A place for public policy, politics, the history, and the future of Indiana.
Over the next two days the legislature will be debating the merits of a plan to finance a range of transportation projects in Indiana. Very good economic models exist that measure how adding highway capacity through the addition of lanes or other means will increase productivity.
That is, there are some very good tools to make a cost/benefit analysis of highway improvements. Then there are highway expenditures that don't increase transportation productivity.
The I-69 fence is one of those projects. There may be other benefits advanced by its advocates but those benefits aren't easily calculated. The benefits may flow to private residential property owners. Then there are some losses that attach to certain commercial properties. (e.g. businesses located between the Lima Road and Coldwater Road interchanges).
The benefit to the residential properties are generally going to be related to the property's ultimate resale value. The commercial losses are of two types. One is a decrease in property value relative to the value of the property with the benefit of visibility. The other is the loss of commercial traffic which results in an ongoing loss of potential income.
And, of course, not all of the costs are included in the initial construction contract. There are costs of maintenance and reconstruction. (The hard surface of the fence has already been a factor in one fatality along I-69).
One of the other costs is illustrated above.
The photos were taken January 28, 2005 between the Illinois Road and Jefferson Boulevard/US 24 interchanges.
Time to make some noise in support of the Governor's 10-year $10.6 Billion transportation plan that will boost job creation and fuel economic growth
The real hero in this debate appears to be Sam Wysong, a 17-year old classmate of Fraser who appeared before the school board Monday night to question Fraser’s dismissal. Without Wysong’s articulate presentation, the public may not have learned of the expulsion.
The informational meeting that the Town of Fishers billed “One Night, One Town” was more like “Three-Hundred Residents, Three-Hundred No’s”.
[...]
Overwhelmingly, residents were disgruntled. Not because they didn’t like the Fishers policemen that were there. Not because they were afraid of the small snake that Danesa Stolz from Parks & Recreation had out. They were disgruntled because they weren’t getting the answer to the million dollar question, “What is in this for me as a Geist resident?”
Fifteen Dimond High School students who officials say watched and cheered while two of their classmates bloodied each other in a videotaped fistfight at Kincaid Park last week have been suspended along with the fighters.
The fighters -- a 10th-grader and an 11th-grader -- may face criminal charges of disorderly conduct or assault for the clash that started over a girl, Anchorage police Lt. Gardner Cobb said.
One of boys reportedly suffered a broken nose and concussion, school officials said.
"It got pretty nasty," said Dimond High School principal Cheryl Guyett, who saw the video. "We don't tolerate this type of violence."
[...]
Confirmed spectators, who ranged from ninth-graders to 12th-graders, were suspended for three days; the fighters were suspended for nine days.
Journal-Gazette Editorial Page Gives Down Arrow to Assessor Love Heide Peek, a 2002 graduate of Whiteland Community High School in Whiteland, Ind., sued the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation in 2003, claiming an article in the senior edition of the student newspaper contained defamatory comments about her. She also claimed that the statements invaded her privacy and caused her serious emotional distress. A motion to dismiss filed by the school district was rejected in October 2005.And near Pittsburgh, a student has sued his school corporation for overly harsh punishment following an online parody about his high school principal. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story:
The district filed the appeal Jan. 5 with the Indiana Court of Appeals, said Rosemary Borek, an attorney for the district.
Smoke Signals, the school's monthly student newspaper, gave Peek the "worst reputation" award in its May 2002 issue. The paper also said her favorite song was "Underneath Your Clothes," and in the "ambition" category, made a reference to her being raped by a monkey, according to the Oct. 11 trial court decision.
Peek was particularly sensitive to the comments because she was allegedly raped in April 2002, according to the decision.
In addition to the school district, the lawsuit also named the superintendent, the high school principal, vice principals and the student newspaper adviser as defendants. No student journalists were named in the suit.
In his ruling, Judge Kevin M. Barton refused the school district's request to throw out Peek's libel claims finding that a jury could conclude that the statements published in Smoke Signals "imputed sexual misconduct" to Peek. However, the judge also acknowledged that a jury might find the statements were simply "nonsensical" and therefore not libelous.
Three days after he posted the profile, Justin tried to remove it, Mr. Walczak said, but it had already been pulled from the site.
Then, on Dec. 21, Justin and his mother, Cheryl Layshock, were called in to meet with the school superintendant, district solicitor and the co-principal of the high school, Chris Gill, to discuss what they called "a potentially serious matter."
After that meeting, Justin both went to Mr. Trosch and sent him a letter of apology. He thought, Mr. Walczak said, that his apology had been accepted and the matter was finished. But on Jan. 3, Justin and his father, Donald Layshock, were called to the Hermitage police department and told that Mr. Trosch had asked that harassment charges be filed against Justin.
The officer said he would not file charges unless directed by his superiors. None have been filed.
[...]
At [a January 6th disciplinary] hearing, the school gave Justin a 10-day, out-of-school suspension and ordered him to finish high school in the Alternative Education Program. He has been told he cannot go to any of his regular classes.
The administration also banned Justin from participating in any school events, including the French tutoring he did for middle school students and attending his own graduation in the spring.
On Jan. 11, Justin's parents went to Mr. Gill and asked if Justin could serve a different punishment, such as community service or extra tutoring, but their request was denied.
]...]
Earlier this week, Justin was admonished by school officials for trying to speak with his trigonometry teacher, his lawyer said.
Besides the current punishment against Justin, the lawsuit also contends that this could have long-term effects on him.
He applied to Penn State University for college next fall, and he received a letter on Wednesday, telling him that a "registration hold," was placed on his application due to a "dismissal/suspension from Hickory High School."
"Taken together, our Democratic innovation agenda - education, R&D, public-private partnerships, energy independence - is a decision in favor of the future.The other elected officials she singled out for praise in her remarks were Mayor Beverly O'Neill of Long Beach, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco, and Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts.[...]
'That's exactly what Mayor Graham Richard, of Fort Wayne Indiana is doing in America's heartland. Under his leadership, Fort Wayne is the first city in the Midwest to have fiber optic broadband services for nearly 100,000 households, small businesses and schools. He is taking the lead to use high tech, high performance public private partnerships to improve city services and save taxpayers millions of dollars. As he said to you this week - Fort Wayne is 'Wired and Inspired to Compete in a Flat World.' Mayor Richard has made Fort Wayne a national model for innovation, and a strong city for a strong America. Mayor Richard: thank you for your leadership."
"The administration has always been a little irrational," said Kristi Lynch, a graduate of Kouts High School who now attends Indiana University. "To make such a large deal out of a parody is just them kind of making examples of them."
[Superintendent Rod] Gardin disagreed with Lynch's assertion.
"Any time a student is disciplined it's a response to their misconduct," he said.
Due to the fact that Mrs Lopshire was the most experienced in the office during the Love Administration, I dont understand how Mrs Love can go about criticizing her. Lopshire kept the office afloat through the 2002 Reassessment, as well as the many turbulent issues that have tumbled in during Love's "reign." If there was ever someone right to be County Assessor, it is Stacey Lopshire. If knowledge is key, Stacey Lopshire is the Master Key, being a Level II Certified Appraiser-Assessor for many years, while Mrs Love can barely scratch the 50% mark on the state issued examination. The office will hurt, undoubtedly, without the knowledge and experience Stacey Lopshire brought in, however... She will be back in 2007. That is a guarentee.One of the things not mentioned in all of the coverage of the Assessor's race has been Stacey Lopshire's political pedigree for the office. Ms. Lopshire's grandfather, Walter Summers, served as Allen County Assessor for two terms.
“Carroll High School is not Comedy Central.”No kidding.
This appears to be a classic case of school administration being devoid of common sense. I don't know what the cause of this [affliction] is, but NWAC schools does not have a monopoly on it. Ocasionally a decision is taken by school administration, such as this, that makes me wonder...what were you thinking...
A few instances of this in FWCS recently..
School administrator taking a switch blade away from a student....then allowing him to retrieve it at the end of the day.
School administrator catching high school male students mooning a camera in a shower room..... Then developing the film to be used later in expulsion hearings.
Believe it or not bad decisions like this is the exception, not the rule... Keep in mind most educators have the kids' interest in mind, we just don't see the good decisions in the press.
And then Alex has his say:In Fort Wayne — speaking of things no one cares about — there’s been a mini-drama going on in blogs and (to a far lesser extent) in the newspaper, regarding a student’s expulsion over the “publication” (photocopying, I presume) of a “book” about his high school. It’s supposed to be a hilarious send-up of Carroll High School life, written in the tone and spirit of Jon Stewart’s “America (the book).”
School officials responded to this impertinence in the usual Allen County high-school-administrator fashion — i.e., they expelled the kid. (Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen had nothing on these folks.) One thing you need to know: The kid is either a founder or a member of the Allen County Teenage Republicans, which means he’s getting an awful lot of hand-holding and support from non-teenage Republicans in the area.
And all this discussion has been happening with only a few people having actually seen the book in question.
Well. Nathan Gotsch at Fort Wayne Observed has scanned and posted all 14 pages, and now we can all judge for ourselves. My take: Expulsion was overreacting, but if this kid thinks he has a career in comedy, he has inordinately high self-esteem.
My further cynical take: In two years he’ll be at some comfy university, offering $100 for examples of professors with liberal bias. Yawn. Fifteen minutes up….now.
As a Carroll alum (’79) it’s fun to see how suburbanization and the Age of Zero Tolerance has changed the place. When I was there it was a small country school. Today it’s a huge mega-campus.
In my day, expulsions were rare (and often reversed following threats of litigation from the pompous-ass lower-tier executive types who were the pioneers of the exurban migration). These folks regarded the administration as a bunch of rubes, which they were and probably still are, but operated under the delusion that only the farm and hilljack kids’ s*** smelled like s***.
Yeah, the punishment in the instant case is draconian, but not surprising. I see Mr. Niles Pfafman is still there and after all the abuse he and other administrators have taken over the years from the imperious nouveau riche p****s they deal with — and I’m talking about parents and the children of such — it’s no wonder they come down so hard.
As a teacher at Carroll High School, it was refreshing to see you [Leo Morris] take a more balanced look at our unfortunate situation. It has been troubling to me that so many who have thrown their opinions into the fray have done so without any real knowledge about what is going on here.
I must, however, take exception to your contention that students at Carroll feel alienated and unhappy. In this case, Leo, you didn't research your statement to confirm its accuracy. I don't even believe that Fraser was unhappy here--he was quite involved and had friends. I've asked a good number of students (one at a time) about the issue, and EVERY SINGLE ONE thinks that what Fraser did was idiotic. They offer comparisons to the jobplace--if an employee were to direct the type of remarks that Fraser put into BOOK form toward his/her employer, that employee could expect to be fired!
I wish that those who have been painting our students as automatons kept in line by cruel dictators would come to our building to see the truth. The News-Sentinel (coincidentally? I think not) featured our student newspaper in last night's issue. One article depicted a beloved teacher receiving the Golden Apple Award and singing the praises of the high standards to which we hold our students; the students described classes as hands-on, fun, and relevant. Another article reported on the success of a recent fundraiser involving a student-faculty basketball game. Carroll High School is a wonderful school where rigor and high expectations are reaping results. I believe that a decision to uphold the expulsion of Jeff Fraser will RELIEVE most students and restore the sense of order and civility they have come to expect.
Jan 26, 2006 5:47:16 AM
NACS needs free-speech lessonAnd the Con, where the writer sees larger societal forces at play:
A Carroll High School student was recently expelled for writing a 10-page “satire” that was extremely critical of the Carroll High School administration. The student in question has no record of disciplinary problems and was a strong student academically as well as being a member of the student council, band, the political club, future business leaders and speech team.
[...]
There are many options a school can use to discipline a student who has misbehaved in some fashion; the most extreme is expulsion for the school year. Students who are a threat to the safety of other students or who are continuous discipline problems should be removed from school; however, this student does not fit these criteria.
[...]
If warranted, the student should be required to apologize to people he offended. This would be more than sufficient for a first offense.
Instead, the student can no longer attend Carroll High School and cannot be involved with the student activities he participated in.
[...]
One of the strengths of this great nation is the freedom of the press and speech. I am a proud military veteran extremely concerned about the constant erosion of our civil liberties.
[...]
Mike Sylvester, candidate Northwest Allen County Schools board
Carroll ‘satire’ another sign of decayNote: There is no evidence that the student was selling his booklet. It is assumed that the letter's author was speaking of litigious parents in general and not about the parents of the student who is the subject of the letter.
We need to do something about the permissiveness regarding children. There seem to be few boundaries. Our society has an anything-goes attitude toward kids, and no one is supposed to say anything.
If a student breaks a rule, the parents sue, even though the rule is there to help protect the entire student population. If this Carroll High School student who distributed a “satire” about the school had something to say, why did he need to call the principal a female dog, using a vulgar term? What was the point of using vulgar language at all and then selling the booklet for $10?
It sounds like this student was trying to get attention while making a buck. If he was trying to get his point across, he went about it the wrong way. He could have passed out pamphlets outside school, minus the obscene language and a $10 charge. This student needs to be held accountable for his actions.
Laura J. Smyser
Some other bloggers in town, notably Fort Wayne Observed and Opening Arguments, seem to think the punishment against Carroll High School Jeff Fraser should be linked to the level of the fairness of criticism in Fraser's "Carroll (The Book.)" Using this logic, school administrators and school board members get to decide how much criticism is too much criticism. That's not the way the First Amendment works.What of specific punishment? Warner writes:
Northwest Allen County Schools officials can never justify Fraser's expulsion based on the contents of his "book." This expulsion will have to be based on whether Fraser used school computer equipment in writing or printing out the book. If he did, discipline short of expulsion is appropriate. If he didn't -- if he was expelled because school officials didn't like what he had to say about them -- any discipline is inappropriate, immoral and unconstitutional.
The principal at Edon Northwest High School, Bob Morton, says, "He will surprise people in how poised he is in dealing with the public, with newspeople and with his opponents." And, no matter how his first attempt at politics turns out, this big Ben says eventually it will be "time" for him and his generation to lead. "Social security, healthcare, medicare.. we're the ones, believe it or not, who are going to be talking about these issues and finding the solutions to solve them."Indiana Parley readers who might think Mr. McCullough too young to take on the challenge should know that your author was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives at age 22.
Pat Love Makes Political Announcement in the City Council ChambersThe Journal-Gazette also noted Assessor Love's multiple unsuccessful attempts to pass the Level 2 Assessor Test. Ms. Love said that she will try, try, try again.“I am proud that after four years, the ineffectiveness of the Ternet management team is but a sad memory,” she said. “I have put together a winning team, and I am asking the voters of Allen County to allow me to lead our assessing community for another four years.”
Love, however, is running against Stacey Lopshire, not Ternet. When asked about this, Love said, “(Lopshire) was part of the management team that failed.”
Lopshire was Ternet’s chief deputy before being hired as chief deputy by Love. Lopshire said she was confused by Love’s criticism because Love hired her.
“I can only assume that if she kept me on, she kept me on for a reason, and that was to get the job done, and I did,” she said.
But what he ought to do, if he hasn't already, is take a look at Carroll (The Book) again, and exchange Deb Neumeyer's name with that of someone he cares about...like, perhaps, his mother. I wonder if he'd find that revised edition funny.Leo Morris' editorial in today's News-Sentinel was an opinion piece but also contained some news as well.
And then he ought to go apologize to the people he needs to apologize to -- not because it might help him get back into school, but because it's the right thing to do. And I'm not talking about sending a letter, which he's already done. He needs to apologize in person, which is much more difficult that firing off a note. He certainly ought to explain to those people what he was trying to do, but he also needs to acknowledge his failure, and to take responsibility for it.
If he does that, what people will remember about this whole incident won't be what Fraser wrote; it will be the way he handled himself afterwards.
We’ve learned that Fraser has sent a letter of apology to adminsitrators his book might have offended. That’s a good place for the school board, which will consider the issue tomorrow night, to start discussions.Mr. Gotsch writes about his decision to post the book, his opinion of the contents, and the ground rules for those who would like to post a reaction to the writings. Gotsch writes:
Like you, I wanted to see it myself before passing judgment. Yesterday I read it and earlier this morning posted my thoughts.
And I think that you ought to be able to do the same thing before deciding if the author in question deserved to be expelled. That's why I've decided to post the pages of the book here on Fort Wayne Observed.
I've talked to Jeff Fraser, and -- surprise -- he doesn't want the book to be made public. But he's also trying to get as much public support for his plight as possible, and that's hard to do when you're not willing to let people read the book in question.
After all this talk about it, it's time for people to finally get a chance to see it for themselves.
I think, after reading it, many of you will come to the same conclusion I did -- it's not something you'd want to include in the family Christmas card, but Fraser didn't deserve to be expelled for writing it.
I also think you'll see just how of bright Fraser is. I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll be doing a year or two down the road, after he's put all this behind him.
I'm going to be posting each page individually so that readers can comment on each page. Please, please, please -- keep your comments clean and relevant. Feel free to debate with other commenters, but don't get personal or vulgar.
But the NACS board should scale back the expulsion. That’s the option that would restore a sense of proportion. We’ve learned that Fraser has sent a letter of apology to adminsitrators his book might have offended. That’s a good place for the school board, which will consider the issue tomorrow night, to start discussions.
And the NACS patrons – parents, taxpayers, students, teachers, ordinary citizens – should encourage the board to do that, but in the spirit of a collaborative effort rather than a confrontational one. Students don’t have absolute First Amendment protection in a school setting, but they need a reasonable amount of free expression. Schools don’t have absolute dictatorial powers, but we must allow them to set and maintain the standards that will create a good learning environment
"Along with the assistance provided by the Allen County Juvenile Center, Fraser has also been offered help from the Student Law Press Center, an organization in Arlington, Va., that advises students on their First Amendment rights."The sentence equates the voluntary offer of the Student Law Press Center with the "assistance" provided by the Allen County Juvenile Center School.
Republicans Defeat Graham Richard Proposal to Raise Property Tax LevyThe administration’s decision to punish Fraser seems to me similar to the recent lawsuit brought by the Recording Industry Association of America against a teenager for illegally downloading music; it seems to have been done in part to set an example for others. Unless the school plans to punish all students and faculty who use the school computers for non-academic reasons in the same manner, it is not fair to punish only Fraser for such an offense. The same applies to those whose offenses fall under “general misbehavior.” In addition to use of profanity, general misbehavior includes displays of affection, uncooperative behavior, running and yelling. Clearly, not all students guilty of PDA, uncooperative behavior, and unruliness in the halls are expelled; it would leave few students in the building.
Also similar to the RIAA case, it seems like the punishment is much harsher than the crime actually warrants. Expulsion is the most severe punishment a school can give a student. Fraser’s punishment is the equivalent of the punishment given to a student involved in three physical fights; it is a drastic punishment. It should be reserved for only the most severe of offenses, those which harm or may potentially harm other students or faculty members. Fraser’s “Carroll: The Book,” though, does neither. It did not hurt anyone, nor incite violence in others. It simply criticized the school. This does not warrant expulsion.
Imminent Eminent Domain Deal?An announcement of the results of negotiations between the Authority and Hurst could occur later today.Rep. David Wolkins plans to back down from a legislative proposal that could have made it harder for stadium officials to seize N.K. Hurst Co.'s land, a signal that a deal has been reached to keep the bean factory in Downtown Indianapolis.
House Bill 1010 would still impose new eminent domain restrictions on governments that want to seize land and then give it to a private developer.But Wolkins, R-Winona Lake, said Monday that he plans to remove a provision that he added to try to block stadium officials from taking 4.26 acres of the Hurst property for parking at the new $500 million Indianapolis Colts stadium.
"Tonight, friends, our great country has voted for change," said Mr Harper. "Canadians have asked our party to take the lead in delivering that change.
This appears to be a classic case of school administration being devoid of common sense. I don't know what the cause of this [affliction] is, but NWAC schools does not have a monopoly on it. Ocasionally a decision is taken by school administration, such as this, that makes me wonder...what were you thinking...UPDATE: Leo Morris at his weblog Opening Argument has a new post with some new thoughts in several parts. One part is a reply brief to Tracy Warner.
A few instances of this in FWCS recently..
School administrator taking a switch blade away from a student....then allowing him to retrieve it at the end of the day.
School administrator catching high school male students mooning a camera in a shower room..... Then developing the film to be used later in expulsion hearings.
Believe it or not bad decisions like this is the exception, not the rule... Keep in mind most educators have the kids' interest in mind, we just don't see the good decisions in the press.
I'll be working on an editorial on this subject today for tomorrow's Evening Forum. I'm not sure what form it will take, although my posting here suggests several directions. As I said, the school probably overreacted, but it's more complicated than that. If you'd like to offer comments you think would make the editorial better informed, post them before 11 a.m.Update: Blogger Steve Erbach cites this Indiana Parley post at his The Town Crank weblog.
WEST WINDS AROUND 30 MPH WILL GUST UP TO 45 MPH TODAY AND THIS EVENING. TRAVEL MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. LOOSE OBJECTS MAY NEED TO BE SECURED IN ORDER TO PREVENT THEM FROM BEING BLOWN AROUND.If today is trash pick-up day in your neighborhood, as it is in mine, secure your trash carts bearing the spiffy Fort Wayne seal. New Haven and Woodburn don't want those carts ending up in their cities.
Michael Clements, 27, has filed as Democratic challenger in the United States Congressional District served by Dan Burton. Dave Schultz reports in the Huntington Herald-Press:As Clements sees it, it's not about what his stands are - and he does sidestep his personal views on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage. He sees those as state issues, not federal issues. "A lot of that stuff has to do with state's rights, I believe," he said.Clements completed St. Thomas University School of Law in Florida in December 2005. He was the student American Bar Association Representative while there. Clements believes that the voters will respond positively to someone with a background in law. He told Schultz this:
What it is, he said, is what the people of the 5th District want.
"I look at it this way: If you're house needs plumbing, you don't call a carpenter," Clements said. "You call a plumber. I think it helps for (a politician) to have an understanding of the law and its ramifications."He said he was influenced by his grandparents.
Clements grew up around politics. It was hard to avoid, with his grandfather serving on the Huntington Common Council and both of his grandparents party chairmen.The intermittent weblog "Fort Wayne Politics" reported on December 2, 2005 that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had listed Clements as a challenger to Mark Souder in the 3rd District in a weblog post entitled "Michael Clements for Congress. But in which District?" The weblog reported that:
"My grandfather and my grandmother were very instrumental in the shaping of my desire to perform civic duty," he said.
Clements' Committee address was 5659 Coventry Lane in Fort Wayne but that was changed to 2266 Markle Road in Huntington on November 22nd.
A unique part of the service is they will also let you know about any unusual waste your dog may have in his stool. That would have been interesting around my house 9 years ago when my Lab was a pup. One crispy fall morning I was walking through the yard and came across a pile-o-poop only to find two of my son's little plastic green army men sticking out of the pile. Upon further investigation, I found several more piles with as many as 20 of these poor GI's sticking out. Some ready to throw a grenade others crouched down ready to sniper the next Kraut.
Conservative Harper Predicted to be Headed to Victory Harper built his campaign on appealing to regular Canadians on the need to clean up government, cut the national sales tax, crack down on crime and cut waiting times for the publicly funded health system.We are not likely to get much more election news out of Canada until tomorrow. Palmer explains the reason why:
Canadian law bars the posting of news to the Internet until after the last polls are closed so as to keep voters from being influenced.But you can see and listen to the video of Stephen Harper's rousing speech to the Conservative Party convention here. Conservatives here in the States can learn from some of the Harper lessons. As an added bonus, you get to see a lot of enthusiastic people waving around Harper signs.
Indiana exported to 190 foreign destinations in 2004. The state's largest export market, by far, is our NAFTA trading partner Canada. Indiana exported $8.5 billion worth of merchandise to Canada in 2004, almost half (45 percent) of the state total.
and
Indiana's biggest growth market, in dollar terms, is Canada. From 2000 to 2004, export shipments to Canada increased from $7.1 billion to $8.5 billion, an increase of $1.4 billion.
My name is Alex, and I am a conservative.Another sample:
I'm not a Republican, keyword not. If you'd asked me when I started to be truly interested in politics (about mid-2003), I would have sided with the GOP, but I later started to learn more and more about how the GOP has failed to live up to their platform. It seems they live up more to the Democratic platform.
Maybe that's why Dems hate Republicans so much; Republicans do a better job at spending other people's money! On top of that, George W. Bush, budget-wise, is the most liberal President we've had since Lyndon Johnson ("Great Society," anyone?).
The Republican Party actually got some things done in the 90s, but only because they were not in executive power. Take for example the cutting down of spending and the deficit (NOT the "balancing" of the budget. That never happened, unless you call stealing money from Social Security to make a false surplus "balancing.")
The GOP Congress passed budget cuts through; Clinton took the alley-oop by signing the cuts and claimed the credit, because he's a player. (That's player with an er; he can't be a "playa" because he has horrible taste in women, Lewinsky oral sex innuendo not withstanding.)
Don't get me wrong -- the GOP is more likely to keep the flag red, white, and blue, and not let it turn just white.
So far, I've been less than impressed by Bloomington. Since it's a college town, I saw at least five cars with left-leaning bumper stickers on them. One of them said "DRAFT YOUNG REPUBLICANS." That pissed me off immensely, even though I don't throw it up for the GOP click. Most of the college kids are off on break, so the streets were rather quiet, but they just reeked of the kind of college-town coffee-shop mentality that I abhor.
Frank Gets It Right and Gets It OutThe foreword tells students how important they are. They do work that produces data which is compiled and placed on quality paper with silver and gold specks and sent to the North Central Association (a school accrediting organization), which is so impressed it names Carroll a four-star school. Students shouldn’t get the idea they’re four-star students, though. They’re just data generators so administrators can write gobbledygook that makes them look good.And, of course, by so doing, Frank puts the issues, raised by Mr. Fraser in a satirical fashion, out for discussion by the whole community in a sober fashion.
The book makes reference to a legacy of losing teams, says the assistant principal for discipline spends 4 percent of his time disciplining students and 63 percent of his time is unaccounted for.
It says black students are guilty until proven innocent; asks who would enforce the cell phone ban if there were a crisis at the school, and suggests the graduation rate is determined by counting the number of students on the last day of school and comparing it to the number who graduate. That’s why the rates are so impressively high.
Any power students, such as the student council, have are not real powers but Austin Powers, it says.
It examines the parking habits of students and notes where overachievers, band members, kids to be found in detention and the mediocre masses park, and blasts one teacher for preaching communism.
“Contrary to what many may believe (because it is true), the school handbook does not mention anything about disciplining blacks over whites. Carroll’s definition of due process: innocent until proven guilty, unless you’re black.”Frank Gray made more clear the fact that Mr. Fraser was pointing to what he perceived as an unjust treatment of minority students. That didn't keep some people in the blogosphere from jumping to the conclusion that any mention of minorities by someone calling himself a Republican must be negative. This seemed to result in a mental short-circuit which exposed just how qualified and relative their support of rights such as "Free Speech" really is.
This from Craig's comment to a post at the Left of Centrist weblog.This story has been floating around the Ft. Wayne GOP blogs for a couple of days now. They all failed to mention the kid wrote some stuff about minorities. I think educators have a vested interest in curbing any kind of behavior that might lead to interracial tension within the school. A school isn't the public square.
I'm not saying race shouldn't be discussed in school, of course it should. But teachers and administrators are responsible for keeping the peace.
Craig has his own weblog, Reverent and Free where he wrote this charmer about Saturday morning's TAR meeting:
No word on whether or not any of those pesky black people that seem to bother Mr. Fraser so much were invited to the event.
Rumor has it the door prize was toilet paper imprinted with the 4th Amendment. A good time was had by all.
Poor Marie over at Hoosier Democrats. She first states she has an open mind but then goes on to label Mr. Fraser a "culprit" who has produced "victims." Despite the educational attempts by Mr. Sylvester, she knows that the school will "...air [sic] on the side of the victims."
She obviously diverges from the view expressed in Frank Gray's column this morning that the Carroll High School "adminstration has responded like some character out of a Dickens novel."
Frank's view is also not in sync with that of John Good, who has his own weblog Left in Aboite, but made this comment in response to the post at the Left of Centrist weblog:How ironic that NACS mirrored the standard GOP practice of silencing the opposition by any means possible.
Again, the people of Fort Wayne are lucky to have Frank Gray writing for them.
Recently, I attended the National League of Cities annual event- the 2005 Congress of Cities and Exposition.Mr. Knuth is also the Chair of the Allen County Democratic Central Committee.
As you will come to know, I work for a company that sells WiFi equipment. As I spoke to those in attendance, I heard the same thing over and over: "I know we need to have a city WiFi cloud".
However, most of these folks did not know WHY they needed a "cloud", what it really meant, or any of the issues involved- ranging from technical to political.
"I made a great living, traveled the world and met special people because I ran in circles quickly. And that's lucky."Kennedy ran for Indiana University in college. There, he met his wife, Melina, who was also a runner at I.U. She is the former Deputy Mayor of Indianapolis now running for the Democratic nomination for Prosecutor of Marion County.
American records in 5,000 meters (12:58.21 in 1996) and 3,000 meters (7:30.84 in 1998). Mile best of 3:56.21 (1994). Olympian in 1996 (sixth in 5,000) and 1992 (12th). Team bronze medal at World Cross Country (2001). Four U.S. 5,000 titles (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001). Four NCAA titles (cross country in 1988 and 1992, 1,500 in 1990, indoor mile in 1991).More: See more on Bob Kennedy's career at USA Track & Field.
Many persons have been asking why Jeff Fraser didn't appear for a promoted interview this morning on Radio Station WBYR The Bear 98.9 FM.
Fasten Your Seatbelts.Retain and gain jobs? lots of laughs there.Then FWI etc. has things to say about WOWO's Pat White:
January 20th - Waterfield Mortgage - 650 jobs lost
January 19th - Swiss-Re Est. 40 jobs
January 20th - Gibralter Box - 50 jobs
That's 740 jobs this month alone. What the hell is he talking about?
Also, I doubt the infrastructure will improve much now that Aboite has been consumed by the Socialist Republic of Fort Wayne. They'll be too busy keeping us rich brats happy.
Fort Wayne Moron of the Year - 2005And then FWI etc. is on to Kevin Knuth:
Pat White - A guy who thinks that any advertiser's product is the absolute best in the world.
Blah-blah-blah... Kevin Knuth needs to find something more productive to do than throw falsehoods at the media, which gladly gobbles them up.There's plenty more. Nancy Nall and the Downtown Improvement District's Dan Carmody get mentioned, too.
Maybe he should focus on getting rid of David Roach, who is an Ex-Klan Member that plans on running as a Democratic for Allen County Sheriff. LMAO. I didn't even know Roach was still around, and he now claims to be a “voluntary covert operative” for local law enforcement.
The quasi-governmental entity that financed, built and operates the City-County Building Parking Garage has installed a new, automated "attendant" at the garage to collect parking fees. Kevin Leininger made that change a subject of his column in yesterday's News-Sentinel.Told by the city and county to compensate for the lost revenue, the company decided to bring in technology already common in Indianapolis, Chicago and other larger cities. By eliminating the need for human attendants, the machine should pay for itself within two years, Hayes said. The garage is staffed between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays, with parking free at all other times. The new technology will provide the capability to collect fees 24 hours per day, but there are no plans to do so, Commissioner Marla Irving said.Net savings that begin two years from now may not be a total solution to the revenue problems facing the parking garage. So, the operators have resorted to another tactic - hanging a banner on the building.
"This idea got started even before I got here (in 2004)," [Principal] Phelps said. "We have parents even call and ask if (a child) can go on 'crate.' A kid is not put on 'crate' if they forget something one time."
A member of his school's Teenage Republican Club and the football team, Farris is described by classmates as a happy, friendly kid with an inquisitive mind.Also, that Farris Hassan is...
...[d]escribed by friends and relatives as a straight-A student and self-starter, Farris had wanted to observe with his own eyes Iraq's shift to democracy. He had recently taken a journalism class about writers delving into their subjects' lives for a broader perspective.What was the last thing reported about disciplinary action being considered at his school?
School officials are deciding what repercussions he will face for cutting school for a week.
''I imagine there will be some discipline situation, but right now we're trying to figure out what to do with that,'' Pine Crest President Lourdes Cowgill said.
She explained that Farris is an ''idealist . . . and has always been in good standing'' with the school. The trip to Iraq was not sanctioned by his teachers, she said.
John McGauley Among the First to File on the First Day
One of the things not mentioned in the coverage of the expulsion of Jeff Fraser is a description of his current educational digs.All the facts are not publicly known, but what was revealed during a school board meeting Monday indicates that Northwest Allen County Schools administrators need a crash course in the First Amendment.
A 17-year-old Carroll High School student was first suspended, then expelled from school, apparently for the offense of writing and distributing a “book” – really just 14 pages of 8 1/2 -by-11-inch paper – that is satirically critical of Carroll and the school corporation. “Carroll (The Book)” in some ways parodies comedian Jon Stewart’s “America (The Book).” The Carroll book includes an occasional expletive and heavy amounts of criticism, but it is at times funny and perceptive.
School officials legally cannot comment on disciplinary actions involving specific students, but Superintendent Steve Yager strongly hinted that the student improperly used school technology in producing the book. “First Amendment rights are not applicable when the violations are committed on school computers,” he said.
If the student, who has been identified as Jeff Fraser, wrongly used school computers for a non-school-related project, then he deserves some form of punishment. But expulsion? Would he have been expelled if he had wrongly used the computer to draft fund-raising letters for a non-profit? Not likely.
The situation has all the appearances of a student being kicked out of a public school for expressing opinions school officials didn’t like. If so, his expulsion – in addition to being unconstitutional – sends a terrible message to other students. Perhaps Carroll instructors should include a caveat when teaching students about the Constitution: “This doesn’t apply to you.”
[...]
The real hero in this debate appears to be Sam Wysong, a 17-year old classmate of Fraser who appeared before the school board Monday night to question Fraser’s dismissal. Without Wysong’s articulate presentation, the public may not have learned of the expulsion.
Fortunately, the school board will review Fraser’s expulsion. Cooler heads should prevail. Unless there is something the public doesn’t know regarding unrelated disciplinary problems, Fraser should be readmitted to school – and NACS administrators should brush up on their American government.
Expelling Carroll student for writing a satire critical of school administration is outrageous.Mike Sylvester writes the Allen County Libertarian Party weblog and can be contacted at: 260-338-0833 or by email at Mike.Sylvester@Verizon.net
A Carroll High School student was recently expelled for writing a ten page “satire” that was extremely critical of the Carroll High School administration.
The student in question has no record of disciplinary problems and was a strong student academically as well as being a member of the student council, band, the political club, future business leaders, and speech team. Outside of school, the student founded The Allen County Teenage Republicans.
There are many options that a school can use to discipline a student who has misbehaved in some fashion; the most extreme is expulsion for the school year. Students who are a threat to the safety of other students or who are continuous discipline problems should be removed from school; however, this student does not fit these criteria.
I find it impossible to understand how a student with no past disciplinary record can be expelled for the school year for writing a ten page “satire,” no matter how offensive it is to the administration.
There are a lot of methods the administration could have used to discipline the student for writing an offensive document on the school computer system. This is more than a free speech issue, because school rules do require considerate behavior from students. So, depending on how insulting or unfair the criticisms were, I suggest that the student be given a written warning, and the student’s parents be required to come to the school and be apprised of the entire situation. If warranted, the student should be required to apologize to those people who he offended.
This would be more than sufficient punishment for a first offense. Instead, the student can no longer attend Carroll High School and cannot be involved with the student activities that he participated in.
I attended the School Board Meeting on January 16 and listened to Carroll High School student Sam Wysong’s statement to The NACS Board. I wholeheartedly agree with his statement that “Expulsion seems like an overreaction to a first-time offender of this nature.” I hope that the school board listened to the statement as well.
I am extremely disturbed by a quote that was printed in a Journal Gazette article written by Kelly Soderlund entitled, “Carroll student expelled for satire” on January 17th. She quoted Superintendent Yager who told her that according to the NACS legal council, “First Amendment rights are not applicable when the violations are committed on school computers.”
I am not a lawyer; however, I have read the Constitution and I think that I have a pretty clear understanding of both what it specifically states and what our Founding Fathers intended. It states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Per NACS procedures, Superintendent Yager still has to approve this expulsion; hopefully, he will over-ride it and investigate why this expulsion occurred in the first place. If Superintendent Yager approves the expulsion, then the School Board will get the same opportunity to review the case.
One of the strengths of this great nation is the freedom of the press and speech. I am a proud military veteran extremely concerned about the constant erosion of our civil liberties. My children will be attending NACS and I will do everything I possibly can to ensure that they attend a strong school system that respects the Constitution.
This will be interesting to follow. I wonder what he wrote. It's not like the Allen County Republicans are a huge GOP organization with only 2 members. I have to wonder what he wrote. Kids are not allowed the same freedom of speech at school and he wrote it on the school's computers. If he wrote what appeared to have been harassing comments about other students or teachers then by all means he deserved expulsion but without the document I could not say that. Unfortunately for us we will never know because school officials are not allowed to discuss a students record in public. Clearly it will be a case to watch and I hope only the best outcome for all those involved. Some lessons are learned the hard way.
I am not sure who originated the quote “Doth mine eyes deceive me?” but I can be reasonably certain he wasn’t talking about what a few people saw on WANE-TV, Channel 15, and wished they’d been deceived during a Dec. 16 interview after a Carroll High School basketball game.
The interview occurred in the Carroll locker room. At one point, a player who was not in the foreground flashed a part of his body that should not have been visible in the background.
[...]
WANE-TV’s news director Ted Ling confirms the incident. He says the camera crew was in an area of the locker room that everyone presumed was safe.
[...]
Carroll High School Principal Deborah Neumeyer says she doesn’t know whether the nudity was intentional or unintentional: School’s out and the students are gone.
Her main concern is that film crews stay out of locker rooms.
Voltaire once said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," and it might as well be the Left Wing Child-Porn-Is-Free-Speech motto. But not if your thoughts disagree with what they think. After all, their line of thought is absolute and infallible.
Paul Siegfried, writing in the Huntington (IN) Herald-Press has a story about the Huntington roots of Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. Grossman will be leading the Bears tomorrow in its play-off game against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field.That forecast [of a shining college career] came to pass at Bloomington, where Grossman had a solid IU career, including one unforgettable moment. In 1947, he kicked the game-winning field goal in a 16-14 victory over Purdue. It was the final win for coach Bo McMillin, and the last win for Indiana over Purdue until 1962, which meant Grossman’s field goal lingered in the minds of Hoosier fans for 14 years.If the Bears win it will be their first post-season victory since 1995, reports the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson.
Commenting on today's announcement, W. Don Cornwell, Chief Executive Officer of Granite Broadcasting Corporation, said, "WBNG is a very strong station with a long history as the market's leading news provider and complements our other upstate New York stations in nearby Syracuse and Buffalo. This acquisition is a terrific fit with our stated strategy of capitalizing on our core strength of operating news-oriented, Big Three network-affiliated stations in the nation's mid-sized markets. We believe it is an excellent use of proceeds to be received from the sales of our two WB affiliates, and is another positive step in the execution of our strategic plan to realign our asset mix and substantially strengthen our capital structure."The company has broadcast coverage serving approximately 6% of the US market.
Indiana Parley interviewed Jeff Neumeyer of Indiana's NewsCenter about the sale of Waterfield Mortgage. The interview was conducted immediately following Jeff Neumeyer's live standup for the noon newscast of WPTA-TV today.
Huntington University's mens basketball team is now Number 2 nationally in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II rankings.
St. John, known for covering nighttime breaking news stories such as the 2004 Masterson Station tornado, was arrested for driving under the influence, assaulting an officer and other charges early Dec. 18. She has pleaded not guilty. WLEX news director Bruce Carter says he is looking to hire a reporter to replace St. John, as well as a reporter for the top-rated LEX 18 News at Sunrise.The Lexington Herald-Leader had earlier published the details of the arrest and plea of "not guilty."
The Wall Street Journal reports today that Arizona Congressman John Shadegg may become the third person to seek the Majority Leader's post in the U.S. House of Representatives. Friends and allies were optimistic that Rep. John Shadegg (R., Ariz.) would offer the party a third, more change-oriented alternative to the two establishment figures already in the field: Majority Whip Roy Blount (R., Mo.) and Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee.Mr. Shadegg would presumably gain the support of both Indiana Representatives Pence and Souder. He is an advocate for many of things that both Hoosier legislators support. Shadegg would take the strongest stance among the candidates for Majority Leader in terms of reforming the budgeting process such as reducing earmarking for special projects.
Neither Messrs. Blunt nor Boehner appears close to the 116 votes needed to win Feb. 2 when party elections are to be held. Mr. Shadegg would start with less support, but with a significant number of Republicans now uncommitted he has the potential to shake up the race, forcing at least a second ballot and greater discussion of changes that many members are demanding.
You've seen the ads featuring Man From U.N.C.L.E. actor Robert Vaughn on behalf of lawyers; the ones with the signature line, "Tell them you mean business."
Guv Mentions Olympian Sunder Nix in State of the StateThe first steps of any race are critical. Our first steps have been fast ones, strong and straight. But the ground we must cover to catch up to accumulated problems, and overtake other states of this country, will be a long and demanding one.The Governor then seemed to mix metaphors a bit:
At the gym I frequent, I sometimes run with – or, more accurately, run far behind – a friend named Sunder Nix. If the name is familiar, it is because Mr. Nix is an Indiana sports hero, a gold medalist at the ’84 Olympics and a 400-meter specialist.
Sunder tells me that, although the first or “drive” phase of a race is key, the second stage is likewise. In this “transition” segment, his goal is to maintain the speed he has attained through a fast start. “Whatever you do,” he teaches, “don’t lose your momentum.”
Momentum for change has been established in Indiana. We have already taken steps people said were not possible. This is no time to rest, let alone pull up lame. We must gather confidence and courage from the fast start behind us and head straight for the next set of goals: more money in our classrooms, the exchange of 19th Century institutions for 21st Century models, and brave, bold moves to build a backbone for a new generation of great jobs.
To this Assembly, I say “Lap One, well done.” But the second phase is all-important. We don’t have a single day, let alone a legislative session, to rest, or cruise, or hesitate. Let’s move, let’s act, let’s play the ball aggressively...Since Mr. Nix won his medal by being part of a 1600 meter relay team perhaps the Governor, with a nod to the legislature, could have referred to passing the baton to the legislators rather than "playing the ball".
A deal for Waterfield may already be in the bag, according to Darli Stoughton, president of the Greater Indianapolis Mortgage Bankers Association.Fort Wayne television stations? Nothing. Fort Wayne News-Sentinel? Nothing. Indianapolis Star? Nothing. Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly? Nothing**.
"It's been confirmed by some Waterfield employees," Stoughton told IBJ. "Some of the Waterfield people have already gotten retention offers from American Home Mortgage."
A group of North County residents who initiated an effort to divide Santa Barbara County - creating a new Mission County in the process - decided Tuesday to begin campaigning to get voters to approve the plan.The other story is from the Youngstown (OH) Vindicator about city officials who have no idea about the finances of their municipal arena. It wouldn't be so bad if they were just talking about the operating expenses; they don't seem to know how it came to cost so much to build, either.
In 2003, the group - Citizens for County Organization (CFCO), Inc. - gathered more than 21,000 signatures to require a study on the feasibility of dividing the county along north-south lines, and eventually a vote on the matter.
...
Voters countywide will decide the split proposal during the June 6 primary election. In order to take effect, the split would have to be approved by voters in both the old county and the new one.
CFCO members - including businessman Jim Diani, Chamber of Commerce CEO Robert Hatch and former county supervisor Harrell Fletcher of Santa Maria, and Etta Waterfield of Lompoc, have said they question the validity of some of the Mission County Formation Commission's findings, and that a county divorce is still the right choice.
“It comes down to differences between North County and the South Coast,” said Diani, CFCO chairman and president of Diani Companies. “Geographically, the south is urbanized and it has developed a quality of life that contrasts with the rural economy of the North County. It's very difficult to make county regulations now that don't adversely affect one region or another.”
[Youngstown] officials haven't received financial projections from Global Entertainment Corp. of Phoenix and Compass Facilities Management Co. of Ames, Iowa — the companies managing the center — since September, said city Finance Director David Bozanich.Youngstown got a new Mayor on January 1, 2006.
"Outside of [reducing] the homicide rate, one of my primary objectives and concerns is getting a firm understanding of the finances of the center," [Mayor Jay Williams] said. "I want to make sure it's a successful venture. It's something we have to stay on top of not only on a day-to-day basis, but long-term."Anyone willing to bet whether the center will make the 2006 profit projection?
...
The estimated construction cost of the center jumped from $41 million to $45.38 million in the span of about a month this past summer.
...
Even though the facility has held events since Oct. 29, city officials say the final construction cost may not be known until as late as the end of next month.
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The city borrowed $12 million at 6.5 percent interest from Sky Bank in late August to make up a projected funding gap for the arena. Most of the center's construction cost was paid with a $26.8 million federal grant.
Financial projections from the center's management team obtained in August by The Vindicator estimate a $1,153,802 profit for this year.
Might a bank with deep Hoosier roots be in the hunt for an out-of-state buyer?
24-Hour News 8 news-gathering partner the Indianapolis Business Journal reports growing speculation that locally-owned Union Federal Bank will be sold to an out of state company.
As the largest locally-owned bank in the state, Union Federal is a sponsor of the Colts. The bank's name is even on the team's training center and their commercials tout the bank as the official bank of the team.
Many analysts fear that an out-of-state institution would be less community-driven.
"A lot of local companies are more inclined to support local institutions or local sports teams and we have the same issue going right now with Marsh, where Marsh is looking for a buyer and Marsh is a big sponsor of a lot of organizations. It remains to be seen whether an out of state buyer will have that same local investment that a local company has,” said Greg Andrews, IBJ.
IBJ has spoken to analysts who believe Union Federal and its parent company, Waterfield Mortgage Company, will be sold separately.
Cutting-edge cool" is a phrase that sounds like it belongs burning in 1980s Hell along with "rad," "totally tubular" and "Where's the beef?"He has some suggestions that might be a bit more appealing. Some are satirical:
Or, how about a slogan that states how we are planning to beautify the campus. Sexy campuses attract students, so how about something like, "We have a nice two-tenths of a mile strip on McKinley Avenue, and everything after that is bumpy, pot hole Hell - but we're working on it."But he really has an affection for his school so he has offered up some serious ideas, too, on what Ball State ought to be emphasizing.
The Princeton Review named Ball State a "Best in the Midwest" university for 2006, one of many schools to receive that award. See? Princeton: That usually means smart, so why isn't that on a billboard somewhere?
Also, the landscape architecture department was ranked as one of the nation's top 10 programs in the 2005 "Almanac of Architecture and Design." Why isn't that blown up and advertised?
Even U.S. News & World Report recognized Ball State as having one of the best undergraduate business programs in the nation, according to the new 2006 rankings - but I'm still looking for that as I drive along I-69.
All of this information can be found on Ball State's "Rankings and Recognitions" Web page, along with dozens of awards Ball State has won. So although wireless is great and offers a plethora of capabilities, until something ground-breaking is being done with that technology, please advertise the plethora of other reasons this is a great university to attend.
[H]e's a guy called Stephen Harper and he's widely agreed by all the experts to have "negative charisma". ... Mr Harper is unexciting even by Canadian standards! He's unflashy, unflamboyant, unshowy, unspectacular, unmodish, uncool - except in the sense that the Yukon in January is cool. He is, in other words, the anti-Cameron. And he's on course to win.
On Dec. 23, WTHR-TV, Channel 13, in Indianapolis, posted a report on its Web site that said Waterfield was preparing to announce the sale of its mortgage operation to Melville, N.Y.-based American Home Mortgage and its banking operation, Union Federal Bank, to Bowling Green, Ohio-based Sky Bank.Ms. Slater then goes on to catalogue the various denials, comments about the need for no comment and so on from all the companies involved.
The station withdrew the report about an hour after it was posted, saying all the facts had not been verified. Representatives for two sources quoted in the report, Gov. Mitch Daniels and Indiana Economic Development Corp. President Mickey Maurer, told The Journal Gazette on Wednesday that WTHR took their comments out of context. They had no communication with the companies about any kind of acquisition.
Union Federal jobs may go awayWhat appears on the WTHR-TV website when one hits the link? This:
WTHR, IN - Dec 23, 2005
... The other part of the Union Federal sale involves its residential mortgage side, operating under the name Waterfield, will go to New York City-based American ...
Our apologies.More: Link to the history of Union Federal Savings Bank.
You have reached a page that is currently unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please use your browser's BACK button to return to the previous page.
"In May, 1999 the Waterfield family stockholders wanted to reduce a portion of their 95 percent ownership in Waterfield Mortgage, parent of Union Federal. Rather than sell to another bank, the family sold 50 percent to officers and outside investors. This action backed up our verbal commitment of being "Indiana owned and operated"."
Broas is a 1986 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a bachelor of science in journalism with an advertising emphasis. He is on the Sales Force Advisory Board of the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University. He and his wife, Laurie, are both Midwestern natives, and they look forward to this opportunity to live in that part of the country.
"Who’s to stop me from influencing people with the truth?" - Alexis Jones, creator of the Inside USC weblog....her desire to be a journalist and future sports broadcaster with the technological desires of site editor Nathan Gotsch, graduate of the USC School of Cinema-Television and an "integral part of [the blog].
"People are too impatient to wait 24 hours for a newspaper ... or the 6 o’clock news. [Blogging] is a revolution of the media, and it is exciting to be a part of something that’s never been done before," Jones said. "All of a sudden everyday people have a voice."Photos of Nathan Gotsch and Alexis Jones from InsideUSC.com
Somebody will be able to write a thesis about how the communication process here got messed up. I hate to say this, being a spokesman for elected [officials], but I think this is the disastrous result of a new trend in which elected [officials] swoop into disaster scenes and take over the communications. The mining company never announced this, the governor and the Congresswoman did (over and over again), granted they did it after hearing the story from family members.He added the following today in writing to Indiana Parley:
Reporters know this better than anyone - you don't say something like this until you know it for yourself or you have it confirmed and re-confirmed.
Rudy Giuliani made this an art form by showing up at every bad accident, fire and crash and taking over communications from the professionals. They're quotable, they exude leadership in tough situations, but they don't always know what "confirmed" means.
It's an issue that really bothered me a great deal during Katrina, as well. Some of the most horrible, unfounded rumors (like dozens of bodies in the Convention Center freezer) were launched by electeds seizing the mic and passing along things someone told them on a street corner.Mr. McGauley is Public Information Officer to the Board of Commissioners of Allen County (IN). He previously worked in the same capacity in the office of Fort Wayne Mayor W. Paul Helmke. He is a former reporter for the Muncie Evening Press and Ball State Daily News. He is a candidate for Allen County Recorder in the 2006 Republican primary election.
There is a great deal of implied credibility that comes with being an elected leader. Things that would be checked and re-checked from any other source go straight onto air or into print out of the mouth of a mayor, governor or Congressman. This is a fact that I don't think most elected [officials] realize, but one that they need to become cognizant of.
AMERICANS ARE COMMITTED TO BEING #1. So Why Aren't We Leading the World in Broadband?This was over a large photo of a swimmer facing lanes in which an image of the habitable continents were superimposed on the water. (page 2L, Jan. 04, 2005, News-Sentinel)
The Boston Globe, with a circulation of about 414,000, managed to get the correct story into 50,000 copies of its final edition, according to editor Martin Baron. He said the paper actually dumped 30,000 copies with the wrong story and replaced them with 30,000 extra copies offering the corrected version.Mary Jacobus, formerly head of Fort Wayne Newspapers, is beginning her new duties at the Globe. She ought to put the matter of Mr. Baron's viewpoint at the top of her to-do list.
Baron said the coverage was as good as could be expected, given the timing of events and the fact that the original reports were coming from rescue workers, government officials, and families of the miners. "It seemed we handled it just fine all along the way," said Baron. "It's not like people were working with no information. There were officials commenting on this. As it turned out, wrong information was given out."
Baron added that if the paper had held off on the story and it turned out to be true, it would have drawn criticism for waiting too long. "At some point, you've got to print a paper," he said. "I don't know what else you can do."
Full disclosure: I have been asked to advise the Souder for Congress campaign from time to time. Most recently, I have served as one of the "roasters" at a Souder for Congress fundraiser.I was just recently given photographs from the Mark Souder fundraiser. So, here's an illustration to go along with the earlier disclosure.
Classified advertising just might be illustrative of the problems facing the News-Sentinel as an afternoon daily.
