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2017 08 04

Column

Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v14n16)

Round the Ripple - by Bill Malcolm

posted: Aug. 04, 2017

Rivi gets a remodel

The Rivi has been remodeled. Per the General Manager Matt Giles:

"The Levee project bought some of our land rather than take it by eminent domain and so we used those funds to relocate what amenities we were losing to the sale of land and in the process gave The Rivi an updated look with a nostalgic nod to keep its 84 year history alive. Brand new are what we commonly referred to as The Rivi Park.

It encompasses new tennis courts, a basketball/multipurpose court, an 80 x 30 foot shelter, new playground, refurnished outdoor shuffleboard courts and a new parking lot with islands that house nice trees. We've done many other updates including a make-over in our Snack Shack, outdoor bathrooms, and pool deck furnishings.

All in all, we've put back into Rivi close to $1 million with a focus on safety, cleanliness and member services."

Thanks for reader Shirley Fry for this news tip.

Midtown news-Tarkington Park Community Celebration held

Reader Marinelle Farrow Morgan sent in some upcoming Midtown news and events:

American Legion Post 3 earned a State wide award for their monthly Newsletter...they were selected as #1 for Posts with under 500 members.

The Tarkington Park Community Celebration was held on July 29, 2017.

The Dirty Dozen Hunting and Fishing Club on 39th Street has Youth Programs and serve over 1, 000 kids every year.

State Fair train tracks-safe or unsafe?

A reader commented that the reason there is no State Fair Train this year is that the train tracks are unsafe. (See Letter to the Editor page 12 in this issue)

The Indiana Transportation Museum-which operates the train-disagrees. According to their new Chair, John Nichols:

"As far as the tracks being 'safe,' the Federal Railroad Administration inspected the track, signals, operations, and equipment and found NO safety violations last April. The HHPA (Hoosier Heritage Passenger Rail Authority), who are lay appointees, made that statement. . . . . .

After the Fishers and Noblesville announcement to rip up the rails, it becomes more clear what their motives are.

The ITM has filed a Tort Claim in Federal Court.

The process is to give a government entity an opportunity to resolve the issue in lieu of further legal action. However, they seem to be continuing in the same direction. More legal action is planned."

See Save the Nickel Plate (the name for the railroad that runs trains from the museum in Noblesville) for more on their side on Facebook.

Also, I stand by my view that the Noblesville-Fishers-Indianapolis tracks (which run all the way to 10th Street downtown Indianapolis) would be an ideal commuter rail corridor so tearing them out is a bad idea although obviously the economics need further study.

Broad Ripple Park Pool Re-Opens

The Broad Ripple Park re-opened on July 24, 2017 (after being closed since June 21 for a pump outage). The pool closes for the season on August 6. If you are interested in approaching the Friends of Broad Ripple Park to support the pool (and a longer season), please email me.

White River Floodwall Update

Jim Polito of Save the Warfleigh forwarded this update from the City of Indianapolis on the flood wall project:

RE- Indianapolis North Flood Damage Reduction Project Phase 3B3 updates

The City indicates the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intended to release in April of this year a bid for construction of the final phase of the project:

-- Did the Corps release a request for proposal/bids?

The USACE (Army Corps of Engineers) did release the project for bid earlier this year.

-- If so, has any proposal/bid been awarded/accepted?

The USACE received bids but those bids remain in review by the USACE. USACE has not notified the City that a bid has been awarded. . . .

-- If so, when may we expect construction on this phase of the project to begin and terminate?

The USACE has proposed since 2016 to award Phase 3B3 and begin construction activities in 2017. The USACE has also stated that Construction activities would take place into early 2019.

-- Any other meaningful project updates/progress/milestones that I may share?

The Contractor for Phase 3B2 (at the Riviera Club site) has begun excavation for the inspection trench for the earthen levee.

They are preparing the borrow site to begin moving clay soils to the site for construction.

The contractor completing the Phase 3A&3C vegetation management project has begun seeding graded banks and rip-rap restoration of areas of the riverbank.

He has also begun work on the canoe launch site downstream of the Kessler Blvd. Bridge.

Weather has caused delays and the contractor proposes to complete the majority of the work by mid-September. Weather could delay the project completion later into the year.

On a related note, the City, Town of Rocky Ripple and Butler University working within the articles of the MOA are preparing to begin the geotech assessment of the existing Rocky Ripple levee. The local flood damage reduction project preliminary engineering effort is scheduled to be completed in February 2018.

For further updates go to indy.gov/stormwater.

Art Museum Events Planned

Catherine Monaco at the Indianapolis Museum of Art filed these August events for our readers:

Family Day: Breathe In, Breathe Out - August 5, 2017 / 10 a.m.-3 p.m. - Celebrate our new Tibetan Buddhism installation in the galleries.

Mobile Studio for Adults: Design Challenge - August 10, 2017 / 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Mobile Studio for Kids Ages 8-12: Design Challenge - August 12, 2017 / 1-3 p.m. - Brainstorm, build and test! Discover how designers like Michael Graves create artistic, yet functional objects for the home.

Bill Malcolm also writes a travel column in The Midwest Eagle and is a reporter for All Aboard Indiana (as a volunteer for both). He advocates for fair and affordable utility rates for a national association based in Washington, D.C. He welcomes reader feedback and story ideas. Send to Bill@BroadRippleGazette.com

bill@broadripplegazette.com

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