Thursday, December 31, 2015

FORT WAYNE POLICE DEPARTMENT IMPERSONATING POLICE

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Rusty York; Gary Hamilton; Deputy Chief Marty Bender; FWPD pr Hack Michael Joyner ( HUSBAND OF FW neighborhood code enforcement AKA CODE NAZIS Cindy Joyner )
most of the FWPD command staff; etc- KEYSTONE KOPS
and:  Sheriff David Gladieux;
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http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/crime/Fort-Wayne-Police-warn-public-about-impersonators
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WHAT A BUNCH OF BULLSHIT
ps- the FWPD does not tolerate excessive force..
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Fort Wayne police warn public about impersonators

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 11:25 AM

The Fort Wayne Police Department has reported three incidents in which two men recently have impersonated law enforcement officers in the north quadrant of the city.
According to the police reports, all three incidents occurred on Dec. 24. The two men were in a dark vehicle and pulled vehicles over.
The first incident occurred at 7:55 p.m. when a woman reported a suspicious vehicle in the 2600 block of River Cove. She told police she and her three children were in a car when she noticed she was followed into her parking space by the suspicious vehicle. She confronted the men. She thought the car possibly was a dark blue Hyundai Sonata. The two men were white, clean cut and wore fleece pullovers or hoodies and looked "preppy." She said they smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages. The driver said they were with the CIA and were told to follow her. The driver insulted her and then left. She watched the vehicle drive toward Clinton Street but made a U-turn behind a vehicle that was entering the complex.
During the second incident in the same complex, a woman was pulled over in front of her apartment in the 7500 block of Monaco Place. She noticed the car had its bright lights on and there was a red flashing light on the dash in the front window. She said they yelled at her to get out and put her hands on her head. They were screaming and cursing at her. They forced her to lie down on the pavement, and implied they would shoot her if she did not comply, but did not say so directly. They left without further confrontation.
Police then responded at 8:12 p.m. in the 7500 block of Cold Springs Boulevard, where a woman said a dark vehicle pulled up behind her vehicle and parked sideways in the street. One of the men asked her to give him her name and ID. She asked him for his ID, but he kept asking for her name and Social Security information. He told her to get out of her vehicle and get on her knees. She gave him her name and Social Security Number. He identified himself as Fort Wayne Police and left. A neighbor, who reported this incident, said he saw two men in a black Ford Fusion pull up to him and demanded to know his name and apartment number as he was taking out his trash. He asked to see their badges, but they refused to show identification. He then saw the car pull up behind the woman's vehicle and saw her get out with her hands up and get on her knees.
The Fort Wayne Police Department wants residents to know that law enforcement officers are required to carry department-issued identification and badge to identify themselves. It is a citizen's right to ask for proper identification, according to police spokesman Michael Joyner.
Police officers generally will do the following:
• Provide their name upon request.
• Plain clothes officers identify themselves when taking action.
• Inform a person about the reason for being stopped or questioned.
• Only use the amount of force necessary to affect the arrest of a suspect. The department does not tolerate excessive force.
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FORT WAYNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT /SMITH FIELD

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FORT WAYNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT- MOTTO:
YOU CANT GET THERE FROM HERE (ON ANY DIRECT FLIGHT)
you can get anywhere in the world you want if you are willing to transfer planes about 3 times..
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SMITH FIELD- HANGING ON BY A WING AND A PRAYER
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http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/Once-down-and-nearly-out--the-sky-s-the-limit-for-Fort-Wayne-s-first-airport
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This facility, built for Ivy Tech in 2006, is now home to Smith Field's fixed-base operator, Sweet Aviation. (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)
This facility, built for Ivy Tech in 2006, is now home to Smith Field's fixed-base operator, Sweet Aviation. (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)
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Wednesday, December 30, 2015 12:01 AM
Slated for closure in 2003 but pardoned through the influence of pilots, nearby residents and historians, the future of Smith Field -- Fort Wayne’s “other” airport -- is not only secure, but bright.
“It’s a very viable airport, and it serves businesses on the north end and a need in the community for flight instruction,” Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority Executive Director Scott Hinderman said of the 230-acre plot between Cook and Ludwig roads that opened in 1925. But the city’s first airport, once visited by such aviation pioneers as Charles Lindbergh and Jimmy Doolittle, was considered so irrelevantly obsolete by the end of the 20th century that Hinderman’s predecessors thought few would object to its demise.
The resulting grass-roots group Smith Field ForEver proved them wrong -- and events of the subsequent decade seems to have justified not only the group’s name, but its mission as well.
The Airport Authority has invested more than $8.5 million in Smith Field since 2004, Hinderman said, and that doesn’t include the $2.3 million Ivy Tech spent to build its 21,000-square-foot aviation maintenance facility in 2011. Nor does it include other improvements that are already underway or planned for 2016 and future years.
Sweet Aviation, which occupies the 10,000-square-foot, $1.75 million facility the authority built for Ivy Tech in 2006, broke ground in early December on a 10,000-square-foot hangar that will cost about $1 million and accommodate about 12 planes, according to General Manager Joel Pierce. The Airport Authority, meanwhile, will spend about $850,000 next year on new hangars to store another 12 planes, allowing the removal of aging, dilapidated structures.
As a general aviation airport, Smith Field handles mostly smaller propeller-driven planes and the occasional small jet. But as technology improves, the airport’s two runways -- each about 3,100 feet -- will be able to accommodate an increased variety of craft. Even now, statistics illustrate how the decision to spare the field from extinction has paid off.
*Annual operations are still not near the 32,600 enjoyed in 1988 but are considerably more plentiful than in the early 2000s, when operations of about 8,500 fueled the closing proposal. Operations have increased in each of the last three years, from 16,723 in 2012 to nearly 19,000 in 2014. Fuel sales are up dramatically, from 31,386 gallons in 2003 to more than 67,500 in 2015 -- much of it consumed by planes based at other airports.
But while Smith Field’s future appears secure, the same cannot be said for all of its historic structures, which helped closing opponents place the airport on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Its main hangar, built in 1930, is seldom used, in poor shape and would be expensive to repair, Hinderman said. The future is also uncertain for a light beacon dating back to 1928, but a round “carousel” hangar built in the 1960s could be moved to a more useful location. Currently it sits near the historic hangar and the now-empty former terminal on the airport’s southeast side.
Longer-term, Hinderman said, other hangars could be built and a longer 4,400-foot runway is still in the plan -- a project that would require the removal of some homes east of the field. “Right now there’s no need, but if we see growth” that could change, he added.
Pierce, meanwhile, said Sweet Aviation’s new hangar, which is scheduled for completion next year, will allow it to expand its maintenance business. A graduate of Ivy Tech’s maintenance program, he has seen first-hand how the college and Sweet Aviation have teamed with the Airport Authority to chart a course for the airport few of its staunchest advocates would have dreamed possible just a few years ago.
One of those supporters was Smith Field ForEver activist Dr. Stephen Hatch, who died in 2011 when a plane he was piloting crashed in Michigan. Hatch had founded Smith Field Air Services in 2003, and following his death the company was purchased and renamed by Chuck Surack, founder of Sweetwater Sound.
“I think (what’s happening) is the fulfillment of all we dreamed of, and more,” said Dave DeWald, who worked with Hatch and others to save Smith Field. “The (aviation) board was led to believe there wasn’t a future in single-engine prop planes, but we had a vision for it. And now people from all over the Midwest are coming to learn how to fly helicopters.”
Still more proof that although Smith Field has had its downs, things are heading up.

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Smith Field was Fort Wayne's first airport when it opened in 1925 but was slated for closure in 2003. (News-Sentinel file photo)
Smith Field was Fort Wayne's first airport when it opened in 1925 but was slated for closure in 2003. (News-Sentinel file photo)
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Ivy Tech built this $2.3 million aviation maintenance facility in 2011. (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)
Ivy Tech built this $2.3 million aviation maintenance facility in 2011. (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)
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MAYOR HENRY'S WAR ON THE HOMELESS 2016 REDUX

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http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/Rescue-Mission-warming-center-plans-announced
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http://wane.com/2015/12/29/rescue-mission-announces-winter-plan/
see text below or click on link to see video clip
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NOTE: NOT A PEEP FROM THE MAYORS OFFICE; CITY GOVT; HOMELESS TASK FORCE ON ANY ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY OUR ELECTED GOVT- ALSO- SEEMS THE WAYNE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE'S OFFICE AND RICK STEVENSON SR- AND HIS PATRONAGE CRONY RUN OFFICE- I SEE NO ACTIONS BEING TAKEN HERE EITHER.
SEEMS MR STEVENSONS RUN FOR MAYOR WAS A CYNICAL EFFORT AT "COCK-BLOCKING BY THE DEMOCRAT PARTY TO ASSURE MAYOR HENRYS RE-ELECTION- SO MUCH MORE TO SAY HERE; BUT ILL LEAVE IT AT THAT..

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Rescue Mission warming center plans announced

Wednesday, December 30, 2015 3:48 PM

The Rescue Mission announced its winter warming center and contingency plans Tuesday.
Anyone in need of warmth or shelter is welcome at a warming center when they open as needed. A Level 1 warming center opens once outside temperatures reach 40 degrees. The Rescue Mission,301 W. Superior St., will open its east lobby 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for use as a warming center. A Level 2 warming center opens when outside temperatures reach 32 degrees. The Rescue Mission will open its dining room and chapel in addition to the east lobby 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The city of Fort Wayne will open additional warming centers once temperatures reach 10 degrees.
During winter months, when temperatures are unsafe, the Rescue Mission does not turn away anyone based on bed space at is Superior Street location for men. Cots are available for use in the chapel as an overflow shelter. Men in need of shelter can check in each night at 7, provided they are free of drugs and alcohol and meet eligibility criteria.

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Rescue Mission announces winter plan

rescue mission 1
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The Rescue Mission this winter will open certain areas of its facility based on the outside temperature, according to its Winter Weather Contingency plan released Tuesday.
According to the plan, the Rescue Mission at 301 W. Superior St. will open its Level One Warming Center – its east lobby – from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for shelter when outside temperatures dip below 40 degrees.
When outside temperatures fall below 32 degrees, the Rescue Mission will open its Level Two Warming Center – its dining room and Chapel, if needed – along with the east lobby from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for shelter.
Anyone in need of warmth or shelter is welcome to take advantage of the warming center when cold weather strikes. The city of Fort Wayne also opens additional warming centers when temperatures fall below 10 degrees.
The Rescue Mission also on Tuesday released its Winter Contingency Shelter Policy, which states that in frigid temperatures, no visitor will be turned away from the men’s facility due to bed space. With cots available in the Chapel as overflow shelter, men in need of shelter can check in each night at 7 p.m., as long as they are free from drugs and alcohol and meet eligibility criteria, the Rescue Mission said.
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MAYOR HENRY- CROOKED BASTERD

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http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/Henry-sees-opportunities--challenges-as-he-begins-his-third-term-as-mayor
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http://wane.com/2015/12/29/mayor-henry-reflects-on-15-looks-ahead-to-16/   see article text below: video link embedded- click THIS link
http://wane.com/2015/12/29/mayor-henry-reflects-on-15-looks-ahead-to-16/

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This vacant lot west of the new Ash Brokerage headquarters and parking garage was supposed to be the site of a high-rise residential complex. But if something doesn't happen soon, Mayor Tom Henry said, the city will begin the search for its third would-be developer.  (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)


This vacant lot west of the new Ash Brokerage headquarters and parking garage was supposed to be the site of a high-rise residential complex. But if something doesn't happen soon, Mayor Tom Henry said, the city will begin the search for its third would-be developer. (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)
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Henry sees opportunities, challenges as he begins his third term as mayor




Mayor Tom Henry has a lot of work in store as he enters the first year of his third term. (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)
Mayor Tom Henry has a lot of work in store as he enters the first year of his third term. (Photo by Kevin Leininger of The News-Sentinel)



Thursday, December 31, 2015 12:01 AM



Public safety. Annexation. Jobs. Riverfront development. Maybe even tax increases. There's a lot of weighty fare on Mayor Tom Henry's plate as he enters the first year of his third term. But none of those challenges is likely to be as immediate as the fate of the multimillion-dollar residential project that was supposed to be a cornerstone of downtown rebirth but remains nothing but a vacant lot.
"If nothing happens within the next month, we'll have to move on. I've been as patient as I can be," said Henry, who in October assured me the city had found a developer for the long-proposed residential and commercial project that was supposed to be well underway immediately to the west of the Ash Brokerage headquarters and parking garage new under construction. When the original developer, Bill Bean, withdrew from what was at the time a $30 million in late 2014, Henry predicted a successor could be found in months.
But even though I reported in October that Great Lakes Capital had been selected as Developer No. 2, supposedly planning a 14-story tower, Henry said this week financial details still have not been worked out. And until he's satisfied the project can move forward with certainty and proper protection for taxpayers, Henry said, he's not going to pull the trigger.
In that case, the city will consider revamping the project in a way that might make it "less grand" -- but more realistic. "We may have to look at another approach," he conceded.
If so, it would represent one of the few recent setbacks for a man whose easy November victory over Republican City Councilman Mitch Harper continued a series of accomplishments or initiatives that illustrate what has become one of Henry's favorite words of late -- momentum.
As in: Fort Wayne's got it, and intends to keep and grow it.
Downtown revitalization remains central to that mission as Henry defines it. The city's search for a developer able to transform most of the Columbia Street "Landing" into a trendy strip of bars, restaurants and upper-floor apartments should end "very soon," he said.
Tangible signs of riverfront improvements may not be visible as quickly, despite the announcement in November that the city had hired a group to design the proposed 1,500-foot promenade. Buildings must be purchased and demolished and various state and federal environmental approvals acquired, meaning work may not start in earnest for at least another year.
Henry remains cautiously optimistic about the prospect of a new mid-size, $63 million arena downtown as well, but noted that the committee studying its viability has still not completed its work. Even so, northeast Indiana's recent success in attracting $42 million in state "regional cities" funds more feasible -- not less.
But there's just one catch: That money will be doled out on a matching basis, meaning Fort Wayne will have to find millions of dollars on its own if it wants millions more from the state. And, as I have reported previously, that could mean not one but two tax increases. Greater Fort Wayne is lobbying the state Legislature for approval of a referrendum to create a regional sales tax, and an increase in the local income tax has been suggested to help pay for the arena and to compensate the Memorial Coliseum and other venues for revenue lost as a result.
Henry said he would need to know specifics of and the rationale for each proposal before deciding whether to support them. But he did note that the income tax -- an increase of which would require City Council approval -- has not yet reached its limit.
Such improvements, he said, would not only help attract new residents but new employers as well. "We're doing pretty good on economic development, but jobs trump everything," Henry insisted.
Although nothing is imminent, other taxes could be going up too, at least for some people. The city continues to study annexation, primarily near Parkview Regional Medical Center and Fort Wayne International Airport, and Henry said declining gasoline taxes may require an increase in the local wheel tax if bridges and roads are to be maintained adequately. Such an increase would require county approval.
With new police and firefighters classes underway, Henry is optimistic Fort Wayne will keep a lid on crime and avoid the kind of public unrest that has affected other cities. Whether he can avoid confrontations with City Council in the new year remains to be determined, with the opposition Republican Party holding seven of nine seats.
"I've been meeting with them to share my vision. They'll have a learning curve and I'll be patient," Henry said. "But healthy debate is OK. I'm still having fun."
This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. Email Kevin Leininger at kleininger@news-sentinel.com or call him at 461-8355.
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Mayor Henry reflects on ’15, looks ahead to ’16



FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – From downtown development to a Republican-dominated city council to public safety, Mayor Tom Henry is looking back at the past year and planning ahead to 2016. He sat down with NewsChannel 15 Tuesday afternoon and covered everything from the Ash Project to the biggest lessons learned during his eight years in office.
There have of course been ups and downs during that time, but Henry thinks the city is now in a great place.
“To see people begin to believe in themselves and beginning to walk with a little bit of swagger because Fort Wayne is the talk of the state right now with the stuff that we’ve been doing, that’s been neat to see and to experience,” Mayor Tom Henry said.
2015 proved to be a very busy and demanding year for Henry as he campaigned for and eventually won a third term in office.
“Campaign years are always tough. No matter if you’re running for city council or mayor or governor or whatever, it takes a lot of time and it takes you away from your family. So, it’s quite a commitment running for office. To try to juggle that with running the city sometimes was rather stressful. It was long days, but it was well worth it,” Henry said.

With the parking garage nearly complete, the Ash Project made significant gains in the past year. Henry expects the first phase of the garage to open within the next month. The spots designated for public parking should be ready to go sometime in the spring. Several businesses have announced plans to move in, but there is still no word on the residential component.
“We’re still working on that. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that, but it’s been very important to me and to the administration to make sure that every I is dotted and every T is crossed before we commit to spending taxpayers’ dollars. This is a very complex project. It’s about a $40 million project, and we’ve had several developers interested in it. We’re now down to one that we’re very interested in, but we have to make sure that he has the financial wherewithal to be able to take this to completion. I want to make sure that he’s got the finances in place or enough guarantees and commitments by others or by financial institutions to raise my comfort level enough to be able to say to the citizens of Fort Wayne we have a project, we have a developer that’s going to take place in downtown Fort Wayne and it’s going to be there for the betterment of our community. Until I’m satisfied, I cannot go any further,” Henry said.
Riverfront development is also a big priority for Henry, but said it’s still in the planning and property acquisition phases.
“I don’t think you’re going to see much construction in the next year because we have a lot of land to be cleared. We have buildings to buy. Those buildings have to be demolished. The property has to be prepared. So, there’s a lot of bridges that have to be crossed before in order to make sure that the next level of development which would be the boardwalk, the promenade, and the buildings themselves, that all of that’s ready to go. So, it’s probably going to take a year or 18 months to get all of that ready,” Henry said.

While Henry, a Democrat, beat Republican Mitch Harper to win the mayoral seat, Fort Wayne’s City Council is a different story. Seven of the nine seats are now held by Republicans, with four of the members new to their positions. Immediately following the election, Henry said he planned to meet with the new members as soon as possible. It’s a promise he’s fulfilled.
“I’ve shared with them some of my vision for the city and some of my goals and aspirations for the community. They’ve shared with me some of theirs. For the most part, we agree with where we want to take the city. Unquestionably, there will be some periods of discussion and debate on certain issues, but that’s okay. I think that form of checks and balances is fine. What it’s going to do more than anything is to make me really be able to prove to them financially and otherwise that the direction we want to take the city is the right direction,” Henry said.
With 27 homicides on the books for the city in 2015 compared to 14 in 2014, the crime rate is up. Henry said the numbers are frustrating, but not completely unexpected.
“I don’t know if we’re ever going to get them a lot lower. If you take a look at the past ten years in the city of Fort Wayne, unfortunately 24-27 is about the average. We had a very good year in 2014. We had a spike in 2013. It does go up and down, but if you look at it, that’s about our average for a city of about 250,000 people. We never want any homicides, but unfortunately, in the world that we live in, there are going to be tragic situations that occur. I think our police department is doing the best they can do. We do have certain elements in this community that cause us some grave concern, but I think that our police department is very well aware of that and I think that our partnerships with the county police and state police, FBI, and other agencies, we try to stay on top of it as best we can,” Henry said.
Public safety is one of Henry’s top priorities as he heads into the new year.
“One of the areas I’m very concerned about is public safety, especially in light of what’s going on in our country today. Almost every mayor is very sensitive to that, and I’m no different. We have to make sure that we have an adequate police force and fire department to meet the needs of our community,” Henry said.
Another major project during the last couple of years has focused on neighborhood infrastructure, a component Henry thinks will help lower the crime rate around the city.
“The nicer you can make neighborhoods, the better they feel about themselves. The better they feel about themselves, the more protective they become of their respective neighborhoods. The better that they feel, the higher the pride, the stronger the neighborhood association, so it’s kind of a domino-type thing. So, we have to make sure that we address infrastructure because of what can happen as a result of that. To have over $60 million invested in the community’s infrastructure over a three year period is unheard of, but we decided to do it and we’ve been doing it and we’ll get it finished,” Henry said.
As for the biggest challenge in the year ahead, Henry said it will be getting all of the major players invested and involved in developing the south part of town.
“We realized that we needed to invest in the south part of our city, that it had been neglected for too long not necessarily by the city, we’ve put a lot of money in the south part of the town. But, the private sector has had a hard time realizing the potential that we have in the south part of town. There is disposable income out there. There is a desire for additional retail and hospitality and business investment, but it’s never really taken off. So, I think that my biggest challenge as the mayor and my administration’s biggest challenge is to convince the private sector to invest in the south part of our town, that it’s got a tremendous amount of potential, but we need to have that investment,” Henry said.
When it comes to what Henry is most looking forward to in 2016, downtown development again tops the list.
“I think changing the skyline of downtown. We’ve worked very hard  to make downtown Fort Wayne something different, something unique, something exciting, and I think that we’re going to see a lot of that take place in ’16 and some additional development as well. I think that can do nothing, but add to the value of our city,” Henry said.
Aside from looking at the past year and looking ahead to the year ahead, NewsChannel 15 also asked Henry questions about his time overall in office, like his biggest regret so far.
“Probably one of the regrets I have is that I can’t do more. Mayors are limited a lot of times in what they can do either for financial reasons or legislative reasons. You can’t always do what you want to do, and that hurts. When people come into my office or I meet them walking through neighborhoods or the emails that I get, there are always needs in our community. Many of them, there’s nothing I can do, and it’s hard to tell people no. I know their problem is very real, and it’s a need that they have and that they’re very passionate about, but sometimes I have to tell them no and that’s hard. That’s probably the hardest part of the job,” Henry said. “If your skin gets so thick that it doesn’t bother you, then you shouldn’t be in that position. You need to be constantly sensitive and constantly aware of what’s going on in the community as far as social ills. You need to be compassionate and understand what people are going through when they have a particular need or desire. It has to hurt when you have to say no, and if it doesn’t hurt, then you’re in the wrong job.”
After eight years in office, Henry said he’s learned many lessons, including how many people and how much work it takes to run a city like Fort Wayne.
“I think it’s made me acutely aware that there are problems that are much, much bigger than the problems I have. We are a community and it does take a village to address a lot of the needs of our city. Being in the mayor’s office increases that tenfold,” Henry said.
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MAYOR HENRY- SERIAL PLAIGERIZER

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http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/Mayor-Henry--Police--not-city-clerk-s-office--should-enforce-parking-laws
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IDEA STEALING SON OF A BITCH
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https://www.facebook.com/davidchristopherroach/posts/10207895911938683
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https://www.facebook.com/davidchristopherroach/posts/10207876122723965?comment_id=10207876145844543&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D
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i was sending out e-mails and facebook messages when sandy kennedy resigned about IF I WAS CITY CLERK- THIS IS WHAT ID DO.
FACT CHECK!
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so- heres the text of the  plaigerizer co-conspirator tabloids article:
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Mayor Henry: Police, not city clerk's office, should enforce parking laws



Tom Henry
Tom Henry


Wednesday, December 30, 2015 8:36 AM


Sandy Kennedy resigned as city clerk in October after an undercover video captured her suggesting that parking enforcement employees' jobs might be in jeopardy if Republican Lana Keesling was elected to succeed her in November.
Keesling ultimately won, but it could be recently re-elected Democratic Mayor Tom Henry who shakes up the clerk's Parking Administration department.
Henry, who like Keesling and other elected city officials will be sworn in Friday, told The News-Sentinel Tuesday that he would like to move parking-enforcement operations from the clerk's office to the Police Department, "where it belongs."
"We’ll be having on-going discussions with (Keesling) and the public safety director (Rusty York) and work to build a consensus around the best approach moving forward," added city spokesman John Perlich.
Although some might see a political motive in a Democratic mayor removing $627,000-a-year operation following the election of the first Republican clerk in 38 years, the man who produced the videos that preceded the resignations of Kennedy and others said the idea has been discussed for some time.
"This has been kicked around for two years, and I met with Rusty and Sandy about it. As far as I knew it was a done deal," said Colin Keeney, who resigned as parking enforcement supervisor in September and recorded the videos after becoming concerned about politicking in the office.
At the time, Keeney said, it was his understanding that parking employees would keep their jobs following any departmental shift. "From an organizational standpoint, I think it's a good idea," Keeney said.
Keesling was unavailable for comment, and City Council President John Crawford, R-at large, said he would reserve judgement on the proposal until hearing arguments on both sides. Following the turmoil in the clerk's office, council approved a 2016 budget funded only through March, promising more after reforms were implemented. The revenue-generating parking enforcement department, however, was funded for the full year.
The department is responsible for parking meter maintenance and collections, enforcement of abandoned-vehicle laws, the posting of "no parking" signs as necessary and other duties. The department was earmarked for seven employees in its proposed 2016 budget.
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I wrote City Council about the legalities of the City Clerk being PC Administrator when I ran for office and twice since, the last being last month asking for a legal inquiry. Michelle Chambers For City Council Fort Waynereceived my letter and forwarded it to the City Attorney requesting legal review. Now, Tom is saying THIS.
Fact is, the City is guilty of Ghost employment all of the days the City Clerk had the PC Admin job.....it goes against IC and City Code for the Clerk to have that job.
You're welcomed, Fort Wayne.
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