Traffic changing at 116th and Keystone Parkway
For Current in Westfield


Traffic changes will be taking place during the daytime on Thursday, January 14th in preparation for the opening of the 116th Street Bridge over Keystone Parkway. North and southbound Keystone Parkway traffic currently using the ramp and Frontage Road system at 116th Street will be moved to the permanent Keystone Parkway travel lanes under the newly constructed 116th Street bridge structure. Even after the traffic switch has taken place, exits to and from 116th Street will remain open.


Over the next week, crews will work to remove temporary pavement that was used to maintain four lanes of Keystone traffic through 116th Street. Tie-ins to the bridge structure along with safety measures will be placed prior to opening the 116th Street bridge to cross-street traffic. Weather dependant, it is anticipated that the 116th Street Bridge could open to cross-traffic as early as Wednesday, January 20th.


After working through several utility delays, the 116th Street interchange was anticipated to be open at the beginning of 2010. With the recent stretch of extremely cold temperatures coupled with snow showers, contractors have been unable to perform the necessary work to complete the traffic switch. With the current warming trend and favorable weather forecast, construction crews are hopeful that they will be able to complete all work necessary to open the interchange to traffic.


Motorists are asked to use extreme caution in this area for their safety and the safety of construction workers. Lane closures will be necessary during the traffic switch in order to complete roadway striping. A 40 mile-per-hour speed limit is in effect and will be enforced in this construction zone along with the entire Keystone Parkway corridor from 96th Street to US 31.


The 116th Street interchange is part of the second phase of a three-year project to lower the grade of Keystone Parkway under six major interchanges along the five-mile stretch. When completed, the north-south traffic on Keystone Parkway will be free-flowing with no traffic lights between 96th Street and 146th Street, and tear-drop shaped roundabout interchanges will manage the east-west traffic flow.

Heartland accepting entries tomorrow, Jan. 15
HEARTLAND TRULY MOVING PICTURES REACHES OUT TO NEXT GENERATION OF FILMMAKERS WITH INAUGURAL HIGH SCHOOL FILM COMPETITION
For Current in Westfield



This year Heartland Truly Moving Pictures is fulfilling a long-time goal by establishing the Heartland High School Film Competition, which opens its call for entries tomorrow. Submissions will be accepted through May 15, 2010, giving aspiring high school filmmakers four months to concept, shoot and edit their own 10-minute truly moving picture. 
 

“Holding a film competition specifically for high school students has been a dream of ours for many years,” said Heartland Truly Moving Pictures President and CEO, Jeffrey L. Sparks. “Our goal is to reach tomorrow’s potential filmmakers today before they have decided what their contribution will be to the filmmaking world. Some may go on to become professional filmmakers while others will realize different dreams. No matter what their interest level is in this art form, we hope to encourage high school students to create films that align with Heartland’s mission and celebrate the best of the human spirit.” 
 

The competition, which is the first of its kind for Heartland, will be open to all currently enrolled high school students who have not yet graduated. Film submissions will be judged on criteria similar to that of the Heartland Film Festival, including artistic excellence, technical merit and representation of Heartland’s organizational values (hope, integrity, tolerance, beauty, reconciliation, courage, humility, faith and fidelity.) The inaugural competition’s theme will be “the art of hope”. 
 

High School Film Competition Details:
·         Open to students (both nationally and internationally) age 14 and up who have not yet graduated from high school in the current school year.
Call for entries open January 15, 2010 and will close May 15, 2010.
All films must run 10 minutes or less.
Films must be submitted in DVD format.
Non-English language films must be subtitled.
·      Entry fee is $15 and the first 100 entries are free.
·         Entry must have an adult sponsor affiliated with a school, home school or community organization.
Four finalists will be awarded $500 and two FEST Passes to the 2010 Heartland Film Festival where their films will be screened as part of a Shorts program. They will also receive recognition during the 2010 Heartland Film Festival Crystal Heart Awards Gala.


One Grand Prize winner will be awarded $2,500, paid travel and accommodations for the filmmaker and one parent/guardian to attend the 2010 Heartland Film Festival, along with two FEST Passes to the 2010 Heartland Film Festival where the winner's film will be screened as part of a Shorts program. The winning filmmaker will also be honored onstage during the 2010 Heartland Film Festival Crystal Heart Awards Gala and receive an award statue.
Visit TrulyMovingPictures.org for more information including rules, regulations and entry forms.

Indy Health Expo to feature celebrity experts
First-ever Expo celebrating health, beauty and fitness is Jan. 23, 24
For Current in Westfield



Indy Health Expo is a first-time two-day health, beauty and fitness event, taking place Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Indy’s only health expo is an exclusive event that will feature 200 exhibitors and a wide variety of demonstrations to inspire and encourage individuals to embrace a life of health, beauty, wellness and fitness. During the first-ever event nationally recognized figures in the areas of health, beauty and fitness will be in Indianapolis to discuss how to make the city and those in attendance aware of how to become a healthier society. 

Indy Health Expo is a locally conceived and produced event designed to educate our community of the great resources that Indianapolis and its surrounding counties have available that offer an array of health and fitness services and products, natural and alternative solutions, advanced medicine research, education, nutrition, exercise.  
 

Leslie and Jason Swathwood, principal organizers and the creative force behind Indy Health Expo, believe, “With all the health issues plaguing our community we felt the need to produce an event that will ultimately benefit those truly interested in improving their well being. Our hope is to ultimately inform the public of the lifelong benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.”  
 

Focusing on health and children, will be renowned pediatrician Dr. James Sears, better known as “Dr. Jim,” from the popular television show “The Doctors” (which can be seen weekdays on WISH-TV Channel 8). Dr. Jim will speak on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 1pm and will educate the public on how your child can be The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood, Sears is also co-author of the book of the same title. He has also been featured on Parenting.com's "Ask the Experts," and has written for Parenting and BabyTalk magazine, with his medical advice being featured on several national networks.  
 

Considered by many to be an innovator and fitness guru, Jaime Brenkus first gained national acclaim for his 8 MINUTE ABS workout. Jaime’s life experiences as an educator, fitness trainer, and coach have all contributed to his development of original ideas (Get Lean in 15) and products (The Perfect Portions Diet Dish) that have enabled his clients to adopt, and more importantly, sustain a healthier and happier lifestyle. A fitness crusader dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages, gender and ethnicity, Jaime has decided to take his show (and message) on the road. By launching Slim & FIT, people across the country will now have the opportunity to take action and join Jaime in living life’s ultimate fitness experience. Join Jaime during both days at Indy Health Expo at 3pm. 
 

Stylist to the stars, Peter Lamas who is known for his works on such celebrities as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross and Jacqueline Kennedy, will speak at 1pm on Saturday, Jan. 23. During his presentation, Lamas will focus on the behind the scenes of what's actually in your beauty products as well as the benefits of natural beauty products. Lamas is the founder of Lamas Beauty International, which delivers high-performance beauty products that contain healthy, natural ingredients, free of harmful chemicals. Peter is very passionate about educating consumers regarding the myths and facts of the beauty industry, having written books on the subject. 
 

Organizers are excited to host a diverse array of celebrity experts that will hopefully enrich the experience and give attendees the opportunity to learn what they can do to improve their health, fitness and beauty. Tickets for Indy Health Expo are $10. Discount tickets are available by logging on the event website. For general information about Indy Health Expo or to inquire more about, call 317.536.8800 or log onto www.INDYHEALTHEXPO.COM.  

US 31 construction back on schedule
Carmel Mayor: Taking over the project still an option

By Kevin Kane
Current in Westfield


January 12, 2010


During the US 31 Coalition’s annual legislative day, Governor Mitch Daniels and INDOT affirmed that the US 31 reconstruction project will be fully funded and completed on schedule.


Last week, Current in Westfield reported that Mayor Andy Cook and Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard claimed they were both told during separate meetings with INDOT officials that significant portions of the project’s construction would be moved to 2017, two years after the Major Moves funding is scheduled to end. INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield admitted that some construction was tentatively scheduled for 2017 but stressed that nothing was definitive. On Jan. 12, though, both Cook and Brainard said they were assured that the project will be completed in full and on the original timeline.


“At this time we are satisfied the project will be funded and built,” Cook said in an e-mail. “We will continue to monitor the progress very closely.”


While Brainard said the decision to remain on the original schedule is good news, he said it is still a possibility that Carmel and Westfield will look to take over the project, as was done with construction on Keystone. Brainard said this option will be considered because he thinks it can cut the timeframe in half and, in doing so, save a great deal of money.


“There’s a huge sale on road construction right now,” Brainard said. “Bids are coming in at 25 percent less than usual, so the faster we can get this done the more money we can save.”


Cook said before Tuesday’s announcement that he’d heard informal discussions about the two cities taking over the project, and at that time he said he was in favor of doing so.


“It sounds like an absolutely impossible feat,” he said. “But yes, we’ll be happy to participate.”

Westfield Boulevard and North River Road Closing at I-465
Bridges being reconstructed to accommodate widened I-465 underneath
For Current in Westfield

Starting Monday, January 18, the Indiana Department of Transportation is closing Westfield Boulevard and North River Road at I-465 on Indianapolis’ north side while the bridges over I-465 are demolished and reconstructed to accommodate the widening of the mainline underneath. The closures are expected to remain in place until June.
 
Closures also remain in place on the Monon Trail this week as sanitary sewer work is completed in the area. The trail is anticipated to be closed six days a week until March. Intermittent closures may occur later in the project during bridge demolition and trail paving.
 
Mainline reconstruction on I-465 should start in March, depending on weather. Motorists should stay alert for traffic pattern shifts at that time. Once complete in late fall 2010, I-465 from U.S. 31 to Allisonville Road will have four through lanes in each direction plus additional auxiliary lanes. Milestone Contractors, Inc. of Indianapolis is completing the work for $72.8 million. Upgrades to the Keystone Avenue interchange will be completed under a separate contract at a later date.
 
The 465/69 Northeast project  adds travel lanes and improves interchanges along an eight-mile stretch of I-465, from just east of the U.S. 31 interchange to just north of Fall Creek Road, as well as more than two miles of I-69, crossing over 82nd Street and ending just south of the 96th Street interchange. Additional information about the project is available at www.465-69northeast.in.gov