Adam Aasen & I produce a periodic podcast, Hamilton County Goes To The Movies.  Adam enjoys making Oscar predictions.  He wrote an Oscar-prediction column in the Hamilton County Reporter published February 8th.  Through my partnership with the Reporter, here are Adam’s predictions on the  Academy Awards.  Adam & I plan to record a post-Oscar podcast Monday, so watch this space.

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I’ve been following movies and the Academy Awards for as long as I can remember, and for more than a decade I’ve made it a point to see all of the Best Picture nominees prior to the big ceremony. I will release a ranking of my favorite Best Picture nominees and which ones I think will win.

Most years it’s pretty clear which two or three films have a chance to take home that golden statuette.

Last year, I assumed Roma, A Star is Born and Green Book would be the best contenders, and Green Book was victorious.

The Shape of Water was no surprise to me the year before that, although Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri had a chance to upset.

And the battle between La La Land and Moonlight was pretty clear, although little did we know the announcement would be so complicated.

For this year, there’s four or five films that have a chance, which is kind of odd.

Parasite, 1917, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, The Irishman and Jojo Rabbit all lead the pack when you consider wins in previous award shows leading up to Oscar night. Awards like the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, Screen Actors Guild, the BAFTAs, Writers Guild and more are all predictors of who will win. But no clear frontrunner has emerged.

So, here’s who I’m predicting will take home the gold this Sunday.

Best Film: Parasite

This will be historic because it’ll be the first time a foreign language film takes home Best Picture. Considering there’s no real frontrunner, I think that history will persuade voters and they’ll choose this genre-bending thriller from South Korea. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if 1917 or Once Upon A Time in Hollywood win since they won best drama and best comedy at the Golden Globes.

Best Director: Sam Mendes (1917)

There’s a good chance that Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite) or Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time in Hollywood) win, but I think the voters will split the vote between best picture and best director and honor Mendes, who previously won in his debut film American Beauty. 1917 is a technical marvel and while it might not have the acting or emotion of Marriage Story or the other nominees, it’s definitely a superbly crafted film that’s amazing to look at.

Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

Like the rest of the acting categories I’ll mention later on, he’s been sweeping the award show circuit and his win is nearly guaranteed. Not only did he give an excellent performance in Joker, but he’s long overdue for this award after giving amazing performances in Walk the Line, The Master, Her and more. Personally, I also really like Adam Driver’s performance in Marriage Story and he’s an Indiana native, but I think he’s going to have to wait for another year.

Best Actress: Renee Zellweger (Judy)

I watched this movie and while I didn’t love the film I was impressed by her performance. She inhabits the role of Judy Garland and she’s been sweeping the awards circuit. Personally, it felt a little Oscar-baitey to me and I would have preferred Saoirse Ronan in Little Women, but Zellweger will likely take home her second Oscar on Sunday.

Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Brad is due. Again, another actor who’s been sweeping the awards and he’s been around for so long and has appeared in so many Best Picture nominees and his only Oscar win so far was as a producer for 12 Years A Slave. He’ll finally win an acting Oscar, and it’s fine by me since he gives a career-best performance and shines in a film that I really liked but I didn’t love. Despite any of my issues with the movie he was in, Pitt was electric on screen and I applaud his win. I am disappointed though that Willem Dafoe wasn’t nominated for The Lighthouse, a small black-and-white indie film released by A24 this year. You’re glued to the screen when he acts in this film and Dafoe is past due for an Oscar win (I was disappointed that he lost Best Actor to Gary Oldman two years ago. Dafoe was fantastic in The Florida Project that year).

Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)

This might be the only win for this fantastic movie made by Noah Baumbach, husband of another Best Picture nominee director Greta Gerwig. Dern brings her character to life and shines in only a few scenes and she’s also sweeping the awards leading up to the Oscars (notice a pattern?). I don’t see her having much of a threat but Scarlett Johannson could upset. I’m happy that newcomer Florence Pugh received a nomination but she won’t win. I was surprised that Jennifer Lopez was snubbed for Hustlers. I wasn’t surprised but disappointed that Zhao Shuzhen wasn’t nominated for The Farewell. She was the heart of that movie.

My Personal Rankings (1 being my favorite)

9. Jojo Rabbit

8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

7. The Irishman

6. Joker

5. 1917

4. Little Women

3. Marriage Story

2. Parasite

1. Ford V Ferrari

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

Westfield – The Class 4A Sectional 8 girls basketball championship game will be a Mudsock rematch.

Fishers and Hamilton Southeastern both advanced to the final after semi-final wins Friday night at Westfield. The third-ranked Tigers won an exciting first semi-final over the host Shamrocks 58-56 on a last-second layin by Katie Burton. In the second game, the No. 5 Royals beat Noblesville 59-42 with an outstanding defensive effort in the middle quarters.
Tonight’s game will tip off at 7:30 p.m.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Fishers and Westfield were tied at 56-56 with seconds to go, the result of a Shamrocks comeback in the fourth quarter. Alyssa Crockett had just made two free throws to tie the game, and the Tigers had the ball. Tamia Perryman took the ball across the 10-second line and handed it off to Burton, who rushed in to the lane and laid it in as the clock wound down.

Making the game-winner is something a basketball player dreams of doing. But it never hurts to practice when the moment becomes reality, and Burton was prepared for it.

“Hailey Smith, Olivia Smith and Katie Burton stay after practice almost every day, and they play one on one against each other,” said Fishers coach Lauren Votaw. “They have put themselves in those situations. It’s a great testament to what hard work will do for you.”

“We just play one on one, basically, to get better at our craft around the rim,
finishing with contact,” said Burton. “We don’t play with fouls. We just get better
and so when moments like this happen, we know the ball needs to be in one of our
hands and just attack it.”

Both teams were in attack mode from the start. There were several lead changes in the first quarter, which finished with the Tigers ahead 16-15. Three players from each team made a 3-pointer, with Kaitlynn Feagan’s triple putting Fishers in front at the end of the period.  Audra Emmerson had five points for the Tigers in that quarter, with Ava Henson scoring
five for the ‘Rocks.

Burton took over in the second period, starting it with back-to-back 3s, then making a layin to get Fishers up 24-15.

Crockett ended the run with a pair of free throws, but a basket by Olivia Smith and
another Burton 3-pointer moved Fishers ahead 29-17.

Westfield responded with an 8-0 run, as Henson nailed two 3-pointers, with an
Ashtin DeCraene basket in between. Lydia Stullken’s two free throws gave Fishers
a 31-25 lead at halftime.

The Tigers stayed in front by a three to eight-point margin in the third quarter.
Hailey Smith took over during the last portion of the period, scoring eight points
in a span of about two minutes.

A layin from Burton gave Fishers a 47-35 lead in the fourth quarter. Westfield promptly went on a 9-0 run, which included five points from Crockett, to get within 47-44. With two minutes left in the game, Olivia Smith made a pair of free throws, and then it became a contest from the line. Both teams were outstanding, as the Tigers made 9 of 10 and the Shamrocks were 8 of 9.

“Credit to Ginny Smith and her Shamrocks,” said Votaw. “I mean, goodness gracious. They would not go away. They’re well-coached, they’re resilient and they hit free throws. It was a freethrow battle there down the stretch. That was good basketball, both teams knocking them down.”

Burton finished the game with 25 points, including three 3-pointers, and pulled four rebounds. Hailey Smith added 10 points. Tamia Perryman collected nine rebounds.

Crockett scored 28 points, with seniors Henson adding 13, including three
3s, and DeCraene scoring 12. Both had four rebounds. Crockett earned a double-double as she also pulled 12 rebounds and handed out five assists.

“I don’t have any words for what I feel for what my kids did tonight,” said Westfield coach Ginny Smith, as her team finished the season 14-11. “They were relentless, they were inspiring, they were gritty, they were tough. They were amazing. We got down 10, 12 points at one point. My team of November or December would have laid down and quit. My kids kept fighting tonight. They believed they could win that basketball game and I think it showed.”

Fishers is now 22-1, setting a new school record for season wins.

“They are just such a fun group to coach,” said Votaw. “And that’s what I
was so excited about. I’m excited I get to coach these kids for one more day. And
yes, 22 wins is fun and this is a special team, I’ve said that all year, but they’re
special because of the way they love each other. It’s just so fun to be a part of.”

DEFENSE TAKES OVER
Noblesville started the second semi-final game strong, leading Southeastern 12-7 after the first quarter. Ashlynn Shade scored nine of those points, including a 3-pointer that gave the Miller a 7-5 lead midway through the period.

But the Royals took control in the second quarter, outscoring Noblesville 16-2. Jackie Maulucci got Southeastern within one after hitting a 3-pointer, then a
layin moved HSE ahead 13-12. The Royals would not trail again. Lauren Morris
made a 3-pointer, then Makayla Hinshaw scored on back-to-back baskets, following that up with a 3.

Shade hit a putback at the end of the quarter, making the halftime score 23-14. The Royals then cruised through the third period, going on a 15-4 run. Ryan Viele helped out with five points, including a triple. Morris and Maulucci also added 3-pointers.

The fourth quarter was mostly free throws. Sydney Parrish made 13 of 18 foul shots in that period, which helped the Royals keep their lead around 15 points. Lydia Self hit a 3-pointer midway through the quarter.

Parrish finished the game with 15 points and also pulled seven rebounds. Maulucci added 12 points and Hinshaw scored 11. Morris had five rebounds, with Self and Viele both collecting four; Viele also had four steals. Southeastern is now 22-2 for the season.

Royals coach Chris Huppenthal said his team did a much better job in the second quarter, and noted that in the third quarter, his team didn’t turn the basketball over.

“When you’re talking about tournament basketball, you put a team’s back to the wall, they’re going to come out  swinging, they’re going to come out fighting,” said Royals coach Chris Huppenthal. “That’s what Noblesville did. We told our kids every year, Coach Buckley
does a great job of getting her kids ready at this time, two years ago they almost upset a Carmel team on Friday night. We knew they were going to be ready. We knew they were going to box-and-1 us. I just don’t think we did a very good job of identifying what we needed to identify. But, with all that being said and everything, we’re playing tomorrow.”

Shade scored 24 points, while Mallory Miller pulled seven rebounds. Anna who finished 10-13.

“I thought we had a strong year,” said Noblesville coach Donna Buckley. “Record-wise, it doesn’t really look like that, but Sagarin, I think had us in the top 20 in the state. We’re young. We played one of the toughest schedules and it’s exciting to know that we bring a lot back next year. The future’s really bright. I’m proud of our seniors and what they did for us. Their leadership was amazing. I feel like we’re headed in a really positive direction, so it’s really exciting.”

The continuing construction along Lantern Road south of downtown Fishers will start to impact access to Fishers Elementary School beginning Monday, February 10th.  The Hamilton Southeastern School Board was recently briefed on this at a board meeting.  The Morgan Drive intersection with Lantern will be closed due to the road work.  Fishers Elementary will be accessed via 106th Street during this phase of construction.

Also, Southeastern Parkway south of 136th Street is scheduled to be limited to one lane on Monday, February 10th, 9am-3pm.  Road crews with flags will be handling traffic control duties during the period of lane restriction.

For the complete list of road construction, here is the official listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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by

Jeff Jellison

Publisher

Hamilton County Reporter

A bill, co-authored by State Rep. Tony Cook (R-Cicero), seeking to remove publication of school districts’ Annual Performance Reports from newspapers has been sent to the Senate after passing the Indiana House of Representatives.

The Annual School Performance Report is arguably the most important report produced by school districts. The report includes information such as student enrollment, number of certified teachers, teacher salary ranges, attendance rates, A-F ratings, percentages of students passing standardized tests, and school suspensions including suspensions and expulsions for weapons, drugs and alcohol.

If the bill passes the Senate, school districts will only be required to publish a summary of the report with an explanation on how the report can be found on the Department of Education’s website.

I mentioned Cook co-authored the bill; however, the bill was supported by State Representatives Goodrich, Schaibley, Huston and Torr – all represent portions of Hamilton County.

If Cook and the other lawmakers believe placing the report on the DOE’s website will provide for more exposure, I’ll argue they are wrong.

According to the Hoosier State Press Association (HSPA), 3 million adult Hoosiers read newspapers at least once per week. Also, according the HSPA, the Department of Education’s website, where the performance reports are recorded, only received 14,500 unique page views last year. To put that in perspective, the Hamilton County Reporter’s website, which publishes school reports, received 730,664 unique page visits over the last year.

Accessing the report could be troublesome for some internet users.

There are areas of the state that do not have high speed internet, as well as areas without adequate internet service making it difficult to obtain the report.

An older generation of Hoosiers simply do not use the internet and only read print news. This generation of Hoosiers are taxpayers, homeowners and voters, who have spent much of their adult lives engaging in politics and investing in the health of their school districts.

Some low-income Hoosier taxpayers simply can’t afford internet service.

If Cook and the other lawmakers believe there is a significant cost savings in not publishing the report in newspapers, I’ll again argue they are wrong.

The average cost of a school report published last year in the Reporter was $600. Many of those reports were more than a page long. The cost is much less than a business would pay to place the same size ad, and the advertising rate to publish the report is dictated by a state law passed by Indiana lawmakers.

Hamilton County schools are continuously receiving accolades for being some of the best in state. Attracting students to their schools is a competitive process for districts. According to local realtors, people looking to relocate to Hamilton County have used the reports in their decision as to what community they will reside in.

Indiana lawmakers are gradually chipping away at the public’s right to know through their attempts to eliminate public notice advertising. Lawmakers that seek to limit the number of people able to access public notice advertising should be held accountable.

Remember 2020 is an election year, and many of our state representatives have opponents on the primary election ballot.

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton Southeastern picked up its eighth straight victory on Thursday, beating Franklin Central 71-64 on the road in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game.

The Royals led 19-16 after the first quarter, but the Flashes took the lead in the second period, going up 35-33 at halftime. Southeastern used a 22-point third period to get back in front 55-53 by the end of the third, then outscored Franklin Central 16-11 in the fourth.

Four Royals players reached double figures. Vinny Buccilla led the way with 15 points on five 3-pointers. DeAndre Rhodes, who committed to play football at Indiana State this week, added 14 points. Kole Hornbuckle and Mabor Majak each had 12 points, with Hornbuckle making all three of his 3-point attempts.

Rhodes led the rebounding with eight, while Majak collected seven. Southeastern had 22 team assists, with Buccilla dishing out six. Rhodes and Hornbuckle both handed out five assists and Majak had four assists.

The Royals improved to 4-2 in the HCC, currently second behind Brownsburg’s 4-1 record. Southeastern is 12-5 overall and plays at Homestead on Saturday afternoon.

I have been away from podcasting for a few weeks, but, as promised, I am back.  On this episode, I converse with Emily & Mike Morgan about their podcast series The Grand Life.  It’s all about being a grandparent.  Once you finish listening to this podcast, you can find The Grand Life podcast series at this link.

Fishers District added yet another business opening to its lineup with the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Cycle Bar.  The studio will occupies approximately 1,980 square feet of retail space and features 45 bikes.

“I’m very excited to bring the first dedicated premier cycling fitness studio to Fishers, and to be opening at the Fishers District,” says Amanda Moor, Owner, CycleBar Fishers. “As a resident of Fishers, I’m passionate about this community and thrilled at the opportunity to combine my experience in sports with the CycleBar fitness experience. We’ll have an awesome team at this location and know CycleBar will further enhance the fitness experiences at Fishers District.”

Fishers City Council President Cecilia Coble was on hand for the Thursday morning ceremony, along with City Councilors John Weingardt and Jocelyn Vare.

Noblesville plans to construct a new sports stadium, saying no referendum or tax rate increase would be required to fund the project.  According to my news gathering partner, The Hamilton County Reporter, the new facility will be located off of Field Drive behind Noblesville High School where the district’s former Transportation building sits.

The new on-campus stadium will be larger than the existing space, with 50 percent more seating, expanded concessions and restrooms, and on-site parking. It will also be designed to maximize traffic flow and provide a safer environment for appropriately monitoring and managing crowds. Enhanced lighting, locker rooms for home and away teams, up-to-date broadcast technology capabilities, practice fields, athletic training space and additional storage are also included in the plans.

“This new stadium has been a long time coming for Noblesville and we’re excited to be making it happen,” said Dave Mundy, associate superintendent for Noblesville Schools. “We have outstanding support in our community for both athletics and performing arts, and the demand for more space to accommodate our programs has continued to increase as we have grown to be one of the largest high schools in the state.”

The district has studied the issue of a new stadium for several years and new construction was determined to be a more-cost effective option than trying to expand the current facility. Construction will be approximately $14 million, financed through a bond without the use of referendum dollars or an increase in the tax rate. It’s expected to be completed in the spring of 2021 for track and fall of 2022 for football and band.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Hamilton County voters in this year’s Republican primary will encounter the longest ballot in recent history when they go to the polls May 5.

At the top of the ballot, Donald Trump will probably be alone for president as will Eric Holcomb for governor, but from there on unusually large numbers of candidates will be listed.

All four Hamilton County judges up for re-election this year appear to be going back into office unopposed. With the filing deadline at noon Friday, only the incumbent judges have filed for the Republican primary, and no Democrats have indicated intentions to run.

Circuit Court Judge Paul Felix and Superior Court judges William Hughes, Richard Campbell and David Najjar will be running for new six-year terms. The three other Superior Court judges: Michael Casati, Jon Brown and Gail Bardach, are not up for election this year.

Voters will see a contested race for Treasurer with Kim Good and Susan Byer running.

Nine people have so far filed for the county council At-Large position, including one Democrat.  Those individuals are:

• Ralph F. (Rick) McKinney (R)
• Brandon (Brad) Beaver (R)
• Sue Maki (R)
• Jeff Hern (R)
• Steven R Nation (R)
• Lyneen Burrow (R)
• John Ditslear (R)
• Gardiner P. Bink III (D)
• Tony Scott (R)

Ten candidates have filed for Congress following incumbent Susan Brooks’ decision to retire. They are:

• Kent Aberthany
• Andrew Bales
• Micah Beckwith
• Allen Davidson
• Beth Henderson
• Matthew Hook
• Danny Niederberger
• Mark Small
• Russell Stwallley
• Victor Wakley
• Victoria Spartz

Running for state representative whose districts are in whole or in part within Hamilton County are:

• Donna Schaibley, Dist. 24
• Chuck Goodrich, Dist.29
• Mike Vick (D), Dist. 29
• Daniel Bragg and Tony Cook, Dist. 32
• Todd Huston, Dist. 37
• Jerry Torr, Dist. 39
• Chris Jeter and Leah McGrath, Dist. 88

Running for state senate in local districts are:

• Scott Baldwin and John Gaylor in Dist. 20
• Terry Michael and John Ruckelshaus in Dist. 30

The board of directors for the Fishers Arts Council (FAC) has elected Tom Rich as the organizations new president in 2020.

The long-time Fishers resident has been a board member since 2016, and most recently served as vice president. His goals are to work with the city of Fishers, local businesses, and various artist organizations to expand opportunities for artists to exhibit and sell their art; to expand the opportunities for residents and visitors of Fishers to enjoy the visual arts; and to promote additional opportunities for the performing arts in Fishers.

FAC named new board members for 2020: Pat Grabill – watercolor artist and retired MSDLT educator; Jill Lehman – founder and managing consultant of High Frequency Arts; and Laura Villanyi – glass artist and former board member of the Children’s Museum and Indianapolis Art Center. Villanyi was elected to Vice President of the board for 2020. Returning board members include Madeline Romeo (Secretary), Les Reinhardt (Treasurer), Olivia Holt, and Michael Patrick.

The Fishers Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax exempt organization.