I have attended the summer festival parade in Fishers for many years, going back to the days of the Freedom Festival.  The 2023 Spark Fishers Parade drew the largest crowd I have seen, at least from my vantage point this year on 116th Street near Municipal Drive.

When the city looks back on how this parade went, there was one clear problem with this year’s parade.  Public address announcer Tom Britt, and officials along the parade route, politely asked attendees to stay off the street, on the south sidewalks and not watch the event from the median.  There were way too many people way past the sidewalk into the street and on the median.  The city will need to figure out how to enforce the rules for the safety of the crowd.

But, that aside, here is my attempt at providing video highlights of this year’s parade.  My apologies for some of the video glitches, this was my first time attempting a video editing job of this magnitude.  Also, my sincere apologies to the HSE High School marching band, I had a catastrophic technical issue.  I thought I had your performance recorded, but once reviewing it, found it missing.

Again, this video features highlights, not the entire parade.  So be kind in critiquing this video attempt, warts & all.

There was no rain, some clouds and the temperature was likely hotter than many would like, but there was a big crowd for the Spark Fishers Festival Street Fair Saturday.

Here are a few images I captured at the Street Fair:

Another busy summer work week for road construction crews in and around Fishers in the coming week.

Here is the full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers:

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To learn more about the State Road 37 Improvement Project and sign up to receive text updates, visit 37Thrives.com. 

STATE ROAD 37 AND 141ST STREET
A pre-construction phase at SR 37 & 141st Street is currently in place. During this phase, 141st Street will be a Right-In-Right-Out (RIRO) traffic configuration. 
This is not the permanent configuration. This will allow for traffic to flow more freely along SR 37 until the next phases of construction can be activated. This will eliminate backups along SR 37 that have caused dangerous stops to the free flow traffic and backups on the 146th Street interchange. Again, this is not the permanent configuration for 141st Street. The full timeline for the 141st Street interchange will be provided after project bids are accepted in the Summer of 2023. View detour routes here.

To learn more about the Clear Path Improvement Project and sign up to receive text and email updates, visit clearpath465.com 

I-465 & I-69
Drivers will see an increase in construction along the I-69 corridor in the coming months. This work will focus on reconfiguring the interchange at I-465 and I-69. New ramps will provide direct movements from eastbound I-465 and northbound I-465 to northbound I-69. Binford Blvd. will also be reconstructed to separate local traffic from traffic entering and exiting I-69 and I-465. Access to I-69 from Binford Blvd. will remain open. Drivers can expect to see significant activity on I-69 at the 82nd Street interchange.

The ramp from I-69 North to 82nd Street and the ramp from 82nd Street to I-69 North is currently closed through late 2023. For detour routes and additional project information, visit clearpath465.com 

To learn more about the Nickel Plate Trail, view the Capital Project Dashboard here.

NICKEL PLATE TRAIL
The City of Fishers is working on the completion of the Fishers portion of the Nickel Plate Trail. The remaining paving work from 96th Street to 106th Street is underway, and construction crews are currently working to clear and prep the area for paving. In the coming weeks, construction crews will begin the paving process.

Local roadways and access points will be impacted due to the Spark!Fishers festival happening through Saturday, June 24. Please find details about closures and restrictions here. Thank you for your patience during this time and hope to see you at Spark!Fishers!  

There are daily lane closures currently on Cumberland Road, just south of 126th Street for sanitary and water line work. The northbound right turn lane and the southbound passing blister will be closed.

Phase 2A traffic restrictions are currently in place. These restrictions will eliminate left turn movements from 146th Street onto Allisonville Road and reopen to two through lanes on eastbound and westbound 146th Street. Sowers Dr., Wellington Ct., and Kensington Dr. will be closed at 146th Street during this phase. 

Increased utility relocation activity is expected along Allisonville Rd. south of 146th Street. Flaggers will be present when lane or shoulder restrictions are necessary.

Construction crews will be working to complete the connection of Sowers Dr. to Allisonville Road. Saville Road will be closed at 146th Street for construction crews to construct the new frontage road and Saville Road access at 146th Street. Waterway MOT will be installed along the White River to allow crews to begin working on the White River bridges. 

The worksite speed limit will be 35 mph. Please exercise caution while driving through this construction zone.

For additional project information, visit Hamilton County website here. 

There is a sanitary sewer project currently taking place at Metro Airport at 106th Street & Allisonville Road. There are times where lane restrictions may be in place on Allisonville Road. Please use caution in this area.

Fishers firefighters responded to the report of a blaze on Old Oak Drive at the Britton Woods apartment complex Thursday night, near 141st Street and State Road 37.  Nine residents of the building were displaced by the fire but no injuries were reported.

The Fishers Fire Department says Fishers Police, along with investigators from the Indiana Homeland Security’s Stare Fire Marshal’s office, are looking into the cause of the blaze.

Every year I attend the Spark Fishers Car & Art Show, the crowd appears to be larger than the previous year.  That was certainly true in 2023, ith perfect weather.  This allows art lovers and car enthusiasts to come together on Municipal Drive, between 116th Street and the construction site for new City Hall.   I spent some time at the Thursday night event, and came back with the following photos:

Continue reading Spark Fishers displays cars & art →

As July 4 approaches on the calendar, Fishers Police are reminding local residents that there is a city ordinance all about fireworks.

Below is the full ordinance language:

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Continue reading FPD reminds everyone of the Fishers ordinance dealing with fireworks →

After covering the Hamilton Southeastern School Board for nearly 12 years, I thought I knew a lot about our local school district.  But when I was selected to participate in the HSEngaged program, it opened my eyes to so much more happening within our local school buildings.  I had a very rewarding experience and learned a lot.

With a new school year starting in August, HSEngaged is looking for another group of local citizens to be a part of HSEngaged.  It does require you to be available during the day for the sessions, allowing you to get the feel of what a school day is like in HSE.

If you would like to learn more, and submit an application, use this link.  Do not delay, the number of people selected for this program is limited because only so many people can be accommodated at each session.

The last time the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board asked local voters to approve a referendum increasing property tax rates within the district boundaries, over 71% of those casting ballots voted in favor and the proposal passed overwhelmingly.  That referendum, adding .2275 cents (per $100 of assessed valuation) to the local property tax rate, expires at the end of 2023.

The school board has indicated through public statements that a majority favor placing the referendum on the November ballot, continuing the present referendum tax rate for another 8 years.

A consultant hired by the board to guide them through the process explained the situation during a Tuesday morning board work session.

Hamilton Southeastern receives the third-lowest per-student support from the state, with Zionsville receiving the least, then Carmel..  In fiscal year 2023, HSE Schools received $6,378 in state support per student.  The state average for per student support is $7,011.

The consultant explained the school district can have an approved referendum rate, but may review the rate and lower it once per year if the board so chooses.

The school district’s share of the local tax rate was 1.2616 in the first year of the current referendum, 2017.  In 2023, the rate has gone down to 1.1882.

The consultant provided an example of a home in the district valued at $100,000.  Once all deductions allowed for a principal residence are considered, the amount subject to the property tax rate is $33,800.  Based on those numbers, the impact on the homeowner o the .2275 referendum rate would be $6.41 per month in 2023.

There was also discussion of how the referendum would be worded on the November ballot.  State law prescribes some language, with some up to the discretion of the board.  For example, if the board decides to continue the current referendum rate, the ballot question would be required to say this vote would increase the property tax, under state statutes.

The board would also be required to submit to the state a Revenue Spending Plan, detailing how the revenue from the referendum rate would be spent.

At the July 12 session, members of the school board will be voting on placing the referendum on the ballot, what the rate will be (even if it proposes continuing the same rate) and the precise language to be used on the ballot, within the bounds of state law.

If you have driven along eastbound 116th Street near the Nickel Plate Trail, the latest piece of Fishers public art is something that likely caught your eye.  It is the work of the Wilkinson Brothers, Corey & Casey, both Fishers residents, as they won the contract among 22 submissions.

Chris Reid, CEO of CRG Residential, was the underwriter of the mural, which aims to depict the history of Fishers and include what is happening today.  It is located on the north end of 116th Street at the Nickel Plate Trail, on the site that will soon have a public plaza and a Cafe Patachou restaurant.

For the past few years, Fishers has celebrated Juneteenth.  In recent years, the establishment of a federal holiday in recognition of this part of American history has attracted more attention and a good crowd.

Monday’s 2023 event, sponsored by the Future Black Leaders, drew the largest Fishers crowd yet for Juneteenth.

Juneteenth marks the time at the end of the Civil War when the final group of slaves got the word in Galveston, Texas that they were free due to the Emancipation Proclamation.

Below are some photos from the 2023 Fishers celebration of Juneteenth, held at Conner Prairie:

Continue reading Big crowd at the 2023 Fishers Juneteenth celebration →