Party for our parks

According to an article that I have just read in indystar.com entitled, “Parks Day fundraiser to offer Cajun Dinner, Art Show, live Music”, Cicero Friends of the Parks will be holding a fundraising dinner on Parks Day to benefit our local parks in Hamilton County. This fundraiser will be held at Red Bridge Park from noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday June 28. The day will begin with an art show where Memory lane Artworks will be featuring the works of local artists. Starting at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a Cajun Jambalaya dinner. This Cajun feast will be prepared and served by Hamilton County Parks Superintendent, Charlie Cambre and there will also be salads, side dishes and New Orleans style bread pudding. After dinner, Terry Lee and the Rock-a-Boogie Band will be performing great songs from the 50s and 60s at the gazebo from 6 to 9 p.m. This is an ideal event for the whole family so be sure to bring the kids and your appetite for good wholesome fun.

At a time when economic problems are causing many folks to cut back on their entertainment expenses, this is an entertaining and inexpensive way to spend the day with family or friends enjoying art, great food and good music. The cost of tickets to this year’s Parks Day fundraiser dinner is $10 for adults and $6 for children 3 and over.

Cicero Friends of the Parks is a local non-profit organization started in 1995 that helps maintain out local parks and serve the recreational needs of northern Hamilton County residents. For more information about this exciting event that will benefit our local parks, or how you can become a member of Friends of the Parks, please contact Kim at the Cicero Parks Department at (317) 984-3475 or visit this page.

Any Hamilton County artists who would like to participate in the art show should contact Bobbie Sutton at Memory Lane Artworks at (317) 984-4572 or you can register at www.ciceroin.org.

I hope to see you all there enjoying the art, food and music and helping our local parks.

Hamilton County June 2009 Events

• June 10, 2009 – Carmel Summer Family Concert Series at the Gazebo, located at Carmel Fountain Square Committee in Carmel.  Call 317.571.2495 for more information or visit The City of Carmel website.
• June 11, 2009 -Thursday Night Live- Live Music In The District, come out for live music every Thursday at Carmel Arts and Design District, call 317.571.2787 for more information or visit The Carmel Arts and Design website.
• June 12, 2009 – Westfield Farmers Market located at Red man Park in Downtown Westfield, for more information call 317.804.3030 or visit the Westfield Chamber of Commerce website.
• June 13, 2009 – Art & Crafts on the Square, located at Downtown Historic Noblesville in Noblesville, for more information call 317.776.0205 or visit the Noblesville Main Street website for details on this fun family event.
• June 16, 2009 – Picnic in the Park, located at West Park in Carmel.  Carmel Parks and Recreation present picnic and games for the entire family call 317.848.7275 or visit the Carmel Clay Parks website for more details on this event.
• June 19, 2009 – PHISH in concert at Verizon Wireless in Noblesville, purchase you tickets at LiveNation.com or call 877.598.8704.
• June 20, 2009 – Noblesville Main Street Farmer’s Market at Riverview Hospital Parking Lot, come out with the entire family for special events such as health fair, salsa dip contest, pet day and much more,  for more information call 317.776.0205 or visit Noblesville Main Street website for details on this fun family event.
• June 24, 2009 – Beach Bash, located at Morse Park and Beach in Noblesville.  Fun day filled with a DJ, games, swimming, sandcastles building and much more.  Call 317.770.4400 or visit the My Hamilton County Park website.
• June 26, 2009 – Noblesville Main Street Jazz Squared, located at Old Courthouse Lawn in Noblesville.  Bring your lawn chairs and come out and listen to smooth sounds. Call 317.776.0205 or visit Noblesville Main Street website for details on this event.
• June 27, 2009- Morse Summer Triathlon located at Morse Park and Beach, Come out and join us for a 600 meter swim, 13 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run.  You can pre register for this event at www.tuxbro.com site or call 317.770.4400 for more information.

Looking for a four-legged friend?

Have you been considering getting a pet dog or cat? Have you considered adopting a pet instead of buying one? I was just reading indystar.com when I noticed that they have a page dedicated to advertising dogs and cats that folks can donate.

As the national economy continues its downward trend, many animal shelters across the nation are seeing an increase in the number of dogs and cats they are taking in. In many cases, this is due to their owners not having enough money to continue caring for their animals. Many home owners’ have lost their homes to foreclosure and have simply elected to leave their animals behind. It’s hard to believe, but that has been the case with a good number of the animals now flooding animal shelters across the nation.

While browsing IndyStar.com, when I saw a page dedicated to animals that need a home. There are listings from both the Humane Society for Hamilton County and the Alliance for Responsible Pet Ownership (ARPO). This page offers descriptions of the different dogs and cats that are available for adoption. Anyone interested in potentially adopting a cat or dog, can visit this page and find out more information about the cats and dogs that are up for adoption, including, breed, age and temperament.

However, not all animals on the list are up for adoption. One touching case is that of Jethro. Jethro is a canine whose owner needs help from someone who would like to act as a foster parent or financial sponsor in order to help cure Jethro’s heartworm disease. It’s sad to think that folks who just a short while ago needed no help in sustaining themselves or their pets now find themselves in need in order to maintain their pets.

If you are thinking of buying a dog or cat, I strongly urge you to take a tour of your local animal shelter and consider saving an animal’s life and at the same time, gaining a loyal friend for life. Please click the following link to see all of the cats and dogs available for adoption at IndyStar.com’s Friends Forever page.

Carmel Green Initiative

Are you into the whole green movement?  I was just looking at some websites online when I saw a website for a local, Carmel-area organization dedicated supporting and helping to promote Carmel’s commitment to the preserving and helping to reduce the amount of damage done to the environment.

I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of this organization before, especially since I am the type of person who tries to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I have always been a believer that all of us can and should our little part to help reduce the amount of damage that we cause to our environment and this seems to be right in line with the mission of the folks at Carmel Green Initiative.

The Carmel Green Initiative has a variety of different committees, each with a different environmentally beneficial focus including green schools, green business, recycling and more. All of these committees work in conjunction to help benefit our environment through green education and promotion of habits that are eco-friendly.

I think the Carmel Green Initiative is a great idea. I believe that green living is not something that needs to be legislated, if all of us are willing to do just a little to ensure that future generations will have a healthy environment in which to live, there will be no need to take more drastic action in the future. It’s a question of preventing as opposed to curing.

If you are interested in what you can do to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle and help preserve the natural beauty of your environment, please visit the Carmel Green initiative’s website at http://www.carmelgreen.org/.

Hamilton County May 2009 Events

May 15, 2009 – Wilson Farm Market in Arcadia – Food products, gifts, homemade fudge, ice cream and many other goodies,  Locates in Arcadia call 317.758.5734 or visit the Wilson Farm Market website for more details. 

May 15, 2009 – BBQ Summer Blast Off with Billy’s BBQ Pit at Nippers Grill  -come out for poker, ribs, pulled pork and karaoke located in Carmel call 317.818.9980 or visit the Nippers Grill and Tap website for more details.  

May 16, 2009 – Noblesville Relay for Life – Fight against cancer.  The American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Noblesville has set the 2009 event date for May 16 at Forrest Park. For more information about how you can be involved with the fight against cancer please call co- chairs Kathie Stretch at (317) 753-3336 or LuAnn Harger at (317) 753-0657. 

May 16, 2009 – 2nd Annual St. Vincent Geist Half Marathon and 5K in Fishers, race around the reservoir benefits health and wellness programs in the Geist area school. Come out and race or support this great event for more details call 317.823.5060 or visit the Geist Half Marathon & 5K website. 

May 21, 2009 – Hamilton County Art Center in Noblesville, located in Noblesville is promoting the art in a distinctive; rotating collection of art work exhibits, come out and see this great exhibit.  Call 317.776.2278 or visit the Hamilton County Artist Association website for more details. 

May 23, 2009 – Noblesville Farmer’s Market – Doors open on Memorial Day weekend.  The market offers a little bit of something for all ages.  Call 317.776.0205 for more information on this great event.

10th annual Italian Fest to benefit victims of crime and sexual assault

According to an article that I have just read in IndyStar.com entitled, “10^th annual Italian fest to benefit Prevail, Inc.”, the 10^th annual Italian Fest is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 3 at Eddie’s Corner Café in Noblesville.  This year’s installation of the Italian Fest will be held at Eddie’s Corner café and will feature celebrity waiters who will be competing for tips that will go to benefit Prevail, Inc. The Italian Fest was not held in 2008, however, at the last installation, which was held in 2007 the Italian Fest raised $7,492.51.  The celebrity waiter expected to participate include:

• Terry Ditslear: Noblesville’s First Lady
• Doug Carter: Hamilton County Sheriff
• Wayne Sturtevant: Hamilton County Superior Court Judge
• Tim Green: Carmel Police Assistant Chief
• Ralph Watson: Hamilton County Community Corrections Executive Director.

Prevail Inc. is a Noblesville-based, non-profit organization that is dedicated to heightening victim awareness for Hamilton and other surrounding counties.  They are dedicated to providing support and services to those who have been the victims of crime or sexual assault.  Their goal is to inform and empower victims of crimes, including rape and sexual violence.

This year’s Italian Fest menu features Eddie’s signature homemade lasagna or pasta, salad, garlic bread, dessert and beverages.  The cost of tickets for this event is $10 for adults and $6 for children 10 and under.  There will also be a 50/50 cash raffle, which will also go to benefit Prevail, Inc. and those it helps.

This is a great opportunity for local-area residents to enjoy a great Italian dinner as well as help raise money for victims of crimes and sexual abuse in Hamilton and other nearby counties.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Italian Fest or purchasing tickets, please visit Eddies Corner Café, located at 101 North 10 Street in Noblesville.  You can also find out more about this event or those who will benefit by calling Prevail, Inc at (317) 773-6942.

Please click to read this article in its entirety at IndyStar.com.

Help the Hamilton Humane Society

The Hamilton Humane Society has received a very nice offer from a small group of financial supporters who will match every donation up to $6,000 dollar for dollar until March 31, 2009. This means that the HHS can earn up $12,000 and you can help. The HHS is asking for your help in order to meet the $6,000 goal before March 31. I was just browsing their website when I noticed that they have already gotten $5,677 in donations and only have $333.oo left to go.

You can donate individually, as a family or you can join a group of coworkers and raise some funds to donate. This is especially a good time to help the HHS because at eh end of last year, the Hamilton Humans Society had a budget deficit of $23,000. This deficit was due to an overall reduction in the number of donations received throughout 2008.

I am sure that our economic problems of late are not helping the Humane Society collect donations. Many Americans are in difficult times economically and cannot afford to be as generous as in previous years. Add to this, an increase in the number of pets surrendered by their owners and it is clear that now more than ever, our local humane society is in need of our help.

If you would like to donate money, regardless of how much or how little, you can mail you donation to:

Humane Society for Hamilton County
ATTN: Matching Program
1721 Pleasant Street, STE B
Noblesville, IN 46060

You can also donate using your credit card by visiting the Humane Society for Hamilton County’s website. Every donation counts regardless of the amount.

For more information, please call David Landau at 317-219-3324.

Roundabouts helping to reduce number of accidents on Keystone

When Carmel officials decided to rebuild the intersections at 106th and 126 Streets and Keystone Avenue, there were some who wondered whether this would indeed help to reduce the number of accidents or whether it was just an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money. I am sure more than a few of us had to get used to not having intersections with traffic lights, after all, roundabouts are not very common in Hamilton County. However, according to an article that I have just read in CarmelStar.com entitled, “Keystone works boosts safety, Carmel says” there were 25% fewer accidents and 64% less accidents with injuries in 2008 compared to 2007. According to Mayor Jim Brainard, “At other intersections that have been converted from signaled intersections to roundabouts, the city has seen a 78 percent reduction in accidents with injuries,”. When we consider the fact that it has only been seven months since these intersections were rebuilt into roundabouts, this reduction in the number of accidents is even more impressive.

In all, the city plans to rebuild six intersections into roundabouts in hopes of making them safer as well as increase traffic flow. I think it is great that there are already fewer accidents being reported, especially those with injuries. It’s also good to see that our tax dollars are going into something that will help to save us all time and money as well as help make our roads safer.

While I was doing a little research into roundabouts, I found some other excellent benefits of roundabouts compared to traditional signalized intersections, roundabouts help to reduce carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions by as much as 32%, 37% and 34% respectively. Roundabouts can also reduce fuel consumption by approximately 30% and they can improve aesthetics because they provide areas for landscaping. I found these interesting little facts at the Insurance Institute for highway Safety’s website (iihs.org).

Rock Tops scamming customers?

I just read an article in thenoblesvilleledger.com entitled, “Rock Tops’ closure surprises customers”. According to this article Rock Tops Marble and granite in Noblesville has closed and there are some customers who have put down payment for granite countertops and installation who have yet to receive their countertops and cannot find a way to contact Rock Tops.

Last month, out of the blue, the michigan-based retailer and installer of custom countertops, closed its doors. Rock Tops Marble and Granite is now being investigated by Michigan police. Numerous Hampton Roads residents who put down payments on countertops and installation at Rock Tops’ Noblesville branch have found themselves in a sort of limbo. They have not received the materials and labor they purchased and are unable to contact Rock Tops either here in Noblesville or at their headquarters in Michigan.

Over the last twelve months the Indianapolis office of the Better business Bureau has recorded 11 complaints against rock Tops. Acording to Better Business Bureau spokeswoman, Linda Carmody, Rock Tops had been dealing responsibly with the complaints until November 2008. Since November, Carmody has tried to contact Rock Tops with regards to two complaints and has said that she found their offices have been closed and their phones have been disconnected.

It is assumed that Rock Tops has not filed bankruptcy because records of bankruptcy have not been found in either Michigan or Indiana.

Hopefully this is just some sort of temporary closure and those folks who have already paid can soon receive their countertops and installation. I can imagine it must be pretty stressful to have paid for something so necessary as kitchen or bathroom counters and have to wait around for an answer. In one case, the customers were able to get their countertops but have no running water in their kitchen because they are not yet properly installed.

Please click to read this article in its entirety.

Green living

Going green can imply a myriad of measures but while reading some articles in thedailygreen.com and indystar.com I ran across two simple things that all of us can do to live a little greener.

The first is recycling our Christmas trees. There is an article in the indystar.com entitled, “Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree… It’s time to be recycled” that has some great information regarding where Hamilton County, Boone County, Hendricks County and Johnson County residents can go to recycle their Christmas tree. The Indy Parks& Recreation Department will also offer seven drop-off location for residents of Marion County. Please click to read this article and find out where you can drop-off your Christmas tree for recycling.

The other article I read was in thedailygreen.com. This article entitled, “Install a low-Flow Showerhead”, mentions an oft-overlooked and simple way to save some money on water and heating bills, installing a low-flow shower head. According to this article, the average American uses some 100 gallons a day in total and that the average shower consumes approximately 25 gallons of water. Low-flow shower heads can reduce water consumption by some 50 – 70% as well as use less energy heating the water (unless you have a tankless heating system). The EPA estimates that running a faucet for five minutes uses about the same amount of energy as keeping a 60-watt light bulb on for 14 hours.

There are a number of different styles and options available when it comes to low-flow shower heads. Some include dials to adjust the amount of water used and pause buttons that allow you to turn off the water to lather up and return to the same water temperature and pressure at the touch of a button. Low-flow shower headsstart at around $8 and are simple to install yourself.

If you are conscious of the environment, these are two very easy things that you can do to help reduce your carbon footprint. With our current economic troubles, going green is not only a great way to save a few bucks, but is also a great way to help the nation become less dependent on non-renewable energy sources. After all, the less we as individuals consume, the less the nation will consume as a result.