This is been a very busy week, particularly for a guy in his late 60s that is supposed to be retired.  I was fulfilling a teaching contract with Indiana University, covering the election results and welcoming a number of relatives from out of town for a family wedding.

So, I’m a little late in publishing this commentary, but please be patient with an older person juggling a lot of responsibilities the past week.

My election night story said this was an historic election in Fishers for a lot of reasons,  I will do my best to lay out what I believe this election told us and how it may give us a glimpse into future Fishers elections.

Two women, both Democrats, won seats on the Fishers City Council.  In many communities, that would not be terribly newsworthy.  In Fishers, it is historic.

When I moved to Fishers after marrying my lovely wife Jane in 1991, no one living here could remember any Democrat winning a local elected office.  We were a town then, and there were some general election cycles when the voting was cancelled because no Democrats or Independent candidates were running.

All the political squabbles that existed in Fishers were within the Republican Party and were hashed-out in the GOP primary election.  The general election rarely provoked much interest.

Jocelyn Vare and Samantha DeLong will raise their right hands and take the oath of office to begin their 4-year terms beginning on January 1, 2020.  They are very different candidates that won for the same reason – they both worked very hard at campaigning and that work paid off in election victories.

Ms. DeLong defeated incumbent North Central District Councilor Eric Moeller by a total of 32 votes, or by about 2.7% of the votes cast.  Eric had served as a temporary member of the Fishers Town Council for a few months before being elected to the city council once Fishers transitioned from a town to a city and has served on the city council ever since.

The at-large election is done a bit differently.  The top three in vote count are elected to the council, and this year there were 3 Republicans running along with one Democrat.  Cecilia Coble received the most votes among the four, with Todd Zimmerman coming-in second.  That left one more seat to be filled.

Democrat Jocelyn Vare came-in third in the vote tally with 4,950.  Rich Block finished last with 4,390.  Ms. Vare won that final at-large slot by 560 votes, or by nearly 2.9% of the votes cast between the two candidates.

The most striking numbers I found on election night were the numbers shown for the losing Democrats.  For example, the longest-serving elected official in Fishers, Republican David George, won re-election over Democrat Adam Kaps, but only be a margin of 57 votes, or a margin of just over 3% of the votes cast.  Lane Skeeters lost to incumbent South Central Councilman John Weingardt by 127 votes.

Even the Democrats on the losing side in district council races put up numbers of at least 45% of the votes.  This means Democrats are willing to get out and talk with voters in ways we have not seen before. Democrats have become competitive in Fishers.

What does this mean for future Fishers elections?  In my view, two important things.

First, Republicans are clearly still dominant in Fishers, but not as dominant as before the 2019 general election.  Our mayor, city clerk, city judge and a clear majority of the city council are still in Republican hands.

But the GOP can no longer coast to general election victories.  The party will now need to put more resources into the general election in order to win.

Secondly, for the first time in anyone’s memory, Democrats have the opportunity to be competitive.  It has been a struggle to find candidates on the Fishers Democratic side in the past.  The election results show that a candidate willing to organize followers, working hard  & smart, can put themselves in a position to be competitive.

For both parties, my sincere hope is that more young people will start to become a part of the political process. In my view, a healthy and competitive two-party system is very good for the body politic in any local community.

Again, that is my hope.  Whether this actually happens is up to the people of Fishers.

I have one important comment to make about this election.  I congratulate Jocelyn Vare and Sam DeLong on their historic wins.  But I also believe all the citizens of Fishers owe a very big “thank you” to Rich Block and Eric Moeller.

Rich is best known for his work in commercial real estate, but I know him for his many volunteer efforts in the local community.  He was instrumental in establishing the
Fifty Club, an organization designed to help public safety workers and their families when injured on the job or (heaven forbid) financially help the families of such workers that die in the line of duty.  The state does  provide support for such workers and their families, but the Fifty Club works to fill gaps in that support.

Another volunteer activity Rich has supported is the Youth Mentoring Initiative (YMI).  He has been a mentor for young people in the HSE Schools, making a difference in their lives.

Rich may no longer be serving on the council as of January 1st, but I would surmise that he will continue to be a part of supporting important organizations throughout the local community.

Then, there is Eric Moeller.  I first began to know Eric during the campaign over whether Fishers would become a city with a strong mayor or strong council.  Voters chose the strong mayor.

Eric was on the losing side of that campaign, but in covering that election of 2012, I always found Eric to be professional and focused on what he believed was best for Fishers.

When he was appointed to serve for a few months on the town council and later elected to the new city council, Eric was always laser focused on making neighborhoods in his council district better places to live.  He was always thinking about the families of Fishers as he and his wife were raising two youngsters of their own.  He has supported the local schools in many ways.

I know Eric had to miss important milestones in his children’s lives in order to fulfill his responsibilities as a council member.  I would fully expect Eric will find other ways to make Fishers a better place once leaving office.

As someone that has covered local Fishers news for nearly nine years as a volunteer blogger, I will miss seeing Rich and Eric.  They were always responsive to this reporter anytime I needed some background or a comment.

At the same time, I look forward to following the city council work of Jocelyn Vare and Sam DeLong.

If you would allow me one final thought in this very long piece, there is a decision that the new Republican council majority must make.  How will they treat the new Democrats?

Indiana does have an “Open Door” law, but there are big loopholes in the area governing public meetings.  Local government entities are allowed to meet in executive session to discuss specific subjects, such as litigation or employee evaluations.

But another provision allows members of one political party to meet apart from the other party if the caucus session is “held for purposes of planning political strategy and holding discussions designed to prepare the members for taking official action.”  (Indiana Code Section 5-14-1.5-2(c))

With a 7-2 majority on the Fishers City Council, will the Republicans on the council allow the Democrats to have a voice in decision making or will all the major decisions be reached at private party caucuses?  We should have an answer to that question soon.  We should all be watching.

Watch for I-69 lane restriction during the evening of Novmber 9 and early morning of November 10th.  Note that Lantern Road remains closed south of 116th Street.

That is part of the weekly Fishers road construction report for the work week beginning Monday, November 11th.

Here is that listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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INDOT ROAD CLOSURES
The left two lanes of I-69 NB from 96th Street to 106th Street will be closed from Saturday, November 9 at 6 p.m. until Sunday, November 10 at 6 a.m. The right two lanes will be closed beginning Sunday at 6 p.m. until Monday, November 11 at 6 a.m.

LANTERN ROAD 
Lantern Road is closed to through traffic, beginning south of 116th Street to Fishers Pointe Boulevard, as part of the Downtown Infrastructure Improvement Project to improve the sanitary sewer underneath Lantern Road. Access to Lantern Road remains open from the north (via 116th Street) for local residential, business, and Fishers Elementary School traffic. The closure for this portion of the project is expected to last approximately 90 days. Check out the project Fact Sheet to learn more.

by

Richie Hall

Sports Editor

Hamilton County Reporter

FISHERS – Eight months after finishing the most successful season in its history, the Hamilton Southeastern girls basketball team was back on the court Thursday.

The Royals, defending Class 4A state champions and the pre-season No. 1-ranked team, got a good test in its first game of the season, taking on 4A No. 9 Ben Davis. It was a hard-fought game, but Southeastern hung on to win 49-44 in front of its home crowd.

While the Royals have three key players returning from last season, this year’s team is younger than in years past. Southeastern graduated a strong senior class – three of whom are playing either Division I or Division II college basketball – so newer players are stepping in, and doing so against a difficult schedule.

“We are starting a couple kids that haven’t started,” said HSE coach Chris Huppenthal. “We are playing some kids that do not have a lot of varsity basketball experience. We’re going to have to work through that. You wish kids would come into your program with a lot of experience and ready for what’s about to happen. But the only way they can get that is from playing and if they haven’t played at this level before, there’s going to be some tough situations.”

But the Royals have enough experience to help them get out of those situations, starting with Sydney Parrish. The 6-foot-2 senior is back after scoring 30 points in last year’s state championship game and committing to the University of Oregon. Parrish picked up where she left off on Thursday, pouring 33 points to lead all scorers.

“It feels a lot different because I know I am one of the oldest on the team and have to be more of a leader than just a player on the team,” said Parrish. “It’s a fun role to have. It’s a challenging role, and I’m willing to take it on this year.”

Parrish gave Southeastern its first run of the game, scoring three straight layins in the first quarter that turned a 7-7 tie into a 13-7 Royals lead. Senior Jackie Maulucci and junior Lydia Self, both of whom played significant minutes last season, each hit a 3-pointer during the first period.

The Giants cut the lead to 13-11 by the end of the quarter, but an and-1 from Parrish and another triple from Maulucci took the lead back up to 19-11. Southeastern held Ben Davis scoreless for the first four minutes of the second period, and Maulucci’s five points in the final couple minutes sent the Royals into halftime up 26-19.

Parrish opened the second half with a 3-pointer, giving HSE its largest lead at 29-19. She made another three-point play to push the Royals ahead 34-25. But the Giants went on their own 9-0 run to tie the game at 34-34. Parrish added another four points, and that kept Southeastern ahead 38-36 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, Ben Davis senior Khera Goss made an early and-1 to give the Giants a 39-38 lead, their first lead since the game’s opening minutes. But Parrish stormed back to score five quick points, a basket off a steal and another three-point play.

“To Sydney’s credit, she did what she had to do, stepped up and took control of the game, really from start to finish,” said Huppenthal.

That put Southeastern up 43-39, and the Royals never trailed again. Southeastern finished the game by going 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

“Credit to our kids, they buckled down, had some great defensive possessions and took care of it, hit some free throws down the stretch, and that’s what championship teams do,” said Huppenthal.

“It was really nice to get a tough game out of the way,” said Parrish. “I think all of our games this year, we have a really good schedule and a really good conference, so they’re all going to be challenging. To start off with Ben Davis, I think really helps us.”

After Parrish’s 33, Maulucci added 13 points and Self score three. Parrish also led in rebounding with nine, while senior Bailee Poore pulled seven rebounds.

“Bailee’s one of our best rebounders,” said Huppenthal. “She’s 5-foot-4. People are going to think we’re crazy when we do some things with her, but Bailee’s a tough kid. She’s a really good rebounder.”

Southeastern will play its next game at home, taking on Center Grove Saturday morning.

If you have ever visited Mail Street in downtown Carmel, you may be familiar with  the Agave Mexican restaurant located there.  Local owners Cynthia Zimla and Evelyn Veloz have announced plans to locate a second Agave location in the Nickel Plate District in downtown Fishers.  The eatery is planned for the Spark Apartments building at the corner of North and Maple Streets.

“The people of Hamilton County have welcomed our restaurant from the beginning,” said Zimla, co-owner of Agave Bar and Grill in a news release. “As soon as we saw the corner location at the Spark Apartments in Fishers, we knew it was the perfect spot for our growing business.”

Agave will offer a full Mexican menu at the new location.  The projected opening date is March of 2020.

“It was always our expectation that the development of the Nickel Plate District would create increased opportunity for locally-owned businesses and restaurateurs,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “The planned addition of Agave Bar and Grill to North Street brings yet another destination for residents and visitors in our thriving city center.”

Small Business Saturday has become as large a tradition as Black Friday, with people with money to spend on Christmas gifts encouraged to check out their local small shops.  Fishers has had a local effort to promote small businesses, but in 2019 the city is planning its biggest-ever Small Business Saturday.

Almost 60 businesses will have special offerings for those choosing to check them out Saturday, November 30th.  Shoppers will have access to a mobile event guide on the brand-new Play Fishers app, available for free download from the App Store and on Google Play. Shoppers who check in at three participating businesses during the event will be entered to win a prize pack including gifts from Shop Fishers businesses.

Here is a listing of Fishers businesses planning to be a part of this Small Business Saturday promotion, as provided by the City of Fishers:

Continue reading Biggest Small Business Saturday ever coming to Fishers →

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com) 

The dust has settled from the municipal election campaign, and there are observations that may be worth noting as a result of Tuesday’s voting.

For example, for the first time in Hamilton County, there will be three generations of one family holding public office at the same time. Glen Schwartz, a Republican, is a Jackson Township Board member, his son, Steve Schwartz, is a member of the County Council, and this week, Steve’s son, Pete Schwartz, was elected to the Noblesville City Council.

If there is one person Democrats can thank, and Republicans can blame, for the victory of three Democratic city council members in Fishers and Carmel, it is Joe Weingarten, chairman of the Democratic Party. Joe worked overtime getting candidates for council. He tried to get candidates for mayor and more for council. But, many Democrats are reluctant to run because they almost always lose. This time 11 council seats in Noblesville, Carmel and Fishers were contested. Three won for the first time ever.

This makes news because it’s a first, but 49 other city offices in the county went to Republicans, not to mention the 16 town council positions in Sheridan, Cicero, Arcadia and Atlanta, all but one of which is Republican.

Next year there will likely be more Democrats running. They may find it a bit harder seeking countywide office, although Republican winning margins have been shrinking. The cause of this is debatable, but certainly the thousands of new apartment dwellers are a contributing factor.

Carmel voters easily approved a school security referendum Tuesday which could result in a property tax rate increase of up to five cents, but Carmel Clay business manager Roger McMichael doubts the full five cent levy will be needed next year. He says the school system plans to hire 11 new resource officers, but they cannot all be found immediately.

Despite all recent efforts including early voting, just under 35,000 city and town residents participated in the election. That is less than 16 percent of the electorate, and rather dismal. But, other communities did even worse if that means anything.

In the aftermath of the Fishers City election, which resulted in two Democrats being elected to the Fishers City Council, I requested a reaction from Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness.  His statement is below:

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter 

For the first time in history, Democrats have been elected to city councils in Fishers and Carmel.

While it may not seem like winning a total of three seats out of 11 contested council races is impressive, it is a major breakthrough for Democrats. And, it is likely to build momentum for next year.

In Fishers, Democrat Samantha DeLong defeated Republican Eric Moeller by 32 votes, and Jocelyn Vare bested Rich Block by more than 500 votes for an at-large council seat. Republicans prevailed for the other seven. Mayor Scott Fadness was re-elected without opposition.

In Carmel, Miles Nelson, a Democrat, won over Debra Minott in a new council district by a margin of 1,467 to 1,151, while the GOP won the other eight seats on the nine-member council. Mayor Jim Brainard got more than 10,000 votes but didn’t need them. He was unopposed.

Republicans swept the election for council in Noblesville and in Westfield where Mayor Andy Cook fended off a challenge from Libertarian Donald Rainwater 3,168 to 1,991, and Mike Johns won the only contested council race over independent Kate Snedeker.

Voters made Chris Jensen officially the city’s mayor-elect. He was unopposed and has already begun forming his new administration.

Jerry Cook was elected to the town council in Cicero over Brad Baker in the only race on the town’s ballot.

Republicans were surprised and disappointed by the Democratic wins in Fishers and Carmel, but their fortunes may not be fading as straight ticket Republican votes outnumbered straight ticket Democrat votes 8,878 to 1,867 countywide. The total voter turnout was very low at only 15.6 percent countywide.

Democrats had figured they would do better with a low turnout if they could get their hardcore supporters to the polls.

Carmel had the best turnout at just under 20 percent, and that may have been because of a school tax referendum in which voters were asked to consider increasing property taxes to provide more school security. That referendum passed with 69 percent approval.

Two Fishers City Council Republicans on the losing end of Tuesday night’s election results took to Facebook Tuesday night for comments.

Council President Rich Block, an at-large member of the council, wrote on his Facebook feed when it was clear he would not win re-election.  ” Congratulations to Jocelyn Vare for being elected,”  wrote Block. “I have sincerely appreciated the support and the work we did together for Fishers. Thank you.”

Jocelyn Vare said Tuesday night she received a phone call from Rich Block congratulating her, and she expressed her appreciation for the phone call.

North Central District Councilman Eric Moeller posted on Facebook Tuesday night, saying he had placed a call to Sam DeLong congratulating her on winning the council seat and offering assistance in the transition.  He expressed pleasure at the many people he has met during his council tenure of more than 4 years.

“…to me it’s more of a pivot,” wrote Moeller. “A pivot from spending time with council-related matters, to spending much more time with my family – which I’m truly looking forward to! Side note – My five year old son wasn’t even born yet when I campaigned in the 2014 primary.”

Councilman Moeller added that he looks forward to continuing to be a strong advocate for Fishers.

The Rails Restaurant was the scene of a raucous election night party Tuesday as supporters of Democrat Jocelyn Vare gathered to celebrate an historic electoral victory in her campaign for Fishers City Council.  She will assume her at-large council seat in January.

The final results showed Ms. Vare garnering 25.49% of the vote, besting Republican City Council President Rich Block, who received 22.61% of the votes cast.  Cecilia Coble and Todd Zimmerman both easily won re-election to at-large council seats.  There were four candidates for at-large Fishers council seats, with the top three elected to four-year terms.

I moved to Fishers in 1991, and never saw a Democrat get very close to winning a municipal election, sometimes the whole election was cancelled when no Democrats stepped forward to run.  That’s why this is an historic election.

The cheers, selfies and celebration were something to see for Jocelyn Vare as she partied with her friends and supporters.  I recorded a brief video with her election night you can view below.

But there was another important upset Tuesday, with Democrat Sam DeLong defeating incumbent Eric Moeller, by a margin of 32 votes, 599-567.

Republican incumbents David George and John Weingardt both won re-election to council seats.

This election will not shift the political make-up of Fishers city government.  Republicans still hold a 7-2 majority on the council, the mayor’s office, along with the city clerk and city judge.  But the simple fact that two women, both Democrats, were winners in this general election has made political history here.

I was with Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Joe Weingarten at the Hamilton County Judicial Center as the election results were coming-in.  Joe was smiling ear-to-ear.  His candidates were not only competitive, but won some races in this year’s local elections.

I’ll have more to say in the coming days about this election.  In the meantime, you can find the final results at this link.