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.""

RESOURCES:
Post on F6: Harrison Square |
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Bois With Sticks In Jocks Chasing Balls

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.

AFA and Micah Clark at it again this time on your radio with kids

In a recent press release (copied below), made available to the local bloggers by Dan Turkette of Fort Wayne News, Micah Clark, President of the American Family Association of Indiana Political Action Coalition, has issued a hateful, misinformed, irrational, radio commercial and campaign. Their latest attack on liberty violates the innocence of a child, lambastes GLBTIQAS citizens, and strives to cow toe legislators into pushing this Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, known as SJR7, (which should never be heard by the General Assembly to begin with let alone passed) by the General Assembly, to a referendum by the people. This is bad law and "it don't get mo' simpler th'n that"! (*updated 11 February 08)

"Why shouldn't it be given to the people to decide?" You wonder. Because unlike the common convenient knowledge and presumption by the media, we don't live in a democracy but a democratic representative Republic. Part of the job of a representative government is to stop the idiots within either a majority or minority of the citizenry from having false force in what actually gets signed into law. We elect representatives to not just govern but to protect the individual citizen's Divine endowed rights as well as the collective citizens guarantee of those Divine endowed individual rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The minute you reduce the individual rights of someone based on a social classification or association system you automatically deny their equality and nobility as a human being and relegate them to a status as a beast of burden. That, Mr. Clark, makes you no different than Lucifer to deny the Divine's love for, image in, and likeness portrayed by, all mankind. (ref: Sir Francis Bacon)

Furthermore, and my primary issue with the advertisement, by exploiting the innocence of a child in your commercial, asking him to present outlandish and unfounded questions, and focusing the listener to deny the power of love being more powerful than anything else, you should be ashamed of yourself and "tie the mill stone around your own neck (Gospel of St. Luke 17:1-4)".

Mr. Clark, keep your political religion out of my childrens' personal relationships with LORD Joshua-Emmanuel of Nazareth, aka "Jesus Christ". By the way, just to answer your advertisement's second question, my four sons have three fathers and two mothers combined. You do the math Mr. Clark. That is five times the love and care, for each one of them!

Calling on Legislators to Protect Marriage in Indiana
by Micah Clark, President AFA of Indiana PAC

(Indianapolis) - The AFA of Indiana PAC has launched a groundbreaking radio ad campaign urging Hoosiers to contact their legislators in support of traditional marriage. The ad titled “Confused Children” features children questioning the implications of same-sex marriage in Indiana.

These powerful new 60-second spots are, have or will air on radio stations in the following cities across Indiana: Anderson, Booneville, Elkhart, Evansville, Franklin/Greenwood, Greenfield, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Michigan City, and South Bend. The ads are appearing on talk, country and Christian formats on both AM and FM bands.

The ads are designed to generate phone calls into the Indiana House urging legislators to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment (SJR 7), which recently passed the Senate for the fourth time with broad bi-partisan support. House Speaker Patrick Bauer and House Rules Committee Chairman Scott Pelath hold the fate of SJR 7 in their hands. If moved through the Rules Committee, the amendment would pass with strong bi-partisan support of the Indiana House.

“This ad is designed to urge people to contact their legislators about the importance of protecting our marriage laws. It is also designed to challenge those who mistakenly think that allowing two men to marry is no big deal. Because both mothers and fathers matter, the definition of marriage matters,” said Micah Clark, AFA of Indiana PAC President.

The Indiana House must pass SJR 7 this session, or the amendment dies, and the entire process must begin again leaving Indiana’s marriage laws unprotected until 2012. Twenty-seven states have already enacted Marriage Protection Amendments. Many of those without amendments have faced legal challenges from gay rights groups attempting to use the courts and activist judges to force state governments to embrace same-sex marriage. Next week homosexual activists are gathering at the Indiana capitol for a rally for same-sex marriage, the second such rally in less than four months.

Now that Mr. Clark has gotten his fifteen minutes, let me clarify what Indiana Equality is addressing at its annual rally at the State House. This years rally is entitled “Equality IS a Hoosier Value!” and will be held President's Day, Monday, 18th of February, 2008 from 1:00pm to 2:30pm @ The Indiana Statehouse, North Atrium.

It is more important than ever to help educate your legislators on its hidden dangers. While increasing numbers of representatives are becoming aware of growing problems with “marriage discrimination amendments” passed by other states, we need your help to let them know how they can make the best decision for Indiana .

It is also important to tell our legislators that we want bias crimes legislation to be enacted, and civil rights protections expanded. All Hoosiers deserve not to live in fear for their lives or in fear they might lose their job. Help us cast the widest net possible by ALERTING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS to this important opportunity to make a difference and voice your concerns. Show our legislators that words do matter! Help ensure that Indiana:

· prevents the passage of a DANGEROUS AMENDMENT that HURTS ALL HOOSIERS
· recognizes that HOOSIERS deserve to be PROTECTED from BIAS-BASED CRIMES
· expands its CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS to include ALL HOOSIERS

The Indiana Senate has once again passed SJR-7, and it now makes its way to the Indiana House of Representatives for consideration in the coming days. The Senate had all but decided to not give SJR-7 a hearing this year, but the so called "pro-family" organizations like Advance America, the Indiana Family Institute and the American Family Association of Indiana put extreme pressure on the Senate leadership, and they changed course.

Indiana Equality continues to work closely with leadership of the House of Representatives to make sure that this harmful bill does not see the light of day again this year. While we expect victory again this year, it's clear, as evidenced by the attempt to put marriage language into the proposed constitutional amendment on property taxes, that the proponents of the Marriage Discrimination Amendment will not stop their questionable tactics to keep this hurtful bill in play. Passage of SJR-7 by the Indiana House of Representatives will keep this harmful legislation in play and set the stage for a possible ballot initiative this year.

If approved by the electorate, SJR-7 will forever write discrimination into the Indiana Constitution, affecting thousands of Hoosier families. Other ideas you can do to take action:

· Write the editor of your local newspaper to express your support/opposition to legislation.
· Hand write a letter to your local elected officials letting them know about unfair legislation or practices.
· Talk to your friends, family and neighbors how unfair legislation affects all Hoosier families.

[F6 EDITOR'S NOTES & ADDENDUM:]

+ To hear the statewide version of AFA's new ad, click here (http://www.afainpac.net/Audio/IN-FebAd.mp3)

+ There are many things you can do to stem the tide of the rhetoric of our detractors. For more information, visit Indiana Equality. You will find a wealth of information that will assist you in making a difference.

+ "They that deny a God destroy man’s nobility; for certainly man is of kin to the beasts by his body; and, if he be not of kin to God by his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature."
(Sir Francis Bacon)

SHORTBUS creates local controversy at Public Library

John Cameron Mitchell's film SHORTBUS which introduced the world to the music and acting of Jay Brannan has come under the guise of certain puritan idealist locally. According to a WANE TV report, local activist Mike Hinkle is on a mission of ignorance and mortification, based on his perception of normal everyday American SEX! Yes you read correctly, a movie that discusses that horrible topic about what we do to each other willingly, yet refuse to talk about; while we wonder why our kids our having kids and worse yet getting incurable diseases, because no one is willing to have an honest conversation about relationships, let alone sex! SHORTBUS and the actors who starred in it had that as its primary goal a discussion and presentation about RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX!!

Now apparently he has rented SHORTBUS along with several other movies he deems unworthy of public comment and review to be taken to the Associated Churches of Fort Wayne. To start a censorship battle with the Library Board there? Who knows.

"Hinkle is now (supposedly) filing a formal complaint with the library, to have the movie banned from the library shelves. Hinkle says a library committee reviews complaints about material, and then decides whether or not to take action." A move Justin Roebuck, another long time patron of the library, agrees with sort of. "That gentleman has every right to file a complaint, but I think it's up to individual discretion to decide what is, and is not pornography." Justin further defended the film, "It is about sex in modern day America. I think it was an important film, actually."

F6 wants to take a moment, roll over and give Justin four paws in the air, for standing up for truth and freedom of speech in the midst of this obvious act of bigoted close minded grandstanding on the part of Mike Hinkle.

Library Director Jeff Krull reassured citizens that when patrons check out those kinds of magazines, they have to leave behind their driver's license for collateral. When it comes to checking out movies, Krull says the staff strictly enforces the G-, PG-, and R-rating system. A further clarification of the system states that unrated movies which include certain foreign language films and television shows also are unrated and therefore have restricted access.

In a letter dated the eleventh of January 2008, Jeff explains the Resource Development Policy to a concerned female patron, "materials in the collection present all points of view on the current and historical issues and inclusive portrayals of human experience in a wide variety of media and styles." Jeff goes on in the letter to express one of the most Libertarian stances I have ever heard in my lifetime: "It is not the ACPL policy not to place any... restrictions on borrowers in making ... selections. We rely on parents (as the primary educators of their children) to provide guidance and direction to their children on appropriate reading choices. We believe it is the right and responsibility of parents, and only parents, to restrict their own children's access to library materials they believe are unsuitable."

The letter was made available by Dan Turkette of Fort Wayne News here in (pdf) his coverage of this story. Which brings me to my last notation: I am actually the one who made the formal request for this movie to be purchased, so I could review it on here as part of F6's service to the community and broaden everyone's queer horizons a little more each day, since they couldn't retrieve it from another library. Six month turn around is actually fast work on their part which results in a excellent government efficiency rating for processing a casual request! Thank you to WANE TV, Dan, and Mike for bringing this to my attention so promptly.

Now all I have to do is pray that Mike or the Associated Churches decide to return the DVD to the Library rather than burning it in effigy. To refuse to allow the rest of the citizenry make an open and honest decision for themselves about this offering to the public conversations surrounding RELATIONSHIPS and SEXUALITY would be the greatest offense to the Constitution hands down! If it is not returned, I would hope that the ACPL would restrict if not ban this zealot from checking out further material at a minimum and preferably they would sue his ass in federal court for theft or destruction of public property and violation of our first amendment rights to preview information that is already in the public sphere.

[Editor's Note: Text in orange was highlighted after posting, reflecting
where it was quoted without direct cite by The News Sentinel.]



[F6 UPDATED:] In his Opening Arguments, Leo Morris, reminds us that in fact the correct legal question regarding Community Standards is whether SHORTBUS is obscene not pornographic and that review falls under the jurisdiction of the County Prosecutor who will probably not touch this issue with a twenty foot pole and defer to the standing policy of the Library's review process for guidance.

[THIS IS A POLITICAL RANT:] Although with that information now out on the blogosphere, we are only three steps away from a concerned member of the Associated Churches or the Library Board to resign from a statewide watchdog organization which then turns around and files a formal complaint even after the local government authority clears the movie from any violation of community standards or obscenity, to get the ball rolling yet again. I wonder who the Special Prosecutor will be for this one. Can you imagine the headline "City of Churches sues Independent Film".

It is We The People not I The Citizen at the beginning of the Constitution!

Come on people this whole fiasco is a flagrant violation of the intent behind our first amendment rights and my liberty to decide what is appropriate for myself and my children to read or view. This isn't about porn it is about an honest visual conversation that apparently some in the community don't want to have undertaken, and that my friends, is puritanical censorship not to mention minority rules trumping majority rights.

Democratic Chair calls for Tom Henry to resign?

Kevin Knuth is the current Democratic Party of Allen County Chair which makes it even more ironic that he can support someone for Mayor that he knows will fuck over the City three fold as evidenced by an editorial written back in 1994 during Tom Henry's five terms on City Council.

My Vote is for Matt Kelty because he is a man of principles and values and he is not part of the old boys network that keeps this City government stuck in the 70's. And as far as Matt's stance on GLBT issues he is on record as saying that no one especially Gays and Lesbians will be discriminated against in his Administration.

Remember also to vote Libertarians for City Council. We have eight candidates running (that is three at large and one per district except in the fourth). Experience a new way of doing business in the Summit City for more information visit allencountylp.org and allencountylp.blogspot.com

Respectfully,

Fr. Fozy Bear
MRev. Kenneth White, Jnr.

From the December 12th 1994 Journal Gazette Letters to the Editor

LAW DOESN’T REQUIRE COUNCIL RAISES

I am motivated to write after reading Councilman’s Tom Henry’s letter to the editor in the Journal Gazette on Dec. 5.

I understand that state law mandates that legislative bodies set their own salaries since they are the fiscal bodies of the municipalities they represent. However, the law does not state that they must increase amount paid to public “servants” every year.

Every member of the city council was quite aware of the rate of pay they would receive for the positions they campaigned for.

If Henry feels the position does pay well enough, perhaps he should resign. If his constituents feel his services are going to be so greatly missed, I am sure they will take up a collection to make it worth his while to “serve”.

It’s time to wake up, Mr. Henry. I, and many like me are tired of paying more taxes. I strongly suspect that as council members come up for re-election, the voters will send the same message that was sent to Washington last month. The the ex-council members will earn their raises like everyone else in the private sector.

Kevin R. Knuth
Fort Wayne

source of gratitude Dan Turkette