastics, LLC in
Evansville Indiana. This new venture was formed after carefully considering market
conditions, the availability of resin products in this area, and the advantages in logistics
and distribution due to Evansville’s location. In addition, Vidal Plastics, LLC will be
certified as a minority-owned enterprise (MBE), giving it a competitive advantage over
other similar distributors.
Vidal Plastics, LLC sells a wide range of resins, from prime raw materials to recycled
compounds. Products like Polycarbonate, Nylon, Polypropylene, TPE & TPO, ABS, PBT
and blends are available for purchasing from this organization. Vidal Plastics has a long
and diverse expertise in molding, parts design, material selection and industry specific
materials that would help molders, compounders, extruders and OEM’s with their
plastic processing needs.
Alfonso Vidal was born in Caracas, Venezuela where he was raised and in January of
1997 he moved to the United States to complete his BS in Engineering Management
with focus on Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Evansville, in
Evansville IN. In addition, Vidal completed a MS in Industrial Management from the
University of Southern Indiana.
Vidal worked, for 11+ years, as a Sales Engineer at Omni Plastics, a custom resin
compounder in Evansville. He managed his US territory, international sales and more
specifically sales for a sister company, Resinal de Mexico. Resinal is a joint venture that
brings together US and Mexican capital to target the resin market in Mexico.
Vidal Plastics, LLC is located at Innovation Pointe (suite 207) in Downtown Evansville.
Innovation Pointe is a high-tech business incubator and Certified Technology Park
managed by the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville.
Hotel Executive Speaks Against City Of Evansville Subsidizing Downtown Hotel
January 23, 2013
Open Letter to the Editors of the Evansville Courier and Press & City County Observer,
the Mayor of the City of Evansville and members of the Evansville City Council,
Vanderburgh County Council and interested citizens:
As a party directly affected by the outcome of the ongoing political push to utilize funds from the Vanderburgh County Innkeepers Tax to build a downtown hotel, I must speak out against the inherent injustice in using the hard work and sweat of the current operators and their equally hard working and taxpaying employees to bankroll an outside interest to be in direct competition with the established businesses, whom, I might add, have not been invited to the public trough. For a little background, I have been involved in the motel business in Evansville since the early 70’s. I served on the CVB board shortly after the enabling legislation moved it from a quasi-government agency as part of the Chamber of Commerce to its current position as a supposedly independent governmental body. At the onset the tax was set at 1% of room revenue with a future cap of 2% which was to never be exceeded. The revenue generated from this tax could only be used to promote tourism and conventions within Vanderburgh County. As ensuing administrations looked to finance projects that could not support themselves they returned to the state legislature multiple times to allow the tax rate to be raised to its current 8% and to broaden the definition of “promoting tourism and conventionsâ€.
The supposed current void created by the demolition of the Executive Inn is a manufactured fairy tale. We currently have two very nice properties downtown affiliated with the casino. If there were truly a need for additional hotel rooms downtown why doesn’t the free market see the need and fill it? None of the rest of us have had the benefit of public money, or free rent or governmental guarantees, when our properties were developed. To ask us to support using the tax dollars we generate to build this hotel would be akin to using the Food and Beverage Tax to finance a new out of town pizza restaurant that would be in direct competition with Turonis and the Roca Bar, two well established local tax payers, or maybe we create a new bread loaf tax to lure a new bakery to town to compete with Lewis. Then we can create a plastic cup tax so Berry Plastics can welcome a competitor to take advantage of the skilled labor pool which their hard work generated.
I will gladly let others more knowledgeable with the contents of the experts recommendations speak as to the many reasons why the private sector has not beat a path to a new downtown hotel and why it is not attractive enough for local developers to pursue. Instead I ask you to look back on the projects that got funding from the taxes the innkeepers’ generated by their hard work and investment in our community. We have paid our dues. Do not ask us to pay the dues for someone else. Especially not for someone who has not contributed to the local economy.
Sincerely,
Gary Nickolick , The Clarion Inn and Conference Center
Central High School to Host Taste of Central Feb. 1
Central High School will host the third annual Taste of Central on Friday, Feb.1, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the CHS Cafeteria. The event will occur before the last home varsity basketball game at 7:30 p.m. Fourteen different clubs and organizations will sell food items such as BBQ pork, walking tacos, potato soup, chili, Spudz-n-Stuff loaded baked potatoes, quesadillas, lemon shakeups, baked goods, and much more. All proceeds will benefit the clubs and organizations of Central High School.