For many of us, the authority figures we knew growing up made a big impression on us.  For me one of those authority figures was a Catholic pastor at the school I attended all 8 years of grade school.

That man’s name was Matthew Herold.  He led the parish and the school I attended in the 1950s and 1960s.  And he was a very controversial man.

He did not believe anyone should ever arrive late for the Mass.  If he started Mass and saw someone walk into the church, Father Herold would stop and yell at the person for showing up late.

He was known to have quite a temper and I was occasionally on the other end of his many tirades.  As you can see, Father Herold had his own views on just about everything.

One view he held left most people dumbfounded, including my dad.  Father Herold said amateur sports should never be on television.  He wasn’t even in favor of amateurs playing before large crowds.

He asserted this in a state that was crazy about high school and college sports, especially basketball.  He would talk about watching professional sports on TV, but never any other sporting events.

Father Herold argued that it wasn’t right to put so much pressure on amateur athletes at the high school and college level.  He did not think that limelight was good for the mental health of those in sports.

What brought back memories of Father Herold was the story of Simone Biles.  She has been described as perhaps the greatest gymnast ever and was performing in this year’s Olympic games in Tokyo.

As most of you know by now, Simone Biles dropped out of the Olympics in mid-stream, citing mental health issues.  She had posted a Twitter message the day before saying she felt the pressure of the entire world on her shoulders.  It was just too much for her to bear.

I wish Simone Biles the very best.  At age 24 she has a lot of life ahead of her.  Mental health issues can be treated and I hope Ms. Biles gets the treatment she needs.

But all this brought me back to Father Mathew Herold.  We all thought he was nuts to say that amateur athletes have too much pressure.

Now, as I approach my 70th birthday, I have to go back and think about this.  Was Father Matthew Herold right after all?  I don’t know.  But it gives me a lot to mull over in my mind.

Fishers is poised to begin a housing study, an outgrowth the of city’s revised comprehensive plan.  The Board of Works and Public Safety has approved Urban Planners, a firm headquartered in Philadelphia, to conduct the housing study.

Mayor Scott Fadness questioned Planning & Zoning Director Megan Schaefer about the length of the contract, which calls for the study to take 8 months to complete.

“To really complete the comprehensive housing study, for what we are requesting, and to help with the fiscal analysis of build-out for our city, that is a reasonable time (compared) to the other proposals we received,” said Schaefer.  “I wish it was a shorter timeline, I was hoping to get it done by the end of the year, but for the quality of the report, 8 months is what (Urban Planners) is proposing.”

Board member Jeff Lantz described the cost of the study as “very reasonable,” considering the depth of the project.  The contract calls for the city to pay no more than $50,000 for the study.

The study will include, at a minimum, the following:

–The City’s housing stock (past, present, & future)

–Fishers’ housing market comparison to comparable communities and national
averages

–An analysis of the remaining undeveloped land and potential buildout

–Factors impacting housing attainment & preservation.

–Housing density and its impacts on the community such as school enrollment,
emergency services, infrastructure, and property tax revenues.

Verizon took a pause in asking for 5G tower installations in Fishers neighborhoods for several months, but that is about to change.  Mayor Scott Fadness says Verizon will be back with 5G tower approval requests before the Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety beginning in August.

City Attorney Chris Greisl told board members the meetings, which have been on Tuesdays at 3:00pm in recent months, will move to a 9am start time in August, at least through October.

Based on a meeting held with Homeowners Association (HOA) presidents and city officials June 30th, the following neighborhoods are next in line to have 5G towers installed:

Canyon Ridge

Cherry Hill Farms

Harrison Green

Harrison Woods

Lantern Farms

Lantern Overlook

Northfield Estates

Generally, the city has limited legal authority to change tower locations within a neighborhood, based on state and federal laws.  However, attempts to prevent towers from obstructing views and placing them in common areas wherever possible, can be made by city officials as part of the process.

The City of Fishers is set to acquire 98 acres of land along the White River, north of 96th Street.  The parcel is part of the Craig W. Johnson Estate, which City Attorney Chris Greisl says has been “tangled” in legal issues among creditors for years.

The Estate’s personal representative has offered to convey the land if the city pays just over $3,100 in property taxes due.  Without that payment, the land would be subjected to a tax sale.  Griesl also says there is a period where objections can be filed with the deadline at the end of this week.

Development originally planned for that land going back as far as 2007 never happened.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for us to pick up 98 acres of park land for $3,000, based on just due diligence on a several-year-old economic development agreement,” said Mayor Scott Fadness. “It fits into a broader strategy that we have for this area.”

The mayor says this land fits into an overall comprehensive plan to connect to Heritage Park, along the White River at 106th street.  The mayor says there are no immediate plans for development of the 98 acres, but the city planning staff is looking at a regional concept centered on the White River.

The Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety approved the conveyance at the Tuesday afternoon meeting.

I have been reading Betsy Reason for a number of years and have always admired her writing style.  Writing a column is a particular niche in the world of journalism.

Some reporters can write about any subject handed to them, but give them a feature or column to write and they get writer’s block.

Betsy now edits and writes for The Times newspaper here in Hamilton County.  She has just been honored by the Hoosier State Press Association in the small newspaper division for her writing skills.

According to a story in The Times, three columns were judged as first place winners.
They are:

–Do your research before voting on election day

–Details shared from campaign finance reports

–Thousands flock to Eagles concert.

It has been years since our paths have crossed.  After all, Betsy covers Noblesville and I cover Fishers.  But the few times we have chatted have been good conversations and I remember them well.

Allow me to congratulate Betsy on another set of awards to hang on the wall.  They are all well deserved!

Fishers Police arrested a former teacher in the Hamilton Southeastern School District on child molestation charges.  Ian Gray, 38, from Carmel, turned himself in and was booked at the Hamilton County Jail.  Gray has since been released on bond.

The Fishers Police Department says the incidents allegedly happened during the 2017-2018 school year.

Police were contacted by the Department of Child Services health professional in late May of this year, and the investigation began.  Once school officials were notified, Gray was removed from dealing with students in the classroom.  The arrest warrant was issued Thursday.

According to court documents, the victim was in the sixth grade at Fall Creek Intermediate when the alleged incidents occurred.

You have have seen some local news reports of a woman in Windermere neighborhood accused of publicly defecating.  Fishers Police issued a statement Thursday saying they have identified the woman but have not released her name.  Officers are encouraging her to seek the professional help needed, but have not ruled out criminal charges going forward.

Police also say at least one person has been publicly falsely accused in this case, and cautions the public not share such unverified information.

Below is the full statement from Fishers Police, posted on Facebook:

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The City is apparently pausing its program for a “Fishers Race Initiative” while “re-evaluating” its contract with the Soul Focused Group.

If you check the section of the city Web site about the Fishers Race Initiative, you see this message:

Thank you for your interest. In light of recent information shared with the City of Fishers about statements made by members of the Soul Focused Group team, the City is re-evaluating its contractual relationship and has suspended additional registrations at this time. 

I have reached out to the city for comment on just what information is referenced in the message, along with the reason for the suspension of the program,  but have yet to receive a response.  I have also reached out to the Soul Focused Group and have not yet received a response.

The city invited any Fishers resident to enroll in a course titled Interrupting Racism in 2020, free of charge, and had a reasonably good response.

Once I receive additional information, I will post it on LarryInFishers.com.

The Fishers Arts & Culture Commission is sending out checks to local groups totaling $43,000.  The commission, provided the funds as part of the 2021 city budget, selected the recipients by requiring they apply to at least two of the following criteria: inclusive, authentic, engaging, collaborative, innovative, and educational.

Here is the list of those selected to receive the grants:

Continue reading Fishers Arts & Culture Commission hands out $43,000 in local grants →

Had a bit of a technical glitch, so I missed the first couple of minutes…the podcast begins with Adam Aasen reviewing Old.