World’s Largest Omniglobe at the State Museum

Indiana State Museum. AroundIndy.com staff photo, (c) 2010, all rights reserved.

By Kathi Moore
Indiana State Museum
http://www.indianamuseum.org/

INDIANAPOLIS — The world’s largest 3-dimensional Omniglobe – 80 inches in diameter – is housed right here in Indianapolis, in the Birth of the Earth Gallery on the 1^st floor of the Indiana State Museum. The globe, created by ArcScience, allows visitors to use an interactive touch screen kiosk to explore and manipulate views of the earth and solar system.

New content was added, totaling 107 programs, with data coming from NASA, NOAA, USDA and others.  Visitors can now move between visual programs, including still images, animations and movies projected onto the giant globe.  Various programs portray aspects of the solar system, Earth’s magnetic field, and human impact upon the planet.

The upgraded software and content adds new and engaging STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) related programming to Indiana State Museum core science galleries, enabling K-12 and public audiences to make connections between science and the world around them.  In addition, K-12 educators can now tailor the Omniglobe experience to complement lessons in their classrooms.

Curator Peggy Fisherkeller calls the new programming inspiring, saying that visitors respond to the globe enthusiastically with ‘I’d love to have this in my bedroom’ and ‘who needs a star lab!’.

For more information, visit http://www.indianamuseum.org/, or call 317-232-1637.

Omniglobe was partially funded by grant number NNX00AK66H from Indiana Space Grant Consortium.

Things to do in Indianapolis, April 30 to May 6, 2012

Rise Against kicks off the summer concert series at The Lawn at White River State Park on May 4.

Things to do in Indianapolis
April 30 to May 6, 2012

• 36th Running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
• Indiana Pacers NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
• Rise Against in Concert at The Lawn at White River State Park
• Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Scott Live at the Carmel Palladium
• First Friday Food Truck Festival at the Old National Centre
• St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Decorators’ Show House & Gardens
• 28th Annual Riley Wranglers Arts and Crafts Show in Greenfield
• Naptown Roller Girls at the Indiana State Fairgrounds
• Indianapolis Indians Baseball at Victory Field
• Yanni in Concert at the Old National Centre

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Amo Pizza Shop receives Pizza Playoffs award

Hendricks County Pizza Award goes to Amo Pizza. Photo provided by the Hendricks County CVB and used with written permission.

By Josh Duke
Hendricks County Convention and Visitors Bureau
http://www.tourhendrickscounty.com/

A successful spring campaign to bring awareness to Hendricks County’s locally owned, non-chain pizzerias culminated April 19 with the official crowning of Amo Pizza Shop as the TourHendricksCounty.com Pizza Playoffs champion.

Amo Pizza Shop, which sits in the back of the Amo General Store in a small town of about 400 on the western edge of Hendricks County, is owned by Jason and Andrea Hargrave and has been in existence since 1994.

“It’s amazing how many people we’ve had come in from out of town since we were named the winner,” Andrea Hargrave said. “Many have said they came specifically because of the Pizza Playoffs. We even had a bunch of guys on motorcycles from west of here stop by and say, ‘We heard you won for the best pizza in Hendricks County so we wanted to try it.’”

Amo beat Rock Star Pizza in the finals, which ended March 30 after a month-long tournament. The entire tournament received 22,743 votes.

The Hendricks County Convention and Visitors Bureau staged the month-long, bracket-style contest allowing visitors and residents to vote for their favorite local pizza maker. The competition began March 8 with 16 contenders and was pared down each week as the HCCVB gave away free pizzas and profiled each location.

Throughout the competition, the HCCVB profiled the Pizza Playoffs finalists with reviews, photo galleries and behind-the-scenes video footage on its tourism blog at www.TourHendricksCounty.com/Blog. Some of the local contenders reported that the competition boosted awareness about their business, brought in new patrons and increased sales.

For more information about Hendricks County, visit http://www.tourhendrickscounty.com/, or call 317-718-8750.

Authentic Italian in Richmond, Indiana: Galo’s Italian Grill

Galo's Italian Grill in Richmond, Indiana. Photo provided by Richmond/Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau and used with written permission.

By Nancy Sartain
Richmond/Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau
http://www.visitrichmond.org/

I write this, I am sitting in catch-your-breath-beautiful western North Carolina.

You might ask why I am thinking about Richmond, Indiana while surrounded by the blue mountains, lush forests and rushing rivers of this gorgeous place.

Well, I am hungry.

Really I am.

And I am thinking about Galo’s Italian Grill.

I’m thinking about how welcoming the staff is the minute I walk in the door … I’m remembering the fragrance of fresh tomatoes and zesty oregano and melting mozzarella … I’m imagining the taste of finely prepared and lovingly presented dishes.

Galo’s Italian Grill knows the importance of developing exquisite meals from the basics. Hot foods are served hot and cold foods cold; the use of quality ingredients results in delicious flavors and just a pinch of this herb and a dash of that seasoning can release the hidden characteristics of succulent olive oil, invigorating garlic and imported Italian pasta. Galo’s even understands that a traditional wood fired oven is vital when baking an authentic Italian pizza.

The Bruschetta that comes to the table is always fresh, warm and fragrant. That’s because every loaf of bread, each bun and every roll had been baked that very morning. Baked by the Galo’s family and their dedicated staff just minutes away at 5^th Street Coffee and Bagels, across from the Olde Richmond Inn.

It is that dedication and professionalism, blended with Galo’s real joy in nurturing each guest, that makes the Galo’s dining experience so special. In this day of tasteless food generated from a mediocre kitchen and delivered by a stranger, what a delight it is to find a locally owned, family (in every sense of the word) restaurant that deeply appreciates their customers.

Did you know that Galo is the name of the owner, and that he and his marvelous wife, Linda, met while working in a restaurant together? Over 20 years ago they chose to raise their family and pursue their dreams in Richmond. During that time they have become an integral part of the community and have graciously welcomed generations of families into the comfortable dining room of Galo’s Italian Grill at 107 Garwood Road.

Whether I’m meeting girlfriends for Pasta Mediterranean and a refreshing glass of wine on the patio, or if this is “date night” for just the two of us, making Gorgonzola New York Strip an absolute necessity; Galo’s is the perfect place to relax and reconnect with the people we treasure. Perfectly crafted food and very reasonably priced meals combine to make Galo’s an affordable option for everyone who enjoys real food and caring service.

Galo’s Italian Grill has shared the seasons of life with generations of diners. Romantic meals with champagne and engagement rings have lead to wedding rehearsal dinners. Before Galo’s knows it, couples are bringing their children in for birthday celebrations and soon parents have become grandparents; then suddenly it’s time for a jovial, loving family reunion – right where it all started!

When I tell family and friends throughout the country about Galo’s, it’s impossible to describe the beautiful dining room, the freshness of the ingredients, and the aroma and  flavor of the food without including the attentiveness of the servers and the obvious involvement of the owners themselves. No matter if you are a visitor or a long time resident, I hope to see you at Galo’s Italian Grill soon – and often. You’ll recognize me by my blissful smile and empty plate!

For more information about Galo’s Italian Grill, visit http://www.galositalian.com/, or call 765-973-9000.

Gregory Hancock G2 Concert, May 11-13 & 18-20

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. Image provided by the theatre and used with written permission.

Press Release
Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre
http://www.gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org/

G2, the pre-professional, student dance ensemble of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre will present a concert of repertoire pieces on May 11-13 and 18-20, 2012: Fri/Sat at 7:00 PM, Sun at 2:00 PM. The performances will be presented at The Academy of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, 329 Gradle Drive, Carmel, Indiana.

The company of nine dancers will present classic pieces from the GHDT.  WINTER from THE FOUR SEASONS by Vivaldi combines ballet and modern dance in a light-hearted, abstract dance.  EVERY BREATH IS A PRAYER presents dancers as five elements (earth, water, fire, wind and sky) in Tibetan Buddhism.  BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH is a beautiful duet that explores the relationship between two sisters.  The concert will close with ALTERED STATES featuring the company in a series of dances set to music from the late 60’s and early 70’s including songs by Janis Joplin, The Doors, Cat Stevens, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin and more.

The Academy of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre is transformed into a black-box theatre for the performances. General admission tickets are $10.  Tickets will be available at the door the day of performances.

The dancers of G2 are: Katia Hamamouche, Alexandra Hayden, Taylar Green, Abbie Lessaris, Alyssa Leroux, Zoe Maish, Hannah McKee, Ciara Richards, and Abigail Yu.  All of the dancers are students at the Academy of GHDT where they study a variety of dance forms.

Come see a new generation of talented dancers in a diverse concert of classic pieces from the GHDT repertoire. For more information, visit http://www.gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org/, or call 317-844-2660.

ABOVE: Abbie Lessaris is one of the performers in this show. Photo by Eryn Blair.