The One Zone Chamber of Commerce has a new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and his name is Jack Russell.  According to my news gathering partner, The Hamilton County Reporter, Russell will join the chamber’s staff May 14th.

Russell will be responsible for a long list of duties, including marketing, communications and operational aspects of the organization, along with oversight of growing and retaining membership, member services and events.

Russell has been serving as President of the Westfield Chamber.

“We’re looking forward to Jack’s joining us at an exciting time for OneZone,” said Mo Merhoff, OneZone President, in a chamber news release. “We are in the first year of a broad, aspirational strategic plan and welcome his being part of the team.”

One Zone was created as a result of a 2015 merger between the Fishers and Carmel Chambers of Commerce.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com) 

Hamilton County residents are likely to be hearing more about “commuter taxes” in the coming months. And, this comes from a “regional” concept that many Indianapolis officials and some state legislators like to talk about. The regional approach in government means Indianapolis and its surrounding counties are all part of a metropolitan area that share certain economic and social advantages and obligations.

In the short term, we will hear that a tax for commuters from this county and the others around Indy is fair and necessary to repair the crumbling streets and highways in the capital city. There is without doubt a good argument that motorists who use a road with regularity should contribute to its maintenance.

But, if some type of tax is levied on Hamilton County commuters for roads or public transportation or anything else, it should be a two-way street. We are told that 40,000 of our county residents drive into Marion County every business day. Not so widely publicized is the fact that 15,000 Marion County residents commute to jobs in Hamilton County and the number is growing.

Our mayors, county officials and state legislators should insist that any discussions on a commuter tax include provisions for Marion County to pay for its workers who come to our county each day. We deserve a fair share of such a tax, but probably won’t hear much about this suggestion from the Indianapolis city administration or city news media.

But, our roads need to be maintained too, and more employment is being created in this county all the time with a lot of employees likely to come from out of the county. So, it would be helpful if our officials make sure they speak up for us.

The coming school year will see a temporary change in the kindergarten entrance age for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools.  The school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to accept early entrance kindergarten students.  This applies to youngsters with birthdays between August 2nd and September 1st.

The State of Indiana will no longer provide funding to local school corporations for these early entrance kindergarteners.  HSE Schools decided to fund these students for one year due to the recent change in the state rules as a matter of fairness to the families involved..

HSE High School student Caroline Gretencord was honored by the local school board Wednesday night.  Caroline was one of nine ‘Student of the Year” campaign candidates for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  In only seven weeks, Caroline raised more than $50,000. She was one of only three participating students who raised that amount, a fundraising level that only a handful of students across the country achieved.

Four Chambers of Commerce in Hamilton County will join forces for an event featuring all four mayors in the county, according to my news-gathering partner, the Hamilton County Reporter.

On May 9, the chambers of commerce in Hamilton County – Noblesville, Northern Hamilton County, OneZone and Westfield – will host Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear and Westfield Mayor Andy Cook for a discussion of issues facing their cities.

Check-in begins at 11 a.m. and the event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Conference Center, 13700 Conference Center Drive S., Noblesville.

The moderated panel discussion will focus on questions posed to each of the mayors on a variety of topics, including workforce development, infrastructure and the next big thing for each of their cities.

Reservations are required by noon on Monday, May 7. Cost for individuals is $25 for members of any Hamilton County chamber and $35 for non-members. Corporate tables are $240 for members ($320 for non-members) and include preferred seating location and table sign recognition. Reservations can be made with any Hamilton County chamber or at onezonecommerce.com or 317-436-465.

Four chambers of commerce represent the eight towns and cities in Hamilton County: Noblesville, Northern Hamilton County (Arcadia, Atlanta, Cicero and Sheridan),  OneZone (Carmel and Fishers), and Westfield.

Prevail has cut the ribbon on an expanded facility in Noblesville, according to my news-gather partner, The Hamilton County Reporter.  There were more than 100 people on hand for the Tuesday event, which included tours of the newly-remodeled facility.

“It is because of the continued passion and support of those around us that we are able to expand and meet the growing needs of our community. We are humbled and grateful for the show of support today,” said Prevail’s Event and Marketing Coordinator Natasha Robinson.

Prevail is a nonprofit organization, providing services to victims of crimes and abuse throughout Hamilton County.  The organization also provides crime prevention educational opportunities.

If you read this blog regularly, you know I entered the world of podcasting about 2.5 years ago.  I started with a local Fishers interview podcast along with a daily tax podcast.  The tax podcast was discontinued after a few weeks due to a basic lack of listener interest.

However, the interview podcast continues and the listenership is growing steadily every month.

I replaced the tax podcast with another series, the Arts&Fishers podcast, which consists of arts reviews.  It’s mostly film criticism, but occasionally I will review some television and live arts events, such as plays and musicals.  It has had a loyal following from the start and it continues to be a popular offering.

in June of 2017, I met a man named Adam Aasen.  He and his family own & run Donatello’s Italian Restaurant in the downtown Carmel’st Arts & Design District.  We met at a Chamber of Commerce event.  We discovered both of us read the other…Adam reads my blog and I read Adam’s reporting and commentary for Current in Carmel.

Adam also told me he enjoyed my Arts&Fishers podcast film reviews and we talked about movies.  Adam is a certified cinephile.

I had been thinking of starting a film podcast, but knew I could not do the weekly production alone, I needed a partner.  I looked around and although I knew several local people, there was no one in a position to handle the podcast idea with me.

So, I called Adam Aasen.  We met at Donatello’s and talked.  I outlined my idea for a podcast.  It consisted of two segments, each roughly 30 minutes.  The first segment would be one or more film reviews and perhaps a discussion of news around the film industry.  The second segment would feature interviews with people involved in film who are local or have a local connection.

Adam liked the idea.  He & I decided to record the podcast each Saturday at Donatello’s.  Our first edition of “Hamilton County Goes To The Movies” was recorded June 24th, 2017, and posted online the same day.  The review was the Tom Cruise summer action/horror film The Mummy (Adam & I agreed it was not a good film).  Our guest was Pastor Joe Freeman, a retired local minister who has a very popular film review Facebook page.

Hamilton County Goes To The Movies is still going ten months later.  Pastor Joe is scheduled to return as our guest on the April 28th podcast.  I’m looking forward to seeing Joe again and talking about the films he has seen since last summer.

When you produce a podcast, you want as many people to have the opportunity to find and sample your product.  If the audience likes the podcast, they will return.  As a locally-produced podcast, I have no illusions I will not get the millions of listeners found on podcasts programming to a national or international audience.  I am just heartened that so many people take the time to listen to the podcasts I produce.

Which brings me to why I am writing this post.  There are two reasons.

First, in recent weeks Google Play has picked up all my podcasts.  You can access my podcasts for free on Google Play.

Second, there is a new search engine available that will help you find podcasts.  It is a Web site, ListenNotes.com

This search engine can zero-in on podcast searches only.  Yes, you can search using Google but you get a lot of other hits you may not want.  This is a great tool for searching just podcasts.

I am proud to say ListenNotes.com  has added my podcasts to those available on the search engine.   That means there is one more way for anyone to find my series of podcasts.

For a long time, you have been able to find my podcasts on iTunes, Soundcloud, TuneIn and a number of other platforms where podcasts are found.

So, thanks to the many readers of LarryInFishers.com who are also listeners to my podcasts.  If you enjoy my podcasts, please share links to my podcasts on social media, tell you friends and let them sample what I have to offer.

So far, this blog and my podcast productions are all a volunteer endeavor, but I do these things because I want to and I want to provide a service no one else is providing.

So, thanks again for reading and listening.  You make this all worthwhile.

Tim Swarens wrote a piece that appeared recently in the Indianapolis Star, focusing on Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard and our own Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, all about funding infrastructure.

Both mayors do not favor a commuter, tax, which has been used in other areas of the nation to fund cities starved for cash by taxing those working in the city and living in nearby suburbs.

The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce has floated the idea of a commuter tax in the Indy metro area, but state lawmakers have not shown any interest in that proposal.  But there is still a major unsolved problem.

Here is the issue.  People and businesses in places like Carmel and Fishers need to got to and from the City of Indianapolis.  If Fishers and Carmel keep their streets and roads in nearly perfect shape, and you cross south of 96th Street to find a virtual mine field of chuck holes, this is not good for Indy or its suburbs.

As the late Bill Hudnut, long-time mayor of Indianapolis once said, you cannot be a suburb of nothing,

So, if the City of Indianapolis is starved for cash, how is this problem solved?

Fadness presented an idea he’s floated many times before, a regional approach with taxing power to solve Indy’s infrastructure woes.  That may be just as tough a sell to state legislators as the commuter tax.

But Indy Mayor Joe Hogsett is now floating an idea that may have some promise.  With technology leading to less need for office space, Hogsett is laying out the possibility of selling city assets, such as the City County Building and some prime city-owned parking assets downtown, that could bring a badly needed injection of cash into the city.

It reminds me of prior Mayor Greg Ballard’s sale of utility assets to fund some capital projects.  Time will tell whether Hogsett’s idea gains any traction.

In the meantime, the commuter tax languishes as a proposal with few backers and a regional taxing authority will be studied.  But don’t expect anything on these ideas to happen anytime soon.

On this week’s edition of Hamilton County Goes To The Movies, Adam & Larry review the film Beirut.  This week’s guests are Dan Moore and Craig Mince from the Indy Film Fest.

There are a number of road closures happening around Fishers in the coming week, starting Monday, April 23rd.  Closures include Lantern Road, 106th Street and Eller Road.  Look out for continuing construction activity in areas of 131st Street, as well as Allisonville Road.

See the details below, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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LANTERN ROAD

On Tuesday, April 24 (weather permitting), Lantern Road between 126th Street and 131st Street will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for storm sewer replacement under the roadway. Subdivision access will be available from the north.

106TH STREET   

106th Street is closed to through traffic from Eller Road to Allisonville Road and from Allisonville Road to Hague Road for the 106th Street Infrastructure Project. Closures for through traffic will also take place from Hague Road to the Crosspoint Boulevard/Lantern Road roundabout. For more info on this project, view the Fact Sheet.

131ST STREET   

Periodic lane restrictions will occur at the intersection of 131st Street and Cumberland Road as utility relocation work is completed.

Expect lane restrictions, weather permitting, along 131st Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road for the construction of the Conner Trail from Conner Prairie to the Municipal Complex. Lane restrictions will also take place on Lantern Road between 131st Street and Municipal Drive.

ELLER ROAD   

Eller Road is closed to through traffic south of White Horse Lane for concrete work associated with the 106th Street Infrastructure Project.

ALLISONVILLE ROAD RESURFACING & INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT   

Lane restrictions will be in place, as weather permits, along Allisonville Road from 126th Street to 131st Street for tree clearing ahead of the start of the roadway expansion project. Restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and flaggers will be on site directing traffic, as necessary. For more info on this project, view the Fact Sheet.

I-69   

As part of a $92 million design-build contract, Milestone has added a third lane in each direction to the median, repaired and resurfaced existing pavement, and rehabilitated bridges and drainage structures on 15 miles of I-69 in Hamilton and Madison counties. Construction of an additional auxiliary lane between the 116th Street entrance ramp to I-69 South and the I-69 South Exit 204 ramp to 106th Street will continue through next spring.

I-69 South will be temporarily reduced to two lanes to allow space for the State Road 37 and 116th Street entrance ramps to safely merge while construction continues on the southbound auxiliary lane between the 116th Street and 106th Street ramps.

Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT via email or at 1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37  

The Meeting Minutes and Meeting Presentation from the December State Road 37 Project Public Meeting, along with additional information is available on the project’s new website.

The State Road 37 improvement project is a $124 million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton County, Noblesville, and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed via email to Drive Fishers.