In the absence of efforts by the states, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stepped up to do the right thing for children.Huntertown park advances
The unfortunate bumbling of the Huntertown Town Council is one reason Huntertown residents still don’t have their park.
Residents have been waiting for years for the park, but the town council’s determination to sever ties with Fort Wayne City Utilities and build a new $11.2 million sewage treatment plant has created roadblocks. The most egregious example was the council’s decision two years ago to build the wastewater treatment plant on 4 acres of the 27 acres of land set aside for the park.
The council relented only after residents made it clear they objected to the “poop in the park” plan.
On Monday, the council gave preliminary approval to the park board’s request to have the park property deeded over to Friends of the Huntertown Park Inc., the not-for-profit board overseeing the plan.
The board has already raised an impressive $100,000 in donations toward the park, but board representatives made it clear that it would be nearly impossible to garner further investments if the park board couldn’t gain control of the land.
The park plan includes a playground, picnic areas, a pavilion and walking and bicycling pathways. Park leaders want to raise another $100,000 to get construction started.
RIP x 2
Baseball lost two legendary stars last weekend, Hall of Famers who represented vastly different spectrums of the sport.
Stan “The Man” Musial was one of the game’s best all-time hitters and was Life magazine’s best player of the postwar decade (1946-55) over Joe DiMaggio. He was such a hero in St. Louis, he was the first Cardinal to have his number retired and has not one but two statues outside Busch Stadium. He won seven National League batting titles.
But he was just as popular for his role-model personality – his good nature and his role in helping the integration of baseball not with words but action, befriending black players. He died at 92.
Earl Weaver didn’t have what it took to be a player. But he excelled as a manager, where he practically relished arguments, both with players and umpires – he was ejected 91 times. He won four pennants and a World Series with the Baltimore Orioles. Known for his canny selection of players, his 1971 Orioles team is only the second in major league history to field four pitchers who each won 20 games. He died at age 82.
