Most people would agree that animals should be treated humanely, but opinions on just what that entails vary widely in today's society. The typical American views pets as cherished family members and has little or no direct experiences with the animals used as food sources or animals used in testing the efficacy and safety of biomedical and other products destined for human use.

An expert panel assembled by the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine will describe current regulations regarding the welfare of livestock, research animals, companion animals, and zoo animals at a free community forum entitled "Of Pugs, Pigs, and Pandas: Animal Welfare at Home, Farm, Lab, and Zoo," to be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, at 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana.

This forum will be the fourth and final in a spring 2013 series entitled "One Health & You: News You Can Use," organized by the veterinary college's Center for One Health Illinois. During the first hour, panelists will give brief presentations. An hour of questions from the audience will follow.

Speakers and topics for the forum include:

• Dr. Mark Ernst, state veterinarian, Illinois Department of Agriculture: State regulatory issues
• Dr. Janeen Salak-Johnson, University of Illinois College of ACES: Livestock welfare
• Dr. Sheilah Robertson and Dr. Emily Patterson-Kane, American Veterinary Medical Association: The veterinary profession as leaders in animal welfare issues
• Dr. Tom Meehan, veterinarian, Brookfield Zoo: Zoo animal welfare
• Dr. Vickie Jarrell, University of Illinois College of ACES: Research animal welfare

The session will be repeated on May 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Discovery Center at Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road. (Enter through the south entrance, by the high school. Directions can be found online.

"The purpose of the lecture series is to provide the general public with reliable information and to clear up misconceptions," says Dr. Jack Herrmann, one of the directors of the Center for One Health Illinois and an organizer of the series. "The series also calls attention to the way human, animal, and environmental health are interrelated."

More information is available online.

Organizations co-sponsoring the Urbana series include the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and several units on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, including the College of Medicine, the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Global Health Initiative, and McKinley Health Center.

Media sponsorship is provided by the News-Gazette and WDWS.

About the Center for One Health Illinois:

The philosophy of "one health" recognizes the interdependence of the health and well-being of the human population, wild and domestic animals, and the natural environment. The Center for One Health Illinois was established at the College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 as a way to allow the college's expertise in environmental health, conservation medicine, and infectious diseases to inform and improve public policy and public health.

The Center focuses on research, training, and outreach efforts in three related areas:

• improving preparedness and response to natural and intentional exposures of biological, chemical, and physical agents; ensuring safe and sustainable food production systems
• understanding disease processes that occur at the interface of human and animal activities and their effects on the environment; and
• educating health professionals who understand factors for human, animal and ecosystem health, how public health policy is developed, and how it affects the health of all three.

More information can be found on our website.

burrata, spring vegetable salad, grilled ramps, tomato marmalade

foie gras torchon, honey, black summer truffles, brioche

lobster mac & cheese

grilled prime strip steak, napini, ham scalloped potatoes

cheese course - hand-picked from Artmart by Brian & Davis McKay

strawberry shortcake, chocolate whipped cream

75 USD/ 100 USD with wine pairing

All proceeds donated to the Davis McKay Foundation

Reservations encouraged!

Champaign Park District's Youth Theatre program will present Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr. May 16–18 at the Virginia Theatre. Performances begin at 7:00 p.m. each night, and there is an additional matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. on the 18th.

Tickets for the event are $9 for adults and $7 for kids; seating is general admission.

Per the Virginia's website:

"In a magical kingdom fathoms below, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, and convince Prince Eric that she’s the girl with the enchanting voice!"

This all-ages musical is adapted from Disney’s 2008 Broadway production and features the popular songs "Part of Your World," "She’s in Love," and "Under the Sea."

From the press release:

Piato and Piato Too, located in Lincoln Square Mall, will be hosting a charity buffet for Rape Advocacy, Counseling and Education Services on Thursday, May 16 from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. This organization provides free and confidential services to survivors of sexual violence who live or work in Champaign, Ford, Douglas, and Piatt counties. R.A.C.E.S. operates a 24-hour hotline, provides medical and legal advocacy, public education, and professional training. Individual, group, family, and child counseling is available for those age three and older for both survivors and their non-offending significant others.  

Piato will also be accepting donations of the following items off of R.A.C.E.S. wish list:

• 20 lb. copy paper
• security envelopes
• small increment gas cards ($10–$20)
• small increment pharmacy gift cards ($10–$20)
• women’s athletic style shorts (S–XXL)
• women’s yoga pants (S–XXL)

The cost of the buffet is $5. This is a dine in OR carry out event. You may not bring your own carry out containers. Piato will be accepting cash, credit, or check; no gift certificates.

Visit our website for more information. For more information about Rape Advocacy, Counseling and Education Services contact their office at (217) 344-6298.

From the press release:

ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center: September 5-7, 2013

Cindy Cashdollar Named Artist-in-Residence

Austin-based Dobro master Cindy Cashdollar has recorded and toured the world with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson, and Rod Stewart—and that’s only a handful of her world-class musical partners. Her imaginative virtuosity has earned her five Grammy Awards, and Krannert Center audiences have flocked to hear her at three previous festival appearances. As the 2013 ELLNORA artist-in-residence, Cashdollar will bring her dynamic artistry to sets with Dan Zanes and Friends, Kevin Breit’s Sisters Euclid, and The Lee Boys and other special events. 

David Spelman, ELLNORA’s artistic advisor, notes that “Cindy Cashdollar’s performances at the festival have included collaborations with Jorma Kaukonen, Redd Volkaert, and Daniel Lanois. Her adaptable style has made her one of those artists that everyone wants to work with, so she was a natural fit for an artist-in-residence position. We couldn’t be more pleased that she accepted our invitation.”

The full lineup for ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center (September 5-7, 2013) will be released on June 11. Please visit EllnoraGuitarFestival.com for information on previous festivals and for up-to-the-minute announcements.

About ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is situated on the campus of the University of Illinois, in the micro-urban community of Champaign-Urbana, and is North America’s premier university-based performing arts complex. ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival (originally called the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival), held biennially, was launched in 2005 and through its eclectic global mix has presented many of the world’s most influential guitarists and bands, including Buddy Guy, Ani DiFranco, Luther Dickinson, Jerry Douglas, Pepe Romero, John McLaughlin, Bill Frisell, Vernon Reid, Derek Trucks, Richard Thompson, Kaki King, Andy Summers, The National, Los Lobos, and the North Mississippi Allstars.

Thomas Nicol and Joe Taylor's Heartshot was reviewed on Ain't it Cool News after the film won "Best Short" at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & Cthulhucon in Portland, Oregon. Heartshot, a 2013 New Art Film Festival selection, was produced by Sleepy Creek Films in Oakwood. The film is based on a story by Mike Byers and it stars Mike Trippiedi, Bill Kephart, Cara Maurizi, Steven Keen, Chris Lukeman, and Elin Skottene.

tonight market monday menu:

beef tongue, arugula, red onion, shaved parmesan, A1 vinaigrette

fettuccine, spring beef ragu, ramps, green garlic, spring onions

Triple S strip steak, asparagus, twice-baked potato with ramps and bacon

Prairie Fruits Farm chevre, blood orange marmalade, chive

strawberry cheesecake, blueberry compote

50 USD

When Triptych opened its doors out in "The Suburb" recently, and after a bit of drama to boot, folks around here were sure happy that they could drink some truly local ale and enjoy that outside of your friend's home.

But Savoy is a drive and driving and beer don't always mix, so it's even better news to hear that they are finally going to make their brews available in local restaurants and bars as well.

Click the link, and then head to Radio Maria soon for a taste. Something tells me that keg won't be around for long.

This is going viral right now:

Illinois Public Media's May Community Cinema event looks at the work of Amlan Ganguly to empower India’s poorest children to become activists and educators.

Ganguly doesn’t simply rescue children living in Calcutta’s slums. He helps them transform their own neighborhoods and lives—cleaning up trash dumps, going to school, reducing malaria infection. The film The Revolutionary Optimists follows Ganguly and three of the children he works with as they fight for a better future.

A free screening of the film, as well as a discussion of the community issues it raises, will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, at the Champaign Public Library, Robeson Rooms A & B.

On the discussion panel are University of Illinois law professor Suja Thomas, whose interest in raising awareness of personal responsibility and charitable giving is reflected in her blog, The Give Blog; Ratisha Carter, youth engagement specialist for the Champaign County ACCESS Initiative’s YOUTHMOVE program; and Sally Carter, founder and executive director of Tap In Leadership Academy, an after-school and summer enrichment program in Champaign-Urbana. YOUTHMOVE  and Tap In are partnering with Illinois Public Media for the event.

Proposing a workable solution to intractable problems associated with poverty, Ganguly's story suggests that education and child empowerment are crucial keys to lifting entire societies out of hopelessness.