One of the big events of the Fishers summer is Symphony on the Prairie at Conner Prairie.  The lineup for 2023 was announced Tuesday.

For the details, use this link.

Every spring around this time it happens.  Check the local Fishers government calendar and there is little, if any activity.  Why?

The answer is simple.  The local school district, Hamilton Southeastern, is on spring break this week and it seems half the town is away.

With so many young families populating out fair city, it is no surprise that it is easier this week to get a restaurant reservation this week.  Check Facebook and other social media.  You will find families on beaches and plenty of other destinations.

So, enjoy spring break week!  Next week, it’s down to business again.

There are a number of contested primary elections in and around Hamilton County, but in Fishers we have only one, for Fishers City Clerk on the Republican ticket.  If you wish to vote in that local election, the deadline for submitting your absentee ballot is April 20th.

According to the Hamilton County Elections Office, the absentee form can be submitted electronically at www.indianavoters.com. You can also call 317-776-8476 and make a request for an application over the phone.

Once you have received your ballot and completed it as directed, you can submit your ballot by mail or return it in person. All mailed-in and dropped-off ballots must be received by the Elections Office in Noblesville on or before 6:00 p.m. on Election Day.

For more information on absentee ballots, and who qualifies to vote absentee in Indiana, use this link.

Early voting is also getting underway locally.  The following Noblesville locations are open as of April 4th:

Noblesville 
Judicial Center, One Hamilton County Square, Noblesville 
April 4-6 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
April 10-14 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
April 17-21 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
April 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
April 24-28 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
April 29 from 9:00 to 4:00 p.m.
May 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Hamilton County Fairgrounds, 2003 Pleasant Street, Noblesville
April 4-6 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
April 10-14 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
April 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
April 24-29 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
May 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Two early voting centers will be available in Fishers as of April 19th:

Roy G Holland Memorial Park Building, 1 Park Drive, Fishers
Billericay Park Building, 12690 Promise Road, Fishers 
April 19-20 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
April 21-22 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
April 26-27 from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
April 28-29 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The only primary election contested in the City of Fishers is the Republican race for City Clerk.  Incumbent Jennifer Kehl seeks another term, and is challenged by Rachel Segars.  Ms. Segars is the wife of Fishers City Council Member Pete Peterson.

Primary election day is Tuesday, May 2nd.

The economics of sports has changed dramatically since my early days of watching the product in the 1960s.  Baseball, in particular, is a game I like to watch on the home screen.

The cycles of watching local sports teams, or just teams in your area, have gone back and forth.  Sometimes it is difficult, or virtually impossible, to watch your favorite Major League Baseball team.  Other times, it’s easy.

I happen to be a fan of the Cincinnati Reds.  I had a cable package at one time that gave me nearly all Reds games.  I had to cancel that provider because the cost was just way too high.  But that meant I lost my Reds games.

Now, I can use streaming to watch my Reds (even if they are rebuilding and not likely to contend this year).  Bally Sports has a streaming service.  It offers both Indiana Pacer NBA games and the Reds.  The cost is about $20 a month, a bit steep but worth it for fans of both teams.

So, I was looking forward to watching the Reds this season.  But wait, we have a new complication.

The parent company of Bally, Diamond Sports Group, has filed bankruptcy in an attempt to restructure its debt.  Cable TV cord-cutting, coupled with a weak advertising market, has hit regional sports networks like Diamond Sports Group hard.

There are lots of online journalists writing about this regional sports network economic model.  Based on that reporting, some are doing well, but firms like Diamond Sports are obviously struggling.

Diamond owns rights to a number of teams through its regional networks…14 Major League Baseball teams, 16 in the NBA and 12 National Hockey League clubs.  The NBA and NHL are nearing the end of their seasons, but what about baseball?

As the season starts, Diamond and Bally are broadcasting all their regional sports network games.  But one wonders how long that will last.

Diamond has said it may keep some baseball contracts and cancel others.  For example, deciding to keep the Arizona team but dropping the Cincinnati Reds.  Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has said the contract language with these regional sports networks says if you cancel one team’s pact, you have cancelled them all.

I have not read these contracts and am no lawyer myself.  But even if the contracts say what Commissioner Manfred says, it will ultimately be up to the bankruptcy judge to make final decisions on these matters.

So, I start the season able to watch my Cincinnati Reds.  It is sad that future access to my favorite MLB team may not be in the hands of the teams or the TV execs, but a bankruptcy judge.  So is the state of sports economics today.

The Geist Waterfront Park is something people in and around Fishers have been anticipating for some time.  The park itself was finished just in time for winter to set-in, so this spring will see the first use of this local amenity.

When the city opened the park for a few hours on a cold, windy November day last year, hundreds of people were there.  Clad in winter coats, youngsters were enjoying the playground with their parents.

Daniel Bradley of the Indianapolis Business Journal wrote a lengthy piece in this week’s IBJ print edition, also available online.  In addition, IBJ wrote an editorial lauding Fishers for having the vision to acquire the land and build this park, the only public space on Geist Lake.

You can read Daniel Bradley’s story at this link.   The IBJ editorial is available at this link.

NOTE:  The links above may not be available if you are not a subscriber.  I have written this before and will do so again…Subscribe to your local media!  Otherwise, it may not be there tomorrow.