Colts finally makes it to the Superbowl

GTH-Peyton Manning redeems himself and will make it to the Superbowl in Miami. I am so tired of all my little text messages. Dungy did it for Indianapolis. Great job
Dungy.

Bears and the Colts.

Bears vs Patriots in Superbowl XLI

Indianapolis Colts' kicker, Adam Vinatieri, won't be able to kick the team into the Superbowl. Peyton Manning needs to shake off his jink and start throwing. A real nit-wit wouldn't call the game so fast, so let me just say I'm telling you it's over.

Early into the second half, it is over at 7:42 P.M. Ashante Samuel has put this game to bed. Manning gets sacked at the 5 by Patriots Rosevelt Colvin. The New England Patriots ends another Indy opportunity to go for that Super Bowl championship ring. Score at halftime Patriots 21-6.

Great job Dungy on that defense, now you need to work on a new quarterback.

Note: My informal poll had the Colts at 60% going to the superbowl, Bears at 20%, Saints 20% and the Patriots at 0%.

I picked the Saints and the Bears.

Serena Williams-Physical Presence

Serena Williams, the seven times grand slam champion is some kind of warrior. Williams is on her way to winning her eighth grand slam in Australia. Williams with her sense of urban chic, once wearing a catsuit, is not to be messed with. One interviewer asked Williams if the green outfit she was wearing after beaing her third round opponent, Nadia Petrova was a strategic move to throw off her opponent.

As if the powerhouse talents' alone was not enough to throw off those who under estimates Williams' determination to win. Williams representing the United States of America will battle Jelena Jankovic in a fourth round match. David Gray/Reuters

A hard fought victory Williams beats the more favored Jankovic handedly 6-3, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals.

Governor Bill Richardson

The Democrat has another candidate forming an exploratory committee for president. Governor Bill Richardson is in, but not as a Latino, but as an American. Do you think that his Latino background will be missed by those who are being fenced out of America?

The Democrat has created a platform painting that anyone can run for president. Who will be left standing after the nomination will answer the question how far has America come in embracing this message?

What will the republicans bring to the table?

dowdellresearch,llc Survey

Please take my poll. I know that you are busy so if you take my poll, I will give you a big thank you. You will have to cut and paste the whole survey into the comment section and select your answers before publishing.


1. Should the State of Indiana allow cities to have home rule?

Yes
No
Undecided or No opinion

2. Which of the following best reflects your opinion concerning the level of city government services in Fort Wayne?

I am satisfied with the type and amount of services provided.
I feel that city government provides more services than necessary.
I feel city government services should be increased.
Undecided or No opinion

3. Which of the following best reflects your opinion concerning the level of city government regulation in Fort Wayne?

I am satisfied with the type and amount of city government regulation.
I feel that there is too much city government regulation.
I feel that there should be more city government regulation.
Undecided or No opinion.

4. Would you support the building of a downtown baseball stadium using private investors funds, state sales tax and community economic development income tax revenue.

Yes, for all of the resources listed.
Yes, for investors funds only.
Yes, for CEDIT only.
Yes, for state sales only.
No
Undecided or No opinion


5. Which of the following would improve downtown; building a hotel, retail shops, restaurants, housing, night clubs or a baseball stadium?

6. Should property taxpayer petition for a remonstration in opting out of paying for Fort Wayne Community Schools buildings that are in need of repair?

Yes
No
Undecided or No opinion

7. Do you shop online or visit the MLB site online?

Yes, both.
Yes shop online
Yes vist MLB
No
Undecided or No opinion

8. Allen County Commissioners have banned smoking in all public places, except bars, private clubs and at certain times in bowling alleys. Should Fort Wayne implement an ordinance that would ban smoking in all public places?

Yes
No
Undecided or No Opinion

9. Should education funding — including funding for public schools, after-school programs, early childhood, and adult basic education — be subject to budget cuts during times of economic distress?

Yes
No
Undecided or No Opinion


10. Should Indiana General Assembly eliminate Fort Wayne Community School requirement of funding racial balancing of its school through FWCS $25 million-a-year capital projects fund?

Yes
No
Undecided or No Opinion

11. What is your age?

12. What is an estimate of your household income?

13. What language do you speak?

14. What is your racial identity?

15. What is your gender identity?

Hilliary Clinton announces she's in

No surprise with this announcement but for how long? Hilliary Clinton states she is in to win. Does that mean her or a democrat to win the presidential seat? A poll from Iowa suggest that Clinton is not electable for president.

The polling shows a preference for the southern gentleman, John Kerry rather than the former first lady Clinton. It's early, perhaps during women history month, the women will push for the recognition of Clinton becoming the first female president of the United States.

Mitch Daniel fight against brain drain

Kevin Leininger of the New-Sentinel is again all wrong about students coming from low income families. There are some students who are emotionally and mentally behind their peers coming from low income and high income families. What these students have in common is an opportunity to be taught by qualified adults in a safe environment together. Teachers who are committed to the art of teaching children, not adults but children who learn in difference ways.

The teachers will have to be able to adapt to the learning style of many students. Sometimes, a concept will need to be repeated again and again for a student to fully understand. Students who are on the border simply need in house tutoring, right on the spot. Not after school, not in a special building but right in the school. This tutoring should be qualified specialized tutors in subjects such as language, math and English in the lower grades.

Older students will need tutoring during their lunch time or study period, If some of these students are on academic probation they should be required mandated to attend these sessions. Centers should be certified if they provide tutoring only if they have qualified teachers in certain subjects. Many students attend centers and the volunteers are ill-equipped to provide tutoring to these students.

A tutor must get to the level of the child's subject comprehension and after that must get involved in motivating the child to incorporate the new material into the child learning style as well teaching the child alternative ways in learning new material. This especially true with Fort Wayne Community Schools international make up of students in the classroom.

It would be great that all children parents are involved in their education. But, in the real world it's not, so do we punish these children? As an adult you would think not. But some of our adult leaders, news reporters and adult teachers believe so. And we wonder why children do not look up to adult role models in our civil community?

A teacher is to teach, and the reward is to see a student overcome that obstacle in the way of the child understanding. Teachers burn out and a plan to support and encourage them to team teach connects teachers to the success of all students rather than a few can only help the overall academic achievement of Fort Wayne Community Schools.

Many students come to school with emotional problems that go undetected, but schools should be their safe place. And that safe place should mainly focus on teaching that child that education will help you surmount the shortcoming of their parents or environment. Children just need TLC no matter the condition of the their parents economic situation or circumstances. When a child is abused it is not the child fault.

The issue of the cost of the school, is the failure to take care of the schools in the urban core. Now that you can not expand, you have to do what you should have in maintaining these schools. The failure of city leaders to be fiscal responsible with taxpayers' tax dollar is coming to light, and to try to suggest that improving these school will not help these children you are wrong, wrong.

These buildings are probably the only safe place for many abused and neglected children. Go volunteer an hour a day and teach a large group of children (not 1 or 2) to read and write. Why don't you support your republican leader, Governor Mitch Daniel call to eradicate brain drain in Indiana. Adults have failed our children and now we all have to pay including those who don't care whether or not poor children receive an education. Teach.

Small Business Owners vs. City of Fort Wayne

What does the downtown development mean to African-Americans investors? You're not welcome unless you are probably a client of the nonprofit businesses that are in the area both Foellinger Foundation

and the Early Childhood Alliance.

At 436 E. Wayne, The law firm of Van Gilder and Trzynka, moved into the neighborhood close to the end of 2006. The law firm renovated the building that was formerly a body shop into offices for lawyers. It was used once by Spiegels, a catalogue store.

The owners did not disclose how much the building cost purchased for but it was alleged to have over $500,000 in renovation. The lawyers moved from the new Harrison Square district out of the Metro building into their new neighborhood. And guess what Woodson Motorsports, would move into the neighborhood, Indiana’s only distributor of BMW motorcycles. A costly move.

According to Brain Bucket Bikers,

The dealership is owned by Rod Woodson, a former All-Pro in the National Football League, and Tracy Foster, an Indiana All-Star from Homestead who played professional basketball overseas

.

And the business may be the only African-American owned,

is the only minority-owned dealership selling Kawasaki and Suzuki bikes in the country, as far as Ackels knows.

Unlike, the owners of the law firm, the purchased price was discussed.

Woodson Motorsports paid about $500,000 to buy the building at 436 E. Washington Blvd. from the Tippmann Group and plans to spend about $200,000 more to renovate the 20,000-square-foot, retail-zoned space in time to open operations there in January.

I highly suspect the building was not worth the $500,000 that was paid during the 2003 blotched up reassessment, and was more than likely only valued at a third of the assessed value.

So what happen to the city's incentive for this business to do business downtown? According to a news report, the money for redevelopment of $30,000 for the facade was not approved. The three folks who were responsible for determining who gets the $30,000, Sharon Feasel, Greg Leatherman, and Dan Carmody did not even bother to tell one of the business owners they did not qualify for the funds, according to a Wane-15 news report on January 19, 2007.

The business filled out an application in September 2006. The application can be found on the city's website under

The Downtown Fort Wayne CEDIT Incentive Pool which was established by Mayor Graham Richard to help improve downtown Fort Wayne’s competitiveness in attracting and retaining businesses, encourage private commercial reinvestment, stimulate redevelopment and improve downtown property values.

Authority to approve the use of Incentive Pool funds lies with the Mayor of Fort Wayne.

The application says the Mayor of Fort Wayne has the authority to approve. Last I checked the Mayor was named Graham Richard.


This is the second business that has run into problem participating in the downtown revitalization using their own money. On January 25, 2007 a public hearing will be held for a business located on the corner of Pontiac and Lafayette. The building owner was given the wrong permit. The building was temporary condemned, stopping the work on the building.
Yet, those who have little or no money are still pussyfooting around with renovating the Rialto. A nonprofit required to be made up of members of the neighborhood was to receive a year to renovate the building and years later the building is still under construction.

In October of 2003, The Reclamation Project finalized the purchase of the theater and the adjacent Tobacco Road store. Three additional vacant lots were also purchased for parking behind the building.

This place is to offer housing assistance to international folks (sounds a little like Centlivre). It changes everyday, but nothing including, the old in the wall Tobacco Road Store. is being used for its purpose. Nothing.

So who is welcomed in the process of redeveloping downtown?

XLI Superbowl Playoff

Indianapolis Colts will play host to the New England Patriots. Indy's quarterback Peyton Manning is in the lineup for another chance to go to the Superbowl. Manning will not be the factor, the defense will be the determining factor in getting to Miami. Manning's stand back in the pocket and drop game, will need a game ready defense, if the Colts are to reach the Superbowl game.

Manning, will panic and not trust his defense team. This is what happens when you think you are the team instead of a part of a team. My grandson will probably not talk to me because I'm predicting that the Patriots will win. No matter the outcome, Coach Tony Dungy, in his fifth year with the Colts, is outstanding.

Sport Gear as corporate -guerilla type artwork

Sport shoes will be lining the streets of Fort Wayne, Indiana for part of the summer 2007. Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau is selling their "Room for Dreams" logo with a "Team Dreams' theme fundraising event that involves shoes.

For the second straight year, the American Youth Basketball Tour and the United States Specialty Sports Association will hold their championships on various days from July 5 to July 30 at Spiece Fieldhouse and about 10 other area gymnasiums. The two organizations liked Fort Wayne so much they’re back with an expected 600 teams, 15,000 people and an estimated $6 million windfall.

The Visitors Bureau has dubbed the tournaments and art project “Team Dreams,” a play on the city’s new slogan, “Room for Dreams.”

The art project is a take on last year wanting to hate but chuckled inspite of yourself fun project of IPFW mastodon lining the streets.


Perhaps, it's not just the mastodon success that has FWACCC banking on the street gear theme..perhaps the location of the foot gear is to steer traffic to our local malls.

To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Meadowhall Centre wanted a huge event. The result, Funky Feet, was a monthlong, interactive campaign to boost traffic and sales and raise money for charity.

And

During the gala, money was raised for the hospital via a raffle, a casino, the shoe auction and by “fining” people in boring shoes. “Ruby Slipper” awards were given for the best of the decorated oversized shoes.

And the results

The center gained publicity valued at over £119,000. Meadowhall also reaped sales revenue of £76,150 through in-center promotions with various businesses.
Charity fund-raising efforts yielded £25,018 for the hospital. And the sheer magnitude of the event created a memorable theatrical environment in which to shop.

Interesting, Nike., Reebok, Sprint, Verizon, L'Oreal..but not real hip-hop art.

Frost Illustrated New Year Baby Photo Award Presentation

MLK 2007 Celebration -Fort Wayne, Indiana

Obama is in-almost

Local Democrats can thank Barack Obama for keeping the Democrats in the news.

Obama's decision was relatively low-key after months of hype, with no speech or media appearance to accompany his online announcement. He said he will discuss a presidential campaign with people around the country before his Feb. 10 event, and he wasted no time calling key activists Tuesday.

Obama makes his announcement for starting an exploratory committee may have caught the calculating diva, Senator Hillary Clinton by surprise.

Clinton is expected to announce her presidential campaign within days, but her spokesman said there would be no comment on Obama's decision from the Clinton camp. Back from Iraq, she abruptly canceled a Capitol Hill news conference minutes after word of Obama's announcement, citing the unavailability of a New York congressman to participate.

This announcement came on the heels of Senator Hillary Clinton returning from visiting soldiers. Senator Clinton spent time with Senator Evan Bayh in taking photo ops with Indiana soldiers. Are the Democrats all-inclusive? Do they even bother to talk with one another.

Our leaders in Washington seem incapable of working together in a practical, commonsense way," Obama said in a video posted on his Web site. "Politics has become so bitter and partisan, so gummed up by money and influence, that we can't tackle the big problems that demand solutions. And that's what we have to change first.

Interesting comments.

Now back to bitter and partisan local politics. Republicans are getting lots of media coverage with Matt Kelty and Mitch Harper announcements. A press release for Matt Kelty campaign named Christopher Mann as joining the Kelty for Mayor Campaign as the press secretary and political strategist.

I am blessed to have somebody like Chris Mann join the campaign,” said Matt Kelty. “Chris’ conservative political credentials are impeccable but his management-level private sector experience makes him even more suited for this organization. This campaign is about advocating for workers, families and businesses for a transformed Fort Wayne, and he will play a critical role as one of my key advisors.

Kelty brands Mann as a compassionate conservative. Harper is expected to make an official announcement later. Glynn Hines, Democrat, made announcement that he will seek another terms. So we know that at least one candidate for the Democrats is running for reelection

The Promise of a Power Kept