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Let me just say it looks like another interesting year in the Council Chambers. I seriously thought Councilman Marty Bender would emerge from the meeting as Council President, but as is sometimes the case, I was wrong.
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06Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 11:39 pm |
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Categories: Fort Wayne City CouncilTags: Allen County Solid Waste District Board, Cable Fund Access Board, City Clerk, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Allen County Economic Development Alliance, Fort Wayne City Council, Fort Wayne Plan Commission, Housing And Neighborhood Development, Indiana, John Shoaff, Karen Goldner Glynn Hines, Liz Brown, Marty Bender, Mayor Tom Henry, Mitch Harper, Parking Amnesty, Sandy Kennedy, Tim Pape, Tom Didier, Tom Smith
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06Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 8:09 pm | This post has been viewed 17 times.
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Tonight, the Fort Wayne City Council conducted its 2009 reorganizational meeting. The President and Vice-President elections were held and the winners were….
Categories: Fort Wayne City CouncilTags: Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne City Council, Glynn Hines, Indiana, John Shoaff, Karen Goldner, Marty Bender, Mitch Harper, Tim Pape, Tom Didier, Tom Smith
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06Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 12:52 pm | This post has been viewed 39 times.
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Mitch Harper, Fort Wayne Observed, is reporting that Controller Pat Roller, who had resigned her post effective the end of this month, is going to remain with the City as Controller. More on this later.
Updated @ 1:26 pm with the City’s press release:
Categories: City of Fort Wayne NewsTags: City Controller, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Pat Roller
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06Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 8:28 am | This post has been viewed 27 times.
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The Keystone building on Calhoun Street in downtown Fort Wayne will be seeing some construction this year. From the News-Sentinel:
Categories: HappeningsTags: Fort Wayne, Indiana, Karen Richards, Keystone Building
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05Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 8:59 pm | This post has been viewed 45 times.
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The Fort Wayne City Council meets tomorrow at 5:30 pm in the City Council Chambers for the first time in 2009. The majority of the meeting will be concerned with reorganization issues. The agenda for tomorrow’s meeting has not been released - because, I was told by City Clerk Sandy Kennedy earlier today, the Council President hasn’t been decided yet nor the other committee appointments. Besides, there is only one ordinance on the agenda, the amnesty for past due parking tickets.
Categories: Fort Wayne City CouncilTags: City Clerk, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne City Council, Indiana, John Shoaff, Karen Goldner, Liz Brown, Mitch Harper, Parking Amnesty, Sandy Kennedy, Tom Didier, Tom Smith
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05Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 7:29 pm | This post has been viewed 26 times.
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My apologies for the photos, but I wanted to have something to show the progress of the project. Press release from the City:
Barr Street Improvements Nearly Complete
Special features create distinctive streetscape experience in downtown’s Cultural DistrictThe Barr Street streetscape improvement project, running from Main to Wayne streets, is nearly complete with the final components currently being added.
Categories: Barr Street, Construction ProjectsTags: Barr Street, Barr Street Improvements, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mayor Tom Henry, Reflection Totem, Ribbon of Community, Talking Sidewalks
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05Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 7:13 pm | This post has been viewed 31 times.
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I am having some problems with the aroundfortwayne.com website and email. Actually, I was in the process of combining the .info and .com websites into one. Earlier this morning, I canceled the .com website which was to take place later this month when the current billing cycle ended. This would have allowed me ample time to make sure everything was transferred and up and running. However, my ISP, 1 and 1 - which I would not recommend to anyone - decided to make it effective immediately and henceforth canceled my accounts immediately as well. So, if you sent an email to me on the aroundfortwayne.com address since 6 pm Sunday, please resend it to me. In the meantime, this is going to precipitate another change as well. For some time, I have been wanting to reorganize the photos section of the website. Until that project is completed, the photos section will not be available.
Again, my apologies. Current email - web master @ around fort wayne . in fo - remove all spaces between the first w and last o.
Categories: MiscellaneousTags: Blog Announcement, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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05Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 4:47 pm | This post has been viewed 42 times.
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Michael McKay, with Morrison Kattman Menze Inc., has responded to Jack Swinehart’s letter to the editor, which they titled “Don’t build homes near festival site“. His article, which the JG titled, “Residences will add to vibrant downtown” was published in yesterday’s paper.
Residences will add to vibrant downtown
As the architect and member of the development team of the Superior Street Row project, I feel compelled to respond to the fears presented in W.J. Rhinehart’s letter, “Don’t build homes near festival site” (Dec. 28)
Categories: Fort Wayne Redevelopment CommissionTags: Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, Hartland Development, Headwaters Park, Indiana, Michael McKay, Morrison Kattman Menze, Superior Street Row
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05Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 1:49 pm | This post has been viewed 33 times.
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Categories: Fort Wayne City Council, Harrison Square NewsTags: Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne City Council, Harrison Square, Indiana
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04Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 4:24 am | This post has been viewed 56 times.
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David Letterman does a humorous segment, which is hopefully coming to and end on the 19th or 20th, of Great Moments in Presidential Speeches. These are verbal gaffes by our current President. CBSnews.com has an article, Bush Remembered For Not-So-Smooth Talk, which highlights some of his more notable gaffes in chronological order. I am highlighting a few of my personal favorites from the article. We’ll miss you George! Well, your verbal gaffes anyway.
Categories: MiscellaneousTags: President George Bush
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04Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 3:44 am | This post has been viewed 56 times.
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In Wednesday’s News-Sentinel, Drew Stone wrote about the High Performance Government contract that has been controversial amongst City Council members as well as those who follow and take the time to go beyond the local media’s coverage of the issue - or lack thereof. I don’t think either major newspaper covered the December 2nd portion of the City Council’s look at the contract, nor the revelation of a second contract signed on September 30, 2008. This has completely baffled me.
Categories: Fort Wayne City CouncilTags: Alan Candioto, Allen County Government, Chris Campbell, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne City Council, High Performance Government Network, Indiana
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04Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 2:47 am | This post has been viewed 65 times.
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There has been some press in the last month or two concerning the OmniSource property acquisition by the City for use as the North River Now project. Here’s a timeline of the events, plus an update.
Categories: North River DevelopmentTags: Carol Taylor, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Indiana Public Access Counselor, IPAC, John Urbahns, MainStreet Economic Recovery, Mayor Tom Henry, North River Development, OmniSource Property, Ozzie Mitson, Rifkin family, US Conference of Mayors
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03Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 5:57 pm | This post has been viewed 75 times.
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A friend of mine recently submitted a letter to the editors of the Journal Gazette. They published his letter in it’s entirety on their website, but left two paragraphs out in the print edition. He has graciously allowed this blog to reprint his letter with the two excised paragraphs included.
Categories: Fort Wayne Redevelopment CommissionTags: Fort Wayne, Hartland Development, Headwaters Park, Indiana, Morrison Kattman Menze, Superior Street Row
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03Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 1:35 am | This post has been viewed 32 times.
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US Senator for Indiana Richard Lugar has released a “Lugar Letter” which focuses on his achievements in energy for 2008. Some excerpts:
The price of a barrel of oil was one of the hottest topics from the kitchen table to the floor of the U.S. Senate in 2008. The year started with a barrel of oil costing $92.93 (January 4, 2008) and ended with it costing $38.73 (Dec. 12, 2008) – a price not experienced since January 14, 2005.
Categories: MiscellaneousTags: Fort Wayne, Indiana, US Senator Richard Lugar
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02Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 11:44 pm | This post has been viewed 86 times.
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The sunset on Harrison Square for the final time in 2008 this past Wednesday.
Photo from the City’s OxBlue webcam.Courtyard by Marriott Hotel
With Wednesday’s sunset, 2008 ended as well as another construction-start deadline. Construction was supposed to have begun on the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel by December 31st 2008. I spoke with Greg Leatherman, Redevelopment Executive Director, who shared with me Wednesday that he’d called White Lodging previously in the week, but that they weren’t in their offices and he had not received a return phone call. At this point, another amendment will have to be passed by Redevelopment to allow more time for White Lodging to begin construction. As we know, the current credit crisis and economic climate has made securing construction loans next to impossible.
Categories: Harrison Square Construction, Harrison Square NewsTags: Barry Real Estate, Chris Schoen, Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Deno Yiankes, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne City Council, Fort Wayne TinCaps Baseball, Greg Leatherman, Harrison Square, Indiana, Jim Irwin, Parking Study Steering Committee, Parkview Field, Redevelopment Commission, Robert E. Meyers Park, The Harrison, White Lodging
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02Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 2:25 am | This post has been viewed 175 times.
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Yesterday at boat ramp in Johnny Appleseed Park, the 71st Annual Polar Bear Plunge was enacted. Below is video from the event which if you watch, you will see what I mean when I rant a bit.
Categories: HappeningsTags: Fort Wayne, Indiana, Johnny Appleseed Park, Mitch Harper, Polar Bear Plunge, Special Olympics
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01Jan 09Posted by Stephen Parker @ 11:46 pm | This post has been viewed 28 times.
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Just minutes into the new year, we were treated with fireworks! Hopefully, with Parkview Field now downtown, it will be the first of many such displays in the downtown area. Here’s to a better year in 2009!
Categories: HappeningsTags: fireworks, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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31Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 8:39 pm | This post has been viewed 59 times.
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Categories: HappeningsTags: City-County Parking Garage, Fort Wayne, Indiana
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31Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 11:25 am | This post has been viewed 101 times.
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The Allen County Council met this morning to decide whether or not to restore the Allen County Commissioners to full-time status and rescind the pay cut voted on earlier this month. Commissioner Nelson Peters did present his scorecard which was accepted by the Council. The Commissioners were returned to full-time status and their full pay was restored, however, no pay raise was given.
Categories: Allen County CouncilTags: Allen County Commissioners, Allen County Council, Cal Miller, Nelson Peters, Steve Shine
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31Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 3:29 am | This post has been viewed 85 times.
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To say the least, 2008 has been one of the worst years, for various reasons, in my lifetime. Well, guess what? Just when you thought it was safe to kiss it goodbye, we find we have to add a leap second to adjust for our planet’s slowing rotation.
From CBS News:
[...] The custodians of time will ring in the New Year by tacking a “leap second” onto the clock Wednesday to account for the minute slowing of the Earth’s rotation. The leap second has been used sporadically at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich since 1972, an adjustment that has kept Greenwich Mean Time the internationally agreed time standard.
Categories: Harrison Square NewsTags: Aomic Clocks, GMT
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30Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 8:14 pm | This post has been viewed 95 times.
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Yesterday, I reported about Jeff Neumeyer’s story on Indiana News Center about the City asking President-elect Obama for $10 million to acquire and prepare the OmniSource property along Clinton Street. I have received a little more information about this. Here is part of the press release from the US Conference of Mayors, which was the impetus for the list:
Continue reading »
Categories: City of Fort Wayne News, North River DevelopmentTags: Fort Wayne, Indiana, North River Development, OmniSource Property
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30Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 7:03 pm | This post has been viewed 94 times.
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Today, I received a copy of the City Council’s Appointments to make for 2009 to various City boards and committees. The most notable surprise here concern’s the Mayor’s Affirmative Action Advisory Council.
Categories: Fort Wayne City Council, Fort Wayne Redevelopment CommissionTags: 2009 Citilink Budget, Animal Control, Cable Fund Access Board, Carolyn Devoe, Casey Cox, Christopher Guerin, Citilink, Citizen's Appeal Board, Donald Ross, Downtown Improvement District, Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne City Council, Fort Wayne Commission on African American Males, Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission, fortwaynepolitics.com, Fred Lanahan, Glynn Hines, Indiana, James Ridley, Jay Powell, Jeff Pruitt, Karen Goldner, Liz Brown, Mayor's Affirmative Action Advisory Council, Metropolitan Human Relations Commission, Mitch Harper, PTC, Public Transportatioin Corporation, Samuel Bolinger, Steve McElhoe, Thom Obergfell, Thomas Nolan, Veto Override Vote
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29Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 7:26 pm | This post has been viewed 96 times.
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In tonight’s Indiana News Center newscast, Jeff Neumeyer reported the following:
Officials with the City of Fort Wayne are hoping the incoming Obama administration will deliver some late Christmas gifts to boost jobs and the condition of local infrastructure.
Mayor Tom Henry’s administration would love to see an Obama Presidency hand over ten million dollars to help the city purchase the old OmniSource land on North Calhoun Street, and get it ready for re-sale to a prospective developer.
Categories: North River DevelopmentTags: Fort Wayne, Indiana, North River Development, OmniSource Property
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29Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 6:39 pm | This post has been viewed 44 times.
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Press Release from St. Joseph Hospital:
(Thurs., Dec. 18, 2008) – Demolition will begin on Mon., Dec. 22, of a vacant, antiquated building on St. Joseph Hospital’s campus. The 1952 building will be razed over the next four to six weeks. Barricades may be in place as early as today, limiting or closing Van Buren St. and two lanes of Main St.
Categories: Harrison Square NewsTags: Fort Wayne, Indiana, St. Joseph Hospital
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29Dec 08Posted by Stephen Parker @ 6:32 pm | This post has been viewed 38 times.
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From the City’s website:
Fort Wayne City Utilities wants you to know more about the water, sewer and stormwater systems that serve you.
Please join us for a Community Forum on Infrastructure Investments
January 28, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Allen County Public Library - Main Branch Auditorium
200 East Berry Street - Fort Wayne, Indiana
Categories: City of Fort Wayne NewsTags: City Utilities, CSO, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Liquid Assets
