Bringing back a bit of wintertime nostalgia, the Downtown Westfield Neighborhood Association and two Westfield Girl Scout Troops offer free, public ice skating on a temporary, outdoor rink in the city’s downtown, every Saturday from 4-7 p.m., now through February. The rink is located on Indiana 32 in the Red Man Lot, just east of Union and Main Streets, the same lot used for the Westfield Market during warmer months. 

Relying on “Mother Nature” to freeze the ice, the public is invited to come along for winter fun on any cold Saturday. Two dozen pairs of rental skates are available for kids and adults on a first-come, first-served basis, but it’s still best to bring along your own. The rink is open for skating during the week, but refreshments are not available. Participation is always skate at your own risk. 

Local Westfield High School Girl Scout Troop 731 and Westfield Middle School Girl Scout Troop 778, in cooperation with the DWNA, organize these events and offer refreshments for sale at a nominal cost. Hot chocolate and marshmallows for roasting over an open fire are available. 

In an effort to provide additional loaner skates for future events, the troops have begun an ice skate donation drive. Anyone interested in donating used ice skates of any size or style can bring them to the rink during the Saturday skating events. The troop also seeks donations of straw bales and firewood. 

Anyone interested in volunteering or making a donation should contact Troop Leader Beth Silcox at 317-758-1237. To show your support or sign up for skating news become a fan on Facebook at Girl Scout Troop 731 – Free Community Ice Skating or join Downtown Westfield Neighborhood Association on Facebook. 
 

Messer files to run in Fifth District Republican Primary
Fifth District Congressional Candidate Files Declaration of Candidacy Paperwork on First Filing Day 
For Current in Westfield

Republican Luke Messer today filed his paperwork to declare his candidacy for the 5^th District Congressional Primary. U.S. Congressman Dan Burton, who has announced he is seeking a 15th term, currently holds the seat. The district includes all of Miami, Wabash, Huntington, Grant, Tipton, Hamilton, and Hancock counties, as well as parts of Howard, Marion, Shelby, and Johnson. 

“The morning after one of the biggest upsets in American political history, I am excited to announce my run in this Congressional primary,” Messer stated.  “From town hall meetings to tea parties to last night’s election, voters in this country are trying to send Washington a message.  They are tired of leaders who don’t listen.  They are tired of the wasteful spending that threatens the future of our country.  And, they want bold new leaders who understand that government is not the answer to every problem.” 

Messer, who began his campaign in April, has led the pack of potential challengers from the start, raising over $330,000 as of the October quarterly report and receiving the endorsements of over 600 key grassroots supporters and elected officials throughout the district.  His campaign has reported more than 800 total contributors, including contributors from all 11 counties in the district.  He is also running an active e-campaign, connecting to thousands of supporters each week through his Facebook pages, web page and email. 
 
“The people of America spoke last night,” Messer exclaimed.  “Against all odds, Scott Brown won, sending a clear message that Democrats need to stop the backroom deals on health care.  But, Republicans need to learn from last night as well and send our own message of reform.”  Messer continued.  “The movement for new leaders is just starting.  People are tired of business as usual in Washington and politicians who talk a good game, but don’t deliver.  We want real leadership, a focus on jobs and the economy - and reform.” 

At least five challengers and the incumbent Congressman have expressed an interest in the 5^th District Congressional Race.  “We’re ready to run no matter who is in,” Messer concluded.

 
About Luke Messer

Luke Messer, 40, is a lawyer in Shelbyville and served in the Indiana General Assembly from 2003-2006. As a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Messer helped Governor Daniels craft the state’s first balanced budget in eight years that, without a tax increase, turned a $600 million deficit into a $300 million surplus in a single year. As a member of the House Education Committee, Messer’s work on high school dropout prevention was featured in Time magazine and on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  Messer is also a former Executive Director of the Indiana Republican Party. 
 

Messer is co-founder of a not-for-profit organization called Child Share Indiana that advocates for Indiana foster children and their foster families. He is also an elder at this church and the author a children’s book about Indiana entitled Hoosier Heart.  Luke and his wife Jennifer are raising their two daughters and a son in Shelbyville.    To learn more about the Messer campaign, log onto www.lukemesser.com  
 

Sarah Panzau will give ‘Living Proof’ talk to Hamilton County students, parents
'Dead wrong' driver lives to tell teens sobering truth
By Zach Dunkin
Current in Westfield


On a steamy, August night in 2003 Sarah Panzau and her so-called friends made a very bad decision. After a few hours of drinking, the athletic, 21-year-old from Belleville, Ill., chose to get behind the wheel of her ’96 Saturn and drive home. Her so-called friends let her.

Precariously inebriated and moving along at 70 mph, Panzau missed her exit on Interstate 64 in East St. Louis and rolled the car four times before it tumbled to a rest upside down. Her blood alcohol level was .0308 when a policeman found her unconscious, lying on the road, ejected from the rear window, which ripped away her left arm. That’s four times the legal limit in the state of Illinois.

“I thought I was invincible,” she often tells her listeners. “I lived like I would never die.”

She was nearly dead-wrong. Clinically dead at the scene – no pulse, no bleeding – she was given no chance of surviving before being airlifted to the hospital Several months of hospitalization and more than 35 surgeries later to repair multiple fractures, lacerations and a partial scalping, Panzau is dedicating her second chance in life to speaking to teenagers and parents across the country about the perils of drunk driving

She will deliver her emotional “Living Proof: Drinking and Driving has Drastic Consequences” at 7 p.m. Jan. 27 in Hamilton Southeastern High School’s Leonard Auditorium. (Attendees are requested to park in the south lot on Olio Road and enter through door 13).

During the 90-minute presentation with its crowd-silencing video Panzau shares her own experience of being a two-time junior college all-American volleyball player before she began making wrong choices. She describes the physical and emotional pain of a life and talks about determination, perseverance, peer pressure, the “wrong crowd” and the meaning of “real” friends.

“We wanted to give the kids a real-life example,” said Lisa Wissman, director of SNAP Into Action & Parents in Partnership. “When you’re young, you think it can’t happen to you.

“So, the more times you can put the memory of something about someone they heard who actually went through what Sarah did, maybe that will make them think about the choices they are making and the consequences.”

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. In Hamilton County, there were 1,418 crashes involving teens (ages 16-18) in 2008.

Panzau’s appearance is a county-wide collaboration between SNAP, a grassroots organization focused on changing the attitudes and behavior of families in Hamilton County on drinking and drug use; Prevail, Inc., a Hamilton County-based organization assisting victims of crime and families in crisis; the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department and the Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

“We worked hard at spreading the word all over Hamilton County,” said Wissman, a Fishers resident. “All schools in Hamilton County were notified.

“We wanted the evening event to be open to the parents, too. The auditorium seats 999 but we’d be delighted to get more. Wouldn’t that be a great problem to have?”

The Hamilton County Leadership Academy (HCLA) Board of Directors announced today that Kristi Williams, HCLA executive director, has resigned to become the vice president of business development for Marketpro, Inc.  Williams has been the executive director for the HCLA for seven years.

Created in 1991, The HCLA offers a 10-month program that develops, educates and motivates future leaders to create positive change in our government, businesses and community. Through the comprehensive curriculum and study of local issues, the Leadership Academy prepares graduates to assume active roles in promoting awareness of critical issues facing Hamilton County.

“We want to express our sincere gratitude to Kristi for her hard work and extreme dedication throughout the years,” says HCLA Board President Brad Little.  “We wish her the very best in her future endeavors."

The HCLA Board is looking for qualified candidates to fill the executive director position.  The position is 30-hour(s) a week with a salary in the range of $35,000 - $45,000.  Letters of interest and resumes will be accepted until Feb. 15 and should be sent to executive board member Bruce Breeden at bbreeden@cripe.biz.  The job description and additional information will be posted at www.hcla.net.