Fort Wayne Observed

Critical Mass at Warp Speed

Check out David Spaulding's condensed video of the August Critical Mass bike ride.  You can view it at the What's Going Down(town) weblog.

Three Spaulding brothers made the ride - as did your editor, the JG's Frank Gray, Phil and Phyllis Suelzer, David Armstrong (pictured below), and more than 150 other area bike riders.

A brief route description: the ride started at Lawton Park, went across the Tennessee Avenue bridge, then down Anthony to Maumee Avenue, thence on to the City of New Haven, down the street on which I grew up, north on Landin, back on Maysville Road/E. State Boulevard until there was a slight jog on Maplecrest, then on to Vance, west to Parnell, and Parnell back to Tennessee Avenue.

At the intersection of Vance and North Anthony, riders in the front of the pack proceeded south on Crescent.  However, Brian Spaulding, who was turning off to head home, inadvertently inspired the rest of the pack to follow him west on Vance Avenue.  The Crescent riders eventuallly converged with the main pack at E. State Boulevard and Parnell.

Taking a Pass

This pass won't be getting used tomorrow night.
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Monday Convention Plans Cancelled

It has just been broadcast that the Monday night prgram of the Republican National Convention has been cancelled.

I'll advise the response of the Indiana delegation in the next post.

FWOb report from Bloomington MN.

David Armstrong is shown biking parallel to Memorial Park on Maumee Avenue.

Critical Mass Begins

Columnist Frank Gray of the Journal Gazette is shown at the start of the Critical Mass bicycle ride.

Mr. Gray wrote a column on Critical Mass that was published earlier in the week.

Photo credit: Fort Wayne Observed | transmitted by mobile phone.

New Media and the VP Choice

As well as serving as a delegate next week at the Republican National Convention, I have been credentialed as a member of the New Media. There are various activities specially planned for New Media including the Blogger Brunches which had been scheduled with former Senator Fred Thompson on Tuesday and Governor Bobby Jindal on Wednesday.  It is likely, though, that a replacement will be found for the Governor as he has announced that he will remain in Louisiana during the approach and passing of Hurricane Gustav.

Senator McCain has announced Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential choice.  In her speech today, she described herself as someone who was "then elected to city council ... where my agenda was to stop wasteful spending, cut property taxes and put the people first."  There is nothing wrong with that.

Pat McAlister of the Political Equinox weblog will also be attending the Republican National Convention.  He will be a "runner" for NBC.  His first convention related post may be read here.

"Grand Central Station"

It must be a new era in communications when one can text message a delegate on the floor of a national party convention to let her know when she has been broadcast on national television.

Part of Karen Goldner's texted reply:

It's Grand Central Station here.

Of course, it might strike some as unique - facilitated by tremendous changes in telecommunications - that a delegate to one Party's national convention is exchanging text messages with a delegate of the other Party's national convention during a floor session.

Cameos at the Convention

Those keeping track can tally up another appearance on national television by Karen Goldner. Viewers of public television caught a glimpse of Ms. Goldner during the greeting for Bill Clinton.

Viewers also saw former mayor Graham Richard a few moments later in the middle of a crowd shot.

Breach birth

Less than a month ago, Mayor Henry was reported by the Journal Gazette to expect groundbreaking for The Harrison condominium project to take place in September.

Today, Indiana's NewsCenter's Jeff Neumeyer reports that the developers are making changes in the condo's marketing team again.  Mr. Neumeyer also reports the City's Redevelopment Director Greg Leatherman saying any idea of completion by Opening Day is not realistic. 

City Redevelopment Director Greg Leatherman tells Indiana's NewsCenter, he believes it is probably no longer realistic to think the condos will be finished by the contractual deadline of June 1st, 2009.

But Leatherman says if substantial progress toward completion is evident next June, and city attorneys advise that it's okay to amend the contract agreement, an extension on the completion date may be worked out.

Mr. Leatherman had aleady said, in early August -  just a few days after the Mayor's comments - that it would not be completed on the date in the contract.

Scott Spaulding at the weblog "What's Going Down(town)" reports that The Harrison condo sales website now sports the name of a new real estate broker:

[ ... ] Martin Goldstine Knapke [has been] the company responsible for selling the luxury condos that are to be part of the Harrison Square project. However, the website now bears the logo of Coldwell Banker.

[ ... ]

This is not simply a new marketing push. From what we have heard, only 12 units were sold under Martin and supposedly 25 sales are needed to advance the project.

[ ... ] [T]he fact remains that The Harrison is behind schedule and will likely not meet its contractual deadline for completion of June 1, 2009.

The first season of baseball at Harrison Square may not see any condo dwellers peeking out from their balconies onto the field of play, since the Single A baseball season is over in August.

The key thing is, that in order for the stadium financing to flow as agreed, The Harrison condos and mixed-use development has to absolutely be done by March, 2010.  Taxes that are to flow from The Harrison are to be used to make payments on the public borrowing made for the stadium.

Of course, even if completed in time for the March, 2010 assessment date, the amount of taxes won't be as great as estimated because the Harrison condos were granted a tax abatement by the City Council on a vote of 8 for and 1 against.

My vote was the one against the granting of the abatement.

It is becoming clear that it may be time for Barry Real Estate representatives to make a return appearance before the City Council.