COUNCILMAN’S CORNER
It’s the end of July and many residents of Waynedale are still in the process of cleaning up after the flood that hit the south side of Fort Wayne earlier this month. As I’ve said many times, only those who have had to suffer through a basement or living room full of mud (or worse) can really know what it’s like to be the victim of a major flood. Recently I had the opportunity to meet with Belle Vista-Allendale Neighborhood representatives, other city officials, and Army Corps of Engineers representatives in the Belle Vista neighborhood. That neighborhood was hit hard by the July flood but over 20 years of preventative work and much more hard work by volunteers and city workers in July kept the situation from becoming much worse. I’ll work with the residents of Belle Vista and the Army Corps and the Allen Co. Surveyor’s office to do everything possible to further stabilize the Fairfield Ditch. I’m also in the process of scheduling meetings with Winchester Road homeowners (near the St. Mary’s River) and the residents of the Ferndale Association. Both of those areas were badly flooded. I’ll make sure that city engineers listen with me to citizens’ concerns and then plan a positive response that will hopefully provide better protection from future storms.
As you’ve probably heard recently, the disagreement between City and County officials regarding funding of enhanced security for the City-County Building has recently been resolved after Mayor Graham Richard provided additional City funding I’ve felt all along that better security for the City-County Building made a lot of sense. It’s great news to see the City and County working together on this matter. Thanks to Mayor Graham Richard and the County Commissioners for this constructive step forward!
Recently I visited the Old Fort near Headwaters’ Park. Even though the Fort isn’t located exactly where the original Fort Wayne was situated, it’s still an important symbol of our community. The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department has managed to maintain the Old Fort to minimize further deterioration. However, as pointed out by Ms. Lisa Davenport in a recent editorial, much more needs to be done—hopefully with a combination of public and private financing—to protect this important local landmark. I’m looking into this matter further and am interested in any ideas you might have to help make old Fort Wayne a success.
A couple of other matters: mark your calendar and plan to attend the all-Waynedale Community Picnic at Waynedale Park from 10 am to 2 pm on Sat., August 30th! Many kids’ events are being planned. Also, I’ve been told that Boy Scout Troop 44 on Ardmore Ave. is planning a fundraising garage sale and is looking for donations of usable items—give them a call at 436-2422 if you have anything to contribute to the Boy Scout cause! Also, let me know if you have any questions or suggestions regarding matters involving Fort Wayne city government.
Tom Hayhurst
City Councilman
4th District
432-8418
tom.hayhurst@verizon.net
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