For quite some time, Fishers has had one vaccination site on 116th Street, just east of Brooks School Road at a former Marsh Grocery location – and a testing site at the municipal complex.   As of April 4, that all changes.

Both the test and vaccination sites will move to the Fishers Health Department Clinic location at 8937 Technology Drive.

Effective Monday, April 4, new COVID-19 testing and vaccination hours are:

• Monday:  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Tuesday: 3 to 7 p.m.
• Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Thursday: 3 to 7 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Beginning April 4, appointments are not required for curbside COVID-19 testing at the new location and pre-scheduling is also available at fishers.in.us/Testing. For COVID-19 vaccines, individuals can walk-in or schedule appointments ahead of time for first, second and booster vaccinations at fishers.in.us/Vaccine. 

The Fishers Health Department’s non-COVID-19 Immunization Clinic will also move to the new location and offers vaccinations for flu, meningitis, HPV, and more to the public. Immunizations are by appointment only and can be scheduled at fishers.in.us/Immunizations. Non-COVID-19 Immunization Clinic hours are Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon.

As someone born in 1951, I was in my teenage years when the Vietnam war began its escalation in 1965.  My brother & I delivered an evening newspaper and you could see what was happening on the front page every day, along with watching national television news.

I was fortunate that I barely missed being drafted into the military during the Vietnam era.  But I had many friends in the broadcasting business that spent time in the war zone doing their duty with Armed Forces Radio.  When entering college in 1973, many of my classmates were at the university on the GI Bill and most were Vietnam Vets.

America, in general, was not kind to the men and women in uniform returning from Vietnam.  There was a movement against the war and some in that movement targeted returning servicemen as part of the problem.  Having studied Vietnam extensively and based on my conversations with with Vets, there were plenty of problems with the Vietnam War and you could, at the time, make a compelling cast to oppose America’s involvement in Southeast Asia.  However, few of those problems related to the performance of the rank-and-file soldiers.

For that reason, every time there is a chance to honor and thank those that served in Vietnam, we should be part of it.  Sadly, I have a medical appointment that will prevent me from attending this year’s Fishers National Vietnam War Veterans Day Ceremony.

But I would hope many of you can be there.  It is at the Fishers YMCA, 10am, Tuesday, March 29th.  This celebration is sponsored by a new local group, The Fishers Armed Services Commission.

Learn more about the Fishers ceremony at this link.

The Fishers Parks & Recreation staff is moving forward with concerts this summer at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater, with two more shows on the docket, but requiring tickets of $20 in advance, $25 the day of the event.

Colony House featuring Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, will perform Saturday, July 16, 2022, and The Main Squeeze with special guests to be announced on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022,. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday, April 1 at this link.

Fishers Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #199 has announced endorsements of two candidates in the upcoming May 3rd primary election.  Republicans Greg Garrison for Hamilton County Prosecutor and Darren Murphy for the Superior Court 7 judgeship received the endorsements.  The Superior Court 7 has been newly-created.

In a letter to his membership dated March 10th and released to the media Sunday, Lodge #199 President Christopher T. Owens listed his organization’s endorsements.  Lodge #199 participated in a March 7th candidate night, sponsored jointly with other FOP Lodges in Hamilton County.  Garrison and incumbent Prosecutor Lee Buckingham participated in the event.  Murphy appeared along with another hopeful for the Superior Court 7 judgeship, Stephanie Gookins.

In his letter to the Fishers Lodge membership, Owens writes the Hamilton County Prosecutor endorsement “is based on Greg Garrison’s responses and willingness to work with law enforcement.”

In the decision to endorse Darren Murphy as judge, Owens says that decision “is based on Judge Murphy’s responses and willingness to work with law enforcement.”

Only the Republicans listed have filed for Prosecutor and Superior Court Judge in the primary election.  Democrats could be appointed as candidates this summer for the general election November 8th of this year by the Democratic Party Chair.

Mike Johnson began his law enforcement career patrolling the streets in the Town of Fishers when this was a community of fewer than 15,000 people.  Mike decided to hang up his uniform for good and recently retired from Fishers PD.

Mike has now taken on the job of Director of School Safety for Hamilton Southeastern Schools.  Here is my podcast conversation with Mike Johnson.

As reported earlier, the Fishers Arts and Culture Commission is handing out $47,000 in local grants to arts organizations throughout the city.

The city announced Thursday how much money has been allocated to the individual recipients. Here is the list, as provided by the City of Fishers:

• En Pointe Indiana Ballet ($5,000) to assist with funding for their 2022-2023 program, including up to six performances in Fishers, and the licensing of Diversion of Angels through the Martha Graham Company in New York City.
• Fishers Arts Council ($5,000) to host performances at their monthly receptions, Art on the Prairie event at Conner Prairie, and more.
• Fishers Music Works ($4,000) to host two professional concerts over the summer and holiday seasons.
• Hamilton County Community Foundation ($3,000) to create a public art space for the community within the Hamilton County Community Foundation’s Collaboration Hub.
• High Frequency Arts ($5,000) to host public art receptions at Hub & Spoke in June, September, and December 2022.
• Ignite Studio at Hamilton East Public Library ($5,000) to purchase a community loom to coincide with their Fall 2022 Maker-in-Residence program and remain as a permanent installation to support textile arts after the residency.
• Shaunt’e Lewis Art LLC ($5,000) to host a creative expression event that will include up to 15 high school students creating custom Vans® Sneakers as part of a Juneteenth celebration.
• Janus Development Services, Inc. ($4,900) to provide inclusivity of people with disabilities within the Fishers community through meaningful opportunities at the Fishers Maker Playground, Ignite Studio, Conner Prairie, and Bongo Boy Music at SouthPointe Village.
• JPPARSSI, Inc. ($5,000) to create a community-based mural art project as part of Fishers’ Sesquicentennial celebration in partnership with Conner Prairie.
• Tuning Forks ($5,000) to curate a recipe book and accompanying musical soundscapes in collaboration with Fishers Parks and the Fishers Farmers’ Market.

Mission Christian Academy received unanimous approval for a special exception in the zoning laws, allowing a planned move into a building at 131st Street and Publishers Drive, near State Road 37.  The school needed the special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals due to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning for the Parkside commercial area.

The school is expanding from its current location on Olio Road and projects 225 students will be enrolled at the Publishers Drive location.  The Academy plans to have classes at the facility three days per week, with students utilizing remote learning the other two days. School officials say they plan to offer primary and secondary grade levels, as well as
Pre-K and a nursery.

An engineering study says based on the proposed configuration, the drop off & pick up of students by parents would cause no traffic issues for the surrounding area.

Representatives of Browning, developer of the Hotel Nickel Plate, revealed plans for the project at Wednesday’s meeting of the Nickel Plate Review Committee.  With 5 stories and 68 feet in height, the proposed development needed approval from the panel, which voted unanimously in favor of the variance.

The plans must still be reviewed by city staff and the technical advisory committee as the hotel moves forward.

It will be located between the First Internet Bank Building and the Nickel Plate Trail, next to a parking garage to be used for hotel guests, customers of the planned restaurant on the first floor of the hotel and by First Internet Bank.  Access to the hotel and parking garage will be via 116th Street or South Street.  It is likely those exiting the area onto 116th Street will only be using right turns, with no left turns.

Adam Chavers, Chief Development Officer for Browning, told committee members the hotel will be part of the Hilton Hotel group’s Tapestry brand.  The hotel will not use the name Hilton but will utilize the Hilton reservation system.

The hotel will feature a total of roughly 116 rooms.

City staff says there will be a public area adjacent to the hotel property and will be named Legacy Plaza.

Fishers accepted a $2.2 million bid for street resurfacing this year.  Areas to be repaved include: Eller Road, Eller Run, Eller Trails, Eller Commons, Waterford Gardens, Charleston Crossing, Sunblest, Fishers Pointe, Lantern Overlook, Delaware Pointe, and Overlook at Beaver Ridge.  City officials note that most of the work will be in neighborhoods west of Cumberland Road.  The city engineering department told the Board of Public Works & Safety Tuesday morning the work will begin as soon as possible.

In other items before the board:

–$75,000 in Neighborhood Vibrancy Grants were approved for 27 neighborhoods.  Not all applications were approved.  Had all been fully funded, it would have a price tag of nearly $105,000.  Mayor Scott Fadness asked his staff to look for funds to pay for all requested grants, if at all possible.

–The city approved an amended project agreement with Rebar’s Techway project, allowing the city an 18-month lease for space in the new building along the Nickel Plate Trail on Technology Drive.  The city plans to wind down operations at the mass vaccination center on 116th Street just east of Brooks School Road and move the operation to the Rebar facility.  The city currently has a month-to-month lease on the current 116th Street location for the vaccination center.

–Fishers had opted out of the opioid lawsuit with the state due to a previous change in state law, but City Attorney Chris Greisl told the board the General Assembly made another law change in this year’s session that incentives the city to opt back into the state’s settlement agreement.  After attorney fees, the city should expect about $350,000 as its part of the settlement, with the first payment coming as early as May, 2022.

–The board put its stamp of approval on nearly $50,000 in grants from the Fishers Arts & Culture Commission for 10 local arts projects, each ranging from $1.000 to $5,000 each.

–Controller Lisa Bradford told the board of a rate increase of $108,000 for workers compensation insurance premiums over the previous year.  The board approved the renewal, but the mayor asked Ms. Bradford to explore the possibility of self-funding the program in the future.

Corby Thompson of Boomerang Development says this project has been in the works for about a year and Monday night he unveiled plans for Abbott Commons, a 98 acre development along I-69, Cyntheanne Road and 136th Street.

Thompson told the Fishers City Council Boomerang plans to invest $150 million into Abbott Commons, with town homes priced at about $325,000 and single family homes costing as much as $475,000.  Plans for the development include paths and sidewalks, and  may include sport courts, a dog park, community gardens, trail amenities, including benches, gazebos, enhanced landscaping, or a pocket park.

Development of the construction site could begin early next year if city approvals are completed.

The council heard the proposal on first reading for a a voluntary annexation and rezoning.  The project next goes to the Fishers Plan Commission for a public hearing and will return to the council, possibly as early as April, for a final vote.