Trail Ribbon Cutting and Dedication

On Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 at 3:30 p.m., join Mayor Brainard, Ron Carter and other  city officials and trial dedication participants in celebration to dedicate the new trail located just north of 136^th Street off of the Monon Greenway.  Refreshments from Dairy Queen will be provided, on the Monon Greenway just north of 136^th Street. Look for the tent and balloons.

“Leaks can add up to more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted at home every year—that’s enough to fill a backyard swimming pool,” said Sue Maki, Manager of Customer Relations and Education. “Carmel Utilities along with Delta Faucet are participating in Fix a Leak Week to help homeowners save money on their utility bills and to help save water in our community and for future generations.”

Carmel Utilities has partnered with Delta Faucet to promote water efficient practices and equipment.   Delta Faucet has their international headquarters right here in Carmel Indiana.  It is most appropriate that these two WaterSense partners work together to educate Carmel Citizens!  Look for water saving ideas in future Carmel Utilities bills.

To help consumers here in Carmel and across the country save water, Carmel Utilities, Delta Faucet and WaterSense are promoting ways to identify and repair dripping faucets, running toilets, and leaky showerheads. In most cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by do-it-yourselfers, your favorite handy person, plumber, or WaterSense irrigation partner. Following are a few water-saving tips:

• Reduce faucet leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and, if necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense labeled model.

• Leaky toilets are most often the result of a worn toilet flapper. Replacing the rubber flapper is a quick fix that could save a home with a constantly running toilet up to 200 gallons of water per day.

• For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

• Landscape irrigation systems should be checked each spring before use to make sure they are not damaged by frost or freezing.

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March 26, 2010 - Carmel received notice today that it has advanced to the finalist round for the US Conference of Mayors City Livability Awards. The City of Carmel must now submit a more detailed application outlining the details and merits of its Class A Biosolids program by the April 26^th deadline. The final award recipients will be announced in June during the Annual Conference of Mayors.

Carmel’s Class A Biosolids program was conceived as a way to reduce the city’s dependency on land application and land filing of its biosolids. It also enhances environmental protection, reduces costs to the city for wastewater treatment and converts a liability into an asset. Carmel implemented the BioPasteur system in October 2005 and the solar drying method in 2007. Carmel’s was the first municipal utilization of this process in the U.S.

The project reduces operating costs by eliminating chemical addition to the waste, recovering heat from the sludge, utilizing methane gas production and reducing waste disposal costs. The process turns the biosolids into an easy to handle soil-like substance. The dried Class A biosolids can safely be used as a soil conditioner, which has been named Carmel Green. It saves Carmel approximately $100,000 annually in landfill delivery charges and fees alone.

The City Livability Awards is one of the most competitive programs sponsored by the US Conference of Mayors. Each year hundreds of mayors and their city governments submit applications with a wide range of programs to compete for this award, which focuses on leadership and innovation. This honor recognizes  those cities that have developed “Best Practices” or successful programs improving the quality of life for their residents and businesses.

Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Check Awarding Ceremonies to be held March 27 at the Carmel Japanese Gardens

Five Carmel youth groups have an early jump on Earth Day this year, as they receive funding for their local environmental projects. In a ceremony to be held at the City of Carmel Japanese Gardens on Saturday, March 27 at 10 A.M., the youth-driven Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program will be awarding checks to five youth groups to fund their volunteer eco-friendly projects. Mayor Jim Brainard will join them to support them in their commitment to community service and to the environment.

CHS Freshman and Carmel Green Teen youth grant coordinator Lauren Gibson notes, “We continue to receive applications for amazing projects, illustrating how much kids care for the environment.”

Spring 2010 Carmel Green Teen funded projects include:

• MOSAICS School – Organic Teaching Garden
• Golden K Kiwanis / Boy Scout Troop 180 – 75 Trees Planted at West Park
• Girl Scouts of Central Indiana Troop 1166 – Butterfly Conservation at Carey Grove Park
• Girl Scouts of Central Indiana Troop 1166 – Butterfly Conservation at Clay Middle School Eco-lab
• Towne Meadow Elementary School / Brownie Den 88 – Disposable Water Bottle Reduction Campaign

Additional youth project applications will be accepted through June 7, 2010. Apply now before funds are exhausted. Details and applications are available at CarmelGreenTeen.org.

The goal of the Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program, funded by Clorox Green Works, is to challenge area youth to use their skills, creativity and energy to help make Carmel / Clay Township in Indiana a greener community by funding youth-inspired environmental projects. This ceremony will mark the second round of micro-grants awarded through this program.

The Carmel Green Teen Micro-Grant Program is administered by a committee of teens from Carmel Area Roots & Shoots (CAR&S) and adults from Carmel Green Initiative, with staff from United Way of Central Indiana’s Youth as Resources providing organizational support. CAR&S, a local youth group of about a dozen Carmel High School students, is one of over 8,000 worldwide Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots groups that encourage youth to make positive changes that demonstrate compassion for people, animals, and the environment.