While We The People fondle tea bags w/o loincloths on, Fort Wayne braces for bright lights today as d TINCAPS play Parkview Field for 1st time!

I think the title says most of what is going on right now and I do want to keep this blog post varied but concise. So with that in mind, lets roll back the AstroTurf and lay down on the grass, sip on some tea, instead of licking a politicians balls, and get back to the root cause of the matter, uncontrolled government spending and accountability.

The issue is not who promoted what but how we the people allowed the irresponsible activities in the first place and didn't force a correction 10 or even 20 years ago. Then within the last year, let some of the same people that caused the problems we are in right now, to be back in charge of the same government positions that once regulated the businesses they helped screw up and then allow them to turn around and bailout those businesses with taxpayer money. That is where the disgrace should lay is with We The People who were complacent in times of boom versus bust, who refused to participate in the process, and allowed their say in the matter to be whitewashed through a conservative and liberal media bias, the media did fail us but we let them fail us too.

I will be the first to admit that on some issues I would seem very conservative, and on others very liberal, in fact what I am is an American Traditionalist. I believe that there are certain principles which are inerrant from our Country's legacy and history, no matter how turbulent or controversial.

These attacks against our principles are very easy to overlook and pass aside when they are done in moderate form, even by our own government. They are being done now by lobbyist and the media, they were done previously by Republicans and Democrats as well as the current Administration, because we as a collective people have either failed to be educated or were failed in our education to understand the history of this beautiful Country even within its stains and bruises on other peoples histories and freedom.

Therefore as the proverb goes because we failed to learn we are doomed to repeat the same events until we remember to tell the stories of our forefathers and the lessons we learned to our children once again.

As any recovering addict can tell you, moderation is not always the key to control any habit. In some cases it has to be cut off not just at the source but at the catalyst for the source and activity, and that was the message of the Boston Tea Party and 18 months afterward our Country's Independence from the Sovereign of Great Britian.

On the 16th of December 1773, the Sons of Liberty and other colonists, dressed as Native Americans took over three ships in Boston Harbor and threw the tea from the corrupt East India Company overboard in protest of the unhealthy monopoly granted to it by Parliament as a way of allowing the colonist to get a cheaper tea but at the same pointe pay the tea tax which they despised and thought to be illegal. This of course was the resounding cry of the time "no taxation without representation" and a hallmark of American ethics and law.
(Photo: Joseph Forshaw for One Day Equals PSA
by Steph and Alek of OhLaLa Magazine)
Quick Links: [WIKI] [EYEWITNESS HISTORY]

There are major lessons that can be learned from this and also correlated back to both Federal, State, and even Local Government issues today. Let us first cover the federal issues and then the local issues and I will let all the other bloggers worry about the state level issues for now.

The Historical Aspects Of Parliament:
allowed a major corporation to have a monopoly over a particular trading commodity;
forced 20 new taxes but after revolt by the people repealed all but one...tea...to assert privilege;
instructed said monopoly to reduce the price of commodity drastically but still expects people to pay in full;
got prissy when people refuse shipment and destroy product, forced trading area ceased until restored;
paid the salaries of the local officials rather than the people that they governed;
lowered the local taxes when times got tight but then forced the colonist to pay extra to prove a point;
signed off on a tax cut for the company let it expire and then signed off on it again;
used the tax code & price fixing to eliminate the black market and officials netzero pay balance.

The Application And Principles Of History To Todays Federal Government:
Democrat Admin and Republican Congress repeals 70 year old Glass Stiegel protection against financial monopolies in 1999 which allowed Securities Companies to own Banks and Insurance Companies as well.
Attempted 20 new taxes but kept only one...tabacco... because of childrens health care and because Marboro and others loosing money from people rolling their own cigarettes and or buying cheaper products.
Is going to get pissy when people stop buying cigarettes, and start growing own tabacco, will make it illegal.
Starts to bitch about corporate salaries and bonuses uses clout/tax payers money to assert business control
Supposedly lowered the taxes on the middle class but then raised it on the upper class who own the businesses that provide the services and employment that then causes the middle class to loose their jobs and homes.
Sets there own salaries with tax payer dollars and then throws taxpayer dollars to fix the same problems they caused so the taxpayer begins to depend on their own money, but Congress gets the privellege to do it again.
Using the tax code and price fixing and grant/loan stimulus plan aka taxpayers money to prop up failing companies and dog collar/pork barrel initatives and projects that special interests groups want to happen.

Do I need to continue spelling it out for all the punditry both liberal and conservative?
The connections between what was going on in the 1770's and now is obvious to me anyway.

We have made ONE BIG ASS MISTAKE AMERICA! We have two national automakers General Motors and Chrysler, which have received an unfair advantage over their competition, Ford. Their employees and retirees are loosing benefits they worked twenty years or more for, because first the federal government said they would insure and secure them and now they are saying nope they have to make concessions on that too. Because of all this subsidies and nationalizations, industry leaders, even Honda and Toyota which are made in Greensburg and Princeton Indiana are feeling a crunch along with five other previously solvent companies because we are subsidizing their competition. That is nationalism 101 it has been proven time and again to fail horribly. (Photo: Dan Turkette)

So how do we fix it? What is the solution to the economic collapse/recession that we are in?

1. Stay informed about national state and local legislative, judicial, and administrative actions. HOLD your elected representatives accountable and don't let them get away with taking away your rights and voice.

Watch this video from the Jon Stewart's Daily Show on Comedy Central last night whose guest is Elizabeth Warren the head of the Congressional Oversight Panel on TARP. She outlines the fact that of the original 350 billion, released by the Treasury Secretary Paulson, (who was the former head of Goldman Sachs before becoming Bush's Treasury Secretary and his predecessor who was Clinton's Treasury Secretary also), actually only collected originally 66% on the dollar of assets for troubled institutions, which has now further depreciated in value giving away 78 billion dollars plus the continued depreciation of value, without any possibility of recouping the loss.

2. One of the biggest issues that caused the original tea party in 1773 and today is a failure in some peoples thought of a bloated legislature that is out of touch with the people they represent and levy taxes against. Currently each Congressional District covers on average 693,000 men, women, and children as of 2007.


In 1911, the number of Congressional Districts had risen to 435 and the House was becoming impossible to manage every ten years. It was decided to cap the total number of districts at that point and to instead reapportion them with each census so that they were roughly equal in size as the population grew and shifted. There are currently seven states that only have one Representative in the House: Vermont, Delaware, both Dakotas, Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming. Even back in May 2001, Representative Alcee Hastings (Florida 23rd) wrote a Dear Collegue letter to all the members of Congress, House of Representatives? Hardly!, in which he stated:

In the past 90 years, the U.S. has become the second most underrepresented democracy in the entire world, but the size of the House of Representatives has remained the same. In the past 90 years, U.S. population has more than tripled, but the size of the House of Representatives has remained the same.....The effect that an increase in the size of the House of Representatives will have on the American political system is obvious. Increasing the size of the House will result in a reduced amount of campaign spending, smaller Congressional districts, more personal interaction between Members of Congress and their constituents, and most importantly, better representation for the American people. (Fair Vote)

It is time for us as the American people to bring back the first amendment to the Constitution, which was never ratified by the States at the time the other ten were, with some revision of course, as the original platform [Text: Early America] would mean that we would have over six thousand people in Congress. Adjusting the Congressional Districts now after just under a hundred years of the current system would:
1. Revise the appropriations of Congress from 435 to 761 or 75% increase in the Congressional Districts
2. Relocate the expanded Congress into two new Federal Districts in Denver and Philadelphia. You could either leave the Senators in Washington D.C. or put Juniors in Denver and Seniors in Philadelphia. This would also allow for a smoother transition of power if we were ever attacked because Congress is responsible for the transition of executive powers, the formation of the Army, they are the only ones who can declare war.
3. This adjustment would then allow the federal budget to be restricted to a certain amount per Congressional District as the numbers would be locked in at approximately 500 thousand in ten years time and an additional stipend per State that has to be agreed on by both Senators thereby reducing the amount of clout gained or chaos effected by just one member of Congress, and the federal budget might actual be balanced regularly, the national debts paid off quicker.
4. To control spending and income by District is essential; because otherwise, there is no accountability for extra resources being used by one part of the Country over another. In essence if District 421 generates 5 billion dollars in tax revenue but only uses 3 billion in Federal Tax Dollars, which isn't necessarily a bad thing just and issue of accountability, a. Congress would then have to validate why they are keeping 2 billion dollars of tax revenue to the constituents of District 421 or b. their Representative might get removed from office in two years for not maintaining transparency or accountability to his/her constituents.
5. By increasing the members and restricting the spending the process is opened up for all to have equal access to information and everyone is receiving a minimum amount of resources and any additional spending per district has to be brought out into the light of day rather than being peddled behind closed doors and private parties or lobbying efforts.
6. By forcing the Senators from each State to agree on their stipend budget spending, equal to that of two Congressional Districts, restores the original principles of their role as representatives of the State not just the people. There can also be a provision that any stipend earmarked by the Senators of each State must have an effect on a certain portion of the state 25%-66%, etc. so that way everyone is effected equally by their representation and advocacy.

It ultimately comes down to a question of, "Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How Much?"

There are some other things that can be done specifically by the earmark process (not all earmarks are bad) and the Truth in Legislation laws and the One Item per Bill laws and the Simplified Language laws that have watch dog groups with their loincloths crawling up their posteriors can start to readjust the process. But the main issue is that Congress was never intended to be either a. a life long career path or b. a place of secrecy and back room deals.

We have allowed Congress to become a Leviathan of a creature when in fact it was suppose to be more of a pack of squirrels storing up and then dispersing our nuts between all the different knot holes.

Sorry that was a horrible tea bag pun.

That way We The People can still see them at work but at the same time not have to know everything right away, just every three months or so. We have allowed Congress to become corrupt and it is our duty as a people to correct it. Please contact your State Legislator today and ask them to start the process of forcing a Federal Constitutional Amendment to readjust Congress to serve the people and save the Country we all love. Call your Congressional Representative and ask them to have the 1911 Appropriation Act revised and updated.

That is enough about Federal Government and National Politics lets get to the more local stuff....

I've covered the Harrison Square debacle several times over, and every time I switch hands it does grow another inch, in the level of bad decisions and legal twists made by the developers of this project. The latest of course is the Courtyard by Marriott hotel which has been stalled for almost a year now due to White Lodgings inability to acquire financing and the Henry Administrations refusal to hold contract deadline requirements and fines against the developer, not to forget to mention that the requirements of the contracts have been side stepped almost every pivotal moment in the process.

The latest fiasco came up because another developer out of Valparaiso wants to build a 6 million dollar, 89 room, 4 story Towneplace Suites by Marriott extended stay hotel at the pending ICE CUBE, another regional sports arena, on the north side of town by Glenbrook Mall. This turn of events is being protested heavily by Linda Skaggs of the Northeast Indiana Hospitality Association as it would reduce the business at surrounding crappy and mid-level hotels in the same area.

But the fact of the matter remains that they were able to get financing but yet White Lodging is still stalling on its requirements which are way overdue. When is City Council going to force this issue to go ahead or get our money back and go with someone else that actually plays ball and keep their promises?

...back to the local teabag parties for just a moment....

The LPAC Annual Income Tax Protest @ Main Post Office had approximately 7 people show yesterday. The tea party in Huntington had hundreds show up. Hoosiers For Fair Tax will be hosting a Tea Party at the Allen County Courthouse on Saturday the 18th of April from 11A-1P. Former Ambassador and frequent candidate for POTUSA, Alan Keyes will be the guest of honour. There will be a reception in his honour from 6-9P @ Don Halls Guest House with a donation of $10 or dinner @ 7:30P for $30 a plate.

<=====STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO=====>

F6 EDITOR: FOLLOW UP ON LOCAL INFORMATION/REPORTS COVERED

TEA PARTY COVERAGE:
hundreds showed up on Saturday; Keyes made points but rambled
18 April FTWP [Tea Party Thoughts] [Tea Party Photos][]
17 April FTWN Letter by Ric Runestad

HARRISON SQUARE HOTEL:
50% of financing secured supposedly by White Lodging
18 April WGDT Beyond The Field Of Play
16 April FTWP More Self-Serving Tripe From Hardball Capital
13 April FTWP Hoocoodanode? The Harrison Square Edition

TIN CAPS 1ST HOME GAME:
16K attend 3 game series, parking issues, positive feedback, awesome pictures
21 April FTWN NO Privacy @ Parkview Field
21 April BIFW Padres Brass Thoughts on TinCaps, Parkview Field
19 April AFWB [TIN CAPS 10-0] [Parkview Field Opening Day]
18 April BIFW At 8-0, TinCaps Are 1 of 3 MiLB Unbeaten
16 April BIFW Gallery from Opening Night at Parkview Field
15 April BIFW Kyle Day Comes Home to Christen Parkview Field
16 April WGDT Tin Caps Extend Win Streak To 7 In Opener
15 April WGDT [847 Days] [TinCaps Games To Be On Comcast Digital Cable]
15 April AFWB TinCaps home games live on Comcast!

BLOGGER CODE:
WGDT What's Going Down, Town? by The Spaulding Brothers
FTWP Fort Wayne Politics by Jeff Pruitt and Mike Sylvester
FTWN Fort Wayne News by Daniel Turkette
AFWB Around Fort Wayne Blog by Stephen Parker
BIFW Baseball In Fort Wayne by Chad Gramling

UPDATE: 3 Rivers Sports & Athletics: TIN CAPS Opening Day SOLD OUT!; JobFair 2K+ Show; NO BEER/JUST WHINE; 4 D Fans of Tin Caps = What @ GAY DAYS?

APOLOGY: So I first want to apologize for the delay on the update to Mondays post on Friday as promised. There is a more detailed explanation below for those who care to read it.

F6 reported on Monday, the FORT WAYNE TIN CAPS, in preparation for their freshmen season @ Parkview Field announced that Opening Game and Season Tickets would be available for purchase during Mardi Gras and that they would be holding a Job Fair today for approximately 200 part time and seasonal positions. According to all reports, including the official press releases, asserts that Opening Day is SOLD OUT!, "the team put individual game tickets on-sale for the first time and received an unprecedented response - all fixed seats in the ballpark were sold out in less than a half-hour. Full and partial season ticket packages are still available, as the team has held a number of seat locations for those interested in purchasing ticket plans. All individual tickets and ticket plans can also be purchased in person at the Tin Caps Administrative Offices @ Parkview Field or via the Team's website."

Well over two thousand people showed @ the Job Fair at the Grand Wayne Center today, according to reports by Mr. Parker. "We interviewed well over 500 people today and accepted applications from 1,500 more that we were not able to speak with at length,” said Michael Limmer, Vice President of Marketing. The Tin Caps will not be accepting additional applications at this time. Those who apply today are asked to be patient as the team reviews applications and follows up directly within the coming weeks.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game! But OMG, You Cant Buy Beer?

Citing a lack of quorum during the recent local Alcohol Beverage Commission meeting was the latest cause for delay in the ongoing battle of Harrison Square financing and government officials' accountability issues, as reported by Benjamin Lanka of the Journal Gazette:

The local board likely would have been unable to grant immediate permission to serve alcohol anyway, because John Kalb plans to remonstrate against granting the city the license. Kalb, a staunch opponent of the Harrison Square project, said he had concerns with the city holding the liquor license.

John B. Kalb @ Fort Wayne Politics
23 February 2009:
... In discussions with the hearing officer, it was discovered that the application listed an incorrect name for the officer of the Authority making the application. Per IC 7.1, the president and the secretary of the applicant corporation are to formally make the application under their names representing the entity. This would be J. Nelson Coats, president and Deanna Wilkerson, secretary who are two of the officers of the Authority.
My reason for opposing this application as requested is that I don’t see the reasoning behind using an entity like the Authority to own this permit. Since the Authority was established specifically to enable circumvention of the State of Indiana’s constitutional limitation on governmental debt, it just doesn't make sense.....

The city’s agreement with Hardball Capital, owner of the FORT WAYNE TIN CAPS, called for the baseball team to acquire the permit. Greg Leatherman, executive director of redevelopment, said it made more sense for the city to get the license at a substantial discount to save money for the project. Having the city hold the license would also mean that the city’s ability to serve alcohol wouldn’t be affected by a change in ownership.

Greg Leatherman continued..., “This is the City’s! Because if (Hardball) goes away, we keep the license,”.... (and further asserted)....., the delay wasn’t a cause for worry because it won’t affect alcohol sales for opening day, scheduled for April 16. He said they could run into some problems for preseason events scheduled for private businesses and other groups that wanted to use the ballpark as a venue.

Which has lead some to speculate already how long Hardball Capital will retain ownership of the Tin Caps and or for that matter how many other contract adjustments the City or the Redevelopment Commission are going to attempt to make, and we are not even half way through the entire project that has reached over hundreds of millions of dollars and continues to grow by leaps and bounds, all while being funded and pushed forward by a City Government that doesn't understand the meaning of fiscal responsibility and stewardship of tax payer dollars, let alone accountability to its constituents and transparency in active governance.

Taking Ownership Of Your Taxes & Your Team

However, that is where politics and pandering meats the true grit and grain of our Community here in Fort Wayne. Even if we individually or politically or collectively don't like something, it's ours and we own up to it, we still support it minimally, then we try to turn into something better for the Community as a whole. Selling out Opening Day tickets is the first step there will be a whirlwind of things to come down the pike later. This may sound olde fashioned but it worked before it can work again.

One of the things that I would like to see is the Community and the Tin Caps come together and form smaller "farm teams league" (which is similar to what I previously suggested) using our current or former high school and college athletes, or those who never dreamed it possible before, for them to play semi professional sports for exposition games locally against each other and the Tin Caps, also as a mentoring process for the younger generation to develop a local pool of players for the national teams, as well as the Tin Caps to draw recruits from. This way we could have local players move up through the national leagues easier.

Eventually it would provide the personal capital investment of truly making the Tin Caps our local team owned and operated within the City with the best players from the surrounding area and put a local team possibly on the national stage in ten years as a major league team by our own design.

This is just the beginning the possibilities for success are endless and it is up to us as a City as a Community to get ready to take over when Hardball or Barry Real Estate and whoever else decides to bailout or cash in! This initiative must start within the Community not the Corporations, plus as an aside, having the additional farm teams would provide a perfect opportunity to use some of those other name suggestions like my favorite the Summit City Sandbaggers, or the other crowd favorite across the blogosphere, the Maumee Valley Mosquitoes.

Mentioning Community Pride, What About Having GAY DAYS @ Parkview Field?

Well it just so happens that Fort Wayne's PRIDE Fest [Website] [MySpace] is held @ Head Waters Park East on the last weekend of July; and on those dates the Tin Caps are at away games all weekend long, so unfortunately there cant be a joint event on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. However, on the historical anniversary of The Stonewall Rebellion on the 28th of June they will be playing a home game against South Bend at 3 in the afternoon. This would be a perfect opportunity to reach out to local GLBT Lovers of the game, and for us gay bois to drool over all the hot men running around after their balls in tight pants, and jock straps, and swinging their nine inch piece of wood around in their hands. *woofy!*

Fortunately I have access to some insider information regarding this issue in detail. During the initial Matt Kelty and Harrison Square fiascoes back in 2007, Nick Giant, a local body builder and manager @ Coney Island, appeared on a couple You Tube videos shirtless, wearing a leather mask, while slamming those particular issues, both Kelty and the new name of the Team, a year later he also managed to sneak in and get an interview with (video) the General Manager of the FORT WAYNE TIN CAPS. When asked about the idea of hosting Gay Days @ Parkview Field, Mike Nutter said the following:

We are an affiliate of the San Diego Padres, they have done a Gay and Lesbian Night every year that they've been out there in PETCO Park. Again it is something that doesn't go over well with some faction of your fans ...bluntly stated.... But we are open to any group, anybody that wants to come out for theme nights.

As far as wearing rainbows on the uniform or symbolic change of the uniform for a particular group or event:

...You know... We would have to discuss that on a case by case basis with Minor League baseball dictates what uniforms we (Tin Caps) can wear. We would certainly be open to an event that acknowledges people of any group like (Gays and Lesbians) that.

These questions remain to be answered and need to be addressed:

Did anyone see the irony of having tickets sales on Mardi Gras?

The biggest concern I have left is why are we worried about maintaining a alcohol serving license to an establishment that everyone must pretty much drive to get to or from. Let me explain it in five steps:

If the City owns the license to serve or sell intoxicating beverages, and Someone who leaves said facility without the City assuring they are not intoxicated, Does that mean Someone can file suit against the City after they get pulled over by the City Police Department for drinking one beer at a City sponsored drinking establishment? What is there to prevent a liability claim against the City for serving someone to much? Without a breathalyzer station at ever exit, enforcement of driving under the influence, would then be a conflict of interest on the part of any City Official or Police Department, would it not?

Aside from all that, I have to ask the obvious question, being fair and balanced in both my commentary and reporting: After spending 130 million plus tax dollars for this project, that is not even half way done, all we get is 200 plus jobs that are at best part time and typically seasonal, how is that an equitable return on our investment?

If anything it is a violation of the tax abatement rules; which City Council gave the entire Harrison Square project a ten year tax abatement, that should be reviewed, and possibly shortened to five years. Then the County Council, as I have stated on this forum before also, will probably end up giving Parkview Field a Professional Sports Development Zone Tax District as well, which means all taxes incurred by you the consumer there stay at the facility rather than coming back to the Community at large. With that as a high note, you can also probably forget about revenue (even without interest) going to pay back the Jefferson Pointe TIF District money that funded the project in the first place. Something just doesn't seem kosher about all of it and the icing on the cake is that this bonded debt load wont even have paid off until 2034 at the earliest estimates. Not to mention the fact that a lot of these funds could have been building interest instead of being pulled out only to be spent six months to a year down the road if we had simply followed a pay as you go system in the first place.

Last, which Organization in the Gay & Lesbian Community is going to put forward the initiative to have a GAY DAY @ PARKVIEW FIELD with the FORT WAYNE TIN CAPS?

EDITOR'S NOTES: F6, as with the previous post on Monday, turns to Stephen Parker @ AROUND FORT WAYNE for most of the update information for this post. F6 also cross referenced with the Spaulding Brothers @ What's Going Down, Town? for their coverage of certain events as well as the Gentlemen over @ Fort Wayne Politics for their coverage and multi faceted perspectives.

Review of Richard Greenberg's "Take Me Out" by the Rochester Black Friars source of the 5th picture
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F6 Editorial Policy Statement: Although it is nice to know that gay bois can still think about swinging your six to nine inch piece of wood around in our hands, through showing support of the local amateur and professional sports and athletic associations, as part of the continuing editorial service of F6 to promote healthy life choices in all gay bois and gyrlz, F6 intends to prove it is possible to concentrate on more than just tight ends, wide receivers, pitchers and catchers, etc.

EDITOR'S APOLOGY: Strike Three! No, Wait You're Not Out: I almost literally had a heart attack during the week, due to certain stress and a recent occurrence of events. Fortunately by the grace of GOD and the power of prayer, my blood pressure dropped 50 over 30 down in fifteen minutes, and then it took me a couple days to recover the rest of the way. While drastic and damaging as well as potentially deadly, it was eye opening. Even though I thought I was doing everything I could with what little I had to work with, this turn of events proved it was not enough, and I almost paid the ultimate price. I am not willing to give up this life just yet! I have already crossed over before, Heaven is boring; even with how shitty life can be sometimes, I like it here too much. Thank you to those whom are praying for me.

Support 3 Rivers Sports & Athletics: TIN CAPS Tickets, Jobs Fair;

The FORT WAYNE TIN CAPS begin their freshman season, with 70 home games, on the 16th of April @ Parkview Field Stadium.

WOWO 1190AM, Around Fort Wayne, and several other media outlets and blogs are covering the stories quite well so this post, and its copy on LPAC's Blog is just a recap and continuation of the promotion of our own minor league team's hard work in the Community at large.

Tickets will be available for purchase in person tomorrow, aka Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras, @ The Grand Wayne Center beginning at 10A. After that, tickets can be purchased online or the Tin Caps Offices located at Parkview Field, and continue to be on sale both online and via phone. For more information on Tin Caps season tickets, group outings or corporate partnerships for the 2009 season at Parkview Field contact the Team @ 260-482-6400 or visit the Team's website.

Tickets range between $5 for Lawn Seats and $12.50 for Scout Seats behind home plate; the medium ranged tickets of either $8 - 9 range are probably the most economical and better viewing choice for the baseball fan in every inner child. The Tin Caps Group Rates for Lawn (outfield) and Reserved (dugouts) seating are fairly economic, between $5-8 respectively.

There is just sometimes when you have to be in the stands and the middle of the action otherwise it is not the hearty American tradition of hot dogs, baseball, and a nice warm apple pie with ice cream on the side.

Citing a need to accommodate better customer service at Parkview Field, during games and other special events, they will be holding a job fair for 200 Seasonal and Part Time position as well, this Saturday the 28th from 10A-2P @ The Grand Wayne Center's Calhoun Room on the second floor. Some of the positions that need filled include: Ushers, Ticket Takers, Parking Lot Attendants, Ticket Office Sales, Merchandise Sales, Video Production, In-Game Promotions, Field Maintenance, Special Events, Food Preparation and Service Staff. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older.

Certain positions require specific skills and previous experience. Most positions do not require previous experience. Applicants that are not available to attend the Job Fair are welcome to stop by the Tin Caps Administrative Offices located at Parkview Field during normal business hours (Mon-Fri, 9A to 5P). Please call 260-482-6400 for directions and parking information.

They put tickets for games @ new ball stadium for sale on MARDI GRAS! Does anybody else see the irony? There will be more to this category added later on a follow up post on Thursday or Friday, but for now, good night.

F6 Editorial Policy Statement: Although it is nice to know that gay bois can still think about swinging your six to nine inch piece of wood around in our hands, through showing support of the local amateur and professional sports and athletic associations, as part of the continuing editorial service of F6 to promote healthy life choices in all gay bois and gyrlz, F6 intends to prove it is possible to concentrate on more than just tight ends, wide receivers, pitchers and catchers, etc.

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Where did I put my wooden spoon to bang on my pot with or knock out my chicken?

You know I was skeptical. What name would they come up with, for a team that surrounds an entire community and our lore and our history? I even had my own favorite "Summit City Sandbaggers". They actually managed to pull this one off; I have to admit, "I am impressed!"

Fort Wayne, IN - When Parkview Field (Harrison Square) opens next season, Fort Wayne... will be cheering on the .... “Tin Caps” which is a moniker referencing towards the beloved pioneer Johnny Appleseed, who was known for wearing his tin cooking pot upon his head. The primary logo will be an apple wearing Johnny’s trademark "Tin Caps.” Two alternate logos will incorporate the City’s initials, “FW” with each a "Tin Cap" and an apple stem and leaf.

The team’s primary color scheme will consist of organic colors green, red and brown. This color scheme is consistent with both the Johnny Appleseed theme and the project goal of creating Parkview Field as a true park and gathering place within the center of downtown Fort Wayne.

General Manager, Mike Nutter, stated, “Johnny Appleseed, while known nationally, is a regional pioneer and folk hero. His story, and the history of this area, gives us an identity that is distinctively Fort Wayne. Johnny was a pioneer of the Midwest frontier in a time with seemingly endless opportunity...."

The Tin Caps will begin playing at Parkview Field on Thursday, the 16th of April @ 7:00pm when they take on the Dayton Dragons on Opening Day of the new ballpark. For more information on Tin Caps season tickets, group outings or corporate partnerships for the 2009 season @ Parkview Field contact the team at (260) 482-6400.

To visit the new team website or view the full press release right click on the appropriate links. It should also be mentioned candidly, because it explains his lifestyle and appearance, that Johnny Chapman was also a missionary for the Church of the New Jerusalem, or Swedenborgian Church, so named because it teaches the theological doctrines contained in the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. There is a Swedenborgian Church in LaPorte Indiana. Fourth District Common Council Member Mitch Harper has a generational family connection to the man behind the lore of Johnny Appleseed and explains such over @ Fort Wayne Observed.

Johnny Appleseed, born John Chapman in 1774, was a nurseryman who moved westward from Massachusetts, planting apple seeds and selling the seedlings to the settlers. He had nurseries in Pennsylvania and Ohio before coming to Indiana in 1830. Apple trees were a welcome addition to the area, providing fruit that could be stored for year-round use by pioneers. After he died in Fort Wayne in 1845, his estate papers revealed that he owned about 270 acres of land in the area, along rivers, canals and roadways. Some of the nurseries were along the Maumee River, at a point 10 miles downriver from Fort Wayne and also near the Indiana-Ohio line.

Wizards rename selves Tin Caps
Compiled by Tom Pellegrene Jr.
The Journal Gazette

The Fort Wayne Tin Caps it is!!

You do have to admit that the slight diminutive references to Pot Heads is funny as hell given to the fact that our college town is in the 420 phone prefix too! Of course, this wouldn't be Fort Wayne without the residents getting their bikinis, briefs, boxers, and jock straps or thongs in an uproar. We did back in 1992 when the Wizards were originally named. So even when a private businesses makes the decision to change their name, with a more historic (and with significant cultural) respect to our area, we still bitch, always have always will. Likewise, the age old Libertarian philosophy is applicable, if you don't like it don't go and don't promote it. The consumer citizen has the ability to control things simply by closing their wallet and going home.

Even though I am supportive of the name change, and have wanted such for a long time, I am still opposed to the way Harrison Square was carried out by both Hardball, Barry, and the City Administration, in very secretive and explosively protective mannerisms. Now I will also hold Hardball Capital accountable for releasing the new name, close enough in time, to overshadow the fact that the rest of the project has hit the gutter in half a heart beat yet again, even with the recent three million dollar (over 10 years) investiture by Parkview Memorial Hospital for exchange of naming rights and exclusive services as well as community outreach and education.

Team owners, city officials and Parkview executives Thursday announced that the non-profit health corporation bought the naming rights for Harrison Square's baseball stadium. The deal is for $3 million over 10 years. The $300,000 annual contribution will be split between the baseball team's owner, Hardball Capital, and the city. The city's portion will be put into a fund to accumulate money for future capital projects at the stadium. City officials have said this is necessary to keep taxpayers from having to finance future improvements at the ballpark.

(Parkview) will have a large presence in the stadium. It could provide blood pressure and other health screenings at the stadium, and would staff the first-aid station and provide a nursing room. Packnett said his nutritionists and dieticians would also be working with ballpark concessionaires to help provide healthy choices for food and drink. Packnett said he understood that he might get some criticism for spending money on a downtown ballpark. But he said the investment fits the corporation's goals of being a good health provider and of being a good corporate partner. He said he hoped the project would spur other investment in the area, which is important for health care.

At least now we know that there is going to be some oversight in this whole boondoggled project, as Ben Lanka continues to explain below:

As part of the deal with Parkview, the corporation will get an appointment to the advisory board that oversees the stadium's operations and appropriates money from the maintenance fund. The other five members are a Hardball representative, an appointee from the Grand Wayne Center, an appointee from the Downtown Improvement District, the City Controller and an appointment from the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Downtown stadium to be Parkview Field
by Benjamin Lanka
The Journal Gazette

Notice there are no citizen advocates on this Advisory Board. And if Fort Wayne Common Council is the one that has to approve all of this why don't they have to appoint someone to be on the Advisory Board?

Please don't expect the Citizens of Fort Wayne to take everything that Hardball, Barry Real Estate, or for that matter the City's own employees and Commission members say at face value. We are tired of being bent over the table, and asked to take it up the ass with out the benefit of lube or the common decency of a reach around, and have it all sealed away from our review. We have already been lied to on many accounts and circumstances.

This entire process needs opened up and the public should have a true understanding of the entire cost and process. On many accounts Citizens have been disregarded by both the City Administration and private industry when voicing our concerns over the intertwining of public funds into private business, all while being promised it would all work out.

Now due to the mortgage crunch and the credit crisis nationally, they are having to rewrite the playbook, for the fourth time around, as far as the condominiums are concerned to avoid an absolute disaster. We are being told yet again that everything is under control and it will all work out in the end. We don't even have the new (unnecessary) hotel being built and all the while the Citizen is the one footing the bill and holding all the receipts to this disaster when it finally decides to blow out our grandchildren bank accounts and college funds in 2034 when all the bonds come due and we have to demolish the thing because of sanitary concerns.

Jason Freier, Hardball Capital chief executive officer, said Thursday his development group remains “totally committed” to The Harrison project but that changes might be needed for it to happen. The developers are looking at redesigning the building to have larger, but fewer, condominiums.

Construction has been stalled for months at The Harrison as the developers have failed to sell enough condominiums to persuade banks to lend the necessary money for the project. Freier said the current credit crunch dominating news coverage has been affecting real estate developers for almost a year. “The issue is financing and timing,” he said.

“There are some banks, their doors are closed, quite frankly.” Freier said the market is so tough that he would be willing to consider taking a loan if a bank asked that the developer scale back The Harrison. He said if a bank gave the OK on a smaller project, he would discuss the possibility with city officials. While it would be less investment, he said it would allow the developers to get started on construction.

(Source: Fort Wayne Politics)

Not to forget to mention another couple queries that I have asked previously: How much did Hardball and Barry get in total tax abatement? Because of all the delays are they going to ask for an extension or inclusion of the Harrison Square complex into a restricted TIF and a PSDZ like the Memorial Coliseum and other "sports facilities" already are? This entire process also garners the concern of whether or not the Coliseum should hold a year around Professional Sports Development Zone since one of their primary functions has now moved Downtown. Should they be able to do so that would mean that any tax revenue generated from the location would circle back to the location rather than assisting the complete tax base and revenues of the entire Community.

There is also the issue of the Food and Beverage Tax which was technically held in trust for specifically the Memorial Coliseum and some of those funds were supposedly used for capital for the Harrison Square project which, in my opinion if that is the case, is a commingling at best if not outright fraud but even more of a reason why the FBT needs to be sunset from law. This entire process, in my opinion, needs reviewed by City and County Councils and people, corporations, and certain City employees need their asses handed to them firmly and fast, before it is too late.


LINKS RECAP: New Team Website | What's Going Down, Town? | Fort Wayne Politics |
Fort Wayne News | Fort Wayne Observed | Baseball In Fort Wayne | Johnny Appleseed Wiki |

EDITOR'S UPDATE: Stephen L. Parker @ Around Fort Wayne has additional coverage and (4 segments) video footage of the press conference by Jason Freier, Owner of the Wizards and the following question and answer session Q&A1 | Q&A2 | Q&A3 | regarding the name change to Fort Wayne Tin Caps.

I would be negligent to not give Dan Turkette @ Fort Wayne News full credit for scooping the story (original post 15th of September) about the new name at least three weeks ahead of the general media and other inside bloggers.

Because I thought it was funny: (HT Fort Wayne News) Former Fort Wayne resident T. R. Slyder had this to say on his blog Where Awesome Happens, "I just hope their motto is:
"Hide the Women and Children: We're Coming to Your Town to Spread our Seed.""

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POLICY STATEMENT: Although it is nice to know that we can still think about swinging your six to nine inch piece of wood around in our hands, through showing support of the local amateur and professional sports and athletic associations, as part of the continuing editorial service of F6 to promote healthy life choices in all gay bois and gyrlz, F6 intends to prove it is possible to concentrate on more than just tight ends, wide receivers, pitchers and catchers, etc.