by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Construction contracts have been awarded on two new interchanges on State Road 37, and work has begun at the 126th Street intersection with 37. This is the first of a massive plan to upgrade 37 to a freeway style highway without stop-and-go signals from Noblesville to Interstate 69.

Reith-Riley Construction has begun work at 126th on a project that will necessitate closing access to 37 from the west next month. When work is completed on the west lane of the new roadway later this year, access from the east will then be halted temporarily.

The $22 million project will be followed by a reconstruction of the 146th and 37 intersection, also to be undertaken by Reith-Riley at a cost of $29.8 million, according to County Highway Director Brad Davis.

Work at the 146th Street site will get underway this summer.

Davis said bids were reasonably close to estimates and reports of giving up a full interchange at 141st Street to save money is only an option should future bids exceed estimates.

The overall 37 upgrade will proceed for the next three years. Total cost was originally estimated to be about $125 million. The State of Indiana has committed to pay $100 million of the cost.

Davis appeared at Monday’s county commissioners meeting to report on progress on various highway projects. Commissioners decided to postpone replacing the bridge deck on the Carrigan Road bridge until fall after business owners in the area asked for a delay.

A contract with DHA Consultants for planning improvements to 236th Street from U.S. 31 to Deming Road will be signed soon, Davis said. The improvements include widening traffic lanes by about two feet, lowering elevation on a hill, constructing paved shoulders and a paved pathway for pedestrians and bicycles.

Construction is already underway on this type of improvement east of Deming Road. The 236th upgrade will allow safer travel from 31 to Cicero. At 31 and 236th the Indiana Department of Transportation has scheduled a modern interchange without stop-and-go signals, Davis reported.

Commissioners are preparing to proceed with construction of a three-level parking garage in downtown Noblesville. It will be located entirely on the north side of Clinton Street between 8th and 9th streets.

This is a change from original plans for bridging Clinton Street and having a two-level structure on both sides of Clinton. The change allows cost savings and more future options for the county property on the south, according to Commissioner Mark Heirbrandt.

The parking garage is part of a downtown redevelopment plan that involves selling county parking lots on the south side of Conner Street to developers J.C. Hart and other interests who plan a multi-use development there.

It is estimated the county will get $4.5 million for the land.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter 

For the first time in 39 days, the Fishers boys basketball team played at the Tiger Den.

Fishers hosted North Central on Tuesday, and it also happened to be the Tigers’
Senior Night game. Fishers was stunned by the Panthers’ hot shooting in the first
quarter, but the Tigers got themselves together and took the lead in the third, then
played solid in the fourth period for a 66-60 win.

“I think Senior Nights are always tough because there’s a lot of emotion attached to it,” said Fishers coach Matt Moore. “And I thought they came out just guns a-blazin’.”

North Central’s Mike Elliott hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the game. Add to that five points from Leland Walker, and the result was an early 11-5 Panthers lead.

The Tigers cut it to 11-10 thanks to a three-point play by Jeffrey Simmons and
a basket off a steal by Dominic Castellani. But North Central finished the quarter on a 12-4 run to lead 23-14.

North Central led 36-23 midway through the second period, after which Fishers went on its first big run of the game, scoring 10 unanswered points.

Isaac Farah started it with a layin, and Simmons added four points sandwiched between a triple by Alex Szilagyi. Charlie Smith’s free throw got the Tigers within three, but Walker’s two free throws put NC up 38-33 at the break.

“The thing I liked about our guys is, I think we got down 13 and we just continued to stay n the rock, as we say,” said Moore. “Played with some poise, showed some ch racter, got it back under seven. And then we chipped away and chipped away. And I told them, once we get the lead, I’m going to call a timeout, we’re just going to reset.”

Fishers used a 9-0 run to take a 46-42 lead late in the third quarter. The Tigers were down five, but Szilagyi made consecutive baskets, then Simmons nailed a 3. Sure enough, Moore quickly called the timeout, “and it was about getting stops at that point,” said the coach.

Simmons scored another basket to complete the run and get Fishers up four. Walker made 3 of 4 free throws in the final minute of the third to keep the Panthers within 46-45 going into the fourth quarter.

The start of that period featured some back-and-forth, with North Central taking the lead twice, both times after baskets by Elliott. His second basket put NC up 51-49, but the Tigers used a 6-0 run to take the lead for good. Farah scored on a layin,

Drew Turner hit a pair of free throws, and Simmons scored. The Panthers fought to
the end, but Fishers was always able to hit a basket or make free throws in response. Simmons and Szilagyi made free throws in the game’s final 35 seconds to close it out.

“I thought late, you saw who we are,” said Moore. “We passed the ball, we made the simple play, which led to easy baskets. It’s a fun way to go out at home here, getting a school-record 18th win.”

Simmons scored 23 points to lead the Tigers scoring, while Szilagyi hit four 3s on his way to 20 points.

Fishers finished the regular season with an 18-6 record. The Tigers will play at the  oblesville sectional next Tuesday, taking on Zionsville. It will be a re-match of a recent game, a contest Fishers won 58-39 just this last weekend.

“Sectional’s always different,” said Moore. “The stakes are higher now, and there’s a lot more on the line. The first game, I thought we did some good things, and they’re going to adjust and we need to be ready to combat that.”

Based on my Web site analytics, a large number of readers have absorbed the February 21st post on State Road 37 and 141st Street.  Based on the feedback I am getting from my readers, it appears most residents understand what is going on, but allow me to put the entire issue into some perspective.

It is clear members of the Fishers City Council are hearing from their constituents about my story.  Todd Zimmerman recently posted on Facebook about the issue and Jocelyn Vare raised the subject on her live Facebook video Tuesday night.

I want everyone to know how I learned there were potential budget issues that could impact the roundabout plans at 141st & SR 37.  It was a document posted on a Hamilton County Web site.  It provided minutes of a recent Hamilton County Commissioners meeting when Commissioner Christine Altman mentioned, per those minutes, that Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness contacted her asking whether the county was “committed on 141st Street or not.”

When I asked the city for comment, the communications staff confirmed that the mayor had a conversation with Commissioner Altman, discussing contingencies in the event of cost overruns.

I attend city meetings regularly, including the City Council Finance Committee, the City Council and the Board of Works and Public Safety.  It is clear to me that construction costs are rising at a clip not foreseeable when the $124 million budget was set for the SR 37 project in 2015.  I understand staying within budget will be a challenge.

As a reporter, once I reviewed the commissioners meeting minutes, it was the first time there had been any public indication that the budget on this highway reconstruction could have a major impact on the 141st Street interchange.

As plans stand now, 141st Street will be a roundabout at State Road 37.  As I wrote on February 21st, no decision has been made to change that interchange into a right-in, right-out design, with no way to cross SR 37 at 141st Street.  It appears costs of construction, if continuing to climb, could be a problem.

I feared that many would not read the story carefully, but the comments I have received, via social media and blog comments, show me that most readers know this is a contingency plan.  However, some are very upset that this is even being considered.

It will be a while before any decision is made on 141st Street at SR 37, and I sincerely believe city officials in charge of this project, and the county which has partnered on the funding, will do everything in their power to keep the roundabout design on 141st & SR 37 intact.

However, we all need to be aware that the budget could fall short.  Since I live near this area, I have been getting plenty of comments from my neighbors.  I understand the concern.  But let’s wait for the decision.  As your local volunteer blog reporter, I will be watching this and other developments as the SR 37 reconstruction begins in the coming weeks and months.

The Cyntheanne Meadows residential development near 126th Street and the Cyntheanne Park area, on the northeast side of Fishers, has been granted an easement from the city, but with one condition Mayor Scott Fadness insisted be included in the granting of that  easement.

Cyntheanne Meadows asked the city for an easement on what is city property east of Cyntheanne Park for a drainage easement, allowing for a storm sewer outlet to a nearby pond.  A 12 inch reinforced concrete pipe will be installed providing for the storm sewer.

Fadness raised concerns about whether this easement would limit city officials from developing that land in the future, possibly expanding sports fields for Cyntheanne Park.

City Engineering Department Director Jason Taylor and City Attorney Chris Greisl told the mayor the installation of the pipe would prevent any structures from being built over the easement, but would not prevent sports fields on that site.

The mayor included that condition in moving to approve the request, which was passed by the Board of Public Works and Safety Monday.

In one other action, the board approved language contained in agreements with local nonprofit organizations to accept contributions from the city.  The City Council approved $255,000 funding local nonprofits as part of the 2020 city budget.  Here are the organizations and amounts to be received from city coffers this year:

Conner Prairie                                                    $100,000

Youth Assistance Program                            $65,250

Youth Mentoring Initiative                            $64,707

Janus Development                                        $15,043

HSE Schools Foundation                               $10,000

The chefs at the new Fishers Test Kitchen will be getting some additional help, based on an announcement by the City of Fishers Monday.  The Test Kitchen, part of the Fishers District development near Ikea along 116th Street,  will be partnering with local restaurateur Neal Brown and his hospitality company, Howe and Brown Hospitality Group, to advise the new chefs as they launch their restaurant concepts.

Brown and partner Greg Howe bring more than 30 total years of industry expertise to the Fishers Test Kitchen and will coach the chefs on creating successful business systems and integrating larger teams into their kitchen operations.

“Far too often restaurants can languish in the startup phase, so we will be helping these chefs build procedures and systems to standardize how they operate, creating cultures for success,” said Brown in a city news release.

The Fishers Test Kitchen is home to Korave Korean BBQ, Lil Dumplings, featuring global street food and Natural State Provisions, with Arkansas-inspired cuisine.   Sun King brewery also has a stand at the Test Kitchen.

“We want to give these chefs as much support as possible as they begin their entrepreneurial careers in Fishers,” said Scott Fadness, Mayor, City of Fishers. “Neal and Greg have a demonstrated record of success as restaurateurs, and their expertise and mentorship will be invaluable to the startup culinary scene in Fishers.”

Brown said he is looking forward to mentoring fellow restaurateurs. “We are restaurateurs by trade, and we’re here to share what we know.”

During my 68 years on this earth, I have been a baseball fan as far back as my memory will take me.  Summers were times to organize neighborhood kids to play a sandlot game or get a Wiffle ball tournament going.  Baseball was the center of outdoor activity anytime weather allowed.

I grew up a Cincinnati Reds fan, and remain one today.  Yes, the Reds have fallen on hard times in recent years, much like many other small market clubs.  But I am not a fair-weather fan.  There is always hope the next season will be better.

Back in my formative years, the 1950s & 60s, it was hard to find many baseball games on television.  There were only three or four commercial stations we could receive on our old rabbit-ear indoor antennas.  We were lucky to see one TV game on Saturday.

After all those years of fandom, I am worried about the future of the game that is as All-American as anything I know.  There are many reasons leading me to that fear.

Everyone has been reading about the Houston Astros fiasco.  The team was investigated by Major League Baseball over cheating allegations.  Allow me to note that the probe was ordered only after the online sports media outlet, The Athletic, wrote about those allegations.  (The Athletic is a subscription news outlet that costs about $5 a month, less if there is a special deal available.  Subscribe to good media outlets)

The results of the investigation were stunning.  The Houston Astros had cheated by stealing signs using technology, a blatant violation of the rules.  The Houston 2017 World Series championship has been forever tainted, as have other team accomplishments in recent years.

The fact that a team has cheated should not surprise anyone.  The fact that that team had been doing it for a while without being caught is a surprise.

The largest controversy came in two aspects of the scandal – the Astros response and the response by Commissioner Rob Manfred.

When Houston reported to spring training this month, everyone knew what had to be done – players and team officials had to address the cheating scandal.  What happened was the worst, least sincere apologies I have ever seen.  Nobody believes them.  And the Astros do not appear to even care.

Astros’ manager, AJ Hinch, and general manager, Jeff Luhnow, have been suspended for a year while the club have been fined $5m and deprived of their first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.  Commissioner Manfred had the team and its management officials pay a heavy price, but no players have been handed any discipline.

We are told that the players cooperated with the investigation.  That’s the reason no players paid a price, although they were clearly involved, based on the probe.

It should be noted that Hinch and Luhnow have not only been suspended, but have been fired by the Astros.

But the players not paying any price has led to players on other MLB teams issuing angry responses.  It is so bad some teams have hinted Astros hitters may be bean ball targets.  Manfred has correctly pointed out he will not tolerate that, and I agree throwing at hitters is a very dangerous practice in any case.

Then there is the refusal by Manfred to strip the Astros of their 2017 World Series title.  And, of course, with all this, Pete Rose once again is saying he should be reinstated and be a candidate for the Hall of Fame.

Keep in mind, baseball’s fan base skews much older than other major sports.  The Chicago Cubs have switched their games to a sports service not available yet to a large swath of its fan base.  Baseball appears to be finding ways to make itself less visible and more irrelevant in years to come.

Then, there is the effort by MLB to eliminate 42 minor league baseball teams in many local communities around America.  Baseball is not cash poor, it can afford to continue helping these teams financially.

In 2007, attendance at MLB games totaled more than 79 million.  That number has been in decline ever since.  In 2019, the total attendance number was just over 68 million.

Fewer people are attending the games, and the people at the games trend older, not younger.  This is not good.

I have loved baseball all my life and continue to love this game.  It is my view the owners have been short-sighted and have not always made decisions in the long-term best interests of the game.

What happened to the Astros, and to a lesser extent the Boston Red Sox (they had their own technology-driven cheating scandal), is a symptom that Major League Baseball is on a downward trend, not trusted by its own fans to police the game enough to believe they are honest contests.  The owners, and the man they hire to handle the dirty tasks, the commissioner, need to go out and find out what fans want.

Are the games too long?  If so, how do we shorten them?  Is the shift (radical placement of fielders using advanced analytics) good or bad for the game?

It’s time baseball did two important things – protect the history and traditions of the game while, at the same time, implementing changes to make the games a better fan experience.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers.  I am just asking the owners of baseball to start looking for those answers.

The Delaware Township meeting room was packed Thursday night for an update session on State Road 37 construction.

Hatem Mekky, Assistant Director of Engineering for the City of Fishers, began the session with a rundown on all the drainage work that has been completed and is scheduled to be done.

Construction on the roundabout interchange at 126th Street and State Road 37 is to begin March 1st.  The roundabout on Reynolds Drive, just east of SR 37 on 126th, has been completed.  Another roundabout project just west of SR 37 is planned on Ford Road and 126th, and is expected to start work in June this year.

As of Sunday, March 1st, 126th Street will be closed west of SR 37.  The east side of 126th and SR 37 will be open.  There will be no access to cross SR 37 on 126th Street.

In July this year, 126th Street will be re-opened west of SR 37, with the east side of 126th then closed.  Again, there will be no access to cross SR 37 at 126th Street.

During the construction at 126th & SR 37, the recommended detour is to utilize 131st Street, Cumberland Road and Allisonville Road.

The artist rendering for the 141st Street plans still show a roundabout, although city and county officials say that could change later if there is a budget shortfall.  141st street is scheduled to be the last part of the project to be completed.

Construction on the 146th Street interchange with SR 37 is scheduled to begin this spring.

Both SR 37 and 146th Street are to remain open during the construction period.

The project designs for 131st Street and 135th Street are 90% complete, and the 141st Street interchange design is 80% done.

The tunneling project along 146th Street set a new North American record by completing a 2,300 linear foot drive of tunneling with a Microtunnel Boring Machine (MTBM).  The previous record was also on this line in September 2019, a total of 1,970 linear foot drive.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern clinched a share of the Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship on Friday night, as the Class 4A No. 10 Royals won a tough game over 4A No. 9 Brownsburg 37-35 at the Southeastern gym.

The Royals got off to a great start, leading 15-5 after the first quarter. Mabor
Majak was dominant, scoring nine points in that period. The Bulldogs came back,
though, and had the game tied at 22-22 by halftime.

Brownsburg then edged ahead 31-30 after three periods, but DeAndre Rhodes made a basket early in the fourth to put the Royals up 32-31 and give them the lead for good. Neither team scored again until the clock got under two minutes,
when Rhodes made a jumper. Dalton Robinson made two free throws, and
Southeastern held on from there.

Majak finished the game with 14 points; he and Kole Hornbuckle both collected six rebounds. Rhodes had five rebounds and three blocked shots, with Hornbuckle also making three blocks.

Vinny Buccilla handed out four assists.

The Royals will share the HCC title with the Bulldogs, as both teams finished
the conference season with 5-2 records. Southeastern is now 16-5 and on a 12-
game win streak; it will finish the regular season Thursday at Lawrence North.

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers finished up its Hoosier Crossroads Conference season on a high note,
cruising past Zionsville 58-39 in a Friday away game.

The Tigers played a solid defensive first half, leading 15-4 after the first quarter and 31-13 at halftime. Charlie Smith had nine points in that half, with Alex Szilagyi making a pair of 3-pointers. Jeffrey Simmons added seven points, including a 5-of-6 effort from the free-throw line.

The Eagles cut into Fishers’ lead slightly in the third quarter, getting within 43-30 by the end of the period. But the Tigers turned up its defense again, limiting Zionsville to nine points in the fourth.

Szilagyi finished the game with 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Smith added 13 points and Simmons scored 11, going 9-of-10 from the line.

Fishers completed its HCC season with a 4-3 record and is 17-6 overall.

After seven straight games and over a month on the road, the Tigers finally return home to the Tiger Den on Tuesday to play their regular-season finale against North Central.

Why would a graduate of a prestigious university such as Northwestern, with a 3.8 grade point average, take on the job of an assistant?  Because she is working for one of the biggest movie moguls in New York City, and she wants to be a film producer someday.  But that path to the top in the entertainment business can have its dangers.  This film is about those dangers and what happens when a good person tries to do the right thing.  Here is my review of a film brought on by the #MeToo movement – The Assistant