When I first learned about the death of country music artist Loretta Lynn at the age of 90, my thoughts immediately went back to a time in my early teens when my Dad talked about meeting Loretta Lynn and her husband.

My father loved country music and may have been frustrated this his oldest son, me, never cared for it.  I lost my Dad 28 years ago and did not realize until he was gone why he loved country music so much.

My father, Bernie Lannan, was raised on a farm south of Loogootee in Martin County, Indiana.  He was one of ten children.  Life was very hard on that farm for himself and all his siblings.

My Dad would briefly talk about how tough life was on that farm, but his brothers, my uncles, were quite vivid in their description of life on the Lannan farm – it was hard, very hard.

The family did have a respite on Saturday nights when everyone gathered around the radio (no TV in those days) and listened to the Grand Old Opry broadcast on Nashville radio station WSM.  He had fond memories of listening to Roy Acuff and Dottie West.

I cannot recall exactly how old I was when Dad showed me an autographed photo from Loretta Lynn, where the singer wrote about all of us in the family by name.  Dad had frequented an establishment in those days that featured country music recording artists and Loretta Lynn was the act for that night.

Dad was with some friends and one in the group had served in the National Guard.  It turns out Ms. Lynn’s husband had also served in the guard, so the husband gravitated to my dad’s table and they all got to know him an his wife Loretta.

Remember, this was very early in Ms. Lynn’s career, long before Coal Miner’s Daughter was a hit song, book and film.  She was on the country charts with her music then, but wasn’t well known outside those circles.

As an aside, I began my radio career in the early 1970s working at small radio stations and we would have people with a record in their hand show up at any time, day or night, pleading with the disc jockey to play the record.  If you saw the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, that is just what Loretta Lynn and her husband did and it paid off for them.

I do not believe the signed photo of Loretta Lynn survived the many moves of my parents, but I do remember how excited Dad was to have that photo and autograph.  Unfortunately, I had never heard of Loretta Lynn at that time so I likely disappointed my Dad by my lack of any reaction.

But now I understand why my Dad loved country music so much.  It brought back fond memories of his days on the farm.  His chance to see Loretta Lynn sing early in her career was a great memory for my Dad.  It was only recently that I fully understood why.

My series of podcasts with candidates for Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board candidates continues.  HSE High School Student Kate Lantzer joins me in conversation with these two candidates.  Casey Alexander, a student at Fishers High School, could not be with us for this recording session, but he did submit questions for the candidates that Kate asked during the podcast recording.

First, incumbent District 2 board member Janet Pritchett was interviewed and the podcast can be heard at this link.

Second, Dr. Carla Cork, candidate in District 3, spent time with Kate and Larry in recording the podcast available at this link.

All candidates have been invited to participate in this podcast series.

Barefoot in the Park is a Neil Simon play that has been produced on many stages throughout the nation.  A new local group, the Hyperion Players, has produced its version.  Here is my review.

With cooler weather settling-in the road construction  work in and around Fishers is beginning to shorten.  However, there is work you need to know about.

Below is the road construction update from the City of Fishers for the October 10:

===========

When I read Ann Marie Shambaugh’s story on the Current Publishing Web site about the League of Women Voters (LVW) candidate forum in Carmel, the main story was the fact that no Republicans chose to appear.  So, I wondered, what would happen at the Noblesville LVW forum two days later?

So, I went.  Turns out I was mixed-up on the start time, arrived late and entered in the wrong door.  That was bad enough.

But once again, only Democrats were there as candidates, once again no Republican candidates were there.  Why did the local GOP decide to stay away from these forums?

According to Ms. Shambaugh’s story for Current, this was no scheduling conflict.  Republican County Chair Mario Massillamany says he told the candidates not to attend.  Massillamany is quoted in the story as asserting GOP candidates have been attacked at these events and he does not believe the League is as neutral as it claims.

So, the Thursday night forum in Noblesville had the following in attendance – Jessica Paxson, Hamilton County Prosecutor – Jocelyn Vare, Senate District 31 – Tami Dixon-Tatum, Senate Distric 25 – Donna Griffin, House District 88.

Ms. Paxson says her decision to run for Prosecutor was tied to Greg Garrison winning the GOP primary.  She made clear that she would not be running if incumbent Lee Buckingham had won the May primary.

The hopefuls for seats in the General Assembly handled a number of issues, including abortion, education, the economy and their priorities if elected.

A reminder that the deadline to register to vote is October 11.  You can check on your registration, and get other voting information, at the LWV election Web site vote411.com

The Fishers City Council set aside an entire meeting to conduct a public hearing on a proposed 1% Food and Beverage Tax levied on restaurant meals.  Deputy Mayor Elliott Hultgren reviewed how the tax would work and projected the estimated $3.2 million in annual revenue would be utilized to partially finance a new Events Center as part of the expanded Fishers District development.

Former Town Council member Mike Colby asked about the possibility of inserting a sunset provision in the law, so it would expire after a specific number of years.  He also asked whether the upcoming council vote will be the final vote approving the tax.

Jack Russell of One Zone Chamber of Commerce expressed the Chamber’s support for the tax.

Brenda Myers from Hamilton County Tourism cited data supporting the idea of the Events Center and supports the tax.

Fishers resident Charles Dresser was the final speaker and he clearly opposes the tax.  He listed all the taxes he currently pays to federal, state and county governments.  He told the council he is “taxed enough.”

The City Council will vote on the Food and Beverage Tax at the October 10 meeting, 7pm, at the Launch Fishers Huston Theatre.

Applications for police officer jobs may be on a downward trajectory nation-wide, but Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart says his department continues to see a good amount of applicants for uniformed officer positions, compared to neighboring departments.

In a Thursday morning meeting with the Police Merit Commission, Gebhart says the most recent crop of applicants started at 217, with 120 on hand for the written and physical testing.  The Chief says there are now 32 “strong candidates” that will proceed to the background check phase.  Fishers continues to receive a number of lateral applicants from other police departments.

The department is also seeing a trend where officers are retiring after 22-28 years of service and starting new careers, largely because they have remained healthy during their time in uniform.

Chief Gebhart and his Assistant Chiefs, Luke Gannon and Mike Taylor, briefed Commission members on programs aimed at the physical and mental health of officers, changing tactics on setting up perimeters in search of a suspect, using drones and the role of Rapid DNA in investigations.  The Fishers Police Department is the only one in the state currently utilizing Rapid DNA.

The Fishers City Council is preparing to take final action on the 2023 budget and a decision on whether to approve a food and beverage tax (a 1% levy on restaurant meals).  The Finance Committee will recommend approval of those items and others at the next regular Council session October 10.  The regular council session is being conducted earlier than normal in the month due to HSE Schools being on Fall Break the following week.

Mayor Scott Fadness told committee members the budget presented at last month’s council session will be the same spending plan he will ask the council members to give final approval October 10.

Committee member Jocelyn Vare asked for more details on plans for the cash reserves.  The mayor responded this is a timing issue, based on needs for a new community center that will be revealed in coming weeks.  Also, the agreement with Carmel to share income tax proceeds will expire after 2023.

Committee Chairman John Weingardt sounded a note of caution in handling cash reserves.

“I’m going to be very, very careful with those reserves,” said Weingardt.  “With our economy going the way it’s going, where we’re heading as a country.”

Weingardt voiced concern about what a downturn in the economy would do for the city’s AAA bond rating.

Councilor David Giffel is not a member of the Finance Committee, but attended Wednesday’s meeting and asked the mayor about city funding for the arena planned as part of the Fishers District expansion.

Fadness responded the city is going into this process with “eyes wide open,” with the financing of this center not burdening the property tax rate for the city.  The city plans to dip into the Cumulative Capital Development Fund (CCD) first so that remaining money can be used for other capital projects.

The mayor is proposing a 1% Food & Beverage Tax as part of the funding package for the arena.  The latest data on how much that tax would generate in Fishers is $3.2 million per year.  The City Council is holding a public hearing on the Food & Beverage Tax proposal October 6, 5pm, at the Police Department Training Room.  The council is to vote on the tax October 10.

When asked about road projects to be funded next year, Fadness said the biggest one in 2023  would be on Cumberland Road, between 106th & 116th Streets

The Fishers City Council will be conducting a public hearing on a food & beverage tax at a special meeting Thursday, October 6, 5:00pm.  Both the start time and the location are a bit unusual.

First, the 5:00pm start time is not a common start time for any council session.  However, this public hearing on this tax is the only item on the agenda.

The location is also not a common one.  This hearing will be held at the Fishers Police Department Training Room.  If you wish to attend this meeting, enter at the main entrance to the Police Department, check out the elevator to your right.  There should be a sign directing you to the proper floor.

With City Hall set for the wrecking ball, city meetings are being conducted at various locations, such as the City Services Building and Launch Fishers.

Fishers last considered a food & beverage tax in 2013 when state lawmakers provided a one-year window to enact the levy.  There were limitations on how the money generated by the tax could be used, mostly for economic development.  There was no pending project at that time, so the town council decided to table the tax issue and never brought it back as the deadline expired.

The 1% levy on restaurant meals is being proposed by Mayor Scott Fadness as part of a package to finance a new events center as part of the Fishers District expansion.  The proposed arena could hold as many as 8,500 people, about 6,500 for hockey and basketball games.

Fadness has said he could finance this project, plus a new community center, without an increase in the city’s property tax rate.  He has, however, resurrected the food & beverage tax as part of the events center financing.

The purpose of the hearing is to allow the public time to comment on the tax proposal.  The council will then schedule a vote on the tax.

So far, council members have supported the tax proposal.  Councilor Jocelyn Vare said at the last council session she is not prepared to take a position on the tax until she has more time to study the proposal.

Six of the Ten Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board candidates accepted the invitation to attend a candidate Town Hall Tuesday night, Sponsored by the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association.  The Event, held at the Launch Fishers Huston Theatre, was moderated by Fall Creek Junior High Science Teacher John Cappello.

The moderator wrote the first and last questions for the candidates, the rest were gleaned from questions submitted by the large audience on hand.  Some of the questions from those at the Town Hall included targeting and bullying messages victimizing students, teachers & staff….whether school board elections should remain nonpartisan in Indiana…how to lessen the divisions in the community….and what does academic excellence mean.

I have about 15 pages of notes on all the candidate responses, so there is no way to summarize it all.  So, here is a snapshot of what the candidates had to say.

DISTRICT 1

Jackie Howell  She is a mental health counselor with 15 years in the local community. Her family, she says, moved to the Fishers area because of the highly-rated school system.  Teachers should be treated as professionals.  She is a big believer in utilizing data before making major decisions.

Brad Boyer He is completing his first 4-year term as a board member and seeking re-election.  He believes educators should concentrate more on the core subjects and not so much on other activities during the school day.  He does not think it is a good idea for school board members to be interacting on social media, admitting some may disagree.  The COVID pandemic caused some setbacks for the board, for obvious reasons.

DISTRICT 2

Janet Pritchett She is also finishing up her first 4-year term and is running for re-election. She moved to Fishers 18 years ago.  She has been active in PTO leadership positions.  She also believes many board initiatives were derailed by the COVID pandemic.  Being supportive of teachers is something she has always emphasized and strongly believes in getting staff input on decisions.

DISTRICT 3

Carla Cork Dr. Cork is a trained physician and best-selling author.  She believes the school district should be focused on the future of its students, saying she wants children to be successful.  She has seen the best-laid teacher lesson plans go sideways when things do not go as planned.  She emphasized the level of respect the staff deserves.

DISTRICT 4

Julie Chambers The current board president is seeking a second 4-year term.  She is a former deputy prosecuting attorney and now runs her own law practice.  She says she has loved being on the board during this first term and is running for re-election.  She is working toward spreading the good news about the HSE schools.  Visiting classrooms and speaking with building principals is something she believes in doing regularly.

Harry Delks After 21 years as head of facilities for the HSE School District, he is running for the board.  He says he can offer a perspective of a school administrator when making decisions, as someone that has experience working on the inside.  When designing the new school buildings constructed by HSE Schools during his tenure, he has always had teachers in mind on what they want in the building.

Four candidates were not in attendance Tuesday night – Tiffany Pascoe, Dawn Lang, Juanita Albright and Ben Orr.  Edward Gedeon’s name will be on the ballot, but is no longer campaigning in District 1 and supports Jackie Howell.

Once again, I have only scratched the surface on what was discussed at the Town Hall.  The event was live streamed on video.  HSEA says a video recording of the event will be available soon.