New storm line being installed south of 191st Street.

Progress on Grand Park continues to move quickly.  Sanitary pipe installation continued west, but was slowed by ground water flowing through a sand vein.  Storm sewer line installation that was completed off site to the point where the next portion of the work will involve street crossings at Spring Mill and 191st Streets.  Water piping was bored under two private properties along 191st Street. The boring company prepped for the bore from Monon Trail Elementary School, south along Tomlinson, then across 191st Street.  If the ground freezes allowing earth moving equipment to operate, earthwork will continue on shaping the future ponds.  Well points will be installed to divert water from the sanitary sewer excavation.  Once that is complete, sanitary sewer installation will be able to resume. Full Story

Jan’s Pizza is opening a second set of doors tomorrow for parties and business meetings in their recently-renovated addition.

Jan Miller and husband, Steve Miller, are expanding the 12-year-old establishment; they are renovating a portion of the former Queso Blanco Mexican Restaurant for a party room.

“We will have steps installed for the opening of the bonus room and the walls will be decorated with my husband’s paintings. Councilman Rob Stokes will display his photography for the ‘party room,’”Jan said. “We won’t keep it open all the time, but it will be open for overflow seating on Fridays and Saturdays, and available for private party rentals.”

Jan said the rental rate is $25 if the party doesn’t plan on eating, and the new space will be open and ready for Super Bowl spectators. Full Story

Westfield Dept. of Public Works presented a proposal to change the rate structure for how residents are charged for water usage at last week’s city council meeting.

Kurt Wanninger, Westfield Public Works Dept. director,presented a proposed rate structure that focuses on conservation; the rate structure shows residents who use more water will be charged more.

Mayor Andy Cook said water rates were last addressed three years ago, and he added that it’s wise for City Council to address the needed changes to prevent spikes in water rates.

“The proposed structure presented asks City Council, ‘Where’s the breaking point?’ An average home uses 5,000 gallons, so do we charge X amount for 5,000 gallons, and then X plus 10 cents for every gallon above that? It’s determining where that breaking point is.”

Cook said a dry summer showed how Westfield’s growth required several improvements to our water distribution system.

“Our challenge isn’t a lack of water supply; it’s having adequate towers distribution pipes to be able to pump the water in a timely manner to residents. Last summer, we almost had to call for a water restriction because we didn’t have the towers and pipes to get the water here on a timely basis,” Cook said. “We can only push so much water through a straw and our straws need to be bigger.” Full Story

A Westfield High School senior said an experience that happened five years ago made him the person he is today.

Adam Dietz was selected as an eighth grader to be part of the Super Bowl bid program. Dietz was one of 32 kids who delivered the bid package for Indianapolis to host the 2012 Super Bowl.The students met at Lucas Oil Stadium and drew the team whose city they would travel to for delivering the bid package. Full Story

Mayor Andy Cook, city employees and community leaders are lacing up to hit  13.1 miles of pavement to raise money for Westfield Youth Assistance Program.

The team will sport tee-shirts emblazoned with, “We Run Westfield,” as they run amongst hundreds of runners in the annual One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon to help fund YAP, a program that motivates at-risk students to hit the ground running with positive goals.

City Spokesperson Carrie Cason said the team members are meeting next month to plan training plans for the run, which include group runs, and fundraising plans. Full Story