Garrett Winegar has been named new Head Varsity Basketball Coach at Fishers High School.  Winegar will replace Matt Moore, who led the Tigers for the past three seasons and recently accepted a position at Warsaw High School. The appointment was approved at the May 27, 2020 school board meeting.

I am not one that is totally against social media.  Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter & YouTube can be very useful.  But they can also be hijacked by those peddling conspiracy theories or just plain untruths.  What are the social responsibilities of social media companies?  I explore that question in tonight’s Log.

I recall receiving an e-mail from a Fishers official suggesting I get together with a Fishers couple that is producing podcasts about grandparenting.  So, Jane and I arranged to meet Mike and Emily Morgan for dinner in downtown Fishers.  Let’s say there was an instant connection there.

I invited Mike & Emily to appear on my podcast series and they accepted the invitation.  In turn, Mike & Emily invited Jane & I to appear on their podcast to discuss being a part of the “sandwich generation”….looking out for our parents in their 80s, having our own adult children and preparing to become grandparents ourselves soon.

Although Emily & Mike produce this podcast in Fishers, it has content worthy of a national audience.  I would ask that you subscribe to The Grand Life, and encourage people you know with an interest in grand-parenting to check the podcast out.

Below, I have links some of the platforms where you can subscribe to the Grand Life.  Below that, there is a link to my podcast interview with the Morgans.

This is a well produced, high quality podcast series.  I would recommend subscribing to this podcast and spreading the word.

Apple Podcasts 

iTunes

Spotify

The City of Fishers has built traditions in recent years honoring military veterans and their families.  Each year, there are special Fishers ceremonies commemorating these national events.

In 2020, the outdoor observance of Memorial Day will not happen here due to the pandemic, although the city has found different ways to honor families that have suffered the ultimate sacrifice, losing a loved one in service to their country.  You can learn more about the fly-over and 3pm moment of silence at this link.

Since there will be no ceremony at Liberty Plaza in downtown Fishers, here is a video, only a few seconds long, to reflect on this day and what it means.

It has been a Hamilton County tradition for a long time.  On election night, political candidates and others with an interest in election results come to downtown Noblesville to view the election returns in the same meeting room used by the county commissioners and the county council.

There have been some very late nights that went well into the next morning to come up with final results, particularly in presidential election years.  But the media and other interested parties knew they could stay until the votes were counted.

In this year’s primary election, postponed to June 2nd due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new relaxation in the rules for people eligible for an absentee ballot will likely result in a pile of paper absentee ballots to be counted.

According to a story appearing in the May 23 edition of the Hamilton County Reporter, County Clerk Kathy Williams says public viewing of election results will take place in Halls A and B of the Exhibit Building at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. Doors open at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.  Display screens will be placed at each end of the halls. Several round tables and enough chairs that will be available and properly spaced, per social separation guidelines.

But the Fairgrounds facility may be in use the next day, or perhaps even until Thursday.

“If we still have absentee ballots left to count, we’ll complete those Wednesday,” County Clerk Kathy Williams said. “We will reopen Halls A and B Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. if necessary. If mail-in ballot processing carries over to Thursday, the public watch area will reopen again at 8:30 a.m.”

Under Indiana law, the deadline to certify election results is noon, June 12.

Racing engines will not roar at that massive complex at 16th & Georgetown on Indy’s west side this weekend.  The novel coronavirus is responsible for no racing in Indianapolis this May.  But what about taking some time to think about what this special holiday is all about?  My thoughts.

As school wraps up, seniors in high school often engage in some “games.”  Fishers Police are warning about one game that could become dangerous.  Here is the police statement:

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Recently the police department has responded to several calls for young people engaging in a game known as Senior Assassin. This game involves high school seniors tracking other seniors and squirting the “target” with a squirt gun. While this student led city wide squirt gun tournament has been occurring for many years, it has grown to a point where there are many safety concerns. This activity can appear suspicious and concerning to the general public resulting in calls to 911. Various call types we have received include participants trespassing on private property and driving dangerously in residential neighborhoods and major roadways which puts themselves and residents at risk. We ask the community to be aware of this game and if they see anything suspicious, to avoid confronting anyone and to call the Police Department. School Resource Officers have spoken to the students leading these activities at each high school and communicated our concerns. Fishers Police do not condone this game and strongly encourage people to avoid this activity.

When the city first envisioned the Fishers District (originally named The Yard but changed after some legal entanglements) as a culinary center with some other businesses in the mix, the idea was to mix art into the surroundings.  The first piece of art will soon be painted on the Verizon Building, according to developer Thompson Thrift.

The artist selected has local roots, Koda Witsken.  The lettering on the mix of colors says “Thanks For Being Weird With Me.”

“I’m utterly thrilled to start this mural,” said Witsken, who operates Indianapolis-based Hue Murals. “I think all of us could use some sunshine, added color, and a reminder that we’re in this together during these crazy times. ‘Thanks for Being Weird with Me’ is a message that I hope conveys that!”

The Fishers Arts Commission, along with Nickel Plate Arts, were involved in plans for the art work.

Fishers District is located near IKEA, just east of I-69 along 116th Street in Fishers.

Memorial Day weekend is unofficially the start of summer each year.  Now that we are entering that unofficial mark, here is the list of road construction projects in and around Fishers, as provided by the city.

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If you have been going to Fishers parks the past couple of months, you would find them open in the sense there are no barricades preventing you from entering the grounds.  You have been free to hike, walk or run on the grounds.

However, you would have also found the rest rooms closed, along with the athletic courts and shelters.

Fishers announced that today, in conjunction with guidance announced at the state level by Governor Eric Holcomb, that park facilities will go to the next phase of opening.

However, the city’s summer outdoor concert series at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater has been cancelled for the entire year.  The annual June summer camps sponsored by the Fishers Parks Department are also cancelled for this year

Below is the listing of what is changing as of May 22nd, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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• All public restroom facilities in parks properties to be de-winterized and open to the public. Restrooms will be cleaned daily, following CDC cleaning guidelines.
• Playgrounds and drinking fountains will remain closed, per the Governor’s order.
• All non-contact athletic courts and fields, including basketball, baseball, tennis, and pickleball courts will reopen. Field rentals may resume for practice and conditioning activities only.
• Athletic field rentals for non-contact sports for groups of 250 and more are set to begin June 14.
• Fishers Parks splash pads and Saxony Lake and Beach will remain closed until June 14.
• Shelter and venue rentals will resume for groups of up to 100 individuals beginning June 1.
• Shelter rentals for up to 250 people will reopen during Stage 4 of the reopening plan, set to begin on June 14.

All park amenities are planned to be fully operational during Stage 5, which is set to begin on July 4. This includes venue rentals for more than 250 individuals.

As Fishers Parks phases toward fully opening, under the guidance of the Fishers Health Department, residents are encouraged to take the necessary precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19:

• Practice social distancing: stay 6 feet apart and avoid congregating
• Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Wear a face covering if you are over the age of 2

Fishers Parks’ reopening schedule is subject to change dependent upon the Governor’s Back on Track Indiana plan and subsequent Executive Orders.