September 11, 2010
Noon - 10:00 p.m.

Featuring family entertainment and French cuisine, the annual French Market will be held from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 11 on the grounds of St. Joan of Arc Church, 4217 Central Avenue.

The free festival, which started as a Sunday afternoon family picnic, has evolved into a major neighborhood street fair with live bands, artisan booths, children's games and an array of French food.

Featured bands this year include The Stardusters, David Ackerman, Second Wind, Mojo Gumbo, Mark Alexander and Living Proof.

Food offerings include pate, quiche, escargot, oysters, French onion soup, cheese and fruit, rotisserie chicken, tarte flambé white Alsacian pizza, beef bourguignon, crawfish etoufee and ratatouille. Roast beef sandwiches and BBQ ribs will also be available.

Dessert offerings include beignets, cheesecake, cream puffs, éclairs, Madeleines, iced cappuccino and Café du Monde. A bake sale will add to the gourmet selections.

Dozens of artisans will be setting up booths adjacent to the church grounds selling artwork, jewelry, apparel and religious items.

Raffle prizes include a $1500 cash prize, a motorized scooter, a handmade quilt by Pat Crossland, jewelry by Hofmeister Personal Jewelers, a bicycle from The Bike Line and a Colts Tailgate Party by The Pawn Shop Pub with Colts tickets donated by Sommer Awning Group.

The family festival also features children's games and children's food until 5 p.m. Mass will be at 5:30 p.m. in the historic Meridian Kessler church constructed in 1929.

For additional event information, please contact the parish office at 283-5508 or the parish website at www.sjoa.org.

The Big One-Five!  To celebrate our 15th birthday, Angie's List is offering annual memberships for our lowest price in years - just $15! Here's what we're bringing to the party: • Ratings & reviews in more than 500 professional categories • Exclusive discounts from top-rated service providers • And much more! Go to AngiesList.com or call 1-888-944-LIST (5478). Use promo code BIGONEFIVE But hurry - this birthday bash ends August 31.

The Meridian Kessler Neighborhood Association is looking for photos of our wonderful neighborhood to showcase on our website. If you have photos of events, homes, businesses and the people of Meridian Kessler that you'd like to share, please send them to us! We'd greatly apprecaite it.

Please e-mail alexjimenez1982@gmail.com with any photo submissions.

What's new at the 38th & Meridian Farmer's Market? Potluck and family dinners! Due to a growing interest in creating healthy meals and sharing recipes, the Farmer's Market will host the following events:

Potluck dinner - July 29th at 6:30pm.
Location: the Community Room and south lawn of North church.
April Hammerand, our Beef vendor, will host. April is promoting this potluck dinner through her facebook page where participants can sign up to bring a covered dish, preferably all natural or made with things from the garden. Participants are also asked to bring their own plates and eating utensils.

Family dinners - 3rd Thursdays at 6:30pm.
Location: North church Fellowship Hall.
Clarian Hospital will host a series of healthy cooking sessions. These sessions will introduce participants to various and inexpensive ways to prepare healthier meals in an effort to help reduce diseases that are prevalent in our neighborhood such as diabetes, high blood pressure and hypertension. Dates are as follows:
August 19th, September 16th, and October 21st.

If you have any questions, please contact Joel O'Neil - Market Master at indydodad@yahoo.com or Brian Williams - Pastor of Mission & Outreach at bwilliams@northchurchindy.com.

Student ACTOR/SINGERS STILL NEEDED FOR FREE Summer Theatre Workshop at Herron High School.

Claude McNeal Productions, a professional, not-for-profit theatre organization located in downtown Indianapolis, is hosting a FREE two-week intensive theatre workshop at Herron High School, beginning Monday, July 26th, and running through Friday, August 6th (Mondays thru Fridays 1pm to 4pm), and still have a few openings left for student actor/singers from grades 9 through 12.

Again, the tuition is free, and students just need to bring their enthusiasm and talent! There will be a final “showcase” production at the end of the workshop on Friday, August 6th at 6:30pm for parents and families.

The workshop itself will be centered around staging an original dramatic/musical production written by local playwright, Claude McNeal, entitled “Indy In Revue” and will be performed at various times during the academic school year for area students. Indy in Revue is a 60-minute stage presentation that traces the history of Indianapolis from 1820 to the present.

Students will act out scenes and songs relating to:

• The city’s emergence as the “crossroads of the nation”
• Abraham Lincoln’s historic speech at Union Station
• Indianapolis’s acclaim as a turn-of-the-century literary capital
• The city’s contributions to the early automobile industry—and the first Indy 500
• The dedication of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument
• The rise and fall of the Ku Klux Klan

The international impact of Indy’s jazz, blues, religious, and pop music innovators and dozens more milestones in Indianapolis’s history Interested individuals need to contact Jeff Owen, Project Director, by calling 317-213-6046.

PK/JL1, LLC has applied for a Variance of Development Standards to permit a restaurant to sell alcoholic beverages in a C-3 district, which is located less than 100 feet from a protected (residential) district.  Neighbors are encouraged to attend an MKNA Land Use meeting on Tuesday, July 27 at 7:30 pm to learn more about this development.  The meeting will be held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church located at 526 East 52nd Street in the lower level meeting room.  Parking is available on the north side of the church.

MKNA's Land Use Committee seeks input from neighbors to evaluate pending development within our neighborhood, to draft protective covenants and to offer design recommendations.  All neighbors are encouraged to attend.

MKNA LAND USE MEETING

Regarding: 5215 North College Ave.

(former site of The Movie Gallery)

Dear Neighbor:

Glendale Partners, Inc. is seeking a Variance of Use and Development Standards of the Commercial Zoning Ordinance to provide for:

1. Parking area totaling 21 spaces, including one handicapped space (56 spaces, including one handicapped space required).

2.  A 3.5' transitional side and rear yard setback and a zero foot transitional side yard along the north property line (minimum 20 feet required for each).

3. Parking within the required front yard as well as the side and rear transitional yard (parking not permitted).

4.  Outdoor patio within front setback, and

5.  Without landscaping along College Ave. (minimum 10 ft. required.)

Please join us for a Meridian-Kessler Neighborhood Association Land Use Meeting for a presentation and discussion of this proposed re-development on Tuesday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church's Fellowship Hall (lower level).  The church is located on the NE corner of 52nd & Central.

MKNA seeks input from neighbors to evaluate pending development, to draft protective covenants and to offer design & landscape recommendations.  All neighbors are encouraged to attend.

 

                                                                                 Yes                  No

President – Ed Potts                                               ___                  ___

President Elect – Judy Goldstein                           ___                  ___

Secretary – Molly Seidel                                        ___                  ___

Treasurer – Sarah Cullather                                  ___                  ___

 

All-Neighborhood Meeting – Nancy Showalter    ___                  ___

Business – Bryan Bingham                                    ___                  ___

Code – Open  (to become part of Housing)           ___                  ___

Environmental – Sean Stepp                                  ___                  ___

Grants – Nick Colby                                               ___                  ___

Home Tour – Abi Dickerson                                  ___                  ___

Housing – Reinhard Pollach                                   ___                  ___

Infrastructure – Sarah Larkin                                ___                  ___

Land Use – Mary Owens                                       ___                  ___

Legislative Issues – Alicia Byers                          ___                  ___

Marketing – Alex Jimenez                                    ___                  ___

Community Partnerships – Jeff Kolp                    ___                  ___

Public Safety – Bettye Dobkins                             ___                  ___

Religious Communities – Waldine Anderson        ___                  ___     

Schools – Open                                                       ___                  ___

Social Services – Open                                           ___                  ___

Zone Delegates

     1 – Beth Deane                                                  ___                  ___

     2 – Joyce Moore                                                ___                  ___

     3 – Polly Spiegel                                                 ___                  ___

     4 – Scott Lacy                                                     ___                  ___

     5 – Frank Alan                                                    ___                  ___

     6 – Terry Bowdell                                               ___                  ___

     7 – Open                                                              ___                  ___

     8 - Open                                                               ___                  ___

                                              ____   Approve All Above

 

 

Suggestions for possible candidates for above Open positions:

 

            Position                                   Candidate

We need at least 5 volunteers to do the Public Safety Walk with IMPD and others in the area bounded by:
North: 42nd St.
South: 38th St
East: Winthrop Av
West: Broadway

Staging at this time is set for 9:30am at Youth Services/PAL offices, 4209 N. College Av. for briefing.
Walking will be required and the hours are from 9:30am until 1Pm on Saturday, June 5th, 2010.
We start out at 10am and complete by 12:30pm in order to return to 4209 N. College.
We hope to cover the 10 blocks in this time frame.

Each Volunteer would be in one of 5 groups comprised of at Least One IMPD Officer, IFD Personnel
And Code Enforcement. They will be given information to pass out to the residents on MKNA and
CrimeWatch/Crime Prevention measures.

You Can Contact Me Below

Shirley A. Purvitis,
North District CrimeWatch/Crime Prevention Specialist
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department
Department of Public Safety
3120 E. 30th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46218
Office 317-327-3781
Fax 317-327-6190
Email P1527@indy.gov 

Many homeowners in Meridian Kessler have raised concerns about their high property tax assessments. With the property tax changes in recent years, the assessed value of a home is designed to reflect market value. A recent sale/purchase ( or even an appraisal that was conducted) are sound proof for the market value of a property and should suffice for an appeal.

Below is the Marion County Short Form and instructions from the Marion County website to help you navigate through this process.

How to Appeal your Property Taxes

The deadline to appeal the 2009 Assessment in Marion County is May 24, 2010. Appeals can be as simple as a letter containing the following information:

• Parcel Number of the property
• Address of the property
• Assessment year
• Name of the Taxpayer
• Mailing Address of the Taxpayer
• Phone number of the Taxpayer

Please note: Appeals filed on more than one parcel may be submitted on the same letter provided the same entity owns all the parcels.

Appeals can also be filed on the Marion County Short Form (Attached to this email or go to any County Assessor Office for a parcel specific version) or the Form 130.

The appeal can be submitted in person at any County Assessor Office or can be mailed to:
MARION COUNTY ASSESSOR
200 E WASHINGTON ST STE 1360
INDIANAPOLIS IN 46204-3319

Please include a second copy of your appeal and a self-addressed stamped envelope, so that we may send you a receipt of your filing.

The Indianapolis Bar Association will again offer, free of charge, a team of volunteer attorneys to draft wills and advance directives to low-income, low-asset families and seniors. Applications will be accepted from January 1 until March 31, 2010.  Financial applications are available in our offices and or can be submitted electronically via the IBA’s website at www.indybar.org.  The application can be submitted by you, the applicant directly to the IBA by mail or fax (fax, 317-269-1915) or our office can mail applications for you.  Letters will be sent to every individual submitting an application:  those that are accepted will be provided with further direction and the contact information for the attorney who will be drafting their individual documents. 

All documents will be completed not later than June 11, 2010.

Be advised that there will be three property tax bills in 2010, as we will have to "catch up" from the previous tax bill delays and pay the 2010 bill as well. 

February 10, 2010 we will pay the second half of the 2009 bill
May 10, 2010 we will pay the first half of the 2010 bill
November 10, 2010 we will pay the second half of the 2010 bill

So, taxpayers, be sure to budget for that "extra" tax bill in 2010!!! It is our understanding that the Indiana House of Representatives will be voting next week on whether or not to allow the Property Tax Cap Amendment bill to be placed on the November 2010 ballot. If it fails this vote, the amendment process will have to begin anew, delaying a ballot referendum by several years.

If you would like to contact your state representative directly, you may do so by telephoning them at 232-9600, or you may e-mail them at: Ed Delaney or Cindy Noe. 

Watch our website for responses from our state legislators, to the remaining insightful audience questions which time did not permit our asking at our December 1 Property Tax Panel Discussion. We anticipate having their comments ready to post by next week.