Adam & I review the film Oceans 8.  Greg Sorvig of the Heartland Film Festival stops by and gives us a preview of the new short films event sponsored by Heartland.

by

Rich Torres

Hamilton County Reporter

INDIANAPOLIS – Luke Albright recognized what was about to happen. All he needed was confirmation, and the expression on Grant Richardson’s face was telling, if not prognostic, prior to the bottom of the seventh at Victory Field.

“I saw Grant smile before he went out to pitch, and I knew, ‘this is it, man,’” Albright said. “I just know when he has a smile, he’s having fun. It means he’s on.”

The 1A to Albright’s 1B, or vice versa if you ask the other senior co-ace, Richardson was locked in as he closed out the final 1 2/3 innings for Fishers (29-7) during the IHSAA Class 4A state championship on Friday night.

After halting a potential Cathedral rally in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of strikeouts, including a four-pitch punch-out with the bases loaded, Albright had full confidence in Richardson with only three outs separating the Tigers from the program’s first-ever state title.

It boiled down to execution, and both were on point in the clutch against the defending state champion Fighting Irish (23-9-1), who were attempting to claim the state’s first repeat since Fort Wayne Carroll in 2010 and ‘11.

Albright carried a no-hitter through four innings and was later relieved in the bottom of the sixth with one out and two runners on base. He limited Cathedral to three hits, struck out three and walked four with 101 pitches thrown.

“We knew Luke was going to show up, no matter what. He always comes out strong, and if he needed any help, I knew I would be there to back him up,” Richardson said.
Despite not allowing a hit until a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth to Peyton Schofield, Albright, a Kent State recruit, retired eight straight after Cathedral went up 1-0 in the first inning due to two Fishers’ throwing errors.

For some, an early deficit and the pressure of the state finals could have spelled disaster, but Albright never flinched en route to the win and a 9-2 record. Instead, he stuck to the plan.

“With our guys, our goal was to get ahead and then that way we can execute with our secondary pitches,” Fishers assistant coach Craig Huls said. “Albright did a great job of it, getting ahead.”

Two of the three runs charged to Albright were earned, and by the second inning the Tigers offense put him in front 3-1 and eventually 4-2 in the top of the fifth, providing him breathing room.

“I know what this team is about. We can be down five after the first inning, and I know we can come back from that,” Albright said. “We have something special here.”

They’ve had something unique from 60 feet, 6 inches all season.

With the addition of Richardson, who transferred from Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger last summer, neither pitcher was asked to do too much, and it paid off.

The duo combined for 14 wins and 169 strikeouts this season, a result of trust and mutual support, especially on Friday as they worked in unison in front of a crown of 4,308 in downtown Indianapolis.

“(Richardson) coming here was just unreal. I knew from the start, this was going to be something special. Had I known he was going to close out my last two games; it’s just amazing. I love him to death,” Albright said.

Richardson struck out three and induced back-to-back pop ups in Cathedral’s final two at-bats to nail down his second consecutive save. He also came out of the bullpens to close out Fishers’ 5-3 semi-state win against Chesterton in Plymouth last Saturday.

“Grant’s a special kid. His fastball is 81 to 91 (mph), which is ridiculous because you never know if you’re getting the hard one or the soft one. You gear up for the hard one, and he’ll take a little bit off,” Fishers head coach Matthew Cherry said. “That’s what makes him effective.”

In the seventh, he was challenged.

After hitting Bo Sanders, Richardson walked Mack Murphy, which gave Cathedral runners on first and second base and one out. Facing Louisville recruit Jared Poland, who was 1-for-2 and reached base in his three prior plate appearances, Richardson, an Indiana recruit, had to be precise.

“Going into the Big Ten, there’s going to be tons of matchups like that where you have to make the perfect pitch, and you can’t just go up there and throw,” Richardson said. “I did for a couple of batters because I was worried, but when Poland came up, I wasn’t worried.”

Richardson fell behind 2-1, but a fastball on the inner-half of the plate equalized the situation as Poland flew out to center field.

“We decided to stay hard on him after his first couple of at-bats,” Cherry said. “We weren’t going to do that, but the way his swing looked tonight, and again, he’s a great hitter, but we thought we could get him with the fastball.”

The left-hander had the arsenal and he delivered similar to the sectional championship against Noblesville when he shut down the Millers in consecutive innings with three straight strikeouts, including in a bases-loaded scenario.

“I just didn’t want to miss a fastball location. That’s all I was worried about,” Richardson said. “If I threw it in on him, it might get jammed, and that’s what happened. It was perfect pitch, perfect time. It couldn’t have been a better pitch selection.”

For the Tigers, it couldn’t have played out any other way.

The offense and it’s .319 batting average supplied a lead to topple Cathedral’s touted 1.83 ERA. The defense rebounded from two first-inning errors, turning a key 7-6-4 pickoff at second in a near momentum-swinging bottom of the fifth, and the Tigers’ dual aces did the rest to best their staff’s 3.55 ERA.

“It’s special. It started last year with the dominant arms Albright was able to learn from. So he got some experience there and with Grant, we just rode those guys all year,” Huls said. “Our offense was what it was. They were able to score runs when they needed it, but without those guys on the bump, I don’t think we’re here today.”

by

Richie Hall

Hamilton County Reporter

Is it possible for a team to play loose when the stakes are high – and win?

Ask the Fishers baseball team. The Tigers have made a habit of playing loose
and having fun throughout the season. Now you will have to wait a little bit for an answer
– the Tigers are busy celebrating a state championship, so they’ll get back to you.

Fishers won a dramatic Class 4A IHSAA state title game Friday night at Victory Field.
The Tigers dethroned the defender, Cathedral, by the score of 4-3. After giving up an
early run, Fishers scored three in the top of the second and held the lead from that point
forward despite the Irish threatening in what seemed like every one of their at-bats.

But the Tigers held firm throughout every pressure situation.

“It’s a testament to their families,” said Tigers coach Matthew Cherry. “Our community,
our teachers in our building, teaching them to be tough. They fight till the end.
They don’t really ever feel pressure. They’re loose as all get-out, sometimes too loose.
They were goofing around today at BP (batting practice). You would never thought
we were playing a state finals game tonight.”

Fishers’ loose attitude was tested briefly in the first inning, when Cathedral scored an
unearned run. Jared Poland, the Irish’s star pitcher who is also a pretty good hitter, drew
a walk to get on base. Carson Caito came in to pinch run for Poland, stole second, then
made his way home on two throwing errors.

The Tigers responded right away. Matthew Wolff got on base with a hit, then
stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. After a flyout to center field, Nick
Lukac and Jack Roudebush both were walked, loading the bases with two outs.

That brought up Ben Burton, who stretched Poland to a full count, fouled off
at 3-2, then smacked a double into left field. Wolff and Lukac easily scored.

“As soon as they (the Irish) got that run, I was not happy,” said Burton. “I was like,
‘We got to come back, we got to do something, put something on the board.’ Just at
least keep the game going.”

“He got a big triple in the sectional championship game to take the lead in the
seventh,” said Cherry. “And then that huge double to get the lead there early, forced
them to play from behind and allowed us to pitch guys certain ways because we had the
lead. But he’s been awesome. Went through a position change, didn’t like it at first but
totally bought in. Just came up with big hit after big hit this season. He’s been awesome.”

Roudebush moved to third, and he was home seconds late: JJ Woolwine sent a
single into center field on the very next pitch. Fishers flied out to right field for the
third out, but the Tigers had what they needed: A 3-1 lead.

The score remained 3-1 until the bottom of the fourth, when Caito scored again for
Cathedral on a sacrifice fly by Cole Vassilo. Fishers answered back in the top of the fifth
with another run.

Grant Richardson cracked a double into left field to get on base with two outs, then
moved to third on a throwing error. That brought up Kiel Brenczewski, and he drew
a walk, then stole second.

Wolff was next up, and he was walked to load the bases. Alex Jamieson came to the
plate next, and he drew a four-pitch walk, which scored Richardson and increased the
Tigers’ lead to 4-2.

“Most people would be nervous, but personally, I was excited,” said Jamieson.
The senior didn’t feel any nerves at all on the field – “I was just ready to play,” he said.

“Our guys have answered back,” said Cherry. “We talk about punching them in
the mouth, and when we get punched in the mouth, answering back. Our guys have done
that all year. They did it in the Zionsville series when we swept them at the end of the
season and they did it a couple times in the tournament again tonight. Just been their
M.O., answering right back and again, they don’t know how to lose, so when they fall
behind, they take it personally and they get after it.”

The Irish scored one more run in the fifth inning, when Bo Sanders singled in Peyton
Schofield. Neither team scored for the remainder of the game, although Fishers got
itself out of some tricky situations in the final two innings.

Luke Albright pitched five and a third innings, allowing only three hits. Albright
exited the game to a standing ovation with one out in the fifth, but with runners on
second and third. Albright only gave up three hits against Cathedral’s big-hitting
team in securing his ninth win of the season.

That brought in Richardson, who struck out two of the next three batters to end the
inning. Wolff got a two-out double for the Tigers in the top of the seventh, but a center field fly out brought Cathedral back out for one last chance.

Richardson got a strikeout for the first out. Sanders was hit by a pitch to get on
base, then moved to second when Mack Murphy drew a walk. But the Irish would
get no closer. Shortstop Craig Yoho caught a 2-1 pitch to retire the dangerous Poland
for the second out, and Woolwine’s center field catch of an 0-1 delivery ended the game
and started the Tigers’ celebration in front of a crowd of 4,308.

“When I first stepped on this field, I looked at the stands and I was like ‘Wow,
that’s a lot of people,'” said Burton. “Never played in front of that many people before.
It’s just an honor that we can even be state champs.”

Richardson got the save, his second of the season. Both he and Albright tossed
three strikeouts.

The Tigers received another honor after the game, when Wolff won the L.V. Phillips
Mental Attitude Award. The son of Brian and Angie Wolff, Matt graduated with a 4.0
grade-point average, has been active in his church, served as a peer guide for junior high students and has been an excellent role model for youth, according to the school’s administration.

“It feels amazing,” said Wolff. “It’s such an honor to win and I just want to thank my parents for raising me up the right way. I owe a lot to them. My coaches for being with me every step of the way through high school.”

Wolff will serve our country by attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., also playing baseball for the Midshipmen.

“I’d always had a great appreciation for the Naval Academy and the military service academies and I never really thought of it as a true option until they started recruiting me last summer,” said Wolff. “I fell in love when I went there and I knew it was the place for me.”

The Tigers finished the season 29-7 and became the second Hamilton County baseball team to win a state championship. Noblesville was the first in 2014.

Friday’s state baseball triumph marked the fourth state championship for the Fishers athletic program. The Tigers won state in boys cross country in 2007, followed by a 5A football title in 2010 and a 2A girls soccer championship in 2014.

It’a all about the distant future and time travel….my review of the play Critical Recall

The City of Fishers is beginning the process of formulating the 2019 budget, and Mayor Scott Fadness made one thing clear to the City Council Finance Committee Wednesday night – he wants to know more about what the city will project as revenue before seriously looking at the amount of spending.

But the mayor did make one thing clear, he wants to plan for the same amount of money going to nonprofit groups as was spent last year – $356,500.  The mayor also said if next year’s budget number comes out favorably, he would be open to increasing that amount, but if the spending plan becomes tighter for 2019, the number could go down.

A three- person Fishers City Council committee will decide how to divide up funding for the many requests the city receives from nonprofit organizations.  Applications for 2019 funding were to be submitted by June 14th.

Here is a list of the nonprofit groups that received city funds for 2018:

         Advocates for Children and Families, dba Cherish

·         Ascent 121

·         Conner Prairie Museum, Inc.

·         Geist Half Marathon

·         Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Inc.

·         Hamilton County Leadership Academy

·         Hamilton County Youth Assistance

·         Hamilton Southeastern School Foundation

·         Hope Academy

·         Janus Developmental Services

·         Nickel Plate Arts

·         Spaceport Exploration

·         YMI

Mayor Fadness expects to provide the Finance Committee an initial budget discussion at their August 8th session.  He has scheduled more talk about 2019 spending at meetings August 13th-17th.  The full City Council will be briefed on the budget at a work session planned September 6th.  Adoption of the 2019 budget by the City Council  is expected October 15th.

The Fishers High School Winter Percussion program won its 5th state title in 10 years of competing this past April, and the team was honored Wendesday night by the Hamilton Southeastern School Board. Additionally, the group competed at the WGI World Championships and finished 10th in the nation. The students competed in “World Class,” which is the highest level of competition.

Also, the FHS Color Guard finished second at the State Championships and finished 6th at the WGI Color Guard World Championships.

The board also officially hired Christina Sturgill as Assistant Principal at Fishers High School.

The City of Fishers has taken in a number of interns this summer, but a problem came to light – there would not be enough room in City Hall to house them.  A new Fishers Police Department Headquarters building is under construction across the street from the current HQ, and once that move is made, several offices will move to the current police building.

Until that happens, office space is a scarce commodity in Fishers City Hall.  So, the question was, where does the city put all these interns?

Mayor Scott Fadness came up with that answer…..the mayor would give up his office and move to a desk in the hallway next to his office.

When I asked the mayor about this, he said so little time is spent in his office, giving it up doesn’t change the way he conducts his daily routine much.

In my years working off-and-on as a journalist, I’ve covered a number of mayors.  I can’t think of any mayor I have known giving up his office to bring-on more interns, but that is what Scott Fadness has done.

If you have driven around the Fishers lately, you know there are multiple construction projects underway.  Take particular care in driving in the Allisonville Road construction area, as the additional lane work will be scaling-up in the coming week.

Below is the full list of road construction activity for the work week beginning Monday, June 18th:

===============

ALLISONVILLE ROAD

Allisonville Road construction is in full swing. Lane restrictions are in place, as weather permits, along Allisonville Road from 126th Street to 131st Street for the roadway expansion project. Traffic will be shifted to the east side of the street to allow for widening on the west side. Restrictions will be in place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and flaggers will be on site directing traffic, as necessary. 
During the overnight hours of June 20, additional restrictions may be in place on Allisonville Road between 126th Street and 131st Street while a temporary barrier wall is being placed.  Through September, all southbound left turns from Allisonville Road onto 126th Street will be prohibited.

This will be an active construction site with reduced speed limits. For more info on this project, view the Fact Sheet.

116TH STREET & BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD

There will be lane restrictions on 116th Street and Brooks School Road this week for resurface work on both streets.

126TH STREET & ENTERPRISE DRIVE

Traffic improvements are in progress at 126th Street and Enterprise Drive. State Road 37 and 126th Street (west approach) is now two through lanes and one left turn lane to northbound State Road 37. The right lane is now both a through and right turn lane. Left turns onto Enterprise Drive from eastbound 126th Street are now prohibited. Left turns from Enterprise Drive onto eastbound 126th Street, and left turns from Reynolds Drive onto westbound 126th Street, are also prohibited. Drivers are permitted to turn left from westbound 126th Street onto Reynolds Drive. No U turn movement is permitted at 126th Street and Parkside Drive.

116TH STREET  

Beginning on or after June 18, eastbound 116th Street from Allisonville Road to Fishers Pointe Blvd. will be reduced to one lane between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for resurfacing of the path on the south side of the roadway. Westbound 116th Street from Fishers Pointe Blvd. to Hague Road will be reduced to one lane between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for work on the street lights on the north side of the roadway.

Beginning on or after June 19, there will be temporary lane restrictions on in both directions of Allisonville Road south of 106th Street. Restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily with arrow boards and barrels directing traffic while median work is being complete.

131ST STREET   

The intersection of 131st and Cumberland Road is currently closed for 45 days to construct a new roundabout. See the detour map here.

Expect lane restrictions, weather permitting, along 131st Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road for the construction of the Conner Trail from Conner Prairie to the Municipal Complex. Lane restrictions will also take place on Lantern Road between 131st Street and Municipal Drive.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD  

There are temporary lane restrictions on Brooks School Road south of 116th Street while utility relocation work is performed. Flaggers are in place to help direct traffic. Road closures will begin in July for the construction of a passing blister to improve visibility and enhance motorist safety.

Brooks School Road is closed between 126th Street and 136th Street to build a sidewalk to the east side of the bridge over I-69. Detours via 136th Street, Promise Road, and 126th Street to get around the closure. The road will reopen in early August. Questions can be directed to indot@indot.IN.gov.

MOLLENKOPF ROAD  

Mollenkopf Road between 96th Street and 106th Street has lane restrictions in place while paving work is being completed.  Flaggers are present to direct traffic.

136TH STREET

136th Street is closed between Southeastern Parkway and Prairie Baptist Road for the construction of a new roundabout. See the Detour Map.

NICKEL PLATE DISTRICT 

On Saturday between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., road closures will take place along the east side of the Municipal Circle along Municipal Drive for the Fishers Farmers’ Market. Access to Municipal Drive from North Street will also be closed during this time. Farmers’ Market parking is available in The Depot and The Switch garages (see the Parking Map for more details).

On Tuesday and Friday evenings, concerts are being held on Central Green. Municipal Drive in front of City Hall will be closed for stage construction beginning at noon on concert days. Also beginning at noon, North Street and Municipal Drive will become a right turn only, and Fishers Center Drive and Municipal Drive will become a left turn only. Beginning at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and 7 p.m. on Fridays, there will be road closures on Municipal Drive at 116th Street, on Municipal Drive at Fishers Center Drive (vehicles will still be able to turn left), and on Municipal Drive at North Street (vehicles will still be able to turn right). Roads will reopen at midnight. Street parking on Municipal Drive will be restricted from 2 p.m. until midnight on concert days. Guests can access the event from Fishers Center Drive, Municipal Drive (north), and North Street. Parking is available at The Switch garage, accessed from North Street.

The Board of Works recently passed an ordinance for no parking in the Nickel Plate District between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. See the Parking Restrictions Map for more information.

106TH STREET   

106th Street is closed to through traffic from Eller Road to Allisonville Road and from Allisonville Road to Hague Road for the 106th Street Infrastructure Project. Closures for through traffic will also take place from Hague Road to the Crosspoint Boulevard/Lantern Road roundabout. For more info on this project, view the Fact Sheet.

I-69   

As part of a $92 million design-build contract, Milestone has added a third lane in each direction to the median, repaired and resurfaced existing pavement, and rehabilitated bridges and drainage structures on 15 miles of I-69 in Hamilton and Madison counties. Construction of an additional auxiliary lane between the 116th Street entrance ramp to I-69 South and the I-69 South Exit 204 ramp to 106th Street will continue through next spring.

I-69 South will be temporarily reduced to two lanes to allow space for the State Road 37 and 116th Street entrance ramps to safely merge while construction continues on the southbound auxiliary lane between the 116th Street and 106th Street ramps.

Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT via email or at 1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37

A public meeting was held on Tuesday, May 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Delaware Township Trustee Office. The meeting presentation and updated information is available on the project’s new website. The State Road 37 improvement project is a $124 million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton County, Noblesville, and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed to SR37@rqaw.com. 
OUTSIDE OF FISHERS   

The City of Carmel has closed 116th Street between Towne Road and Ditch Road, and between Clay Center Road and Spring Mill Road, until August 8.

After a few months on the job, I talked with Dr. Erica Buchanan-Rivera about he work as Equity & Inclusion Officer for the Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Towns and townships in northern Hamilton County will get a reprieve of sorts next year from paying 911 communication costs. County Commissioners this week adopted a resolution calling for the 10 departments to start making token payments of 10 percent of the costs incurred in responding to calls for fire, police or EMS services.

At the present time, all Hamilton County police and fire departments have 911 calls dispatched through the county 911 emergency call center located at the Sheriff’s Department. Noblesville, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield and county government pay for the operation entirely.

Last year county officials said that with a growing number of calls and increasing expenses it would be only fair for the smaller departments to contribute to cover their portion of expenses. The northern communities were asked to pay amounts ranging from $135,000 for Sheridan to $17,000 for White River Township.

Talks with municipal and county officials have been ongoing for months without resolution. This month units of local government begin preparing budgets for 2019, thus the decision to seek at least some contribution from all communities.

County Commissioner Steve Dillinger said that for 2019 only, the token amounts will be expected, meaning Sheridan would pay about $13,500 and White River only $1,700.

For the following year a proposal to enact a public safety local option income tax (LOIT) is expected to be introduced to the County Council. This tax would be used to pay the 911 communication costs, now running more than $1 million a year and growing. If enacted, the larger units of Noblesville, Carmel, Westfield and Fishers would no longer have to contribute from their treasuries, but every county income taxpayer would pay a small amount from their individual income.

Officials said earlier this year that although some 911 calls are false alarms and duplications, dispatchers answered nearly 500,000 phone calls during the past year. Although the number seems unusually large, with a county population of about 320,000, it is not unreasonable. The call center must be prepared to quickly answer every call as a rapid response is often vital.