by

Stu Clampitt

Hamilton County Reporter

The Festival of Trees is only a couple weeks away, but you can see and bid on some beautiful holiday creations right now at the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center.

Saturday, Nov. 17 will be the fifth annual Hamilton County Festival of Trees, and it will be held at Bridgewater Country Club, 3535 E. 161st St., Westfield. The Festival of Trees is a dinner and Christmas tree auction to raise funds to help families in need during the holiday season.

All proceeds benefit the Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County, Inc., for their signature holiday food and assistance program for county residents.

The Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center has five trees displayed for Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County. This is the Festival of Trees Pre-Event Silent Auction that the public can view and bid on those trees.

Event Coordinator Kim Harden was in charge of finding the designers who decorated these themed Christmas trees, organizing the event, and helping promote it.

“For Thanksgiving and Christmas, people get food boxes,” Harden said. “At Christmas all the kids get three new gifts and clothes – whatever they need. Last year Good Samaritan helped 26,978 people who live in Hamilton County. I think people don’t realize we have lower income people who live in Hamilton County who work but are really struggling to make ends meet. Those are the people we want to help. “

Bidding on the trees at the judicial center started Monday and will end Nov. 16. Two days after the event, trees will be delivered to winning bidders by Two Men And A Truck moving company.

The Live Auction at Bridgewater with limited seating has sold out the past two years. You can purchase tickets for the live Festival of Trees Auction held at Bridgewater Club at gsnlive.org

Visit facebook.com/FestivalofTreesGSN for more information and pictures.

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. 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) 

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton County is a place where individual communities like to keep their separate agencies and organizations. Whereas many Hoosier counties go countywide on such things as planning commissions, library districts, historical societies and even school districts, in our county most communities keep their own systems and with this, their own identities.

Hamilton County has nine planning jurisdictions, nine fire departments, six school corporations, five library districts and five historical museums. This has been the case for years, leading some to say that’s too many organizations to be efficient, but at the rate the county is growing, it has probably proved wise to have multiples of such institutions and agencies.

But, it is painful sometimes. Right now county officials are trying to get all fire departments and police departments to agree on how to pay fairly for 911 emergency communications costs. Larger jurisdictions have been paying smaller departments’ costs and want to end that practice while still keeping a centralized communications system.

Our five public library systems have joined in resisting state administration efforts to have (with a few exceptions) only countywide library districts. Hamilton County libraries in recent years have adopted a reciprocal agreement so that any library patron can use any library in the county.

The number of planning and zoning jurisdictions pose problems when as many as three jurisdictions meet at one highway intersection. One planning board may zone one side of a road for one type of use while across the road zoning is not compatible. But, planners do meet with each other and usually find a workable solution.

With school districts there are few if any problems. And, with the tremendous growth in school enrollment, six school systems is probably none too many. If enrollments grow too large administration becomes more difficult.

Museums and historical societies in Hamilton County concentrate on their immediate community, so important in our growing county where many newer residents don’t have knowledge of their local history and culture.

So, while our county may be unique is some of these areas, we’re doing all right, and we just happen to be safest, best educated, and most attractive to new residents and businesses of any in the state.

Tomorrow’s commentary will be devoted to one of the county historical societies that is increasing its activity to enhance awareness of its community’s contributions.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor 

Hamilton County Reporter

This year’s Fishers girls basketball team will have familiar faces, yet there will also be a new look for the Tigers.

Fishers did graduate six seniors from last year’s 13-12 team, including Toni Grace, who is now playing at Davenport University. But the Tigers have four players returning who played all or almost all of the varsity games last year, along with a few others who got some playing time as well.

“While we graduated six seniors and a great deal of our scoring in point guard Toni Grace, we return several players with multiple years of varsity experience,” said Fishers coach Lauren Vail. “Juniors Lydia Stullken and Tamia Perryman and Seniors Skylar Fulton and Cierra Tolbert all contributed last year and I look for each one to have an increased role this season.”

Perryman was the second-leading scorer last year, averaging 7.2 points per game. She was also far and away the top rebounder for the Tigers, bringing in an impressive 7.8 boards per contest. Perryman also led the team with 1.7 assists.

Stullken was also a force on the boards, with 3.6 rebounds per game. She was also the blocks leader, with 1.2 per contest, and averaged 3.8 points. As for the seniors, Fulton brings back 6.9 points per game, while Tolbert averaged 2.4 rebounds.

After those four players, Vail has four additional players who will be factors for Fishers this season.

“We will add a couple of sophomores in Katie Burton and Audra Emmerson and juniors Regan Newman and Kaitlynn Feagan who were both part of a very successful JV squad and will be looking to make the jump to the varsity level and contribute,” said Vail.

As a freshman, Burton played 13 varsity games last season and had decent numbers, scoring 2.8 points per game. Emmerson got into four games, with Newman playing two games.

“As a team, this group will work well together and I look for consistent improvement as the season goes on as we implement a new style of play,” said Vail. “I am very excited to work this group.”

Fishers will begin its season on Saturday by playing two games at the Ben Davis Invitational. The Tigers take on Southport at 11:30 a.m., then play the host Giants at 4:30 p.m.

VARSITY ROSTER
Seniors: Skylar Fulton, Cierra Tolbert.
Juniors: Kaitlynn Feagan, Regan Newman, Tamia Perryman, Lydia Stullken.
Sophomores: Addison Arena, Katie Burton, Audra Emmerson, Katie Howard.

There were no classes held at Hoosier Road Elementary and Fall Creek Intermediate Schools Thursday and Friday because a teacher at each school died Wednesday night tragically.  Classes are set to resume Monday.

Late Friday afternoon, Fishers Police released the Hamilton County Coroner’s ruling that Kristal Sergi, a teacher at Hoosier Road Elementary School, died Wednesday night from a homicide with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest.  The death of Frank Sergi, an art teacher at Fall Creek Intermediate, was a suicide with a single gunshot to the head, per the coroner’s report.

This has been a very difficult time for the many people in the Fishers area that knew this couple.  Based on public records, it appears the couple was in the process of going through a divorce.

There were counselors and mental health professionals available at Hoosier Road & Fall Creek Thursday & Friday.

Now, it is time to return to classes.  Hamilton Southeastern Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff sent the following message Sunday:

Classes resume Monday, October 29 at Hoosier Road Elementary and Fall Creek Intermediate, and our sympathies go out to the Sergi family and especially to their sons. Our thanks go to the many patrons and neighbors who have extended themselves to support our staffs. Our admiration, confidence, and thanks go out to our staff for their resilience and determination to serve their students in the wake of such tragedy and their own personal grief. As I have said so many times throughout recent days, we have good people coming together to work through this challenge, and they will. To our families and to our students, rest assured that you are in capable, professional, and most of all, loving hands as school starts again. 

Yes, classes resume (Monday) at Hoosier Road Elementary and Fall Creek Intermediate, but throughout all of Hamilton Southeastern Schools, all schools open with a heightened awareness of the fragility of life and the significance of each individual. 

Together, we move forward.

Imagine you are in the town then known as Fishers Station in November, 1881.  There is a huge fight that claims the life of one person and results in 32 injuries.  It made national news at the time, and was called the Battle of Mudsock.

A number of local people have gathered together to recreate the Battle of Mudsock in a live production set for November 10th, 2018.

I spoke with the director of the production Ashton Wolf and David Heighway, Hamilton County historian that consulted on the project.

Hamilton County Reporter

Once again, the Fishers football team has advanced to a sectional championship game.

The Tigers ran their sectional final streak to nine years in a row Friday by beating Pike 33-20 at the Red Devils’ field. Fishers will return home to Reynolds Tigers Stadium next Friday to host North Central in the Class 6A Sectional 5 championship game.

The first quarter was close, ending with Pike ahead 7-6. Matt Noble got Fishers on the board with a three-yard touchdown run; his earlier 54-yard run set up the score. The Red Devils answered with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Jasen Graves to Lamar Echols.

The Tigers took control in the middle periods, not allowing Pike a point in the second and third quarters. Meanwhile, Fishers scored 20 points of its own: Marcus Roux sent a 35-yard TD pass to Collin Statz, and Jack Phillips’ extra point kick made it 13-7; that would be the halftime score.

Roux then punched the ball in from the 1 in a quarterback keeper midway through the period. Seconds later, Noble scored on a 20-yard run. Fishers added one more touchdown early in the fourth period, with Noble running in from two yards. Pike scored two touchdowns in the fourth, but Fishers had the game in hand by then.

Noble had a solid game, gaining 151 yards in 15 rushes. Roux finished the game completing 5 of 12 passes for 91 yards, with Statz making three of those catches.

Fishers is now 4-6 for the season.

by

Rich Torres

Hamilton County Reporter

RICH TORRES
FISHERS – The opportunity was there for a potential upset on Friday night.

Hamilton Southeastern built a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter and lurked around the red zone six times during the Sectional 5 semifinals against Class 6A No. 4 North Central, but the Royals struggled to capitalize, losing 41-12.

“That score is not what the football game was. I thought our kids battled,” HSE head coach Adam Morris said. “The turnovers at the end definitely killed us, but I thought we came out and started the game well.”

The Royals (3-7) opened with a chance to play spoiler against the Panthers (8-2), who were searching for their first sectional win since 2013.

A botched North Central punt that was blocked by the Royals during the first series gave HSE a first-and-10 from the Panthers’ 17. The possession ended in an interception.

North Central lost a fumble on its next offensive series at HSE’s 46, which led to an HSE punt. A second consecutive lost fumble by North Central on its own 23 supplied HSE with a touchdown drive, but the final three opportunities equated two field goals and a turnover.

“At the end of the day, we had plenty of opportunities with the ball in their territory and just didn’t come away with enough points,” Morris said.

The Panthers turned the ball over three times with two fumbles and an interception by John McCall in the third quarter. An inadvertent kneel down by North Central’s kicker on a punt attempt early in the second quarter put HSE on the Panthers’ 15, but again, the Royals came up empty.

The series ended with a turnover on downs as HSE failed to convert a fourth-and-17 from North Central’s 22 with 5:51 left in the half.

The Royals’ first of three turnover on downs kept the door open for North Central, and the Panthers awoke, outscoring HSE 21-3 through the final 30 minutes.

North Central quarterback Liam Thompson completed 18 of 31 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns, while senior playmaker Tre’von Elliott erased HSE’s short-lived 6-0 lead.

Elliott put North Central up 7-6 with a 30-yard touchdown pitch-and-catch and widened the margin 14-6 with a 66-yard punt return for a score with 1:12 left in the first quarter.

“They’re a really good offense. That quarterback is as good as you’re going to find in Indiana,” Morris said. “I thought in the first half, we did a great job of getting off the field on third down. In the second half, they converted some crucial third downs, and that broke us.”

HSE used McCall’s first-quarter fumble recovery to go up 6-0 after an eight-play drive, spanning 23 yards capped by a 2-yard run from Matt Harris, who finished with 65 yards on 25 carries.

Mitch Hebenstreit split the uprights with a pair of field goals, measuring 23 and 27 yards to cut the deficit 14-9 and 21-12, respectively. The senior nearly sliced North Central’s lead before halftime as he narrowly missed a 44-yarder with the Panthers in front 21-9.
Turnovers, however, hurt the Royals.

North Central scooped up an HSE fumble and collected three interceptions with the last one returned 30 yards for a touchdown to finalize the tally late in the fourth quarter.
North Central had four receivers with 40 or more yards led by Richard Hamilton, who hauled in two passes for 72 yards and a 63-yard touchdown. Elliott did his damage with seven receptions for 69 yards.

“(Elliott) has been great all year. We just spent the last two weeks talking about keeping the ball away from him and how good of a returner he is, and he still got us,” Morris said. “He got us twice. He’s special. He’s about as dynamic as you’re going to find in Indiana with the ball in his hands.”

The Royals turned the ball over on four of their final five possessions, ending their season in game No. 10 for a sixth straight season.

“I think before our program moves on to next year, we have to tell our seniors how much we care for them and how much they’ve done for us,” Morris said. “We are a young football team, and we’re going to have a lot of players back, but this ain’t golf. You don’t get better with age. We have to get in the weight room and get ready for next year. Just another step ahead.”

A lesson his players can learn from North Central, Morris emphasized. The Panthers haven’t won a sectional title since 1993 and posted their first winning season in 12 years.

“Those kids are confident. You can tell they’re a team that’s worked to have success,” Morris said. “That senior class has been through the fire and put the work in, and they’re reaping the benefits of it. That will happen for our kids, too, down the road.”

“No Shave” November is back this year, and Fishers Police are raising money to benefit the Officer Binh Dennis, who was seriously injured in an off-duty motorcycle crash in Brown County.

This November’s “No Shave” effort will also highlight support in general for those waging a battle against illness or injury.

“We all have loved ones, friends, and co-workers that have been touched by cancer,” said Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart.  “As a police department, we are always seeking new ways to engage with the community.”

Beginning November 1^st you may see a Fishers police officer with some scruffiness keep in mind this is purposeful and temporary, as part of the “No Shave” fund-raising effort . Male officers will have the opportunity to grow their facial hair and female officers will be allowed to wear pink or blue highlights in their hair.

Feel free to join The Fishers Police Department as officers raise awareness for a worthy cause and reduce the stigma that is often associated with physical and mental health disease.

Check for progress on the fundraising effort on the Fishers Police Department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office has ruled the deaths of Kristal and Frank Sergi as a murder-suicide.

According to a news release from the Fishers Police Department, Kristal Sergi’s cause of death was a homicide with  multiple gunshot wounds to the chest.  Frank Sergi’s cause of death has been ruled as a suicide with a single gunshot to the head, based on the coroner’s report.

According to Fishers Police Department spokesman Tom Weger, the investigation is continuing and more details will be released when available.  Anyone with information is asked to call Lt. Todd Crowder at 317-595-3329.

(Updated 10pm 10/25/2018)

I just returned to Fishers Thursday evening after going out of town, fulfilling a teaching contract with Indiana University.  While away, I have tried to follow what has been happening in Fishers.

A married couple, apparently about to go through a divorce, are dead in the Saxony area.  Police were called to their home after reports of gunshots Wednesday evening.  According to Fishers Police, officers entered the home and found the body of a man and woman.

Late Thursday afternoon, local authorities identified the bodies as Kristal Sergi, 44, and Frank Sergi II, 52, both residents of a home in the 13000 block of Dorster Street in Fishers.

Both were long-time teachers in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools.  Kristal Sergi was a teacher at Hoosier Road Elementary and Frank Sergi taught art at Fall Creek Intermediate School.

Any tragedy such as this is difficult for any community to handle.  But in this case, both had been teachers.  Those instructing our children in local schools over a long period of time touch many lives and many families over the span of a teaching career.  The pain is deep and real for all the families that came into contact with these teachers.  This sort of tragedy always hurts, but it really hurts when two teachers are involved.

Fishers Police are not releasing much information about the details surrounding the deaths of the Mr. and Mrs. Sergi at this time.  According to a police department news release, authorities believe the Sergis “are the only individuals directly involved in this incident.”  Police say the investigation is ongoing, and ask anyone with information to contact Detective/Lieutenant Todd Crowder at 317-595-3329.

Meanwhile, classes were not held at Hoosier Road Elementary and Fall Creek Intermediate Thursday, and school authorities say both schools will not be in session Friday as well.  Counselors and mental health professionals will be available in both buildings even when classes are not held.

A prayer vigil was conducted at Hoosier Road Elementary School Thursday evening.

In a Twitter message, Hamilton Southeastern Schools Superintendent Allen Bourff wrote, “We are mourning the loss of two beloved teachers.”