There is a saying in the movie business….it’s hard to improve on perfect. I am not saying the 1961 version of West Side Story was a perfect film, but my view is this – it was mighty close.
So, why would a famed film director risk his reputation by remaking a classic musical? I have no idea, but Steven Spielberg did just that.
Is the new West Side Story a good film, a great film or does it not measure up to the original?
Here is my review.
Many of you may have read my commentary posted here December 3rd on CNN & Chris Cuomo. What a difference a few days can make.
Chris Cuomo was summarily fired Saturday after a report was released by the New York State Attorney General. What CNN disclosed for the first time Saturday was the hiring a an outside law firm to investigate the matter.
Saturday, that outside report, plus an allegation of sexual harassment some years ago, led CNN to let their night-time opinion anchor go.
Tom Jones, writer for the Poynter Institute, a respected organization on the media, posted a recent comment that both Andrew and Chris Cuomo lost their jobs due to one common issue.
“Arrogance, the entitled belief that the rules don’t necessarily apply to them, the misguided assumption that just because they do good in some parts of their jobs means they can be excused for ill-behavior in other parts,” wrote Mr. Jones.
I agree with the analysis of Tom Jones, but that does not change my view of how CNN handled Chris Cuomo in the past. I sincerely hope CNN will do an internal post-mortem and dig deep into why the company itself is partially to blame for all this.
On December 1st, I conducted a roughly 45-minute podcast recording session with Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness (the podcast can be heard in its entirety at this link).
During the podcast, I asked the mayor how he would assess the job his Fishers Health Department is doing in the battle with COVID.
Before getting into his response, allow me to review a little history here.
When COVID was spreading in the early months of 2020, it was clear that, with no vaccine available at that time, testing was the key to dealing with the virus. Fishers decided the health of its citizens and its business community were tied to the availability of testing.
That led to Scott Fadness announcing the creation of a Fishers City Health Department that was literally created from scratch. The department was started with a contract for COVID testing through a private company. The tests were drive-thru and generally at no cost. You received your results in a day or two.
Scott Fadness took a lot of public criticism for this move. He was accused of a power grab by separating the City of Fishers from the Hamilton County Health Department. But that did not deter the mayor.
Fishers turned out to be well ahead of other localities in the State of Indiana. When vaccines became available, the city quickly renovated a vacant former Marsh grocery near 116th Street and Brooks School Road. That vaccine facility is still open for business today.
The mayor was more than happy to answer my podcast question on his health department. He cited 82,000 COVID tests administered, and pointed proudly to the 70,000 vaccinations done at the Fishers site. It is interesting that about 50% of the vaccine shots were provided for people that do not even live in Fishers.
“So people are coming here to get their vaccines from a health department that got started 18 months ago,” the mayor told me.
Here is the number that the mayor was quick to share. The city is approaching a 90% rate of COVID adult vaccinations, surpassing the city’s initial goal of vaccinating 85%. What impresses the mayor is that this was accomplished in a state with an adult vaccination rate either 45th or 46th among the 50 states
When asked how to handle those still not vaccinated in the city, Fadness said some are just procrastinating and can still walk-in to the Fishers vaccination center anytime it is open and get the shot. He also admitted there are some that simply will not be vaccinated.
On December 3rd, the mayor hosted a virtual town hall, featuring Monica Heltz, Chief Medical Director for the Fishers Health Department…Dr. Indy Lane, Fishers Health Department’s Chief Medical Director and Community Health OBGYN…and Riley Children’s Hospital Pediatrician Dr. Michele Saysana.
Here are a few highlights of what was said by the health experts during that Town Hall:
mRNA Vaccine Technology – This technology for developing vaccines is different, but not much different in how vaccines are developed generally. The mRNA system uses a little snippet or copy of code, the part that tells your body how to make protein and target the body’s defenses. It self-destructs and does not linger in your system.
In response to questions about how our DNA might be impacted by vaccines, the health professionals say the vaccine helps the body make proteins. mRNA makes a protein then goes away…it overlays your DNA, makes a copy, makes a protein, then goes away. It never, ever, ever is incorporated into your DNA. It cannot change your DNA.
mRNA has been around a long time, but in the United States, we have never needed it before, thankfully. Technology has allowed for the quick rollout of the mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer and Moderna. mRNA is the process utilized to make the vaccine…no metal, no chips, nothing like that is inserted into your body using this vaccine.
Do these vaccines impact fertility? – The experts say no studies indicate COVID vaccines cause infertility. Some in the medical community refer to vaccines as little miracle drugs. Vaccines have been instrumental in preventing youngsters from getting Chicken Pox. Chicken Pox can be very dangerous in pregnancy, but vaccines have prevented this.
“I would tell all couples that are considering pregnancy, the best thing you can do, in addition to meeting with your physician to do that preconception counseling, is to be vaccinated for COVID,” said Dr. Indy Lane. “This is one less thing you have to worry about when the time comes and you are pregnant.”
Even if you are pregnant and do experience side effects from the vaccination, that will not impact the fetus.
As to male fertility, there is no medical evidence to indicate any vaccine impacts this, including the COVID vaccines.
As to how much medical data is available on the vaccines and booster shots, the elderly and medical professionals were first vaccinated about one year ago and the data supports the boosters. There is also plenty of data from the 30,000 participants in the initial testing started in the summer of 2020 to back the recommendation of booster shots.
Why is there a different vaccine dosage for chilren? – The different dosage amounts for children relate to how the studies were conducted. There had to be a cutoff somewhere, so that is why 5-11 year-olds have a different dosage than ages 12 and older. Dr. Saysana says those inoculated under the age of 12 should get the second shot 21 days after the first, the same waiting period as adults.
As to children and natural immunity, Dr. Saysana recommends children get the shot once back in school and out of quarantine. However, if the child had COVD MIS-C, or received monoclonal antibodies treatment, she recommends waiting 90 days and then receive the first shot. There is no evidence of adverse interaction between natural immunity and the vaccine, because the vaccination allows the body another reason to generate more antibodies.
Influenza shots – Monica Heltz recommends everyone get both the COVID and Flu shot. There is no adverse impact to receiving both shots the same day.
There was much more discussed in the Town Hall, which was video recorded and available at the link below.
Mayor Fadness summed-up the Fishers Health Department’s COVID performance this way.
“I hope over a period of time people will look back and realize what the folks at Fishers Health Department have accomplished in a very short period of time,” said the mayor. “The numbers are really pretty staggering.”
12520 E 116th St, Fishers, IN 46037
* Walk-in ends 30 minutes before closing time.
Fishers COVID Hotline at 317-595-3211
As a news junkie, I do watch cable news, probably more than is good for my mental health. But something has been happening at CNN that bothered me for a long time. That concern has blown up for CNN.
I sometimes watch the night-time shows on cable news, which are, in the United States, all opinion programs. They come mostly from the left or right, depending on which network you prefer to watch.
What has been concerning for me on CNN has nothing to do with the host’s ideology. I would regularly see a night-time host, Chris Cuomo, interviewing his brother, the Governor of New York at the time, Andrew Cuomo.
Sorry, but this is journalism 101 for me. Why would anyone, a journalist or opinion host, be allowed to interview a sibling? If my brother was an elected official in Fishers, I would either not record a podcast with him or would find some other way to cover him.
In my view, this was the fault of CNN management. That should never have been allowed on a major news network.
And, let’s be honest. CNN has become a huge news source world-wide. It’s difficult to find hard data, but most experts say 80%-90% of CNN’s total revenue comes from outside the United States. But CNN is an American company and is a major media player domestically.
I contend that CNN should have used ethical standards to keep Chris Cuomo from interviewing his governor brother.
So, what have we now? The New York Attorney General’s office has released details of how Chris Coumo crossed even more ethical lines in helping his brother Andrew manage a political crisis. As most of you know, Andrew Cuomo was forced to resign as governor due to allegations of sexual harassment.
Now, I realize I did record a podcast with my brother-in-law Fred Glass, but that was fully disclosed in the first minutes of that podcast and we centered the conversation on his book.
CNN has suspended Chris Cuomo “indefinitely” once the New York Attorney General disclosed the details of his involvement in assisting his brother Andrew weather a political storm.
It would appear Chris Coumo’s efforts to help his brother were not effective. But that brings me to the key issue, in my view.
If CNN wants to analyze what happened here, the news organization should first look in the mirror. Allowing arguably unethical standards to prevail set the stage for Chris Cuomo’s suspension.
Perhaps CNN should consider suspending everyone involved in allowing practices of ethical concern.
Mayor Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone, visited Fishers Thursday morning for a ceremonial tree-planting ceremony. She was in town for a Rotary Club event, The WaterIsLife Ball, as the guest of honor.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness joined the ceremony, along with representatives of the local Rotary Club, at Fishers Rotary Park, on the southwest corner of 116th Street and Lantern Road, for the ceremonial planting of the tree.
Mayor Aki Sawyerr is a member of the 2021 class of TIME100 Next, which highlights 100 emerging world leaders who are shaping the future.
After sifting through a public meeting and over 70 responses from the residents, the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board is attempting to narrow down the options for adjusting elementary school boundaries in the area of the under-construction Deer Creek Elementary School. At a Wednesday evening work session, board members discussed the two options before them and how they could be tweaked before a final vote on December 8.
The Option D was formulated in response to the many suggestions submitted by the public and people connected to HSE Schools. It does move more students in more school buildings. It also puts Deer Creek Elementary at 88% of capacity, higher than school officials wanted.
Scenario C is simpler, taking some students from Southeastern Elementary, already overcrowded, and sending those students to Deer Creek. This plan also gets Deer Creek to 80% capacity, where school officials wanted the student population to be, allowing for expected future growth.
During the nearly 90-minute work session, there were many suggestions to fine-tune the final boundary adjustment formula and how changes would impact certain neighborhoods.
So, the scenarios (provided on this blog post) could be adjusted before the final vote by the board December 8.
Administrators recommended to the board an exemption from moving from one school to another for incoming 4th-graders, but there would be no transportation provided. Also, another recommendation would allow any family that opted to attend a different
school to assist with overcrowding can stay at their current school, but no transportation would be provided in this case.
Mayor Scott Fadness sat down with Larry December 1st and discussed a number of issues, including:
–The new autonomous vehicle program for the Nickel Plate Arts District
–Status of the new City Hall, Arts Center and Recreation Center
–What is happening locally and state-wide with COVID
–The city’s recent success in luring foreign life science companies
–Downtown development and impact on the local schools
–The controversies and legal issues in the placement of 5G towers
–The legacy of long-time public servant David George, who recently resigned his seat on the City Council
–The mayor’s greatest accomplishments in his nearly 7 years serving in the office.
Here is the podcast link:
In February of this year, there was an announcement of pilot programs for autonomous vehicle shuttle services, including one in Fishers. An announcement Wednesday morning says that shuttle service will begin in Fishers starting December 20, serving the Nickel Plate Arts District.
Below is the text of the news release making this announcement:
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“Indiana continues to be a place for advancing autonomous transportation solutions and partnering with the City of Fishers as our next city to deploy the May Mobility autonomous shuttle service is a perfect fit,” said Paul Mitchell, president and CEO, Energy Systems Network. “Public-private partnerships like this one only strengthen the goal of providing mobility options for all residents.”
It is time to get to work on a new Fishers City Hall, Arts Center & Recreation Center. The Board of Public Works & Safety approved two important contracts that will move the process forward.
Both agreements are with local contractors – Meyer-Najem for the new City Hall & Arts Center, and Hagerman for the recreation center.
The city expects to demolish the Old City Hall and construct the new Hall, along with an Arts Center in the same complex. The location for the Recreation Center has not been determined.
City Attorney Chris Greisl told board members the contractors will provide the city with “a plan refinement process,” including design, construction documents, construction budget, and all the necessary design documents. Meyer-Najem has until May 1, 2022 to produce all this, and Hagerman’s deadline is May 15, 2022.
Both projects will be handled as Build, Operate & Transfer (BOT) agreements under the rules governing public-private partnerships. In each case, scoping agreement costs will be rolled into the final price for BOT agreement.
Mayor Scott Fadness said board members had a lengthy process reviewing RFP (request for proposals) responses with what the mayor described as many very good applications.
“We have a long ways to go before we go into any formal agreement,” Fadness said. “This is a good first step.”
When the Glenn Abbey area of Windermere objected to any 5G towers in its neighborhood, and an attorney representing those residents presented arguments before the Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety arguing their case, Mayor Scott Fadness directed City Attorney Chris Greisl to hold talks with attorneys for those residents and Verizon. It appears the result of those discussions came to no change in policy.
At Tuesday morning’s Board of Works Meeting, a resident of Reserve at Lantern asked that the board table the 5G towers for his subdivision so the Glenn Abbey situation could be decided. Mayor Fadness responded that the talks among attorneys resulted in no change to the policies the city used before and that Glenn Abbey will be decided at the December 13 board session. The only reason Glenn Abbey was not on Tuesday’s agenda related to an attorney for the residents dealing with a personal issue.
However, the Reserve at Lantern tower was tabled to settle different issues over moving the tower to a nearby lift station.
In other 5G tower issues before the board Tuesday morning
–2 towers were approved for Conner Creek, despite some concerns expressed by residents. The board says these towers meet the criteria set by the city.
–3 tower locations at Harvard Park were approved
–The Berkley Grove neighborhood had all 5G towers approved, except one that was tabled. Mayor Fadness insisted on tabling one tower because it was near a home with other possible locations nearby.
–A tower in Harrison Lakes that had been tabled was denied by the board. Mayor Fadness said the location was right in front of one resident’s home.
–A previously tabled tower location in Weaver Creek neighborhood was denied by the board. The mayor said this denial was for the same reasons the Harrison Lakes tower was voted down.
Verizon Attorney Russell Brown explained how the tech firm worked with the residents of the neighborhoods where towers were denied by the board. Mayor Fadness said he “is not casting aspersions on Verizon,” because he believes the company made every attempt to find a solution, but no viable alternative was available for those tower locations.