The Conner Prairie Museum in Fishers depicts life as the area was being populated by settlers, on what was, at that time, known as the prairie.  The Art in City Hall series is unveiling a new art collection, Life On The Prairie.

The Fishers Arts Council, Nickel Plate Arts, The City of Fishers and Conner Prairie have joined forces to present this art work, some from the Conner Prairie collection, others created by local artists.  The local artists contributing their work include Alice Harpel, John Hollinger, Carolyn Martens, Craig Mullins and Carol Griffith.

The City Hall exhibit will be on display August 3rd through August 28th.  There will be an artist reception on August 7th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. free and open to the public to meet the artists and representative from Conner Prairie.

(Editor’s Note:  The date of the reception was corrected Sunday evening, 7.22, per a correction notice from the Fishers Arts Council….The reception date was originally shown at August 20th, but has now been corrected to the August 7th date shown above)

(Above, click to listen to hear the mini-podcast I recorded with Edra Waterman (Left) and Katelyn Coyne) 

When I think of ignition, I think of a car or a spacecraft take-off.  But the Fishers Library has opened up space in its lower level. which housed Launch Fishers before that group moved to more spacious quarters, and named it Ignite.  Some call it maker space.  It is basically a place to create artistically.

I visited the Ignite area of the the library Friday afternoon, and below are some photos I snapped while given a tour by Edra Waterman and Katelyn Coyne ( link above is there if you wish to listen to my mini-podcast chat with them).

Continue reading Mini-Podcast: Fishers Library Opening Up Ignite, The New Maker Space →

It’s another work week and another week with a long list of road projects.  Below is the listing, as provided by the City of Fishers for the work week beginning Monday, July 23rd:

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CYNTHEANNE ROAD

Beginning Monday, July 23 lane restrictions will be in place on Cyntheanne Road between 101st and 104th Streets for pavement repairs. Repairs are expected to last approximately one week, weather permitting. Flaggers will be in place to help direct traffic.

113TH STREET & FLORIDA ROAD 

Beginning on or after Tuesday, July 24, the intersection of 113th Street and Florida Road will close for approximately 90 days for the realignment and construction of a new roundabout at the intersection. See the Detour Map.

SOUTHEASTERN PARKWAY 

Southeastern Parkway isclosed from 136th Street to Isle of Man Way (Avalon subdivision) for approximately 30 days to complete a roundabout. Traffic to detour up Prairie Baptist Road to 136th Street. See the Detour Map.

ALLISONVILLE ROAD

Allisonville Road construction is in full swing. Traffic has been shifted to the east to allow for widening on the west side. Restrictions may be in place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and flaggers will be on site directing traffic, as necessary. Through September, all southbound left turns from Allisonville Road onto 126th Street will be prohibited.

This will be an active construction site with reduced speed limits. For more info on this project, view the Fact Sheet.

131ST STREET   

The intersection of 131st and Cumberland Road is currently closed for 45 days to construct a new roundabout. The project is nearing completion and roads will reopen soon. Check the Drive Fishers Twitter page for updates. See the detour map here.

Expect lane restrictions, weather permitting, along 131st Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road for the construction of the Conner Trail from Conner Prairie to the Municipal Complex. Lane restrictions will also take place on Lantern Road between 131st Street and Municipal Drive.

NICKEL PLATE DISTRICT 

On Saturday between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., road closures will take place along the east side of the Municipal Circle along Municipal Drive for the Fishers Farmers’ Market. Access to Municipal Drive from North Street will also be closed during this time. Farmers’ Market parking is available in The Depot and The Switch garages (see the Parking Map for more details).

The Board of Works recently passed an ordinance for no parking in the Nickel Plate District between the hours of 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. See the Parking Restrictions Map for more information.

BROOKS SCHOOL ROAD  

Brooks School Road is closed for 30 days south of 116th Street between Desert Glen Drive and Club Point Drive. The detour route is Hoosier Road and Fall Creek Road. View the Detour Map.

Brooks School Road is also closed between 126th Street and 136th Street to build a sidewalk to the east side of the bridge over I-69. Detours via 136th Street, Promise Road, and 126th Street to get around the closure. The road will reopen in early August. Questions can be directed here.

106TH STREET   

106th Street is closed to through traffic from Eller Road to Allisonville Road and from Allisonville Road to Hague Road for the 106th Street Infrastructure Project. Closures for through traffic will also take place from Hague Road to the Crosspoint Boulevard/Lantern Road roundabout. For more info on this project, view the Fact Sheet.

I-69   

As part of a $92 million design-build contract, Milestone has added a third lane in each direction to the median, repaired and resurfaced existing pavement, and rehabilitated bridges and drainage structures on 15 miles of I-69 in Hamilton and Madison counties. Construction of an additional auxiliary lane between the 116th Street entrance ramp to I-69 South and the I-69 South Exit 204 ramp to 106th Street will continue through next spring.

I-69 South will be temporarily reduced to two lanes to allow space for the State Road 37 and 116th Street entrance ramps to safely merge while construction continues on the southbound auxiliary lane between the 116th Street and 106th Street ramps.

Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT via email or at 1-855-463-6848.

STATE ROAD 37

A public meeting was held on Tuesday, May 15at the Delaware Township Trustee Office. The meeting presentation and updated information is available on the project’s new website. 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 SR37@rqaw.com. 

OUTSIDE OF FISHERS   

The City of Carmel has closed 116th Street between Towne Road and Ditch Road, and between Clay Center Road and Spring Mill Road, until August 8.

A residential development is coming to the area southwest of 146th Street and Allisonville Road, in a place that had been set aside as an assisted living project.

For more on this, read Samm Quinn’s story at the Indianapolis Business Journal Web site at this link.

by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

Next year’s election contest for mayor of Noblesville appears to be starting early, very early. The all-important Republican primary is in May of 2019, but already at least three names have surfaced as likely or potential candidates.

City councilman Chris Jensen has made it clear that he will be running. Mike Corbett, publisher of Hamilton County Business Magazine, has given every indication he will also run. And, current school board member Julia Church Kozicki has filed an Exploratory Committee which could well mean an intention to run for mayor or, if not, some other elective office.

Mayor John Ditslear has indicated he will not be running for re-election. The mayor’s office and the other city officials including city clerk, city judge and all nine city council members are up for election next year.

It’s very early for the beginning of any city election campaign. This fall’s general election comes first. But, campaigns are beginning earlier each year as candidates do not want to see potential opponents gather supporters before letting it be known they are going to be seeking office.

With Ditslear not running, other candidates could join the race in coming months since the mayor’s office will be considered an open seat. All current city officials are Republicans, and a winner of the GOP nomination is regarded as an odds-on favorite to ultimately win election.

In Carmel, Mayor Jim Brainard has announced he will run for a seventh term. There has as yet been no indication of opposition. Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness and Westfield Mayor Andy Cook are also expected to seek re-election, although they have not formally announced.

Before the city elections next May, voters will elect a host of county and township officials in November. Also on the ballot will be non-partisan school board elections in all six county school districts. Very few candidates have yet announced plans to run for the important school positions.

(Editor’s Note: Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness told me during a January 3rd podcast recording session he does plan to seek re-election in 2019…you can listen to that podcast at this link) 

The Fishers Police Department is set to hold the 35th Citizens Academy.  It all starts August 8th, and application are being accepted through July 30th.  This is a 12-week program, every Wednesday night from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Citizens Academy will put you through a number of police programs, including: Crime Prevention/Neighborhood Watch, Bicycle Patrol, Criminal Law, Police Canine, Traffic Stops, Weapons Familiarization, Self Defense, Criminal Investigations, Evidence Collection, and Narcotics. The instructors will be police officers from the Fishers Police Department.   Participants in the Citizen’s Academy are eligible complete a ride along with an on- duty Fishers Police Officer.

The Citizen’s Academy will give community members the opportunity to ask questions about law enforcement and other related activities.

Apply online at www.fishers.in.us/police  or apply in person at the Fishers Police Department.  Applications will be accepted until July 30th.  If you have any questions contact Officer Rob Thompson at thompsonr@fishers.in.us  or (317) 595-3300.

The Fishers City Council is considering a fee increase for the local Storm Water Utility as part of the 2019 budget process.  If enacted, it would raise homeowners’ fees by $20.52 a year, and much more for many commercial customers in the city.

I spoke with Mayor Scott Fadness and Rick Farnham, City Water Quality Director, during a podcast interview July 19th.

In 1955, I was four years old and the Town of Fishers had a population of under 300 people.  That was the year Reynolds Farm Equipment first opened its doors.  You cannot discuss the history of Fishers without Reynolds Farm Equipment being at the center of the commercial development in the area.

According to my news-gathering partner, the Hamilton County Reporter, Reynolds has received an important national honor, the 2018 North American Dealer of the Year.  The award comes from Farm Equipment Magazine of Brookfield, Wisconsin.

The magazine says the honor is based upon a myriad of performance metrics and selection by an independent panel of industry experts.

“Equipment dealers serve a critical role in supporting customers,” said Mitch Frazier, chief executive officer of Reynolds Farm Equipment. “Our team at Reynolds understands this importance, whether that’s for a farmer, homeowner, landscaper, golf course operator or commercial contractor.

This is the 14th year of this award, with the goal of identifying the top performing dealer organization across all manufacturers’ dealers through analysis of key financial metrics and qualitative review of transformational initiatives, such as succession, leadership and performance management

“The independent panel of judges made a very good selection in Reynolds Farm Equipment for Dealership of the Year,” said Mike Lessiter, editor and publisher of Farm Equipment Magazine. “The group is industry-best in a number of criterion and demonstrating a very progressive approach to management, succession planning and bedrock values that guide their business.”

Reynolds has grown from its humble beginnings 63 years ago.  There are now seven store locations throughout the Midwest – five in Indiana, one in Ohio and one in Kentucky.

“Since mom and dad founded the business, we’ve always focused on serving our customers with the right products and the right people,” said Gary Reynolds, owner and chairman of Reynolds Farm Equipment. “We continue that focus today with the best team we’ve ever had and an energy that is delivering results for our customers, our team and our community.”

You can read the story about Reynolds receiving this award in Farm Equipment Magazine at this link.

The City of Fishers plans to apply to the Indiana Arts Commission and ask that the Nickel Plate District in Downtown Fishers be designated as a cultural district, and the city is working toward establishing The Fishers Arts and Cultural Commission.

Past and present officials of the local arts community packed into a City Hall conference room to support the arts proposals as members of the city council were briefed on the ideas by Deputy Mayor Leah McGrath and Mayor Scott Fadness.

Work has already started on applying for the Nickel Plate District’s designation by the state as a cultural district, described by McGrath as a “pretty rigorous process.”  The deadline to submit the application is September 5th.

The City Council Nonprofit Committee decides how to divide-up the city’s contributions to local organizations, and this proposal would ask the council committee to provide a specific sum of money to support local arts organizations, then have the Fishers Arts and Cultural Commission decide which organizations get the money, and how much each group will receive.

The new Fishers Arts and Cultural Commission would be established as part of the city’s Planning and Zoning Department.

“The point of the Arts Commission is to take the people that really do understand the soul and vibrancy of art, and meld that with the people that understand the land development and development process” Fadness told council members.  “Those two together should create a really unique environment where we have the synergistic vibe.”

City Council members appeared generally supportive of the plan to establish a Fishers Arts Commission and ask the state to designate the Nickel Plate District as a cultural district.

The City of Fishers was working with the same Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) since 2005, but the City Council approved an updated UDO at Monday night’s meeting.  The UDO provides basic rules for those wanting to plan developments in the city.

The new UDO is reformatted and reorganized, and takes into consideration some
additional or new standards based on the Fishers 2040 Comprehensive Plan.  After a public hearing at a recent Fishers Plan Commission meeting, changes were made, particularly for houses of worship as they plan construction of new facilities in Fishers.

Members of the city council lauded Fishers Director of Planning and Zoning Tony Bagato, along with his staff, for the hard work in putting this UDO plan together.

To review the detailed presentation Bagato made to the city council, use this link.