Going Green In '09: Will You Come Get Dirty To Make Fort Wayne Clean? Today from 11A-5P @ North Anthony Bridge

Yes We'll Gather @ The River, The Trashy and Winding River. Gather w/ Our Friends @ The River, That Flows From The Heart Of Town!

If you are reading this between 11A-5P you still have the opportunity to get trashy to make Fort Wayne clean. Save Maumee's 4th Annual Earth Day Project is going on along the Pemberton Dyke @ North Anthony Bridge (on the other side of where the sink hole was). There are tasks and opportunities to learn more for all ages. So please put down the Sunday pot roast and fried chicken and come out to clean up Fort Wayne on this Feast of Divine Mercy and end to the Solemn Octave of Easter.

Message From F6's EDITOR: Saturdays post was delayed due to waiting for an information dump in order to provide the most accurate knowledge possible on the scheduled topics in play plus a pastoral duty call that I had to participate in. My apologies.

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Going Green In '09: From Tent Cities In California Or A Women & Children Shelter Along Our 3 Rivers NIMBY Is The Claim Thrown Out Now Here's My Game!

Yes NIMBY seems to becoming the acronym of the year; for those who don't know, it stands for Not In My Back Yard.



Most recently to gain national media attention is Sacramento, California whose shelter system even after being (video) drastically expanded in 2007, because of a previous Tent City built up near the Union Pacific Rail Road, is still overwhelmed and overcrowded and is forcing a whole new segment of the former middle class into the Tent Cities that are burrowing up much to the dismay of local businesses and residents who don't want the homeless in view of their backyard. The latest count places the current population of the Tent City at 1500 with 20-50 additional people joining the make shift community weekly.

Last month in jest the Editor of Fort Wayne News (aka Angry White Boy), Dan Turkette, suggested that the City should invest in the $500 per unit EDAR, "Everyone Deserves A Roof" [website], a program started by Peter Samuelson a Movie Producer out of Los Angeles, for the City of Fort Wayne's claim of only 100 homeless in Downtown and start putting them in at Harrison Square as a campground. Here is a basic introduction to the EDAR from the LA Times and an additional coverage from CBS News.

The reason why I bring this up is because of a more recent issue of riverfront development and NIMBY syndrome knocking on City Council's door. I am going to defer to Stephen Parker @ Around Fort Wayne for his coverage and commentaries on this issue regarding Fairmount Place for a detailed overview and then insert my own as well.

This most recent case of NIMBY and riverfront development versus the property rights businesses or land owners is in regard to the Rescue Mission's recent request vacate the a portion of an unused street to build a new 4.5 million dollar 94 bed Charis House women and children shelter on the riverfront just across the street from the Public Safety Memorial and the beginning of the Wells Street Corridor Business Association (WCBA) district line. This proposal was deferred for sixty days when said Business District President Judi Wire and surrounding Neighborhood Associations went up in arms over said development of land and used and friends of friends clout within local government to put the FUBAR on the prospective project and site.

Third district City Council member, Tom Didier's, district is across the street from the controversial land. He says he isn't against helping the homeless but doesn't like the proposed Well's Street location.
"This particular project is something that probably could go somewhere else. You know it's not like it has to go here! They own the property so for them they actually could make out in the long run if some developer would want to come along and purchase that property.”
Didier called Mayor Henry today and suggested the city purchase the property and help Charis House officials find other land.
Source: Homeless Shelter Ready To Expand, Neighbors Say "Not So Fast" By Laura Donaldson, [STORY] [VIDEO] 25 February Updated 04 March 2009, The Networks of Indiana News Center

As a Libertarian, my immediate reaction (as in a predisposed response filter, that is not acted on, but is there to throw up red flags on any particular issues that arise) is that this is a direct issue of private property rights violation with the additional implied threat, directly by a member of City Council, of eminent domain regardless of cause.

CLARIFICATION: This is an implied threat, without question by Mr. Didier and it is an indirect threat as said property is outside of his jurisdiction representing the Third District on Council.

The purchase of this property in question by the City would have to be done by Eminent Domain in order for the Rescue Mission to begin recuperating any part of full expenditures. Otherwise under a normal purchase agreement the City could only begin to pay, I believe it is three times over the assessed value of the property and buildings, to compensate for the moving expenses and reestablishment of an existing business. But as this land is disoriented in zoning, with no one having an invested capital project currently being built on the land, the City is restricted by what amount it may purchase the land for. As it stands now, if the City authorizes the repurchase at full price and/or swapped the land with equal purchase value, above 350 thousand dollars, any responsible citizen would be up in arms by such a decision.

To bailout a huge mistake by any organization that does not pay taxes should be highly reviewed and said organization should be held to a higher standard of accountability in regard toward dispensation of donated resources by both its board and patrons. Not forgetting to mention the Secretary of State, who should also probably review the original sale in 2002.

I'm Still reading up on State Code please feel free (LINK: IACT, pdf) to join in the fun.

The land was... (redacted) ....purchased for a specific purpose by monies donated to said 'religious organization', and it should be retained for that intent. It is not like anyone ever noticed that property before someone decided to build a Women and Children Shelter on it anyway. Secondly it is a pain to get to so if someone wants to cut off access to an unused piece of land, I would usually say go ahead..

I was originally told that it was donated, my apologies. The understanding that I possessed at the time of starting this post almost 1 1/2 weeks ago, was the land was donated and the 4.5 million was for construction. The property was only valued at the now infamous 525 thousand dollars purchase of 3 1/2 acres that was only assessed for just over 72 thousand dollars for property taxes and and purchased from the City for 88 hundred dollars seven years ago.

The most this property should have been purchased for is 400 thousand and even that is accommodating the location and convenience of other properties in the area and in the said organization's network. The Rescue Mission should have only paid two hundred grand for it and I pray they didn't give him tax deductible receipt for the difference of his asking price.

However I also have to look at the surrounding community and agree with them on one count that the planned construction is obtuse in both design and planning. With sincere apologies to Stephen Parker, for a view of the illustrated design please right click on this link and open into a new tab. Unfortunately the building is currently designed like a giant four layered (Original previous omitted detail: Franciscan Tau, styled LINK) altar cross! I stand behind this statement and its referenced commentary below. 15 other people so far have agreed with me. If they simply flipped the project around by putting the back of the building (ie: the top of the cross) to the street side and the parking in back, it would begin to fit more in line with the surrounding neighborhood facades and environment. If the facility was built in a camp lodge style with up to three floors it would be more appropriate for the area as a whole too.

Paraphrasing Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, in regard to servicing the poor, I have a Fozyism: "anyone whom has nothing of beauty deserves something of beauty from everyone". This (allowing the shelter to be built in some form on this site) would be a beautiful statement of setting aside our first fruits to the poor and the sojourner, the widow and the orphan (Exodus/Leviticus).

Dear Anonymous Reader: Thank you for asking! Here are the answers to your queries:

Then we are now left with another dilemma and that is the scope of the overall project as a whole and the intended versus the actual efficiency of said program in lieu of the property being taken off the property tax rolls. The current building plans at 30K sq ft. is claimed to be eight and a half times larger then the biggest business in that corridor, a funeral home. The CM Sloan & Sons Funeral Home is the equivalent of 6 maybe up to 8 one bedroom apartments which litter the known area and the proposed facility will only host 28 long term women with children, 28 single women, but a reserve of 38 with an additional capacity of 38 for emergencies. Using the idea marker of, eight times greater than, this project in size and scope only qualifies for four times greater in housing capacity however it does serve more than just a permanent housing scenario and therefore the pointe is moot as the residency is only partially long term the rest almost two thirds would be transitional therefore it would actually increase the total amount of people served to the same marker.

Who asked me a math question? ...mumblings...
From the peanut gallery:
My Dad is doing math?
Only GOD can HELP Y'ALL now!!
He is numerically dyslexic and failed basic algebra too.This is not going to be a easy thing to do. There will be some really crazy logical deductions awaiting you at the end!
You must be very trusting in this forum to ask me to do math questions. Brace Yourselves!

Assuming the facility is 8 times larger than the funeral home and we know there are 94 beds total and the average women in need of service each have 2 children at minimum. The actual final math didn't make sense to me either initially because if this building is built to code then even at the greatest stretch of the rules allowed there cant be more than three people sleeping per room and the parent and children should have separate bedding according to Child Safety standards. Remember certain safety restrictions and requirements demand separate sleeping arrangements after age 6 for children of differing genders. Their basic service goal is 28 women with presumed 2 children a piece plus 28 single women (28x4=112 not 94) and that is not even counting the 38 bed reserve and the additional 38 bed capacity for emergencies.

So there will not be enough beds?
Actually there are follow along if you will:

Now after allowing for a slight question of facts, that each bed is possibly a bunk bed and just counted as one, then you could account for the short numbers. If the numbers are factored by 1 bed equals in reality 2 adults, then you are getting somewhere quick. Because now 28 single women, become just (14 beds) for a supply count; and the (84 people) that make up the other 28 women with two children a piece account one for one so you are up to (28+14=42 beds) then (94-42=52 beds) remaining in capacity divided between the two categories equally which is 19 women with 2 children plus an additional 19 for single women (57+38=95 and 95+84+28 for a total of 207 people) bringing the total bed number to the pointe where capacity numbers and supply counts start to match up to the goals established by the Rescue Mission if you account for emergencies, overused stock, removal during lice/crabs infestations, and on-site staff to sleep in shifts. (Source: Table Maker)

So you see Dear Anonymous Reader there is no controversy, just another 250 more homeless people being able to live along the river bank. Only they will have a roof, a warm bed, plenty of food, and a future this time!

In the Journal Gazettes coverage of the story on the third of March they released an editorial statement but then also (Correction: were delayed in) publishing Letters To The Editor that whose authors were fair in their opposition to the request to both the vacation of Fairmount Place and the current building project as a whole.

The Editors of the Journal Gazette made two pointes that I will directly challenge:

1. The City does not have a vested interest. (3rd ip)

It gave that up when it sold back the land to whomever sold/donated it to the Rescue Mission. If the City bought out the property for flood control in 1982, it should have not been sold to anyone else in the first place for at a minimum of 25 years, let alone to a private owner or developer. This means the property shouldn't have been sold to anyone until 2007 at the earliest. Even though, as time and paradoxes have a way of twisting your nuts while making the same pointe, this means that we might still be in the situation; however it would have possibly slowed it down, because everyone involved in the purchase would have had knowledge of the different covenants and existing strategic area development plans.

I blame this one on the City for selling back the land that taxpayers purchased and then trying to buy it back yet again or (Correction: possibly) force it under eminent domain. The ultimate irony is that a (Changed: 'Religious Organization') in the middle of the City of Churches wants to build a shelter for Women and Children on their own riverfront property and the money changers wont let them @ the Inn! So much for the remembrance and living the message of Bethlehem. Let us finally be truthful for once in politics and admit to each other why we do or don't like something, even if it could damage your business or personal reputations.

2. Yes it is a giant cross; just say so! Admit that it scares you. (6th ip)

"Neighboring businesses represented by the Wells Corridor Business Association are concerned the design and location of the homeless shelter will obstruct future development..., specifically riverfront development. Neighbors are disappointed in the design of the shelter because it ... does not fit the character of the neighborhood."

I honestly do wonder if they are comparing those statements of "design" and "character" towards the existing businesses in the district. Was it the Pagans and Satanist @ The Ninth Gate, (who by the way I count among my friends), or the Drug Addicts @ the Methadone Clinic that is next door to the Pawn Shoppe?

The fact of the matter is that, subliminally, they don't want a giant cross "reminding people of their sinful nature" as they come over the bridge to patronize such establishments of small retail, or as they enter the heart of Downtown visiting our new Ballpark.

Before I forget, I want to also refer my readers towards these two posts on the 27th of February and the 4th of March by Charlotte Weybright @ Berry Street Beacon UPDATE:, and again on the 15th of March, whom has also addressed these ongoing issues of Fairmount Place, with a similar tactical analysis that I am taking, in regards toward specific issues. It is not very often that Charlotte and I agree on most things, even when coming from different vantage pointes, so I wanted to pointe out this distinct privilege that I feel welling up inside me from this occurrence. I have one last pointe to contest from the Journal Gazette editorial but at the same pointe I am going to use it to offer my craziest but well founded solution yet to date.

The current location of The Bean Cafe (F6 previous post (under Friday), until a year ago for a decade used to be, Hide~n~Seeks (F6 previous posts), a gay leather and jeans bar, which I also frequented on a biweekly basis for karaoke and which the Board of Heartland Communities meetings are currently held every Sunday night @6-9P, is just directly across from Fairmount Place technically it is all on the same street, but it sits between two Council Districts and changes physical direction and possibly a zip code, so therefore the name changes when crossing Wells Street/Fairfield Avenue and Ewing Street merger before the split for the bridge.

The remaining claims that everyone is making in opposition to the project, which are really straw man arguments, is that the south side of this property and beyond in question is susceptible to flooding; and again that the design is neither aesthetically conducive, to which I agree; and that it will hinder future riverfront development, in that location. To which, again I repeat, "What riverfront development?" But alas as a good friend always reminds me, to offer the good with the bad when tearing someone a new asshole, so I will attempt to now offer my solution to the design dilemma.

For that solution we will have to go back in history and our precolonial roots. In France, yes the French had the first fort here, and it was a French missionary whom secured the land for the later built Roman Catholic Cathedral of Immaculate Conception. Amongst other notables is, Jean Baptiste Bissot he actual is the original to interact with, and possessed a general respect for, the native people of the Miami nation whose national headquarters were here @ Kekionga. He built the first fortified trading post in 1704. Finally let us not forget the Centlivre Brewery which was also created by a Frenchman. So why do I bring all this up? Simply for historical presentation of the French connection to Fort Wayne for those whom don't know our local history that well and to establish the precedent for my political irony and suggestions to solve this problem in both design of the current project and the gripes involving future riverfront development in that area to follow.

Currently in the French Alpes on the Rivera there is Ville Franche, that translates to "the town with no taxes" as it secured that right many moons ago by providing shelter to Charles II, Duke of Anjos and later the Count of Provence, from the insurgent Turks in 1295CE. The privilege of being a free port was retained through the 18th Century even after being divided and shuffled many times over between modern day Italian and French predecessor governments or monarchs. There is a portion of the town that allows for this shelter from heathens, warring factions, an occasional pirate, etc., and that is the Rue Obscure. The City was actually built over this Obscure Road to allow people safe passage in their daily lives, the City with strategic access pointes to each house and business.

Here is my recommendations and project plan in conjunction with my work with Heartland Communities:

The City still needs to allow the Women and Children Shelter to build at the Fairmount Place location, but by working with them instead of threatening eminent domain, by starting at the second story and allow the first story on north side of Fairmount to be parking completely. Then after building the new Charis House, beginning over two thirds of the road going north with the second story only and continuing with a third floor, in a mission lodge style only, over the north side of Fairmount Place, we can then turn the south side into riverfront development and also a strategic water retention park with flood gates available to be attached at a moments notice for "the 500 year flood" everyone @ Journal Gazette and City Council is so worried about.

EDITOR: This picture does not illustrate my plan, just a point that the idea of building over a road and under a bridge in this case, is not a foreign concept to engineers just one that isn't used in America often.

The one third remaining tunnel top at the beginning of the Women and Children shelter over Fairmount Place would become a stage for productions and performances for concerts and/or theatre, The donations/ticket proceeds from these events could be split evenly between the Cooperative Worker Owners of the shopping and apartment complex and Charis House for further development and/or maintaince of their properties. This riverfront development that I suggest would be European in nature, similar to the original intent of Jefferson Pointe, but smaller in scale, providing more impact to the both the surrounding community and Downtown.

This complex would be worker owned and operated as green as possible with each employee having the option to live on premises at a reduced rate. The businesses located within the retail establishments would not have to be part of worker owner cooperative but the renters of apartments would and everyone as a whole would be required to follow the procedures and commit to a zero impact policy by their environmental footprint, and that includes the three communal bathing facilities, individual composting toilets, one of which is pictured to the right. Which means that between those two items and geothermal heating already planned, the entire Complex would not be hooked into the City Sewer, that currently has 50 CSOs per year minimum.

EDITOR: For more information on the Sun-Mar line of self contained toilets or to read commentary from the Owners of Gypsy Rose on thier experience and review after a year of using the non electric version of the composting toilet, click on the previous links.

Pointe Of Information: Pools Patios & Spas @ 3204 Illinois Road/State Road 14, phone: 260-432-3570, is a carrier of the Sun-Mar product line and they have a display.

This proposal in regard to the south side of Fairmount Place and beyond would also add entertainment, dinning, and shopping venues on the second story's east and south sides and a cooperative 2 story multiple bedroom town house on the southwest corner for employees of the shoppes and worker owners of the Cooperative over the complex located on the premises and additional apartments on both second and third floors on the west and third floor on the south side of the complex. All of this would be facing inward to the promanade or park that is encased within the hempcrete [website] walls with minor brick facade for highlights and still with a half arched view of the rivergreenway/riverfront from the first story to the south and west and second story to the south, and possibly a portico/veranda especially on the south side on the second and possibly a smaller balcony for both second and third story apartments.

Now in order to maintain the facade issue with the adjoining Wells Corridor Business District this plan has already forced the parking to be placed under Charis House completely; however by the very nature of the plan so far explained it is more obtuse than the original, but it also twenty times more energy efficient and community impacting as well. Since the design structure would allow the north and south sides of Faimount Place along Wells Street, facing west from an across the street at the Public Safety Memorial, to then also build outer businesses both on the east side wall facing east or toward the rest of the businesses in the neighborhood, because the complex itself has become the flood wall so the businesses on the outside first story should be okay. There would be approximately 50-80 15x10 studio bedroom apartments included.

There is one last issue of traffic safety which is simply resolved by creating an extended roundabout from High Street to the bridge with no circles involved. Simply putting a stop sign on Wells at High Street and then a full tri-coloured, trip triggered, four way, stop light system at Fairmount Place and North Wells at Wells Street/Fairfield Avenue and Ewing Street with a five minute deference pattern, would assure smooth transitioning from Downtown to both the Wells Street Corridor and the new complex located @ Fairmount Place or vice versa. By the way, as a reminder once this is done North Wells Street and Fairmount Place need to be renamed one name, please. And while it would be pretty good bragging rights to say that you literally live or work above a major intersection, the area if the complex that is built in front of the stage and the beginning 1st story of Charis House on the intersection of Fairmount and Wells Street should be reserved for the CoOps Offices.

TTDINdFORT:March-May: Learn2PaintDEggsDwayUkrainiansDo; WhyDIDtheybuildDaFORThere?; BaDRAGdiva?;30mealsin3hours; 1day2learn3instruments4$160;&MUCHMORE

PLEASE NOTE: This post has been updated so many times I had to break out all the colours from the box.
As every gay boi knows it's all in the details!! Yes this is Wednesdays post and yes it is running late, sorry, I had to verify two bits of information and one source cite.

FORT WAYNE PRIDE COMMITTEE at the end of this month is hosting a So You Think You Can Drag? contest @ After Dark Night Club, 1601 South Harrison Street, approximately 5 blocks South of The Grand Wayne Center, pass by Powers Hamburgers, go under the viaduct and hang left.

To volunteer as a Mentor or sign up to take part in the competition contact Chad Pratt aka Paige Turner via the FWPC MySpace or website. Each Contestant will be connected with your new Drag Mentor who "will meet with you and teach you the tricks of the trade" after which "you will be responsible for getting yourself ready from head to toe without the assistance of your mentor and perform" for the review of the Judges and enjoyment of the crowd during the Contest on the 28th @ After Dark. There will be a Drag King and a Drag Queen winner announced that will each receive a guaranteed performance the last weekend of July @ Pride Fest 2009 , paid entry to Mr. or Miss Pride, and a booking with Tula @ AFTER DARK.

UPDATE: Fort Wayne Pride Committee will also be hosting their first ever all ages GSA PROM (previously hosted by IPFW's Equal Rights Education Network) on the 18th of April @ 7:30P above Columbia Street West in the The Columbia Club Banquet Hall the entrance is on Harrison one block south of Superior. Admission for this event is $6 a person/ $10 couple. Come dance the night away in a safe place!

In other local Queer Community dramatic cause, there have been rumors floating around town that, also toward the end of this month, UP THE STAIRS COMMUNITY CENTER will be closing, due to loosing its primary donor, and hence not being able to pay the bills. However according to another source, they are still holding their Spring Euchre Tourney this Saturday beginning @ 7P. The buy in is $4 but you must call 260-422-2450 or email to register for the Tournament. There is more information on their website if you really want to participate.

EDITOR: Previous F6 post on UTSCC [click here] & for posts in regard to FWPRIDE [click here] please.

Now onto the rest of the things going on in The Community @ Large that are personally way more interesting. Tonight the 5th of March from 6-8P The Botanical Conservatory is hosting a course on Large Scale Urban Gardening with Ephraim Smiley. Since I didn't find out about it until after the deadline passed, I couldn't tell you all about it until now but hopefully there will be resources available from this class for dissemination by the general public later. First lets get the basic calendar stuff out off the way that I still have to add to the official F6 Calendar

MARCH! My lion has a limp wrist and the flock of sheep got pissed and left, lol!

7th and 21st Saturdays 11A & 2P @ Botanical Conservatory
ECO ENERGY: The world needs clean power and with a little creativity we can find energy in some of the most unlikely places. Of course there is solar, wind and wave energy, but there is also energy to be found in lemons, cow burps and even the money in your pocket.
8th Sunday DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME: switch clocks ahead one hour @ 2A
13th Monday FWPR Amazing Race Registration begins. 4 Person Team (2 any age, 50+, & 8-12)
=NOTE= Volunteers Needed 3 hr shifts, set up/tear down, and facilitate challenges.
17th Saint Patrick's Day
21st Sabbath of Ostara/Old Lady's Day Spring Equinox
UPDATED: 21st Sat 9:30A 6th District City Council Community Meeting Host: Glynn Hines
==>==>==> Link's Wonder Land 1711 East Creighton Ave (1 block west of No. Anthony Bvd.)
21st 9A-1P Community Bike Summit @ Allen Co. Public Library Main Branch
25th Solemnity of the Annunciation (Mary Conceiving Jesus In Her Womb By God)
25th Wed 11:30A-1P Tax Protest Revolt @ Statehouse (Indianapolis)
26th Thur 12N-1P @ Botanical Conservatory Clean Green Energy
Glenn Johnson, COO of Nature's Fuel, will discuss the future of clean and natural energy production. He will also detail the progress being made at the company’s Atwood, Indiana, plant and the potential of their new facility being built in Huntington. The company claims it can turn 200,000 tons of landfill waste into zero sulfur bio-oil and green electricity, with less total emissions per year than one harvest on a 300 acre farm with a small amount of solid residue that Cornell University says is better for farm soil than today’s fertilizers?

New Reoccurring Weekly and/or Monthly Events

= Weekly @ McMillen Ice Arena Thur 9-11A Coffee Club (21+only);
Fri 7-9P Cosmic Skating Night; Sun 2:30-4:30P Public Skate;
Rates: $5, Adults; $4, Seniors (55+); $3.50,Youth (5-17);
Free for Child under 5 & Spectators, $2.50 Skate Rental
+ Third Week Allen Co. Libertarian Party Business Meeting Day and Location To Be Announced
+ Third Monday 6:45P Bookworms: @ Franke Park Nature Lodge
Nature Literature Book Club, Non political literary discussion on social concerns & environment
+ Third Thursday 6-8P @ Botanical Conservatory
Thursday Night Unplugged Addmission: Adults $5; Children age 3-17 $3; 2 and under Free
March: Dan Dickerson; April: Dead In Denver & Dressed For The Weather; May: Swing Billies

Why did they build a Fort here at the three rivers?

If you have pondered this question in the past, on Tuesdays between the 7th of April and 12th of May @ Botanical Conservatory you will be provide better insight into the events between the late 1600’s through the War of 1812 by local Historian Matt Jones with an overview of the Native/Settler conflicts in the pre-settlement and Early American periods. Registration deadline 31 March Fee $26.

Green Eggs? Sam got nothing on this Ham!

The Ukranian form of egg dying for Easter, and Icon writing in general, is world renowned for its detail and naturally clean long lasting bases and descriptive tales. On Holy Saturday the 11th of April at 10A & 1:30P Catharine Green, a Pysanky Artist from Indianapolis will be Instructing a class on this ancient form of religious/cultural art. Everyone attending the class will also take home their own tool kit, including a kistka stylus, beeswax, and 6 dyes, in order to continue practicing and creating new egg designs at home. Registration Fee: $37 Conservatory Member Fee: $31 Deadline: 3rd April.

APRIL showers wilted the flowers, when We came across the fresh water jelly fish!
Please remember to Wrap It Up but throw the condom in the bin not down the drain.

2nd-Thur 6-8p @ Botanical Conservatory Registration deadline: March 27 Fee: $5
How Green Is My Water? Guide: Matt Jones, Water Resource Education Specialist, ACPWQ.
===>learn how to keep our water clean, building your own rain barrel, create a rain garden.
12th Sun Solemn Octave of the Resurrection aka Easter
14th Tues Lindenwood Opens
18th Sat @ FWPR
1. Children's Zoo Opens
2. City Amazing Race
(see 13th March also)
19th - Divine Mercy Sunday
19th Sun 12N-5P Save Maumee
Earth Day Project & River Clean Up @ Pemberton Dike North Anthony Blvd.
25th Sat 12N+ GREEN FEST @Southwest Conservation Club
5703 Bluffton Road

MAY Don't forget to cook for your Mother this time around,please.

1st Fri SABBATH OF BELTANE
8th & 9th Fri & Sat 10A-5P @ Salomon Farm 817 W. DuPont Rd.
Natural Fiber Arts Celebration Free Admission & Parking
15th Fri 5P - 17th Sun 10A Libertarian Party of Indiana & Kentucky
Joint Convention Location TBA Later Clarksville, Indiana

As most can assert the way to a man's heart, especially mine, is through his stomach. Now not only can you be assured that he will have plenty to munch on but that it is healthy and nutritious too. There will be no more of "Honey, I'm way to tired to make dinner. Can you just reheat some left overs from last week for the kids and me?" because after taking this 30 Days of Delicious Cooking course taught by Ambia Cooper on Monday the 11th of May from 6-8P @ FWPR Community Center, 233 W. Main St. you and your family will learn to assemble and freeze nutritious meals for every meal all month long in just two hours!

The course includes the “The Freezer Cooking Manual: A Month of Meals Made Easy,” by fellow Hoosiers Nanci Slagle and Tara Wohlenhaus. Registration deadline: 4th May Fee: $28

Lend Me Your Ear & I'll Play You A Song, I'll Try To Stay In Tune.....

On the 16th of May you and/or your children ages 9 and older can learn to play up to 3 instruments and fill your lives with music at the FWPR Community Center on West Main Street. You have the choice of learning from 9A-12N for $63 the rustic beauty of this three string instrument which can be plucked, strummed, or bowed (videos) has been with us since the late 18th Century, the Mountain Dulcimer, is the perfect first instrument for a novice musician that is very easy to play; or from from 12:30-2:30P, you can learn the Harmonica, which was introduced to North America in 1862 - during the beginning of the Civil War. You will learn how to read harmonica music, play the instrument and translate any song into harmonica tablature for $40 (Adult w/Child $70); and then there is the Ukulele, which Portuguese sailors have been played for decades, from 3-5P for $56. You will receive your own instrument(s), music, and materials to take home. You will learn to play at least 10 songs (7 for the Ukulele). No prior musical training is necessary to attend The Workshops which can be taken individually or together for 160 dollars as an all day excursion into Folk Music and Culture. Registration deadline is the 8th of May.

EDITOR: The Mountain Dulcimer isn't the Hammered Dulcimer, which regained its popularity in the 1990s because of the late Rich Mullins, a Catholic recording artist (video), who used the instrument in his writing.

REFERENCE: Emma Downs and Steve Penhollow, whom are both regular coloumnist @ The Journal Gazette also co author a blog called Get a Load of This. In there 8th of March post FOUR STRING SHREDDER they covered the story of the Ukulele a little bit better than I could in this limited entry and also introduced their readership to Jake Shimabukuro who caught the attention of classical cellist Yo Yo Ma and performed @ C2G Ministries on Baker Street near Ewing Street on Sunday the 8th of March:

Yo-Yo Ma asked him to contribute to his CD "Songs of Joy"

Shimabukuro: "When I was a kid, people often asked me who I'd play with if I could play with any musician in the world. And I'd say, as a joke, Yo-Yo Ma. It was so far fetched. Naturally, people would laugh and say, 'You are a ukulele player. I'm sure Yo-Yo Ma is going to want to play with a ukulele player.'"

He is the sort of ukulele player who so thoroughly impresses people with his playing that they ask him to compose music for full orchestra (and he had) wrote the score for the movie "Hula Girl" and he is currently working on the soundtrack for another film that he declines to name.

Shimabukuro: The ukulele should be like that.' I'd always kind of strive for that. I want to make my concerts so fun and exciting that people walk out when it's over giving each other high fives.

The video is from Corporate Country Sucks [website] [youtube], a Public Access Show based in Chicago.

Think About It!: So right here you have one example of one kid changing the world around him by taking up an instrument, that everyone disregards as a novelty item from back in the day, and nobody uses anymore, to an authentic modern expression of art, celebration of life, and a new international career. Think About It!

FORT WAYNE PARKS & RECREATION [WEBSITE]

Going Green In '09: I'll have a green Valentine for you? & Remember to Wrap It Up tonight!

Your needle doesn't always have to pointe North to find your destination. I was going to have several post up today but I decided after the three power surges so far in the last two hours to just do the VD post and pray that everyone plays it safe with your significant others or new found romance which ever applies. But seriously though, What is this about a Green Valentine anyway?



I do have one question, cant the environmental wing come up with another phrase like this:
A Ruby Of A Romance: Why Is Red the right colour for Your Lover and the Whole World?

It's not like natural red dye of polished natural fabric undergarments or table cloth specially made for your partners for today is that hard to make and it is environmentally sound. Not to mention the fact that one of the primary fruits used to make the red dye is blackberries and they grow naturally in this area.

Blackberry is the historical translation of our City's previous namesake, Kekionga, the tribal Capital of the Miami Nation. Part of the description of this area from the earliest explorers and settlers of the Three Rivers we call home is a specific commentary of all the blackberries growing up along the tribal and government buildings of the Miami nation.

Plus what better way to say, "I love you. You mean the world to me!" than a hand dyed polished hemp night gown, or organic fiber bikini brief, or table cover for your dinner with your partners. It is cute, economical, environmental, and you made it yourself, that says more than any serving of beef, pork, or chicken, you could have for dinner.

Just an alternative I thought I should pass along, especially in these hard economic times. Now on to the Safe Sex part of this post

Trojan has come out with a new campaign EVOLVE ONE EVOLVE ALL which is actually quite refreshing to see the company embrace all sides of the sexual spectrum in this one clip below with Alan Cummings, including three ways, free love, and the romantic degrees of separation between lovers and friends, which is a serious issue especially in Fort Wayne.



Additionally Perez Hilton has come out with a new video a couple weeks back, which we already added to the video player toward the bottom of this post, called, The Clap, which was Directed by J. B. GHuman, Jr., Owner of Reality Rejectz. It is very much camp and definitively gay.



Both of these videos remind us all very clearly that, this fight is not just about HIV/AIDS but all STDs! If you don't play it safe, ask the right questions, get tested to know your status, and demand the respect from your partners to play safely, you are being a detriment to your own future and offending everyone you love and whom love you, because you failed to take a stand.
Above all remember this: !!!WRAP IT UP!!! May you have a GREEN Valentine waiting for you.

Ironically as I found out after making this post, between this week and next is National Condom Week, in several different countries! So remember to give a 3 pack of prophylactics as a gift, to your children or friends, it will truly save a life. Encourage your friends to have plenty of safe sex only!

GOING GREEN IN '09! How many ways can we make our economy and food supply 70% self sustainable for 150 miles in 10 years?

*PLEASE NOTE THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED*

Did you make the New Year's resolution to live more green this year too?

One of the basic goals of environmental and economic sustainability is not to pull our houses "off the grid" but to collectively make our houses the actual power grid its self, and thereby reducing the cost of energy by both individual unit production and still having collective usage of the surplus, and thereby making the paradigm shift to more environmentally friendly sources and cooperation instead of domination by under regulated, overpriced corporate utilities.

If every neighborhood cluster in the City of Fort Wayne generated through solar and wind, with a substation electric or natural gas backup, for its own power supply it would reduce the need for so many power lines and transformers across the City and therefore the sky line could get cleaned up by at least 50 percent in 10 years; and by burying the power lines like they do in the subdivisions it would clean up the remainder of the power lines, with only the minimum of high voltage lines still required to be airborne.

1. COMMIT TO USING LESS POWER: SWITCH 2 COMPACT FLUORESCENT OR LED LIGHTS.

There has been enough chatter about this over the local and national airwaves, so that most people are aware that in 2011 the incandescent light bulb is going the way of the eight track and a VCR, oblivion. When President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, besides requiring "fuel producers to use at least 36 billion gallons of biofuel in 2022; and a national standard of 35 miles per gallon by 2020" one of the other things according to a USA TODAY report, that happened was that all light bulbs must be 25 to 35 percent more efficient by 2012 to 2014. So, any day now, you'll find yourself in the hardware store, staring at a vast display of CFLs - most of which don't live up to their hype. That's why you need to know that not all CFL bulbs are equal.

Is your house one bursting light bulb away from a HAZMAT clean up?

Because the government hasn't done the job, the Enviromental Working Group released a study guide based on CFLs called "Lighten Up in '09", that helps the consumer pinpoint a few good bulbs, that contain a fraction of the toxic mercury that is found in most CFLs and last up to 2 to 3 times as long.

An Environmental Working Group investigation has identified 7 bulb lines made by Earthmate, Litetronics, Sylvania, Feit, MaxLite and Philips that trump the rest. These bulbs, listed in our Green Lighting Guide contain a fraction of the toxic mercury allowed by Energy Star, reducing the mercury contamination from a broken bulb. All last 8-15,000 hours, dramatically longer than the Energy Star standard of 6,000 hours, and also offer high efficiency. (Photo: Towle Road)

2. CLAIM YOUR TAX CREDITS FOR 2009 BY MAKING CHANGES THIS YEAR

On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed into law the "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008." aka "The Wall Street Bailout" One of the things that this legislation did was to reactivate tax credits for energy efficient home improvements (windows, doors, roofs, insulation, HVAC, and non-solar water heaters). Tax credits for these residential products, which had expired at the end of 2007, will now be available for improvements made during 2009. However, improvements made during 2008 are not eligible for a tax credit. The bill also extended tax credits for solar energy systems and fuel cells to 2016. New tax credits were established for small wind energy systems and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Tax credits for builders of new energy efficient homes and tax deductions for owners and designers of energy efficient commercial buildings were also extended. For more information and a detailed list of tax credits, visit the US Government's ENERGY STAR website.

3. ATTEND WORKSHOPS TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME ENERGY SELF SUFFICIENT

Last week the Indiana Office of Energy Development (OED) held a workshop at the Main Branch of the Allen County Public Library on solar domestic hot water heaters. This was the first of three 2009 alternative energy workshops, to be held throughout the state of Indiana. These free workshops and are open to all Hoosiers. To register for the OED workshops contact: Chris Dorman (info is @ bottom of page), as space is limited. Once you register, more detailed information will be sent to you. There are two remaining courses Basic Photo Voltaics on the 4th of February and Introduction to Residential Wind on the 17th of March this quarter.

4. WATCH THE DOCU-DRAMA: LIQUID ASSETS WHEN IT REBROADCASTS IN FEBRUARY

"Liquid Assets" tells the story of essential utility systems: drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater. These complex and aging systems-some in the ground for more than 100 years-are critical for basic sanitation, public safety, economic development, and a host of other necessities of life. The documentary highlights communities from across the United States, providing an understanding of hidden water infrastructure assets, demonstrating watershed protection approaches, and illustrating twenty-first century solutions. You will be able to watch it on WFWA PBS 39 @ random times throughout the month of February.

Better yet, get involved in the discussion about the multi million dollar, 20 year project that Fort Wayne has finally been forced by the EPA to participate in order to clean up our three rivers, by eliminating our fifty Combined Sewer Overflows per year, over the next twenty years. On the 28th of January the Allen Co. Public Library will be hosting a screening and community discussion of the issues at hand and how the project is going to unfold.

"Over the next couple of decades, Fort Wayne will be making enormous investments in our utility systems. In order to protect our environment and ensure that our utilities can serve the community for years to come we must invest now. We see this event on January 28 as a beginning of ongoing discussions about the need to invest in improving our utility infrastructure." (Kumar Menon Director of City Utilities)

As most of my long time readers are aware, I serve on the Council of Stewards (Board of Directors) of Heartland Communities, Inc., a local non for profit, which is a strategic partner and fiscal agent for Save Maumee Grassroots Organization, which was founded by Abigail Frost.

Abigail Frost, had this to say regarding the original broadcast last year of LIQUID ASSETS on PBS39, "I saw this documentary, it is very informative for people to understand the process from toilet to faucet." She also had this to say regarding the original "local council of City officials" that were available for a question and answer session after that original broadcast in the Fall, "It was dry and without answering real questions. It did not:

• speak about why our city has waited so long to even begin the work;
• place emphasis on non point source pollution;
• answer how citizens should be responsible for their actions;
• about how this work could occur faster;
• speak about all the breaking sewer pipes almost daily in the middle of our roadways;
• speak about how Harrison Square Ball Park is on top of an underground waterway and has to have pumps that cost thousands of dollars PER YEAR to keep ground from sagging and their bad planning."

5. PARTICIPATE IN SAVE MAUMEE RIVER CLEANUPS & OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ECOLOGY PROJECTS

For now the fourth year in a row, Abi and Ryan Bailey are planning putting together Save Maumee's Earth Day Project this year it will take place on Divine Mercy Sunday, the 19th of April, 2009 from 11A-4P plan ahead to come out and get dirty for clean water. We will be planting riparian native seed to further establish erosion control on the river banks (one of the primary reason our waters are so murky and contaminated), as well as clean up all the trash and refuse that was left behind by various people not paying attention to their surroundings and caring about the effects of their actions on our three rivers. There will be Watershed and River Education opportunities every hour and activities for the little ones when they are tired of cleaning or planting. If you can donate money, goods, or services, to the cause of cleaning up Our Three Rivers, and make the Summit City sing with new life, then donate to Save Maumee via Heartland Communities, Inc. by calling Abi @ 260-417-2500!

6. INSIST THE CITY MANDATE PEDAL POWER FOR ALL CONCERTS AND EVENTS DOWNTOWN



We have all heard of Rock The Vote initiatives since the early nineties to get people out to exercise their civil duties and participate in the political process. Do you want to see something really cool and a way to literally return the power to the people? Then check out Rock The Bike and these soon possibilities of people generated power supplies coming to a concert venue near you. These next videos are from the second annual Bicycle Music Festival on the 21 June 2008 in San Francisco. The first video (above) is a basic introduction to the Concert Series and explanation of the Pedal Powered Public Address System. The second video (below) is from the band Antioquia's (pic to left) performance on the third of five stops during the Festival, enjoy the free power music and dancing.



Mentioning the power of the pedal and safe drinking water supplies, I also need to remind readers of this post from St. Valentine's Day last year when F6 covered the AQUADUCT a Tricycle Water Filtration System designed for obtaining drinking water during emergencies and provide an active supply chain for third world countries.

7. WORK WITHIN TO PRODUCE WHAT YOU NEED OR CAN TRADE FOR PRODUCTS

One of the things that our culture has lost besides the value of money is the ability to barter or trade for goods and services which is why we are in the trouble we are in financially. Bartering or fair trade for goods and services was such a viable system that it is what our current credit system was originally based on but we have allowed it to spin out of control by corporate greed and government taxation of property and income aside from pointe of purchase sales taxes and tariffs. One way to correct the economy is to bring back this system of fair trade of labor value for products and services and that will limit the power that money has over the individual and the economy as a whole. If we simplify the value of goods and services, by controlling the markets, we will save it rather than kill it.

8. PLANT PUBLIC FRUIT TREES & "VICTORY GARDENS"!

How can you help create an secure food supply in Fort Wayne and Allen County? Allow Sacred Scripture to be your guide, starting with these principles of fair provision for the poor, outlined in Leviticus Chapter 19:

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not be so thorough that you reap the field to its very edge, nor shall you glean the stray ears of grain. Likewise, you shall not pick your vineyard bare, nor gather up the grapes that have fallen. These things you shall leave for the poor and the alien. (v. 9-10)

"When you come into the land and plant any fruit tree there, first look upon its fruit as if it were uncircumcised. For three years, while its fruit remains uncircumcised, it may not be eaten. In the fourth year, however, all of its fruit shall be sacred to the LORD as a thanksgiving feast to him. Not until the fifth year may you eat its fruit. Thus it will continue its yield for you. (v. 23-25)

Fallen Fruit has a manifesto which includes a few palatable ideas for urban planning, "Fruit can grow almost anywhere, and can be harvested by everyone. Our cities are planted with frivolous and ugly landscaping, sad shrubs and neglected trees, whereas they should burst with ripe produce. Great sums of money are spent on young trees, water and maintenance. While these trees are beautiful, they could be healthy, fruitful and beautiful."

They take a more socialist approach with how to approach the policy change, which I whole heartily disagree with when it is this far reaching. These are the parts I can support: encouraging local governments, "to support community gardens" and allowing "our streets to be lined with" fruit trees. I do have one caution though, we as a people have enough problems shoveling our sidewalk, let alone the City picking up leaves from the curb, which locally still hasn't been completed from last year. How are we going to assure the roads will be safe to travel on without any the fallen fruit rotting in the Indiana late summer and autumn rainstorms? I don't know, I'm just waiting for the day when I get to hear, "Hey, um Dad?"; "Yes, Son?"; "Dad I was getting ready to pull my new moped into the driveway and it slipped on a rotten banana peel!": "Are you okay?"; "Yeah Dad I'm fine, but I almost ran over the neighbor's cat, and the moped is under Mom and Dad and your new Boyfriend's truck." We also can not forget the squirrels. They will go after your nuts if they cant find their own.

The part of the manifesto which demands "only plant fruit-bearing trees in public parks" and the "demand that all parking lots be landscaped with fruit trees which provide shade, clean the air and feed the people, is poor sighted land management and violations of property rights. Sometimes those evergreens or firs are necessary for shelter and windbreaks. Yes even other creatures depend on those non fruit trees for shelter!

The failure to Government Owned Community Gardens is that not everyone will get involved, which is necessary for success in political based organization and structure. As a rule of thumb, for the City Park employees assigned to oversee the project, their paycheck must be reflective to a certain portion of the success or failure of the project, otherwise their main goal is just to get the assignment out of the way as they would still get paid the same amount.



Edible Estates @ Descano Gardens in Los Angeles is a little more immune (video) to that rule of thumb. EDIBLE ESTATES is the brain child product of Designer and Artist Fritz Haeg, where he explores and practices the history, horticulture, and art as well as the pragmatic implications of functioning gardens and a truly living your life with your neighbors off your front porch versus manicured lawns. There is more information about Edible Estates at the bottom of this post and in the two videos above and below this section.



9. BECOME A WORKER OWNER IN A GREEN COOP BUSINESS

The solution is where the green collective and worker-owner cooperative paradigms intersects with the capitalist economic spirit of entrepreneurial initiatives, and thereby removes Government obscure grasp and drives the economy in a revitalized manor while providing equal opportunities for success to increase, with a limit to individual failure and reprisals. Join with other like minded individuals and become worker owners of companies, serving a growing dynamic across the current boundaries of industry lines and coercive union & labor struggles against the corporate dollar, by making the employees the owners of their own destiny and profit or loss.

Heartland Communities is currently working on an Economic Sustainability Project and we have four of the twelve prong process being forged under the heat of a great fire (the determination of the human soul to become something bigger than its self), along with some other like minded people, whom have the same drive and passion, to make the world a better, cleaner, more sane, place to dwell with one another. If you care to get involved contact me below in the comments or email or any other STEWARD through MySpace, or Yahoo! Group.

We have also begun the process to be recognized by the City Government as a Community Housing Development Organization for the near northwest area of the City and Downtown, which is going to open up a mother load of opportunities for us to showcase both green technologies and worker owner businesses that will establish economic sustainability, the procurement of local food resources, and cooperative housing models of ownership, amongst other opportunities for everyone to be involved in at the ground level.

UPDATE via CSPANJUNKIE.ORG 26 January 2009:
President Barack H. Obama releases Administration policy on Environment and Energy Dependency

He began the press conference by confirming massive layoffs of thousands of people at each of these major companies across the country including MicroSoft, Intel, United Airlines, Home Depot, Caterpillar, Sprint/Nextell, . He continued with a short history of broken promises by previous Presidents and other politicians for the last three decades, and then announced today that His Administration's Policy is to reverse our nation's dependence on foreign oil through several steps. Through these first steps, beginning with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka, the next trillion dollar bailout currently going through the Congress) as a down payment, on this "new energy economy, that will put hundreds of million of people to work. He proceeded to list the objectives:

• Put 460,000 Americans to work with clean energy investments;
• Double the capacity to create alternative energy over the next 3 years;
• Lay down three thousand miles of transmission lines to deliver the new energy;
• Assert savings of two billion dollars per year by making 75% Federal Properties efficient;
• Assert savings of hundreds of dollars on energy bills by weatherizing two million homes;
• Implements new fuel efficiency standards for model year 2011;
• Restore States Rights when determining Energy and Environmental Policies (sort of maybe);
• Global Coalition on Climate and Energy Economy

CONTACT INFORMATION & FOLLOW UP RESOURCES

Environmental Working Group [Website]
1436 U St NW Suite 100 Washington, DC 20009

Cris Dorman [EMail][Website]
Coordinator of Public Outreach and Education
Indiana Office of Energy Development
101 W. Ohio St. Ste 1250 Indianapolis, IN 46204

PASSAGE: Leviticus 19:9-10, 23-25, as copied from the New American Bible
and provided by the United States Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops.

Fallen Fruit & Public Fruit Jam: Think scavenger hunt & quilting bee but with Fruit for Canning.

EDIBLE ESTATES with FRITZ HAEG
[Website][YouTube][Buy Book]

OTHER URBAN FARMING/ NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION INITIATIVES
Dudley Street Neighborhood Initatives in Roxbury Massachusetts.
Growing Power locations in Milwaukee, and Chicago with National Training Centers in Arkansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi and future locations in Georgia, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.
PATH TO FREEDOM By The Dervaes Family, Urban Homesteaders [MySpace][Facebook][YouTube]