In Indiana, there is no election the year after a presidential election is held.  That normally gives state politicos a chance to catch their collective breaths and perhaps take a little time off.

But this year will feature elections for county party officers.  Both Democrats and Republicans will be meeting in Hamilton County to select their party officers on March 6.

Laura Campbell is the current Hamilton County Republican Party Chair.  Fred Swift, a columnist for the Hamilton County Reporter and experienced hand at local politics, says Ms. Campbell could see a challenge.

“It seems likely Mrs. Campbell will seek re-election this year. It is possible, but not certain, that a contest may develop for the chairmanship,”  Swift wrote in a recent column. “A Fishers faction of the GOP is the most likely to field a candidate if any emerges.”

On the Democratic side, Swift says current party Chair Joe Weingarten is not likely to seek re-election, but there was no speculation on who may run for county officer positions.

A new group, calling themselves “HamCo United,” is running a slate of candidates for the county Democratic Party.

The slate of candidates includes:

Chair  –  Dayna Colbert, Fishers

Vice Chair – Ronnie Saunders, Westfield

Secretary – Sarah Russell Goddard, Noblesville

Treasurer – Al Moore, Carmel

Democrats in Hamilton County have much to cheer in recent years.  There is a Democrat on the Carmel City Council, two Democrats on the Fishers City Council and one Democrat on the Fall Creek Township Board.  I have lived in Fishers for nearly 30 years, and any Democrat elected locally is a major step forward.  Republicans still control local government, but Democrats are making progress.

It should be noted that Joe Biden carried the cities of Fishers and Carmel in the 2020 election.

“A united party is the best way to move the county forward. The slate represents the four cities in the county as well as a diverse set of experiences and backgrounds,” Colbert said in  a HamCo United news release. “I look forward to taking up the mantle and leading the march from purple to blue here in Hamilton County.”

It is expected there will be more candidates coming forward.  So there is some political news in a year with no elections in Indiana.

The Fishers City Council faces a number of issues in 2021, including how to address diversity in council appointments to boards and commissions.  That, and many other issues, were discussed in a podcast featuring Council President Selina Stoller and Vice President David George.

At the first council session of 2021, Councilwoman Jocelyn Vare proposed changes to the process of selecting council appointees to boards and commissions, saying it would provide a more diverse set of appointments.  The measure was defeated in a 7-2 vote, with Vare and fellow Democrat Sam DeLong the only council members voting in favor.

“Councilor Vare’s approach, was, in my opinion, unrealistic and individualistic,” said Stoller in the podcast interview recorded February 1st.  “She really didn’t seek to work with other councilors.”

Stoller said she agrees with Vare on a number of points, but the vote on the coming year’s appointments was not the right time.  Stoller added that Vare does not appear to understand why some appointees serve on more than one panel.

When asked why he chose not to comment, as did no other councilor, when the proposal was voted down, David George didn’t see a reason to do so.  ”I guess now you’re supposed to respond to every single thing at every minute,” George said.  The council vice president then detailed his view of how council appointments have been handled in the past.

When asked whether the council should consider a new process for appointments to address diversity, both appeared open to the possibility but had no specific ideas on how that would work.

Councilwoman Vare noted in the January council meeting that 80% of appointments to city boards and commissions are white males.

In other issues addressed in the podcast:

–Neither councilor appeared to favor moving up teachers on the list to receive COVID vaccines

–Both remain supportive of Mayor Scott Fadness’ decision to create a city health department

–Both expect updates to the city’s comprehensive plan

–Neither would commit on how to handle a planned affordable housing community near 141st Street and Cumberland Road

–Both said the council would be involved in the construction of the tunnel underneath 116th Street for the Nickel Plate Trail, which will require re-routing traffic this summer, and expect progress on the Geist Waterfront Park.

You can listen to the entire podcast at the link below.

Registrations are now available for Hoosiers age 65 and over to receive the COVID vaccination.  That’s according to an announcement issued Monday morning by the Fishers Health Department.  The age requirement had been 70 and over.

The following priority groups are now eligible to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine according to the Indiana Dept. of Health:

1. Individuals 65 years of age and older
2. Healthcare workers
3. First responders

To get an appointment to receive the vaccine, call 211 or register at this link.

For more information or assistance, visit fishers.in.us/vaccine or call the Fishers COVID Hotline at 317-595-3211.

According to the Fishers Health Department, you will not have the maximum protection from the virus until at least 1 week after your 2^nd dose, and health experts do not yet know when you might be protected from possibly infecting others.  It will still be important for you to avoid crowds, wear a mask, social distance and wash your hands regularly.

There are two vaccines currently available, one from Pfizer and the other produced by Moderna.  The Fishers Health Department administers the Moderna vaccine at the vaccination site located on 116th Street, just east of Brooks School Road at a former March grocery building.

I will start this piece with my own personal Tom Brokaw story.

In 1980, I was working as a journalist at radio station WCSI, in Columbus, Indiana.  Columbus had a long-running series of bringing-in famous guest speakers.  In 1980, Tom Brokaw was one of the speakers.

There was also a tradition of having a “Meet The Press” style interview for the guest speakers that was recorded and shown on the local cable TV access channel.  I had been assigned to serve on that panel to question Mr. Brokaw.

I get nervous sometimes meeting famous people for the first time, so I waited until the very last minute to enter Columbus East High School, where the video recording was to be done.  I thought I had succeeded until I turned the final corner in the hallway, and there he was.

Tom Brokaw gave me a pleasant smile, extended his hand, introduced himself and wanted to know all about me.  That’s my Tom Brokaw story.  He was a very interesting and insightful interview subject and had that midwestern charm, having grown-up in a small South Dakota town.

He later became even more of a celebrity by coining the phrase, “The Greatest Generation,” describing those suffering through years of the Great Depression then serving in World War II. I bring up Tom Brokaw, with a long list of credits on his resume, because he is retiring.  As he leaves the public stage, he has some comment the news business should take to heart.

Mr. Brokaw has some very good advice to those producing news, be it for print, TV or radio.  He simply says, get on an airplane and find out what is going on in America between the two coasts.  He is correct that most news organizations are centered in New York, Washington DC and to a lesser extent Los Angeles.

“Take some of the people who are only in Washington and send them to Salt Lake City or Kansas City, or St. Louis for that matter,” Brokaw told the Associated Press.  In my view, he is correct.

News organizations have been cutting back on their reporting staffs and others involved in producing news content.  Those cuts did not impact the New York or Washington news staffs in the same way it reduced the reporters assigned around the United States and internationally.

If main stream media outlets want to provide news that appeals to the entire country, you need to cover stories impacting people in every part of the nation.  I believe some of the distrust of national media comes from the lack of paying enough attention to what is happening in the lives of people in their own communities.

Particularly in an era when the economic model of news is rapidly changing, the national media, which for the most part is doing quite well economically, should be more attuned to what is happening to people in the midwestern, south and southeast parts of the United States.

LarryInFishers.com is just a small, volunteer effort by me to try my best at informing people in the community where I live.  But more and more people, particularly in rural areas, are without any type of regular local news outlet.

So, media, it’s time to step up to the plate and take heed of advice from one of the best journalists in recent times.  I wish Tom Brokaw all the best as he enters retirement, and wish him good health as he battles those issues.

You can read the story about the Tom Brokaw interview with the Associated Press at this link.

The operating referendum passed by voters in the HSE School District will be expiring and a renewal of the referendum property tax rate is expected to be on the primary election ballot in May of 2023.  That’s what the district’s Chief Financial Officer Cecilie Nunn told school board members Wednesday night.

The current referendum is generating $22 million per year for the local school district.  There is no indication at this time whether the school board will opt to renew the current referendum tax rate, ask taxpayers for more or less in that referendum vote.

The loss of roughly 400 students in the current school year has resulted in the need to cut the 2021-2022 school year spending by $5 million.  The state of Indiana reimburses school districts based on their student population.  Nunn says a budget-cutting committee is already meeting and is making progress.  A report to the board is expected from that group soon.

Nunn points to recent years’ school property tax rates, which have declined slightly in recent years.  She credits increases in assessed valuation of property within the school district as the main reason for the lower tax rates.

The process continues in the search for a new Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools Superintendent.  The current superintendent, Dr. Allen Bourff, has announced he will retire at the end of June, 2021.

Bourff reviewed a timeline of candidate interviews with board members Wednesday and explained a requirement to publish the contract with the new superintendent March 3rd, and a public meeting will be held about that pact March 16.

Allen Bourff has served as HSE superintended since January of 2015.  He succeeded Brian Smith, who left HSE to head the Indiana School Boards Association.

There was a spirited discussion Wednesday night among the members of the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board, including the defeat of a motion to allow high school students the option of returning in-person 4 days per week beginning February 17.  The vote was 5-2 with Suzanne Thomas and Brad Boyer the only yes votes.

Most board members opted to wait for data from a survey of high school students, plus more numbers would be available by the February 10th board meeting on COVID positive tests and contact tracing, then a decision can be made by the board at that time.  Contract tracing has resulted in more students  being absent after exposure to someone testing positive for COVID.  There continues to be some positive tests among school staff.

Administrators say, so far, substitute teachers have mostly covered classrooms where the teacher must be absent.

Superintendent Allen Bourff says the e-learning Fridays have been working well, with adjustments being made by the teaching and administrative staff as needed.

The board voted unanimously to support the teachers’ associations in Hamilton County that have each written letters to the governor asking that teachers be prioritized for COVID vaccinations. The board authorized Dr. Bourff to write a letter supporting the teachers’ associations, with input from board members.

Fishers Fire Chief Steve Orusa was to the point – we could do a lot more COVID vaccinations with more doses.  The chief spoke to reporters Wednesday morning at Meadow Brook Senior Living, located near Allisonville Road and Easy Street, about his department’s staff administering 300 inoculations to residents of Fishers assisted living centers.

Once that is done, Orusa says his staff will continue to support the Fishers Health Department in administering COVID vaccinations at the new mass site on 116th Street just east of Brooks School Road.

Orusa’s staff will also be involved in providing vaccinations to homebound individuals in Fishers as more doses of the vaccine become available.

A spokesperson for Meadow Brook says the residents are thrilled to have the opportunity for this vaccination.

The video of the news conference is available at the link below.

The Northeast Commerce Park contains some important economic gems for the City of Fishers, including the IOT Lab & Launch Fishers.  A major artery in that park, Technology Drive, is set for rehabilitation later this year.

The Fishers Board of Works and Public Safety approved a $198,000 design contract with the firm WSP USA for the project.  Mayor Scott Fadness asked city Engineering Director Jason Taylor about when this work should be completed.  Taylor responded that the job should be substantially complete in 2021, but some work may stretch into 2022.

In other Board of Works news:

–The board approved nearly $357,000 for an update to the city’s road impact fees.  This is required every five years.  The city has contracted with A&F Engineering for this study.  Part of the work measures traffic patterns and volume, and that work will be delayed until August when it is hoped schools are back in regular session and will allow a more accurate measurement of traffic counts.

–Improvements are on the way for the audio-visual system in the main auditorium of City Hall.  The chamber, where the city council meets in regular session, has sound and video equipment that has some parts over 10 years old, according to the city’s Director of Information Technology Tracy Gaynor.   The upgrade will allow better sound and video recordings of different meeting configurations in the auditorium, will have a better system for video conferenced meetings and will not require an information technology employee for a video live streamed or recorded session.  The upgrade will cost over $135,000, but Gaynor told the board members 75% of the expenditure will be reimbursed by the federal government, leaving the city’s share at  more than $33,841.

Fund raising has become more challenging in the age of the COVID pandemic, but the HSE Schools Foundation is restructuring Game Day as a virtual event.

The Friday, February 19 Game Day will feature an online virtual trivia contest.

For those enjoying the popular Game Day auction, it is back in virtual form. The auction annually features unique items and experiences, including baskets from each of the HSE schools and PTOs plus an amazing online raffle. You can view the auction online from anywhere beginning February 12th until bidding closes on February 19th.

Game Day raises roughly $100,000 each year, which the Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation (HSEF) uses to invest in innovative, teacher and student led ideas from around the district. Proceeds from Game Day support innovative science, engineering, technology and math (STEM); literacy; mental health and wellness initiatives across all grade levels within HSE Schools.

How to you sign-up for Game Day?  Here are the details, as provided by the foundation:

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1. Register your team and be a team captain! Up to 8 people can play together on a team for a $200 tax-deductible donation, with discounts available for HSE Schools staff, clubs, PTOs and alumni.
   • The playing field is up to you! Host a socially distant gathering, or a team Zoom call with friends and family as the participants can be located anywhere!
2. Couple/Family teams! Family teams of 2 adults and kids can also register for family fun for a $60 tax-deductible donation, with discounts available for HSE Schools staff and alumni.
   • Make it a date night in, or family “game night” with multiple generations participating via video as you compete!