Anyone old enough to remember 9/11/2001 also remembers where they were when hearing the news.  I was working for the federal government, meeting with a colleague to plan a training class.  It was the most complex training my part of the agency offered, and, for some reason, I was judged the only person in my work place qualified to teach it.

As we reviewed the training agenda, a manager came in and told us the World Trade Center in New York had been hit by a plane.  She came back a few minutes later to break the news the other tower had been hit be a plane.  We all knew it was a terrorist attack at that point.  When the manager returned a third time to inform us the Pentagon had been hit by a plane, my colleague and I looked at each other and wondered what was coming next.

The first thought I had was about my twin daughters in elementary school at the time.  I had grown up during the Cold War years  and fears of a nuclear attack.  The old “Duck and Cover” films of that era are still on You Tube.  My daughters would grow up in a world with a different kind of fear.

We grouped around work place TV sets watching the towers collapse.  Then the announcement was made that we could all go home.  Without any idea what was next, the government was shutting down for the rest of that day.

I am proud to say my agency was back at work the next day, as were most government workers.   One employee working for my agency had been badly injured in the New York attack and would die some months later.

I won’t rehash everything else that happened during and after the attacks, but I did have a revealing phone conversation with a nurse some months later.  This lady left her job at a Florida hospital after hearing of the attacks and headed to New York in order to help in any way she could.  I thanked her for the courageous service she performed.

The nurse then told me what it was like to help out at ground zero in New York just after the attack.  The way she explained it, there was an hourly routine.  She helped for 20 minutes, regurgitated for 20 minutes, spent 20 minutes recovering, then went back to work.

Here’s what that tells me – the ground zero scene was much more gruesome than most of us will ever know.  This was a horrible experience for America.

What I learned from observing the events around 9/11 is that we as Americans must be aggressive in protecting our nation, but we also must me intelligent in the way we go about doing that.  I hope our leaders take that to heart as we move forward as a nation.

2016 will go down in history as one of the most exciting Mudsock Football Games of all time.  The annual regular season contact between the two Fishers High Schools featured the usual packed house and screaming cheering sections.  It was also a very good football game.

HSE High School opened up the scoring for a 7-0 lead.  Fishers came roaring back and held a lead well into the second half.  HSE made its move and took the lead late in the contest. Then Fishers made a last minute defensive stand, got the ball back and kicked a field goal to tie the score at 30-30.

As the overtime was preparing to start, the stadium was evacuated for stormy weather in the area.  But play began again within minutes and HSE High pulled out a 33-30 overtime win against arch-rival Fishers High.

One of the biggest parts of the annual Mudsock game is the halftime recognition for teachers of the year in each district school building.  That included HSE High School Teacher of the Year in the entire school district, Julie Alano.

Here is a YouTube video of the halftime teacher of the year recognition

If you have any interest in the Indiana Bicentennial, mark your calendars.  On Thursday, October 13th, the bicentennial torch will make an appearance at Fishers City Hall.  The celebration is set for 6:15-6:40pm, with the arrival of the torch expected at about 6:40pm.  The torch will also be making stops elsewhere in Hamilton County that same day, namely in Carmel, Westfield and Noblesville.

The torch will make a special appearance on the grounds of Conner Prairie 6:00-6:25pm.

The torch relay is part of Indiana’s plan to celebrate the state’s 200th birthday.

Church groups, neighborhood associations, scout troops and other groups can purchase Bicentennial Celebration Kits for $35. These kits feature balloons, banners, foam fingers and pompoms and are available for purchase at this link 

You can learn more about the torch relay and its role in the bicentennial at this link

The Fishers Blues Festival is becoming a Labor Day tradition.  The 2016 gathering drew a nice crowd with near perfect weather both Friday and Saturday nights.

My wife Jane and I are lovers of the blues.  The acts booked by Bob McCutcheon of the city Parks & Recreation Department were first-rate.

I took a few pictures while attending Friday night.  Below are just of few of them:

This was a Labor Day Holiday weekend with perfect weather.  Late August had brought one wave of thunderstorms after another to the area.  But this weekend, the last holiday weekend of the summer season, resulted in a tragedy on Geist Lake.

A 24-year-old man, identified as Andrew Dimitroff, was reported missing while swimming in the lake.  First responders rushed to the scent, but could not find the missing swimmer as darkness fell Saturday night.  At dawn on Sunday the search resumed, and the body was recovered.

It is always tragic when something like this happens during a happy occasion.

Fishers Fire Department and state conservation officials said the swimmer did not have a life jacket.  WTHR reported witnesses told investigators that alcohol may have been involved.

To read the entire WTHR story and video, use this link.

With Labor Day upon us, Larry brings back some sound bites from the early interview podcasts from February and March

If you have been driving past the municipal complex, you may have noticed the main sign along 116th Street still called Fishers a town and didn’t list all of the city offices located there.

As of September 1st, there is a new sign along 116th Street as you enter the municipal complext.

We are now into the month of September, but that hasn’t slowed down the road construction all around Fishers.

Below is the construction schedule for the week starting Labor Day, Monday, Septeber 5th, as provided by the City of Fishers.

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BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Continuing this week, the bridge on 106th Street between Allisonville Road and Hague Road will be closed by the Hamilton County Highway Department for replacement. Detour routes are displayed in the area and access to local traffic will be permitted for residents and businesses. Please direct any questions about this project to alison.krupski@hamiltoncounty.in.gov.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD

Temporary lane restrictions will be in place on the east side of Brooks School Road north of the roundabout at Fall Creek for tree/brush clearing. Patience is appreciated while traveling in that area.

CYNTHEANNE ROAD

Road work continues on Cyntheanne Road between Southeastern Parkway and 136th Street, during construction periodic lane restrictions and flaggers will remain in place to help direct traffic.

EXIT FIVE PARKWAY

Exit Five Parkway will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 6 to reconstruct the road as part of the 116th Street widening project. The road will be closed to all traffic. Trucks needed to deliver to businesses will need to go up to Cumberland Road to Exit Five Parkway and come in from the north. The road will be closed for approximately two months, and a detour map is available online.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

I-69 TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS

INDOT is overseeing an overnight closure on multiple traffic lanes on I-69 overnight this week. Weather permitting, lane closures, traffic changes and rolling slowdowns of traffic will begin after 9 p.m. and are expected to end before 6 a.m. the next day. Construction schedules and traffic restrictions are subject to change, and questions should be directed to INDOT at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Please drive with caution as a new traffic pattern is in place.

MAPLE STREET

Maple Street will be close from North Street to Station Street on Tuesday September 6th.^. This closure has been coordinated with Fishers Fire Department should emergency access be needed. The closure is slated to be in place September 6th, 7th and 23rd.

STATE ROAD 37

Various general survey work has begun along the State Road 37 corridor. Work will take place starting at the 126th Street intersection. Learn more atwww.Fishers.in.us/SR37.

106^th STREET & CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT

Cumberland Road from 106th Street to Mud Creek is closed as Phase 1 of a new roundabout begins. 106th Street will remain open and Cumberland Road north of 106th Street will remain open at this time. The Cumberland Road south of 106th street is closed. Please continue to check the weekly construction update for ongoing progress on this project.

106th STREET INTERCHANGE

INDOT has begun work on the 106th Street interchange. A lane shift is currently in place on I-69 and 106th Street is closed as construction continues. Additional details about this project will be released through INDOT and shared on the weekly construction update. Please be advised the speed limit from 82nd Street to 116th Street has been reduced to 55 mph and there are lane shifts on I-69. Please travel with caution and pay close attention to signage in the area.

116th STREET

There may be short-term lane restrictions on eastbound 116th Street between USA Parkway and Exit Five Parkway while utility work is being completed. Nightly lane restrictions will also be in place on 116^th Street between Commercial Drive and USA Parkway between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.

131^st STREET

Lane restrictions will be in place on 131st Street between Brooks School Road and Olio Road to allow contractors to perform paving activities. Weather permitting, restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The city clerk is asking for a pay raise and the Fishers Freedom Festival is requesting almost double the amount of cash received from the city.  Those were the big items discussed Thursday night at the City Council Finance Committee meeting.

The Fishers Freedom Festival is moving from its long-time home at Holland Part to the downtown Nickel Plate District in 2017.  Jennifer Kehl, the top official at the festival committee, told the council panel there are many logistical costs to move the festival site, resulting in the requested increase in city cash support.  The festival is asking the city to provide just over $161,000 in 2017.  That does not count the “in-kind” services from city departments, which has been valued at about $40,000.

Ms. Kehl is also the City Clerk and is asking the council to raise her current $55,000 annual salary by $20,000 next year.  Kehl says her job as clerk was to be a 15-hours-per-week position, but she claims to be at City Hall nearly every day, with many more than 15 hours clocked per week.  She also presented data that clerks in comparable cities are paid much more than her current salary.  Kehl also asked for a 3% pay increase for her staff, in line with other city employees.  Also, the deputy clerk of the court does not have health insurance, which Kehl described as an oversight, and hr wants health benefits provided for that employee.

Clerk Kehl also asked for a “heavy duty” copying machine because the equipment at the City Controller’s office becomes overwhelmed, especially at meeting times.  This sparked a discussion by the committee members of possibly transitioning council and Board of Works business to electronic data to cut down on paper and copying costs.

City Judge Dan Henke presented a flat 2017 budget for council consideration, with one exception.  The judge is asking to be covered by the city’s health insurance plan.  Henke is currently covered under a self-employed insurance plan he pays for himself.  City Contoller Oscar Gutierrez told committee members the average cost of providing a family health insurance plan is $25,000 a year, but it could cost the city more or less, depending on health claim experience.

Members of the Finance Committee decided to take these proposals under advisement and talk more about them in their next meeting, to be held before the October 19th City Council session.  The City Council meeting will feature a public hearing on the budget proposals.

With Hamilton County offices up for election on November 8th, along with several state offices, the Hamilton County League of Women Voters will host two candidate forums.  The first will be held Tuesday, October 18th, 7pm, at Noblesville City Hall, and will feature candidates for Hamilton County offices.  The second is set for Monday, October 24th, 7pm, also at Noblesville City Hall, and will be held for state offices.