Read Across America Day

Transcription

1 Friday, March 3, 2017 Sheridan, Noblesville, Cicero, Arcadia, Atlanta, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield Vol. 4, No. 41 TODAY S WEATHER Today: Mostly sunny. Tonight: A 30 percent chance of snow after 1 a.m. HIGH: 34 LOW: 24 Nickel Plate work session was something of a bust By FRED SWIFT A proposed high-level gathering of local officials involved in the ownership, the use and the future of the Nickel Plate Railroad was something of a bust Wednesday night. City officials from Noblesville and Fishers did not attend the meeting called by the Hamilton County Council as a "work session." Earlier this week Mayors John Ditslear of Noblesville, and Scott Fadness, of Fishers, announced they will work toward eliminating the railroad between Noblesville and 96th Street in favor of a pedestrian trail similar to the popular Monon Trail in the western part of the county which extends into downtown Indianapolis. County Councilman Rick McKinney said Thursday that he was disappointed that more did not come of the work session. It was attended by council members, County Commissioner Christine Altman, Tourism Director Brenda Myers, and individuals of the Indiana Transportation Museum (ITM) and Cicero. The cost of converting the railroad to a trail is estimated at $9 million. The cost of making safety improvements to the rail line has been estimated at $3 million or more, but McKinney said a representative of the ITM told him that figure was estimated too high and could be done for something in the neighborhood of $1 million. County Republicans to meet Saturday By FRED SWIFT The full county Republican precinct committee will gather Saturday morning for their quadrennial party reorganization. The meeting will likely lack the drama of their last gathering when a heated contest developed for county chairman between Laura Campbell and Pete Peterson. But, Mrs. Campbell who ultimately won the chairmanship, believes there will be a good turnout among the 217 committeemen and vice committeemen who are still basking in last fall's sweeping election victory. In addition, Congresswoman Susan Brooks will attend the meeting to be held at the Ritz Charles in Carmel. Mrs. Campbell is guaranteed of reelection as party chairwoman since no one else filed for the office by Wednesday's deadline. Also, nearly certain to win are Terry Anker for vice chairman, Kim Good for secretary and Jeff Heinzmann for treasurer. Those elected will serve as the party officers for the next four years. Democrats meanwhile will gather Saturday at the Noblesville Library to pick a new chairman. Incumbent Keith Clock announced earlier that he is retiring from the position. Favored to take his place is Joe Weingarten. Those interested in the other committee positions have not made their intentions known publicly, State election law provides that county political parties will reorganize on the first Saturday in March in year's following a presidential election. District reorganization will follow on March 11. The chairs of the state's nine congressional district committees then elect the state party officers. Carmel Parks wins second award for Central Park West Commons Playground On Tuesday, Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation (CCPR) was awarded the 2017 Great Lakes Park, Facility and Recreation Program Award from Great Lakes Park Training Institute (GLPTI) for its Central Park West Commons Playground. This is the second award for the Central Park West Commons Playground since it opened to the public in October Earlier this year, the department also received the Indiana Park and Recreation Association Exceptional Park Design Award. Awarded by GLPTI, one of the nation s oldest career development programs for park and recreation professionals, this award is given annually to recognize parks, facilities, and programs that represent the cutting edge of the park and recreation profession in the United States. The playground at West Commons has a futuristic design and offers children more than 25,000 square feet of play space. The Read Across America Day Photo provided Thursday was Read Across America Day in schools and classrooms across the country. Kindergarten students at Primrose School at Bridgewater are using their reading skills outside of the classroom this week by taking time to read to their adopted grandparents at Magnolia Springs Bridgewater. Students visit the senior center several times a year to host activities and engage with the residents. Turn to Page 3 to see more pictures. structure is nestled into the side of a hill and incorporates universal design principles to encourage inclusion. Children using wheelchairs have access to lower level amenities as well as upper-level features with the use of ramps. The playground also offers three cave-like areas to provide respite for children who need quieter spaces during play. All Aboard the Nickel Plate Trail By STEVE COOKE Noblesville Deputy Mayor This week s Nickel Plate Trail a n n o u n c e m e n t from Fishers and Noblesville was met with a tremendous amount of excitement from both communities. Word spread faster than a bullet (thanks to Twitter) and more powerful than a well, locomotive. While this proposal is generating wide coverage in the media and discussion at every coffee shop from The Edge to the Courthouse Square, I wanted to delve into further details on the route through Noblesville and what it means for the potential Pleasant Street project. Whether you are a fan of rails, trails

2 2 News COUNTY LINE From Page 1 McKinney said he is frustrated by the situation. "The railroad is an asset, and I hate to see it lost," he said. It may not be lost soon as city officials have promised public hearings on the future of the Nickel Plate. If the decision is made to proceed with a trail, financing will have to be arranged. Meanwhile, there will be no trains on the railroad for a second year. Owners of the tracks, the Hoosier Heritage Port Authority, have suspended use due to safety concerns. ITM had operated excursion trains for the past 20 years including the popular Fairtrain and other seasonal trips which the Tourism Bureau considers a "draw" for visitors and locals. The Nickel Plate is a 38-mile line from Indianapolis to Tipton constructed in 1851 and running through the business districts of Fishers, Noblesville, Cicero, Arcadia and Atlanta. It is the last rail line in the county and was saved from abandonment in the 1990s when Noblesville, Fishers and the county created the Port Authority to assume ownership. CARMEL From Page 1 Artistic rendering provided Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation was awarded the 2017 Great Lakes Park, Facility and Recreation Program Award from Great Lakes Park Training Institute for its Central Park West Commons Playground. It s been a pleasure getting to see the community enjoy all that our newest playground has to offer, said Mark Westermeier, Parks Director for CCPR. These awards are a true testament to the hard work put into West Commons by our many contractors, staff and partners. Adjacent to the playground is a splash pad imitating the nature that surrounds it. Spray features and geysers resemble cattails, flowers and animals. The splash pad is designed to provide relief from the heat and continues CCPR s commitment to use environmentally friendly water management. In addition to the play space in the park, West Commons also offers picnic shelters, restrooms, outdoor classroom space, open meadow, lagoon and boardwalk. COOKE From Page 1 or both, the time is now for our community to make this move given the opportunity to apply the National Trails System Act that would allow converting the rail line to a trail while preserving the right to re-establish a rail service should it be needed in the future. We foresee a high degree of recreational usage for the Nickel Plate Trail, connecting our two cities. Heading north from 146th Street, residents and visitors will travel alongside Noblesville woodlands, neighborhoods and business parks before meeting up in Old Town at Pleasant Street where the Nickel Plate will intersect with the future Midland Trace Trail. Keep imagining as you turn onto the Midland Trace (because the Nickel Plate Rail tracks veer into 8 th Street at this point) and head west to where it connects with the Riverwalk trail. Using the scenic Riverwalk alongside the White River, pedestrians can travel north to pass under both Conner Street and Logan Street bridges to arrive at the Pocket Park where the county s White River Greenway trail crosses over into Forest Park. What about the Nickel Plate tracks that run north of the Pocket Park toward Cicero? What if we continued the Nickel Plate Trail, and extended it north between Forest Park and Fox Prairie Golf Course and continued beyond 196th Street? That decision is still to be determined, but it is a discussion that we welcome. For now, however, Fishers and Noblesville will focus our initial plans for the Nickel Plate Trail from 96th Street to Pleasant Street. Speaking of Pleasant Street, we believe nearby residents will be excited to welcome two major urban trails intersecting this historic area right outside their homes and businesses. Think of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail and imagine what we can do with our own trail to celebrate the history and vibrancy of the Old Town we know and love. The ability to inspire redevelopment with improved safety and connectivity is something we can work together to achieve. At the same time, the City will soon begin the initial survey and design work that is necessary before any expansion of Pleasant Street with the new bridge over the White River. While the rendering of the Nickel Plate Trail depicts a possible view of this intersection of low-speed roadways and pedestrian trails it is only a concept at this point and does not represent the exact route, real estate impact or other engineering details. Our city leaders long ago realized the value of a robust trail system, evidenced by the 84 miles of current trails that traverse Noblesville and give residents lots of options for outdoor recreation. Starting this year, we will add to that system with the Midland Trace, Little Chicago Road and Levee trails all beginning construction in I hope you are as excited as I am to Artistic rendering provided by the City of Noblesville This rendering shows what the proposed Nickel Plate Trail would look like at the intersection of Eighth and Pleasant streets in Noblesville. add to this system the Nickel Plate Trail. In the meantime, learn more about the proposal and get answers to your questions about the Nickel Plate. Attend one of two community listening sessions that are scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 from 6-8 p.m. at Fishers City Hall Auditorium (1 Municipal Drive) or Thursday, March 23 at Noblesville City Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room (16 S. 10th Street). Until next time, see you on the square.

3 News 3 Read Across America Day Thursday was Read Across America Day in schools and classrooms across the country. Kindergarten students at Primrose School at Bridgewater are using their reading skills outside of the classroom this week by taking time to read to their adopted grandparents at Magnolia Springs Bridgewater. Students visit the senior center several times a year to host activities and engage with the residents. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. - Matthew 12:7 Photos provided Hamilton County Reporter Contact Information Phone Hamiltonconorthreporter@hotmail.com Publisher Jeff Jellison Hamiltonconorthreporter@hotmail.com Editor Don Jellison Hoosiermaba@aol.com Sports Editor Richie Hall Rhall1977@gmail.com Web Address Mailing Address PO Box190 Westfield, IN Subscripton Information Print Edition 3 months $18 6 months $34 1 Year $68 Daily Edition 6 months $25 1 Year $50

4 4 Sports Millers take on host Carmel By RICHIE HALL Reporter Sports Editor Noblesville's exciting sectional win over Guerin Catholic was the talk of social media Wednesday night, a great way to finish opening-round play. But now it's back to business, as tonight the sectional moves into the semi-final round. The Millers will take on host Carmel at the Eric Clark Activity Center; that game tips off after the first game, a 6 p.m. start between Hamilton Southeastern and Anderson. Jack Davidson Southeastern PJ Baron Carmel The Royals played the Indians on Jan. 14 and won easily, Anderson is 4-19 for the season, while HSE notched its 20th win of the year (against only five losses), when it defeated Fishers in its firstround sectional game Tuesday. " F o r t u n a t e l y, since we played them we have a decent idea of what they can do," said Southeastern coach Brian Satterfield immediately after his team won on Tuesday. Senior Zakarius Milhouse is the Indians' leading scorer, averaging 11.0 points per game. One of Anderson's strong suits is rebounding, as three players are grabbing over five per contest. Milhouse averages 5.5, junior Marquavius Beverly is pulling 5.4 and junior JoMel Boyd averages 5.1 per game. As for the Royals, senior Zach Gunn is scoring at a 21.7 clip and pulling 8.7 rebounds per game. Two other seniors are averaging double figures: Jack Davidson is scoring 11.7 per game and Connor Rotterman has 10.4 per game. After the HSE-Indians contest, then the Greyhounds and Noblesville will take to the court. The two teams played each other at The Mill on Dec. 9, with Carmel winning The 'Hounds beat Westfield on Wednesday in their first-round game. PJ Baron scored 10 points, which is right on his season average. Carmel played without leading scorer Sterling Brown, who will be out for a period of time. Baron is also the Greyhounds leading rebounder with 8.3 boards per game. John Michael Mulloy is not far behind, with 9.5 points and 8.1 boards per contest. "Carmel has had an outstanding season," said Millers coach Brian McCauley. "Coach Heady does a great job coaching team defense, and they really make it tough on their opponent to score. In addition, they have very good offensive spacing and ball movement that makes it challenging on opposing defenses. We will need to be at our very best on Friday night." Max Flinchum is averaging 13.0 points per game for Noblesville, with Nolan Ginther scoring at a 10.5 clip and also pulling 5.1 rebounds per game. Senior McGwire Plumer is by far the assist leader, dishing out 5.4 per game. AT MARION Sterling Weatherford Heights Aiden Roaten Sheridan Hamilton Heights will play the second semi-final at Marion tonight, following a 6 p.m. game between Tipton and Yorktown. The Huskies won an easy Tuesday firstround game over Blackford, Delta, meanwhile, has the best record of all six sectional teams, at The two teams played each other on Dec. 10, with Heights winning Senior Tanner Lambert is the Eagles' leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, while classmate Adam Haynes averages a double-double with 12.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest. Senior Rylan Sullivan hands out 3.0 assist per game. "We are going to have our hands full with Delta," said Huskies coach Chad Ballenger. "They can shoot the 3 extremely well. We must get after Lambert. He scored 21 on us earlier in the year." Lambert, in fact, scored 45 points in the Eagles' Nov. 26 opener against Union City. When the two teams played each other earlier, Heights didn't have Sterling Weatherford, who has been battling injuries throughout the season. Weatherford averages 13.5 points per game, just behind Caymn Lutz's Weatherford also pulls 6.7 rebounds per game. "I am real proud of our guys," said Ballenger. "They have bounced back and played really well down the stretch. We have been focused and our best practices have been the past few weeks. Getting Sterling back for us was huge, but I am most proud of his leadership! The seniors have taken over and want this ride to go on. We have guys staying after practice putting in extra work. I feel we are ready." AT LAPEL Sheridan received a first-round bye, and will play Lapel in tonight's first semi-final at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs are the defending Class 2A state champions, and hold a 16-8 record. The two teams played each other on Dec. 23, with Lapel winning Senior Jon Ross Richardson is by far The Bulldogs' leading scorer and rebounder, with 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore Luke Richardson is next in line with 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. "They are tough," said Blackhawks' Reporter photo by Kent Graham Noblesville s Nolan Ginther is averaging 10.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for the Millers this season. coach Chris Schrank. "They are fundamentally sound. They don t beat themselves. They have a player in Jon Ross Richardson who can do a lot to help them win on both sides of the ball. We have to do a better job at handling their pressure. We have to take better care of the basketball. We have to a good job of trying to dictate the tempo of the game." Senior Aiden Roaten is Sheridan's leading scorer with 8.0 points per game. Sophomore Nicholas Burnell is grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game, with Roaten pulling 5.0 boards per contest.

5 Sports 5 Local sectional brackets Sectional 8 - At Carmel First round Semi-finals Championship Anderson Anderson Sectional 24 - At Marion First round Semi-finals Championship Yorktown Yorktown Southeastern 72 Friday, 6 p.m. Tipton 67 Friday, 6 p.m. Southeastern Tipton Fishers 66 Marion 66 Saturday, 7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Carmel 53 Blackford 34 Carmel Heights Westfield 36 Heights 83 Guerin Catholic 39 Friday, 7:30 p.m. Delta Friday, 7:30 p.m. Noblesville Delta Noblesville 41 Sectional 40 - At Lapel First round Semi-finals Championship Sheridan Sheridan Lapel 63 Friday, 6 p.m. Lapel Wapahani 28 Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Muncie Burris 48 Monroe Central Monroe Central 75 Frankton Friday, 7:30 p.m. Frankton Hamilton County Reporter Hamilton County s Hometown Newspaper

6 6 Sports Noblesville girls run strong at DePauw The Noblesville girls track and field team competed at the Western Indoor Track and Field Open #2 at DePauw University last Saturday, and had several more great performances. "Well, I didn't think we could top our last two indoor team performances but we did," said Millers coach Dennis Scheele. Noblesville dominated the 800 run, sweeping all four places and taking six of the top seven. Maria Anderson, Abi Little, Susanna Sharples-Gordon and Kat Dombroski all went 1 through 4, with freshmen Anna Hazelrigg taking sixth and Sophie Reichard finishing seventh. Reichard also took third in the 1600, with Little finishing third in the Aubrie Deal placed fifth in the 1600, and Aubrey Swart took fourth in the Lindsey Wormuth was fourth in the 60 hurdles. The Millers' 4x400 relay team of Lily Walter, Anderson, Grace Brisco, Dombroski also won. In the field, Shelby Tyler won the high jump and placed sixth in the pole vault, while Anderson was third in the long jump. Westfield had several competitors at DePauw as well. Hannah Fife led the way with a fourth-place finish in the 200 dash. Gabby Dilick finished fifth in the one-mile run elite. Carmel's Maddie Dalton placed fourth in the one-mile run elite. NOBLESVILLE RESULTS 60 dash: 14. Kailyn Ely 8.36, 33. Grace Brisco 8.68, T44. Titilayo Adeniyan 8.81, 54. Hannah Cayton 8.97, 55. Emily Layton 9.11, 57. Natash Angell 9.15, 61. Jesse Donham 9.28, 64. Olivia Nicholson 9.34, T66. Elvira Mondragon 9.48, 68. Jada Teregeyo 9.52, 71. Abby Groneaur 9.70, 72. Anna Perkins 9.71, 78. Florella Rubio dash: 15. Ely 28.05, 25. Brisco 28.59, 39. Marissa Schneider 29.51, 54. Cayton 30.14, T64. Hannah Perry 30.74, 67. Adeniyan 30.78, 74. Layton 31.30, 87. Nicholson 32.09, 90. Angell 32.27, 91. Mondragon 32.36, 92. Donham 32.47, T95. Teregeyo 32.82, 97. Groneaur 33.22, 99. Perkins 33.26, 111. Rubio dash: T25. Perry 1: run: 1. Maria Anderson 2:21.73, 2. Abi Little 2:22.11, 3. Susanna Sharples-Gordon 2:23.57, 4. Kat Dombroski 2:23.71, 6. Anna Hazelrigg 2:28.99, 7. Sophie Reichard 2:31.53, 25. Abbie Klinker 2:42.46, 43. Kilah Kilper 2: run: 3. Reichard 5:28.68, 5. Aubrie Deal 5:32.27, 10. Klinker 5:43.50, 23. Lauren Sandys 5:57.56, 28. Kayla Keating 6:03.35, 29. Grace Judy 6:04.56, 37. Katie Collins 6: run: 3. Little 5:06.81, 4. Aubrie Swart 12:14.43, 7. Sandys 12:24.49, 8. Taylor Gregory 12:24.51, 9. Brynna Eaton 12:25.72, 11. Ciera Baldwin 12: One-mile run elite: 7. Sharples-Gordon 5:22.55, 9. Dombroski 5: hurdles - Finals: 4. Lindsey Wormuth Preliminaries: 14. Schneider x400 relay: 1. Noblesville (Lily Walter, Anderson, Brisco, Dombroski) 4: x800 relay: 5. Noblesville (Judy, Eaton, Keating, Kilper) 10: High jump: 1. Shelby Tyler 5-6, 9. Lily Wilhelm 4-10, 16. Noelle Dennis 4-3. Pole vault: 6. Tyler 9-6. Long jump: 3. Anderson , 8. Walter WESTFIELD RESULTS 60 dash: 76. Victoria Lynch dash: T18. Hannah Fife 28.29, 43. Emma Luedke 29.81, 48. Allison Bullock dash: 4. Fife 1:02.48, 6. Gabrielle Brown 1:02.65, 13. Gabby Dilick 1:04.32, 48. Caitlyn Pittsford 1:09.48, 74. Abby Kemper 1: run: 8. Brown 2:32.49, 26. Ali Becker 2: run: 22. Andie Martin 5:55.81, 31. Cara Duvall 6: One-mile run elite: 5. Dilick 5:16.88, 8. Lauren Bailey 5: hurdles: 6. Ava Henson High jump: T16. Luedke 4-3. Long jump: 20. Henson CARMEL RESULTS One-mile run elite: 4. Maddie Dalton 5:07.19 Carmel boys win MIC, girls place second The Carmel boys track and field team won the Metropolitan Conference indoor meet, which took place Thursday night at Warren Central. The Greyhounds scored 101 points, with Center Grove the runner-up after scoring 93. Carmel won four events: The distance medley, the 4x800 and the 4x400 relays, with Mitch Lipe triumphing in the pole vault. The Greyhounds girls were second, scoring 95 points to the Warriors' 128. Sarah Leinheiser won the 3200 run, and Carmel was also first in the 4x800 and the distance medley relays. BOYS RESULTS Team scores: Carmel 101, Center Grove 93, Warren Central 82, Lawrence North 76, North Central 776, Ben Davis 73, Lawrence Central 44, Pike 20. High jump: T6. Jakob Pearson 5-8. Long jump: 6. Pearson Distance medley: 1. Carmel 10: x200 relay: 6. Carmel 1: Shot put: 6. Vance Roudebush 47-2, 9. Mark Stickford hurdles - Finals: 7. Pearson Preliminaries: 10. AJ Snyder dash - Preliminaries: 10. Smith 7.46, 13. Adam Saleh Pole vault: 1. Mitch Lipe run: 3. Trey Harris 9:54.24, 4. Colin Murphy 9: x800 relay: 1. Carmel 8: x400 relay: 1. Carmel 3: GIRLS RESULTS Team scores: Warren Central 128, Carmel 95, Center Grove 91, Ben Davis 74, Lawrence North 61, Lawrence Central 59, North Central 59, Pike 27. 4x200 relay: 4. Carmel 1: run: 1. Sarah Leinheiser 11:10.94, 2. Lily McAndrews 11: x800 relay: 1. Carmel 9: dash: 12. Josie Upton 8.45, 13. Carly Markley High jump: 4. Rachael Miller 4-10, 7. Ellie Clark Distance medley: 1. Carmel 12: hurdles - Finals: 8. Jaanvi Bisaryia Preliminaries: 12. Alyssa Robinson x400 relay: 4. Carmel 4: Shot put: 8. Natalie Cotherman 32-8, 10. Marie Kress Long jump: 6. Upton 15-3, 9. Martha Hunter Pole vault: 4. Kara Deady 9-6. Southeastern Swim Club evaluations this month Southeastern Swim Club is offering the opportunity for evaluations for all interested new swimmers. Come join the fun with Southeastern Swim Club of Fishers in its beautiful 50 meter pool. Interested swimmers should come prepared to swim a minimum of 25 yards freestyle with breathing to the side and backstroke. The evaluation and consultation should take approximately 15 minutes. Please bring a swimsuit, goggles and towel. Evaluations will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 16; Thursday, March 23 and Monday, March 27 at the Hamilton Southeastern High School Natatorium, E. 126th St. Fishers. Please park in the Athletic parking lot and enter through door # 10. If you would like more information regarding Southeastern Swim Club, please check out its website ( or joinsoutheasternswimclub@gmail.com. If you are unable to attend the "formal" scheduled evaluation sessions, please us to schedule a time that is convenient for you. For Rent 2 bedroom with laundry 1 car garage Total electric Hamilton Southeastern Schools $700 per month $800 damage deposit Call Hamilton County Reporter Hamilton County s Hometown Newspaper

7 Sports 7 NBA standings Thursday s games Chicago 94, Golden State 87 Phoenix 120, Charlotte 103 Portland 114, Oklahoma City 109 Eastern Conference Atlantic W L PCT. GB Boston Toronto New York Philadelphia Brooklyn Southeast W L PCT. GB Washington Atlanta Miami Charlotte Orlando Central W L PCT. GB Cleveland Chicago Indiana Detroit Milwaukee Western Conference Northwest W L PCT. GB Utah Oklahoma City Denver Portland Minnesota Southwest W L PCT. GB San Antonio Houston Memphis Dallas New Orleans Pacific W L PCT. GB Golden State L.A. Clippers Sacramento Phoenix L.A. Lakers Fishers High School athletic signing Fishers senior Chloe Ulmer has committed to continue her soccer career at Marian University in Indianapolis. Photo courtesy Fishers High School Do You Have A Community Announcement? Wedding, Birth Announcement, Anniversary Share It With The Community Contact the Hamilton County Reporter Hamiltonconorth or call