SpringsValley.com

Tickets now on sale for Styx at French Lick

SpringsValley.com News
Lexington, KY USA
By SpringsValley.com News Staff

Photo: www.styxworld.com

STYX

FRENCH LICK, IND. –Tickets are now on sale for Styx in concert at French Lick Springs Hotel on Aug. 31. The band is set to take the stage in the Windsor Ballroom at 8 p.m.

Styx formed in 1970 and has since had many top 10 hits, including "Come Sail Away," "Renegade" and "Mr. Roboto." Voted the Most Popular Band of 1980 by a Gallup pole, the rock group has continually played popular venues.

In addition, the band’s 1995 Greatest Hits album was certified platinum.

Tickets for the concert are $60. To purchase, visit Hoosier Sugar Company inside French Lick Springs Hotel, go online to TicketForce.com or call 1-877-840-0457.

For more information on entertainment at French Lick Resort Casino, or to make hotel or dinner reservations, call 1-888-MyHideaway or go online to www.FrenchLick.com.

Holiday World to 'Twitter' this Season

SpringsValley.com News
Lexington, KY USA
By SpringsValley.com News Staff

SANTA CLAUS, IN-----Three years after Holiday World premiered the first theme park-sponsored blog, the park is now the first in the industry to launch its own micro-blog, using Twitter.

"We've had so much success with our HoliBlog, this seemed like the next logical step," says Holiday World & Splashin' Safari's president, Will Koch. "We're looking forward to using this new communication tool to stay in touch with our guests, whether they're here in the park, planning a visit, or just interested in our day-to-day activities."

Twitter is a micro-blogging site; each "tweet" is a brief posting, with a maximum length of just 140 characters. These brief bites of information may be accessed through Holiday World's page on the Twitter site, via cell phone text messaging, and on the HoliBlog.

"During the season, we will post about the least-busy days to visit, information about special event and the weather, plus we'll answer the question 'what's going on today' on an ongoing basis," says Koch. "Our 'tweets' will be helpful to families who are visiting our park and, we hope, entertaining to those Who just want to stay in touch."

For more information, log on to www.holidayworld.com or call 1-877-Go-Family.

Bass tournament nets $13,658 for children

SpringsValley.com News
Lexington, KY USA
By SpringsValley.com News Staff

French Lick, Ind. – More terminally-ill children will see their wishes granted thanks to $13,658 raised by the Indiana Children’s Wish Foundation Bass Tournament held at Patoka Lake on May 3.

"We raised $6, 829," said Bill Embry of Got 2 Love it Bass Tournaments, Inc., which hosted the event.

This amount was then matched dollar-for-dollar by French Lick Resort Casino.

"We feel The Indiana Children’s Wish Foundation serves a special role in this state," said Mark Bommarito, vice president of sales and marketing for FLRC. "We certainly appreciate what the organization does for Hoosier children and families and were more than happy to help."

This was the 18^{th annual tournament to benefit the foundation. For more information on Got 2 Love it Bass Tournaments, Inc., visit the organization’s website at got2loveit.com}^{For more information on events at or sponsored by French Lick Resort Casino, visit www.FrenchLick.com or call 1-888-MyHideaway.}

Larry Bird files suit alleging trademark infringement

Larry Bird suit filed
Henderson Gleaner - Henderson,KY,USA
By Kate Braser

Basketball legend Larry Bird's former home in West Baden, Ind., is now the subject of a federal lawsuit alleging trademark infringement.

The civil suit filed on behalf of the NBA Hall of Famer in U.S. District Court in Evansville on Monday alleges the new owners are using Bird's name and fame without his permission, and he seeks to stop them from doing so.

The 12-acre property, at 7328 W. County Road 100 N., now is named Legend of French Lick Resort. The resort's Web site touts it as "the former home of Larry Bird" and entices visitors to play basketball on the court where Bird "spent hours practicing and perfecting his shot when at home in French Lick."

Geogianna Lincoln and Christopher Cooke bought the property last year from the Larry Joe Bird Revocable Living Trust.

According to the 11-page federal complaint, during the negotiations Lincoln and Cooke's representatives reportedly attempted to buy items of memorabilia from Bird and asked to use Bird's name to identify the house, but those requests were denied.

The complaint states Bird and his representatives did not know Lincoln and Cooke planned to market the property as a bed and breakfast using Bird's name and "commercially promoting the house as 'Legend of French Lick, The Former Home of Larry Bird Resort.'"

"The commercialization of Larry Bird's name in association with this former property is wholly and completely unauthorized and is blatantly being done for the sole purpose of profiting illegally from Larry Bird's name," the complaint states. "Defendant has even tried to create news stories about the property and about this dispute in a transparent effort to create publicity from the use of Larry Bird's name."

Reached by phone late Monday, Cooke said he was disappointed to learn the ...

Holiday World announces allergen-free menu

SpringsValley.com News
Lexington, KY USA
By SpringsValley.com News Staff

SANTA CLAUS, IN: May 11-17 is Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW). During this week, the 500 foods employees at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari will receive Food Allergy Education presented by medical advisors affiliated with Evansville's Tri-State Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Support Group.

Several of the park's restaurants now offer a menu of pre-packaged food items which do not contain the eight most common food allergens, namely: wheat, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, soy and eggs.

Families visiting Holiday World & Splashin' Safari this season will be able to enjoy a meal together, even if one of the family members has food allergies.

"The past several seasons we've heard from more and more parents who had concerns about what their children with food allergies could eat at our park," says Holiday World & Splashin' Safari's president, Will Koch. "Our new food service director took on this initiative with gusto and we're looking forward to helping our guests learn about these new menu items."

Pizza and chicken nuggets which do not contain the eight food allergens are available at Kringle's Kaf�, Safari Pizza and Jungle Jake's; those restaurants also now have designated equipment for preparing gluten-free and dairy-free items. In addition, the park now offers gluten-free sandwich bread and buns. Pre-packaged applesauce, carrots, and corn chips are offered as an option to fries. All restaurants will also carry disposable placemats and sanitation wipes.

For dessert, snicker-doodle cookies which are free of the eight allergens plus corn and potatoes are available. Gluten-free and wheat-free brownies and chocolate-chip cookies are now offered at Mrs. Klaus' Kitchen and Plymouth Rock Caf�. Mrs. Klaus' Kitchen also serves gluten-free rice crispy treat bars and sucrose-free fudge. In addition, two types of dairy-free ice cream bars are available.

A list of allergen-free items is available on the "Restaurants & Food" page at Holiday World's website, www.HolidayWorld.com. Park guests may also speak with a member of the food department's management with questions about ingredients in the restaurants' food items.

Scouts celebrate 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth

Scouts celebrate 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth
Lexington Herald-Leader
Associated Press

LINCOLN CITY, Ind. --

More than 4,300 Scouts are at southern Indiana's Lincoln State Park for one of five national events celebrating the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

The Lincoln Bicentennial Scout Encampment experience this weekend is meant to build character in those attending.

Both Boy and Girl Scouts are learning more about how Lincoln grew up, from age 9 to 21, in Spencer County in southern Indiana.

Campers in Lincoln City include scouts from Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

Included are a Civil War re-enactments, pioneer surveying and fishing, lye soap making, hearth cooking, pioneer toys, nutrition, weaving and a black powder demonstration.

Information from: Evansville Courier & Press, http://www.courierpress.com

US Open Qualifier at French Lick Monday

SpringsValley.com News
Lexington, KY USA
By SpringsValley.com News Staff

U.S. OPEN QUALIFIER SCHEDULED AT THE DONALD ROSS COURSE AT FRENCH LICK

Golfers from throughout the Midwest will be qualifying for the 2008 U.S. Open Championship at The Donald Ross Course at French Lick on May 12.

The U.S. Open Championship will be played June 9-15 at Torrey Pines Golf Course, San Diego, CA. For more information on the U.S. Open go to www.usga.org. The U.S. Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA.

Each of the entrants will be playing four rounds of stroke play and the event is open to the public.

The qualifier tees off at the Donald Ross Golf Course in French Lick Monday morning at 8:00 AM.

Pete Dye to be inducted into Golf Hall of Fame

Pete Dye: Called To The Hall
GolfDigest.com - USA
By Bill Fields

Pete Dye becomes only the fifth course architect ever named to the World Golf Hall Of Fame

Pete Dye, whose imaginative course designs have intrigued and frustrated golfers for four decades, has been selected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in the lifetime achievement category. The announcement was made Tuesday at the Players in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., contested on Dye's most famous layout, the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass, whose island-green 17th is one of golf's iconic holes.

Photo: Golf Digest

Dye started out as an insurance salesman before turning to his true love.

"I can't believe it," Dye told Golf World of the honor. "I was totally surprised. They're putting me in there with a lot of people who have done a lot for the game of golf. They got me while I'm still upright, so that's pretty good, too."

Dye, 82, will become the fifth person enshrined for his work as a course architect, joining Robert Trent Jones, C.B. Macdonald, Alister Mackenzie and Donald Ross.

A native of Urbana, Ohio, Dye was a talented amateur golfer and life-insurance salesman before he and his wife, Alice, set their sights on designing courses. Strongly influenced by a 1963 trip to Scotland and eager to distinguish himself from other architects in the U.S., Dye applied what he had seen on the old links when building his courses, from native roughs to small greens to sharp-edged bunkers of all sizes. "Over there in Scotland they have great big bunkers with railroad ties, then the next one might be small, not six feet in diameter," Dye said. "That's what I noticed more than anything."

Dye also differed from many of his peers in how he went about his business, eschewing formal plans -- he sketched his Sawgrass design on a placemat -- and building many of the features on his courses himself. "I haven't drawn up a set of plans yet," he said. "I don't know how. I just always enjoyed the construction of a golf course." A host of architects, including Bill Coore and Tom Doak, apprenticed with Dye early in their careers.

Dye's current projects include a course at French Lick (Ind.) Resort that is slated to open in 2009 and a fourth design at Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. The flight from Indianapolis to French Lick last Friday was a rough one. "We were in a little plane and got in one of those dadgum awful storms and couldn't get out of it," Dye said. "We really bounced around. I thought it was going to take me right out of this world. I've got 17 holes done, and I didn't know if I was going to get the other one done or not."

Dye will be joined in the Hall's class of 2008 by honorees announced during this year's U.S. Open and British Open.

French Lick Resort Casino wins 2008 Gold Tee Award

SpringsValley.com News
Lexington, KY USA
By SpringsValley.com News Staff

FRENCH LICK, IND. – French Lick Resort Casino has been awarded the prestigious Meetings & Conventions 2008 Gold Tee Award by the magazine’s readers.

The highly-respected award is given annually to outstanding golf and meeting properties worldwide. Winners of the Gold Tee Award were nominated by the readers of M&C based upon their overall excellence. "

M&C’s core readership, of over 70,000 corporate, incentive and association meeting planners, know quality when they experience it and again have made their votes count, selecting the golf properties they believe to be outstanding," said Bernard W. Schraer, M&C Group publisher.

74 domestic and 10 international golf properties earned enough votes to win the Gold Tee Award in 2008.

FLRC recently added a 109,000-square-foot meetings and convention center to French Lick Springs Hotel and space for more intimate meetings at West Baden Springs Hotel, as well as renovated 45 golf holes, through a $500 million renovation and restoration project.

For more information on planning meetings, conventions, special events or golf outings at French Lick Resort Casino, call 1-888-MyHideaway or go online to the French Lick Resort Casino website.

Byrer to perform at Holiday World

Byrer to perform at Holiday World
The Shelbyville News, Shelbyville, IN USA

Eric Byrer, of Shelbyville, was selected to join the Holiday World cast of entertainers.

The cast includes 17 entertainers from Indiana, Texas, Kentucky and Ohio who were chosen from several hundred performers that auditioned at eight venues in Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee.

Byrer will perform in two Holiday World shows: "Rockin' the Country," featuring country music and dance, and "Retro Active," a medley of pop hits from the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

The theme park, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, is scheduled to open Saturday.

Photo: Shelbyville News

Eric Byrer

Byrer is a 2006 Shelbyville High School graduate who was active in the school's show choir, Synergy, four years. He is majoring in musical theater at Ball State University, where he has been cast in three musicals.