County candidate forum – The League of Women Voters of Hamilton County is hosting a candidate forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at Noblesville City Hall. The forum features candidates for Hamilton County auditor, surveyor, treasurer, commissioner Districts 2 and 3; and council at-large. The public is invited free of charge and can submit questions to candidates.
State Reps candidate forum – The League of Women Voters of Hamilton County is hosting a candidate forum at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at Noblesville City Hall. The forum features candidates for State Representative Districts 24, 32, 37, 39, and 88; State Senate Districts 20 and 30. The public is invited free of charge and can submit questions to the candidates.
District 5 candidate forums – The League of Women Voters of Hamilton County is hosting a candidate forum at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Shamrock Springs Elementary School, 747 W. 161st St., Westfield. The forum features candidates for U.S. Congressional District 5, including Susan Brooks, Republican, Angela Demaree, Democrat, and Matt Wittlief, Libertarian. The public is invited free of charge and can submit questions to the candidates.
New childcare finder service – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration has announced a new online tool to assist families in finding child care and early education providers for their children throughout the state. Child Care Finder allows families to search for licensed providers, inspections reports, complaints and enforcement actions against providers. For more, visit ChildCareFinder.in.gov.
Youth Leadership applicants sought – United Way of Central Indiana is accepting applications for the 2017 Youth Leadership United Program, which teaches high school students about the nonprofit sector and how to serve on a nonprofit board. High school freshmen, sophomores and juniors who live in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion or Morgan counties may submit their application through the United Way website, uwci.org/programs/youth-leadership-united. Deadline is Oct. 24.
Fraud suspect – Carmel police are searching for a suspect who allegedly used several credit cards in Indianapolis Sept. 6 that were stolen from vehicles in Carmel. Video surveillance captured the suspect driving a silver 2000-2007 body style four-door Ford Taurus that is missing a front passenger’s side hubcap and bears an In God We Trust Indiana registration plate. Anyone with information is asked to contact CPD at 317-571-2511 or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-8477.
New children’s art exhibit – The World’s Smallest Children’s Art Gallery is featuring art from Prairie Trace Elementary School entitled Art of the Athlete. Artwork was created by students who were inspired by the 2016 Summer Olympics and the sports they enjoy. The gallery is open from 2 to 4 p.m. Fri-Sun. Admission is always free.
Quilters meeting – The Quilters Guild of Indianapolis North will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 7 at Orchard Park Presbyterian Church, 1605 E. 106th St. Guild member and award-winning quilter Cathy Franks will present a program called Art Quilts: The Process from Conception to Completion. The color of the month is yellow-orange. All attendees are encouraged to wear yellow-orange. For more, visit QuiltGuildIndy.net.
Library book sale – Friends of the Carmel Clay Public Library will host a used book sale Oct. 7-9. Sale times are: Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Oct. 9 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday is bag day. Fill a reusable tote bag with books for only $10. Friends Preview Night is Oct. 6 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Preview night is open to members. New memberships and renewals are available at the door.
Show choir Cabaret – The Ambassadors and Accents show choirs cordially invite the community to their annual Cabaret, an evening of entertainment, desserts and a silent auction. The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 8 in the CHS freshman cafeteria. Tickets are $25 and available at ticketracker.com. Call 317-846-7721, ext. 7085 for more information.
VFW fall festival – The Carmel VFW will host a fall festival from 4 to 10 p.m. Oct. 8 at 12863 Old Meridian St. The event is to help raise funds to aid the many charities and veterans’ causes we contribute to over the holiday season. The event is open to the public with free admission. The band Big Daddy Caddy will perform live from 6 to 9 p.m. Among the activities are games for kids and adults, dunk tank with special guests, TV and gun raffles, and more.
Free potatoes – The Society of St. Andrew and St. Mark’s United Methodist Church are offering free potatoes to those who need them. The potatoes will be available beginning at 8 a.m. Oct. 8 at St. Mark’s, 4780 E. 126th St., and will be given away until they are gone. Food pantries and agencies may reserve potatoes by calling 317-846-4912. Individuals do not need to make advance requests.
Cut-a-thon – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Salon, 110 West Main St., will host a cut-a-thon from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 9. All proceeds to go to Kountry Kitchen, the famous Indiana soul food restaurant, for their Christmas Day charity event. The cut-a-thon is a walk-in event. A $30 donation is requested. A $45 donation allows the donor to skip the line. Refreshments, door prizes, raffles and more will be provided.
West Commons ribbon cutting – Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Oct. 12 at the West Commons Playground and Splash Pad at Central Park, 1195 Central Park Dr. W. The site opened early in September to rave reviews from parents and kids. More than 25,000 square feet of fun with inclusive features for those with disabilities.
Veteran’s lunch – The American Legion hosts a veteran’s lunch the second Friday of each month. The next meeting will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 14. The speaker will be a Coast Guard veteran. The meeting is free. Attendees pay for their own lunch. For more, email [email protected].
Newcomers Club luncheon – The Newcomers Club of Carmel invites everyone to its monthly luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 20 at Woodland Country Club, 100 Woodland Lane., Carmel. Newcomers to the area are encouraged to attend and make new friends. Even if you’ve been around for a while, come and help welcome our newest neighbors. For more, visit CarmelNewcomers.com.
Shredding event – A community shredding and electronics recycling day will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 22 at Creekside Middle School, 3525 W. 126th St. A $5 donation is requested per shredding box. Recycle small electronics and computers, along with unused or expired prescription drugs. A $10 fee for glass TV/computer monitors will be charged.
Straight ticket voting changes – Straight party voting has changed in Indiana. Hoosiers will still be able to cast a straight ticket Nov. 8, but that vote will not count for any individual candidate for county council or town council at-large. Voters now need to select each candidate they wish to elect for at-large county council and town council seats.
Barber shop raffle – In an effort to promote local businesses, Local Living Carmel and Main Street Barber Shop are sponsoring a mega-deal raffle. The prize is six free haircuts from Main Street Barber Shop. Entries can be obtained by subscribing to LocalLivingCarmel.com and posting a photo of Main Street Barber Shop and tagging it, and sharing #megadealraffle on social media.
Bolt for the Heart 5k – The fifth annual Bolt for the Heart 5k run/walk will be held at 9 a.m. Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving Day) at the Palladium Center Green, 355 City Center Drive. All proceeds will go toward purchasing AEDs for Indiana State Trooper patrol cars. A virtual race option is available for those unable to participate locally. For more, visit BoltForTheHeart.com for more information.
Town meeting – State Sen. Mike Delph (R-Carmel) will host a town meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Carmel Clay Public Library. Residents of Senate District 29 are encouraged to attend and share their thoughts on legislative issues. For more information, or to RSVP, call 317-232-9541.
Indiana House internships – The Indiana House Republican Internship Program is accepting applications for the 2017 legislative session. Internships are open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors, graduate students, and recent graduates of all majors. This paid program allows interns to immerse themselves in the legislative process by working directly with state representatives. For more, visit IndianaHouseRepublicans.com. Application deadline is Oct. 31.
Preservation conference – Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society will host its 23rd annual conference from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 at 502 East Event Centre. Titled Preservation: Keeping What We’ve Got, Restoring What We’ve Lost, the event is open to anyone with an interest in native plants, conservation, botany, landscaping and wildlife habitat. For more information or to register, visit inpaws.org.
Patient Advisory Council members needed – St. Vincent is seeking volunteers in the community to serve on the Patient Family Advisory Council. Applicants should have had a medical experience with St. Vincent in the past. Meetings are anticipated to be about two hours long and the group will meet quarterly. The first meeting is scheduled tentatively for Nov. 3. For more, visit stvincent.org/pfac.
Free parenting class – The Indiana Montessori Academy presents a parenting class titled Introduction to Love & Logic for Parents from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17. The class is free. The Indiana Montessori Academy is located at 12760 Horseferry Rd. in Carmel. For more, call 317-569-1290.
Miniatures exhibits open – The Museum of Miniature Houses has two new exhibits now open. Hoosiers Making Miniatures features the work of Indiana artists. Hidden Treasures showcases dollhouses and settings that have rarely or never been on display. These exhibits will run through December. For more, visit MuseumOfMiniatures.org.
