Layla Spanenberg files for carmel school board
For Current in Carmel


Carmel resident, Layla Spanenberg announced that she will be a candidate for the District 1 Carmel School Board seat.


Mrs. Spanenberg grew up in Mishawaka, Indiana, moving to central Indiana in 1994. She is a 1994 graduate of Purdue University School of Pharmacy and received her Masters in Biology in 1995 from Purdue as well. As a pharmacist, Mrs. Spanenberg worked for Walgreens as a pharmacy manager and also Wishard Hospital. Currently she proudly serves as a volunteer in the Carmel community.


Mrs. Spanenberg is married to long-time Carmel resident, William J. Spanenberg, M.D. and they have three children attending Carmel Public Schools.


Public service has always been a priority for Mrs. Spanenberg. For four years, she has been a Carmel School Board PTO Liaison, avidly attending school board workshop and executive board meetings. At Smoky Row, she is a past PTO President and Executive Board member. She continues to be very involved at Smoky Row. Having served on two Carmel School District-wide committees, she enjoys working collaboratively with parents, teachers and administrators towards a common goal. Her commitment to education continues as a Carmel Clay Education Foundation (CCEF) board member. She serves as a committee chairperson for the American Cancer Society’s Carmel Relay for Life, volunteers with the local chapter of MOMS Club and for Carmel United Soccer Club.
“In Carmel we have outstanding public schools, due in large measure to our passionate professional educators. In these difficult economic times, the financial environment of 2010 leaves Carmel Schools with a substantial multi-million dollar shortfall. This comes at a time when the district has an unsettled teacher contract, increasing class sizes, and redistricting concerns. Despite all these challenges our school system faces, we all agree that the education of our children is of utmost importance and our shared priority. This School Board election comes at a critical time for the Carmel School System. The future success of Carmel schools requires enhanced collaboration by parents, teachers, administrators, and school board members. The ability to collaborate with others and solve tough problems is one of the skills I can contribute to the school board.” 
 

Mrs. Spanenberg has noted that her academic and professional accomplishments have been greatly impacted by many teachers. Recognizing the same impact in each one of her children, she feels fortunate to have the opportunity to raise her children in the Carmel community and in Carmel schools. She understands the tradition of excellence in Carmel Schools is a continuous effort that requires constant energy.  

Coats is simply wrong man for the job
COMMENTARY
By Andy Ray


It was a shame to see Indiana Democrats attack Former Senator Dan Coats for the wrong reasons, upon his decision to run for his former seat.  Within hours of his announcement came the accusations that Coats hasn’t lived in Indiana in some years, that he’s recently worked as a Washington lobbyist (and is, therefore, a dreaded “Washington Insider”), and that his lobbying firm represented, God forbid, the democratically-elected head of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.   


Now I’m certainly no fan of political lobbying – at least in its present form – but the fact is that it is a profession.  Unlike prostitution, it is a legal profession.  And Coats has every right to work as a Washington lobbyist.  After all, he already knew all the senators, so he was well-connected, and apparently well-suited for the job.  As far as his firm’s representation of Chavez is concerned, Coats has no control over whom his firm represents, any more than an attorney has any control over his firm’s other clients.  Did Coats personally represent Chavez?  He says he did not, and I believe him.  He seems like a truthful, stand-up guy. 

Section of Westfield Boulevard to close for water main installation
For Current in Carmel


In order to install a new water main, it will be necessary to close Westfield Boulevard to through traffic from the north side of 106th Street to the entrance to Central Park (local traffic will be allowed). These closures will be kept as short as possible to minimize disruption to local residents.  
           

The City of Carmel Utilities will be installing a new 36-inch water main along Westfield Boulevard between 106th Street and the entrance to Central Park. Pipe and other supplies are scheduled to be delivered as soon as Friday, February 12th.  Depending on weather conditions, construction could start as early as Wednesday, February 17th.  The total construction period will last approximately one month.
           

The timing of this project has been coordinated with the opening of the Keystone and 116th Street intersection as well as the closing of the Westfield Boulevard bridge over I-465 by the State of Indiana. The reduced traffic due to the bridge closure as well as the alternative route offered by the Keystone and 116th Street intersection makes it an ideal time to perform this needed infrastructure improvement. Detouring traffic is encouraged to use Keystone or College Avenue via 116th or 106th Streets.
           

Email notifications will be sent to area residents advising them of the construction progress.  If you would like to be added to this distribution list, please send an email to smaki@carmel.in.gov and ask to be added to the Westfield Boulevard list.  Updated information on the construction progress will be sent as it becomes available.

Regional Performing Arts Center names concert hall
For Current in Carmel

2/11/10


The 1,600-seat concert hall currently under construction in Carmel has been named The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts, announced Executive Director, Steven Libman.
 

The name, determined by the Regional Performing Arts Center Foundation, was decided upon after much discussion and research, including the input of focus groups which were conducted with residents living in both Indianapolis and Carmel.
 

“Although a number of options were considered for the name of the concert hall, participants from the focus groups kept coming back to ‘The Palladium’ as the name of choice,” said Libman. “It was important to us to match the name with the architectural magnificence of the building’s design, so that the two are connected. The Palladium seems to speak to everyone because it is consistent with the concert hall’s size and spirit.”
 

The Palladium moniker already has a musical connection, courtesy of performance facilities in Dallas, TX, Hollywood, Calif., St. Petersburg, Fla., and London, England that bear the same name. When The Hollywood Palladium opened its doors in October of 1940, legendary crooner Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, were the first to grace its stage, performing what would become classic American hits. Coincidentally, many of these same tunes are now a part of the Great American Songbook Collection, which will be housed at The Palladium in Carmel, Ind.
 

And, by sheer coincidence, Michael Feinstein, Artistic Director of the Center for the Performing Arts, appeared at the London Palladium in November of 2009 to perform songs from the Collection.
 

“While the current venues that carry the Palladium name differ in style and types of performances they present, they are all renowned sites with strong traditions in musical excellence,” said Feinstein. “The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts intends to carry on this legacy, attracting a variety of top musical performers from around the world.”
 

The architectural design of The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts was inspired by a villa designed by Andrea Palladio. Built in the 1500's near Vicenza, Italy, the villa, known as "La Rotunda,” remains an architectural icon nearly 500 years later. While not specifically named for the famed architect, The Palladium, nevertheless, represents an important homage to his work.


“We put a great deal of thought into the design of the concert hall, modeling it after Venetian architect Andrea Palladio’s Villa Rotunda, which allows the structure to be pleasing from all sides,” said Mayor of Carmel, Jim Brainard. “It also blends well with the European style of the other buildings under construction in City Center. It was very important that this unique structure also complement the city design already in place in Carmel. It was equally important for the name of the concert hall to complement its stature – a goal I truly believe we have accomplished.”