IntegraMOD

I know several things (like calendar) are hardcode into the index_body.tpl file. FOr things that aren't in there, how do you hide things on the forum that you want to show on the portal home page? Is there a UI somewhere for this? Thanks

Are you talking about content from forum posts?
That content you only can hide by hiding the forum, or better said, set rights on the forum.
And there are more options for that, depending on who may or may not see it, you can configure the forum to be visible to All, Reg, Mod, Admin or Private.

And I'll add this tid bit as well. If you are looking to hide left side blocks, please take a peak at this thread http://integramod.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=4171

That is where I explained in detail on how to hide left side blocks. And technically, it is not hiding them, it is simply turning them off to not show so you have a 100% width forum. I hope this helps you out some.