Whenever there is a festival in Fishers, I try my best to walk around and take a few photos.  That wasn’t possible for the 2021 Spark Fishers Festival.

I had a volunteer duty to staff the public address station at Holland Drive and Ellipse Parkway, at the main entrance to Holland Park.  That was a good distance from the center of the festival at the Municipal Complex, so photos for this year were out for me.  I have included some photos from the city in this post.

Parades are unpredictable events.  There are always units out of order and a few that just don’t show up.  That complicates the work of a public address announcer.  The parade organizers were able to provide scripts for me the day before, giving me time to look them over.

Then there was the wind.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.  There was no rain and the the temperatures were fairly comfortable for this time of year.  Kudos to the Fishers City staff that built the tent for my location, it was solid.  Not all the tents made it through that windy Saturday.

Allow me to thank my niece Jenna Petroff, a counselor at Fishers High School, and her husband Phil, a teacher at Sand Creek Elementary, for volunteering to help me out.  Without them, I would not know which unit was coming next and the wind would have swept away my written scripts.

Based on the crowd in and around Holland Drive & Ellipse Parkway, the 2021 parade was a hit.  My understanding was the rest of the parade route had lots of spectators and the festival near City Hall was busy as well.

Just another example of how people everywhere are anxious to celebrate after our lockdown in 2020.  When we were in the depths of the lockdown last year, I wrote that Fishers needed a big party once the pandemic was less of a threat.  We had that party Saturday.

As I was leaving the parade, I had a little girl come up to me, I would guess 4 or 5 years old.  She had some candy that had been handed out during the parade.  She gave me a piece of candy to thank me for the parade.

I accepted, knowing I symbolized the parade for her as the PA announcer.  I accepted not for myself, but on behalf of all the volunteers, paid professionals and sponsors that made the festival possible.

I haven’t had the heart to eat that candy yet.   Once I do, I will think about all the people in Fishers, coming together and making the Spark Fishers Festival possible.

As escapee from the Hamilton County corrections system was taken into custody by Indiana State Police Friday afternoon in Fort Wayne.  Rafael Rosa III, 27, from Noblesville, walked away from custody on June 18th, and has been on the run since.  Rosa was serving a sentence for burglary and theft convictions at the Hamilton County Corrections facility.

According to State Police, Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies worked with them to determine Fort Wayne was the most likely location to search for Rosa.  Once Rosa was found at a Fort Wayne motel, he fled, but troopers gave chase and apprehended him.

Rosa was transported to the Allen County jail, where he remains held pending transfer back to the Hamilton County jail.

With the Spark Fishers Festival upon us and the 4th of July just around the corner, many of us living in Fishers neighborhoods are seeing and hearing fireworks.  When and how you may legally use fireworks in the City of Fishers is codified in a city ordinance.

The Fishers Police Department is reminding local residents of the rules.  Officers encourage citizens to voluntarily comply with the ordinance, but if there are violations, police will enforce the ordinance language.

As a reminder, here is the Fishers City Fireworks Ordinance, as provided by Fishers Police:

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Continue reading Reminder of the Fishers fireworks ordinance →

This week’s road construction update includes what you need to know about Spark Fishers traffic along with the latest on State Road 37 and the 116th Nickel Plate tunnell

Here is the latest, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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STATE ROAD 37 AND 146TH STREET
All left-turn lanes are currently restricted on SR 37 and on 146th Street with traffic moved to the interior lanes. Thru traffic and right turns on SR 37 and 146th Street will remain open. Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes for all left turn access. View an alternate route map here. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 131ST / 135TH STREETS
The westside of 131st Street at SR 37 is currently closed as work progresses on the interchange. SR 37 will remain open both north and southbound. SR 37 southbound left and right turns onto 131st Street will be restricted. Westbound left turns onto SR 37 will also be restricted on 131st Street. View the detour map here.

The Northbound SR 37 right turn lane onto 135th Street is currently closed from 131st Street to approximately halfway to 135th Street for Phase 1 construction. This portion of the dedicated turn lane will not reopen to regular capacity until the interchange is complete.

Please drive with caution through this area. To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com.

The City of Fishers started construction on the Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian tunnel beneath 116th Street on Tuesday, June 1. The closure is anticipated to last 60 days. During the construction, 116th Street will be closed from east of Municipal Drive to west of Maple Street. All local business and public parking access will remain open.

106th Street will serve as the detour route, with the detour beginning at Hague Road for eastbound thru traffic and Lantern Road for the westbound thru traffic.

Portions of the Nickel Plate Trail are now open, including the paved portion from 131st Street to North Street, and from South Street to 106th Street. The 116^th Street tunnel will complete the trail connection through downtown Fishers, joining South Street and North Street, and establishing a full connection from 131^st Street to 106^th Street. While the tunnel is under construction, a pedestrian detour route will provide access through downtown between the north and south sections of the trail. View the pedestrian detour map here.

To learn more about the project, view construction images and project renderings, and find detour maps, visit https://www.playfishers.com/284/Nickel-Plate-Trail

The Spark! Fishers celebration concludes tomorrow, June 26 with street festival, parade, and fireworks show in Fishers’ downtown Nickel Plate District. 116th Street will be closed beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday between Fishers Center Drive and west of Maple Street. Road closures will be in effect all day on East Municipal Drive and around Central Green. The west side of Municipal Drive will remain open from Fishers Center Drive to Lantern Road.

Parking restrictions are currently in effect on surface lots and street parking around the Municipal Complex. Garages will remain open until 3 p.m. on Saturday. At that time, the Switch and Depot Garages will be restricted for residents or those with a valid Spark! Fishers parking pass. ADA parking is available in the Police Department Garage. Attendees are encouraged to park at the Forum Credit Union Event Center (11313 USA Parkway) and take the free event shuttle.

For more details, visit https://sparkfishers.com/road-closures/

Indianapolis DPW currently has Admirals Pointe Drive closed through midsummer 2021 to replace the timber bridge over Geist and the north fork of Dry Branch. The detour will consist of Old Stone Dr. East to Carroll Rd. / 700 W., South to E. 79th St., West to Oaklandon Rd.

ADA ramp and curb reconstruction has started as part of the 2021 Resurfacing Project. After ADA ramp and curb reconstruction is completed, those areas will be restored with topsoil and seed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to water the seed for the seed to germinate. Prior to road resurfacing, residents will be notified via street signage for street parking restrictions.

The evening featured overcast skies and comfortable summer temperatures.  That was a perfect combination for the Thursday evening Spark Fishers Car & Art Show.  The size of the crowd is just another example of how eager locals are to get outside and be with other people as the pandemic lowers its threat.

Artists were everywhere, selling their artwork.  Then there were the cars, lots of classic vehicles al along the green area south of City Hall on Municipal Drive.  There were Corvettes, Camaros, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and a Model A.

If the weather holds out, look for a record crowd Saturday for the Spark Fishers Festival, parade and fireworks.

Here are just a few of the photos from the art and the cars:

Continue reading Cars & Art – Spark Fishers combination →

Imagine for a moment you receive a phone call from the number of a loved one you see on caller ID.  You are told that loved one has been kidnapped.  You hear horrible noises in the background like screaming and yelling.  You are told that any attempt to contact law enforcement will result in the immediate death of the person held at gunpoint.  You are not allowed to speak with your loved one, but are instructed to use a service like Zelle or PayPal to make an immediate payment to save the life of your loved one.

Fishers Police say this is a scam, using spoofing or mirroring methods to make it look like the phone call is from the cell phone of your loved one.

If you receive such a call, here is what local law enforcement recommends:

–Immediately hang up and call 911. Police will perform a welfare check to ensure your loved one’s safety.

–Never pay any ransom and immediately report suspicious activity.

Police are also offering the following safety tips to help avoid becoming a victim:

–Make certain the security settings on your social media accounts, are set to the highest security level locking accounts from be viewable by non-approved friends.

–Suspects are using social media to conduct research.

For example, a Fishers resident who was a recent victim had their Facebook account unlocked and viewable to the general public.  That allowed the suspects to identify friends and family.

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School District has two new administrators coming on board after school board approval Wednesday night.

Michelle Brittain-Watts will be the new Executive Director of Secondary Education.  She replaces Matt Kegley, who moved up to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning.  Ms. Brittain-Watts comes to HSE after a stint as principal of Bloomington North High School.  She also has worked in Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and Pike Township.

HSE has a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO).  Katie Dowling has served as CFO in East Chicago Schools, Griffith and Crown Point.  Dr. Matt Kegley told the board Ms. Dowling has extensive experience in school referendums.  HSE is expected to have a referendum on the ballot in about 2 years as the current referendum expires.

Cecilie Nunn currently serves as the CFO for HSE Schools, but according to a spokesperson for the local school district, Ms. Nunn is stepping down from that position for personal reasons and will be taking a job with HSE Schools in Accounts Payable.

What will your student pay in fees for the coming Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) school year?  The answer to that question is complicated.  It all depends on the grade level and what books, online materials and equipment the student requires for the courses taken.

The HSE School Board passed the fee schedule for the 2021-2022 academic year at Wednesday night’s session.  Board member Michelle Fullhart reminded everyone that Indiana is one of only 8 states that charge families these fees.

For more detail on what was approved by the board, see the information below:

Continue reading HSE Schools student fees – it’s complicated →

The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board has decided how to begin the 2021-2022 school year, with in-person classes and mask wearing optional.  That was the 6-1 vote by board members.

The lone no vote came from Sarah Parks-Reese.  She expressed concern students in the lower grades are not yet eligible to receive a COVID vaccination and that mask requirements might be advisable for that age group.

The school district took comments before writing the plan, which allows the district to qualify for a $2.9 million federal grant for COVID-related expenses.

You can view the document approved Wednesday night at this link.

Several people signed-up to comment, most supportive of optional mask-wearing.  A mother and her daughter complained to the board about the daughter’s experience in the local schools and said the daughter would not be returning to HSE Schools in the fall semester.

Quantigen is preparing to move from its current home near Allisonville Road & 116th Street to new quarters in the remodeled Round Room building, north of 116th Street along I-69.  The firm, specializing in medical diagnostics and device development through pharmaceutical and biotech industry partnership, will occupy 40,000 square feet in the new location.

The company plans to add 30 new, high-wage jobs in the areas of quality & regulatory compliance and research by the end of 2023 and will invest $2.5 million into new lab and office space.  Quantigen will essentially be doubling its work force.

“The Fishers community has been home to Quantigen since our founding, so we are thrilled to have been able to find a facility that can support our expansion and allow us to continue operations in the city where we have been welcomed and supported,” said Quantigen CEO Jami Elliott in  a city news release. “Mayor Fadness and his team have been incredibly supportive throughout our relocation search process. We are bullish for Quantigen’s future, as we are for the biotech prospects for our city and the region as a whole”

According to the release, the firm will be increasing activity in three areas:

• Increased demand from pharma and biotech companies to develop new diagnostic tests and platform technologies.
• Support for grant sponsored research through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in the areas of high throughput test development for soil transmitted helminths, COVID-19 and Tuberculosis.
• A recent U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services MolDx coverage decision award for a novel genetic test that is used to aid health care providers in medication selection and to improve medication safety.

“Jami and his team at Quantigen are working on next-generation technology for the life science industry right here in Fishers,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Quantigen’s commitment to staying and investing in this community is exciting as we continue to see catalytic growth in this cluster that’s ripe for Fishers.”

The State of Indiana is offering up to $350,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s plans to create up to 23 new jobs by the end of 2023. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once employees are hired at the Fishers location.

The City of Fishers is providing Quantigen with a $50,000 grant toward its buildout and moving expenses. The Redevelopment Commission approved the Economic Development Agreement at the February 2 meeting with the abatement approval being presented to City Council at the July meeting.

This is part of a strategy by the City of Fishers and Mayor Fadness to grow the life science industry here.  Italian company Stevanato already announced plans for a new facility near 126th Street and Cumberland Road.