Fort Wayne, IN - The Salvation Army Fort Wayne Corps has applied for planning funds through the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center initiative. If approved, the Fort Wayne Corps would receive up to $860,000 to develop a proposal that could lead to the creation of a Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in central Fort Wayne. It is expected that the Center would include a variety of family recreation, human service, arts, athletic, educational and religious facilities to complement current and planned investment in the near-downtown area. Contact: Karen Goldner, FourthWave Director of Special Projects 260-469-4411 >Link.
Prepared by: Jack L. Stark, Greenway Coordinator, Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department
In late June and early July, 2004, the Greenway Coordinator and members of the Greenway Consortium conducted a series of inspections of the RiverGreenway system. This report is based upon the results of those inspections and makes recommendations for upgrading and improving the system. The general consensus is that the Greenway is not in good shape and needs significant upgrading. View the report at: http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/pdf/recommendations.pdf.
Be within walking distance from all of the things that you love to do! Downtown Fort Wayne offers living accommodation for those who crave the urban experience. Walk to work, dine in Fort Wayne's finest restaurants, visit the latest exhibits at the downtown museums and galleries, and enjoy a performance at the Performing Arts Center — all within seconds of your home. >Link.
Friday, October 15th, 2004
Starting at 5:30 pm.
Cinema Center Tech
The Andorfer Commons
Indiana Institute of Technology
1600 East Washington Blvd.
Save the date for Cinema Center’s big party to celebrate the opening of
Cinema Center Tech.
This party is free for all Cinema Center members, but please RSVP by e-mail or phone.
You can make a reservation for this party if you are not a member, but are planning to become a member the night of the party. Yes, we’ll make you pay membership dues before you see the new theater, but trust us, you won’t be sorry. Cinema Center Tech is a gorgeous, modern theater.
The party will be upstairs from the box office in the balcony lounge area.
We will be showing trailers from Cinema Center favorites from the past and previews of what is coming to both theaters, Cinema Center downtown and Cinema Center Tech.
There will be a silent auction of celebrity items--- a “Monty Python and The Holy Grail” poster signed by John Cleese; donations from local businesses—a romantic carriage ride through downtown Fort Wayne; movie posters—an “O Brother Where Art Thou” from Czechoslovakia; and more!
Silent auction closes at 7:30pm
Members are welcome to stay for the movie at 8:30PM. Film to be announced.
Refreshments courtesy of Roly Poly and Puccini’s.
If you have questions or want to make a reservation, contact us at 426-3456, or at movies@cinemacenter.org.
Born and raised in Fort Wayne, cartoonist Richard Kolkman has returned after living in Indianapolis for 20 years. Kolkman established the comic art production and publishing imprint seriocomics.com, which is now based in Fort Wayne. Kolkman is also a member of indianacartoonists.com.
Check for new comics weekly on the web sites thingsfromnowhere.com and seriocomics.com or email seriocomics@comcast.net for more info.
October 2, 2004, Volunteers Needed
Invent Tomorrow and the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department need additional volunteers to assist with the riverview restoration scheduled for October 2, 2004 from 8 AM till 12 noon. Interested individuals should register with Invent Tomorrow by calling 260-407-2015 or by e-mailing inventtomorrow@aol.com.
This year volunteers will continue along the path west of Trader’s Point (Fourth Street) in their cleanup efforts. The purpose of the Riverview Restoration project is to raise awareness of the beauty and history of the rivers’ role in Fort Wayne's development and to help promote recreational activities along the Greenway.
Volunteers are requested to wear appropriate work clothes such as long sleeved shirts and long pants, work shoes and work gloves. In addition insect repellent and safety glasses are recommended. Volunteers are asked to bring their own hand tools if possible and will be required to sign damage and injury waivers. Young men and women 16 years and younger must be accompanied by a supervising adult and anyone under 18 years of age must have a consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian to participate. Everyone is required to check-in and sign a waiver the morning of the event.
Invent Tomorrow was established in 2000 to support and connect individuals and organizations to create solutions that improve the educational, economic and social well being of all citizens. The Rivers Committee of Invent Tomorrow is dedicated to promoting community awareness and pride in our rivers through activities that provide social and economic benefits. To learn about all of Invent Tomorrow's activities visit our website at www.inventtomorrow.com.
by Samuel R. Staley
Samuel R. Staley is a senior fellow at Reason Foundation.
Originally published in the Downtown Idea Exchange
August 15, 2004 -- Can downtowns survive? The gut reaction of many, particularly in the development community, will be "of course." But an economist's eye on recent trends suggests the future of the downtown is anything but certain.
This may seem like unwarranted doomsaying considering the heady years of the last decade. After all, positive reports of vibrant downtowns flow continuously from downtown boosters and development associations. But the real story of downtown performance is much more complex.
Rebecca Sohmer and Robert Lang, for example, studied 24 downtowns for the Brookings Institution and Fannie Mae Foundation. Their general conclusion largely confirms conventional wisdom: All but five downtowns were growing.
The Bad News
A more important statistic, however, is whether downtowns are gaining in market share - are they showing they have a regional competitive edge?
In this respect, the data aren't nearly as compelling: Just 15 of the downtowns gained population at a rate faster than their host city. Some growth was dramatic - Houston, Seattle, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, and Memphis saw their downtown population increase more than twice as fast as the city as a whole.
Cleveland, Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Milwaukee increased their downtown population although their cities continued to decline. The others saw anemic (if positive) growth.
These patterns indicate that downtowns can survive, but the sluggish performance of many others is clear evidence that their survival is not assured.
Survival Skills
What will it take for downtowns to survive and even thrive in this environment?
First and foremost, downtown advocates need to recognize they operate in a fundamentally different environment now than they did 50 years ago.
In the mid-twentieth century, the downtown was the regional epicenter for commerce, politics, and culture. In the 21st century, dramatic improvements in mobility, low-cost telecommunications, two-income families, and low housing costs have fundamentally altered the regional economy. Families increasingly choose their neighborhoods based on lifestyle rather than proximity to work.
In more and more cases, downtowns survive and thrive because they have recognized they can play a unique, but not necessarily dominant, role in the regional economy. They have become, in essence, highly specialized neighborhoods characterized by density and diversity.
Second, downtowns need to be strategically focused. In Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don't, Jim Collins found that for-profit companies excelled when they consistently applied a "hedge hog" concept - some product or service that they can be the best in the world at providing.
Downtowns need a hedge hog concept, too, but their focus will be somewhat different. While for-profit companies compete globally and technology is quickly obliterating geographic constraints, downtowns compete on a regional scale and in a spatial context. The 21st century downtown will compete by offering a bundle of services and a lifestyle that is distinct from alternatives offered within the region. More importantly, people will be as important as commerce in the 21st century downtown.
Third, a key component of revitalization efforts will be residential development - downtowns must become real neighborhoods where families and residents make long- term investments in where they live. Fortunately, the demographics are relatively easy to identify: Residents of downtowns tend to be urbane and metropolitan - they prefer density, mixed uses, and access to cultural programs and facilities, and are generally more inclined to walk or use public transit.
This boutique neighborhood concept is important for small cities as well as large ones. While downtowns in large cities benefit from congestion and sprawling suburbs, downtowns in small cities compete much more directly with outlying areas and towns. For smaller cities, then, a focused and targeted approach is even more important.
Despite 50 years of population decentralization, most downtowns can survive and even thrive. Their success will depend on their ability to recognize fundamental changes in the metropolitan fabric and transform themselves into neighborhoods that meet the demands of a more competitive and mobile society. They will need to develop a distinct identity and recognize the market constraints in which they operate. This also means recognizing the limits to their contribution to the local economy - they will be a crucial alternative for businesses and families, not the regional economic engine. >Link
Tue Sep 21, 3:41 AM ET Yahoo News
PARIS (AFP) - One of the biggest motor shows in the world is set to take place in Paris this week -- but not before the city makes another display of its crusade against the car that it hopes will transform the capital into a haven for pedestrians and cyclists.
The French capital is on Wednesday to host the annual car-free day it launched six years ago and which is now copied by 1,100 other cities, most of them in Europe.
But then, just three days later, starting Saturday, the Paris International Motor Show is to open its doors, attracting one and a half million visitors over the following two weeks.
The juxtaposition of events highlights the love-hate relationship with cars that has taken hold of the French capital.
The left-wing municipal council has all but declared war on private four-wheeled transport by laying down road-hogging bus lanes and cycle paths, expanding plans for a tramway and paving over thousands of parking spaces.
It has also expressed a wish to see bulky four-wheel drive vehicles favoured by wealthier residents banned entirely from city streets.
But the conservative national government under President Jacques Chirac has provided little support.
As a result, the car-free day introduced in 1998 by the then-Socialist government is in decline. In 2002, 98 French cities and towns participated. Last year, it was 72. This year, there will only be 50.
The organisers say that is because September 22 falls in the middle of the week, posing a problem for authorities trying to balance economic and transport necessities and raising the possibility that the day might be moved to a Sunday from next year.
Some of those that are taking part this year are offering free public transport on the day.
Many other European cities, including London, Madrid and Stockholm will be following suit in banning cars from streets, but Rome and Berlin will not.
Farther afield the initiative has proved a bust. Only Montreal in Canada, 17 Brazilian towns and cities, a handful of Japanese cities and Taipei have joined what was once hoped would become a worldwide experiment in urban living without the omnipresent car.
"The initiative is seeing a certain ebb," French Environment Minister Serge Lepeltier told journalists last week.
That prompted the Paris municipal official in charge of city transport, Denis Baupin, to decry a "disengagement by the state" that he said could put an end to the annual event altogether.
Come the weekend, the whole debate is likely to be largely forgotten though, when the Paris Motor Show grabs headlines with its flashy series of concept cars and innovative grandstanding.
More than 60 new models are to be unveiled during the two-week exhibition, during which 480 manufacturers from 26 countries show off their latest goods.
This year, though, the emphasis is likely to be less on the extravagantly powerful and luxurious vehicles -- although they will still provide the glamour quotient -- than on the generally depressed state of car sales almost everywhere and the effect the sky-high price of oil is having on the industry.
Chirac, who is to officially open the show, is said to be ready to highlight "clean" cars, such as a model Citroen is bringing out and hybrid vehicles from Toyota as his contribution to acknowledging the pollution problem caused by current private transport. >Link
Trail expansion gains pledge of $2 million
By Benjamin Lanka
The Journal Gazette
Mayor Graham Richard on Wednesday promised to spend $2 million worth of city money in an attempt to generate a total of $8 million to improve the city?s Rivergreenway system.
?This is money that will help us build more trails, maintain trails and encourage connection within our system,? he said.
Richard made the announcement before hosting a meeting with several different groups committed to building trails in and around Fort Wayne.
Richard said beginning next year, the city will spend $500,000 each of the next four years, for a total of $2 million, toward greenway development and renovations. He said that money can be used to attract state and federal grants along with donations from foundations and private residents.
He said the priority for the money is to improve the existing trail system and make connections between city trails and other trails. The improvements to existing trails will include better signs around the paths to assist users and additional parking areas at trail entrances to allow residents to drive to the paths.
Mike Kelly, head of Northwest Allen County Trails, said Richard?s proposal will help his group tie into the city faster than expected.
?It brings it all together a lot quicker than what we thought,? he said.
In the next five years, the northwest group plans to build a 10-mile trail along an abandoned rail bed from Coliseum Boulevard to North County Line Road. Kelly said the summit of greenway groups will help coordinate plans and financing applications, especially because state representatives were in attendance.
Augustus Berry, 37, of Fort Wayne, said he was grateful to have the greenway, but he wished it could be used to travel to work.
?The Rivergreenway is of no use except for recreation,? he said.
Berry said it was a good idea to connect trails across the county and hoped to get some businesses along the path that would cater to cyclists and pedestrians.
Richard said most of the city?s money will come from its county economic development income tax revenue.
?Our efforts to enhance the greenway system will help us build a better city and retain and gain jobs,? he said.
The mayor said he will present his plan for all of the city?s CEDIT dollars next week, including how much will be given to each City Council district. Some councilmen have expressed concern about losing district money they say enhances community-oriented government.
Richard said the specific projects to be completed with the money will be announced in the coming weeks. He said it will be up to the city?s greenway director to find additional money and appropriate projects for the money.
The council must approve creating a greenway director position, but no member has vocally opposed it for the 2005 budget. Jack Stark has been the greenway coordinator since June on a volunteer basis.
The meeting also allowed different groups to present their plans for new trails in the county and address questions from residents. Richard said the city?s 20 miles of trails could expand to 80 miles if each group?s plan comes to fruition. >Link
Three buildings for the biomedical, technology industries will go up at Stellhorn, St. Joe roads.
From staff reports Fort Wayne News Sentinel
Construction is under way on the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center at the northeast corner of Stellhorn and St. Joe roads. The center, which helps workers develop skills for the biomedical and technology industries, is currently housed in leased space at Raytheon Co. on Production Road. "We are moving as quickly as we can to get enclosed before the bad winter sets in," President and Chief Executive Officer Karl LaPan has said. The first phase is the 40,000-square-foot Biomedical Research Center that will anchor the project. It will take probably another year to finish. About 30 percent of the facility could be used for biomedical research. The group plans to construct three buildings totaling 83,290 square feet on 13.7 acres that formerly was part of the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center. The construction is being paid for with the aid of an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The center also received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration in mid-September. The funds, approved last December, will be used to support operations at the center. The SBA grant is part of about $2.3 million in federal funds pegged for the center. Another $500,000 grant from the Health and Human Services Administration will help pay for equipment. All told, the Innovation Center has raised more than $7.6 million to cover capital costs. >Link
Since its launch in February, 2003, this site has been devoted to supporting and nurturing the creative community of the Greater Fort Wayne area. Its success depends on the user submissions and comments of visitors like you.
To that end, how would you like to see CFW.net go forward? What suggestions for links and new features or web tools (group weblog, wiki, calendar, for example) would you like to see implemented? More/less of? Use the comments link to this post or send us your feedback via email or using the contact link in the navigation menu.
Wednesday, September 22 at 6:30 p.m., at Franke Park Pavilion #1, 3411 Sherman Blvd. The Summit is open to the public. Citizens interested in trails and greenways are invited to attend. The Summit is free but please RSVP to 260-427-6023. This is a very important meeting and it would be great to see you there!
A mini-power station on the roof of many UK homes will soon be possible and affordable, a British think-tank says.The Green Alliance, an independent body which advises policy-makers, says that micropower schemes have come of age.
In a report which will be published on 15 September, it says the Sun, the wind and even the heat in the soil can all provide clean energy for a household.
The report says micropower can help the UK to keep its promises on tackling climate change, and also to save money. >Link
By Douglas Kelbaugh FAIA, Dean A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning University of MichiganAs an architect and educator I am worry about the intellectual and pragmatic challenges that currently bedevil architectural practice and pedagogy. I perceive seven design fallacies that permeate professional practice and studio culture at many schools of architecture. Some are self-imposed and tractable; others are less easily addressed because they are externally driven—by the media, technology, globalization and commodification. Some are more about making form, others about making things equitable and sustainable. All seven are deeply embedded in our psyches and changing them will not be easy; reform, however, will not only ensure the survival of architecture and urbanism but also invigorate them. >Link
On Thursday, Sept. 9th, Mayor Graham Richard joined First Lady Maggie Kernan to announce that the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has awarded the City $496,000 in enhancement funds for sidewalk improvements in the downtown area.
The money will be used to launch the Fort Wayne Urban Trails Project, which will include improvements to public street spaces in downtown to make them more pedestrian friendly. The first phase of the project will connect the existing St. Marys Rivergreenway at Headwaters Park, with downtown via Barr and Calhoun streets.
These improvements will enhance the walks between the Greenway, Grand Wayne Center, Allen County Public Library and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Residents and visitors will be encouraged to walk rather than drive between points of interest downtown, and a consistent aesthetic theme will be developed for downtown. Walking routes will also create incentives for shops, restaurants and other businesses to locate along the new paths.
?We are building a better city by providing more opportunities for pedestrians,? said Mayor Richard. ?We are working to provide a great quality of life for our residents. The efforts being made will help us retain and gain jobs as we expand business opportunities and attract tourists downtown.?
Mayor Richard has committed $2.5 million of a $10 million capital improvement bond to downtown infrastructure upgrades. The total cost of the Urban Trails Project is $638,600. The City will fund the remaining $142,600.
The Fort Wayne Urban Trails Project is part of the recently completed Downtown Fort Wayne Action Plan ?Blueprint for the Future.?
Sunday, September 12th
Visit 14 of Fort Wayne's premier attractions for FREE Sunday, September 12th.
Just pick up your passport at any Scott's location or any of the participating attractions.
African/African-American Historical Museum, Allen County Courthouse, Artlink, Cathedral Museum, The Embassy Theatre, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, Fort Wayne Firefighter's Museum, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, History Center, Scottish Rite Center, The Lincoln Museum, the Lincoln Tower. >Link
September 11th and 12th
11am-5pm
Ticket price is $10 in advance, $12 on days of tours
Available prior to the tour at Antiques On Broadway, Neuhouser Nursery, Neuhouser Garden & Gifts, Umber's Ace Hardware Stores, and Tower Bank locations.
Available the weekend of the tour at the Swinney Homestead and St Joseph Hospital plaza.
Free trolley and carriage rides on route.
Free parking at the Swinney Homestead and in the lot in front of the Scottish Rite Center. For more information call Jill at 260-385-WEST
To see a preview of the tour check out here.
Cinema Center Tech (the new one) is located on the Indiana Tech Campus at 1600 East Washington Blvd. Just down the road from the original.
The Life of Brian & The Door in the Floor
The Door in the Floor "Extraordinary in every way, from the pitch-perfect performances to the delicate handling of explosive subject matter, The Door in the Floor is also a model of page-to-screen adaptation."-Rolling Stone. "A thoughtful, melancholy story of love, loss, pain, betrayal and the lingering after-effects of tragedy."-Variety. "[I] t's so strong and the performance by Basinger and by Bridges and this young actor, there's such good work and there are some quiet moments of grief that really hit you ..."-Richard Roeper. "It's easily the most robust and compelling movie ever spun off from Irving's work."-Entertainment Weekly. 111 min. Rated R for strong sexuality and graphic images, and language. Friday at 6:30PM, Saturday at 8:30PM, Sunday at 2PM, Monday at 6:30PM, Tuesday at 6:30PM, Wednesday at 8:30PM, Thursday at 8:30PM
The Life of Brian "The more things change, the more we have to laugh if we are to have a prayer of remaining sane, and the Pythons are the best possible step in that direction."-Los Angeles Times. "The greatest work of religious skepticism ever put on the screen."-Boston Globe. "Blessed are the cheesemakers."--Flick Filosopher. 94 min., Rated R. Friday at 8:45PM, Saturday at 6:30PM, Sunday at 4:15PM, Monday at 8:30PM, Tuesday at 8:30PM, Wednesday at 6:30PM, Thursday at 6:30PM >Link
Cinema Center Downtown (the original) is located at 437 E. Berry St.
De-Lovely & Fahrenheit 9/11
De-Lovely "This elegant production beautifully captures a time and place that no longer exists -- and perhaps never did -- except in song."-CNN. "The movie contains more music than most musicals, yet is not a concert film because the songs seem to rise so naturally out of the material and illuminate it."-Roger Ebert. "Something dishy and rare: a biopic about a happy, and even enchanted, man."-Entertainment Weekly. 125 min., Rated PG-13. Friday at 6:15PM, Saturday at 6:15PM, Sunday at 2PM, Monday at 6:15PM, Tuesday at 6:15PM, Wednesday at 8:30PM, No Show on Thursday
Fahrenheit 9/11 Unlike Bowling For Columbine , which editorially often seemed something less than the sum of its sketch-comedy parts, Fahrenheit 9/11 makes its case carefully and clearly."-Toronto Star. A film every citizen of voting age in America should see."-Detroit News. "Moore has skillfully compiled many of the major allegations and charges brought against the Bushes... into one sweeping, blistering two-hour indictment."-Kalamazoo Gazette. 120 min., Rated R. Friday at 8:45PM, Saturday at 8:45PM, Sunday at 4:30PM, Monday at 8:30PM, Tuesday at 8:30PM, Wednesday at 6:15PM, Thursday at 8:30PM >Link
Where: Lawton Skatepark, on Fourth Street between Clinton Street and Spy Run Avenue
Directions: Enter Fourth Street through Spy Run; the entrance from Clinton Street will be closed Friday and Saturday.
What: 4 p.m. Friday ribbon-cutting
Who will be there: Dr. Skateboard, a professional skateboarder who uses skating as a teaching tool for physics, will give a demonstration. Representatives of Parkview Hospital?s safety-helmet program for children will sell bike and skateboard helmets, ranging from $7-$10. They?ll also be at the park Saturday.
On Saturday: 8:30-9 a.m. ? Dr. Skateboard is expected to perform. From 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., he will be giving demonstrations at Science Central, 1950 N. Clinton St.9-11 a.m. ? Members of the YMCA will host a beginner?s skateboarding workshop. Skateboards, pad and helmets will be available.
Skatepark hours: Daylight to 11 p.m. >Link
PHILADELPHIA - For about $10 million, city officials believe they can turn all 135 square miles of Philadelphia into the world's largest wireless Internet hot spot.Whither, Wi-Fi F.W.?The ambitious plan, now in the works, would involve placing hundreds, or maybe thousands of small transmitters around the city — probably atop lampposts. Each would be capable of communicating with the wireless networking cards that now come standard with many computers.
Once complete, the network would deliver broadband Internet almost anywhere radio waves can travel — including poor neighborhoods where high-speed Internet access is now rare. >Link