by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted on LarryInFishers.com through a partnership with the Hamilton County Reporter)

Hamilton County motorists who drive 146th Street and wish to head south on Keystone toward Indianapolis should be happy to hear that a new section of roadway to access southbound Keystone from 146th will be well underway by this time next year.

The elevated link, sometimes called a ‘flyover’ will be less than a half-mile long, but will make a critical link essentially extending Lowe’s Way to the south over northbound Keystone and then curve into the southbound lanes of Keystone where drivers encounter no stoplights until reaching 96th Street.

(Currently it is more difficult to get onto the popular parkway, with motorists having to use 151st Street in order to get on U.S. 31 which has an exit for Keystone.)

County Highway Director Brad Davis prefers to call the project a Lowe’s Way extension. Bids will be taken in February, and likely be awarded in March. He reports that about $4 million in federal funds will help pay the estimated $12 million cost of the Lowe’s Way connection.

A second, future phase of the project will take the improvement to the north end of existing Range Line Road to allow direct access from 146th to Range Line, the main route into downtown Carmel. There is also good news for the highway department from Purdue University estimates of revenue coming to the county from the state increase in gas tax and other fees adopted by state legislation this year.

Davis said estimates show about $3 million next year for the county. Actual disbursements will reportedly start in August of this year, and would appear to amount to something over $1 million yet this year. This money is for the county unit only, and does not include disbursements to the eight cities and towns in Hamilton County. The formula used for these additional payments is the same that is used for disbursement of currently allocated gas tax revenues.

Richie Hall previews the local fall high school sports season

A $10.7 million shiny new Fishers Police Headquarters building could be ready for occupancy a little over a year from now, following action by the Fishers Board of Public Works and Safety.  Board members approved a resolution allowing the city to enter into a public-private partnership agreement with the Hagerman Group, during its regular Monday meeeting.

The new parking garage, to be partially used by the police department, is already under construction.  The new police headquarters structure will be 48,000 square feet, compared to the current headquarters building which contains 24,000 square feet of space.

Hagerman constructs the garage and new building, the city will then purchase the facilities from Hagerman under this agreement.

A public hearing was required under law, but no one chose to speak.

In other Board of Works actions, all the following were approved:

–Purchase of an Emergency Response Team vehicle, using forfeiture money taken by the police department.  Mayor Fadness described this as “more civilian-like” than other emergency response vehicles used by other local law enforcement agencies.

–Early payment for the 116th Street Pedestrian Improvement Project, extending from Allisonville Road to I-69.

–Amend and extend the Landscape Maintenance Contract
entered into between the City of Fishers and Brightview Landscape.

Mayor Scott Fadness began his Mental Health Initiative Report to the Community Monday afternoon with some statistics and stories from the previous week.  When police arrive at the scene of a resident suffering a mental health episode that is serious, that person is subject to what is termed in law enforcement parlance an “immediate detention.”

The mayor said one immediate detension run was for a person suffering from depression and schizophrenia, feeling down and seeking help.  Another run involved a woman reporting her daughter had sent suicidal messages that were “concerning,” finding a gun on the stairway.  In yet another, a suicidal man was attacking himself with a knife and was bleeding.  Another man was threatening suicide over the recent breakup with his girlfriend.

So there was a total of 7 immediate detentions in Fishers during one week in July.  The mayor said there were 11 suicides in Fishers during 2016 and 5 so far in 2017.

That set for the stage for the panel discussion led by the mayor to talk about the accomplishments of his 2 1/2 year initiative to deal with mental health issues in Fishers.

During the panel discussion, Dr. Suzanne Clifford of Inspiring Transformations said suburbia, in general. is ignored in the area of mental health services.  She added that, of all places, Silicon Valley in California contains a “cluster” of suicides.

Dr. Bernice A. Pescosolido was the keynote speaker for the luncheon, held at Launch Fishers.  She described how stigma devalues a person as a human being, separating the stigmatized person from the rest of society.  She  has worked to deal with the stigma felt by those needing treatment for mental health issues.

“The only way to reduce stigma and to improve the lives of people with mental health is to do multi-level, long-term changes, because society’s change slowly,” Dr. Pescosolido said.

Dr.  Pescosolido has worked nationally on the issue of mental health stigma, even working on such stigma that exists within the medical profession.

Mayor Fadness said the issue of mental health in the growing suburban city of Fishers is “real.”  He made clear his initiative to address mental health in his city is far from over.

Mark your calendars now for Tuesday morning, August 8th, 10:00am, for the next Coffee with a Cop event at the Starbucks near Exit 210.   Fishers Police Department officers will be on hand to talk with local citizens.

This is scheduled the day before classes begin for Hamilton Southeastern schools, so students will be able to attend.

Police officials say there will be no agenda or speeches, just a chance for Fishers residents to talk with their local police officers.

The Starbucks is located at Olio Road and Olivia Way, near the I-69 Interchange 210.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: Commentaries by Fred Swift are published on this news blog as a result of a partnership between the Hamilton County Reporter & LarryInFishers.com)

It’s not often that a person serves for 50 years as a member of a governmental body. But, Noblesville’s Garrick Mallery holds that honor, possibly a record in the state if not the nation. Not only that, but Mallery has been president of the Hamilton County Health Board almost the entire time.

The health department is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. An open house for the public is planned from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 27 at the health office. There will be a display of historic vital records going back 135 years. Cake and coffee will be served. The department was actually organized in 1966, but the following year was its first full year in business. Operating out of a room in the basement of the old Courthouse, there were initially three employees: a nurse, a sanitarian and a secretary.

The first board, appointed by county commissioners, was composed of Dr. John Haywood, Dr. Haldon Kraft, Max Hunter, James Morris, Gerald Johnson and Garrick Mallery, who said recently, “It’s been interesting. I’ve done a lot of things, but this was one of the highlights of my life seeing it [the department] come along” to where it is today.

The health department has expanded dramatically as the county has grown. Health inspectors now check hundreds of restaurants and other food handlers to protect the public from unsanitary conditions, provide immunizations for the county’s children, maintain all county birth and death records, seek to eliminate dangerous mosquito breeding grounds and provide public education on best health practices among other services.

Mallery believes the health department does more good for Hamilton County than perhaps the public sometimes gets from the news. Thursday the doors will be open to show the public what all they have in the field of public health.

Adam & I review War for the Planet of the Apes, and we welcome Andy Murphy as our guest – she has quite a show business resume in her own right, but also has a very famous son

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(Note: Commentaries by Fred Swift are posted on LarryInFishers.com through a partnership with the Hamilton County Reporter.  He expresses his own views in these commentaries which may or may not reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com)

It is beginning to look like a crowded field of candidates later this summer when precinct
committeemen choose a new state senator to fill out retiring State Senator Luke Kenley’s term.  But, if tradition is maintained, the public and the press won’t be witness to it. Kenley announced earlier this month he will resign Sept. 30 from the Senate where he has been an influential member for 25 years. Up to a half-dozen local Republicans have either announced they want the District 20 seat or are considering running for it.

The new state senator will be selected by a caucus of the precinct committeemen
and women of the district. And, due to the lack of state law guaranteeing a public and
open caucus, the selection process will likely be closed to the public.
It is even possible that a person could file for the vacant seat, win in the caucus
and be be sworn into office before the public knows who that person is. There is no
public call for interested persons to file, no requirement that names of candidates be
public, and no requirement that the caucus vote be public.

State law allows political parties to hold private meetings to discuss political
strategy, elect officers, and apparently by omission, hold closed sessions to fill vacancies
in public office. It is a glaring example of the lack of transparency that most
politicians claim to oppose.

In the current case, five candidates have come forward to announce their intentions.
Megan Wiles, Victoria Spartz, Sue Finkam, Brad Beaver and Joe Morris
have made their plans known. Others may do so, but are not required to tell anyone
except the party leadership which will notify committee members and hold the caucus
at a yet to be determined date. In the past, Hamilton County Republican Chair
Laura Campbell must be credited with revealing the date and location of a caucus,
names of those running, and the winner, none of which she would be required to
make public.

Mrs. Campbell has said, however, that doors will be closed because she believes
such action could prevent undue influence being exerted on committeemen.

This writer believes an office as important as state senator, and any public
office for that matter, should not be filled in secret. The law that seems to allow it
should be amended to open the doors when choosing a public official who will be representing all the people of his or her jurisdiction.  It is the right thing to do.

by

Hamilton County Reporter

Nickel Plate Arts is seeking nominations for the annual Nickel Plate Arts
Awards. The honors recognize individuals or organizations that show outstanding
leadership and vision in the support, promotion and provision of creativity.

The organization is accepting nominations through Aug. 5 in the Artist of the
Year, Arts Patron of the Year, Emerging Arts Champion of the Year and Emerging
Artist of the Year categories. Nominees and winners will be honored at the Nickel
Plate Arts Awards ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Nickel Plate Arts campus
in Noblesville.

“The Nickel Plate Arts Awards are our opportunity to recognize great leadership
in our local arts community,” says Nickel Plate Arts Director Aili McGill. “In 2018,
we hope to get nominations from all corners of our region for a diverse group of
artists and patrons. We know there are wonderful arts leadership stories in our
community, we just need your help to highlight them!”

Nominations are due to amcgill@nickelplatearts.org by 5 p.m. on Saturday,
Aug. 5. Nominees will be notified by Saturday, Aug. 19. You can find the
nomination form at the Nickel Plate Arts website.

“Last year was the first year for the awards and we were able to recognize two
artists who continue to grow the reputation of the Noblesville arts scene, as well
as patron who have helped ensure that the arts have a strong and dedicated home in
the Nickel Plate Arts Region,” says McGill.

The 2016 winners included Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville Art Director
Kat Ho as Emerging Artist of the Year, Noblesville Economic Development Assistant
Director Alaina Shonkwiler as Emerging Patron of the Year, Lesley Haflich as Artist of the Year and the Noblesville Parks Foundation as Arts Patron of the Year.

The Nickel Plate Arts Awards are being presented in conjunction with the organization’s
fifth anniversary celebration.

Nickel Plate Arts is an umbrella nonprofit organization that creates and coordinates
arts and cultural experiences across communities to improve the quality
of life for residents, strengthen local economies and enrich experiences for
visitors. Nickel Plate Arts is a project of Hamilton County Tourism, Inc. The
Nickel Plate Arts Trail extends 30 miles through Fishers, Noblesville, Cicero,
Arcadia, Atlanta and Tipton. Visit us at 107 S. 8th Street in Noblesville, online
at www.nickelplatearts.org or call 317-452-3690.

Fishers resident Ashton Wolf co-wrote and directed Ten Pin Alli – here is my review