by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE:  Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted on LarryInFishers.com through a partnership with the Hamilton County Reporter.  Views expressed are those of Mr. Swift)

The Riverwalk is completed. It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s finally done. The official opening Friday morning marked the successful completion of a project envisioned by County Commissioner Steve Dillinger more than 15 years ago.

For those not familiar with the Riverwalk, it is a pedestrian walkway along the east bank of White River running six blocks from approximately Clinton Street on the north to Division Street on the south skirting Noblesville’s downtown area.

At the north end the walk connects to the pedestrian bridge over the river and State Road 19 where walkers enter Forest Park. There hikers can access trails north to Potters Bridge or west to Morse Dam. At the south end, near Division Street, Riverwalk will connect to the planned Midland Trail, an east-west linear parkway that will eventually allow joggers, bikers and walkers a route as far as Westfield.

Dillinger had the idea after seeing what other communities have done with their riverfronts. The most attractive in the state is probably the Ohio Riverfront walkway at Madison. While White River doesn’t compare with the Ohio, you have to work with what you’ve got. A Riverwalk Committee was formed to spearhead the project, investigate funding possibilities and generally plan the campaign.

Not so many years ago Noblesville’s riverfront was far from a scenic attraction. Longtime residents will remember that the backside of a lumber yard, National Guard Armory vehicles, a tire store and a gas station were among the sights you saw along the east bank. The river was not regarded as an asset.

Today, there is still work to be done, but progress can be seen. A city “pocket park” is found near the former lumberyard. The west lawn of the county Government and Judicial Center takes up the block from Logan to Conner Streets, and Riverwalk now goes along the park-like Riverside Cemetery.

The project has been a joint venture by the city and county. It’s worked well, and now more is planned. The county will expand the Judicial Center with a pleasing new west front and a firefighters’ memorial. Riverview Hospital plans a new building on the west side of the river, and of course there is the city’s Federal Hill Commons just across Road 19.

So, now we can expect to see local residents enjoying a walk on the riverfront where a few years ago no one would have dreamed of visiting.

That was a very good idea, Steve.

 RICHIE HALL

Pike 43, Fishers 0

Score by Quarters:
Fishers                        0  0    0   0 – 0
Pike                           14  7  10 12 – 43

Team Stats
FHS                    PHS
First Downs                          16                        21
Rushes-Yards                   41-43                   32-208
Yards Passing                    169                       280
Comp/Att/Int/TD           15-27-2-0            12-20-1-2
Fumbles-Lost                     2-2                        1-0
Penalties/Yards                 3-12                    9-70
Punts/Average                  4-28.3                 1-35.0
Fishers Stats
Rushing: Geoffrey Brown 11-26,

Dylan Scally 15-22,

Alec Green 7-7,

Michael Noble 2-3.

Passing: Vore 15-27-169

Receiving: Collin Statz 7-88,

Donavan McFarland 6-59,

Gregory King 1-15,

Isaiah Dunnuck 1-7.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern got overrun by a much-improved North Central squad on Friday, falling 37-14 at the Panthers’ stadium.

The road construction schedule for the work week beginning Monday, August 28h, is a long one, as we have seen all summer long.

Below is the full listing, provided by the City of Fishers:

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

126TH STREET

Periodic lane restrictions will occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road as crews complete a passing blister. Flaggers will be present during the restrictions.

116TH STREET 

Periodic lane restrictions will occur on 116th Street west of Allisonville Road as the contractor repairs concrete curbs and ramps and begins resurfacing work on the roadway. Restrictions will be in place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please drive with caution.

There will also be lane restrictions on 116th Street between I-69 and Cumberland Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to make improvements to 116th Street.

CUMBERLAND ROAD

There will be lane restrictions on Cumberland Road at 116th Street while the new turn lanes are being poured. Flaggers will be in placed when necessary.  Please drive with caution as this project is being completed.

96TH STREET

Starting on or after August 15, Lantern Road at 96th Street will be closed for approximately 30 days while it is reconstructed for the new roundabout. All Lantern Road traffic will be detoured to Cumberland Road, north to 106th Street and then west to Lantern Road. 96th Street through-traffic will be shifted to the newly constructed portion of the roundabout. Access into businesses will remain. Please follow the signed detour route and drive with caution through the construction zone.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD 

The Brooks School Road bridge over Interstate 69 is closed as Milestone Contractors rebuild the bridge deck. Traffic will be detoured to Promise Road via 126th and 136th streets. The bridge will remain closed through August.

136TH AND PRAIRIE BAPTIST ROAD

The Hamilton County Highway Department has closed the intersection of 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road to allow the contractor to reconstruct the intersection. The closure is scheduled to last approximately 60 days. Please follow signs for detour routes. Questions regarding this project may be directed to the Hamilton County Highway Department at 317-773-7770.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

Widening of Campus Parkway at I-69 and building the double-crossover diamond interchange was part of the $92 million I-69 Major Moves 2020 project adding a travel lane to each direction of I-69 between State Road 37 (Exit 205) and State Road 38 (Exit 219). In addition, other improvements are being made to rehabilitate existing bridges, pavement and drainage structures on the 15-mile stretch of interstate.

Two lanes of traffic in each direction of I-69 are currently shifted to accommodate construction of the additional travel lanes. Signs direct large trucks to use the left lane while traffic is shifted toward the right shoulder through the work zone. The speed limit is reduced to 60 mph and further reduced to 50 mph when workers are present.

I-69 is expected to open to three lanes in each direction between State Road 37 and State Road 38 before the end of this year.

Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37

Geotechnical drilling began along the State Road 37 corridor in May as part of the final design phase of State Road 37 Improvement Project. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be active through September 30.

The geotechnical drilling will cause lane restrictions on SR 37 at the 126th Street intersection after August 7 and are anticipated to last until September 30. There will be no lane closures during Labor Day weekend, September 1st through September 4. Southbound restrictions begin after 9 a.m. daily and northbound restrictions will be completed daily before 4 p.m. to allow for maximum traffic flow during peak rush hours. Crews will maintain a minimum of one through-lane at all times.

The SR37 improvement project is a $124 million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton County, Noblesville and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed to drivefishers@fishers.in.us.

OUTSIDE OF FISHERS

On or after Monday, August 21, Hamilton County Highway Department will close Cyntheanne Road between 146th Street and 156th Street until December 1, 2017 to replace the bridge over Keiser Drain. Please contact Hamilton County Highway Department at 317-773-7770 with any questions.

There has been another natural gas line break in Fishers tied to MetroNet.  The latest was this morning near Prairie Fox Drive and Mollenkopf Road.  As a result, the City of Fishers has issued a city-wide no dig order to MetroNet for new installations.

MetroNet, an Internet Service Provider, has been digging in the Fishers area, installing fiber optic cables underground.  The firm had been ordered to stop digging in Fishers earlier this week, but was allowed to dig again following a promise to use different methods and equipment.

Any Fishers residents suspecting a gas leak or line break should call 911.

In a news release, the City of Fishers listed action taken on the MetroNet situation once notified of the Thursday morning gas line rupture:

·         Fishers Fire Department was dispatched to secure the scene, conduct voluntary evacuations, and mitigate the hazard.

·         Fishers Departments of Engineering and Permitting were dispatched to the scene. All utility permits issued to Metronet have been placed on hold until further notice.

·         City of Fishers held a call with leadership at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to voice the City’s complaints toward the safety of Metronet’s operations. The IURC Pipeline Safety Division has opened an investigation toward Metronet.

·         All new utility work by Metronet is on hold until IURC’s investigation is complete, with the exception of planned repairs.

·         Upon completion of the safety investigation, the City of Fishers and IURC will review the findings and will work with Vectren (gas utility) and Metronet to determine if Metronet will be allowed to proceed with future utility work.

Indiana State University Professor Steve Gruenert has spoken before many school boards and provided information on school corporation climate surveys.  He had some very good news for the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board Wednesday night.

“I’ve done a lot of research over the years and I’m in the company of what I believe to be the schools with the best, highest scores that I’ve ever worked with,” Dr. Gruenert said.  “My challenge now is, how do you make the best better?”

The professor studied the school culture and climate of the HSE Schools in the final months of the 2016-2017 school year, including the impact of the climate on staff collaboration.  Gruenert said the research shows a clear connection between a school’s culture and the level of student achievement – the better the culture, the better students will achieve.

The study was based on a survey of the school staff.  A 30% return rate on those surveys is normal, which would provide enough data to compile a report.  HSE Schools staff returned surveys at a rate of 70%-80%.

The level of collaboration is so high Dr, Gruenert recommends professional development should be done in-house.

“You seem to have a family here,” Dr. Gruenert told board members.

You can read the climate survey report submitted to the board at this link.

In other school board news from Wednesday night’s meeting:

–Fishers High School had a power outage a good part Monday morning, according to Superintendent Allen Bourff.  School officials have been in contact with Duke Energy but no cause for the outage is known at this time.

–The 2017 President’s Champion Award will be given to Robert (Dub) and Jeanne Clark. Robert was a student of Fishers High School from 1937-1941. Jeanne served as treasurer for Hamilton Southeastern Schools from 1977-1988 and subsequently on the Board of Trustees from 1990-1998. The award will be officially presented to the couple at the Mudsock Football Game September 8th.

–The board approved a lease agreement which provides a legal framework for the school corporation to incur debt, allowing construction plans for the new elementary school on Cyntheanne Road to move forward.

— Board members received a demonstration of the new Canvas software system.

–Final action was taken approving child abuse and neglect reporting policies to incorporate changes in state law.

–The board honored members of the Hamilton Southeastern High School Boys and Girls Track Team, who won several coveted top finishes during the spring competition season.

2017 IHSAA State Champion Pole Vault — Kennedy Drish

As a sophomore last season Kennedy joined the track team for the first time. She only began pole vaulting in February and was not even varsity until May 1. Despite this, she was able to win the state meet with a vault of 12’ 0” in June after her family rescheduled their vacation.

Event Coach: Collin Gayde

2017 IHSAA State Champion 400 Relay — Olivia Burgess (9), Tierra Sydnor (10), Mia Mackenzie (11), Camille Christopher (11); Alternates – Jada Edson (11), Jessica Bray (11), Amani Dickenson (9), Sydney Thixton (9)

The 400 relay team had only won 2 races during the 2017 season and had come in second to Fishers for 3 weeks straight before pulling out the victory with perfect handoffs at the state track meet. Only 8 hundredths of a second separated 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd in one of the most thrilling races of the night. The alternates were a big part of this victory as they practiced each day and gave the relay members someone to chase.  They also ran on the relay during the season as other members battled injury.

Event Coach: Jennifer Hill

Head Coach: Julie Alano

2017 IHSAA State Champion 1600 meters – Gabe Fendel

Gabe Fendel, a senior, had an impressive season. Among his accolades, Gabe is the Hoosier Cross Roads Sectional Champion in the 1600 and 3200. Regional Champion in the 1600. Undefeated in both the 1600 and 3200 during indoor and outdoor track seasons.

He set a state junior-class record this spring, running the nation’s fastest 3200 time by a junior this year, became No. 5 on the all-time state list and No. 5 on the year’s U.S. high school list.

Event Coach: Joe Golden

Head Coach: Chris Swisher

The ban on MetroNet construction in Fishers was lifted at 1:30pm Tuesday.  The Internet service provider has been digging around Fishers installing fiber optic lines.

Fishers City Councilman John Weingardt told fellow council members at a Monday evening work session that MetroNet had been ordered to halt work around Fishers after several cases of rupturing natural gas lines around his subdivision.

State Senator Jim Merritt became involved.  He represents Fall Creek Township in Fishers and chairs the State Senate committee on utilities.  Natural gas utility Vectren was also involved in resolving the issue, since the gas lines belong to the company.

“Metronet has agreed to begin utilizing a new, safer method for digging in dry conditions, known as hydro-excavation,” according to a statement from the City of Fishers. “This method is expected to prevent gas line damage. It will create some noise as the machine involves water pressure and a vacuum, with the noise level similar to a large lawn mower. As such, Metronet will be limited in the hours of permissible excavation from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.”

Selina Stoller talks about a number of issues before the council, including the sports complex, upgrades planned for the downtown Amphitheater and the possibility of economic development in the area of 116th Street and Allisonville Road.

City Councilman John Weingardt told the Fishers City Council Monday evening he lost patience with MetroNet over hitting gas lines and the city has shut down its construction project in Fishers.  MetroNet is an Internet Service Provider and has been laying underground fiber optic lines throughout the city of Fishers in recent months.

“MetroNet has been in my subdivision in the last few days and have hit gas lines on three or four different occasions,” said Weingardt.  “We’ve shut ’em down.”

The company has been instructed to come up with a better method to bury its fiber optic lines.

When you hear the sales pitch from the developers of the proposed Saxony Sports Complex, there are a few messages that come through crystal clear.

First, the bonds to fund the project are going through the Fishers Economic Development Commission and the City Council only to allow part of the bond issue to contain tax exempt bonds, which are easier to market to institutional investors, but the city will not be backing these bonds in any way.  The complex will be owned and operated by a nonprofit organization.

Second, there will be no Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for this sports complex.  The development will be located in a TIF District. but there is no TIF, only the issuance of Revenue Bonds.

Third, since nonprofit organizations are not required to pay property taxes under state law, the owners of this project have committed to pay Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT), which is a way for nonprofits to pay the equivalent of property taxes.

This is a complex expected to cost $70 million to construct, with a ceiling of $75 million that can be borrowed.  The nonprofit running the undertaking will use any funds over expenses to support amateur sports.

Those backing the project claim it will become a center for regional, national and even international sporting events.

The City Council passed a resolution moving forward, with Council President David George voting no, saying he is still concerned about the size of initial payments to the developers as the project gets started.  But George did vote to suspend the rules and approved the bonds financing the complex.  Both measures passed, allowing the plans to move forward.

Developers say the bonds should be sold within 30-45 days, with construction starting as early as fall of this year.

Here are some numbers about the complex itself…..

On the first floor:
–a 265,482 square foot turf field house, which includes six (6) turf fields and a
separate 17,600 square foot turf area for baseball training

–a 87,530 square foot hard surface court fieldhouse which includes twelve (12) hard surface courts that can be used for a variety of court sports

–a 32,231 square foot ground floor commons and fitness area

–a 29,225 square foot center support area.

On the second floor:

–a viewing area concourse

–a walking/jogging track

–family lounge —

–offices

–on-site parking containing approximately six hundred
(600) parking spaces to accommodate the Fieldhouse (jointly, the “Project”)