The Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation only has a few major fund-raising events each year, and one of them is coming up soon.  The 2024 Game Day is set for Friday, February 23rd, 6:30pm, at Hub & Spoke.

Game Day is a time to don your favorite sports outfit and support the foundation’s efforts to support education at Hamilton Southeastern Schools.

Game Day has become a signature event in Fishers, as the largest annual fundraiser benefiting all 22 Hamilton Southeastern schools and attracting a sellout crowd. Event attendees will be provided tailgating themed games, game day food, and the annual district-wide Pop-A-Shot contest. Proceeds from the event help support innovative teacher grants, student scholarships, mental health, and wellness initiatives across all grade levels.

The event also will feature the popular Game Day auction, a way for the entire community to support local schools. The auction annually features hundreds of unique items and experiences, including baskets from each of HSE’s schools and PTOs. You can view the auction items in person by attending Game Day or follow the auction online from anywhere until bidding closes on February 23rd. Each $100 ticket is a tax-deductible donation used to inspire innovation in local education with discounts available for HSE Schools staff and alumni.

Game Day tickets normally sell quickly, so do not delay in buying yours.  Tickets are available at this link.

The Fishers City Council voted Wednesday night in favor of a rezoning  on the north side of 116th Street, west of Olio Road, from residential to commercial.  This concludes a long series of developments with neighbors and City Council members, paving the way for approval of this Drive Planning headquarters.

Several City Council members were also serving on the Plan Commission and initially opposed the rezone, but all voted in favor Wednesday night in a unanimous Council vote, once all agreed on a final plan.  Drive Planning currently has 7 employees and plans to add 15 with the new building.

This council action allows Drive Planning to move forward on construction of the firm’s new building.

“It’s one thing to win a championship, it’s another thing to be truly dominant.”  That’s how Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness introduced the HSE High School Girls’ Volleyball team to the City Council Wednesday night.  Coach Jason Young sang the praises of his squad, not just for their athletic accomplishments, but for their outstanding academic achievements.  After 2 consecutive state championships, Councilor Pete Peterson asked the coach if there will e a 3-peat?  Coach Young provided the usual coach’s answer – “We’re going to do our very best.”

Tracy Gaynor, Director of Information Technology for the City of Fishers, describes Olga Cansino his “right-hand” on the city staff.  Olga Cansino is celebrating 20 years working for the City of Fishers, and was so honored Wednesday by the City Council.  Gaynor was quick to recognize her for “dedication and good hard work.”

Jordin Alexander is the Chief of Staff for Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, and she presented the steps required to create a city-wide trash collection service through a private sector contract.  The earliest any program would likely begin would be the first quarter of 2025.

Alexander provided rates nearby cities have obtained through a city-wide contract.  Carmel’s contract with Republic costs residents $14.70 per month in 2024, but slowly rises each year to $18.25 a month in 2029.  Westfield’s pact with Waste Management is $12.93 per month in 2024 and is scheduled to be $13.23 a month in 2025.  The Noblesville agreement with Republic is $13.85 per month in 2024.

The city placed a survey online and had over 2,500 residents and 120 Homeowners Associations (HOAs) respond.  According to the residents survey, 41% said cost of service would be the most important aspect of any city-wide contract, 21% said customer service, 17% collection frequency and 3% the trash collector.  The HOA responses were similar.

According to the survey, 70% of residents are paying more than $21 a month for trash collection, 22% saying they pay $31-40, and 24% say they pay more than $41 a month.  Among the HOA responses, 62% pay more then $21 a month, 33% with rates of $12-20 per month and 5% with rates $8-12 monthly.

The mayor’s staff plans to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) this month, to be presented to the Board of Public Works & Safety for a vote in February.  Proposals would be received from trash company bidders in May.  June would be set aside for negotiations that would lead to a public hearing on a proposed contract in July.  A tentative contract approval would happen in August, with a City Council Rate Ordinance Public Hearing and vote.  Any new contract with city-wide rates would be implemented during the first 3 months of 2025.   The process could stop at any point before Council approval of a rate ordinance.

Councilors Pete Peterson and John Weingardt were members of the Fishers Town Council 10 years ago when the town went through this same process and rejected the bids due to what Peterson described as a “visceral” reaction from most residents at the time.

There were other comments on how the situation is much different now, with basically 2 trash collection firms serving Fishers, Republic and Waste Management.  Much of the price increases resulted once Waste Management bought Ray’s Trash Collection Service.

There are many details to be worked out, such as how to handle HOAs that have contracts in place now with trash collection firms.

The mayor’s office is moving forward with the process.  Let’s see how it goes this time.

You can view Jordin Alexander’s PowerPoint presentation to the City Council Wednesday night at this link.

The first Fishers City Council meeting of the calendar year brings new council members and a new president.  Council members elected Cecilia Coble to be president during the calendar year 2024.  Pete Peterson was elected vice president.  Both were elected by unanimous council votes.

This was the first City Council meeting for new members Tiffany Ditlevson, John DeLucia and Bill Stuart.

There are plenty of issues relating to public safety in Fishers.  The video recording body cams on officers, the mental health of the force, how technology impacts law enforcement and many more.  Mayor Scott Fadness and Police Chief Ed Gebhart joined Larry to talk about all that and more.  Listen to the podcast at the link below.

The federal holiday that is Martin Luther King Day has been taken up by many in the private sector, providing a paid day off work.  The Martin Luther King Center has always encouraged those with a day away from work to use this day as a “day on” for helping your local community in any way you see fit.

King is praised almost universally today, but I am old enough to remember the time when he was doing his work and Dr. King was vilified horribly by many, up until the time of his assassination in Memphis. It is sad that so many in American history that worked for peaceful change ended up in a violent death.

I still remember watching the March on Washington on television in 1963 with my father.  My dad thought the world of Dr. King.  He told me then that if he had not been the father of small children, he would have traveled to DC to take part in that historic event.

The best way, in my view, to remember Dr. King is to work peacefully for change…the kind of change that lifts up people on the lower rung of society.  I am not saying this is easy.  As Dr. King taught us during his lifetime, it is hard.

I commend that City of Fishers for sponsoring a food drive as part of Martin Luther King Day.  To learn more about MLK Day activities in Fishers, use this link.

Pinheads, a popular complex in Fishers with bowling, entertainment and a restaurant, is closed.  Based on a statement posted on the Pinheads Facebook page, the closure is due to a fire that happened in the kitchen area Wednesday, January 10.

The statement says the closure will be for at least 3 weeks.

Below is the full statement posted on the Facebook page:

I made my living as a radio broadcaster from 1969 through the summer of 1983.  There were no smart phones or Internet in those days, so people often turned to their local radio station for the latest on weather.

I learned a great deal during those years about how weather has an impact on all of us.  Winter weather can be particularly dangerous.

As I write this mid-day, Sunday, January 14, there is a Wind Chill Advisory in place for Fishers through 7am Monday.  Wind Chill readings may go down as far as 25 degrees below zero.

Here is what the National Weather Service recommends in wind chill temperatures this cold.  “Use caution while traveling outside, with appropriate clothing, a hat and glovers,” say the forecasters.

The next few days do not look much better.  Below is what forecasters at the Indianapolis office of the National Weather Service say about Monday through Saturday:

“A prolonged period of frigid temperatures is expected to continue through the coming week.  Air Temperatures will fall below zero for parts of the area Monday into Monday night.  Wind chills may approach -20 degrees for parts of the area.”

Bottom line, be very careful when venturing outdoors in weather like this.