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]

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
Previous Post On F6: [Tin Caps] [Harrison Square]
[Support 3 Rivers Athletics]
F6 Links Pages: [3 Rivers Athletics] [3 Rivers Bike & Cycling] [Gay & Lesbian Sports]

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.

Now for some other stuff going on in the Community

Sorry this post is running behind ... I was called out on a pastoral every time I tried to write it.

For those whom don't wish to attend Fort Wayne PRIDE Festival this Friday 7p-12m $3 and Saturday 12n-12m $5 at Head Waters Park there are tons and I do mean TONS of other things going on this weekend around our three rivers.

Tuesday marked the beginning of the Allen County Fair at the Carroll Road Complex (about 2 miles north of DuPont and Lima Road/State Road 3 and then left or west 2 miles on Carroll). The fair grounds are on the north or right hand side of the road. Sunday is a Fair free day and the rides are all a dollar, for those with big families; otherwise, admission is $5 dollars per person per day and certain events do cost extra but there is still plenty of fun and inquisitive things for people of all ages to learn and explore during the Fair.

If you can leave the kids with a babysitter this Saturday, the DownTown Improvement District along with Comcast is hosting Island Fest, from 4p-12m, admission is $5, on the Columbia Street Landing, between Harrison and Calhoun Streets, one block south of Superior Boulevard, with free parking in the City County Building Parking Garage. Come down with your friends for live music, sand volleyball, and island-inspired food and drinks from Columbia Street West, Club Soda and Hartley’s. If you miss this event the DID will be hosting a Mardi Gras celebration event the 9th of August from 6p-12m also with a $5 admission.

Also this Saturday, There is an Open House and Art Show from 7-9p at Home Grown Bead and Candle Shoppe @ 125 West Wayne which will feature original abstract and raw work by Abbie Griswold.

Shakespeare From The Heart, a local volunteer theatre troupe, does The Bard the way he intended: out in the Park and off the cuff. You should come check out this years performance selection, Taming of the Shrew. SFTH show times are this Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of July, and next Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd of August, 7p @ IPFW outside of Walb Student Union. For those of you in Kendalville, we'll have a performance on Sunday, 27th of July, 2p in Floral Hall. Please come and support your local talent, local charities, and all the hard work these people have put in to this year's play! Donations are gratefully accepted and go directly to benefit other local charities.

F6 CALENDAR: Highlighting Other and Ongoing Events:

THURSDAY

Late Nights @ The Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Thursdays from 5p-9p. Admission Is Free

FRIDAY

Free Music Fest, Every Friday 7-10p @ The Bean
1008 N. Wells, north over the Superior Street Bridge across from the Public Safety Officers Memorial and next to Cloud 9. Come on by for some organic fair trade food and coffee or a just to celebrate our Community's musicians. And yes, The Bean is located @ the former Hide~n~Seek's Gay Leather and Levi Bar and they have changed it into a beautiful baby blue and white cafe and gathering place. I want to applaud them for keeping some of the old bar archietecture and design, it is a phenomenal tribute to the continued "Community Building" that this location will hopefully always provide.

Critical Mass Bike Ride 6:30p @ Lawton Park, meet by the gazebo.
(north of 4th Street @ Clinton across from the Skate Park)
The News Sentinel did a cover story on CMFW last month.
Event happens the last Friday of the month, no matter what the weather

F6 LINKS PAGE: To find out more about Local Cycling and our Bike Trails System visit our Links Page


SATURDAY

BARR STREET MARKET

• presented by YLNI and The History Center and WMEE 97.3FM
  
• northeast corner of Wayne and Barr Streets (Old City Hall Complex)
  
• Saturdays from 12th June to end of September from 9a-1p

ARCH's South Side Farmers Market

• @ 3300 Warsaw Street
• Saturdays from 3rd May to 22nd November from 7a-1p

F6 LINKS PAGE:
There are 2 Community Festivals over next weekend:

Harlan Days

• @ Harlan Community Park
  
• 31st July-2nd August 5-10:30 Th&F; 6:15a-11p Sat;
• Admission varies for certain events only
  
• 6 minutes north of exit 25 of I-469 @ SR 37
  
• (aka Crescent/Stellhorn) hang a left between Spencerville Road and School Street to get to the park.

Huntertown's Heritage Days Festival
(right click into new tab
1st link, for town website;
2nd link, for festival schedule)

• 1st-2nd August 5-10p F; 7a-10p St
• Most events are free especially in the main tent;
• Continuous running events include a Verizon Fios Van, Food Court, Historical Display in School till 8:00 Sat. Silent Auction till 6:00 Sat. in school, Moonwalk
  
• There may be a small charge for some games/events/food, hosted by other groups;
  

Local Queer Community Calendar Update

*This post has been updated*
The next two weeks or so are going to be very busy for the local GLBTIQAS Community as we prepare for our annual family reunion, aka PRIDE FEST, at the end of this month. I want to take a moment and wish Bil Browning and Jerame Davis, along with all the other Indiana and Inter/National writers and editors, that have made The BILERICO Project the successful avenue of information and queer thought that it is, Happy One Year Anniversary!!

In just a few hours (10 p.m.) contestants will be gathering at After Dark Night Club on Harrison Street, five blocks south of the Grand Wayne Center, to begin finding out who will be the IDOL of Fort Wayne PRIDE Fest 2008. But that is not all.... There are still two other events for PRIDE this week and the Human Rights Campaign's Fort Wayne Chapter has two events going on in the next two weeks as well. Here is a breakdown of the local GLBT Calendar as far as we know or have information for the rest of the month.

• Wed. 9th PRIDE IDOL @ ADNC 10p.m.
  
• no door cover charge
  
• Thurs. 10th Obama for President PRIDE
• Question and Answer Session 7:00p.m.
• @ Allen Co. Public Library Pontiac Branch @ 2215 South Hanna St. (north of Creighton)
  
• Sat. 12th FLOW Poetry and Art Slam Benefit @ UTSCC 7p.m. sugg. donation $5
  
• Sat. 12th Mr. PRIDE Pageant @ ADNC 10p.m. door cover $4or 5 (manager not sure)
  
• Mon. 14th PRIDE IDOL for MINORS @ The PINT & SLICE @ 7p.m. sharp
• Mon. 14th PFLAG FW Chapter Monthly Meeting @ Plymouth (West Berry) 7p.m.
• Tues. 15th HRCFW Volunteer Mobilization Meeting (open post in a new tab)
• @ Allen Co Public Library Main Trunk Business & Technology Room 6:30p.m.
• Wed 16th FW PRIDE VOLUNTEER MEETING 6p.m.
  
• Allen County Public Library Main Branch Meeting Room C
  
• Sat. 19th FW Area Bears Breakfast @ Golden Corral on Maysville Road 9:30a.m.
• Fri. 25th PRIDE Fest @ Head Waters Park East 7p.m.-12mdnght admit $3
• Sat. 26th PRIDE Fest @ Head Waters Park East 12noon-12mdnght admit $5
• Sun. 27th Open Door Chapel PRIDE Picnic @ Rockhill Park Pavilion 12 noon
• Rockhill Park is located on Catalpa between West Jefferson and Taylor east of Freeman
  
• Hot Dogs provided please bring covered dish and beverages (no alcohol) to share
  

EDITOR'S NOTES: YOU CAN READ OTHER POSTS ON F6 ABOUT FW PRIDE 2008 HERE, HERE & HERE AND THE HRCFW VOLUNTEER MEETING. YOU MAY ALSO WISH TO PERUSE F6's LINKS PAGE FOR INFO ON GAY FORT WAYNE OR IN GENERAL GAY & LESBIAN RESOURCES ALSO.

As F6 approaches its 200th post in the next two weeks....We need to review and do some updates.

It is time to do some tidying up around here, clean up some loose ends, get the three blogs that technically make up F6 streamlined a little better. Some of that has been going on behind the scenes over the last couple of weeks and plans have been in the works since May. However as anybody who operates a venue that serves a broad segment of the population across the electronic two lane highway is aware, sometimes you just have to stop for a couple of days to a week and do a full sweep. In order to get both the full priorities of this forum in place and functioning which will assure that the next few hundred posts are less painful then the last two hundred, I will not be actively posting until next Saturday although I do have the post for Wednesday already written out, sort of.

So what is different so far?

Font and Text Colours: The Font unless GOOGLE screws something up will always be Georgia. While I have been playing with the colour scheme of the blog we are pretty much settled on a basic format. From the Sunday after Easter to the Eve of All All Saints/Samhain the blog background will be the beige that you see today. From All Saints to Easter it will be that dismal Grey that you originally saw last year.

The basic colours of the blog are Orange, Hunter Green, and Navy Blue. Orange is primarily for links, it stands out. Hunter Green is for My Direct Editorial or Commentary and Navy Blue is for articles and sub headers within the blog. Now occasionally Hunter Green and Navy Blue will interchange within a given field of text to make a particular point stand out, but that is the only time. I have tried to be consistent on that recently but even I get a little sidetracked on which colours go where, when dealing with older posts or something I am really passionate about, pardon me for that.

Comments are no longer on moderation: One of the primary reasons F6's Comments were on moderation is so that I could see them. Judging by my site meter almost all of my traffic comes well after the fact of me publishing a particular post, because I have a tendency to publish ahead of the popular culture curve. So in order to keep up with who posted what to where, it was easier to track by simply putting the comments on moderation. Under the sixth links section to the left entitled "What y'all bitch at me for? Keep doing it please!" You will find the five most recent comments on F6.

F6's Links Page and Feeds or Jump Page: Are so far cleaned up and have been streamlined... I still need to clean up the colours on the Feeds and Jump Page. The Links Page has been cleaned up with the links on the left side now having their own separate posts, though still with the pictures as links for now, until readers have time to get used to the change.

Some of the new Links include: Throwing A Party Across Three Rivers and Pedalling Your Paws Across Three Rivers and these can always be directly accessed either by going to the LINKS PAGE and clicking on the Category Fort Wayne, Indiana or by going down the left side of this main page to the tenth links section under the "Room For Dreams" banner and picking which particular set of links you want to view.

So what is going to be new?

Cleaning up of the old posts: First of all, I am going to have to go back and sift all of the last hundred and ninety eight posts. As the blog has transitioned I want to go back and make sure that there is uniformity while I still have a feasible chance to do so. Second there are at least three posts that could be deleted under the Administration of the Blog because they no longer apply to the application and operation of F6. I am still wrestling with that one though, I don't like the idea of destroying part of the blogs history and development but the post themselves will never again be applicable to the blog. However if I did remove those three posts and two others it would postpone by a week the two hundred mark that precipitated this review process initially.

What are your thoughts on that?
Please leave your comments below.

New Content; New Contributors: I have asked a local political cartoonist Christopher Bennett to step back into his once infamous role as the author of Topher Time. He has agreed to provide F6 with two (sometimes multiple panel) cartoons a month. Needless to say this will be interesting, as always I will not edit his work for space or content. Y'all are in for an adventure as he puts pencil to paper once again. I am currently in conversation with three other local authors who wish to contribute content occasionally and one international author whom is originally from the Fort Wayne area who wants to share his memories of Gay Fort Wayne with you all.

Over all I think that is pretty fucking cool that over the last eleven months that F6 version 2.0 has become an internationally reviewed source of local queer social and political perspective!

Anyway that is enough for now I have two major awesome updates:

A week ago I posted regarding FORT WAYNE PRIDE FEST; which will happen @ Head Waters Park East the last weekend of this month. Recently there was another post on the FWPC MySpace regarding the PRIDE IDOL karaoke contest for those under the legal drinking age. The under twenty one portion of the PRIDE IDOL contest will happen @ The Pint & Slice on Calhoun at the 14th of July 7p.m. sharp. The Committee is still in need of volunteers and you can fill out an application (pdf) online or contact Nikki via email nikki@fortwaynepride.org. As previously mentioned in the last post, the Mr. Pride Pageant is on the 12th of July and the adult PRIDE IDOL contest is on 9th of July. Both events start around 10 p.m. @ After Dark Night Club on South Harrison Street five blocks south of The Grand Wayne Center past Powers and under the viaduct.

I also have a three part post on Gays In The Military which I was going to break it up between Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but I decided that was just a little annoying, even for me. So I am going to take care of the one update part of that post series here and save the rest for the post two Saturdays from now, as originally scheduled.

Brazilian soldier released after arrest for coming out
22 June 2008 Gay News Watch

The Brazilian Army has released a soldier arrested on the set of a nationwide TV show just before going on-air with his military boyfriend. Sgt. Fernando de Alcantara Figueiredo spent eight days in an Army prison in Brasilia after appearing on the cover of the magazine Epoca, going public about being gay and his relationship with Laci Marino de Araujo. Army officials claimed Figueiredo was arrested for desertion after he traveled to Sao Paulo to appear on a program for Rede TV! hosted by an ex-girlfriend of Rolling Stones rocker Mick Jagger. They also said he violated Army regulations about appearing in public with an altered military uniform; the magazine cover pictured both men in uniform. Figueiredo claimed his trip was on his own time and was needed to receive medical treatment. His release followed high profile criticism of the arrest from human rights groups and gay activists inside and outside Latin America's largest country.

F6 EDITOR'S COURTESY: 3 days later this story was updated again via MADE IN BRAZIL:

Gay ex-sergeant sues Brazilian military over arrest

A Brazilian Army sergeant who came out last month on the cover of nationwide magazine filed a lawsuit yesterday against the military command in the southeast of the country. Former Sgt. Fernando Alcântara de Figueiredo wants to prove that his arrest and that of his partner by the Army were a result of homophobia, that they were physically and verbally abused, and that the Army denied proper medical health to his partner. According to Figueiredo, the lawsuit was filed in the state of São Paulo because that is where he and his partner were arrested. The Army will be tried based on law 10.948/2001, the first law against homophobia in the state which was used as a precedent back in 2003 when two gay men sued Frei Caneca Mall for discrimination after kissing in public. Figueiredo left the Army on June 27, after being arrested twice. His partner Laci Marinho de Araújo is still in jail.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The above articles are in conclusion towards two previous post covering the story about particular Gays In The Military which can be found here and here. F6 also has an extensive LINKS PAGE regarding this topic and many others for your perusal.

I will see you all next Saturday ..... Blessings Along The Journey!

Fort Wayne PRIDE Fest: warming up to be a mediocre celebration this year.

Just within the past month or so the GLBT Community has finally been receiving messages from our Fort Wayne PRIDE Festival Committee regarding this year's celebration. The group has a new host for its website and it looks really awesome in the picturesque "Room For Dreams" colour scheme and display. Unfortunately for myself the schedule as it is laid out so far is lame as hell. Instead of taking the opportunity to reinvent the wheel after an awesome fucking late show last year arranged (16-July-08*updated via Della: by Paige Turner and headlined*) by Miss Tykela, crowned Miss Fort Wayne PRIDE 2007, it seems like the schedule (as of 19April08, pdf) just languishes.

I mean no offense, and I do love their music, but who wants to hear two hours of Good Night Gracie on Friday? For that matter, do we really need a drag show on Saturday to go on for two hours either? Both events close their perspective evenings of PRIDE Fest from 10p-12m. I do like the fact that they are bringing in newer talent like Rich Lysaght (Friday, 8:50p) and some committed classic performers @ our PRIDE return as well like LVNMUZIQ (Saturday, 12:45p). But seriously after ten years one would think that the same old format needs to change or at least mature to the next level.

I am pleased to announce that after three weeks since the competition, we "finally know who" Miss Fort Wayne PRIDE 2008 will be, Della Licious, the incomparable former morning Disc Jockey on WJFX HOT107.9, is going to be representing the Fort Wayne Gay Community in her finest fashion and presentation. I have to give credit to Della she is a friend and strong advocate for the GLBTIQAS Community. Mr. Pride will be decided on the 12th of July along with the other competition going on for PRIDE, which is an "IDOL" karaoke competition with the preliminary rounds happening on the 9th of July. All three preliminary events are being held @ After Dark Night Club, 1601 South Harrison Street (5 blocks south of Jefferson Boulevard, past Powers Hamburgers and under the viaduct).

Of course that leads back to one of my original bitch session for the last decade (10 years):
Q: Why does everything queer happen at the bars?
A: The bars are for Queers what the Church is for Blacks.

As a matter of fact a lot of Gay Churches started in the back of the Gay Bars on a Sunday night. The bars were the only historical place for us to be ourselves, be safe, be with each other, get caught up on the news of the day or current queer events, and rally for our equality and freedom. So therefore younger queer bois and gyrlz can not participate in the activities within the larger GLBTIQAS Community, because alcohol is being consumed/served. Then as that is the case, you are not considered a "full member of the Community" unless you are at the bar once in awhile. In addition, because our Community organizations and leaders are so lacking in responsibility and accountability, most of the local queer youth and young adult programs are so deficient it is ridiculous to consider them even functional at the moment. But anyway I digress and will return back to the original intent of this post.

Yesterday this message came through the FWPC MySpace: We are almost one month away from Pride '08 and we are seeking volunteers to help with front gate, wristbanding, security, the childrens' area and set up/ tear down. Anyone is able to take advantage of being a Pride '08 volunteer which includes a free t-shirt and free admission on the day you work! Being a volunteer is a great way to help out Pride and not have the commitment of being on the committee. For more info or to fill out a volunteer application (pdf) visit our website.

There is still no word on how much admission will be ...wait the secret press release just came through.... apparently the price has not changed from last year, thank goodness, it will be $3 dollars on Friday the 25th of July from 7p-12m and $5 Saturday from 12n-12m @ Head Waters Park East. To read more of Nikki Berger-Fultz's commentary on the history and future of Fort Wayne PRIDE Fest, and a response to some critics, please check out page 3 of the July issue of Reality Magazine which will hit news stands near you in a week or so.

FINAL COMMENTARY:

One of the things that frustrates me more than any is that our PRIDE Fest has gotten stuck some where between a family reunion and a full fledged big city event.

One of the things I seriously miss, that was promised to be brought back by now, was an open volleyball (all the hot sweaty bois with their shirts off, yummy!) game, but it hasn't still happened. Volleyball is one of the "event's qualities" that kept our celebration and our Community more like family, rather than every organization and group's leader challenging for top dog position within the Community during PRIDE.

During PRIDE opposing sides actually came together during the festival and now we find ourselves on the opposite side of a huge tent and bitching about how incompetent the other organizations are, while having to shout over the music like a banshee because the echo/reverberation is too loud.

Let us not even get started on the interpersonal drama between individuals within the Community as a whole. Sure you can hate the other persons guts for fucking your best friend's boyfriend's ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend or ex; but back then you didn't let it affect you at PRIDE! In Fort Wayne, unfortunately if you have fucked one of them, you have in essence fucked all four, sexually or otherwise. Thank GOD, I am still a virgin!!!

PRIDE is not just about being proud.

It is about becoming a family with other people that have common interests or bonds (like a pride of lions). That is what I miss about PRIDE. What do you miss? What do you want to see change? What do you want to see come back? and What should they do away with? Please leave your answers to these questions and any comments below. Comments will be forwarded on.

EDITOR'S UPDATE:
The followup post for this review and further analysis of this post may be found here:
UPDATE: FW PRIDE! And just to prove how open I am to all of your comments...