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116th Street & Keystone Parkway 30 Day Closure

116th Street will close at Keystone Parkway on or after July 31, 2009. During the first 30 days of the closure, 116th Street will be closed at Keystone. At this time there will be no access from 116th Street to Keystone Parkway. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained on Keystone Parkway during this closure period of 116th Street.

After 30 days, traffic will shift onto the newly constructed portions of the interchange allowing for the intersections of 116th Street and Keystone to become right in/right out only. Access across Keystone at 116th Street will still be prohibited for a maximum of 120 days. The construction sequencing has been designed so that the Carmel Drive intersection will remain open to traffic until the spring of 2010.

Motorists are asked to use caution in construction zones for their safety and the safety of construction workers. A 40 mile-per-hour speed limit is in effect and will be enforced in this construction zone along with the entire Keystone Parkway corridor from 96th Street to US 31.

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

For more information on the project log on to www.CarmelLink.org.

Don't forget that in order to appeal a current assessment, taxpayers must file an appeal no later than forty-five days after receiving notice of the change in assessment. In Marion County, the deadline for the most recent assessment is July 30, 2009. The appeal must be received by the county assessor or postmarked by the 30th.

Property taxes have been running behind in several counties in central Indiana due to recent changes to the assessment system. In addition, many past appeals are also running behind. Regardless of the current status, it is important to remember that an appeal on a current assessment can only be made if an appeal is filed within the forty-five day deadline. REALTORS® should check with current and past clients to remind them of the deadline.

For more information on the appeals process visit www.in.gov/dlgf/2508.htm.

Great pictures of Carmel and a nice example of Brainard's vision for the city.

John King, CNN's chief national correspondent, wants to know what people are talking about in the country, and he chose to focus on Carmel this time around.

Sunday's "State of the Union with John King" will showcase Carmel and include interviews with Mayor Jim Brainard, local business owners and community members about the economic stimulus debate.

King and his camera crew spent Thursday touring Carmel and conducted more interviews Friday.

Carmel "was a good place because it's in the middle of the country and you have a Republican mayor in a state that normally votes Republican for president, but now voted for Obama this time," King said. "It's an interesting perspective."

The program will air from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday on CNN.

Citizens from Fishers have been discussing becoming a city again. In 1998, a ballot referendum was posed to the voters of Fishers who ultimately decided to retain their identity as a town.

Since then, Fisher's population has grown and with it, so has support of becoming a city. A meeting held at the Fishers Library by CityYes, a political action committee with the objective of making Fishers a city, saw more than 30 residents show up to hear their argument. The committee also earned seven new volunteers and 15 more signatures on their petition to get the issue on a ballot.

Proponents argue that with a population over 700,000, residents need an appropriate sized and responsive government to respond to their need. Opponents worry about the financial impact these changes would have on their taxes and services. They also find satisfaction in the current government.

One thing is clear, everyone interested wants more information. The local Chamber of Commerce has promised to form a study committee which would make a recommendation one way or the other.

In the meantime, CityYes is actively seeking signatures for their petition. They currently have almost 800 signatures, or roughly half the amount needed to hold a special election to decide if the state's eighth largest community should be a city or a town.

Great news for Indiana parents who have high school age children!  College may not cost you an arm and a leg.  Indiana and Purdue Universities were both recently placed on the Princeton Review's list of 100 "best value" colleges for 2009. Only three Big Ten schools made the list with the University of Michigan being the third. The list is compiled based on surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities. Selection criteria included academics, costs of attendance and financial aid.

"As Indiana's flagship public university, this world-renowned school is a deal for in-state students at $5,791," editors wrote in their description of the university. "Out-of-state students can expect to pay $20,200; still a relative deal considering the quality of education."

They also praised the university's efforts to provide financial aid to students.

"IU works hard to provide its students with aid, giving an impressive 79 percent of freshmen financial help and meeting 68 percent of their need," they reported. "On top of the standard federal and university loan options, institutional employment is also available. There are also many scholarship opportunities available for in-state and out-of-state students, with qualifications ranging from SAT and GPA requirements to a scholarship offered to all high school valedictorians."

"Such national recognition for Indiana University's efforts to provide a high value along with a quality educational experience is rewarding," said Roger Thompson, IU vice provost for enrollment management. "It was especially noteworthy that they recognized IU's creative efforts in providing financial aid and thus keeping an IU degree accessible to talented students."

The Princeton Review selected the institutions as its "best value" choices for 2009 based on its surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities. The selection criteria covered more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs of attendance and financial aid.

The Princeton Review partnered with USA Today to present the survey and complete results are available online here and here.