When I moved to Fishers, after marrying my lovely wife Jane in May of 1991, the Fishers Freedom Festival was preparing for its third event.  Our home was located in the Sunblest subdivision, and we lived only a few blocks from Holland Park, the center of the festival.

It has always been held just before the Fourth of July, so as not to conflict with July Fourth celebrations in nearby communities, such as Carmel and Noblesville.  That has been consistent since the first festival was held in Fishers during 1989.

My point is this – as a resident of Fishers for the past 26 years, I have always enjoyed the Fishers Freedom Festival.  It has been an integral part of this community during the years of massive population growth.  The summer season around here wouldn’t be the same without it.

I have covered Fishers news on this blog since January of 2012, nearly six years as of this writing, and I have observed a lot and covered a lot of issues locally during that time.  Watching the Nickel Plate Rail Line and its future has been difficult for me, because my family enjoyed the Fair Train and other excursions, but the plans for a trail are appealing as well.

Change can be painful.  It normally takes some time to know whether change is good or bad.  Change is coming to the annual gala we have known as the Fishers Freedom Festival.  I will attempt to tell the story as accurately as I can.

Trouble began brewing for the Fishers Freedom Festival for the last couple of years.  The city had provided about $85,000 annually in direct cash to support the festival in recent years, and a sizeable amount of in-kind support from city departments valued at around $45,000 each year.  The festival says its annual budget has been about $325,000.

The City of Fishers began to realize several local nonprofit organizations were asking for financial support.  In the past, the festival and Conner Prairie received most (in some years all) the municipal funds expended for local nonprofit organizations.

Several members of the Fishers City Council began to push for more accountability of the public money from city coffers going to nonprofit groups.  The city began insisting on written contracts with these nonprofits.

The Fishers City Council formed a committee to evaluate all requests for city financial assistance from these various local organizations as part of the 2018 budget process.  The Fishers Freedom Festival submitted a request for assistance as part of that process.

This past August, the city announced which local nonprofit organizations would be receiving financial help from Fishers.  The Fishers Freedom Festival was not on that list.

A number of deserving groups were included in the listing.  Some examples include the child advocacy group Cherish, The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation and Nickel Plate Arts.  A November 9th city news release said the Freedom Festival “was unable to demonstrate fiscal independence, and the nonprofit committee felt it was best to allocate the grant dollars to benefit multiple nonprofits in an effort to help a greater number of residents.”

I asked officials from the Fishers Freedom Festival whether they could run the 2018 event without city financial and in-kind support.  The Festival is governed by a board of directors, as most nonprofit organizations are run.  The board needed time to deliberate and would make an announcement when a decision had been reached.

The board made the announcement at 11:18pm Wednesday, November 8th.  The Fishers Freedom Festival nonprofit organization would no longer have the financial means to operate another festival.

I went to bed before the announcement was released so I found out early Friday morning and started following up.  I arranged to record a podcast interview with Freedom Festival Board President Don Dragoo.  I then setup a podcast interview with City Council Member Brad DeReamer.  That allowed me to get two very different perspectives on what had just happened.

You may listen to those podcast interviews at this link.

I had finished the interviews and was driving home to do all the technical details needed to get these very timely podcast interviews online.  That was when I received a phone call from the city.

Mayor Scott Fadness was not pleased with one particular sentence in the Festival news release issued November 9th.  Here is that sentence – “This August, the mayor and City Council decided to discontinue all funding, including in-kind staff service support, stating that the festival partnership does not fall within their city’s vision.”

The mayor insisted that he likes festivals and wants such events as part of the city’s fabric.   “We’ve had lots of dialogue with the Fishers Freedom Festival about maybe evolving their event, or continue to adapt just like our city continues to adapt,” Mayor Fadness told me.  “It was not in any way about ‘I don’t believe we should have festivals’ – nothing could be further from the truth.”

Based on all the information gleaned from the conversations I had on November 9th, here are a few facts I know:

–The 2018 festival will be held at the usual time, just before the Fourth of July.

–Activities will be held at Holland Park and the newly-remodeled Amphitheater downtown.

–There will be a parade, fireworks and entertainment.

–The Fishers Parks & Recreation Department will take the lead in planning and running the 2018 festival.

Here is one major point of contention between the city and the Freedom Festival board – how this will all come out financially.  The Fishers Freedom Festival maintains it will cost the city more than the $85,000 in cash and $45,000 in-kind support to run the 2018 festival, since most of the festival volunteers are likely to sit-out the city’s 2018 festival for reasons I will get to later.  The city claims it can run the festival with much less city funds than have been provided to the festival organization.

Which party is right?  We will know by festival time next year.

It is no secret that personal animosities have played some part of this saga.  No one wants to go on the record to talk about this, and I do not believe in reporting rumors, but I have gathered enough comments from various sides of this dispute to know some personality conflicts have had an impact on all this.

The city and the festival board looked at the future of the event in very different ways.  The Freedom Festival organization was very centered on preserving the traditions of the festival going back to its origins in 1989.  The festival board resisted major changes.

City officials clearly believe the festival cannot survive and grow without major changes that the city insists will preserve the major components of the festival’s traditions, such as the parade, fireworks and entertainment offerings.  The city insists there are financial sources the festival board chose not to tap.

I am not here to tell you which side is right or wrong.  I just want everyone to know the basics of why the festival is changing.  I will leave it up to you to decide.

There are some hurt feelings about all this.  I am hearing that most of the many volunteers the festival has had for a very long time are not inclined to help the city with the 2018 festival.  City Councilman Brad DeReamer was clear in the podcast interview that the city would welcome those volunteers to be a part of the 2018 event.  We will see.

Now, the city needs to begin gearing-up for the 2018 festival.  Mayor Fadness, City Council members and those heading-up city departments know everyone will be judging their performance on presenting the 2018 celebration.  City officials have pulled-off some big accomplishments of late, the most recent being the control of traffic in & out of IKEA, Portillo’s and Top Golf.  The summer festival is just the latest challenge for that group.

There is one more item to consider in all this – we have no idea what the 2018 event will be called.  The Fishers Freedom Festival organization owns the rights to that name – “Fishers Freedom Festival” – for the next ten years.  Board President Dragoo told me during the podcast interview that his organization plans to hold on to the naming rights.

If the city cannot work out a deal with the Freedom Festival Board, the city will need to come up with a new name for the festival.  That is something to watch.

It is sad that the Fishers Freedom Festival board of directors and the City of Fishers could not come together and jointly find a way to continue the festival as partners.  Now, the Fishers Freedom Festival will wind down its operations as an independent nonprofit organization over the next two years, according to my talk with Don Dragoo.

In a podcast interview I recorded many months ago, Mayor Fadness told me cities cannot stay in place – you are either moving forward or moving backward.  Scott Fadness believes in Fishers moving forward on all fronts.  He intends to move forward with the event we have known as the Fishers Freedom Festival.  We will wait and see what happens in late June 2018.

Hamilton County Reporter

The Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers girls basketball teams both won two games
at the Valparaiso Classic on Saturday.

The Class 4A No. 4 Royals took care of the host Vikings 72-42 in their first game.
Southeastern led 23-11 after the first quarter and 45-22 at halftime. Sydney Parrish scored
24 points to lead HSE’s scoring, with Amaya Hamilton adding 12 points.

Shelby Ford pulled six rebounds, with Molly Walton and Tayah Irvin both
grabbing five. Walton also had four assists and four steals, along with eight points.

In their evening game, the Royals overwhelmed Lake Central 50-28.
Southeastern jumped out to a 20-5 after the first quarter and cruised from there, never
allowing LC to score more than nine points in a period.

Malea Jackson was the leading scorer for HSE, with 12 points. Parrish pulled seven
rebounds.

The Royals are now 4-0 for the season.  They will travel to Perry Meridian on
Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. game, then play their first home game of the season Saturday
against Fort Wayne Carroll.

Fishers ran its win streak to five on Saturday by winning two games at the
Valparaiso Classic.

In their first game, the Tigers battled past Lake Central 42-38. It
was a back-and-forth first half, as Fishers jumped ahead 17-8
after the first quarter.  The Indians allowed the Tigers just two
points in the second period, and led Fishers 24-19 at halftime. The Tigers
stayed close in the third quarter and then overtook Lake Central
in the fourth period by outscoring the Indians 11-4.

Toni Grace led Fishers with 13 points, while Tamia Perryman and Casey Walker
each grabbed four rebounds.

The Tigers made a big comeback in their second game to top Valparaiso 50-44. The
Vikings led 24-14 at halftime and eventually held a 12-point advantage in the third
quarter. But Fishers began a comeback in that period, and then roared back to victory
by outscoring Valpo 24-10 in the fourth quarter.

Skylar Fulton hit three 3-pointers on her way to 15 points, while Grace added 14 and
Kenedi London scored 11. Perryman grabbed nine rebounds, while Walker pulled
down six.

The Tigers are now 5-1 for the season and travel to Westfield on Friday to begin
Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

From here and there in our county are a few items hopefully of interest to our readers:

For $5,000 you and seven of your best friends can be a “jet sponsor” and VIP at the Nov. 30 Grand Outdoor Party planned by the Hamilton County Republican Party. The rather novel fundraising event will be held in Beck’s Hanger at the county’s Executive Airport on State Road 32 west of Jolietville. Sonny Beck of Beck’s Hybrid Seed Company owns the impressive airplane hangar and will be speaker at the party function. Individual tickets to the dinner and rally are only $75.

* * *

There was standing room only Thursday afternoon for the official swearing-in of the county’s newest judge, David Najjar. The new judge of Superior Court 5 was robed in ceremonies at the historic Courthouse courtroom. Retired judge Wayne Sturtevant administered the oath as nearly 200 well-wishers looked on. Najjar was appointed by Gov. Eric Holocomb after Sturtevant vacated the Superior 5 bench.

* * *

Hamilton County Commissioners had scheduled approval of plans for bidding a major addition to the county jail when they meet Monday. But, the County Council which must approve funding for the expansion could not arrange a date to meet with Commissioners until Nov. 30. Commissioners want to nearly double the number of bunks at the overcrowded jail, but council members have not yet agreed to an expansion of that size. So, apparently no action Monday.

* * *

Carmel may yet be the owner of an antique carousel (merry-go-round) which was nixed last month by city council members. Mayor Jim Brainard who wants to buy and house the ride for about $5 million said he would pursue the idea with private funding. This week there were indications he may have found a way to do that, but officials are mum on details or confirmation that a deal has been made with donors.

Adam and Larry welcome guest Alec Toombs for this special Veterans Day edition, listing our all-time favorite military movies.

I have written about this in the past – the fact that state law essentially shafts the City of Fishers on the County Option Income Tax (COIT) money passed-out by the state to local governments.

Lindsey Erdody has a front-page story in this week’s Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) and does a deep dive into the way Indiana has set up a system that rewarded Carmel for having more debt than Fishers when the COIT checks are cut.

I would encourage anyone concerned about the funding of local Indiana government, particularly Fishers, to read this story.  You can read her piece at this link.  (NOTE: If you are not an IBJ subscriber you may be limited in the number of IBJ online stories you can access)

by

Jim Belser

Hamilton County Reporter

Ben Davis lived up to the hype as the top-rated team in the state, as it took apart
Fishers 50-7 Friday night in the Class 6A regional final at Fishers.

The Giants put forth a dangerous group of skilled players that can overwhelm a
defense. And they did so against the Tigers, time and again. Their quickness and elusiveness often turned ordinary gains into long distance sprints with a trail of Fishers
defenders in their wake.

Getting it in to their hands was Giants quarterback Reese Taylor, who passed for
225 yards and four touchdowns. Ben Davis got big plays from nearly all its receivers,
but none was more lethal than Jermaine Hoskins. Hoskins pulled down receptions of
19, 25, 10 and 45 with two earning touchdowns.

“I was disappointed we didn’t give them a better ball game, but they are the number
one-ranked team and they are going to be a tough team for anybody to beat,” Fishers
coach Rick Wimmer said.

Defensively the Giants were good for a pair of interceptions and applied pressure to
Fishers quarterback Jon Vore, sacking the junior three times on the night on blitzes. It
was a dominating performance by Ben Davis that very few high school teams could
have withstood.

Fishers running back Dylan Scally was the center of the Tigers offense as the Giants
shut down the home team’s passing attack.  The sophomore pounded his way to 65
tough yards on 20 carries. It was a difficult night for Fishers quarterback Jon Vore, but
still the junior managed 104 yards passing, including a nine-yard TD pass.

“Dylan’s tough, he’s done a good job for us, he’s gotten an opportunity after a few
injuries and has done well,” Wimmer said.

Vore had a terrific third quarter, passing for 76 yards and producing the Tigers only
score of the night. His nine-yard toss to Gregory King notched the score at a still
respectable 29-7 halfway through the third.

“I am proud of what our group accomplished, winning the conference championship
and a sectional, and doing it from a start that wasn’t real positive, but I am proud of
what they’ve been able to accomplish for the entire season,” Wimmer said.

Things turned quickly in Ben Davis’ direction in the first half and stayed that way
through the first two quarters. Fishers quarterback Jon Vore was intercepted on the
Tigers’ first possession after a few positive yard plays. A Fishers receiver fell on the
play and the Ben Davis defender was there for the pick off at 9:37 left of the first quarter.

A minute later Ben Davis scored its first touchdown on a one-yard running play. The
Giants produced two 15 yard plus plays on the drive, leading to the score. Fishers
managed to pick up a few first downs in the first quarter, largely behind the legs of
running back Dylan Scally.

While Fishers kept things on the ground in the first half, Ben Davis went through the
air. Giants quarterback Reese Taylor accumulated 54 yards on 5-of-8 passing in the
first quarter. The Ben Davis air attack led to the Giants second touchdown, another short
yardage run. It put the visitors up 14-0 with 2:52 left in the quarter.

The second quarter saw both teams go for it on fourth down. Ben Davis was unsuccessful,
but the Tigers went 2-for-2 on theirs, including short snapping the ball to a
Fishers runner after lining up for a punt.  Scully of Fishers basted his way up the
middle for five yards on the other successful fourth down conversion.

After two quarters it was 22-0 Ben Davis. The Giants started the third quarter
off with a 50-yard touchdown reception and ended with another for 45. Ben Davis added
two more TD passes in the fourth.

There were only a few empty seats for the Friday Veterans Day ceremony at Fishers City Hall.  The Fishers Junior High School Choirs performed (scroll down to access the videos of their performances).  Those assembled were military veterans and others in attendance just to honor those veterans of America’s Armed Forces.

Mayor Scott Fadness expressed his gratitude to all that have served.   He said that the Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day city observances are a way of showing the city’s “unwavering appreciation for all that they have done.”

El Ahlwardt was the Mast of Ceremonies for the Veterans Day event.  In attendance were members of the Fishers City Council, State Senator Victoria Spartz, State Representative Todd Huston  and Jordan Isaacs, representing Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly.

Fishers Junior High School Choir (Part 1)

Fishers Junior High School Choir (Part 2)

A Fishers-based firm, Hubbard Development, is planning a senior housing complex in the area of 126th Street and Hoosier Road.

Lindsey Erdody of the Indianapolis Business Journal wrote the story which you can read at this link.

As winter begins to settle into the Fishers area, road construction is slowing down, but some continues.  Below is the listing for the work weed beginning Monday, November 13th, as provided by the City of Fishers:

======================

141ST STREET  

Lane shifts will occur on 141st Street west of SR37 to allow for the construction of a turn lane along the north side of the roadway. Barrels and cones will be in place to direct traffic through the shift.

116TH STREET   
Periodic lane restrictions will occur on 116th Street east of Allisonville Road as the contractor repairs concrete curbs and ramps and begins resurfacing work on the roadway. Restrictions will be in place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please note that overnight work will occur while traffic volumes are reduced. The City greatly appreciates residents’ patience with construction noise.

I-69   

Improvements are currently underway to rehabilitate existing bridges, pavement and drainage structures along the 15-mile stretch of interstate. Two lanes of traffic in each direction of I-69 are currently shifted to accommodate construction of the additional travel lanes. Signs direct large trucks to use the left lane while traffic is shifted toward the right shoulder through the work zone. The speed limit is reduced to 60 mph and further reduced to 50 mph when workers are present.

I-69 is expected to open to three lanes in each direction between State Road 37 and State Road 38 before the end of this year. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37   

Geotechnical drilling began along the State Road 37 corridor in May as part of the final design phase of State Road 37 Improvement Project. Lane and shoulder restrictions will be active through November as crews finish drilling.

The State Road 37 improvement project is a $124 million joint project between Fishers, Hamilton County, Noblesville and INDOT. Questions or concerns may be directed todrivefishers@fishers.in.us.

OUTSIDE OF FISHERS   

Cyntheanne Road between 146th Street and 156th Street will be closed until December 1, 2017 to replace the bridge over Keiser Drain. Please contact Hamilton County Highway Department at 317-773-7770 with any questions.

After 13,500 online survey responses, the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board discussed the school calendar Wednesday night but reached no decisions.

Here are some takeaways from the data compiled from the survey results, based on a presentation to the board by Director of Educational Technology Jeff Harrison:

–56% of those responding prefer a longer summer with shorter breaks, as opposed to shorter summers and longer breaks during the school year.

–65% preferred a 3-day Thanksgiving break (Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)

–A plurality of respondents (43%) disagreed with the statement that HSE should have a school calendar consistent with other Hamilton County School systems.

–Given four possible options for calendars, 33% voted to keep the current calendar, while 30% voted in favor of the current calendar with one important change…a full week off for Thanksgiving.

The board discussed moving fall break forward one week at the quarter break so students would not have homework.  But there are issues with the timing of teachers submitting grades.

The 2018-2019 school year calendar has not been approved by the board.  School administrators will be holding discussions with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association about the calendar.  Superintendent Allen Bourff says he will provide the board with a recommendation for a school calendar for 2018-2019, and some future school years as well, in December.(

(NOTE:  Earlier versions of this story incorrectly shows 65% wanted a Wednesday, Thursday & Friday Fall Break.  Also, that earlier version showed 33% voting for the current calendar and one week off for Thanksgiving.  The data in the story above includes the corrected figures)