With the Spark Fishers Festival upon us and the 4th of July just around the corner, many of us living in Fishers neighborhoods are seeing and hearing fireworks.  When and how you may legally use fireworks in the City of Fishers is codified in a city ordinance.

The Fishers Police Department is reminding local residents of the rules.  Officers encourage citizens to voluntarily comply with the ordinance, but if there are violations, police will enforce the ordinance language.

As a reminder, here is the Fishers City Fireworks Ordinance, as provided by Fishers Police:

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Continue reading Reminder of the Fishers fireworks ordinance →

This week’s road construction update includes what you need to know about Spark Fishers traffic along with the latest on State Road 37 and the 116th Nickel Plate tunnell

Here is the latest, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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STATE ROAD 37 AND 146TH STREET
All left-turn lanes are currently restricted on SR 37 and on 146th Street with traffic moved to the interior lanes. Thru traffic and right turns on SR 37 and 146th Street will remain open. Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes for all left turn access. View an alternate route map here. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 131ST / 135TH STREETS
The westside of 131st Street at SR 37 is currently closed as work progresses on the interchange. SR 37 will remain open both north and southbound. SR 37 southbound left and right turns onto 131st Street will be restricted. Westbound left turns onto SR 37 will also be restricted on 131st Street. View the detour map here.

The Northbound SR 37 right turn lane onto 135th Street is currently closed from 131st Street to approximately halfway to 135th Street for Phase 1 construction. This portion of the dedicated turn lane will not reopen to regular capacity until the interchange is complete.

Please drive with caution through this area. To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com.

The City of Fishers started construction on the Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian tunnel beneath 116th Street on Tuesday, June 1. The closure is anticipated to last 60 days. During the construction, 116th Street will be closed from east of Municipal Drive to west of Maple Street. All local business and public parking access will remain open.

106th Street will serve as the detour route, with the detour beginning at Hague Road for eastbound thru traffic and Lantern Road for the westbound thru traffic.

Portions of the Nickel Plate Trail are now open, including the paved portion from 131st Street to North Street, and from South Street to 106th Street. The 116^th Street tunnel will complete the trail connection through downtown Fishers, joining South Street and North Street, and establishing a full connection from 131^st Street to 106^th Street. While the tunnel is under construction, a pedestrian detour route will provide access through downtown between the north and south sections of the trail. View the pedestrian detour map here.

To learn more about the project, view construction images and project renderings, and find detour maps, visit https://www.playfishers.com/284/Nickel-Plate-Trail

The Spark! Fishers celebration concludes tomorrow, June 26 with street festival, parade, and fireworks show in Fishers’ downtown Nickel Plate District. 116th Street will be closed beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday between Fishers Center Drive and west of Maple Street. Road closures will be in effect all day on East Municipal Drive and around Central Green. The west side of Municipal Drive will remain open from Fishers Center Drive to Lantern Road.

Parking restrictions are currently in effect on surface lots and street parking around the Municipal Complex. Garages will remain open until 3 p.m. on Saturday. At that time, the Switch and Depot Garages will be restricted for residents or those with a valid Spark! Fishers parking pass. ADA parking is available in the Police Department Garage. Attendees are encouraged to park at the Forum Credit Union Event Center (11313 USA Parkway) and take the free event shuttle.

For more details, visit https://sparkfishers.com/road-closures/

Indianapolis DPW currently has Admirals Pointe Drive closed through midsummer 2021 to replace the timber bridge over Geist and the north fork of Dry Branch. The detour will consist of Old Stone Dr. East to Carroll Rd. / 700 W., South to E. 79th St., West to Oaklandon Rd.

ADA ramp and curb reconstruction has started as part of the 2021 Resurfacing Project. After ADA ramp and curb reconstruction is completed, those areas will be restored with topsoil and seed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to water the seed for the seed to germinate. Prior to road resurfacing, residents will be notified via street signage for street parking restrictions.

The evening featured overcast skies and comfortable summer temperatures.  That was a perfect combination for the Thursday evening Spark Fishers Car & Art Show.  The size of the crowd is just another example of how eager locals are to get outside and be with other people as the pandemic lowers its threat.

Artists were everywhere, selling their artwork.  Then there were the cars, lots of classic vehicles al along the green area south of City Hall on Municipal Drive.  There were Corvettes, Camaros, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and a Model A.

If the weather holds out, look for a record crowd Saturday for the Spark Fishers Festival, parade and fireworks.

Here are just a few of the photos from the art and the cars:

Continue reading Cars & Art – Spark Fishers combination →

Imagine for a moment you receive a phone call from the number of a loved one you see on caller ID.  You are told that loved one has been kidnapped.  You hear horrible noises in the background like screaming and yelling.  You are told that any attempt to contact law enforcement will result in the immediate death of the person held at gunpoint.  You are not allowed to speak with your loved one, but are instructed to use a service like Zelle or PayPal to make an immediate payment to save the life of your loved one.

Fishers Police say this is a scam, using spoofing or mirroring methods to make it look like the phone call is from the cell phone of your loved one.

If you receive such a call, here is what local law enforcement recommends:

–Immediately hang up and call 911. Police will perform a welfare check to ensure your loved one’s safety.

–Never pay any ransom and immediately report suspicious activity.

Police are also offering the following safety tips to help avoid becoming a victim:

–Make certain the security settings on your social media accounts, are set to the highest security level locking accounts from be viewable by non-approved friends.

–Suspects are using social media to conduct research.

For example, a Fishers resident who was a recent victim had their Facebook account unlocked and viewable to the general public.  That allowed the suspects to identify friends and family.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District has two new administrators coming on board after school board approval Wednesday night.

Michelle Brittain-Watts will be the new Executive Director of Secondary Education.  She replaces Matt Kegley, who moved up to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning.  Ms. Brittain-Watts comes to HSE after a stint as principal of Bloomington North High School.  She also has worked in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and Pike Township.

HSE has a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).  Katie Dowling has served as CFO in East Chicago Schools, Griffith and Crown Point.  Dr. Matt Kegley told the board Ms. Dowling has extensive experience in school referendums.  HSE is expected to have a referendum on the ballot in about 2 years as the current referendum expires.

Cecilie Nunn currently serves as the CFO for HSE Schools, but according to a spokesperson for the local school district, Ms. Nunn is stepping down from that position for personal reasons and will be taking a job with HSE Schools in Accounts Payable.

What will your student pay in fees for the coming Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school year?  The answer to that question is complicated.  It all depends on the grade level and what books, online materials and equipment the student requires for the courses taken.

The HSE School Board passed the fee schedule for the 2021-2022 academic year at Wednesday night’s session.  Board member Michelle Fullhart reminded everyone that Indiana is one of only 8 states that charge families these fees.

For more detail on what was approved by the board, see the information below:

Continue reading HSE Schools student fees – it’s complicated →

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board has decided how to begin the 2021-2022 school year, with in-person classes and mask wearing optional.  That was the 6-1 vote by board members.

The lone no vote came from Sarah Parks-Reese.  She expressed concern students in the lower grades are not yet eligible to receive a COVID vaccination and that mask requirements might be advisable for that age group.

The school district took comments before writing the plan, which allows the district to qualify for a $2.9 million federal grant for COVID-related expenses.

You can view the document approved Wednesday night at this link.

Several people signed-up to comment, most supportive of optional mask-wearing.  A mother and her daughter complained to the board about the daughter’s experience in the local schools and said the daughter would not be returning to HSE Schools in the fall semester.

Quantigen is preparing to move from its current home near Allisonville Road & 116th Street to new quarters in the remodeled Round Room building, north of 116th Street along I-69.  The firm, specializing in medical diagnostics and device development through pharmaceutical and biotech industry partnership, will occupy 40,000 square feet in the new location.

The company plans to add 30 new, high-wage jobs in the areas of quality & regulatory compliance and research by the end of 2023 and will invest $2.5 million into new lab and office space.  Quantigen will essentially be doubling its work force.

“The Fishers community has been home to Quantigen since our founding, so we are thrilled to have been able to find a facility that can support our expansion and allow us to continue operations in the city where we have been welcomed and supported,” said Quantigen CEO Jami Elliott in  a city news release. “Mayor Fadness and his team have been incredibly supportive throughout our relocation search process. We are bullish for Quantigen’s future, as we are for the biotech prospects for our city and the region as a whole”

According to the release, the firm will be increasing activity in three areas:

• Increased demand from pharma and biotech companies to develop new diagnostic tests and platform technologies.
• Support for grant sponsored research through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the areas of high throughput test development for soil transmitted helminths, COVID-19 and Tuberculosis.
• A recent U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services MolDx coverage decision award for a novel genetic test that is used to aid health care providers in medication selection and to improve medication safety.

“Jami and his team at Quantigen are working on next-generation technology for the life science industry right here in Fishers,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Quantigen’s commitment to staying and investing in this community is exciting as we continue to see catalytic growth in this cluster that’s ripe for Fishers.”

The State of Indiana is offering up to $350,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s plans to create up to 23 new jobs by the end of 2023. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once employees are hired at the Fishers location.

The City of Fishers is providing Quantigen with a $50,000 grant toward its buildout and moving expenses. The Redevelopment Commission approved the Economic Development Agreement at the February 2 meeting with the abatement approval being presented to City Council at the July meeting.

This is part of a strategy by the City of Fishers and Mayor Fadness to grow the life science industry here.  Italian company Stevanato already announced plans for a new facility near 126th Street and Cumberland Road.

Our next Fishers municipal election is not until 2023, but if you ask me whether Scott Fadness will run for another term as mayor, on balance, I suspect he will seek reelection.  But if the mayor ever decides to leave politics, he may have another career ahead of him as host of a podcast.

I saw that illustrated Tuesday night when the mayor hosted a live Zoom session on Facebook with new Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Superintendent Yvonne Stokes.  He was not afraid to bring up issues on the minds of local families.

Fadness asked about critical race theory, the difference between equality and equity and her views on the importance of academic achievement.  He also explored how to measure success and how to put into context the many ways school district performance is evaluated.

Dr. Stokes has completed her work as an assistant superintendent in the Lake County School District of Munster and is now in Fishers preparing to take the reins on July 1.  The retiring superintendent, Allen Bourff, leaves at the end of this month.

You may view the entire, nearly hour-long, Zoom discussion on Facebook at this link. (Note…the Zoom session was a bit late starting, you need to move forward to about 6 minutes into the recording before it starts)

The Spin Doctors concert was unexpectedly postponed at the last minute by the band, but with no Spark Fishers Festival last year, let’s not allow that to dampen our spirits as an expanded celebration gets underway tonight, Tuesday, June 22nd.

The Tuesday concert features The Midtown Madmen, showcasing music from the ’50s and ’60s, at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater.  This is a free concert.

Wednesday features the 5K run.  Use this link for more details.

Thursday is the  Car & Art Show, featuring vintage and modern cars alongside 30 local artists and artisans. This event is free, 6-9pm, at the Municipal Complex.

The festival gets into full gear Saturday with the street fair, 3pm-10pm, at the Municipal Complex.  Here is what to expect:

• Local food and drink, retail vendors, artisans, and more, along with the Dining Tent sponsored by Four Day Ray Brewing.
• Three entertainment stages featuring live performances throughout the day, including the main NPD AMP stage sponsored by Ed Martin Nissan and Ed Martin Toyota, the Community Stage sponsored by Aspen Creek Grill, and the Platform Stage.
• A Kids Zone with bounce houses, games, face painters, and more kid-friendly fun sponsored by DMC Insurance.
• Roots at Spark!Fishers, a teen zone featuring a mobile skate park and dance battles with 31Svn Street Dance Academy.
• Fishers Arts Council presents a new experience, Spark of Creativity. Find your creative Spark and try out introductory experiences in movement, music, fiber arts, and acrylic painting.
• Cool down at Heroes Hall in the City Hall Auditorium, presented by Folds of Honor, where we will honor our hometown heroes who have served our country and our community. Prepare a care package for a local hero, watch a video highlighting these hometown heroes, and check out special demonstrations from the Fishers Police

The Spark Festival Parade is back this year.  It begins Saturday at 6pm, starting on Lantern Road north to Municipal Drive then south to 116th Street.  The parade then veers west on 116th and makes a north turn on Holland Drive to Ellipse Parkway at Holland Park and ends.

If you want public address commentary with your parade, there will be two locations.  The first will be provided by my friend & local publisher Tom Britt at Municipal Drive and 116th Street.  I will be handling the PA duties for the crowd gathered at Holland Drive and Ellipse Parkway, near the entrance to Holland Park.

Finally, the fireworks display starts at 10pm.  They will launch at Holland Park, but it is recommended you view the show near City Hall at the Municipal Complex.  Holland Park itself will be closed to the public for safety reasons during the fireworks.

For suggestions on parking during the festival, use this link.

Now that the pandemic has lowered the threat level and allowed us to have our Fishers summer festival once again, let’s all make the best of it!