December 21, 2010

RETIRED FIREFIGHTER, DITSLEAR RUNNING FOR MAYOR / P7

PRIVATE SCHOOL OFFERS TO BUY FOREST HILL / P8

CONNER DETAILS FACTORS FOR CLOSINGS, DELAYS / P12

Tuesday December 21, 2010 FREE Vietnam veteran and president of Hamilton County Veterans Ron Wilson served in the United States Navy from 1965 to 1971.

A soldier’s Christmas Four Noblesville vets from different wars describe what Christmas was like away from home / P9

Photo by Brenda Alexander

Weight loss is a journey, so get an expert guide.

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8/31/10 2:29 PM

Advanced laser treatments in progress

Pain Condition Outcomes at Treated Advanced Interventional Pain Center without using pain medications

Outcomes as Reported in US Medical Literature

Post Herpetic Neuralgia

Permanent Pain Relief in Most Cases

Only temporary Only temporary and incomplete and incomplete pain relief pain relief

Vascular Pain of Lower Extremities with Early Necrotic Changes

Permanent Pain Relief without surgery with reversal of early necrosis

Surgery Recommended, Permanent pain relief doubtful

CRPS without initial nerve injury

Permanent Pain Relief in most cases

Temporary Temporary relief with pain relief with pain medications medications

Pelvic pain in women with negative laparoscopic findings

Permanent Pain Relief in most cases

Temporary Temporary relief with pain relief with pain medications medications

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS)

Long Term Pain Relief with innovative DT-LILT™ laser treatments.

DT-LILT™ is NOT FDA approved

Management with more surgical treatments, pain medications, stimulators and pumps

Outcomes as Reported elsewhere in the World

Surgery Recommended.

Permanent pain relief doubtful

Management with more surgical treatments, pain medications, stimulators and pumps

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“I am happy as can be! It is wonderful to have no back pain after the Laser Treatments from Dr. Srini”………

Robert Russell who is still back pain free at 8 months after treatment, is the world’s first patient to receive the minimally invasive Deep Tissue Low Intensity Laser Therapy (DT-LILT™) for failed back surgery syndrome. DT-LILT™ involves a new contact laser device for selectively destroying the C pain fibers while leaving the healthy tissues intact. DTLILT™ is invented by Dr. Srini and is first of its kind in the world. DT-LILT™ is NOT FDA approved and is available only at Advanced Interventional Pain Center.

“ I would say the future of pain care is here. With terrible leg pain I had hardly played any golf for the last 2 years. After getting just one treatment from Dr. Srini, I cannot believe that I completed the entire 18 holes with absolutely no pain ”…..

Otis Oliver, after permanent pain relief from peripheral vascular pain. He does not require surgery.

“ I had severe tail bone pain and sciatica after falling on a hard object. For five years I had suffered in severe pain visited many treatment facilities and have spent over $ 60,000 in treatments without any pain relief. I am simply delighted that after just one treatment I am pain free”….. Barbara Wolfe, one year after treatment.

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Mary Flora (Kokomo, IN)

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“ Over three years I have suffered from terrible headaches, I also had low back pain. I was told there was no hope for my pain condition and was put on addictive medications that affected my everyday functioning. I am simply delighted that I am pain free after 3 treatments by Dr. Srini who explained the science behind my pain condition. He has proven that my incurable pain condition was indeed curable! ”….. Edwina Foust after receiving permanent pain relief from headaches.

My name is Vicki Hinkle. I have struggled with foot pain for many, many years. I have had treatment and surgery from several very experienced, sympathetic doctors over the years with some results. As time went on the foot pain increased to the point to cause life style changes. I enjoyed outdoor hiking, long walks with loved ones and occasionally a day of shopping with friends. I had accepted with sadness; the reality those days were gone. A family member had gone to Dr. Srinivasan for back pain and had experienced wonderful results. I was encouraged to inquire about possible help with my foot pain. I had wonderful results in less than a week after my treatment by Dr. Srinivasan. It has now been several months; I am still pain free. I am able to exercise, accomplished weight loss and enjoy outdoor activities once again. I encourage anyone dealing with pain of any kind to schedule a consultation with Dr. Srinivasan and decide for yourself. The options available to you may give you some of your life back too!

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS WILL VARY. Advanced Interventional Pain Center is the nation’s only pain center to have consistently over 90% pain treatment success rates 4 years in a row. Advanced Interventional Pain Center promotes innovative minimally invasive treatments for long term pain relief without surgery or addictive medications. Advanced Interventional Pain Center aims to reduce healthcare spending by preventing ER visits, Surgical Treatments and Hospitalizations because of Chronic Pain.

2 | December 21, 2010

Current in Noblesville

www.youarecurrent.com

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Warm and dry Founded Sept. 15, 2009, at Noblesville, IN Vol. II, No. 14 Copyright 2009. Current Publishing, LLC All Rights Reserved.

1 South Range Line Road, Suite 220 Carmel, IN 46032

317.489.4444 Publisher – Brian Kelly brian@currentincarmel.com / 414.7879 General Manager – Steve Greenberg steve@currentincarmel.com / 847.5022 Managing Editor - Kevin Kane kevin@youarecurrent.com / 489.4444 ext. 204 Associate Editor – Terry Anker terry@currentincarmel.com Art Director – Zachary Ross zross@ss-times.com / 787.3291 Associate Artist – Haley Henderson haley@currentincarmel.com / 787.3291

OUR VIEWS

It is our position that during the long winter months it is especially important for us to remember the less fortunate. The Holiday Season can be a very difficult tough time for many of us. Whether success is financial or familial, those of us with it must remember to share it with those without. Certainly, there are both the vast and differing charities designed to meet every belief and expectation – seeking cures for disease, fighting homelessness, advancing the arts or education and scores of others. Donations one all will be appreciated and well-used regardless of size. But don’t forget contributions of a more human scale. Reach out to shut-in family and friends.

Offer one’s seat to a stranger. End a long-lasting and unnecessary feud.

Certainly, the holidays can be a draining (as well as restorative) period of the calendar. But, giving of one’s self doesn’t have to break the bank.

Shouldn’t we contribute what we can, if not monetarily, then by donating our time and energy? Both will be greatly appreciated by the receiver.

Whether dressing a Christmas tree, lighting a Menorah, or simply staying warm and dry, remember those who could use a bit of our generosity.

Political Insanity

It is our position that we must broaden our definition of political leadership if we seek a different outcome in Washington, DC. Albert Einstein rightly defined “insanity” as doing the same thing over and expecting different results. We find our nation nearly $14 Trillion in debt and more than half of the population now takes from our collective pie rather than contributing to it each year, leaving an evershrinking pool of productive citizens to pay for the “vote-buying” state welfare programs. Moreover, the current administration has very few individuals with any private-sector business experience (Congress boasts only slightly more).

Yet non-political folks rarely show an interest in our nation’s capital. Even spotlight-seeking executives like Donald Trump refuse to enter the fray. All the while claiming to be “fed up” with business-as-usual, they are reluctant to work to restore constraint to the system from within. How do we encourage serious-minded new perspectives to participate? It seems that we breed leaders who not only believe that government, if only large enough, would solve problems; but also, we encourage a win-at-all-costs brinksmanship that rarely serves the majority. As the latest Congress is winding down and the newest Congress is warming up, remind them to think outside of the beltway.

The views in these editorials are of reader participants. They do not represent those of Current Publishing ownership and management.

Advertising Sales Executive – Mary Mahlstadt mary@currentnoblesville.com / 370.7015 Sales Executive – Dennis O’Malia dennis@currentincarmel.com / 370.0749

Business Office Bookkeeper - Deb Vlasich deb@currentincarmel.com / 489.4444 The views of the columnists in Current In Noblesville are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of this newspaper.

strange laws

CONSTITUTION CLOSEUP

Photo Illustration

Our nation has all sorts of arcane, nonsensical laws on the books. Each week, we’ll share one with you.

In Florida, women may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer, as may the salon owner.

Source: Weird Laws (iPhone application)

www.youarecurrent.com

Every week, we will print a portion of the U.S. Constitution, followed by a portion of the Indiana Constitution. We encourage you to benchmark government policies against these bedrock documents. Today: the Indiana Constitution.

ARTICLE 4. Legislative. Section 20. Every act and joint resolution shall be plainly worded, avoiding, as far as practicable, the use of technical terms.

Section 21. (History: Repealed November 8, 1960).

Section 22. The General Assembly shall not pass local or special laws: Providing for the punishment of crimes and misdemeanors; Regulating the practice in courts of justice; Providing for changing the venue in civil and criminal cases; Granting divorces; Changing the names of persons; Pro-

Current in Noblesville

viding for laying out, opening, and working on, highways, and for the election or appointment of supervisors; Vacating roads, town plats, streets, alleys, and public squares; Summoning and empaneling grand and petit juries, and providing for their compensation; Regulating county and township business; Regulating the election of county and township officers and their compensation; Providing for the assessment and collection of taxes for State, county, township, or road purposes; Providing for the support of common schools, or the preservation of school funds; Relating to fees or salaries, except that the laws may be so made as to grade the compensation of officers in proportion to the population and the necessary services required; Relating to interest on money; . . .

December 21, 2010 | 3

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Plow does more harm than good

From the backshop Let’s see what we can fit under the tree About a month ago we produced our annual holiday gift guide. In it, some of the members of the Current Publishing team detailed what they would like for Christmas and to which organization they would donate this holiday season. As we write this, we’re hopeful it all comes to fruition. As for the two of us, we’ve already made our donations and we don’t much care whether we get the gifts for which we hoped. What we care is that the folks who work so hard, who do so much heavy lifting and who care so much about the communities we serve week in and week out get exactly what they deserve (and probably want, but they won’t say it) under their trees. Take a look: • Our advertising team of Dennis O’Malia, Mary Mahlstadt, Kevin Messmer, Jeff Johnson and Missie Jordan - new tires to continue burning up the roads of Hamilton County and beyond.

• Our managing editors, Margaret Sutherlin (Carmel and Westfield), Kevin Kane (Noblesville) and Jordan Fischer (Fishers come Jan. 25) – Sleep.

As much as they require (and no, Margaret, two hours doesn’t cut it).

• Our office manager/den mother, Deb Vlasich – Noise-cancelling headphones.

(It does get a bit loud around here on occasion.)

Brian Kelly & Steve Greenberg • Our ad traffic manager, Lara Acton – Enough fountain Cokes to keep up with Dennis (you can’t stop him; you can only hope to contain him) • Our copy editor, Bryan Unruh – Receiving everything on time.

• Our art director, Zach Ross – A vacation.

• Our advertising artist, Haley Henderson – Patience (with all of us).

• Our columnists, correspondents and contributors – Appreciation (how much can we fit under each one’s tree?)

Those among us at Hamilton County’s Best Weekly Newspapers™ might not grasp what each means to us. Maybe this will help: FREE PIZZA! Merry Christmas to them and theirs, and to you and yours.

Exceptionally lazy COMMENTARY

By Terry Anker Loosely defined, exceptionalism supposes that some person or group can be exceptional – that they overcome the defined laws that bind others.

This conceptis now out of popular favor. At one extreme, it is imagined that no discrete entity is unfettered by the limitations of gravity or the nature of finite resource application. If no one can fly, then we are all truly the same – no one is special.Or if taken in another direction, we consider that all are extraordinary. Each being is so uniquely their own that simply because it exists, it is equal to all others without regard to attempts at quantitative comparison – the “everybody gets a trophy” approach.

Isn’t it more likely that even in a world bound by basic rules, that some of us are justly different?

Can’t we imagine a nearly ideal application of the standard? Even if no basketball player is perfect, isn’t Michael Jordan still an exception to the standard range of player talent? And can’t he be judged as special and rewarded (or punished) as such?

1968 was not only a leap year; it marked a break from the then widely accepted belief that America (and each American) is exceptional.

Yet today, many refuse to even contemplate the idea. They are assuming, I suppose, that a position claiming a positive difference is some form of misplaced national conceit. The logic might purport that all nations, all virtues, all systems and all points-of-view are equally exceptional and equally flawed thus unable to be distinguished.

But doesn’t this somehow seem intellectually lazy? While we might be persuaded that the U.S. has not always acted exceptionally – nor has Tiger Wood won every tournament – it is a harder sell to convince us that we cannot keep score. And, I’d argue that we should.

Commentary

By Kevin Kane The side of S.R. 32 had the look last Monday of a road graced by a low-scale tornado or carful of bat-wielding, vandalizing teenagers.

Mailboxes were destroyed and trashcans were overturned in a continuous path of destruction from Westfield to Noblesville, but this wasn’t the work of Mother Nature or troublesome teens.

Snow plow drivers did a good job of clearing roads after Dec. 12’s snowstorm, but unfortunately, at least one driver was equally as effective in destroying the property of some Noblesville residents.

I was right behind this plow as I trekked between Westfield and Noblesville, and during that span, I saw the driver beating up on items along the side of the road like a novice playing the old video game “Paperboy.”

I counted at least two or three mailboxes that were knocked completely over, including one I personally saw being upended. Many more trash cans bit the dust. Almost every mailbox this driver passed was forced open, exposing any contents inside to the elements and, of those, many appeared to be damaged to the point where they would no longer close.

To clarify, it was not the truck or its blade causing this damage. It was the snow projected from the vehicle’s path as it cleared the road’s shoulders often just a few feet from the edges of residents’ yards.

It’s nearly 2011. We now have 100-percent-elec-

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4 | December 21, 2010

Kevin Kane is the managing editor of Current in Noblesville. You can reach him via e-mail at Kevin@ currentnoblesville.com.

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$ Terry Anker is an associate editor of Current Publishing, LLC. You may e-mail him at terry@ currentincarmell.com.

tric cars. We make computers that can fit into envelopes, and we could probably return to the moon in our sleep. But we apparently have not yet mastered plowing snow without destroying mailboxes.

A driver dinging one mailbox or trash can here and there is somewhat understandable.

They aren’t exactly navigating Smart Cars down snow-covered roads. But damaging nearly a whole row of mailboxes before turning around and repeating the process on the other side of the road? That seems like it should be avoidable.

Yet the Internet is filled with the tales of people (from Indiana and beyond) who say they replace their mailboxes every winter. Some even have tips on how to protect these pieces of roadside property from post-hating plows.

Step one in fixing the problem: Don’t launch a wave of discarded snow perhaps big enough to topple Shaquille O’Neal, in full force, onto a mailbox.

Were those aforementioned shoulders really in need of clearing? Maybe. But I’m guessing the Noblesville residents affected would have chose to simply deal with the inch or so of snow in front of their driveways in exchange for a working mailbox.

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» Road closure – Carrigan Road between Hague Road and Schulley Road will be closed Dec. 22 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting. This closure will allow for the installation of the main bridge span over the Morse channel.

For more information, visit www.cityofnoblesville.org or call 776-6330.

the bottom rung.

Not so much for our kids. They are so sheltered that they occasionally complain about being “poor” because we don’t fly on airplanes when we take vacations or because our home doesn’t have a swimming pool! Seriously, the other day my oldest called me “cheap” because I refused to buy him a cell phone (“But all my friends have them!”) and I made him share a Gatorade with his brother. The closest they’ve come to witnessing poverty is the homeless man they pass on their way to a Colts game.

I actually was rather upset by the realization that my children might be growing up to be ungrateful twits! And even though both Doo and I constantly remind them how lucky they are to have things like Xbox and piano lessons and parents with jobs, I’m never quite sure if they “get it.”

I can’t really blame them, I suppose. We chose to live in a community where playing soccer and Trek bikes and Spring Break trips are the norm precisely because we wanted a slow-paced, safe, suburban lifestyle. Our kids aren’t mean-spirited, they just don’t know any differently. Most of their friends have nice homes, nice cars and extra money for movies and McDonald’s. They

simply aren’t exposed to poverty very often.

But then my daughter gave me her letter to Santa. It read, “For Christmas I want many things. Most of all I want to be thankful for what I have. Many people don’t have what we have. Some of that is food. I’m so glad I have food … Another thing I’m thankful for is to live in a house and have power to power my house.”

[Pause for dramatic effect.] Yay! At least one of my kids isn’t a snob. (Of course, she goes on to say she’s committed many sins this year, some of which she is not sorry for, but what can you do?

She’s nine with a younger sister.)

True, our children probably won’t know many teenagers who are primary caregivers for siblings and frequently need to borrow our phone to call utility companies, but they can still be giving, thoughtful, grateful human beings. Here’s wishing you a joyous holiday season, and the opportunity to focus on what’s truly important.

Peace out.

Danielle Wilson is a Carmel resident and contributing columnist.

You may e-mail her at danielle@ currentincarmel.com.

We chose to live in a community where playing soccer and Trek bikes and Spring Break trips are the norm precisely because we wanted a slow-paced, safe, suburban lifestyle.

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» Christmas tree recycling – The Fishers Park Department will offer three locations for people to drop off their real Christmas trees to be recycled into mulch, starting Dec. 26. Trees can be dropped off at Brooks School Park, 11780 Brooks School Road, Roy Holland Park, One Park Drive, or Cumberland Park, 10580 Cumberland Road. Be sure that trees are free of ornaments, wire, lights, and tree stands. Call the Fishers Parks Department at 595-3150 with questions.

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» ‘Operation Indy Commute’ launched – The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) last week launches “Operation Indy Commute” to open up recurring commuting bottlenecks at the I-465 and I-65 interchange on the city’s south side, and on I-69 between the 96th Street and 116th Street/ State Road 37 exits. The two one-lane ramps – I-65 northbound to I-465 eastbound and I-465 westbound to I-65 southbound – will be upgraded for $36 million such that they can move two lanes of traffic at higher speeds..

COMMENTARY

By Danielle Wilson Last weekend, we went to Chicago to visit one of Doo’s brothers and his family. They live in Oak Park, one of the oldest suburbs of the city, about two blocks from the Chicago boundary line. It’s a culturally and racially diverse neighborhood, and though Oak Park itself is fairly affluent, there is crime and poverty nearby.

As we sat around the table that evening while the nine cousins played (more like fought: the boys teamed up against the girls over who got to commandeer the attic. Nerf war versus Schoolhouse. Good times, go-od times.), we heard stories of homeless people begging for money, neighbors down on their luck, and drug deals on the corner.

I started thinking about how great it was going to be for their five children (two of whom are adopted from Ethiopia) to grow up in the “real” world. To recognize how fortunate they are to have two parents who love them and provide for them, to understand that not everyone has a warm and dry house to live in and food on the table every night for dinner. Their kids will have friends who come from families at various places on the socioeconomic ladder, including

!

» Santa House hours – The Santa House at the Courthouse Square will be open this weekend: Thursday, 5 to 8 p.m. and 12 to 3 p.m. on Friday. For more information, call 776-6367.

Are my children growing up to be snobs?

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» Street department asks for help – The Noblesville Street Department is asking homeowners who own portable basketball goals to place them in their driveway and not on the street. When snowplows come through a neighborhood, the net of a portable basketball goal easily catches on the snowplow, resulting in damage to both the basketball goal and the snowplow. » Ribbon cutting – Aaron’s Furniture and Electronic Rental was scheduled to hold a ribbon cutting last Friday, Dec. 17, at its new location next to Goodwill and Pet Supplies “Plus” on Noble Creek Drive.

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December 21, 2010 | 5

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Just delicate needles Commentary

By Krista Bocko It’s so delicate, the light.

And there’s so little of it. The dark is huge.

Just delicate needles, the light, in an endless night.

And it has such a long way to go through such desolate space.

So let’s be gentle with it.

Cherish it.

So it will come again in the morning.

We hope.

– By Rolf Jacobsen Translated by Robert Hedin Winter officially begins today, which means we’re celebrating winter solstice around this house. Winter solstice is one of my favorite Earth and seasonal celebrations because of the very reason it exists: It’s so connected to the Earth, the seasons and the sun.

The history of winter solstice celebrations is pretty interesting, dating back thousands of years before people understood the cycles of the Earth. Our far-back ancestors feared that the sun would not return and they would be left in darkness, so they held elaborate ceremonies to coax the sun back. Solstice, which literally translates to, “Sun stops moving,” usually occurs Dec. 21, but sometimes occurs a day on either side.

This is the shortest day of the year, with only a little more than nine hours of daylight for us here, and we celebrate the return of the light as the days gradually stretch out longer now.

If you want to welcome the return of the light too, here are a few ideas for ways to make solstice special: Welcome the rising sun, take a walk outside and enjoy the winter world, eat by candlelight and use as few artificial lights as possible, listen to Wyndham Hill music (I like the Celtic Christmas collection), gather food to donate to a food pantry, string bagels dipped in peanut butter and birdseed on a tree for the birds. We plan to have a bonfire in the backyard and drink hot chocolate, and tonight is even a full moon!

There are a few books on the Winter Solstice at the library that are excellent: “The Shortest Day” by Wendy Pfeffer, “The Longest Night” by Marion Dane Bauer (both kids books), and “The Winter Solstice” by John Matthews, which is an excellent history of worldwide solstice and Christmas traditions.

Happy solstice, and merry Christmas!

Krista Bocko lives in “Old Town” Noblesville with her husband and four children. She can be reached via her blog at www.cachetwrites. com.

Historic homes of Noblesville Location: 1619 Maple Ave. Owners: Mike and Audrey Shepard, sons Max and Liam and schnoodle Crosley, since 2007 Style and history: This colonial-style house was built in 1925. A fascinating fact about this home, owned by William Dietrich, is that it was originally built on the corner of 17th and Clinton streets and was moved in the early 1970s to make room for what is now the middle school. State Sen. Luke Kenley had it moved to its current location. The home was too wide for its new location and had to be placed sideways.

What are your favorite features? “The layout of our house is functional; we like the wood in the entry way and our updated kitchen. We have a lot of space in our backyard and it looks great with Christmas lights!”

What work have you done on your house?

“We recently remodeled our third-floor attic

into an office space.”

What do you like about this area/neighborhood? “We love being outside, and we love being able to walk! We can walk both of our boys to school, and we can bike to Forest Park.”

Carol Ann Schweikert contributed the home research. See www. noblesvillepreservation.com for more information or visit Noblesville Preservation Alliance on Facebook.

The Monon Community Center 2011 Escape Pass is Here!

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• Unlimited Track and Trail Access • Unlimited KidZone (childcare) • Unlimited Group Fitness Classes (Household Pass Only)

• Unlimited Escape to Family Fitness Fun! For LESS than a latte a day, a FAMILY OF FOUR can escape to the Monon Community Center for an ENTIRE YEAR with an Escape Pass!

Go to carmelclayparks.com, call 317.848.7275, or come in for a free tour today!

6 | December 21, 2010

Current in Noblesville

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My favorite of all Christmas traditions Commentary

By Brenda Alexander Christmas is a time of traditions, and one of my favorites is going to the mailbox. Not to diminish such uber-traditions as decorating the Christmas tree, attending concerts and pageants and lighting each candle on the advent wreath as the weeks march toward the big day. And certainly not to replace secular traditions like trekking out to Reynolds’ for the light display or joining in the muffled cheer of holiday shoppers.

But Christmas is the only time of the year that I actually enjoy trudging to the mailbox.

There’s a sense of anticipation each time I approach it. It becomes a ritual I even dress differently for. Instead of dashing out of the house in whatever I happen to be wearing hoping my socks won’t stick to the ice on the driveway, I don hat and coat and scarf and slip on my ankle-high boots. I absorb the crunchy cotton ball feel of the snow as I approach the metal shoebox that Christmas transforms into a treasure chest.

What will be inside?

Bills and junk mail still dominate. But nearly

every day a creamy red or green envelope also waits inside with news of people I love beautifully framed with images of the season.

Once back in my house, I fling aside the routine mail and plunk down in the first available chair to read about my friends and their kids.

The news is not routine either. No recounting of the struggles and mundane issues we discuss over lunch or on the phone. In Christmas letters, every child is above average. It’s a verbal snapshot of the very best of each family. Like a snapshot, no one frowns for the camera.

Christmas letters and cards capture the nonfrown-worthy moments – the very best times of our lives.

In the age of social networking sites and email, this is nearly the only time I get personal mail, and I cherish it. Merry Christmas!

Brenda Alexander is a freelance writer and resident of Noblesville. You can contact her at AlexanderInk@ comcast.net.

Christmas letters and cards capture the non-frownworthy moments – the very best times of our lives.

Ditslear, White running for mayor

By Kevin Kane Current in Noblesville Parts of this article first appeared on currentnoblesville.com Dec. 13.

Unlike in 2007, Mayor John Ditslear will have an opponent in next May’s Republican mayoral primary.

Ditslear, in his seventh year as mayor of Noblesville, officially announced earlier this month that he will seek re-election and a third four-year term.

Ditslear About a week later, Marshall White, a retired Noblesville firefighter, announced before a gathering of friends and family that he will challenge Ditslear in the primary.

White retired from the Noblesville Fired Department Dec. 10 after more than 27 years of service with the department, and he said he is not running simply to challenge Ditslear.

He said running for mayor was something he considered doing more than seven years ago, but now the timing is right, he said, for him to pursue a new avenue of community service.

“After 27 and a half years, it’s just something I wanted to try, and after two terms, it’s nothing personal,” White said. “I just think I offer

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people a choice and a different perspective. I’m interested in the job and know I can do a good job.”

White said he is waiting until after the first of the year to discuss his platform but said he will primarily focus on the topics of fiscal conservatism, public safety and economic development.

Ditslear first became mayor after winning the general election in 2003 as an independent, receiving 49 percent of White the votes. He ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections in 2007. In his announcement, Ditslear said he is seeking re-election to continue building upon the city’s recent achievements.

“Noblesville has succeeded in a time when many other communities are struggling,” he said in a statement. “Obviously, the economic situation will continue to cause issues in terms of our city’s budget. Nonetheless, I believe that with hard work, careful planning, and a willingness to listen and work with each of the groups and individuals in our city, we can continue to build upon our successes.”

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December 21, 2010 | 7

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Private school offers to buy Forest Hill

By Kevin Kane Current in Noblesville Parts of this article first appeared on currentnoblesville.com Dec. 14.

Legacy Christian School is hoping Forest Hill Elementary School will be its permanent home.

The private Noblesville-based school currently leases space at Noblesville Nazarene Church but has offered Noblesville Schools $330,000 to purchase Forest Hill, which will close after the conclusion of this school year.

Legacy Christian’s School Board Treasurer Chuck Williamson said in a release last Tuesday that while Forest Hill is considered outdated by the school district’s standards, it would be an ideal fit for the smaller school.

“The building and grounds at Forest Hill would be a God-given provision for Legacy and we are also pleased to be of some help to the city schools during these difficult economic times,” Williamson said.

LCS Communications Director Karen Hawkins said a purchase agreement has been presented to the Noblesville school board, but School Board President Chris Hamm said that,

while the board is in discussions with multiple parties, this proposal was unsolicited.

“We have spoken with several parties who have expressed interest in Forest Hill, and the school board will ultimately choose the course that is best for Noblesville Schools, the community as a whole, and specifically the neighbors near the facility,” Hamm said.

Hamm added that LCS is not the only entity that has offered to compensate the school district for the building. It has been reported that Noblesville Schools has been asked to gift the building to the city, but Hamm said no such request has been made. Additionally, he said it is unlikely that the school board would consider gifting the building to any entity.

An announcement could come today regarding the future of Forest Hill, Hamm said.

As for LCS, it is currently in what it calls its “Merry Match” fundraising campaign. A donor has offered to give the school $50,000 if it can first raise $20,000 on its own. However, Hawkins said there is “no correlation” between this potential donation and the school’s offer to purchase Forest Hill.

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executive officer and president of Stonegate.

“We attribute the growth to our relentless focus on responsible lending, and our decision not to participate in sub-prime lending.”

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered Stonegate up to $3.7 million in performance-based tax credits and $50,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans.

“Stonegate Mortgage’s decision to grow its operations here not only means hundreds of jobs, but it’s also a vote of confidence in our state’s competitive business environment,” said Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, who joined corporate and town representatives at the announcement.

Jaros to seek re-election Current in Noblesville This article first appeared on currentnoblesville.com Dec. 16.

Clerk-Treasurer Janet Jaros announced last Thursday that she will seek re-election in 2011.

Jaros Jaros, a lifelong Noblesville resident, began working for the clerk-treasurer’s office in 1989 under Marilyn Conner. When Conner retired, Jaros ran for the office in 1995 and is currently serving her fourth term.

“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Noblesville as clerk-treasurer since 1996,” Jaros

8 | December 21, 2010

said in a statement. “During these challenging economic times when cities are seeing large reductions in revenue and budgets, it is imperative to elect someone with the necessary experience and knowledge to serve as clerk-treasurer.”

Jaros has received multiple awards during her tenure as clerk-treasurer, including receiving the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association every year since 1999. She also currently serves as a co-chair of the Education Committee for the Indiana League of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers.

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Fishers company plans to add 300 jobs

By Jordan Fischer Current in Noblesville Stonegate Mortgage Corporation announced plans last week to expand the company’s Fishers headquarters, creating up to 300 Cutillo new jobs by 2015.

The independently owned mortgage lender was founded in 2005, and currently employs 150. The headquarters expansion represents a $3 million investment to relocate the existing Fishers headquarters to a new location at 9998 Crosspoint Blvd.

“Stonegate Mortgage has experienced tremendous growth since 2008,” said Jim Cutillo, chief

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A soldier’s Christmas Four Noblesville vets from different wars describe what Christmas was like away from home

By Brenda Alexander Current in Noblesville The holiday classic “White Christmas” opens with Bing Crosby crooning the theme song to soldiers in Europe during World War II. It’s Christmas Eve, 1944, and behind the makeshift stage, artillery shells explode intermittently. Soldiers listen enrapt as Crosby evokes images of their homes and families.

As the military brass arrives, outgoing Major General Waverly observes, “There’s no Christmas in the army.”

For many soldiers, Christmas is a time to stay so busy they are too tired to dream of any kind of Christmas. And snow is nothing but treacherous.

Irving Heath Christmas Eve, 1944, for Irving Heath, resident of Noblesville since 1947, was a momentary calm before his part in the Battle of the Bulge began. The 4th Armored Division of Patton’s 3rd Army was poised to free the 101st Airborne which was surrounded by the German army in Bastogne, Belgium.

“It was snowing, bitter cold,” Heath said. But on Christmas Eve, General Patton fulfilled a promise. “We were moving through Alsace-Lorraine and we stopped to have turkey. Trucks brought turkey to the combat units.”

A young officer, Heath was a platoon leader in the 35th Tank Battalion with five tanks and 25 men under him.

Christmas Day was overcast, reflecting the grim mood of the gathering army.

“We were the first to break into Bastogne,” he said. On Dec. 27, while waiting for the infantry to catch up to his tank unit, Heath took shrapnel in his leg. But not before witnessing an unforgettable event.

“On Dec. 26, the day after we broke through to Bastogne, the clouds all blew away, the sun was so dazzling it was almost blinding, reflecting off the snow.”

That brilliance backlit the C47 cargo planes as they rained parachuted supplies into Bastogne. The chutes were color coded: red for ammunition, blue for food, orange for other supplies. “Hundreds of these parachutes dropped to the ground. The sky was filled with color. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen,” Heath said.

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Mark Miller Mark Miller, who enlisted with the Airforce in 1970, is also partial to Christmas trees. Enlisting on a whim, Miller wound up making a 25-year career in public affairs.

Living in places as far flung as Greenland, Turkey, Spain, and Saudi Arabia, Miller’s combat experience came during Desert Storm in 1991.

Like Wilson, Miller is especially attached to the tradition of having a tree.

“My first Christmas, I bought a tree. It was a scrawny thing in retrospect,” he said. “But when a volunteer at the

Kenneth Harris But this war to end all wars was not the end. And a mere nine years later, Kenneth Harris found himself in Korea, a mechanic with the Marine Corps.

In his childhood, Harris recounted, “On Christmas, we’d go to my grandmother’s house and play euchre all day.”

But in Korea, the hand he’d been dealt allowed no time for anything other than work and sleep.

“It was very cold in Korea,” Harris said.

After working an18-hour shift, only allowed heat for one hour in the evenings and 30 minutes in the morn-

radio station I worked at told me they were all sold out, I gave him mine. I got a potted bush from the annex and put these tiny ornaments on it and kept it in my room for Christmas. It was a Christmas bush.”

Just like in “White Christmas,” the experience of serving our country has left each of these men with a deeper appreciation for their own families and their nation. And their service has left Americans with a deeper appreciation of them.

ings, not even his cot provided comfort. But Christmas 1954 found him singing Christmas carols with his outfit. He can still recite the poem he shared that night. It began: Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the tent, Was the odor of fuel oil, because the stove pipe was bent.

Boots were all hung by the stove with care, In hope they would issue each man a new pair.

Ron Wilson

Ron Wilson, a veteran of Vietnam, and current president of Hamilton County Veterans, said Harris was not alone in working long hours to avoid homesickness. Wilson enlisted in the Navy as an engineman in 1965, transporting soldiers to and from Vietnam until discharged in 1971.

“My first Christmas away from home, I was at sea,” Wilson said. “I didn’t want anything to do with celebration. I spent 18 hours on watch. I was lucky because I got to come home every February.”

The first time on leave, Wilson’s grandmother surprised him. “I didn’t even go home first. I walked the block to her house, and when I walked in the door she had kept the tree up for me,” recalled Wilson, clearly moved.

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Show your appreciation Ron Wilson said simply sending Christmas cards to America’s troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is a simple way to show appreciation for their sacrifices. If you have questions on what you can do, call Wilson at 379-1101.

December 21, 2010 | 9

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DISPATCHES » Local schools donate more than 61,000 items - A challenge among five intermediate schools in the Noblesville, Westfield, and HSE school districts resulted in the collection of 61,433 food items. The food was donated to eight county organizations: Good Samaritian of HC, Fishers United Methodist Church, Open Doors in Westfield, Noblesville Fire Department, Noblesville Township Trustee, St. Vincent DePaul, Third Phase, and the White River food pantry. » OLG open house - Our Lady of Grace Catholic School, Noblesville, will host an open house on Tuesday, Jan. 11 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. OLG educates students from preschool through eighth grade. Christians of all faith backgrounds are welcome. For more information, call 770-5660. » Students help local families - Football players, Girl Scouts, and students from Noblesville Intermediate School and their parents met at the Noblesville Fire Station #71 on South Ninth Street Wednesday evening to box food collected by the schools and community. One-hundred-twenty-nine families in Noblesville will receive two boxes

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of non-perishable food items plus other groceries and toys through the fire department's annual food and toy drive. » Class size matters? – According to Leonie Haimson, executive director of the nonprofit organization Class Size Matters, writes that studies from Tennessee, Wisconsin, and states throughout the country have demonstrated that students who are assigned to smaller classes in grades K-3rd do better in every way that can be measured: they score higher on tests, receive better grades, and exhibit improved attendance. She added that studies also indicate that they earn more in adulthood.

-www.educationnews.org » HEPL collecting phones – Hamilton East Public Library is partnering with Prevail to collect unused or retired cell phones to assist victims of domestic violence. Donated cell phones will be refurbished and reprogrammed for emergency calls, or sold to help raise funding for agencies that fight domestic violence. All cell phones must be deactivated prior to donation. Donations will be accepted through March at both the Fishers Library and the Noblesville Library. For more information, call 773-1384.

Some tests are worse than others Commentary

By Jenna Larson Saturday morning.

I’m a teenager. I would typically wake up late, shower, and then just hang out for the rest of the day. Relatively stress-free. A detox from all the academic thinking required during the school week.

But last Saturday was different. I had to drag myself out of bed at a rather ungodly hour, make myself presentable, and force myself to stay awake long enough to drive to Hamilton Heights for the ACT. Boy, was that an experience.

I got there early, which I think is some sort of genetic affliction I inherited from my mother.

Constant early disease.

I sat in my little car with the heat all the way up. There were a handful of other vehicles already in the parking lot, and people were just sitting in them. I panicked and looked at my admission ticket, just to make sure I was at the right location. Then I checked the time.

Eventually, two students, calculators in hand, walked up to the building and opened the door.

I let out a sigh of relief and followed them, still a little unsure.

We were met with a frustrated proctor, who told us doors didn’t open for a few more minutes.

Uh … is this a concert or something? I didn’t know there were such strict rules.

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At 7:45, we were allowed in, as promised.

I had to have an adult check my driver’s license, look at my ticket, and direct me to a testing room. Then, I was directed to a chair in the back corner, and I took my seat, spread out my freshly sharpened number 2s, and took the cover off my pink calculator.

A series of tests ensued. A few reading, then math, then science, then a lengthy writing prompt. It took hours, and, by the end, my brain was done.

I started taking longer to complete certain sections, and I had to speed up for fear of not finishing.

Looking back, I probably made a lot of mistakes I could’ve avoided if I had budgeted my allotted time a little better. But there’s nothing I can do about it now.

It’s all a little nervewracking, the prospect of a single morning of testing being shown to possible colleges as a sample of aptitude.

But I know at least I’ll have a chance to redeem myself if things go south. I’m taking the SATs in January.

Here we go again.

Jenna Larson is a junior at Noblesville High School and is opinions editor for The Mill Stream.

December 21, 2010 | 11

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Conner details factors What excuses really mean for school closings

By Darla Kinney Scoles Current in Noblesville The weather outside is frightful and what’s really not delightful (for parents, that is) is trying to figure out if school will be delayed or possibly even canceled.

Conner In Noblesville Schools, as in most others, the final decision sits squarely on the shoulders of the Superintendent, Libbie Conner, though many voices are heard before that ultimate decision is made.

“Our director of operations, transportation department, grounds personnel and staff out scouting early morning road conditions are all a part of the process,” Conner said. “Based on their input, local weather sources, and information from other Hamilton County superintendents, a decision is made. So a lot of people are involved. Our objective is to make sure our decision is in the best interest and safety of our students.”

So, what are the key factors in that final decision? According to Conner, current weather, predicted weather, road conditions and temperatures determine whether students will board

busses or stay home and play in the snow.

Utilizing local weather forecasts and radar, a delay is called if roads, parking lots and temperatures will improve in that two-hour time frame.

Having students traveling in daylight hours makes a difference in many instances, Conner said, who noted that high school student drivers need a safe parking lot, too.

If inclement weather is predicted to linger or worsen, then school is canceled and even the following morning start time is considered with caution.

With only two snow days built into the school calendar, the decision to cancel school is not made lightly, which is why there is often a notice of delay the night before, followed by further morning evaluation before broadcasting the closing of school for the day.

“Weather changes overnight” noted Conner, “but my goal is to announce a delay by 9 p.m. when bad weather is predicted and to make a final closure decision by 5:30 a.m. so that information can then be disseminated.”

To get the word out, the district alerts the media, posts on its Web site and Facebook page and sends e-mail alerts. Conner said families can know about the delay or cancellation as soon as five minutes after the decision is made.

PARENTING

By Becky Kapsalis Internationally renowned author and inspirational speaker, Wayne Dyer has authored a book titled “Excuses Begone.” I use it as a reference for the many times I find myself making excuses for myself, my children and, yes, even my grandkids.

Dyer makes perfect sense. For example, he writes “When you resort to using an excuse, the ultimate payoff is that you remove responsibility for your own shortcomings and place responsibility for them on the shoulders of someone else.” In other words, we blame others for our shortcomings.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase “when you point your finger to blame someone else... three are pointing back to you.” I interpret that to mean, when I blame you, I'm making three more excuses for myself. Put another way, any excuse means something did not get accomplished that we were responsible for.

Which of these excuses sound familiar?

He hit me is an attempt to dodge the fact he shouldn't hit at all.

She made me do it passes the blame on someone else to justify doing something you

weren't supposed to do in the first place.

I'm too tired is the age-old excuse for getting someone else to do the chore.

The quickest excuse, without accountability, is “I can't.” It is also the lamest excuse.

In most instances of making excuses we focus on being convincingly right. The necessity to be right feeds the ego which, in turn, fuels the excuse.

We make and hear excuses all the time and if you think back on any excuse, it's almost always a disappointing response. “Were you able to get your homework done?” “No, I forgot my books at school.”

When we allow our kids to make excuses, we're teaching them how to be helpless. There are plenty of opportunities for our kids to stand up to their responsibilities without making excuses. When they say “I can't” our response should be “What can you do?”

You can contact Becky Kapsalis at becky@indyparenthelp.com or 317-508-1667 for Parenting Classes.

When we allow our kids to make excuses, we're teaching them how to be helpless.

Put your mind at ease

GRAMMAR LESSON

By Brandie Bohney A friend of mine – we taught together way back when – recently told me that when she was studying to teach foreign language, she read a study that said only about 10 percent of people are capable of learning, understanding and retaining grammar completely.

There are middle-school students everywhere scrambling to find this study.

So why do we bother? If only about one in 10 of us can actually keep all of the rules and regulations straight anyhow, what’s the point?

The point is this: The rules exist to make written and spoken language functional and understandable. Much like in math, not everyone needs to know all the complexities all the time. But we do have to know how to locate and use the information when we need it. And both of those things (being able to locate the information and being able to use it when we find it) require a certain understanding of basic principles.

The middle-school students just flopped back into their seats with a collective sigh. They knew

there’d be a catch.

So while week after week I point out common errors and my grammatical pet peeves, what I really want to do is raise some awareness and remind you of some of the rules you may have forgotten. That way, the next time you want to use myself when you should you me or I, you may remember that you read something about a rule about using reflexive pronouns (though you may not remember what they’re called), and you may look it up online. There, you’ll find that you were about to use it incorrectly, and you’ll correct your mistake before you make it.

It’s not about remembering all the rules all the time – even I can’t do that, and I love this stuff. It’s about remembering that the rules exist and knowing how to find them when we need them.

Brandie Bohney is a grammar enthusiast and former English teacher. If you have a grammarrelated question, please email her at bbthegrammarguru@gmail.com.

What I really want to do is raise some awareness and remind you of some of the rules you may have forgotten.

12 | December 21, 2010

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DISPATCHES » Civic to hold auditions – The Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre will hold auditions for its upcoming production of “Cabaret” and “Miss Saigon” Jan. 3 and 4, 7 to 10 p.m., at Marian University, 3200 Cold Springs Road, Indianapolis. Anyone can show up and audition for various roles. Visit www.civictheatre.org or call 924-6770 for more information.

Capt. Critic’s DVD pick » Free gift wrapping – Ameriana Bank in Westfield, 3333 East S.R. 32, will offer free gift wrapping Dec. 21 and 22 at the bank from 2 to 5 p.m. The event also will feature an appearance by the Westfield High School band and choir.

» Take center stage – The Center for the Performing Arts is now accepting online registrations for “Take Center Stage at the Palladium.” This day-long extravaganza is intended to fill the concert hall with back-toback musical performances. Registration is open to all ages and skill levels. Register online at www.TheCenterForThePerformingArts.org.

Auditions will be Dec. 28 or 29. Then, selected performers will be notified on January 7.

» More people ditching cable, satellite Research firm SNL Kagan discovered that in both the second and third quarters of 2010, the total number of subscribers in the U.S. multichannel TV industry declined. Between the first and third quarter, 335,000 fewer homes (out of 100 million) subscribed to a cable, satellite, or telecom company. While this figure represents less than 1 percent of the TV subscribing audience, it is extremely noteworthy. The biggest contributor to the overall decline was the 741,000 basic video customers who dropped their service in the third quarter alone (the single greatest drop since 1980).

-www.money.bundle.com

» Help out, avoid delays – According to flight attendants, the hardest part of a flight is boarding, because properly stowing baggage can be tricky. “If passengers worked together and stopped only thinking about themselves it would make our job a lot easier, as well as help the flight get out on time," said a former Delta Air Lines flight attendant.

-www.glo.msn.com

» Unexpected movie sequels – Miramax and the Weinstein Company will partner to create sequels to “Bad Santa,” “Rounders,” and “Shakespeare in Love.” Other potential projects include sequels to “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” “Cop Land,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Clerks,” “Shall We Dance,” and “The Amityville Horror.” A few of those films already have sequels.

-www.ew.com

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Steve Carell stars as Gru in 'Despicable Me.'

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By Chris Lloyd I hope things work out for Emma Stone.

“Easy A” was a smart, literate take on the sexual politics of the high school crucible. No surprise there, since it’s based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.”

But it turns out this all-too-rare kind of movie doesn’t bode well for its star. Winona Ryder was a revelation in “Heathers,” but after a few years on top, her career fizzled after that whole shoplifting ordeal. Lindsay Lohan looked like Ryder’s heir after the clever “Mean Girls” a few years ago, and I think we all know what a cascading train wreck she’s become.

Here’s hoping Stone, who made quite an impression as a smart girl who pretends to be a floozy, keeps it real.

Olive is a nobody at her school, not so much

disliked as anonymous. A virgin, she spreads the rumor that she slept with a college guy to stop her friends from pressuring her into sex. Turns out it gives her a leg up the social hierarchy. After repeating the trick for a gay friend to stop the harassment he’s been getting, Olive soon finds herself the most famous – make that infamous –gal in town.

The movie’s so intelligent, in fact, that some of the references will sail over the head of some audience members. There’s a novelty: A film about high schoolers that challenges those who watch it, instead of indulging them.

Movie: B Read more of Chris Lloyd’s review of current films and DVD’s at www. captaincritic.blogspot.com or www.

TheFilmYap.com.

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Dark chocolate peppermint brownies COOKING

By Molly Herner

I absolutely love the combination of peppermint and dark chocolate. Using a good friend’s homemade brownie recipe, I add crushed candy canes for holiday flare. These are an easy bake and so deliciously sinful, you

just may not have any left by the time your party rolls around.

Where I Dine

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Molly Herner, is the baker/pastry chef at Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano.

You may email her at odette05@ aol.com.

RECIPE Ingredients • 1 cup white sugar • 1 cup brown sugar • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 cup flour • 1 1/4 cup unsweetened good cocoa powder • 4 eggs • 1 tsp vanilla • 8 oz melted butter • 4 or 5 candy canes Directions 1. First, melt the butter in your microwave.

When the butter is melted add the cocoa powder and stir in until smooth and combined. Next, stir in the vanilla, brown and white sugar and set mixture aside.

2. Crack your whole eggs into a mixing bowl and whip until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and salt together and fold into egg mixture slowly and in two parts. Next, fold

in the cooled chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. Your brownie batter should be smooth and fudgey.

3. Now, pour the brownie batter into a prepared, buttered pan of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the brownies are shiny on top and have risen a bit.

4. While the brownies bake place the candy canes in a large bag and seal it squeezing out all of the air. Bang the candy with a rolling pin, meat mallet or even a hammer until the canes are crushed into tiny pieces. I like good-sized chunks for my brownies. When the brownies are finished baking sprinkle the candy cane shards over the top of the hot brownies and let cool.

The candy cane will sink into the warm brownies nestling into chocolate and peppermint delight. Enjoy, and happy baking!

Server at Michaelangelo’s Italian Bistro Where do you like to eat?

Super China Buffet What would you recommend? “Any chicken item, sweet and sour pork…They always have seafood I can enjoy, too.”

What do you like about Super China Buffet? “I like the variety, the price, and I just love Chinese food.”

Super China Buffet 17673 Cumberland Road Noblesville, 46060 776-1335

Dress: Casual

Type of food: Italian

Address: 550 Westfield Road

Price: Entrees are around $10

Noblesville, 46060

Specialty menu items: Fresh-baked bread sticks, lunch specials such as Lemon Caper Salmon; kids eat free on Wednesday nights

Phone: 773-6066

Reservation: Accepted Smoking: Not permitted Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Web: www.michaelangelosbistro.com

What do you want under your tree ??

Come home for

Christmas...

W

The scoop: Michaelangelo’s is a local Italian restaurant, perfect for family dining.

They have made-from-scratch dishes like pizzas, sandwiches, and a variety of entrees such as Fettucine Tuscany or Pork Tenderloin Parmesan.

e invite you to join us during the month of December for a special holiday series. What better time to think about coming home than during the holidays?

regular service times} Sat. Sun.

5 p.m.

9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Merry Christmas!

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christmas eve services Dec. 23 Dec. 24

6 p.m. & 8 p.m.

3 p.m., 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.

3 MONTHS ONLY

$135

BasicMembership Includes Cardio and Strength Equipment

12900 Hazel Dell Parkway | Carmel, IN 46033 317.846.2884 | www.northviewchurch.us Northview_Church_CarmelCurrent_Ad_December2010.indd 1

14 | December 21, 2010

11/10/10 2:26 PM

Junior FREE etball Racqu m Progra see club for details

Current in Noblesville

Expires 12/31/10

NOBLESVILLE ATHLETIC CLUB 776-0222 • 411 South Harbour Dr. www.nacfitness.com Conveniently located in South Harbour...just across from the Fire Station

Serving Hamilton County since 1982 ...where friends meet for fitness!

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No time like the present TRAVEL

By Tracy Line I got hit by a car this weekend. Standing at an intersection, in the rain, coat held over my head, the “walk” signal came on, and I proceeded to cross the street. Then, boom, a car turned right on red and right into me, knocking me down face first. All I could think was, “I haven’t been to Italy yet!” I’m kidding.

Italy didn’t hit my radar, but the incident made me pause. Life can change in an instant; one minute I’m great, and the next I’m staring at tires that came inches from running over me, tires that could have changed my life forever. In that moment, my priorities became very clear.

Important: faith, family and friends.

Not important: money, things, being right or finishing my to-do list.

Why am I so focused on things that aren’t important?

I’m pretty much a glass-half-full kind of gal, yet I take one thing for granted: time. As a working mom of three children, two dogs and

two hermit crabs, life at our house is busy. I put off what’s important to me. Lazy afternoons spent with family give way to errands and grocery shopping. The harmonica lessons I’ve always wanted to take have been shelved. My dream trip to Italy? Maybe after we’ve paid for college and those three weddings. Later, I tell myself. But what if later never comes?

We only get one life. One chance to be with the people we love, to do what we’ve always wanted, to see the sights we’ve longed to see.

And time is finite.

So as you get ready to spend the holidays with family and friends, don’t take anything for granted. Be grateful, live in the present, and if Italy is on your dream list, don’t delay. There’s no time like the present.

Tracy Line is a travel agent for Family Vacations in Noblesville, and also a travel writer. Contact her at 317-770-2211, ext 312, or Tracy@familyvacations.com.

We only get one life. One chance to be with the people we love, to do what we’ve always wanted, to see the sights we’ve longed to see.

www.youarecurrent.com

Current in Noblesville

•Caviar•Wine •Pate •Gift Boxes •Baskets Large wine selection for all your holiday entertaining and gift giving

December 21, 2010 | 15

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Christmas cookies four way Ingredients • 2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter • 1 2/3 cups sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 2 large eggs • 3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour • 1 1/2 cups Royal Icing • White sanding sugar, optional Preparation 1. For Sugar Cookies: Cream butter and 1 2/3 cups sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla, baking powder and salt and beat at medium speed until mixed. Add eggs; beat until blended. Add flour and mix at low speed until combined, scraping down bowl once or twice. For Spice Cookies: Beat 2 Tbsp. sugar, ginger, cinnamon and allspice into full batch of Sugar Cookie dough. For Lemon Cookies: Beat lemon zest into full batch of Sugar Cookie dough. For Chocolate Cookies: Follow Step 1, but add cocoa powder after beating in eggs and then add only 2 2/3 cups flour.

2. Divide dough in half. Using hands, shape dough into discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

3. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of

Cocktail

berry little Ingredients: • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 cup fresh cranberries • 1 ounce Charbay ruby red grapefruit vodka • 2 ounces Champagne • 1 ounce cranberry juice • 1 ounce black currant juice

16 | December 21, 2010

oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment.

4. Remove 1 disc of dough from refrigerator. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut cookies into stars, snowflakes or any other shapes.

Transfer cookies, with a metal spatula, to baking sheets and chill for 10 minutes. Bake cookies 12 to 15 minutes, depending upon thickness and size, rotating pans halfway through, until golden and firm to touch.

Cool for 5 minutes, transfer with a metal spatula to racks and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. To decorate cookies with solid icing, put some Royal Icing in a pastry bag with a small plain, round tip. (Or put icing in a sturdy plastic bag and snip a tiny hole in one corner.) Pipe around edge of each cookie and let dry. Stir 1 Tbsp. water into another portion of Royal Icing to soften; put thinned icing in a clean pastry bag or new plastic bag. Pipe icing onto each cookie, flooding inside of border. Let dry.

Re-pipe border. Sprinkle cookie with sanding sugar, shake off excess and let dry.

6. To decorate cookies with stripes and dots, use thicker icing and pipe designs as shown in photos. (Cookies may be stored, tightly covered, in a tin for up to 2 weeks.)

-www.myrecipes.com Directions: In a medium saucepan over mediumhigh heat, dissolve sugar into 1 1/2 cups water. Add cranberries and simmer for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Remove from heat and let cool. Strain, discard liquid, and place cranberries on a tray in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Chill vodka, Champagne, and juices, then mix in a champagne glass. Garnish with skewer of 4 or 5 frozen candied cranberries. Reserve the rest for another drink.

-www.marthastewart.com

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A Christmas Carol

St.Vincent Health presents “A Christmas Carol” on the OneAmerica stage at the Indiana Repertory Theatre through Dec. 26. All performances are on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until the week of Christmas, which features Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday shows as well. Tickets are $50 or $55 each, depending on seating. For show times, tickets or more information, visit www.irtlive.com.

A Beef & Boards Christmas

Tradition takes a twist this holiday season with “A Beef & Boards Christmas 2010,” on stage now through Dec. 23. Inspired by the Golden Age of television, this annual production offers an entertaining cavalcade of comedy, dance and music with performances by many Beef & Boards favorites. There are 36 performances of “A Beef & Boards Christmas 2010” scheduled in the intimate space of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Tickets range from $35 to $58, and include Chef Odell Ward’s holiday buffet. For reservations, call 872-9664 or visit www.beefandboards.com.

‘Joseph’ at Civic

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical adaptation of the well-known Biblical tale, returns for the holidays. The trials and triumphs of Jacob's favorite son is told entirely in song at Civic Theatre, 3200 Cold Springs Road, Indianapolis. Tickets are $34 and the production runs through Jan. 1. For tickets and show times, visit www.civictheatre.org.

Norway

Ten years have passed since Brent and Andy shared their deepest secrets. Beethoven scholar Brent drifts from city to city performing and lecturing until he discovers Andy is following him. The production runs at the Phoenix Theatre from Jan. 6 through Jan. 30. Tickets range from $15 to $25 depending on performance dates. For more information, visit www.phoenixtheatre.org.

LIVE MUSIC Mickey's Irish Pub

The following performances and events will take place this week at Mickey's Irish Pub, 13644 N. Meridian Street. For more information call 573-9746.

Friday, Dec. 31 – Soul Street Saturday, Jan. 1 – Ribs & Bone

Mo’s Irish Pub

The following musical acts will be performing live at Mo’s Irish Pub, 13193 Levinson Lane in the Hamilton Town Center, Noblesville. For more information, call 770-9020.

Friday, Dec. 31 – Something Rather Naughty Saturday, Jan. 1 – Jai Baker

Moon Dog Tavern

The following musical acts will be performing live at Moon Dog Tavern, 825 E 96th St., Indianapolis, 46240. Call 575-6364 for more information.

Wednesday – Lemon Wheel, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Slippery Noodle Inn

The following musical acts will be performing live at the Slippery Noodle Inn, 372 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis. For more information, visit www.slipperynoodle.com.

Wednesday – Blues Jam Thursday – Soul Bus Friday – Movie night at The Noodle

SYMPHONY

It’s estimated that there are up to

1.6 MILLION HOMELESS YOUTH IN AMERICA;

29,000 are

in INDIANA

New Year’s Eve in Vienna

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will be joined by former Associate Conductor Sean Newhouse, soprano Jennifer Zetlan and Dance Kaleidoscope to ring in the New Year with an exciting program featuring many familiar and popular Viennese Strauss family waltzes, polkas and arias in one concert Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. at the Hilbert Circle Theatre. Tickets range from $35 to $60. Champagne Box Seats are $150 per couple. Call 639-4300 or visit www.

IndianapolisSymphony.org for details or tickets.

As you make your year-end donations, please consider a $10 contribution to Outreach, Inc.

Text TEENS to 85944* (be sure to respond YES to confirm)

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Current in Noblesville

“Homeless Youth in Indiana.” The Indiana Youth Institute. Issue Brief: Dec. 2009.

THEATRE

SINCE 1996, Outreach, Inc. has served 4,056 homeless youth (ages 14-24) in Indianapolis. We provide hope to youth in often overwhelming situations, teaching them the life skills they need to exit street life and become productive adults, citizens, employees and neighbors in our community.

*A one-time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill.

Messaging and data rates may apply. Donations are collected for OUTREACH, INC. by mobilecause.com. Reply STOP to 85944 to stop. Reply HELP to 85944 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.

December 21, 2010 | 17

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DISPATCHES

» Clarian unveils IU Health logo – Earlier this year, Clarian Health announced the decision to clearly define its mission and statewide focus by uniting its hospitals and allied services under one identity – Indiana University Health. Last week, the nationally recognized system of health care providers released its new logo. » Smoking could affect brain’s layers – Smoking may thin the outer layer of the brain — the cerebral cortex — according to a new study. The researchers scanned the brains of 22 smokers and 21 nonsmokers using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In the smokers, an area of the cortex known as the left medial orbitofrontal cortex was thinner. And the more a person smoked, the thinner this brain area was.

Changes to the orbitofrontal cortex have previously been linked to drug additions and compulsive behavior.

-www.myhealthnewsdaily.com » Pill could prevent PTSD? – Paramedics may one day carry a stash of pills designed to protect patients from post-traumatic stress disorder — at least that’s what researchers from Northwestern University are hoping. Scientists there have found a medication that can prevent an exaggerated fear response in mice very similar to PTSD in people, according to a study just published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.

-www.msnbc.com » Healthy alternative – Craving apple pie? Try a cinnamon apple delight instead for a healthy alternative. Core a cooking apple (about 6 ounces), and peel one third of the way. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. Cook in the microwave, covered, on medium-high (70 percent power) for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender.

Savings: 180 calories and 13 grams of fat.

-www.goodhousekeeping.com » Bad food sickens 48 million annually – Foodborne illnesses kill 3,000 Americans every year and make 48 million sick, and most are never identified, U.S. health officials reported last week. Norovirus is the most common disease-causing germ, accounting for 5.5 million infections a year, or 58 percent of diagnosed illnesses.

-www.msnbc.com

18 | December 21, 2010

Heavy metal toxicity: Brain destroyer COMMENTARY

By Carol Rossetti A few weeks ago, I saw a 7-year-boy who had been through the mill with medications for serious mental disturbances and ADHD. Mom felt there was something more going on. We decided to do a hair analysis to look for heavy metals.

Hair analysis has been used by forensic scientists for years to determine heavy metals, drugs and poisons. Hair analysis tells us what has been going on “over time” rather than blood, which measures what is going on at that “moment in time.”

Heavy metals destroy a good brain and with a child, that means their entire life is being compromised if not remedied immediately and thoroughly.

Heavy metals have been reported to be responsible for autism and Alzheimer’s disease. Many researchers and doctors believe heavy metal toxicity is responsible for Parkinson’s disease, MS, various mental conditions, and the list goes on.

So, how do you end up with heavy metal toxicity, and what can you do to avoid it?

Aluminum is in antacids, baking powder, antiperspirants and cooking utensils. Avoid them.

Mercury is in the flu vaccine and silver dental fillings. Avoid them.

Arsenic is found in ground water – if on a well, have your water checked. Also in treated decking.

If you are a builder, wear gloves. Don’t let children go barefoot on older decking. Only reverse osmosis will remove heavy metals. Filters do not.

Lead is from older paint, lead pipes in older homes and many toys from other countries.

Cadmium’s major source is from cigarette smoke.

This child’s lead, cadmium, arsenic, and aluminum levels were off-the-charts high. Lead poisoning leads to mental problems and all the other issues this child has been suffering from, and if not remedied, it can become permanent, leading to diminished intellectual abilities.

Hair analysis is simple, takes a couple of weeks to get results, and is very inexpensive for a huge amount of information. Knowing this will literally save this child’s brain!

Look to the simple and save your brain!

Noblesville resident Carol Rossetti, N.D. is a Naturopathic Doctor with Wellness By Nature. She can be reached at (317) 773-1612 or visit www.wellnessbynature.com.

Boost an underactive thyroid for a higher metabolism COMMENTARY

By Laura Marenco It is estimated that as many as 11 million of us suffer from an underactive thyroid and don’t know it. An underactive thyroid can have effects that range from weight gain to fatigue and depression, and because the thyroid’s connection to metabolism; if it is not functioning well, it can dramatically affect our ability to lose weight.

The thyroid is a small gland shaped like a butterfly located in the neck near the “Adam’s apple” area. It functions by absorbing iodine from foods you eat and combines it with the amino acid tyrosine to produce the hormones T3 and T4. These hormones control your metabolic rate, which determines whether you burn calories from foods you eat or store them as fat.

Stress, bad eating and lifestyle habits and even yo-yo dieting can affect the function of the thyroid. If you feel that an underactive thyroid may be affecting your metabolism and energy levels, the addition of tyrosine and guggulsterones to your diet that can help improve the thyroid’s function.

Tyrosine is a building block amino acid used to synthesize other proteins and is critical to the thyroid. The body produces tyrosine from another amino acid called phenylalanine, and

it can also be found in our food in such sources as dairy products and wheat. But if some reason our levels of tyrosine are low, it reduces the thyroid’s function. Increasing tyrosine levels will improve the thyroid’s ability to produce its critical hormones.

Guggulsterones are a mixture of several compounds isolated from the plant Commiphora Mukul (also called Gum Guggul). The thyroid produces about 80 percent T4 and 20 percent T3, and the T4 hormone is converted to T3 in various target tissues such as skeletal muscle.

Guggulsterones have been shown to increase this conversion, which is very important, as it is the T3 hormone that actually functions at the cellular level.

Both tyrosine and guggulsterones can be a natural way to boost the thyroid for a higher metabolism and energy levels. But always check with your doctor on taking any new supplement, particularly if on other medications.

Current in Noblesville

Laura Marenco is a certified personal trainer and nutritional advisor for PointBlank Nutrition. You may e-mail her at laura@pointblanknutrition. com.

HAMILTON 16 IMAX N o b l e s v i l l e / C a r m e l / We s t fi e l d

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FREQUENT MOVIEGOERS Sign up at www.gqti.com for the Frequent Moviegoer Club

Earn points & see movies for a bargain price.

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH Sunday, May 9 from 11am-2pm

Chinese W

$34.95 per person

Carved Pr

New Year’s Eve 2010 at Grille 39

$31.95 Seniors December 31st, 5 pm to 11 pm $15.95 Children 12 $49.95 includes champagneunder toast & chocolate covered strawberries Entertainment by Blair Clark Tax and gratuity not included.

For Reservations phone (317) 816-0077

Starters Lobster bisque with crème fraiche and caviar Shrimp cocktail with Bombay Sapphire horseradish sauce Wild mushroom and brie risotto cake with pesto cream Short rib pot stickers with root vegetables and horseradish demi-glace Salads Grille 39 chop salad Harvest salad with pears, cranberries, pralines and gorgonzola cheese Classic Caesar salad Entrees Served with Grilled Asparagus or Sautéed Sugar-Snap Peas with Bell Pepper accent, toasted pine nuts and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Parmesan Risotto

Grilled 9 oz. center cut filet mignon with sauce Béarnaise Sautéed 10 oz filet of sea bass with lemon caper Beurre Blanc Sautéed 10oz breast of chicken with sun dried tomato and olive tapenade; thyme jus One and one half pound steamed Alaskan king crab legs; drawn butter Petite filet and crab leg combination Wild mushroom ravioli, julienne vegetables and roasted tomato sauce

11925 N. Meridian St. • Carmel grille39restaurant.com

Dessert Individual flourless chocolate cake, glazed in ganache; crème anglaise Classic Crème Brulee Fresh fruit flan with fresh berry compote Live entertainment highlighted by champagne toast

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Omelet St

Fajita Sta

Salad Sta Raw Bar

Martini M

Texas Styl

Cheese B

Sugar Cur

Hash Bro

Salmon C

Chicken M

Fresh Sea

Cheese D

Antipasto

Dessert M Bananas

KIDS KLU

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DISPATCHES » Down market could help Lowe’s – With the real-estate market still in the dumps, Americans may be stuck spending money to fix up their homes, a trend that bodes well for homeimprovement retailers like Lowe's (LOW).

During the recession, Lowe's tried to limit the damage. It cut back on store openings, opting to invest in existing locations, re-launch its Web site and find ways to schedule workers more efficiently. The company boosted market share in every quarter during the downturn.

-www.moneycentral.msn.com » Merchants brace for phone-wielding shoppers – Until recently, retailers could reasonably assume that if they just lured shoppers to stores with enticing specials, the customers could be coaxed into buying more profitable stuff, too.Now, marketers must contend with shoppers who can use their smartphones inside stores to check whether the specials are really so special, and if the rest of the merchandise is reasonably priced. "The retailer's advantage has been eroded," says Greg Girard of consultancy IDC Retail Insights, which recently found that roughly 45 percents of customers with smartphones had used them to perform due diligence on a store's prices.

-www.wsj.com

» Netflix to increase rates – Starting in January, all Netflix DVD rental plans will see a hike (an average of 15 percent per month, which factors out to somewhere between $1 and $8, depending on how expansive your plan is), and they will offer — for the first time — a "streaming only" plan to appeal to the futureheads who are already moving past plastic discs (that new service will run you $7.99 per month).

-www.money.bundle.com » Medicaid patients supply dealers – Recently, 33 people in Buffalo, NY were charged in a large-scale investigation that has opened a window into an emerging class of suppliers in the illicit drug trade: Medicaid patients. Often at no charge, the patients see a doctor and come away with prescriptions for narcotics which they then sell to a dealer for as much as $1,000. Medicaid is billed for the prescription and office visit.

-www.msnbc.com » Woman claims sun – A Spanish woman used a loophole in an international treaty to claim ownership of the sun, and she wants to start charging fees to anyone who uses the celestial body's rays. A prominent space law expert says there's no legal basis for the woman's claim, but the self-appointed solar landlord remains undaunted.

-www.discovermagazine.com

PPACA for 2014 and beyond COMMENTARY

By Brenda Alexander Because so much of the meaning and intent of the PPACA is still being debated, this series of articles feature Brenda Alexander’s interpretations.

This series has already covered new taxes and fees related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also called Obamacare, into 2014. This final installment wraps up the remainder of 2014 through 2018, when the requirements of PPACA are fulfilled.

Beginning January 1, 2014, excise taxes are implemented on • Pharmaceutical and health insurance companies based on market share.

• Most medical devices (2.3 percent at the time of purchase) including wheelchairs, hearing aids, prosthetics, replacement joints and diagnostic tools like MRI and CT scanners.

While not showing up on your tax return, you will still be paying these taxes as a consumer. Expect increased costs for prescription medication, medical devices, tests and nongovernment health insurance policies.

Finally, a new 40 percent excise tax will be implemented by 2018 on high-cost insurance plans and is indexed for inflation. These “Cadillac” plans include those valued at $27,500 for families and $10,200 for individuals.

In addition to the taxes and fees explicitly stated in the PPACA, massive reductions in Medicare payments are anticipated, potentially causing millions to lose current coverage.

Doctors providing healthcare to Medicare patients face a 23 percent cut in reimbursement rates in December 2010 based on the PPACA as passed in April. This cut, coupled with increased Federal regulations and reporting requirements, will force practices to spend more on administrative costs while earning less.

Legislation is being introduced that may extend the rates and avoid the cut another 13 months, but eventually this issue will need a long-term solution. Without such a solution, many doctors currently accepting Medicare patients may be forced to opt out in the future just to remain solvent.

Due to the enormous scope of the PPACA, there have already been numerous waivers and exemptions granted to unions, businesses and doctors. At this time, the true cost of this bill is up for debate as are the numerous fees, taxes and benefits described therein.

Brenda Alexander is a freelance writer and resident of Noblesville. You can contact her at AlexanderInk@ comcast.net.

Jewelry Armoires Curios Recliners & Power recliners Entertainment units Lamps Art work Accessories

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December 21, 2010 | 19

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MONEY MATTERS How do you keep up to date on financial news?

“Barron’s. I just think they do very good coverage.”

Ross Callahan Noblesville

“I watch Fox News.”

L. Van de Mark Noblesville

“I listen to NPR.” Michael Butler Noblesville

20 | December 21, 2010

NOW OPEN

WHAT’S IT WORTH

Meredith meadows MY OPINION

$

675K

Type: Historical architectural style Age: Built 2003 Neighborhood: Village of West Clay Square Footage: 5,888 (including finished basement) Rooms: This home has six bedrooms, with sought-after main floor master, four bathrooms and two half baths. Master features include walkin closet, separate shower and tub, his/her vanities and a three-season porch overlooking the pond. The kitchen and breakfast room has plenty of space to entertain guest and family. Features include hardwood floors, double oven, granite countertops and high-end quality cabinetry. There is a great room with built-in fireplace with French doors leading out to the sunroom and a separate fining room. The finished lower level has a bedroom, theater room with screen and projector and game area.

Garage has epoxy flooring with floor drain and stairs leading to the lower level, where there is about 1,000 square feet of storage.

Strengths: Curb appeal, floor plan, square footage, location, highend finishes and neighborhood amenities are all a plus Challenges: Price point and the number of competing opportunities.

Bill Mitchell specializes in Hamilton County real estate with RE/MAX Ability Plus. Contact him at 317-696-4181 or bill@ talktomitchell.com

Current in Noblesville

Meredith Meadows Senior Apartments are affordable and distinctive 84 cottage-style apartment homes in 11 one-story buildings and a community clubhouse occupying approximately 12-plus acres in a campus-style neighborhood.

“Meredith Meadows will provide several unique features that will leave seniors green with envy,” said Joe Largey, Regional Vice President Property Management, The NRP Group. “The residents will be able to enjoy a community garden, park-like walking trails and a bird and butterfly watching area.”

Though some construction is still ongoing, the community is now open. Each apartment consists of well-designed floor plans of 675 to 875 square feet boasting one and two bedrooms and one full bath, plus features such as a fully-equipped kitchen, ceiling fans, washer and dryer connections and a separate dining area.

Amenities include a clubhouse with community room, fireplace and kitchenette; picnic and grill area; multi-purpose room; computer center with high-speed Internet access; and an onsite laundry facility. Additionally, the location is within five miles of shopping centers, medical facilities, a senior center and city services.

For leasing information, call 888-390-1021 or visit www.NRPGroup. com.

15367 Meredith Meadows Drive East Noblesville, 46060

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Traditions are the real treasures of the season GENEALOGY

By Darla Kinney Scoles A few years ago, I started a new Christmas-giving tradition in our home. I began selecting, every year, an antique gift for each of my three daughters. Feeling that some of the older, disappearing treasures might make more memorable gifts, I hoped to plant in their hearts a love of things antique and historied.

After all, that description would one day fit me, as well!

The first year I gave them all a simple, small jadeite catchall dish. (I love the color green.)

With each dish, a small note provided the history of jadeite and its many uses. Practical and pretty, I thought. And so a tradition was born.

The next year, I found jewelry made of repurposed antique typewriter keys. Perfect! My love of writing and all things old blended wonderfully into a gift that was as unique as each of them, as they received different pieces (and letters) to match their personalities.

This year, the three Scoles girls will be getting political campaign buttons. Think about it.

When was the last time you saw an honest-togoodness campaign-produced button promot-

AFFORDABLE DOES IT ALL Cabinets • Countertops • Floors • and More

ing a political candidate in a positive way?

I found at a local antique mall, several Nixon/Agnew buttons, which were extra special to me. The Nixon/ Agnew election was the first political race to which I remember paying any attention. In fact, I have an original campaign button of my very own.

Buying antique gifts is a great way to shop locally, “recycle” a previously used item, and keep alive a disappearing treasure and its history. I have found it to be a wonderful family tradition as well.

With the holiday season in full swing, most people are occupied with the selection of presents. The selection and repeating of traditions can be just as important. Whatever your holiday traditions, pass them on and treasure them as gifts.

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The clatter in the kitchen An ounce of prevention is KITCHENS

By David Decker Except for an errant bone in the garbage disposal, the loudest thing in most kitchens is the pots and pans drawer.

You know … the drawer below the oven? The cess peaceful and quiet. Their rubber or silicon one with round steel cookware jammed into a lining protects expensive cookware and muffles square, flat steel drawer whose handle is just a few noise. Nearly invisible, ultra-quiet self-opening knee-creaking, back-breaking inches off the floor? and self-closing bins are available, with light-asSure … the drawer sits there innocently a-feather, strong-as-an-ox and quiet-as-a-mouse enough until one attempts to retrieve the frying glides and supports (Google “TandemBox” or pan, which is underneath three sizes of nested “Blumotion”). saucepans piled next to a stack of lids where Sometimes there is merit in keeping all clutter rarely is the one you need on top. out of sight. Other times, eye-popping displays Down low you go and … crash, clang, ping of handsome pans hanging on sturdy hooks add (thud) and bang! homey warmth and cooking utility like nothing Balance and patience are tested in the multielse. step fishing expedition. Unneeded pans are When modern design combines function, pulled out, lids are shuffled, random cookware space, technology and style … Presto! A clatteris scattered on the floor … and then re-stacked free kitchen! and re-stuffed. And why does the drawer never Our holiday wish is that in your kitchen, the open quite far enough to simply lift the stew pot loudest noise is the conversation and laughter of out of the back? family and friends.

The pans rattle when the drawer opens, and • its ce wsu EOC tion a they clatter when it shuts.

R a David E Decker of s inaeistpresident There’s got to be a better way … and believe A • II • Lcy •Affordable im rKitchens and Bathrooms, D r A n V c c A me, there is.

• e na is based (877-252-1420, DEh SeinACarmel ts e • www. er Titl reg e • D deaffordablekandb.com). Have • g Modern kitchen technology offers great solud i s R pet LaAhome • a n P c m FM improvement E-mail David Ge ges ce • • Ra • Tr rge tions for cookware storage. vil -coquestion?

• • g es • a an A its ha Catidavid.decker@affordablekandb. s A n W a t Comfortable, accessible,Mwaist-level, compartL • • e ace W n er • ADwsu C Cion • com, ahecwill•answer Noand in c an • R n v r a • Fs O o e mentalized drawers s make the pan retrieval prot n r i S a E at s upcoming r A n ocolumn.

worth a pound of cure

GARDENING

By Holly Lindzy It’s getting a bit brisk these days: In the morning the sun does nothing to chase the chill away. Old Jack Frost is nosing his way in and that can be hard on our landscapes, indeed – particularly our trees.

Depending on where a tree is planted, it can suffer considerably throughout the winter. For example, a young tree planted with a southern or southwestern exposure suffers after a long Indiana winter.

Turn your thoughts to February (just for a moment, I know it’s painful). After days of freezing temperatures, there will be sunny afternoons, and the snow will begin melting.

With the sun shining, the trees warm up and start to expand, just like everything else, and overnight, freezing temperatures return and the trees contract, just like everything else.

This causes an injury called frost crack.

Some trees are especially vulnerable, such as maple and cherry trees. Frost crack causes

the bark of the tree to split and ooze, causing an injury site that is susceptible to pest and disease. This can ultimately cause the death of a tree.

Prevention consists of wrapping the trunk of the tree in late fall. You can buy tree wrap at any garden center. The material should allow the trunk to breathe. This means no plastic.

Remove wrap in spring. If left, it will be a sight for harboring pests and excess moisture.

Taking time now to protect your trees through the winter is time well spent. If you still aren’t convinced, call a nursery to see how much they will charge to replace your tree.

Before you hang up, ask them if they carry tree wrap. The rest you already know.

Holly Lindzy is an Indiana accredited horticulturalist and advanced master gardener residing in Noblesville. Email your gardening woes (or wisdom) to info@currentnoblesville.com (write attn: Holly Lindzy in the subject line).

With the sun shining, the trees warm up and start to expand, just like everything else, and overnight, freezing temperatures return and the trees contract, just like everything else.

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One person’s figure flaw is another’s shopping cart HUMOR

By Mike Redmond I’m sure we all saw the story about the two Oklahoma women who were caught shoplifting by stashing the (allegedly) stolen goods in their skin folds.

And I’m sure I speak for many of us when I say: Eeeeuw.

Just ... eeeeuw.

Here’s part of the wire service account: “Ailene Brown, 28, and Shmeco Thomas, 37, (were arrested) on suspicion of shoplifting after the pair allegedly stuffed $2,600 worth of footwear, denim and accessories under rolls of fat on their stomachs and beneath their breasts.

“These two individuals were actually concealing them in areas of their body where excess skin was, underneath their chest area and up around their armpits,” Edmond Police Officer James Hamm told KFOR.com.”

Once again, all together now: Eeeeuw.

Here’s what really got me: Part of the haul included boots. Boots. Four pair.

How deep does a body crevice have to be to hold one pair of boots, let alone multiples?

Don’t answer. I don’t want to know.

Now, I don’t want you thinking I am picking

on Ms. Brown and Ms. Thomas. Well, I am, but not for being ... um, how to put this politely?

I know. Ginormous. Heck, according to the Centers for Disease Control, 34 percent of US adults were considered obese in 2007-2008.

I’m making fun of them for being stupid.

And, let’s be honest, kind of gross. Boots and denim? You can’t exactly fold a pair of jeans down into a small, concealable package. But logic says if they were buying for themselves they would have some pretty deep skin folds, all right.

Of course, the plus side would be that the shoplifting possibilities are endless: bicycles, furniture, Smart Cars ...

Oh, well. Time for justice to run its course.

The BodyFat Bandits have been charged with felony shoplifting for their alleged crime.

But the word “alleged” is correct. They might well have been planning to pay for their selections. Although I do not want to know where they were keeping the money.

Mike Redmond is an author, journalist, humorist and speaker. Write him at mike@ mikeredmondonline.com or P.O. Box 44385, Indianapolis, IN 46244.

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A little something to chew on

Pets of the week

rous people all over the world.

It’s clear to me after my years as a veterinarian that consumers are baffled when faced with the vast array of pet food choices out there. And I know why: It’s because we have too darn many choices. I’ve heard it all: From pet food salespeople, fanatics, scientists, breeders, everybody seems to have an opinion.

Consider that Americans bought $30 BILLION worth of pet food last year. Clearly with these numbers, it’s not about nutrition anymore, it’s about marketing.

Now, I’m all for putting your dog on a prescription diet if she has a medical condition that creates particular nutritional requirements.

If your dog is fat, she needs a low-calorie diet, right? That makes logical sense to me.

But, is an otherwise complete and balanced dog food healthier just because it contains premium or all-natural or organic or “holistic” ingredients? You make the call. I suppose if you eat Goji berries, you might want your dog to eat Goji berries too.

Pacer is a three-year-old male tri-color Hound/Shepherd mix. Pacer is an outgoing boy who likes playing with other dogs and enjoys human attention, such as getting the occasional doggie massage. Pacer walks well on a leash and he willingly shares his toys, but he doesn’t like to share his food, so he would do well in a home where he can receive the guidance of a seasoned handler and learn not to protect his food.

Until then he would be best suited in a home with teenage children. Pacer just needs to be given a chance to have a home again and feel safe and secure and most of all loved.

PETS

By Dr. Gregory Magnusson Imagine, if you will, four dog-owning, petfood-buying consumers.

Joe buys cheap grocery store dog food. Millions of dogs have survived and done fine eating his brand for many years. It’s complete; it’s balanced; it does the job.

Mary buys her dog “premium” pet store dog food that contains only free-range chicken or Goji berries or whatever exotic superfruit is en vogue these days. She doesn’t mind paying more, because she is convinced that putting these premium ingredients in her dog’s kibble will somehow help him live a healthier, longer life.

Mike buys his “all natural,” “organic” and “holistic” dog food from the health food store.

He is convinced that organic chicken, grain and vegetables are healthier than regular. If that’s true for him, it must be true for his dog, right?

Dogs are just little people in fur coats, aren’t they? With the exact same metabolism and nutritional requirements? Mike’s dog food doesn’t contain “byproducts,” because he thinks these ingredients are somehow not good for his dog.

Suzie believes corn is harmful to dogs, and only buys her dog “grain free” kibble. Suzie ignores the fact that Joe’s dog, Mary’s dog and even Mike’s dog are all doing just fine eating corn, as do other omnivorous dogs and omnivo-

DISPATCHES » About 1,200 dogs euthanized after outbreak – An estimated 1,200 dogs at a Kansas kennel were euthanized after an outbreak in Wyoming of the highly contagious disease distemper was linked to the largescale breeding operation. Kansas Livestock Commissioner Bill Brown said the state started investigating the Beaver Creek Kennels near Oberlin in September after being contacted by Wyoming's state veterinarian about distemper cases at a pet store in Cheyenne.

-www.msnbc.com

Dr. Magnusson, a practicing veterinarian for the last decade, is now the owner of Leo’s Pet Care, a new veterinary hospital located at 106th and College. Contact Dr. Magnusson at DrM@LeosPetCare. com or 317-721-7387 (721-PETS).

» Vick wants a new dog – In what is sure to enrage animals lovers everywhere, convicted dog-fighting ring owner Michael Vick said that he hopes that the court-ordered ban on him owning a pet will be lifted. According to the New York Daily News, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback told reporters, "I would love to have another dog. My entire life I grew up with a pet in my house. The last few years were the first that I haven't had one.” Vick added that a dog could be part of his rehabilitation process.

-www.pawnation.com

Poppy is a six-year-old female white Turkish Angora mix. Poppy is a gorgeous girl who absolutely loves attention.

She arrived at the shelter in March and had an eye ulcer as well as a condition called entropian in her right eye which means her eyelashes curled in and would rub against her eye. She received the surgery she needed and her vision is not impaired in any way. Poppy gets along well with dogs and she loves to be brushed. Poppy also loves to play with toys. She is in a foster home, so if you are interested in meeting her, contact animalprograms@hamiltonhumane.com.

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For more information on these and other animals at the Humane Society, call 317-773-4974 or go to www.hamiltonhumane.com

» Dogs help stressed students – Tufts University in Medford, Mass is throwing stressed-out students a bone: therapy dogs to play with during their final exams. Colleges have long extended library hours and offered extra counseling around test time.

Now, from dog visits to free midnight massages to laser tag, students are getting help navigating those last days before turning in final papers and taking finals.

-www.msnbc.com

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Current in Noblesville

December 21, 2010 | 25

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Crossword 1

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13

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18

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9

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22 26 33

35 41

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68 71

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Across 1. Hoosier on “Cheers,” Shelley ___ 5. Switch positions 9. Murat Theatre admonition 13. Throat-clearing sound 14. Harvest 15. Radiant 17. Indy-to-Ft. Wayne Interstate 19. Michael Jackson album: “Got To Be ___” 20. Boozehound 21. James Whitcomb Riley’s nightfall 22. Red Ball Taxi vehicle 24. Sixth sense 25. Liberal pursuits at IU 27. Former Notre Dame receiver, ___ Ismail 29. Greenwood-based home builder 33. Adhesive 35. Bedeck 36. Vigor partner 37. Sport Graphics’ blue-green shade 41. Donate to Goodwill 42. Butler sorority letter 44. Children’s Museum building block 45. Knife wound 46. Kind of Indiana tax 47. Dougherty Orchards fruits 48. To the lowest degree

26 | December 21, 2010

39

47

54

64

38

44

49

57

63

37

43

53

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Find the items in the puzzle going up, down, sideways or diagonally and list them. Each letter is used no more than once.

24

27

Indiana Wordsmith Challenge

12 16

23

36

52

11

19

32

48

10

15

25

51

Hoosier Hodgepodge

8

14

17

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7

50. Indiana Ballet Company gliding step 51. Come into view 54. Indianapolis Zoo’s Tibetan oxen 56. Salon01 hair goo 57. Woody’s Restaurant kitchen meas.

59. Hoosier Park rein part 60. Cook in the microwave 63. Words of wisdom 65. Hint to 17-Across and 26-Down and an Indiana nickname: Crosssroads ___ (2 wds.)

68. Bailey Barber Shop trimmer 69. Talk like Daffy Duck 70. Matures, like a wine at Vine & Table 71. Our ___ of Mount Carmel Catholic School 72. Comply with the IMPD 73. Attention getter Down 1. Young woman 2. Indiana neighbor 3. Call at a Panera Bread counter 4. Clock standard: Abbr.

5. Cantankerous 6. Move by a Colts’ running back 7. Boilermakers devotee 8. Shoopman Homes design detail 9. Milliner’s container 10. “Yuck!”

11. Built for speed, like an IndyCar

E

S T H R E E N

E L D N S T O U H

Y V L M O I R N O T W

A A O A E I L O E N L O E

V D W R H V T E P L O A N R N

K E V D G E I I N H A R E S O O V

N E R E E H H T S T T W P H T O U A F

O B R E C T C O N U R E U I M N I

S B P E K E P I O E N I T S V

N S E C J E G S N I A E E

Using the letters in Cool River (Pizza), create as many common words of 4+ letters as you can in 20 minutes. No proper nouns or foreign words.

COOL RIVER H B E D R H G C N X L

O D A P T L E I Q

J S E V E N T

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

40+: Word wizard 30-39: Brainiac 20-29: Not too shabby <20: Try again next week

Build the word

6 Parts of Speech

4 Marion County Towns

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

Use all the letter segments below to fill in the answers to the clues.

The number of segments you will use in each answer is shown in parentheses. The dashes indicate the number of letters in each Indiana Wordsmith Challenge answer. Each segment is used only once.

ART EBO ERS ERT FAC IBB INM LAK NIAN OK ROYH SMI STE THSO

3 Christmas Songs

__________________ __________________ __________________

5 Odd Numbers

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

1) D.C. Museum (3) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

2) Indiana Pacer Star (3) 2 Purdue Basketball Players

___ ___ ___

__________________ __________________

3) Popular Social Networking Site (3)

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

1 New Clarian Name

__________________

4) Greyhound Pass Department Store (3) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

5) L.A. Team (2)

12. Indiana Downs mount 16. Showed emotion at Randall & Roberts Funeral Home 18. Desire 23. Oven emanation at Paradise Bakery 26. Indy-to-St. Louis Interstate 28. Pedals on the Monon Trail 29. Droops 30. Rework at The Current 31. WFYI science show

32. Stereo knob 34. 86th Street restaurant: Pita ___ 38. Slangy assent 39. Taj Mahal city 40. Like a busybody 42. Some Romanovs 43. Eric Clapton song: “Needs ___ Woman” 47. Oak Trace Elementary School sticky stuff 49. Dragon House Chinese ___

Current in Noblesville

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

50. Like a Pacemate’s outfit, often 51. Lilly lab gel 52. Meridian Music organ part 53. Village Park ___ 55. Degrade build the words 58. Nordstrom brand: ___ Ralph Lauren 60. Turns sharply

61. U. of Evansville athletes 62. Former 64. Word on all US coins 66. Little lie 67. Karma Records section

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Apply in person at: 8487 Union Chapel Road Indianapolis Indiana 46240 OBITUARIES Richard E. Paskins, 81, of Noblesville, passed away Dec. 14. He was born on January 17, 1929 to Neal and Eunice (Yates) Paskins in Franklin. Richard was retired from the Ft. Harrison Finance Center, where he had worked in security for 35 years. He was a member of the First Friends Church in Noblesville and a member of the Tuesday night Jim Dandy Supper Circle. He is survived by wife, Pat Paskins: daughter, Linda (Steve) Renner; grandson, Chris Sheller; granddaughter, Bridget (Brandon) McKinney; two step-grandsons, Tony Renner and Brad Renner; and four great-grandchildren, Bryce Gibson, Brayden McKinney, Jackson Renner and Jake Renner Debra Markstone Castino, 49, of Noblesville, passed away Dec. 13. She was born on May 30, 1961 to David and June (Mundt) Markstone in Indianapolis. Debra was a graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory High School and DePauw University. She was employed by the FC Tucker Company in Noblesville, where she was 1st Vice President Real Estate Broker. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Noblesville and a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville. She is survived by husband, William Castino of Noblesville; parents, David and June (Mundt) Markstone of Port Saint Lucie, FL (formerly of Noblesville); two sons, David and Charlie Castino of Noblesville; sister, Cherie (Rob) Wahl of Denver, CO; mother-in-law, Mary Rose Castino of Northfield, IL; and several nieces, nephews and close friends.

Carol A. Collar, 66, of Noblesville, passed away Dec. 13. She was born on May 28, 1944 to Charles and Anna (Flame) Hupp-Collar in Dennison, Ohio. Carol was a homemaker and loved scapbooking. She had been a member of Lighthouse Fellowship Church of God since 1978. She is survived by husband, Joe Collar; daughter, Carla (Mark) Eckstein; son, Darren (Marianne) Collar; son, Matthew (Allysun) Collar; eight grandchildren, Summer Eckstein, Bobbi (Brandon) Hornaday, Justin (Lindsay) Collar, Kristren Collar, Quinn Collar, Anna Collar, Jayce Collar and Talon Collar; four great-grandchildren, Jeremiah, Keagan, Fitch and Lilian; brothers, Chuck Hupp and Jerry (Lynn) Hupp; and her beloved dog, Shadow.

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FULL TIME – Beautiful optometry practice in Westfield looking for a technician to pre-test patients and work with children in our Vision Therapy Department.

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Accountant / (Controller): Part Time; Small Company in Carmel looking for a few hours per week to assist in Accounting oversight. email resume to HR@EquiTeamConstruction.com.

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December 21, 2010 | 27

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