High Speed Rail in Fort Wayne?

If you attended the annual meeting, you heard our 2nd District Councilperson, Karen Goldner, advocate for the return of passenger rail service to Fort Wayne. According to the Downtown Improvement District's counts, more than 800 people attended the recent "Rally for Rail", held at the Baker Street Station.

A group has formed to help advance this important cause. The Northeast Indiana Passenger Rail Association (NIPRA), is part of the Invent Tomorrow Initiative. They are the folks responsible for the Rally for Rail. They have a web site, http://nipra2rail.wordpress.com, where you can find updated information, and links to e-mail addresses and contact info for the Governor and our legislators.

It's especially important that we take a moment and contact the Governor. President Obama has put money aside in the stimulus bill for the expansion of high-speed rail. We need to make sure that Fort Wayne is part of that plan.

2nd District News

Our next 2nd District Community Meeting will be Monday, April 27, 7 p.m., at Shoaff Park Riverlodge (straight west off of St. Joe Road, past the golf course). Our speaker will be Mayor Tom Henry, so please come for this opportunity to talk with our mayor.

Wednesday, March 25, 7 p.m., will be the first episode of a new show on "City TV" (Comcast 58/FIOS 28) called "Constructive Thinking." This will focus on the many and varied things that our Public Works and City Utilities departments do, hosted by yours truly. The 30-minute show will air on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., alternating with "Council Call-in." The first show is "Water, Water Everywhere" and includes discussion of the recent flood, flood control projects, repairing sewers and fixing potholes (which are caused by water if you think about it). In addition to some in-studio interviews we have filmed some interviews in the field so I hope it is interesting to watch. The April show will feature a rain garden theme and will include some how-to advice. We are trying to see whether we can get this podcasted so that people without Comcast or FIOS service can watch, because we know that this is going to be THE show of the season (just kidding on that last part.)

ABC’s EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION SEARCHING FOR HEROIC FAMILIES
From ABC:

Do you know someone whose home deserves an Extreme Makeover? If so, the producers of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition want to hear from you! Ty Pennington and his crew have been all across the map and they are ready to drive that famous bus into the Fort Wayne Indiana area!

What does it take to be picked for an Extreme Makeover?
We are in search of true Heroes - people who have amazing strength of character and who put their own needs aside to help others. Whether it’s a mom, a soldier, a teacher, or a fireman, we think a hero is anyone who inspires those around them. In addition, the producers are looking for families whose houses need major alterations or repair- homes that present serious problems for the family and affect the family's quality of life.

To be eligible: A family must own their own single family home and be able to show producers how a makeover will make a huge difference in their lives.

Interested families or those who wish to nominate another family should e-mail a short description of their family story to
castindiana@gmail.com

Nominations/submissions must include:
1. The names and ages of each member of the household
2. A description of the major challenges within the home.
3. Explanation of why this family is deserving, Heroic, or a positive role model in their community.
4. Photos of the family and a photo of the home
5. Don’t forget to include a contact phone number.

The deadline: for nominations is (April 2nd). BUT Don’t Delay! Please send story submissions as soon as possible!

For more information on how to apply please visit our website at: http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=apply

Upcoming 2nd District Events

The holidays are over and we're now all working on a schedule again. In that spirit, here is the schedule for our 2nd District Community Meetings for 2009. Please join your neighbors for these meetings, to learn more about what is going on in our community and to have an opportunity to share your ideas and concerns.

All meetings are at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 18, Psi Ote Barn Lower Level (Northside Park, enter off Parnell and go just past the tennis courts)
Monday, April 27, River Lodge (Shoaff Park - enter the park and go straight back, past the golf course)
Wednesday, September 2, River Lodge
Monday, November 2, Psi Ote Barn Lower

The February 18 program will be a (short) State of the Second District speech, and then time for any questions, ideas or concerns you want to share.

The other programs are being finalized but I wanted to get the dates out. Stay tuned for more information.

Coming Events

We’re approaching the holidays, and there is no shortage of fun events for people of all ages.

Friday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. Headwaters Park ice skating rink opens with an Ice Skating Extravaganza presented by the Fort Wayne Ice Skating Club. Are you afraid of ice skating because you never had the chance to learn how to do it? (Important safety tip: if you see me coming toward you look out because I never learned how to stop without running into something or someone.) Headwaters Park offers lessons for the young and old beginning on November 29. Don't forget, kids under 14 skate for free on Fridays, so bring the whole family down to Headwaters Park and enjoy this holiday season on the ice!

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 6:15 p.m., HOLIDAY FEST kicks off with one of Fort Wayne’s most enduring holiday traditions, the HolidayFest Lighting Ceremony beginning with Santa and his reindeer at Main & Calhoun. But that’s just the beginning. In addition to the lighting of Santa at the National City Bank on Main Street, you’ll also see the lighting of the Wells Fargo Holiday Tree at the Wells Fargo building on the corner of Wayne and Calhoun streets, and the lighting of the Indiana Michigan Power Christmas Wreath at One Summit Square. This is a FREE event and if you’re new to Fort Wayne it’s absolutely a don’t miss for the young and the young at heart.

Busy the night before Thanksgiving? Not to worry, the Embassy Theatre, Botanical Conservatory, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, History Center, Headwaters Park, Grand Wayne Center and Science Central are participating in HolidayFest 2008 with a range of fun-filled holiday activities throughout the season. Check out details at http://www.downtownholidayfest.com/index.php. The only hard part will be figuring out how to get to everything that you want to see.

Make a day of it by attending several events, or better yet, stretch it into the early evening so you can stop to see Santa and his reindeer and gnosh on a couple of hotdogs at the Coney Island on Main Street. And then add a little magic to the holiday season with a visit to the 14th Annual Fantasy of Lights (which also opens Nov. 26). Take your time as you enjoy a 1½-mile drive through Franke Park on Sherman Boulevard. Listen to your favorite holiday music in the warmth of your car while gazing upon over 75 larger than life, brilliantly lighted holiday displays. This is the perfect holiday event for all ages! Proceeds ($5 per car) from Fantasy of Lights benefit programs and therapies for children and adults with disabilities.

2nd District Meeting coming up.

From Karen Goldner:

Just a reminder that next Wednesday, NOVEMBER 19, 7 p.m., we'll have the final 2nd District Community Meeting for 2008. The location is Psi Ote Barn (upper level) in North Side Park. Enter off of Parnell and go just past the tennis courts.

Our program should be especially interesting for people throughout the district: representatives of Parkview Hospital will be speaking about their plans for both the Randallia hospital and the new regional facility at the North Campus.

As always, there will be opportunity for discussion about whatever other local issues are on your mind.

Hope you can make it.

Karen

More local events

Upcoming Area Partnership meetings, courtesy Karen Goldner:

2nd District Community Meeting, Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m., Shoaff Park Riverlodge. Hope to see you there!

Mother’s Day Plant Sale, May 9-11: Buy mom’s gift at the Foellinger Theatre, Sherman Blvd. Thursday and Friday hours are 4-7pm, Saturday hours are 9am-5pm and Sunday is noon-4pm. The proceeds from the flower sale will benefit the Botanical Conservatory.

Salomon Farm Fiber Arts Celebration, May 9-10, 10am-5pm. Discover the rich and diverse medium of fiber art – basket weaving, knitting, spinning, even sheep shearing and there will be purchasing opportunities to shop for supplies – yarns, quilting needs, products and more! The Fiber Arts Celebration is co-sponsored by the Flax and Fleecers Spinning Guild of Fort Wayne and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department. Call Renee Baines at 427-6005 for more information. Due to the nature of this event, pets are not allowed. Come celebrate at Salomon Farm, 817 W. Dupont Rd.

Shoaff Park Spring Spectacular, May 10, 10am-3pm. The Conklin Pavilion at Shoaff Park is the place for family fun with face painting, balloon animals, messy games, arts and crafts, pottery demonstrations, watercolor, clogging, line dancing, bocce, fencing, geo-cashing, and more! This event is co-sponsored by Star 88.3.

Mother’s Day in the Garden, May 11: Treat your mom to a walk through the new spring showcase, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” This year, in honor of Foellinger Foundation’s 50th Anniversary, the whole family’s admission is FREE May 11, noon-4pm at the Botanical Conservatory, 1100 S. Calhoun St.

Upcoming events.

These come to us via our City Council representative, Karen Goldner:

City Council will spend Tuesday, April 29, discussing Tax Abatement Policy. The meeting is 5:30 p.m. in Room 128 of the City-County Building. There will be several speakers, lots of discussion, and an opportunity for public input. You can also watch the meeting on Comcast 58/Verizon 28 (both live and recorded later) or streaming video from the City's website (see "Links of Interest" in right-hand column).

Sol Fest is coming up at Fox Island the first weekend in May (May 3 and 4, noon-8 p.m.). There should be lots of fun events and it's a great kick-off to summer.

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 6. Lots on the ballot at all levels, national, state and local (Allen County). Please remember to exercise your right to vote!

The next 2nd District Community Meeting will be Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m. at the Shoaff Park Riverlodge.