There is a busy week ahead with many road closures and lane restrictions planned for the work week starting Monday, October 14th.

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

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WEEKEND 5K ROAD CLOSURE
Roads around downtown Fishers will be temporarily closed during the Stride Over Stigma 5K on Saturday, October 12 from 3-4:30 p.m. Closures include the east side of Municipal Drive, Lantern Road between Commercial Drive and 126th Street, 126th Street between Lantern Road and Saksons Boulevard, and North Street.

116th STREET 
There will be lane restrictions overnight beginning Sunday, Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday morning at 116th Street and Cumberland Road, along with 116th Street and Commercial Drive, to allow for traffic signal maintenance work.

ALLISONVILLE ROAD 
There will be temporary, single lane restrictions on Allisonville Road between 126th Street and 131st Street for finishing touches to the construction project. Restrictions will be in effect daily from Monday, October 14 through Friday, October 18.

Northbound Allisonville Road will be closed nightly between Eller Road and Hamilton Hills Lane this week. Closures will be in effect from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. Traffic will be detoured north on Eller Road to 106th Street.

106TH STREET
Beginning Saturday, October 12, 106th Street will be closed between Hague Road and Crosspoint Boulevard for grade adjustment work at the railroad tracks. Access will remain open for local traffic. Hague Road will serve as the detour route during the construction. Work is expected to be completed by Saturday, October 19. Check out the detour map here.

LANTERN ROAD 
This month the City of Fishers begins work on a downtown infrastructure improvement project to improve the sanitary sewer underneath Lantern Road. Beginning Monday, October 14, Lantern Road will be closed to through traffic, beginning south of 116th Street to Fishers Pointe Boulevard. Access to Lantern Road will remain open from the north (via 116th Street) for local residential, business, and Fishers Elementary School traffic. Fishers Pointe Boulevard will serve as the official detour route during this closure. The closure for this portion of the project is expected to last approximately 90 days. Check out the project fact sheet to learn more.

HOOSIER ROAD
On or after Tuesday, October 15, Hoosier Road between 116th Street and 121st Street will be closed for small structure and embankment repairs by Hamilton County Highway Department. The road is scheduled to be closed to all thru traffic through the day between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The closure is expected to last no longer than 3 days. Local traffic should utilize a detour route of 121st Street, Cumberland, and 116th Street.

A local Political Action Committee (PAC), the Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County, is endorsing a Democrat in the upcoming Fishers city election.  The group announced Friday that it is supporting Jocelyn Vare in the Fishers City Council At-Large race.

There are four at-large candidates, with the three candidates tallying the most votes winning a seat on the council.  The other three candidates are all Republican incumbents – Rich Block, Cecilia Coble and Todd Zimmerman.  All registered voters in the city of Fishers are eligible to cast ballots in the at-large council election.

“As we have witnessed time and time again within HamCo,” the PAC said in its announcement, “the executives, be it the commissioners at the county level or the mayors at the municipal level, wish to stack their respective councils with rubber stamp supporters.”

“At FCoHC we think this has led to much of the unrestrained spending and uncontrollable debt accrued at the municipal level and feel that cycle must be broken,” the statement went on to say. “We must elect independent minded councilors that put the interests of the citizens ahead of the desires of the mayors and their allies.”

The Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County describes the goal of the PAC this way – to help identify, recruit, and offer campaign assistance and funding to fiscal conservatives running in Hamilton County Elections.  The PAC Chairman is Bill Smythe from Fishers.

Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Schools are studying a new plan, described as a “3-tier” transportation system.  Superintendent Allen Bourff told board members Wednesday HSE administrators are currently studying the plan.  Bourff said such a system could better service students and possibly eliminate the need for shuttle transportation between buildings.

The “3-tier” system could be used even if school officials decide to “flip” school start times next school year, creating a system where elementary students would begin the school day earlier and secondary students would start the school day later.

The “3-tier” plan could also allow for more transportation available to students in after-school activities, according to Bourff.  There would need to be changes in the length of the school day, but the superintendent said the day would only need to be altered by a few minutes.

One result of the proposed bus schedule would be the elimination of early student release times on Mondays, as has been the case in HSE Schools for the past few years.

Bourff emphasized that both flipping start times and the “3-tier” bus scheduling system are being studied but no decision on a board recommendation has been reached.

Board Member Janet Pritchett asked how Dr. Bourff envisions the transportation tiers being organized, and he said some possibilities include grouping grades 5-8, but it could also mean placing grades 7 & 8 with high school students. But Bourff emphasized the situation is “fluid” and no decisions have been made.

Board member Julie Chambers asked about including outside groups that would be impacted by any bus schedule change, such as the YMCA after-school programs.  Bourff said such groups had been consulted.

Responding to a question from Board Member Sylvia Shepler, the superintendent said he plans on having a community forum on the issue of flipping start times, tentatively planned sometime in November.

(NOTE:  An earlier version of this story indicated the school day could be lengthened by a few minutes under the “3-tier” proposal.  A school spokesman clarified for LarryInFishers that school days would be shortened, not lengthened, under this plan)

Local schools will see an overall 3.18% increase in spending during 2020, compared to 2019, if the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board approves the spending plan presented at Wednesday’s board meeting.

HSE Schools Business Manager Cecilie Nunn told board members that changes in how funds are organized, per changes in state law, will lead to more transfers among and between the various funds.  The Education Fund, which pays for teacher salaries, will increase 8% in 2020, compared to the previous year.  The Referendum Fund also provides for teacher compensation, and it is projected to rise 6.3% in 2020.

The property tax rate for HSE Schools is expected to decrease slightly in 2020, by 0.89%.

Per state law, the board provided an opportunity for the public to comment on the 2020 spending plan, but no one chose to comment.

The board is scheduled to vote on the 2020 budget at the October 23rd meeting.

Also, a public hearing was held on the contract agreement reached with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association (HSEA) that has been ratified by the teachers.  For more on the contract, use this link. No one chose to speak at the public hearing.  The teacher contract will also be up for a board vote October 23rd.

Board President Michelle Fullhart began the meeting with an apology to the Jewish community in Fishers because the board was holding a meeting on Yom Kippur, the  holiest religious day of the year for those observing the Jewish faith.  She promised the board will do better in the future.

Emplify, a firm hatched in Fishers that has been growing ever since then, has secured $15 million in new capital.  According to a story posted on the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) Web site, the two founders of the firm, Santiago Jaramillo and Adam Weber,  will keep their  ownership in the company and continue Emplify.

To read the IBJ story, use this link.

(NOTE:  You may not be able to access this story online if you are not an IBJ subscriber.  I would urge everyone to subscribe to your local news sources, including IBJ.

I have two basic comments on the upcoming November 5th Fishers City Election.

First, early voting will be getting underway soon, and there is a quirk in the voting procedure all should know.

Normally, when one votes a straight ticket, be it Republican or Democrat, you would expect you are voting for all candidates in that party across the board.  That is true, except for one election, the city council at-large race.  Even if you vote a straight party ticket, you must vote for the at-large candidates separately or you will be skipping that race altogether.

All Fishers voters do not have a contested city council district election, because several incumbents are unopposed.  In the at-large election, there are three Republicans and one Democrat on the ballot.  You may cast your vote for up to three of the four candidates.  All voters in Fishers will be able to vote on the at large council election.

Once again, if you select a straight party vote, you still must cast individual votes in addition to voting straight party for the at-large city council election in Fishers.

Second, I want to comment on what I have observed so far in this Fishers election campaign.

I have a news-gathering partnership with the Hamilton County Reporter newspaper, and under that partnership, placed a Fred Swift commentary in the paper’s Sunday edition on this blog.  In that piece, Fred essentially argues that the county municipal elections “lack excitement.”

Fred has been in the center of Hamilton County politics for a long time and I respect his views.  Frankly, I don’t know much about the other municipal elections, but I have been surprised at the level of attention our Fishers election is receiving.  I realize the lack of a mayor’s race takes a great deal of luster off the campaigns, but there are a few pieces of evidence I have observed that lead me to believe this election could be interesting.

First, The League of Women Voters held a candidate forum recently.  Sadly, past sessions have not been well attended.  This year’s forum did not fill city hall, but a much larger-than-usual audience was on hand.

Secondly, I have recorded and posted podcast interviews with all 6 candidates in district city council contested races.  Looking at my podcast statistics, there have been about 400 instances where someone has accessed one of those podcasts, and listened to most or all of the interview.  That is a fairly high number for this point in the campaign for a city our size.  Local people are interested and listening to what the candidates have to say.

I plan to post podcasts interviews with the four at-large city council candidates in the coming two weeks.

Finally, I am seeing candidates and their campaign workers going door-to-door, talking with voters and listening to them.  This has not happened with all the candidates in past elections.  I know some city council candidates did little or no door-to-door campaigning four years ago.

So, I see some evidence of interest in our local city election.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not arguing that there is a high level of voter engagement, but I see an uptick from four years ago.

Of course, the true test will come when voter turnout is measured.  I have been saying and writing for more than 8 years how important local elections are to everyone in Fishers.  Check out the candidates and vote!

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Municipal elections in Hamilton County are less than five weeks away, and thus far the campaign silence in deafening. There are 11 contested races for city council seats in Noblesville, Carmel and Fishers – where Democrats are challenging Republican candidates, mostly incumbents – and three third party candidates in Westfield and Cicero challenging the GOP.

Republicans seem very willing to run on their record, which they say has provided progress in their communities. Democrats, while claiming to be making their most serious challenge in years, have yet to speak out on issues where they may differ with incumbent administrations.

The only mayoral contest is in Westfield where incumbent Andy Cook is facing Libertarian Donald Rainwater. Incumbent mayors Jim Brainard in Carmel, Scott Fadness in Fishers and GOP nominee Chris Jensen in Noblesville, are unopposed.

With no high-profile races and no burning issues, voter turnout on Nov. 5 is expected to be very light.

Democrats see a small vote as a potential advantage for them. Republicans are warning their supporters against sitting out the election. The GOP usually sweeps the local elections, often without opposition.

The lone Democrat who is certain to win this year is Jody Price, unopposed candidate for Atlanta Town Council.

New residents may register to vote until the close of business on Oct. 7 at the County Government and Judicial Center. Early voting begins Oct. 8 at the Judicial Center. Early voting at satellite locations in Carmel, Fishers and Westfield begins Oct. 23.

Hamilton County Reporter

Leading into Domestic Violence Awareness month, Brittany Winebar (left) of Prevail Inc. presented the Hero of the Month Award for September to Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney Rachel Jefferson (right).

A Prevail Hero is someone who goes above and beyond in response to survivors of crime or abuse in our community.

Hamilton County Reporter

This year’s Ryan White Walk at Hamilton Heights High School raised over $2,000 for the Ryan White Scholarship Fund.

One day a year, students pay $1 to miss each period and participate in activities outside such as walking around the track, corn hole and Kan Jam. There is music, food and camaraderie to help raise awareness to continue to preserve Ryan White’s legacy – “Help me beat the odds and together let’s educate and save the children of tomorrow” – while raising funds for the scholarship fund created in his memory in 1991.

“The Ryan White Scholarship began in 1989 when money from all over the country was sent to Heights in Ryan’s memory,” said Kim Kaiser, a business education teacher at Hamilton Heights and the long-term treasurer of the fund. “The school and AIDS Council created The Ryan White Scholarship to award seniors planning to pursue careers in fields that were important to Ryan – education, health and medical. For the past 30 years, Hamilton Heights High School has awarded over $62,000 to 74 students. The Hamilton Heights High School Student Government organization has been hosting the Ryan White Walk fundraiser for the better part of 30 years.”

Ryan White, a 14-year-old boy from Kokomo, was diagnosed with AIDS in December 1984 after contracting the virus from a contaminated hemophilia treatment. He faced intense discrimination from his school and community in a time of fear and misunderstanding about the disease. Ryan and his family moved to Cicero, where he was embraced by Hamilton Heights High School and the community. Ryan lived for over five years after his diagnosis. He lost his battle to the disease in April 1990, one month prior to his high school graduation. His story, which has become an integral part of Hoosier history, still resonates with people around the world and his legacy continues to raise awareness on AIDS.

Junior Katie Cummings said the event was a reminder how one person can change the world. “It also reminds us to be tolerant and supportive of each other and our differences,” added Caitlyn Houser, a junior at Heights.

Hannah Tinch, also a junior, said Heights gave him [Ryan White] a chance to belong and that is something everyone wants and deserves.

“This event is a way we can keep Ryan White’s legacy alive while raising money for scholarships,” said senior Hudson Hochstedler, who has helped with the event since his freshman year.

This year marks the 32^nd anniversary of his first year at Hamilton Heights High School. An Indiana historical marker commemorating his contributions was installed during a special dedication at Hamilton Heights Middle School (formerly the high school) on Aug. 30.

Money for the Ryan White Scholarship Fund is generated through the annual Ryan White Scholarship Walk fundraiser and private donations. Donations can be mailed to: The Ryan White Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 379, Arcadia, IN 46030, Attn: Kim Kaiser.

Hamilton County Reporter

Fishers got a bounce-back victory on Friday, taking care of Franklin Central 23-0 in a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game at Clarian Field.

It was a nice win for the Tigers after two straight losses, and also marked their first shutout of the season. Fishers was led defensively by Geoffrey Brown, who made nine tackles (six solo, three assists), with Grant Whetsel next in line with five stops (four solo, one assist). As a team, the Tigers had six tackles for a loss and four sacks.

Fishers’ offense did its job as well, and did it quickly. The Tigers got on the board just 23 seconds into the first quarter, when Marcus Roux threw a pass to Reggie Cook-Graham, who took it 67 yards into the end zone. Jack Phillips made the extra-point kick.

Roux struck again just minutes later, tossing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Jeffrey Simmons. Phillips again kicked the extra point, and Fishers had a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

Phillips converted a 35-yard field goal attempt in the second period, putting the Tigers up 17-0 at halftime. Fishers got one more touchdown in the third quarter: Roux threw to Boland for a 14-yard score, giving Roux three touchdown passes for the game.

Roux had an outstanding game, going 18-for-30 and totaling 274 yards. Simmons, Boland and Nick Leath all made four receptions. Dylan Scally led the rushing with 41 yards.

The Tigers are 3-2 in HCC play, placing them in a tie with Hamilton Southeastern for third place. Fishers is 5-2 overall and plays at Westfield next Friday.