For nearly one year, we all went through mask wearing, social distancing and everything else attached to stopping the spread of the COVOD-19 virus. David France, an accomplished documentary filmmaker, has a new film on HBO all about how the COVID vaccines were developed, and the national, as well as international, ramifications once the vaccines started churning out of mass production.
Here is my review of the HBO documentary film How To Survive A Pandemic.
One often hears and reads the phrase “Nickel Plate” in Fishers. Those of us living in Fishers for some time know what that means. Many newcomers to our area may not. An important event is happening here in May, and a bit of history is in order to put it all into context.
In the late 19th century, what we call Fishers today was known as “Fishers Switch” and later as “Fishers Station.” The community now known as Fishers was originally created because of the Nickel Plate Rail Line that ran through the area. The words “switch” and “station” were tied to the connection with that railroad.
The creation of the municipality we now call Fishers was only because of the Nickel Plate Rail line. That’s why you see so many names with Nickel Plate.
The trail being developed in Fishers is called the Nickel Plate Trail because it is being constructed along the old rail location. The rail line was used most recently by the Indiana State Fair Train that ended many years ago. The tracks were not in the best of shape and at least one official inspection found the track unsafe.
It was a controversial decision to convert the old rail line into a trail. Many local train enthusiasts used every legal and administrative avenue available to slow down or stop the trail and preserve the rails, but in the end the City of Fishers prevailed and the trail has been under construction, in sections, from 96th Street north to 141st Street.
There are parts of the trail already open and used by lots of people. One of the most important sections of the trail is set to open Saturday, May 14th.
I have covered Scott Fadness during his time as town manager, then his tenure as mayor of our fair city. When the city decided to build an underground tunnel for the trail underneath 116th Street, it required a closure of 116th Street at the old railroad tracks in order to construct the trail tunnel. Fadness told me in a podcast at the time that few things keep him up at night, but the closure of 116th Street, a major traffic artery in downtown Fishers, caused him to lose some sleep.
But, 116th Street eventually opened. Now the tunnel is nearly complete and there will be a public opening of the downtown portion of the Nickel Plate Trail, including the tunnel beneath 116th Street, set for Saturday, May 14th, 12noon to 4pm.
The mayor, along with Stephanie Perry of the city’s PR department, took a tour of the construction area early in the process. The water table underneath downtown Fishers created some challenges for the contractor early in the project, but all is about done now and the tunnel will soon be ready for pedestrian traffic.
There will be an area of the trail called Monumental Stairs, with a built-in bike ramp that allows pedestrians and cyclists to access the trail at 116th Street and provides seating overlooking the trail-level plaza. The city expects to have special events and community gatherings, including musical acts, at the Monumental Stairs location. A pedestrian bridge above the tunnel exit on the north side of 116th Street connects the existing train platform to the new Nickel Plate Station plaza, which includes swings and other activations.
I detect some old wounds every time the Nickel Plate Trail is in the news. I always receive a few comments when posting such stories, lamenting the demise of the rail tracks.
I get that, but there is a lot of support for the trail and people are voting with their feet and using parts of the Nickel Plate Trail already available. Now, with the downtown section of the trail about to open, look for even more people to avail themselves of the trail.
The City of Fishers says there is coordination with the City of Indianapolis to develop the southern portion of the trail, between 96th Street and 106th Street. The only thing holding that up is the availability of funding.
On March 29, you might expect warm enough weather for an outdoor event, but in 2022, the Vietnam Veterans Day observance, originally set for outdoors at the municipal complex, was moved indoors with 33 degree weather forecast.
But that did not dampen the enthusiasm for those gathered at the Fishers YMCA Tuesday morning.
Indiana State Senator John Crane was the featured speaker honoring those local veterans that had served in Vietnam. El Ahlwardt did his usual professional job as the master of ceremonies.
For quite some time, Fishers has had one vaccination site on 116th Street, just east of Brooks School Road at a former Marsh Grocery location – and a testing site at the municipal complex. As of April 4, that all changes.
Both the test and vaccination sites will move to the Fishers Health Department Clinic location at 8937 Technology Drive.
Effective Monday, April 4, new COVID-19 testing and vaccination hours are:
Beginning April 4, appointments are not required for curbside COVID-19 testing at the new location and pre-scheduling is also available at fishers.in.us/Testing. For COVID-19 vaccines, individuals can walk-in or schedule appointments ahead of time for first, second and booster vaccinations at fishers.in.us/Vaccine. The Fishers Health Department’s non-COVID-19 Immunization Clinic will also move to the new location and offers vaccinations for flu, meningitis, HPV, and more to the public. Immunizations are by appointment only and can be scheduled at fishers.in.us/Immunizations. Non-COVID-19 Immunization Clinic hours are Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon.
As someone born in 1951, I was in my teenage years when the Vietnam war began its escalation in 1965. My brother & I delivered an evening newspaper and you could see what was happening on the front page every day, along with watching national television news.
I was fortunate that I barely missed being drafted into the military during the Vietnam era. But I had many friends in the broadcasting business that spent time in the war zone doing their duty with Armed Forces Radio. When entering college in 1973, many of my classmates were at the university on the GI Bill and most were Vietnam Vets.
America, in general, was not kind to the men and women in uniform returning from Vietnam. There was a movement against the war and some in that movement targeted returning servicemen as part of the problem. Having studied Vietnam extensively and based on my conversations with with Vets, there were plenty of problems with the Vietnam War and you could, at the time, make a compelling cast to oppose America’s involvement in Southeast Asia. However, few of those problems related to the performance of the rank-and-file soldiers.
For that reason, every time there is a chance to honor and thank those that served in Vietnam, we should be part of it. Sadly, I have a medical appointment that will prevent me from attending this year’s Fishers National Vietnam War Veterans Day Ceremony.
But I would hope many of you can be there. It is at the Fishers YMCA, 10am, Tuesday, March 29th. This celebration is sponsored by a new local group, The Fishers Armed Services Commission.
Learn more about the Fishers ceremony at this link.
The Fishers Parks & Recreation staff is moving forward with concerts this summer at the Nickel Plate Amphitheater, with two more shows on the docket, but requiring tickets of $20 in advance, $25 the day of the event.
Colony House featuring Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, will perform Saturday, July 16, 2022, and The Main Squeeze with special guests to be announced on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022,. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday, April 1 at this link.
Fishers Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #199 has announced endorsements of two candidates in the upcoming May 3rd primary election. Republicans Greg Garrison for Hamilton County Prosecutor and Darren Murphy for the Superior Court 7 judgeship received the endorsements. The Superior Court 7 has been newly-created.
In a letter to his membership dated March 10th and released to the media Sunday, Lodge #199 President Christopher T. Owens listed his organization’s endorsements. Lodge #199 participated in a March 7th candidate night, sponsored jointly with other FOP Lodges in Hamilton County. Garrison and incumbent Prosecutor Lee Buckingham participated in the event. Murphy appeared along with another hopeful for the Superior Court 7 judgeship, Stephanie Gookins.
In his letter to the Fishers Lodge membership, Owens writes the Hamilton County Prosecutor endorsement “is based on Greg Garrison’s responses and willingness to work with law enforcement.”
In the decision to endorse Darren Murphy as judge, Owens says that decision “is based on Judge Murphy’s responses and willingness to work with law enforcement.”
Only the Republicans listed have filed for Prosecutor and Superior Court Judge in the primary election. Democrats could be appointed as candidates this summer for the general election November 8th of this year by the Democratic Party Chair.
Mike Johnson began his law enforcement career patrolling the streets in the Town of Fishers when this was a community of fewer than 15,000 people. Mike decided to hang up his uniform for good and recently retired from Fishers PD.
Mike has now taken on the job of Director of School Safety for Hamilton Southeastern Schools. Here is my podcast conversation with Mike Johnson.
As reported earlier, the Fishers Arts and Culture Commission is handing out $47,000 in local grants to arts organizations throughout the city.
The city announced Thursday how much money has been allocated to the individual recipients. Here is the list, as provided by the City of Fishers:
Mission Christian Academy received unanimous approval for a special exception in the zoning laws, allowing a planned move into a building at 131st Street and Publishers Drive, near State Road 37. The school needed the special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals due to the Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning for the Parkside commercial area.
The school is expanding from its current location on Olio Road and projects 225 students will be enrolled at the Publishers Drive location. The Academy plans to have classes at the facility three days per week, with students utilizing remote learning the other two days. School officials say they plan to offer primary and secondary grade levels, as well as
Pre-K and a nursery.
An engineering study says based on the proposed configuration, the drop off & pick up of students by parents would cause no traffic issues for the surrounding area.