Clarian North resumes normal visitation hours
For Current in Carmel

Clarian North Medical Center will resume normal visitation effective today, December 11, 2009, following a period of restricted visitation that was instated in October to help prevent the spread of novel H1N1 influenza and other illnesses.
All hospital units, with the exception of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), are again open to visitors around the clock. Visitors will continue to be screened for signs and symptoms of illness according to hospital visitation policy. We ask that anyone who is not feeling well please refrain from visiting the hospital. The NICU will maintain its normal visitation restrictions, which means that no one under the age of 18 will be permitted to visit.

Registration opens for JCC Indoor Triathlon
For Current in Carmel

Athletes of all skill levels have begun training at the JCC for the 4th Annual Indoor Triathlon. Anyone 13 (by race day) and over – member or non-member -  is invited to take the challenge of swimming, biking and running twenty minutes each in the JCC’s Indoor Triathlon at the Arthur M. Glick JCC, 6701 Hoover Road, Indianapolis. Participants can enter either a competitive or non-competitive category. The JCC’s Indoor Triathlon is a great way for athletes to maintain fitness in the off-season, and, for first-timers, this is a safe, fun way to try the sport of triathlon.  
 

All entrants receive packet, t-shirt, goodies from race sponsors, and food and water throughout the event. Anyone who would like to volunteer for two hours on race day can save $5 off their registration fee. 
 

Race Day: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 8 am-Noon
Competitive Athletes: $35 / $28 Members (Space is limited in this category – Register today!). Cycling portion will take place on CycleOps Power Indoor Cycles. Prizes awarded for highest average wattage based on weight, most laps completed in the swim and most laps completed in the run.
 

Non-competitive Athletes: $30 / $23 Members
Cycling portion will take place on Spinning bikes with odometers.
Register online: www.JCCindy.org; by phone: 251-9467; or stop by a membership desk.

City releases snow removal plan
For Current in Carmel

It is our goal at the City of Carmel to provide safe streets in a timely and efficient manner by controlling the snow and ice on our roadways before and during winter storms.  Patience and understanding of our citizens is appreciated during the removal of snow, particularly when it occurs at an inopportune time such as a weekday rush hour.  It can be difficult for the plows and salt trucks to make their way around the city in such high volume traffic. 

When there is up to 3 inches of snow the City salts and/or plows only main streets such as Range Line Road, Main Street, Gray Road, Spring Mill Road, 116th Street, etc., and secondary streets such as Brookshire Parkway, Lakeshore Drive East and West, Adios Pass, Avian Way, etc.

When there are 3 inches of snow or more the main and secondary streets are salted and plowed as the snow falls. After the majority of the snowing, blowing, or sleeting has ceased, a complete city plow is started with every street in the City being plowed. Salting is routinely done only on main and secondary streets. Bridges, hills and intersections are salted as needed. 

It takes approximately 24 hours to plow all 400 miles of streets and over 800 cul-de-sacs in the City of Carmel. Carmel has 19 salt trucks 66 trucks plowing to handle the volume. Carmel Utilities staff is cross trained to help man the various pieces of equipment needed to clean city streets.

Woodland Christmas Club gives back to area families
For Current in Carmel

Woodland Christmas Club volunteers are busily preparing for their Monday, December 21^st Christmas deliveries to over 200 Hamilton County families.  This is the 24^th year for the Woodland Christmas Club.  Club volunteers have been providing Thanksgiving and Christmas for needy families in Hamilton County.  In 1985, Woodland Christmas Club members formed the WCC Christmas Club as a way to give back to the community. 
 

This holiday season, Woodland’s Christmas Club’s 270 volunteers have adopted a total of 226  Hamilton County area families, which include 610 children.  The 270 volunteers are giving their time to shop, wrap and deliver all the gifts and food to the families. The Thanksgiving Delivery was orchestrated at the Marsh Food Super Store, 116^th Street/ Allisonville Road on Monday, November 23^rd.   Volunteers bagged & delivered Thanksgiving turkeys, fixings and other food items to their adoptive families.   

For Christmas, each volunteer has a family.  The volunteers’ job is to spend the money that the club raised throughout the year on food; new shoes and boots; winter coats; family special needs; reconditioned bicycles and new clothing and wish list items.  Christmas Club member volunteers will also be delivering new beds, cribs, bedding, kitchen appliances and more, based on family needs.    This Saturday, December 19^th, non-perishable food will be arranged & organized at Woodland for the 200+ families before pick up on Monday. All food, clothing & the gifts will be delivered to the families in time for Christmas.    

      The preparations begin early in the season.  Woodland members and others send in donations and participate in major fund-raisers throughout the year.  The Ladies Big Apple and the Men’s Big Apple golf tournaments donate to the Christmas Club Fund.