When it was announced that the city would sink $7 million into revamping the area of the Municipal Complex between the Amphitheater and City Hall, it was clear the construction timeline would be tight. City officials want the area completed by mid-May 2018.
City spokeswoman Casey Cawthon says work on the Amphitheater upgrade could begin as early as this week. So, if you are around the City Hall, you will soon see crews beginning to work around that area.
This project includes a redesign of the parking configuration for Amphitheater events. Also included are plans to move the stage further out to allow for more arts events, such as plays and space for an orchestra. The Amphitheater roof will be aligned consistent with these changes.
Ratio Architects is designing the plans for remodeling the Amphitheater.
I am in the middle of a project, traveling the state of Indiana instructing the Indiana University Tax Practitioner Institutes. But I have kept my eye on the unveiling of the House Republican leadership tax proposal, released just days ago.
There is a lot to digest there and I won’t put you all to sleep by going over all or most of it. But I do want to comment on one part of this plan that could have a major impact in charitable organizations, nation-wide and locally.
In order to take a deduction for charitable contributions, you must be able to itemize your deductions. That means your Schedule A total deductions, part of your individual federal income Form 1040, must be higher than your standard deduction in order to enjoy the benefit of taking a tax deduction for charitable giving on your income tax return.
The House Republican tax legislation would double the standard deduction. This would be a major tax benefit for those regularly taking the standard deduction because they don’t have enough Schedule A deductions available.
However, the Tax Policy Institute estimates that under this tax proposal, 84% of those currently itemizing their deductions would switch to taking the higher standard deduction. With fewer taxpayers itemizing, fewer returns would glean any tax benefit from contributing to eligible charitable organizations.
That would be a major challenge to tax exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. Fewer of their donors would benefit from a tax deduction as a result of their donations.
According to a story broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR), Una Osili, of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, estimates this change would lead to a reduction of up to $13 billion a year in charitable giving, with 28 million fewer Americans itemizing their returns. Osili says it doesn’t mean these people would stop giving, just that they’re likely to give less.
It is very important to note that this is just the opening proposal in a long legislative process. This measure must be marked-up (meaning, details written) in the House Ways and Means Committee. It must go through the House Rules Committee which will decide how many, if any, amendments will be considered once the legislation is considered on the House floor.
There are reports that members of the Senate Finance Committee are already working on a major re-write of any measure coming from the House. So we are a long way from any actual final tax bill.
However, where the plan starts is also very important, so we all need to pay close attention to this. Anyone involved in a local Fishers-area charitable organization needs to know that this part of the tax proposal, if part of a final bill (assuming there is one in the end), contains this doubling of the standard deduction without any changes in the charitable giving deduction rules, it would have a major impact on your fund-raising.
By the way, I recorded a podcast with my colleagues working with me on the IU Tax Practitioner Institute. It was recorded before the House tax proposal was released. You can listen to that podcast at this link.
Saturday was a busy basketball day at Fishers, as the Tigers hosted the Fishers Classic.
The event featured a whole slate of varsity and junior varsity games. The
Tigers and Hamilton Southeastern both took on teams from Ben Davis and
Southport, and both programs’ varsity teams went 2-0 on the day.
In their first game, the Tigers cruised past Southport 66-39. Fishers led 19-8 after
the first quarter, then 30-24 at halftime.
“I thought the kids played really well,” said Tigers coach Lauren Vail. “We
came out against Southport and played really well early and then had a little bit of
a lull in the second quarter.”
But any hope of a Cardinals comeback was squelched when the Tigers scored 22
points in the third period. Vail said that her team came out “and really played the way
that I know we’re capable of doing” after halftime.
Kenedi London led Fishers with 20 points, followed by Toni Grace with 18 and
Ali Gerka with 11.
In their second game of the day, the Tigers took care of Ben Davis 54-41. Fishers
led 13-7 after the first period, then ran away with the second quarter, leading 37-17 at
halftime.
It was Grace’s turn to score 20 points in this game, which she did, including a 9-of-
12 effort from the free throw line. Tamia Perryman added 10 points.
Vail said her team “came out and really rebounded the basketball well early, which
helped us to get out and run in transition. Ben Davis put a lot of pressure on us in the
second half. We were able to hold on and secure that win, so that was nice.”
Southeastern played Ben Davis first, and used a big third quarter to get a 60-57 victory
in its first game of the season. The Giants led 27-24 at halftime, but the Class 4A No.
4 Royals powered through the third quarter, scoring 21 points to take a 45-38 lead.
Southeastern then held off the expected BD comeback in the fourth period.
Sydney Parrish opened her sophomore season with a double-double, scoring 21
points and grabbing 11 rebounds, in addition to four steals. Amaya Hamilton had 10
points and seven boards. Molly Walton yanked eight rebounds and handed out four
assists.
The Royals sailed past Southport 65-30 to run their record to 2-0 for the day, and
their season. A big second quarter turned a 16-8 lead after one period into a 35-12
advantage at halftime.
Parrish scored 16 points, while Tayah Irvin added 12. Walton pulled 13 rebounds,
followed by Parrish with eight, Irvin with six and Erikka Ededuwa had five. Walton
also made five steals.
“I thought defensively we were pretty solid throughout the whole game,” said HSE
coach Chris Huppenthal. “It’s a good way to start the season, playing a fast team like Ben
Davis, and then coming back against Southport. We saw some good things, some
things that we’re going to look at on film and then try and get better through the week and
get ready to play next weekend.”
Adam & I review the film Lucky, the final performance for the late actor Harry Dean Stanton. Our guest this week is Hannah West, director and producer of a short film on the local opioid epidemic, “Not in Vain.” You can view her film at this link.
Local shoppers stroll through the Winter Fishes Farmers’ Market
The Fishers Winter Farmers’ Market moved this year from the Billericay Park building to Holland Park, allowing more space for vendors and shoppers. The first event of the season on November 4th drew more vendors and a number of shoppers to the new location.
The Farmers’ Market will continue each Saturday 9am-12 noon throughout the winter season.
Fishers’ Matt Wolff (8) was responsible for three touchdowns in the Tigers’ 28-7 sectional championship win over Pike Friday at Reynolds Tigers Stadium. Wolff threw two touchdown passes to Isaiah Dunnuck in the first half, then ran the ball in to score in the third quarter. Reporter photo by Kirk Green
Hamilton County Reporter
There’s no better place to avenge a regular-season loss than in the sectional
championship game.
Fishers did just that on Friday. The Tigers won the Class 6A Sectional 5 title by
beating Pike 28-7 at Reynolds Tigers Stadium. This marks the third sectional championship for Fishers in its still-young football history; the Tigers also won in 2010 (on
their way to a state title) and in 2012.
Fishers will host Ben Davis for next week’s regional championship.
The Red Devils beat Fishers 43-0 in Week 2 of the regular season. According to
John Harrell’s website, there are eight teams that avenged regular-season losses in the
sectional, and the Tigers’ victory was the biggest swing of all – 64 points.
“I feel like we were capable of playing this way,” said Fishers coach Rick Wimmer.
“It’s kind of the way we have to play. We have to control the ball. We’re not going to
score a lot of points, but we possess the ball and not give the other team too many
possessions, too many opportunities and we’re playing good defense.”
The Tigers scored a touchdown each quarter. The scores in the first half both were
on short passes from Matt Wolff to Isaiah Dunnuck. The duo connected on a five-yard
pass play late in the first period, then on a six-yard throw with 1:40 left in the second.
The Tigers scored a touchdown each quarter. The scores in the first half both were
on short passes from Matt Wolff to Isaiah Dunnuck. The duo connected on a five-yard
pass play late in the first period, then on a six-yard throw with 1:40 left in the second.
The Tigers’ defense stepped up big time. Pike averaged 33 points per game coming
into the sectional final, but Fishers allowed the Red Devils a lone touchdown in the third
quarter. The seven points Pike scored was its lowest output of the season.
“Defensively we didn’t give up big chunk plays for touchdowns,” said Wimmer.
“We planned much better. Guys just playing better. Our defensive coaches have done a
tremendous job of getting problems fixed that we had early in the year. They get a lot
of the credit for this one. We’ve been playing better and better defense the last few
weeks.”
Wimmer also credited the offensive line for playing well, saying that his offense is being “pretty efficient.” The Tigers were almost perfectly balanced between the two
phases: Fishers rushed for 132 yards and Wolff threw for 126 yards on 9-of-17 passing.
Scally ran for 98 yards.
“Best game our offensive line has played,” said Wimmer. “That’s the first time
this offensive line played together, and this is what we thought we’d be getting to.”
A long vacant office building, very visible by those traveling along I-69, has changed ownership. Lindsey Erdody of the Indianapolis Business Journal posted an online story about the property, located at 10300 Kincaid Drive.
The summer season outdoor Farmers Market at the Fishers Municipal Complex has been a hit with locals for several years, and the city is once again bringing back the winter season Farmers Market. The weekly market will start Saturday, November 4th, with a new, larger venue at the Holland Park building.
“The Fishers Farmers’ Market really is the epitome of what it means to be smart, vibrant, and entrepreneurial in Fishers,” Mayor Scott Fadness said in a city news release. “The Winter Market gets our residents out of the house during winter months while supporting local business owners in our community, year-round.”
Mathoo’s Eggrolls, Garcia’s Gardens, 5280 Bistro, and Grandpa’s Jerky are just a few of the Summer Market favorites that will be participating during winter months.
The Winter Farmers’ Market includes vendors that will rotate on and off during different weeks of the season! Shoppers are encouraged to “like” the Fishers Farmers Market Facebook page for ongoing updates about vendors onsite for the coming week. The first 100 shoppers each week will receive a free, reusable shopping bag to transport their purchases, all season long. For more info, visit the Fishers Farmers Market Facebook page.
The listing of road construction projects in and around Fishers is an update on a number of ongoing work. Below is the listing for the work week starting Monday, Nobember 6th, as provided by the City of Fishers:
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116TH STREET GRAND OPENINGS
With the recent openings of IKEA, Top Golf and Portillo’s, please expect delays along the 116th Street corridor. Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit www.Fishers.in.us/Openings for directional maps and suggestions on how to navigate the area. The Fishers IN and Drive Fishers Twitter accounts will both be updated in an ongoing fashion should any immediate updates be shared.
146TH STREET
Westbound 146th Street east of Allisonville Road in the right turn lane to northbound Allisonville Road will be restricted for test borings, as well as the right eastbound lane of 146th Street west of Allisonville Road. Traffic control will be in place from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. for the next 7 days. Please contact Hamilton County Highway Department at 317-773-7770 with any questions.
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. – 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 to drivefishers@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.
While this list encompasses numerous project updates, it does not list all DPW projects throughout the city. The most recent projects are detailed, however please keep in mind that all construction activities are weather permitting. We appreciate motorists’ patience and caution while driving through construction sites.
A member of the Hamilton Southeastern School Board will be assuming the position as Chief Technology Officer for Lawrence Township Schools. Mike Bottorff has been serving as Director of Technology for Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson United School Corporation, headquartered in the southern Johnson County town of Trafalgar.
“My passion for service, life-long learning, and innovative instruction drive my
continued commitment to K-12 education,” said Bottorff in a Lawrence Townships Schools news release. “I believe my track record of successful technology leadership will help the MSD of Lawrence Township to fully prepare students for life’s possibilities.”
Bottorff held the position of Technology Administrative Manager for Hamilton Southeastern Schools before heading to Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson.
Mike Bottorff was elected to the Hamilton Southeastern School Board in 2016 and is serving the first year of a four-year term.
