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Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, now former mayor of Arlington, Oregon, has been removed from office for having racy photos of herself on her My Space page. In a Monday referendum, the residents of Arlington voted 142- 139 to remove her from office.
The photos, taken for a fitness contest that she had entered before becoming Mayor of Arlington, were not publicly available. (Apparently they were- see left) I don't see what the big deal is - you see more skin in prime time television than you do in this pic. . .
The voters of Fort Wayne have issued a clear mandate! They want our fair city to continue to grow and prosper under the guidance of progressive, responsible leadership! GO, TOM, GO!!
It is worthy to note that this is THE FIRST TIME in Fort Wayne history that the mayor's office has flipped to a new candidate from the same party. Ever! WAY TO GO, Kevin Knuth and the Allen County Dems!!
These three young ladies helped out with the GOTV effort today by hanging 138 door tags in two hours!! WAY TO GO!! You can keep the Kelty Kids - WE have the Good Girls!
If the mayoral election had been held two weeks ago, the answer would be a resounding yes. Tom Henry's 14% lead, while not insurmountable, is encouraging. However, that being said, DO NOT write this one off as a done deal. If you are a Tom Henry supporter, then it is absolutely IMPERATIVE that show up at the polls and cast your vote for him on November 6th!
I can think of at least four people who can tell you about the price of assumptions and overconfidence going into an election, and two of them are in the graphic to the left. Ask Nelson Peters or Win Moses about their experiences in this matter:
Kelty took 50.3% of the vote compared with 49.7% for Allen County Commissioner, F. Nelson Peters IV, in the primary, defeating Peters by 661 votes, according to unofficial results.
Moses narrowly averted defeat by Matt Kelty in the 2002 general election for state representative. Moses won the election by 63 votes, which was verified by a recount. Moses was the only Democrat to win in the 81st House District that year. His usual victory percentage in elections for State Representative is approximately 60 percent.
Tom Henry represented the Third District for five terms on the Fort Wayne City Council between 1984 and 2004. He narrowly won re-election in 1995 by only 5 votes after the outcome was determined by a recount. Lazy and apathetic voters of Fort Wayne, now more than ever, your city needs you!!
Shown here, at left, is pathological liar, and fringe-GOP candidate for mayor, Matt Kelty. This photo was taken just before Kelty denied all knowledge of the existence of the cake in his left hand, and just after he discussed his marriage to his lovely wife, Morgan Fairchild, with the crowd of faithful supporters.
Note the youth on Kelty's right who appears to be absolutely astounded by the bullshit streaming from this man's mouth! Ahh. . .the innocence of youth, indeed!
Mayoral Candidate Calls for Initiation of Citywide Safe House Program
Fort Wayne, Indiana - As students get ready to slip on their backpacks and start off to school, Mayoral candidate Tom Henry today brought the issue of childrens safety to the forefront with a concrete proposal to increase security for our youth and strengthen city neighborhoods. Henry presented plans to work with local school and public safety officials in the development of a Safe House program throughout Fort Wayne.
"No child in our community should ever be in a frightening or dangerous situation and not have a safe haven nearby," stated Henry. "A Safe House program provides a safety network for our kids on their way to and from school or when they are out playing. Its simple. Its effective. It will protect our children. And it will make our neighborhoods stronger."
Henry was joined at the announcement by Stacey and Stacy Kelsaw, Fort Wayne residents and parents, who have indicated a willingness to become Fort Wayne Safe House volunteers. Safe Houses are homes, apartments, businesses, churches or other public buildings that serve as temporary safe harbors for children in trouble. When threatened, children in need can run to the nearest Safe House to seek short-term shelter. To make them easily identifiable, each Safe House will be designated with a special window sign or poster. The houses will be staffed by adult,community volunteers who have been trained and professionally screened.
The framework for Henry's Safe House program includes these components:
- The City of Fort Wayne will work with Fort Wayne Community Schools and other local school systems, the Fort Wayne Police Department, parent-teacher organizations, and Concerned Citizens Watch, as well as neighborhood leaders, to develop the program;
- The schools, police department, parent-teacher organizations and neighborhood associations will work together to recruit volunteers;
- The police department will administer the program and do annual criminal background checks on all volunteers and occupants of the Safe Houses;
- The schools will help to make children aware of the Safe Houses, distribute maps and teach them how to use them;
- Safe House volunteers are to provide assistance to children by offering them a secure environment and reassurance, calling the proper authorities (police, medical, etc.), and reporting relevant information, such as suspect descriptions or suspicious activities, to the proper authorities;
- Safe House volunteers are not to get directly involved in criminal situations, provide first aid except in life-threatening situations, or enforce laws; and
- The Safe House program will employ a distinctive logo that will become a neighborhood landmark. Its use will be permitted only by volunteers who have met, and continue to meet, program standards.
The blueprint for the Safe House initiative was created in the 1970s when a similar project flourished here. The concept gained national prominence in 1982 with the formation of the McGruff Safe Houses in Utah following several abductions there. McGruff the Crime Dog is the crime prevention education symbol of the National Crime Prevention Council. McGruff Houses are currently active in more than 600 communities nationwide. The McGruff House structure may be considered as the model for the local Safe House effort.
"There is nothing more precious than our children," emphasized Henry. "As Mayor,safeguarding them and making Fort Wayne a safer city will be two of my lead priorities. Safe Houses are the open arms to shelter our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. They also send a message to those who would do harm that our neighborhoods are working together to fight crime."
The Safe House program is anticipated to require minimal city funding. It will utilize existing resources and staff, and be incorporated into annual work plans. Across America, safe houses have been shown to deter crime and reduce the victimization of children.
Tom Henry is a Democratic candidate for Mayor of Fort Wayne. He is a successful business owner, a five-term Fort Wayne City Councilman and a nonprofit leader with deep roots in the community.
An Allen County grand jury indicted Republican mayoral candidate Matt Kelty on Tuesday, charging him with seven felonies and two misdemeanors.
Kelty, 42, is charged with two counts of perjury, five felony counts of fraudulent election filing and two misdemeanor counts of commingling campaign and personal funds, special prosecutor Dan Sigler said.
Last month, Sigler requested a grand jury be empaneled to explore the issue of whether Kelty broke the law in how he reported $158,000 in loans on his campaign-finance reports.
After more than a week of hearing evidence and listening to about 15 witnesses, the grand jury returned its decision, which was under seal for about three hours until Kelty was officially charged.
Kelty was taken in handcuffs to the Allen County Lockup, where he was released about 1 1/2 hours later on his own recognizance. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison on each felony charge and up to 180 days in jail on the misdemeanor charges.
Sigler said it was unlikely Kelty would be tried before the November election.
The grand jury, a rarely used proceeding in Indiana, is a way for prosecutors to further investigate an issue away from the public eye. The hearings are not open to the public. Only the prosecutor, his or her assistants, a court reporter and the court bailiff are allowed inside.
The grand jury does not have to find guilt – only the probability that a crime was committed, that the accused person did it and that the person should be tried. Only five of the six jurors have to agree for an indictment to be issued.
Sigler has declined to identify who he subpoenaed to testify, including Kelty, who was at the Courthouse with his criminal defense attorney for several hours last week.
Last week, Kelty declined to say whether he was called to testify, and left from an adjoining room. All he would say, as he walked quickly from the Courthouse, was that he was going to cooperate in every way with the grand jury.
Also seen coming from the adjoining room at a separate time was his campaign adviser, Fred Rost, who was accompanied by criminal defense attorney Charles Leonard.
Grand jury members can be empaneled for as few as three months or up to two years, according to state law.
In June, the Allen County Election Board voted 2-1 along party lines that the loans were properly reported.
The next day, Common Cause of Indiana, a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog group, filed a complaint with County Prosecutor Karen Richards asking that she investigate the matter. About 24 hours later, Richards announced the appointment of Sigler as special prosecutor.
Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, now former mayor of Arlington, Oregon, has been removed from office for having racy photos of herself on her My Space page. In a Monday referendum, the residents of Arlington voted 142- 139 to remove her from office.
