Michelle Fullhart handed the gavel to Janet Pritchett Wednesday night as Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school board president. “Never, in my wildest dreams, or nightmares, could I have imagined all the challenges we would have,” Fullhart said, referring to the COVID pandemic. Fullhart served 18 months as board president, first after Mike Bottorff resigned his board seat in the summer of 2019, then through all of 2020.
“It is my goal to lead with Integrity, empathy, kindness and a driving focus on students,” said Pritchett as she assumed the role as president.
Brad Boyer will serve as board vice president during 2021 and Julie Chambers was elected board secretary.
All three newly elected board members were sworn-in virtually by Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Paul Felix. Suzanne Thomas, Sarah Parks-Reese and Sarah Donsbach all took the oath of office with family members and friends at their sides.
The three outgoing board members were honored by the board for their service. Sylvia Shepler and Clint Wilson accepted their awards. Amanda Shera was honored at the meeting but was not on hand to personally accept the recognition.
Upper left, Suzanne Thomas & family: Upper right, Sarah Parks-Reese & family: Lower left, Sarah Donsbach & family: Lower right, Judge Paul Felix, virtually (Photo provided by HSE Schools)
After going to an all-virtual class schedule since November 19, HSE Schools will go to 100% in-person classes grades preK-6, with a 50% hybrid class system for grades 7-12. This will begin on January 19. The school board voted unanimously to approve the revised operation plan Wednesday night.
Under this arrangement, Fridays will be e-learning days for the remainder of the school year. Superintendent Allen Bourff told board members the e-learning Fridays will allow teachers time to consult with students, have planning time and use the Fridays for professional development as well.
Administrators told the board the availability of substitute teachers has improved since November, with a number of substitutes nearing completion of their certification. The lack of subs was a major reason cited by school officials for implementing the all-virtual class schedules November 19.
Dr. Bourff says administrators will be watching the data, including attendance which will determine any changes in the plan. The ability to safely distance will also be monitored.
The establishment of e-learning Fridays will require a revised school calendar. You may view the calendar at this link.
To view Dr. Bourff’s presentation to the board, use this link.
The Fishers Arts Council has announced that the work of Hugh Syme will be on display at Fishers City Hall the first three months of 2021.
Here is the announcement and news release from the Arts Council:
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The Fishers Arts Council will present three exhibits by noted JUNO Award winning artist Hugh Syme in January, February and March on the 2nd Level of The Art Gallery at City Hall.
Hugh is a painter, illustrator and graphic artist. Drawing and painting began at an early age, but his formal education came from the New School of Art in Toronto and York University in York, England. Hugh has studios in both Toronto and Indiana. Hugh may be best known for his artwork and cover concepts for many rock and contemporary artists and has created some of the most memorable album covers in music history. He is also an accomplished musician and has appeared on albums by Rush, Tiles, Jim McCarty (of The Yardbirds) and was a member of the Ian Thomas Band for several years.
He also created Rush’s iconic Starman logo, “though we never imagined the band would adopt it as their key brand for decades to come, nor that it would become so internationally recognizable”. In 2015, Hugh published his 276-page signed and numbered tome, dedicated to his 3 daughters (“my three suns”), and celebrating 40 years as art director for the band Rush (“Art Of Rush / Serving A Life Sentence”).
Apart from producing his own ever-evolving personal body of work over the years, Hugh is probably best known as the man responsible for Rush’s album cover art, which began in 1975 with “Caress of Steel.” He has designed and created artwork for hundreds of musicians including Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Scorpions, Celine Dion, Meatloaf, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Styx, Warrant, Jimmy Paige, Asia, KISS, The Band, Chick Korea, Indiana’s own Carrie Newcomer and Krista Detor, along with many more.
Hugh is as versatile as his art, having designed and created the graphics for Steve Binder’s “Elvis ’68 Comeback Special” book and all ancillary elements. He has designed Meteor 17 and Fathom Events ventures with Diana Ross, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix: The Acoustic Experience, along with multiple film, television and book enterprises. Hugh designed covers for all of Neil Peart’s books – currently completing what will be Neil’s only posthumous publication, “Sports Cars of the 60’s.” He has recently finish illustrating and designing Graham Nash’s new book, “Our House.”
In addition, Syme has worked on advertising campaigns for Accenture, Denon, Xerox, AT&T, The David Geffen Company, The Washington Post, Virgin, Bausch & Lomb, Universal Studies, Miramax, Forbes, Panasonic, Paramount, MGM Grand, Microsoft, Sony, Alpine Audio, Disney, Time Warner, Eli Lily, Pfizer, Samuel Adams Beer, and numerous international advertising agencies. He has also contributed his vision and artist style to a wide range of video game and DVD/Blu-ray packaging designs.
Hugh’s January exhibit in Fishers, “The World at Large” will feature 13 prints while the February exhibit, “Music and Cover Art,” will feature another 13 prints. In March, the exhibit will conclude with “Music Art of RUSH” with 25 prints exhibited. If COVID protocols allow, we will have a live reception with Hugh on March 19th from 6-8 pm at the gallery.
Hugh now lives in New Castle, Ind. where he is in the process of building a new house. His three daughters live close by. He is also a co-host of Music Buzzz Podcast, www.musicbuzzzpodcast.com, part of Pantheon Podcasts – the podcast network for music lovers.
The Art Gallery at City Hall, One Municipal Drive is open daily Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm excluding holidays and Saturdays during Fishers Summer Farmers Market.
The contract for the next phase of the Nickel Plate Trail has been awarded to Meyer Najem. The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety voted in favor of the $3.2 million public-private partnership Tuesday. Mayor Scott Fadness says the agreement calls for any cost savings to be split, with 80% going to the city and 20% to Meyer Najem. This agreement includes a pedestrian bridge, according to the mayor.
The board also voted to acquire vehicle license plate readers for the Fishers Police Department. Chief Ed Gebhart told the board 95% of the cost for this technology will be underwritten through grants. The Chief also said there are specific regulations on how this information is used. It will not be recording every vehicle at a given location and all data will be wiped clean after 30 days.
A change order of $433,000 received board approval to handle unforeseen issues in replacing the concrete streets in Burberry Estates.
Finally, the board voted to allow the Department of Public Works to purchase a radio controlled mower for just under $50,000. The department told the board this mower will save the city roughly 600 hours a year, with a return on investment in about a year.
The City of Fishers is preparing for events honoring the memory of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., January 15-19.
Below are the details, as provided by the City of Fishers.
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I Have a Dream Driving Tour
Fishers Parks is distributing 500 fill-in-the-blank style yard signs and markers on a first-come, first-served basis for residents to fill in with their dreams and display in their yard during the celebration. The final pickup opportunity is today from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Fishers Parks office (11565 Brooks School Road). Participants have the option to submit their home to the online driving tour map, so others can travel around the community to see the decorated signs. After the celebration, residents can recycle their signs by dropping off at the Fishers Parks office between noon and 6 p.m. on January 20 and 21.
MLK Memorial Spotify Playlist
Check out the MLK Memorial playlist on Spotify, curated by Fishers Parks, to listen to famous speeches, hymns, and period music inspired and related to the life of Dr. King. Listen to it at your convenience or play it to accompany the I Have a Dream Driving Tour.
2,000 Acts of Kindness Challenge The 2,000 Acts of Kindness Challenge, launched by Mayor Scott Fadness last month to encourage residents to support one another and local businesses during this difficult time, concludes on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Residents can share their kind act, or nominate someone who has performed a kind act, through an online form. As a thank you for their act, residents will receive a $50 gift card to a locally owned restaurant. Fishers residents have completed over 1,200 Acts of Kindness over the past month as part of this challenge.
#VolunteerFishers Pledge
Celebrate the national day of service and give back to your community with a pledge to #VolunteerFishers. Visit ThisIsFishers.com/MLK to take the pledge and share how you plan on giving back in 2021. Residents can find a list of volunteer opportunities with local nonprofit organizations, register to volunteer with the City of Fishers, sign up for the City’s volunteer newsletter, and more at ThisIsFishers.com/Volunteer.
Volunteer with Fishers DPW
Join the service efforts this weekend and help Fishers Department of Public Works spread recycled Christmas tree mulch at Billericay Park from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, January 16. Volunteers can register at PlayFishers.com/Volunteer.
Virtual Celebration
Visit ThisIsFishers.com/MLK to find blog posts related to racial equity, a list of suggested readings from the Hamilton East Public Library relating to Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, and information on other MLK Day celebrations around the community.
The Moderna COVID vaccine has arrived at the Fishers Health Department, with 400 doses on hand and more on the way. Meanwhile, the city is readying the site at the former Marsh Supermarket on 116th Street near Brooks School Road. It is scheduled to be operational by the end of January and has the ability to vaccinate up to 1,000 individuals per day.
“We are thrilled to have COVID-19 vaccinations available to our residents beginning today,” said Public Health Director Monica Heltz in a health department news release. “This vaccine gets us one step closer to controlling the spread of COVID-19 and eventually experiencing some normalcy in our daily lives. I urge each of our residents to get this vaccine and continue to stay vigilant by washing hands, masking up, and distancing from those outside your household.”
The Fishers Health Department urges city residents to submit the online vaccine interest form and will be notified when it is your turn to receive the shot in the arm. This is optional. For more information, use this link.
It is dangerous to be away from my trusty computer equipment, but that is what has happened to me the past few days. There is news to catch-up on, so let’s do that right now.
The COVID numbers continue to deteriorate over the past few weeks, so the Fishers Health Department has extended the strict rules that went into effect on Christmas day and is continuing the public health order through February 8. For a review of those rules, use this link.
The Fishers Health Department is converting the vacant former Marsh Supermarket on 116th Street, near Brook School Road, into a mass COVID vaccination center. It is hoped the larger facility can provide shots-in-the-arms more efficiently for those currently qualified.
Finally, The City of Fishers has handed-out 1,100 $50 gift certificates to local residents for their acts of kindness. People in Fishers nominate local residents they believe are deserving of the recognition due to their kind acts. The goal is to recognize 2,000 people in Fishers for their kind deeds. You can nominate a Fishers resident by submitting the online form at this link.
The city’s challenge ends on Martin Luther King Day.
(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton CountyReporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com. This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com)
Shortly after the November election, I listed three issues that I think deserve attention in this year’s state legislative session. They are matters that would benefit our citizens, namely the elimination of Pay to Play, stopping the gerrymandering of Hamilton County, and opening of the political party caucus when filling a vacancy in a public office.
Unfortunately, I don’t see much chance of success for my suggestions despite the fact that most people would probably agree these are corrections that should be made by state legislation. The trouble is that these are not matters on which the public pressures the legislature.
Regarding the first of these, Pay to Play, is the game whereby some corporations or individuals make campaign contributions to political candidates with the hope they will reward the donor with contracts for goods or services.
I spoke earlier this week with State Rep. Tony Cook of Cicero. Now in his fourth term, Cook is chairman of the House Ethics Committee. He agrees he “would like to see some of that curtailed.”
He points out it might be easier said than done. Each legislator can only submit 10 bills for consideration, and apparently none has authored one to curtail the pay to play scheme.
But, Cook says he will check with other legislators to see if there is a bill that could somehow tackle or include this issue. But, if there is something that could be found on the subject, a hearing on any bill is at the discretion of the Speaker of the House.
Then, there is a matter of definition and enforcement of something like pay to play. There is a fine line between legitimate lobbying and paying a legislator for his support, Cook notes.
But, Cook agrees he “does not feel it’s right” to offer obviously excessive contributions from folks hoping to get favored status.
So, without the public’s involvement, I don’t look for major change on this issue at this time. And, on the issues of gerrymandering and closed caucuses, look for even less action unless there is a public outcry.
We’ll try to keep watch, and hope that others do too.
Newly-elected Councilors Maki, Nation begin their terms
Massillamany
Amy Massillamany has been elected president of the Hamilton County Council. She replaces Rick McKinney in the role. Steve Schwartz will serve as Vice President. Election of officers is an annual practice at the first meeting of each year.
Massillamany was elected to the Hamilton County Council in 2011. She represents District 2, which includes Delaware, Fall Creek and Wayne townships.
Massillamany works in sales and is currently the Director of Client Development at RGP, a worldwide consulting firm specializing in Finance, Accounting, Governance, Risk & Compliance, Information Management, Human Capital, and Corporate Advisory.
Prior to serving on the Council, Massillamany served as a Precinct Committeewoman, a volunteer for the Hamilton County Republican Party as well as a volunteer for multiple grassroots initiatives for local, state and national races. She has been instrumental in advocating for partnerships with local cities, towns and school systems, supporting the county’s technological advances and initiatives, spearheading a market driven analysis of the county’s employee pay structure, and represents the council as a member of the Workforce Recovery Taskforce, created as a result of the pandemic, connecting businesses and job seekers.
Nation
Maki serves as the Manager of Environmental Initiatives & Education for Carmel Utilities.Sue Maki and Steve Nation also joined the Hamilton County Council for its first meeting. The pair won at-large seats in the November election.
Nation retired as a Hamilton County Judge two years ago after serving 24 years on the bench and 16 years as a prosecutor.
