LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette is asking local playwrights to submit their original works for possible inclusion in the 2009-2010 Staged Reading Series. At least one original script will be included in the series over the course of the full season.

In the two years that the Staged Reading Series has been part of Civic Theatre, at least one of the slots in its season has been filled by an original script written by a local playwright.

In the 2007-2008 season, two original one-act plays were part of the season: Pia Zadora Sings Gershwin by Deborah Gray and A Very Bad Day for Brandon Butterworth by Scott Haan.

In the 2008-2009 season, Steve Gooch’s original full-length play In the Weeds had its world premiere in March. The Scott Haan original script has since been published and produced around the country.

Here are the original script submission guidelines:

• Full script submissions are preferred.
• Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette will accept a query/synopsis with a 5-page dialogue sample.
• Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope or self-addressed stamped postcard with the submission for response.
• Electronic submissions are preferred. Send manuscripts to steve@lafayettecivic.org.
• Submissions may also be sent via physical mail to: Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette, Attn.: Staged Reading Committee, 313 N. 5th Street, Lafayette, IN, 47901
• There is no cost to submit an original script; however, playwrights are limited to submitting no more than 3 scripts.
• Deadline for submissions: July 31, 2009
• Response date: No later than September 1, 2009
• Chances of being selected: At least one original script per year is included in the Staged Reading Series out of the entire pool of submissions.
• Contract: There are no royalties paid at this time.
• Cast size: 10 or fewer actors are preferred.
• Geographic requirements: Playwrights must reside in the 14-county area served by the Tippecanoe Arts Federation — Benton County, Carroll County, Cass County, Clinton County, Fountain County, Howard County, Jasper County, Montgomery County, Newton County, Pulaski County, Tippecanoe County, Tipton County, Warren County and White County.

Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette is community theatre located in downtown Lafayette, Indiana. Its home is the historic Monon Depot Theatre. The house has a seating capacity of 155.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More than 300 people are expected to attend Tuesday’s (April 28) dedication of the Purdue Research Park’s 80,000-square-foot Innovation Center, which will be home to a national software solution center for EDS, an HP company.

“Innovation Center is one of the finest examples of how collaborations among Purdue officials, state and local representatives, and company leaders can make positive things happen even in a challenging economic climate,” said Purdue University President France A. Córdova. “The presence of EDS in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette means even greater job opportunities for those looking for jobs right now.”

Innovation Center's 80,000-square-foot facility is the newest building to be dedicated in the 725-acre Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Ind. The structure, which was built in partnership with Holladay Properties Inc., will be home to a national software solution center for EDS, an HP company.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Secretary of Commerce and Chief Executive Officer for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Mitch Roob, West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis, Purdue Research Foundation Senior Vice President Joseph B. Hornett and others collaborated to bring EDS to the state and to West Lafayette.

“EDS will draw upon the local talent pool to develop technology solutions that enable our commercial and government health-care clients to become more efficient, more cost effective and better able to serve millions of Americans,” said Rick Shaffer, vice president of global health care at EDS, an HP company. “EDS has been in the state for nearly a quarter century, so we have a long, positive history here. We look forward to working with Purdue University to best identify and meet our clients’ needs.”

The Innovation Center, 3400 Kent Ave., will provide 45,000 square feet of space for more than 200 software engineer and business analyst positions created by EDS. The remaining space will be used by other park companies.

“EDS is a cornerstone in Innovation Center, and their decision to move into the Purdue Research Park was an important one for them, for us and for our community because of the employment opportunities and expansion possibilities,” Hornett said. “Innovation Center also provides us with the much-needed space for other new or expanding companies that want to move into the park.”

The 725-acre Purdue Research Park currently provides nearly 364,000 square feet of office, research and work space to its more than 160 companies. The 105,000-square-foot Herman and Heddy Kurz Technology Center also is under construction in the park and will be dedicated in May. More than 3,700 people work in the Purdue Research Park.

The Purdue Research Foundation and South Bend-based Holladay Properties Inc. formed a joint venture to develop Innovation Center as part of the recruitment of EDS to West Lafayette.

“Innovation Center is just one of the many partnerships we’ve had with the Purdue Research Park,” said John Phair, president and CEO of Holladay Properties. “We also have partnered with them in the development of the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana and the Purdue Research Park at AmeriPlex-Indianapolis. We are doing this because we believe in the economic strength of Indiana and of the Purdue Research Park system.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered EDS up to $300,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

“There was strong competition from other states for this opportunity, so we are especially pleased that EDS chose Indiana for its new software center investment,” Roob said.

The city of West Lafayette provided $1.5 million in incentives to bring the company to the area.

“The recruitment of EDS to West Lafayette is another example of the unique partnership the city has with Purdue Research Park and Purdue University, and that is why the city leaders worked hard to give EDS an economic incentive to locate in our area,” Dennis said. “We are fortunate to have such a strong engine for business development in our city, especially in this economic environment. The end result is that we have more than the 200-plus jobs that will add to the whole area’s economy and that will create other jobs outside the park.”

According to the October 2007 Battelle study “Characteristics and Trends in North American Research Parks: 21st Century Directions,” every job in a university research park generated an average of 2.57 jobs in the economy.

About Purdue Research Park
Purdue Research Park (http://www.purdueresearchpark.com) encompasses 725 acres in West Lafayette, Ind., and is home to the nation’s largest university-affiliated business incubator complex. Within the park, 160 businesses, of which more than 100 are high-tech, employ more than 3,700 people. The Association of University Research Parks recognized Purdue Research Park for Excellence in Technology Transfer in 2005, and the park received the organization’s Research/Science Park Company of the Year Award of Excellence in 2004.

About Holladay Properties
Holladay Properties, established in 1952 by well-known architect Wallace F. Holladay, has grown and diversified from building single-family tract housing to become one of the largest privately held developers, design-build firms and fully integrated real estate companies in the eastern half of the United States. Holladay Properties combines its longevity and professional expertise with a solid, financially strong corporate structure to successfully complete projects of all sizes and scopes, primarily in five market areas: build-to-suits (commercial and industrial), land development, hotels, health care and retail. With a total project valuation of more than $2 billion, Holladay Properties has built projects ranging from $750,000 to $75 million in more than 15 states.

About IEDC
Created by Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Daniels. Indiana Secretary of Commerce Mitch Roob serves as the chief executive officer of the IEDC. For more information about IEDC, visit http://www.iedc.in.gov

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Shoppers should not shy away from pork products over concerns regarding reports of swine flu across the country, said Purdue University experts.

Purdue Extension nutrition specialist Melissa Maulding said the flu virus is not a food-borne pathogen, and there is no risk to the food supply.

Purdue Extension nutrition specialist Melissa Maulding said the flu virus is not a food-borne pathogen, and there is no risk to the food supply.

“The flu is a virus that is transmitted through interaction with people,” she said. “The biggest defense against catching the flu is to wash your hands.”

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have indicated that influenza is not passed through food.

Paul Ebner, assistant professor of animal sciences, said that while the current strain infecting humans is an H1N1 virus that is normally associated with pigs, it is not a classic swine virus.

“It has changed, obviously in a dramatic way that has allowed it to more easily infect humans,” he said. “Previously there were a few occurrences of humans catching the flu from pigs, but this strain is different.”

The Indiana Board of Animal Health confirms that this particular flu strain that is infecting humans has not been identified in Indiana’s swine population.

Hog futures fell sharply Monday (April 27) after reports that confirmed cases of swine flu in humans increased over the weekend in the United States. U.S. grains and oilseed prices also fell over concerns that any reduction in pork consumption would result in less demand for feed products to produce that pork.

Purdue Extension economist Chris Hurt said the continuing economic impact on agriculture will depend on how the flu spreads through the human population and how the world responds.

“Swine flu will likely be an ongoing story over the next few weeks,” he said. “We’ll be watching to see whether other countries restrict pork imports, if the worlds’ consumers reduce pork consumption and if the disease is significant enough to further jeopardize already fragile world economic growth.”

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In response to a serious new flu strain that began in Mexico, Purdue University on Monday (April 27) urged faculty, staff and students to take precautions against the spread of the communicable disease and avoid travel to infected areas.

The university’s pandemic preparedness committee, created during the avian flu alert in 2006, convened to address the potential threat.

“The university is monitoring the situation closely,” said James Westman, the committee co-chair and director of the student health center. “There is no indication of any imminent local emergency, but we are working proactively should the need arise.”

Those who visited Mexico during spring break are well past the incubation and contagion stages, he said. Purdue’s study abroad program, however, is on alert for its five students attending classes in Mexico, said Brian Harley of International Programs and director of Study Abroad. None are taking classes in Mexico City, where universities have been closed.

“Right now, there appears to be no cause for alarm,” Harley said, “but we are watching very closely and are in touch daily with our counterparts there.”

Although the disease has been blamed for deaths in Mexico, the severity varies within Mexico and is currently less severe outside Mexico. This could indicate that there is more than one strain of the virus, Westman said.

As with most viruses, flu is spread in several ways: orally, by ingestion, by inhalation, or by splashing contamination on abraded skin or into puncture wounds. To prevent spread, Westman said:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cough into your sleeve or a tissue to avoid spreading germs. Do not cough into your hands.
• Put tissue in a wastebasket.
• Wash your hands with soap under warm running water for 20 seconds and rinse hands well. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use the paper towel to turn off the faucet and turn the knob on the door handle.
• Cook pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit and poultry parts to 170 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure you have killed bacteria and viruses.
• Avoid contact with people who are ill.

If you are ill with flulike symptoms, such as fever, cough, sore throat and body aches, stay home. If symptoms worsen, contact your health-care provider. Purdue students may contact the student health center at 765-494-1700 or go to the center’s urgent-care entrance off University Street.

The incubation period for the flu is normally 24-48 hours, and the contagious period lasts for seven days after the onset of symptoms. If you are a student and contract this strain of flu, alert your professor that you will be absent for that period and provide a medical release upon returning.

“If you know of anyone who has flulike symptoms, urge them to contact their health-care provider,” Westman said. “Also let others know. For students, tell your residence hall assistants and leaders in fraternities, sororities and co-ops so they can help.

“We need to watch out for each other.”

Basic flu symptoms include fever, cough/sore throat, fatigue and body aches. Symptoms calling for action vary by age. For infants and children, look for:

• Fast or troubled breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking or interacting
• Being so irritable that the child doesn’t want to be held
• Flulike symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
• Fever with a rash

For adults, look for:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

The university’s pandemic plan is available at http://www.purdue.edu/emergency_preparedness/index.htm

Purdue updates will be posted on the Purdue home page and will be shared on the “Purdue Emergency Notification” site on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/posted.php?id=616700507&share_id=29636142724#s29636142724

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No pigs have been found with swine flu (H1N1) – only humans – but pork producers need to take precautionary measures to protect their herds from being infected with any flu virus, said a Purdue University veterinarian.

“Flu viruses are named after the first animal they were found in,” said Sandy Amass. “This particular strain just happened to be discovered in pigs in 1930, and this is the only reason it’s called swine flu. We don’t even know if the virus found in humans will infect pigs.”

No pigs have been found with swine flu (H1N1) - only humans - but pork producers need to take precautionary measures to protect their herds from being infected with any flu virus, said a Purdue University veterinarian.

At this point, the new H1N1 virus has not been found in the U.S. pig population, said Amass, who specializes in swine production medicine. Amass has three recommendations for pork producers:

• Do not permit people, including employees that have the flu or flulike symptoms, in or around barns.
• Do not allow any visitors to the farm, especially international visitors who have had contact with other livestock.
• If pigs show flu symptoms – coughing, runny nose, fever and a reduction in feed intake – call a veterinarian and have them tested.

“It’s important to make sure your biosecurity procedures are being followed,” Amass said. “If you have any concern, work with your vet because they know your operation best.”

For more information about swine flu and biosecurity measures, contact Amass at 765-494-8052, amass@purdue.edu