Indianapolis is My Home

24
Sep

RCA Dome Roof Deflation

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Uncategorized

Here’s the best video I’ve found of the deflation of the RCA Dome roof.

29
Aug

Paul D’Andrea Air Show Pics

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Indianapolis Photos, Outdoor Recreation

I’m probably putting too much pressure on Paul to get his photos up from the air show, but I knew I could expect some like the ones above to come out of his lens and camera. You can catch what he does have up on his flickr page.

Enjoy!

Anyone else have photos from the Indianapolis Air Show they’d like to share?

28
Aug

Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Space

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Photos, Indy 500, Indy MotoGP, Speedway, Sports

I was goofing off with Google Maps the other day and was trying to find an address in the Speedway area of town. when I zoomed out a bit initially I immediately saw something familiar and not exactly out of place.

It’s the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as seen from above, or from a satellite to be more exact. I thought it was really interesting to see everything like it is between races and just realize how much space it really takes up on the map.

What an amazing facility to enjoy in our city. With the MotoGP race coming up next month, let’s hear it for even more events coming to the Speedway every year.

25
Aug

Huczko Memories of the Air Show

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Cultural Events, East Side, Indianapolis History, Special Events, Things To Do in Indy

Jennifer Huczko shares her memories of the Indianapolis Air Show after having moved to the area.

We moved to Greenfield in July, 1988 from the arm-pit of the country (I won’t insult anyone by stating where that was).  The first year my husband went with a co-worker, received a sunburn from (you know where), drank lots of beer, and left me home with our 8 month old daughter and 3 year old son.  He then proceeded to fall head-over-heels in love with Greenfield/IN and felt like he had moved us to heaven.  From that point forward, he now longer left us at home!  Our son especially loved looking inside the planes, my husband loved relaxing in the sun watching the stunts, and I loved the airplanes flying to patriotic music and seeing people showing respect for their country and fellow Americans.  Each year the show reminds us of the lack of patriotism shown by more and more individuals and the focus that needs to be given to this on-going problem before it is too late.  We are happy to see the tremendous increase in attendance and interest year after year - sorry to say it takes us 5 times longer to get there though.

Thank you for all those who support the Air Show.  I am a Hospice volunteer whose patient spent 20 years in the service before becoming bed-ridden with MS.  I only wish she could be there and feel the sun on her face and the pride she felt for all those years all over again.  I thank God for people like Carol Beavens everyday and for the freedom she helped us to maintain.  Too many don’t understand and take our freedom for granted.

Scott and Jennifer Huczko

Great memories. I love hearing stories like this. Thanks for sharing.

25
Aug

Our Own Officers Represented Us Well at the International Police and Fire Games

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Awards & Recognition, Government

Team Indianapolis Powerlifting took part in the 2008 International Police and Fire Games. The members and their results are as follows;

Indianapolis Park Ranger Sergeant Tony Burrello, the 2004 International Police and Fire Games and 2005 World Police and Fire Games Bench Press Champion, won the 148lb class with a bench press of 360 pounds. He barely missed setting a world record with 370 pounds.

Indianapolis Fire Department Private Reginald Dukes, the 2007 World Police and Fire Games Bench Press Champion and the 2008 Indiana State Bench Press Champion, won the 165lb class with an overall combined weight total of 1460 pounds. Reggie, tripling his bodyweight, set two different world records in the squat and deadlift.

Officer Thomas "Doug" Wood of the Greenwood Police Department, a former state and national competitive bodybuilder, earned a silver medal in the open unlimited class with an overall combined total of 1760 pounds.

Steve Barrick, the strength and conditioning coach for two different school systems and the 2008 Indiana State Bench Press Champion, won a gold medal, with a bench press of 495 pounds in the "guest" division Team Indianapolis Powerlifting’s coach and gym owner, Jon Pedigo, is a former state, national and world powerlifting and bodybuilding champion. The team trains at J.P.’s Premier Fitness, located at 88 North US 31, in Greenwood.

The team’s athletic trainer, Brian Peavler, also traveled with the team for any necessary medical needs.

20
Aug

Klus Memories of the Indianapolis Air Show

Author: Jason Bean, Category: East Side, Local Residents, Outdoor Recreation, Special Events, Things To Do in Indy

Robert Klus shares his memories of attending the Indianapolis Air Show with his family.

I too attended the Indy air show with my family and had a wonderful time.  It was a hot day, but we were able to see a fantastic air show and a Vietnam simulation with the aircraft of that era that was incredible.  To top it off, we went on a Huey (helicopter ride) at the end of the day.  It took us over the reservoir and the beautiful Indiana corn fields.  What an amazing experience!  I hope to do something similar this year.  It has been a couple of years since we last attend, so we are looking forward to it.

Hopefully you’ll get to experience another Huey helicopter ride again this year and see how the landscape has changed since last time. I’d love to do that as well sometime.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Robert!

17
Aug

Indianapolis Air Show Next Weekend

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Cultural Events, East Side, Outdoor Recreation, Special Events, Things To Do in Indy

A couple of year’s ago I went to the Indianapolis Air Show at Mt. Comfort airport a couple of years ago with my family and we had an absolutely great time! The kids loved it, it was a beautiful day and it was just an all-around great experience.

Last year we missed it, but there’s a great story even missing the event. We were at my son’s youth football game and at half-time, it just so happened that the Blue Angels flew right over our football field on their way to the Mt. Comfort airport. Not sure about you, but don’t know how many other youth football organizations get a fly-over (and they were low!) from the Blue Angels.

Getting back to the event though, they’ve got another great sounding line-up in store for us this year with the following acts scheduled to appear:

• U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight
• U.S. Navy Legacy Flight
• U.S. Navy F/A-18C Hornet East Coast Demonstration Team
• U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team
• U.S. Air Force Combat Command F-22A Demonstration Team
• Gene Soucy
• John Klatt
• Aldridge Airshows
• Greg Koontz
• and more

There’s also loads of planes and other air vehicles on the tarmac that you can see up-close and even sometimes take tours through and sit in. Another great memory for me and my kids were the pyrotechnic and explosion displays on the airfield. Just too much fun!

Here’s the deal though, I want to help promote this great event in the city and I’ve gotten contacted by the organizers and promoters to help do that. I want to hear about your experience at the Indianapolis Air Show. For the first 20 bloggers that write-up a post (or have already written a post) on their blog and link back to this site, I’ll get you a free pass to the event.

Just write-up a post, link back to this post and e-mail me if you have any questions. First 20 bloggers win!

UPDATE: If you don’t have your own blog, just e-mail me your story and I’ll post it here and that will get you passes too.

Once I get notification of the posts, I’ll update this one with direct links back to your post as well.

Here are the current winners:

1. Indianapolis Air Show - BeingSavvy Indianapolis
2. Thank God for model airplanes… - Jennyese, My Language on Life
3. 2008 Indianapolis Air Show (Free Tickets) - Carry On Citizens by Jeff Stanger
4. Mount Comfort Air Show? - Ms. Conceptions
5. Indianapolis Air Show: BEWARE OF (having a) BLAST - Mike Magan

We’d love to hear your comments about the show afterward so come back and let us know what you thought.

16
Aug

Lucas Oil Stadium Tour

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Downtown, Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, Real Estate, Sports

I was one of the few (me and another 9,999) people that were able to score some tickets for the inaugural public tour of the Grand Opening of the new Lucas Oil Stadium here in Indianapolis.

The stadium and functionality of it are very impressive. The crowd control for the event wasn’t very impressive. If there really were only 10,000 people allowed into each tour, their ability to move people into the stadium quickly left something to be desired.

The tour was basically self-guided, you couldn’t go anywhere you wanted, but you basically just wondered around at your own pace and could linger where you wanted. The problem was that you only had two hours. We arrived at the stadium right at 10am when we were supposed to and didn’t make it into the front doors until after 10:30am. We walked around a bit and eventually decided to work our way down to the field itself.  Once you make it down to the field you can’t come back up into the street level concourses, so you’re on your way out at that point. You’re then faced with the decision of just going straight-out the back loading dock ramp or divert to walk past the locker room.

When we started in the line for the locker room, it was 11:10am, we walked out of the stadium, done with our tour, at 12pm. Didn’t get to go "into" the locker room, just walk by it and take a quick picture.

You can see all my photos in my slideshow below.

14
Aug

Scaffolding Accident at M & I Building Downtown

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Downtown, News, Real Estate, WRTV - TV Channel 6

The big news downtown today was about three workers that fell from scaffolding on the M & I building downtown. You can read about the event on the IndyChannel website.

The workers were on scaffolding on the south side of the M&I Bank building at Ohio at Pennsylvania streets when the scaffolding malfunctioned, sending them plummeting to between the 12th and 14th floors of the 28-story building, Indianapolis fire Capt. Gregg Harris said.

The power of digital cameras and the Internet allows us to see photos up-close and personal that you won’t be seeing on the news.

Check-out the photos Stephen James has shared on his flickr account that were taken by Joe Black. Stephen works on the 7th floor of the building, the accident occurred on the 12th floor.

14
Aug

Tommy Davidson at Morty’s Comedy Club Tonight

Author: Jason Bean, Category: Celebrities, Comedy, Humor, North Side, Things To Do in Indy

Who can forget this scrawny little comedian that made some of the funniest moments in television and movies? My favorite is probably his African warrior character from Ace Venture 2: When Nature Calls.

Now you can catch him live and in person at Morty’s Comedy Club tonight through Sunday night. Get all the details here at Morty’s Comedy Club website.