Hamilton County announced Friday that there will be lane restrictions over the White River Bridge on 116th Street, along the line between Fishers and Carmel.  The lane closures are scheduled to begin on or after September 20th with the work expected to be completed by November 9th.

Below is the full statement from the county highway department:

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Please be advised, beginning on or after Monday, September 20, lane closures will be in effect for 116th Street between River Road and Eller Road for the rehabilitation of Bridge No. 160: 116th Street over the West Fork White River. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained at all times on 116th Street throughout construction. Lane closures are expected to be lifted by Tuesday, November 9.

In addition, River Drive West will be closed at 116th Street for the first project phase beginning on or after Monday, September 20. Residents are requested to utilize the signalized intersection at 116th Street and River Drive East for the duration of the closure.

Please exercise caution while driving through the construction zone.

The meteorologists say September 1 is the first day of the fall season, but we know there are plenty of good-weather days left for road construction in and around Fishers.

State Road 37 work continues.  The west side of 131st Street has been blocked, but that is expected to change, switching over to a blocked east side of the highway, likely beginning late in September.

For what is happening now, here is the road construction update, 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.

116th Street in downtown Fishers has fully opened to four lanes of traffic after the completion of the Nickel Plate Trail tunnel. Upon completion of the Nickel Plate Trail, slated for Spring 2022, pedestrians will access the trail via the tunnel to provide safe passage beneath 116th Street. Construction in the area related to the downtown development projects will impact the roadway at various times in August and September.

NICKEL PLATE TRAIL
Paving of the northern portion of the Nickel Plate Trail is currently taking place, beginning at 131st Street and moving north of 146th Street over the coming weeks. The project is anticipated to take approximately six weeks to complete, pending weather delays. A speed table (roadway crossing) and pedestrian warning signal for motorists will be installed at 141st Street during this construction. Until paving is complete, this northern portion of the railbed remains closed and no trespassing is permitted. The northern portion is anticipated to be open for pedestrian use by the end of October.

106TH STREET 
On Tuesday, September 7 and Wednesday, September 8, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., 106th Street will have lane restrictions in place between Mollenkopf Road and Hoosier Road for storm work. Flaggers will be in place to direct traffic.

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.

My brother Tom is 2 years younger than me.  He called on September 3rd to remind me that a number is just that – a number.

Tom & I grew up together and he has a couple of years to go, but September 3rd, 2021 does represent a number – it is the day I turn 70 years of age.

Reflecting on that number brings so much into my mind I cannot express all of it here, but let’s look at some of the major thoughts.

We do not choose our families, but I hit the jackpot with mine, with a pair of wonderful parents.  My mom is still around at age 91 and I treasure every day with her.  My dad has been gone for 27 years but taught me so much that remains with me today.

I am the oldest of 6.  I am so proud of all 5 siblings.  They are special people.  My extended family is also important to me.  So, I may not be wealthy in some ways, but very rich in others.

My wife Jane has been by my side for 30 years.  No father anywhere can be more proud of his daughters as I am of twins Allison and Mary.  They have grown up to be outstanding young women.

I have made so many friends through my work in radio broadcasting and the federal government.  There is no way I could name you all here, but you know who you are and I have not forgotten any of you.

Facebook is something that is good and not so good at the same time.  But it does provide a way for people to wish others a happy birthday, and I have a long list of well-wishers on this September 3, 2021.  I cannot reply to everyone wishing me a happy birthday, but do try to add a like to each one just to let you know I saw and read your message.

So, there is a lot to look back upon over 70 years.  The many people I have known and so much I have been able to achieve.  I feel extremely fortunate to be in relatively good health for a guy my age.

The past nearly 10 years has been my volunteer effort as a local Fishers news blogger.   I’ve tried to quit at least twice, but circumstances always draw me back into the fray.  We have a special community here in Fishers and it will stay that way only if we, as the citizens of this city, pull together to keep it special.

Thanks for reading this blog and listening to my podcasts.  I’m looking back over 70 years and have no idea what the future looks like – but for as long as I am able, I’ll be writing about it here.

Fishers may have been a bit of a sleepy suburb in 1991 when I arrived, but no one can say that in 2021.

The City of Fishers is reminding everyone of the many events set, kicking-off September with the annual Blues Fest at the Amphitheater September 3 & 4.

Don’t forget the rescheduled concert with the Spin Doctors October 1st (OK, it is one day after September).

Of course, Fishers plans a special commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of September 11th.

For more, check this listing below, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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• Fishers Blues Fest
  • Friday, Sept. 3 & Saturday, Sept. 4 | NPD AMP | 5 – 10 PM
• Fishers Farmers’ Market
  • Every Saturday through Sept. | NPD AMP | 8 AM – Noon 
• Purple Veins – The Essential Prince Tribute Band
  • Friday, Sept. 10 | NPD AMP | 8 – 10 PM
• September 11 20th Anniversary Commemoration
  • Saturday, Sept. 11 | NPD AMP | 8 AM – 8 PM 
  • Register for the Run to Remember 5K
• Fishers Arts Council and Fishers Parks & Recreation Foundation’s Harvest Fest
  • Saturday, Sept. 12 | Heritage Park | Noon – 7 PM
• Maker Playground: Family Night
  • Saturday, Sept. 25 | Maker Playground | 5 – 7 PM
• Spin Doctors
  • Friday, Oct. 1 | NPD AMP | 8 – 10 PM

The pandemic has been brutal for many groups that depend on live performances, but nonetheless the Fishers Community Chorus is gearing-up for its 6th season.

A meet & greet event is set for September 14, 7-9pm, at the new Hub & Spoke Design Center.  You will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with chorus members, with a 30-minute “master class in basic vocal techniques” as part of the evening.

For more information on the Fishers Community Chorus, just e-mail – FCC@fishersmusicworks.org

Here’s how the group describes potential members:

   Fishers Community Chorus is open to all who live, work, or play in Fishers, Indiana. We are a non-auditioned, mixed chorus open to all people over the age of 18. We only require 3 things:

1. You can carry a tune (virtuosic talent not necessary)

2. You are committed to making your community a better place through a shared love of music!

3. You are willing and prepared to put forth a little effort as necessary to make this experience fun and rewarding for all involved.

Harvest Fest is back for a second year with the celebration to be held on the beautiful setting of the Ambassador House and Heritage Park.

The Fishers Arts has issued a news release with all the details.  Here is the text of that release:

Fishers Arts Council will have 29 artists and artisans participating in the Fishers Parks and Recreation Foundation’s Harvest Fest at the Ambassador House and Heritage Park, 10595 Eller Road, Fishers, from noon to 7 pm on Sunday, September 12th.

This is a free, family friendly event with proceeds benefitting the Ambassador House and Gardens, the Fishers Arts Council (FAC), Fishers Police Corps, Fishers Historical Society, Knights of Columbus, and Fishers Youth Assistance Program. Each group will offer something different to raise money. The Parks Foundation will offer raffle baskets and face painting while the Fishers Police Corps will be selling hot dogs, chips, and water. The Ambassador House will be selling adult beverages and offering house tours. Fishers Youth Assistance Program will be offering bake sale and dessert items. Knights of Columbus will offer fried veggies, and there will be three food vendors, Rose and Lois, Snow Cone, and Indy Fresh. FAC artists Laura Villanyi, Olivia Holt, and Pat Grabill will lead a make and take craft. Music, provided by the City of Fishers, includes the bands J. Elliott 12-2pm; Jump for Joy, 2-4pm; Retro on the Rocks 4-7pm.

The artists and artisans are Brad Baker, acrylic, gouache on canvas; Ingrid Blount, alcohol ink paintings, jewelry, décor; Tracy & Amy Brauchla, leather work; Aimee Bruno, alcohol Ink paintings; Madison Clayborn, handmade soy candles; Susan Davis, gel plate cards, centered on Fishers; Shelley Feeney, acrylic, oils, textured paintings; Brad Fields, watercolors; Pat Garcia, watercolors, prints; Doug Hamilton, acrylic pour paintings and jewelry; Tyler Hamilton, handmade stone cut artisan jewelry and woodcraft; Paige Harper, a variety of pottery items for the home; Beverly Jerabek, handmade jewelry; Nyla Kerstiens, originals and prints in acrylic, watercolor, gouache, marker and pencil; Patty Klunzinger, glass blowing, fused glass jewelry, home décor; Matthew Macklin, mixed media,

expressionistic works; Sana Mulla-Malik, multi-cultural peg dolls; Vicki Nelson-Spicklemire, soaps; Leigh Petersen, watercolor, pen & ink; Angela Rosenau, soaps and lotions; Mark Rouse, acrylic washes, digital imagery and acrylic over-painting; Doug Sauter, stained glass, acrylic on canvas; Bryant Shields, acrylic dream paintings; Michael Vansickle, woodworking, clocks; Anna Villanyi, laser cut wood designs; Caroline Vogt, hand drawn art transferred onto clothing and other items; Taylor Walker, portraits, acrylic, encaustic and watercolors; Hannah Weaver, prints & originals in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pencil and more; Teresa Wesley, crochet Amigurumi animals and other figures. Walt Thacker will be demonstrating oil painting at the FAC booth from noon to 3 pm.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and his staff are revealing the 2022 budget proposal to be considered by the City Council.  I watched and listened to the City Council Finance Committee meeting held late last week and reported on that in a story posted August 28 and can be found at this link.

The mayor, his staff and Finance Committee Chair John Weingardt met with the media to discuss the budget during the afternoon of August 31st and more was revealed about next year’s proposed spending plan.

The mayor repeated that city number crunchers had initially projected a 4.1% increase in the city’s share of the Local Income Tax (LIT) but the official numbers from the state now show a 3.6% decrease compared to the previous year.  That is costing Fishers $5 million in revenue for 2022, according to city officials.

Fadness has asked House Speaker Todd Huston, who represents most of Fishers, to look into why this happened.

“How does Hamilton County, when our unemployment rate never really achieved anything near where others did, see that kind of decline in income tax revenue?” Fadness said.  “It’s just a head-scratcher.”

The city is making no accusations that there are errors in the LIT distribution, the mayor just wants this checked out and the city only wants an explanation as to why this happened.

In another LIT-related issue, Carmel will be sending $224,000 in LIT money to Fishers based on an agreement reached to alleviate what Fishers argued was an imbalance in LIT distributions under the state formula.

The mayor is finalizing a new 5-year contract with a provider for employee health insurance.  All workers will be in the Community Health Network under this plan.  60% of city workers are already a part of the Community Network.  The city has not raised employee health premiums for nearly a decade, but the city’s costs have risen.  Fadness says the 5-year horizon will stabilize the city’s funding for the new plan.

The city is budgeting $250,000 for nonprofit organizations as part of the 2022 budget, but the mayor says there may be a change on how that money will be divided up.  In the past few years, a city council committee has decided which organizations will receive city funds and how much will be provided to each group.

“We’re evaluating the best way to do that, the most efficient way to decide where those dollars go,” the mayor said.

A former primary candidate for Hamilton County Commissioner is advocating for Fishers to be within one commissioner district, but Mayor Scott Fadness says he sees no immediate need to push for such a proposal.

Fishers resident Bill Smythe has been involved in Republican politics for many years and was a candidate in the 2016 GOP primary for a Commissioner seat.  Incumbent Mark Heirbrandt won that election.

“According to the new census data, Fishers is the sixth largest city in the state and ranks second in Hamilton County, just behind Carmel,” wrote Smythe in a statement released Tuesday. “However, the city of Fishers has never had its own representation in the executive branch of our county government.”

Smythe also points out that none of the three Hamilton County Commissioners reside in Fishers.  The entire county votes in county commissioner elections, but each commissioner must live within their respective districts.  New district lines will be drawn based on 2020 census data.

According to Smythe, this has nothing to do with any future political plans of his own.  “I have no intention of ever running for office again and most assuredly I will never appear on a GOP ballot in the future,” writes Smythe.

Fadness says he has worked well with all three commissioners on projects such as State Road 37 and the local airport. “Obviously, anytime there’s representation for Fishers that’s a good thing, but I don’t know that I have a sense of urgency about it,” Fadness said.

Both City Councilman John Weingardt and Mayor Fadness added that it takes two of the three commissioners to decide anything, so having a relationship with only one commissioner may not be in the best interests of Fishers.  How lines are drawn for state legislative districts are of much more interest to Mayor Fadness.

Fishers has denied two Verizon 5G cell tower requests in two different neighborhoods at Monday morning’s Board of Public Works and Safety meeting.  The board, consisting of Mayor Scott Fadness and his two appointees, Jeff Lantz and Jason Meyer, voted unanimously to deny the requests.

In each case, the neighborhood homeowners’ associations (HOAs) were unable to reach agreement with Verizon on the placement of the towers. The neighborhoods where the board denied Verizon’s proposed tower placement are Harrison Woods and Lantern Overlook.  Both were tabled at the previous board meeting to allow time for Verizon and the HOAs to reach a consensus, but in these two neighborhoods, no consensus was reached.

Fishers City Attorney Chris Greisl told LarryInFishers Verizon may come back to the board with another proposal or just choose not to provide 5G service to that specific area.

A proposed Verizon 5G tower plan for Northfield Estates was tabled to allow Verizon to discuss a tower placement issue in that neighborhood.

The board approved a Verizon 5G tower on South Street in the downtown area when no objections were raised by nearby residents.

In one other matter before the board, look for nighttime hour lane restrictions on 96th Street near the Meijer store during the week of September 6.  This is to allow work on underground utilities.

After residing in Fishers since 1991, and as far back as I can remember, there has been a citizens academy of some sort, going back to the days of being a town.  Everyone leaving that program told me it was a very worthwhile experience.

The HSE School District has just started its own version, with HSEngaged.  29 people have been chosen to participate in the initial program.

The City of Fishers recently announced a long list of opportunities for local citizens to become involved and learn more about the city.  The list includes the City Government Academy, Mayor’s Youth Academy, Citizens Fire Academy, Citizens Police Academy, Fishers Police Department Cadet Academy and also information on how you can be a volunteer.

Here is the full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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City Government Academy
The City of Fishers’ award-winning City Government Academy offers residents an exclusive, behind-the-scenes exploration of local government. At the end of the nine-week course, participants will have a greater understanding of how Fishers government works for its residents. Classes will typically be held on Wednesday evenings this fall from 6 to 8 p.m. Registration for the fall sessions closes on Friday, September 3. To learn more and register, visit ThisIsFishers.com/CGA.

Mayor’s Youth Academy
In partnership with Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Eman Schools, the Mayor’s Youth Academy offers the opportunity to work with Mayor Scott Fadness to build community awareness, provide hands-on learning opportunities, and inspire future careers in the public sector. Applications for the 2021-2022 school year are due Friday, September 3. High school juniors and seniors that attend school in Fishers with a GPA of at least 3.0 are eligible for the program. To learn more and register, visit ThisIsFishers.com/Citizen.

Citizen’s Fire Academy
The Fishers Fire Department Citizen’s Academy is an eight-week program designed to increase understanding of fire and emergency medical operations and to promote citizen interaction with the Fishers Fire Department personnel. The program is designed to enhance awareness of the department’s capabilities, develop realistic expectations of response times from the point of dispatch, and develop a cooperative relationship between firefighters and the citizens of Fishers. Learn more and register at ThisIsFishers.com/Citizen.

Citizen’s Police Academy 
The Citizen’s Police Academy is an opportunity for the community to participate in police-style training through a 12-week course. Topics include criminal law, crime prevention, the K-9 program, defensive tactics, and narcotics training through demonstrations and classroom instruction. Learn more at ThisIsFishers.com/Citizen. 

Fishers Police Department Cadet Academy 
Open to young adults 14 to 19 years old, the Cadet Academy exposes participants to the Fishers Police Department and helps those interested in law enforcement careers to make an informed decision. Programs offered include crime scene investigation, traffic stops, use of police dogs, SWAT, computer crimes, and more. Registration is due September 13 and is available online at fishers.in.us/CadetProgram. Interested participants can learn more at the Cadet Program Open House on Monday, August 30 at 7 p.m. at the Fishers Police Department.

Volunteer Opportunities
Get involved and make a difference in your community this fall with volunteer opportunities with the City of Fishers and Fishers Parks. Upcoming opportunities include the Run to Remember 5K and Safety Day on September 11, Glow in the Park on September 19, AgriPark Fall Festival on October 16, and Boo Bash on October 30. From October 2-9, the City will host the fall celebration of Keep Fishers Beautiful, with special volunteer opportunities throughout the week. Learn more at VolunteerFishers.com.