On the "Come Up" with Karen                
2016 Reports on matters pertaining to Gary, Indiana and Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson's running of the "Steel City"

   Go To:  ARCHIVES PORTAL  for access to all past Gary news reports (2008 to current)
  Go To:  JACKO JABBER (Reports on matters relating to the demise of Michael Jackson)

Well, here we go with the 2016 report on the running of the City of the Century - Gary, IN - by its elected officials.  This is the fifth year without Rudy at the helm, as well as the fifth year KF-W has occupied the Gary Chief Executive office.  There can be little doubt but Karen Freeeman-Wilson does indeed still have her work cut out for her!

QUESTIONS FOR 2016 -
Will Gary set another record for murders (53 in 2015 by GDYNets count)?
Will Gary Int'l. ever become a viable airport?
How many of the 10,000 vacant/abandoned Gary homes will KF-W get tore down?
Will the now closed Lew Wallace H.S. still be standing at the end of 2016?

Remember, you may access the earlier reports from the links appearing above, or at the bottom of, this page.

Great Lakes steel production dipped slightly last week.  Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region dropped to 636,000T last week, down from 639,000T a week earlier, a decline of 0.46%.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 541,000T last week, down from 556,000T the previous week, a 2.69% drop.

Capacity utilization nationwide was only 68.6% last week, the third straight week it's been mired under 70%.  Overall U.S. steel output fell by 27,000T last week to 1.6 million tons, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 996,000T, a decline of 1.4%.  In 2015 steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 65.7 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.1%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.  That's down from 66.7 million tons at a capacity utilization rate of 72.1% at the same time last year.

Lake Co Endorses Attack on Gary Blight
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Bill Dolan
[22 Sep 2016]
 

CROWN POINT — The Lake County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday granting Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson authority to go to court to seize vacant lots and abandoned buildings now in the names of so-called serial tax-delinquent owners under a new state law.

Commissioner Gerry Scheub, D-Crown Point, said they are supporting Gary "to help them right their ship."  County Attorney John Dull said county taxpayers won't bear the cost of Gary's litigation.

Gary officials have said they aim to acquire as many as 3,500 parcels in the next 12 months and turn them over to MaiaCo LLC, a private redevelopment partner with ties to former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who serves as an unpaid adviser to the project.

Commissioners said those who buy and hold multiple tax sale properties without paying their future tax bills, and then seek bankruptcy protection, are holding back Gary's future.  Commissioner Kyle Allen, D-Gary, said, "We have individuals who game the system.  They are serial participators in the tax sales.  They owe taxes.  They shield themselves from the process by going to bankruptcy court."

Jim Nowaki, a Gary resident who owns about 300 properties, many in Gary, spoke against the resolution, saying the effort is targeting him and other private developers who buy tax-delinquent properties at county government auctions with the hope of attracting new business and homeowners.

"I've been in court many times and generally I win more than I lose," Nowaki said.  "I'm prepared for it.  It's going to be a big problem, and it's not going to fix anything; instead, it's going to be an outrageous string of scandals."

Nowaki said he has filed for bankruptcy protection, but not because of overdue property taxes.

Great Lakes Steel Production Fell 14,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[21 Sep 2016]

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region dropped to 639,000T last week, down from 653,000T a week earlier, a decline of 2.14 %.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, rose to 556,000T last week, up from 544,000T the previous week.

Capacity utilization nationwide was only 69.8 % last week, up by 0.3 % but well below the 90 % needed for a healthy for the steel industry.  Overall U.S. steel output ticked up slightly by 6,000T last week to 1.63 million tons, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the 2015 pace by about 884,000T, a decline of 1.35 %.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5 % from the year before.

Lawyers Enter Griffith Secession Fray
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Bill Dolan
[21 Sep 2016]
 

GRIFFITH — Cal Twp Trustee Kimberly K. Robinson wants Lake Co to halt a Dec. 20 referendum designed to transfer Griffith tax dollars from supporting her office.

Attorney Alfredo Estrada, of Merrillville's Burke, Costanza and Carberry law firm, which represents Robinson, asked members of the the county elections board Tuesday to withhold their approval of Griffith's special election.

A news release by Estrada said Griffith officials didn't follow state law in framing the language of their petition for the special election and they didn't properly certify the results of the petition, which more than 1,000 town residents signed requesting the town transfer out of Cal Twp.  "The errors were substantive," Estrada said.

Jim Wieser and John Reed, attorneys for the Democratic and Republican election board members, respectively, said they would examine the request and report their opinion to members.  Reed said the board may need to hold a special meeting before Oct 18 to resolve the issue.

Griffith Town Council President Rick Ryfa said after the meeting, "A first-year law student could read the law and sequence of events that must happen.  We are clearly on solid ground in filing the petition."  Ryfa said the town will file suit if the election board withholds its acceptance of the petitions.

At stake is $1 million a year in property tax revenues Griffith pays annually into Cal Twp’s assistance fund.  It will be lost to the township if Griffith taxpayers vote to shift their township allegiance to the adjoining North, Ross or St. John townships.

Dual Roles of Gary Official Questioned in Budget Process
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Gregory Tejeda
[21 Sep 2016]

The Gary Common Council began reviewing the finances of each city agency this week, seeking ways in which funding could be cut for the upcoming calendar year, causing Finance Committee members to question the way certain agencies operate.

An area of contention for Finance Committee Chairwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade was that the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority interim executive director also serves as director of the Gary Sanitary District.  Dan Vicari has held the dual role since being appointed to the airport last year.

The airport's budget calls for him to receive a $58,879.86 salary for his airport work.  Airport finance manager William Outlar said the airport does not provide Vicari with any health insurance or other benefits — those come from the Sanitary District's budget, which also provided Vicari in 2016 with a $120,000 salary.

Yet Sparks-Wade was not swayed.  "Is it effective that he can work full-time at both jobs?" she asked.  "I find that interesting.  I'm not even sure that's legal."

Outlar insisted the dual duty complies with state law, adding that airport authorities checked into that issue before hiring Vicari earlier this year.  He also said the airport authority is satisfied Vicari is fully satisfying his job as executive director.

Sparks-Wade remained skeptical.  "How can he be at the airport and at the sanitary district at the same time?" she asked.

The Finance Committee also spent time Monday night reviewing the budgets for the Gary Public Transportation Corp. and the Gary Redevelopment Commission — two other entities that technically have their own budgets but for which the council provides some oversight.

There is a combination of duties between the Redevelopment Commission and the city proper.  Redevelopment's entire payroll, except for its executive director salary of $87,067, is covered by the city's general fund.  Also, much of the money the commission will spend to continue demolition of decrepit structures in Gary will come from various grants provided by the federal and Indiana state governments.  The city will provide an overall budget of $202,215 for 2017 – the same amount it provided during 2016.

Daryl Lampkins, the Gary Public Transportation Corp. general manager, told the Finance Committee how his salary would increase from $92,000 to $99,000 (7.61%), but pay for other ranking officials would remain the same.  Nonunion staffers will receive 3% raises.  A contract approved earlier this year provides union employees with 2% increases, along with boosts in their health insurance and other benefits.

Finance Committee officials will resume their budget talks next week.  There also will be continued talks next week when committee members are expecting city officials to return to answer questions about the residency status of all their employees..
________________
[COMMENT -GDY]:  Only time will tell whether city council will reign in the folks at the Gary Sanitary District, which include Special Administrator Karen Freeman-Wilson, and Attorney Jewell Harris?

Gary Man Dies 3 Days after Shooting
#31 and Counting
Compiled From a Chicago Tribune Report by Megan Crepeau
[17 Sep 2016]
 

A 30-year-old Gary man died Friday after being shot in April, authorities said.

Antonio Hill was shot Sep 13 in the 4200 block of Connecticut St in Gary, according to the Lake County coroner.

Hill, of the 1200 block of Arizona St was pronounced dead Friday at about 10:15 p.m. at Methodist Hospital.  His death was ruled a homicide.

Gary Teacher Charged with Trying to Solicit Sex from Undercover Cop Posing as Teen Girl
Compiled From a Daily Southtown Report by Nick Swedberg
[16 Sep 2016]

A Gary, IN elementary school teacher was arrested Tuesday in Evergreen Park, IL after trying to solicit sex from an undercover police officer posing as a teenage girl, prosecutors said.

A Cook County judge set bail at $250,000 on Thursday for Eric Trybus, 42, of Chicago.  He is charged with traveling to meet a minor and indecent solicitation of a child, both felonies.

Trybus, who teaches fourth-grade math at school in Gary, IN, posted an advertisement on a dating website with the title, "Your parents wouldn't approve of you searching for an older man," prosecutors said.

An undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl started communicating with Trybus via email after connecting on the website, prosecutors said.  They exchanged several messages from Sept. 6 to Tuesday, in which Trybus described various sex acts he wanted to teach and perform, they said.

Trybus and the undercover officer arranged a meeting for Tuesday at the Evergreen Park McDonald's, prosecutors said.  He was arrested after he arrived at the restaurant.

Trybus is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 11.

Great Lakes Steel Production Rises by 5,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[15 Sep 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region rose slightly to 653,000T last week, up from 648,000T a week earlier, an increase of 0.77%.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, decreased to 544,000T last week, down from 570,000T the previous week.

Capacity utilization nationwide was only 69.5% last week, well below the 90% that many analysts say would be healthy for the steel industry.  Steelmakers cranked out 1.63 million tons of steel in the week that ended Sept. 10.  Overall U.S. steel output fell by 30,000T or 1.8% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 830,000T, a decline of 1.2%. In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Gary Schools Want Debt Elimination Bill
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Micheala Sosby
[13 Sep 2016]
 

GARY — Gary school officials are preparing to ask the General Assembly for tens of millions of dollars in debt relief.

School Board members spoke of their hopes for debt elimination Monday night with outgoing state Sen. Earline Rogers, Eddie Melton, Democratic nominee for state Senate and Earl L. Harris Jr., the Democratic nominee for the Statehouse.

Jack Martin, an accountant the board hired to handle its fiscal operations, said Monday the full language of proposed legislation would be made public after full consultation with community leaders.

Martin said the Gary Community School Corp. owed $69 million as of last year.  Gateway, the state’s public information database, reveals a total of $103 million in loan principal, interest and lease payments due by 2033.  The payments represent loans for school renovation, school operations and other expenses going back a decade.

School Board members said the money earmarked for debt service would be better used paying for new school repairs and operational expenses.

Melton said he is confident some sort of legislation for Gary’s debt relief will be before the General Assembly next year.

"It is important to act as one," Rogers said.  "We need to get Jack involved.  We need the mayor and the School Board.  The superintendent needs to be here too.

"The Legislature doesn’t want to be made to look like they are not sensitive to our needs.  We have to come before them with all of the information to show them we have done all we can do and we still need their help," she said.

Melton, a member of the Indiana State Board of Education, said the district’s declining enrollment is driving the school’s problems.  The Indiana Department of Education indicates it has dropped by 29% since the 2011-12 school year.

Rogers blames the proliferation of private charter schools in Gary for attracting students who might otherwise go to public schools in the city.
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[COMMENT -GDY]:  Gee, I wonder if the declining enrollment and proliferation of charters could in any way be related to a failure by the GCSC to provide a meaningful education to students?  Nah, probably not!

Gary Police Get 2 New Squad Cars
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Gregory Tejeda
[9 Sep 2016]
 

Two new police squad cars will be patroling Gary's streets after the Common Council approved spending more than $300,000 to lease/purchase the fully-equipped vehicles.

A surplus in the Lake County option income tax fund allowed the deal, said City Controller Celita Green.  The police department will budget for payments in future years, she said.

Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade, D-6th, joined in the unanimous vote for the vehicles, but was a bit skeptical about the financing.  "You see the pickle this puts us in," she said last week.

But Green said, "We need the cars."
________________
[COMMENT -GDY]:  $150K for a sqaud car?  Come on!  That is a bit ridiculous, is it not?

State Agrees with Griffith in Bid to Leave Township
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Michelle L. Quinn
[9 Sep 2016]

With its secession petition signatures already in the hands of the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration, the Town of Griffith has received confirmation from the Department of Local Government Finance that it can proceed with its bid to leave Calumet Township.

Town Council President Rick Ryfa, R-3rd, said that the DLGF issued a memo confirming the agency recalculated township spending by an arithmetic mean, where it previously calculated the townships' spending rate by a weighted average.  The entire memo, obtained by the Post-Tribune, said while language in the 2013 legislation likely meant "mean calculation" in its "plain and ordinary" use, subsequent language in the bill delegated to the DLGF how it could calculate the average.

"We cannot conclude that the statutory term of 'average' is definitively unambiguous and that there is only one permissible legal interpretation and application of the term in this context," wrote Indiana Attorney General chief deputy Matt Light in a February memo to State Rep. Hal Slager, R-15th, who asked Zoeller's office to weigh in on the matter.  "However, based on plain, ordinary and usual sense or meaning of 'average,' we think that the better legal conclusion is that the legislature meant the term to equate arithmetic mean," Light said.

The statewide average township assistance property tax rate is 80¢ per $100 of net assessed value which, according to Ryfa, which puts Calumet Township's spending more than 20 x over the average.  The 2013 law states the spending can be no more than 12 x the average

"We're going to move forward on our referendum Dec. 20 to allow Griffith citizens to choose if they would like to secede from Calumet Township," Ryfa said.  "In the interim, we're working with the Election Board to make sure we satisfy all the requirements in order to hold the special election.

Gary Departments Funds Threatened Over Employee Non-residency
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Gregory Tejeda
[9 Sep 2016]

Gary Common Council member LaVetta Sparks-Wade has long been concerned about non-Gary residents being employed by city government, and now she intends to use the 2017 city budget to make the point again.

"I would (want to) defund any (city) department that has employees who are not Gary residents," Sparks-Wade said Thursday.

She used a Common Council meeting Tuesday to announce she wants all heads of city agencies to bring lists of all their employees with them when they appear later this month to review their budgets for 2017.  Those lists would have to include home addresses for all employees, with an assurance that the legitimacy of the addresses has been confirmed.

Sparks-Wade admits there is a limit to what the council can do and she isn't in a position to say anyone who doesn't live in Gary will lose their city job.  But she said the council could refuse to provide a budget for any agency that has hired out-of-town residents for city jobs.  Sparks-Wade said she hopes such a threat would sway agency heads to ensure they are hiring only Gary residents for municipal jobs.

Sparks-Wade has brought up the residency issue before.  She has an ordinance pending meant to bolster the number of local residents who get hired by the city's Police and Fire departments, although that ordinance is on hold because of questions concerning its legitimacy.  Indiana state law specifically forbids a strict residency requirement for public safety employees – merely requiring they live within a county contiguous to where they work.

But Sparks-Wade said Gary has a local ordinance requiring non-public safety employees to live in Gary.  "All I'm trying to do is enforce the ordinance we have already," she said.  "What's the point of having it if we're not going to enforce it?"

Insofar as the residency issue being brought up during budgetary talks, Sparks-Wade said she expects to have talks with city Controller Celita Green about the issue in coming days.

The mayor's spokeswoman, LaLosa Dent Burns, said, "the Mayor looks forward to discussing residency concerns as part of the budgetary process."

Sparks-Wade said she does not know how many non-Gary residents work for city government, and she said that having agency heads providing lists of their employees will be an educational process.  "It would be nice if we'd learn there are no non-Gary residents working for us," she said, while admitting she has received various tips – all anonymous – of individual cases of city workers who live outside of Gary.

Sparks-Wade said she believes it is not wrong to expect people who work for Gary to have a stake in the community by living here as well.  "It would bolster our city's tax base if we were able to keep those jobs here in Gary."  She cited ordinances in effect in Hammond that encourage municipal employees to live in there, and also looked across State Line Road to Chicago where Illinois law permits strict residency requirements.  "You can't even work as a teacher in Chicago unless you actually live in the city," Sparks-Wade said.

Summer Doldrums Continue for Region Casinos
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Andrew Steele
[9 Sep 2016]

A summertime slump in gambling revenue continued at Region casinos in August, when the four lakeshore casinos took in 5% less than the same month a year ago.

Majestic Star’s Gary boats showed a 1.9% drop in gaming revenue, to $12.4 million from $12.6 million. Michigan City’s Blue Chip had a 3.9% drop, to $13.4 million from $14 million.

August marked the fourth consecutive down month for casinos collectively, after a strong start to the year.  For the year through August, gaming win is down nearly 2% from the first eight months of 2015.  Admissions at the Northwest Indiana casinos were down nearly 10% year-over-year, to 810,177, something operators attributed to fewer weekend days.

Northwest Indiana’s casinos paid the state more than $15.3 million in wagering and admission taxes in August.

In the greater Chicago area, including casinos in Illinois, gaming revenue grew just over 1% year-over-year, McKellar said.

USW Filing Grievance after More Steelworkers See Steep Pay Cuts
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[8 Sep 2016]

U.S. Steel has demoted about 25 to 30 more steelworkers at Gary Works, moving them from full-time maintenance positions to a labor gang.

USW District 7 Director Mike Millsap will have a preliminary hearing today with a third-party arbiter to request a grievance hearing on the recent cuts at the steel mill in Gary.  The union takes the position that its three-year contract with U.S. Steel, which it ratified in February, does not permit the layoffs and demotions, at least if they’re not first negotiated with the union.

Under the contract, U.S. Steel should have first negotiated such personnel moves with the union, Millsap said.  The union also is concerned it’s making Gary Works less safe, with no preventative maintenance taking place and hundreds of work orders piling up.

The USW says workers moved to labor gangs are getting paid $3 to $9 less per hour, and are being deprived of the chance to work overtime, which is how steelworkers commonly boost their income.

Union leaders estimate U.S. Steel has now laid off around 75 maintenance workers and cut the pay of more than 200 more over the last few weeks at the recommendation of the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., which has recommended that U.S. Steel use more outside contractors to cut costs.

U.S. Steel laid off about 1,000 workers in Northwest Indiana in 2015, and slashed a quarter of its non-union salaried workforce earlier this year.  The steelmaker lost $46 million in the second quarter but expects to end the year with a profit.

Great Lakes Steel Output Falls 3,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[8 Sep 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region dropped slightly to 648,000T last week, down from 651,000T a week earlier, though the capacity utilization finally rose over the 2015 level.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, decreased to 570,000T last week, down from 603,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the weak 2015 pace by about 769,000T, a decline of 1.2%.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output rose by 67,000T or 4% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.656 million tons.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 60.9 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.4%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.  It was 61.8 million tons at a capacity utilization of 72.3% at the same point in 2015.

Verbal Shots Fired in Griffith War of Secession
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Bill Dolan
[3 Sep 2016]
 

GARY — Calumet Township Trustee Kimberly K. Robinson says she won’t let Griffith go without a fight.

Town officials this week turned in more than 1,000 signatures on a petition to hold a referendum Dec. 20 to transfer their taxpayers out of Calumet Township and the responsibility for assisting Gary’s lowest-income families.

"They are going nowhere, because we will challenge this," Robinson said.

Griffith Town Councilman Rick Ryfa, long an advocate of the town’s secession from Cal Twp, said Cal Twp’s assistance tax rate is 12.53 times the statewide township assistance tax rate, which triggers a 2013 state law that provides the option for Griffith to exit.  Robinson said her tax rate is only 10.4 times the statewide tax rate, and her spending is going down. Ryfa said the town has an Indiana attorney general’s opinion that supports Griffith’s position.

Robinson said she is ready to confront Griffith before the county elections board and the courts, if necessary.  Ryfa said Griffith is prepared for that.  "We are dotting every i and crossing every t," he said.

At stake is $1 million a year in property tax revenues Griffith pays into Cal Twp’s assistance fund.  It will be lost to the township if Griffith taxpayers vote to shift their township allegiance to North, Ross or St. John township.

Ryfa estimates St. John Twp’s lower tax rate would result in Griffith taxpayers keeping almost all the $1 million they now pay Calumet.  If the town moves to North Twp, Griffith still would get to keep half the assistance money in question, he believes.  He said he hasn’t calculated for a move to Ross Twp.

Township Assistance Drives Griffith Away

The financial burden of supporting one of the largest township assistance programs in the state has long been a sore spot for Griffith town officials.  "The township was taking $3.2 million earlier.  Now it’s down to $1 million, but it’s still insane, and the township does nothing for us," Ryfa said.

Robinson countered that her office had provided tens of thousands of dollars in Griffith assistance.  "I’m going to ask those people of Griffith who have received our services to help me in blocking this," she said.

Robinson said she expects to provide a total of $3.1 million in housing, utilities, food and health care payments to about 17,000 recipients primarily living in 1,300 Gary households drawn from the entire township tax base this year.

Robinson, who took office last year, said she has inherited the responsibility of dealing with some of the state’s highest concentration of the neediest residents.  About 39% of Gary’s residents are below the poverty line, according to U.S. census data.  "Can’t (Griffith) afford to help a neighbor who needs it?" she asked.

Calumet’s spending is in stark contrast to 95% of the state’s more than 1,000 other townships that serve a thinly populated rural countryside.  Other townships have an average of less than 250 recipients who receive less than $23,000 in total benefits a year.

Robinson said she is unaware of any state aid that would replace the money Griffith would take with it.  "We will have to be a little more creative if Griffith did walk away," she said.  "We would not go bankrupt. We would not shut down."

Robinson also disagrees with the timing of the Griffith referendum, saying if it must be held, it should be during the Nov. 8 general election, not in December.  She said holding it in December will be an additional cost to taxpayers.  "The law requires us to hold a special election and cannot coincide with any other election," Ryfa said.

Robinson said the referendum will only be held in Griffith, while Gary residents who have the most to lose, "have no say."

Gary Man Dies More Than a Year After Shooting
#30 and Counting
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Sarah Reese
[1 Sep 2016]
 

GARY — A 31-year-old man died this week, more than a year after he was shot near the IUN campus, and police have opened a homicide investigation, officials said.

Thomas Paulding, of Gary, was shot the night of March 20, 2015, in the 100 block of W 35th Av, according to the Lake County coroner's office and police reports.

Police found a gunshot victim in the backyard of a home, and he was later flown by helicopter to a Chicago hospital in critical condition.

Paulding died Monday at the Highland Nursing and Rehab Center, a coroner's release said.

Lake County to Weigh Griffith Secession Request
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Bill Dolan
[31 Aug 2016]

GRIFFITH — Lake County election officials will review Griffith's plans for a special election Dec. 20 to unburden town residents from supporting Cal Twp's large, poverty-stricken population.

George Jerome, the town's outgoing clerk-treasurer, and John Volkmann, who takes office Thursday as the new clerk, presented the Lake Elections and Voter Registration Board staff Wednesday with a petition bearing more than 1,200 signatures of town residents requesting the exit referendum be put before town voters.

Michelle Fajman, county elections director, said her staff will investigate the 2013 state law that permits Griffith to hold the exit referendum to determine what role the county plays.

She said such a referendum is unprecedented in her experience.  The law permitting the referendum is untested in the courts.

Fajman said if the law requires the town to limit voting to registered voters, then Griffith will need county poll books, containing the current list of registered voters.  She said she won't know the cost of the special election, which must be borne by Griffith residents, until all these details are worked out.  She said they also will determine whether the Dec. 20 date for the referendum is proper.

The referendum question would read, "Shall the territory of The Town of Griffith be transferred from Calumet Township to an adjacent township?"

Rick Ryfa, town council president, said that if at least two-thirds of Griffith voters vote "yes" on the public question, the Town Council may within one year after the special election, submit a request to St. John, North or Ross townships to accept the transfer of Griffith within their township boundaries.  St. John, North or Ross townships then have one year to accept or reject Griffith by passing a resolution specifying the date the transfer is effective.

If the referendum fails to win a two-thirds majority, or if none of the other townships accept Griffith within the year, Griffith must remain within Calumet Township and no new special election may be held, unless the law is changed again.

Local Steel Output Posts Tiny Gain
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[31 Aug 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region rose slightly to 652,000T last week, up from 651,000T the previous week.

Overall U.S. steel output fell by 13,000T, or 0.78%, last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.642 million tons, down from 1.655 million tons a week earlier.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 716,000T, a decline of 1.1%, according to the World Steel Association.

Year-to-date steel capacity utilization at U.S. mills has been 72.4%, as compared to a capacity utilization of 72.3% at the same point in 2015.

Stanrail to Close, Tossing 103 Out of Work
Compiled From a nwiITimes Report by oseph S. Pete
[29 Aug 2016]
 

GARY — More than 100 people will be out of work after a factory that made steel parts for railcars closes next year.

Roll Form Group, a division of metals service center Samuel, Son & Co., Ltd., decided to close the Stanrail boxcar factory that's been in Gary for more than three decades.  The company will lay off 103 people after deciding the 155,000-square-foot plant at 1225 Martin Luther King Dr was old and outdated.

It is offering workers jobs at another factory in Mississippi.

Stanrail will permanently closed its Gary factory on Oct. 27, and finishing winding it down by Feb. 28, 2017, the company wrote in a letter with a WARN notice to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.  The layoffs will take place in five waves, with the first 78 workers getting pink slips on or around Oct. 27.  "The plant closing will be permanent and will involve the entire plant."

Most of the affected workers described in the WARN notice are laborers or welders.  They range in age from 20 years old to 67 years old.

Gary Schools Considering Options to Cut $300K
Compiled from a Post-Trib Report by Christin Nance Lazerus
[25 Aug 2016]
 

On the list for possible closure just a few weeks ago, Gary Community School Corp.'s Williams Annex opened its doors for the school year on Monday with the district still facing a $300K deficit.

But the Williams Annex teachers, despite the warning that payroll might not be met, spoke in support of the move to keep it open.  They said that student population is down this year, in part due to uncertainty about the school's future.

School Board President Antuwan Clemons said that the board will consider its options — including closing the district's maintenance facility — when it meets next week.  "We're going to have to cut another $300,000 to meet payroll," Clemons said.

State-appointed financial manager Jack Martin, who attended Tuesday's board meeting, said the school district currently has about three times the amount of classroom space that it requires for its student population.  "The district needs to demonstrate leadership to the state, but it has earned the funding that it seeks," Martin said.

A perfect storm of factors — declining enrollment, less revenue under state-mandated property tax caps, changes in the school funding formula and low property tax collections in Gary — have combined to place the district in an untenable position of dealing with a $75 million budget deficit.

The district is trying to raise more money for its general fund through a referendum that will go before the voters this fall, and they have requested additional funding from the state.

School board member Rosie Washington said Gary students are not receiving a fair shake when it comes to state funding.  "We are here to try and work as best as we can for as many as we can and as long as we can with as little as we can," Washington said.  "We have a right to demand our piece of the pie."

Great Lakes Steel Production Fell 24,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[23 Aug 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region dropped by 3.55% to 651,000T last week.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 568,000T last week, down from 575,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 632,000T, a decline of 1.1%.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output fell by 30,000T or 1.78% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.655 million tons, down from 1.685 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 57.6 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.5%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.  It was 58.2 million tons at a capacity utilization of 72.3% at the same point

Nowacki Alleges Collusion, Improper Procedures in Awarding 30 Yr. Daley/MaiaCo Contract
Compiled from a nwiGazette Report by Ken Davidson
[19 Aug 2016]
 

Just days after the City of Gary Redevelopment Commission signed a 30 year agreement with a Delaware LLC controlled by former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Jim Nowacki filed suit to stop the deal.  In the lawsuit, Nowacki alleges improprieties in the awarding of the contract.  Nowacki alleges the deal was improper from the start with the creation of the Request for Proposals.

The Request for Proposals called for partnership of "at least 4 years."  The final contract between Maiaco, LLC and the City of Gary Redevelopment Commission was for 30 years.  Additionally, Nowacki states that the RFP is so vague that no other business had an equal opportunity to bid on the Request.

Nowacki also points to the bid opening as proof of impropriety.  Nowacki says he was at the scheduled May 18, 2016 bid opening but that meeting was cancelled.  Bids were ultimately opened by the Gary Redevelopment Commission at a later date, but Nowacki says he was not aware of the meeting and could find no public notice of that meeting.

Finally, Nowacki alleges that the meeting at which the contract was awarded was not properly.

Former Deputy Mayor Lane B.R. Lane Back in Gary; Meeting with Maiaco
Compiled from a nwiGazette Report by Ken Davidson
[19 Aug 2016]

Former Gary Deputy Mayor B.R. Lane has left the Illinois Lottery Commission and has been seen in Gary.

B.R. Lane was first seen at the August 18, 2016 meeting of the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority.  An unnoticed press release from the Office of IL Governor Bruce Rauner announced that Lane was leaving the Illinois Lottery Commission effective June 10, 2016.  The release stated " B.R. Lane is resigning as the Acting Director of the Illinois Lottery due to a significant medical issue.  Tim McDevitt will serve as Acting Director until a permanent replacement is selected."

After the RDA meeting, Lane was reportedly seen leaving the offices of Maiaco, LLC-the Richard Daley connected company which was recently given an exclusive 30 year agreement to develop and sell properties in Gary, Indiana.  According to the terms of the agreement, Maiaco, LLC is to hire a local liaison "from the community."  Is it possible that Lane has landed that position?

Gary Councilwoman Hatcher Calls for Complete Reassessment of City
Compiled from a nwiGazette Report by Ken Davidson
[19 Aug 2016]

As the City of Gary pushes forward with taking homes and businesses from the tax sale at record pace, a City Council member is calling for a complete re-assessment of the City.

Speaking with Jeffrey Smith on WLTH yesterday, Council Member Ragen Hatcher stated "the only option I see is a complete re-assessment [of Gary].  Hatcher outlined disparities of up to 4 times in taxation for similar homes.  She spoke of one resident who owned two similar homes, side by side.  She said the similar homes were taxed at $400 and $1600 respectively.  Assessments are the primary variable factor in taxation since the citizens imposed a constitutional cap on real property taxation.  Prior to that, the City of Gary saw tax rates as high as 10% on overassessed properties.  Many of these overtaxed, overassessed properties have lurked in the tax sale system for 5 years or more.

Despite these disparities in taxation, the City is pushing ahead with plans to confiscate and demolish hundreds more homes in the City.  Under Indiana’s "Hardest Hit" program-originally designed to assist homeowners who were struggling to stay in their homes-the City of Gary has demolished just over 280 homes.

In recent weeks, the City entered into a 30 year agreement with a Delaware Corporation which was founded by former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.  During a public meeting on the agreement Director of Redevelopment Joe Van Dyk stated that the partnership with Daley will result in an additional 3,500 over-assessed homes and businesses being acquired.  Those properties will then go into the name of the City of Gary, Department of Redevelopment where they will be exempt from taxation.

Gary Partnership to Focus on Three Locales
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Ed Bierschenk
[19 Aug 2016]
 

GARY — The city’s Redevelopment Commission is expected to start acquiring properties by the end of the year as part of its private-public partnership to redevelop the city.

Under an with MaiaCo LLC the firm will provide private funding to help the commission acquire large blocks of vacant properties that can be developed.

Joe Van Dyk, Gary’s director of planning and redevelopment, said the city is looking at three general locations for the acquisitions.  They include the Broadway corridor between I-80/94 and I-90, several blocks south of I-80/94 between Chase and Burr streets and the Aetna neighborhood north of I-90 and south of the abandoned railroad tracks between Lake Street and the I-90 interchange.

Van Dyk said properties owned by the school district and the Gary Housing Authority will be excluded.  The properties being acquired will be vacant land or abandoned structures.  Van Dyk said no residents or businesses will be displaced.

Van Dyk said a community liaison still needs to be hired as part of the agreement with MaiaCo.  The company is expected to create and implement a community outreach and development plan within six months.

Gary Man, 54, Dies From Gunshot to Head
#29 and Counting
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Sarah Reese
[18 Aug 2016]

GARY — A 54-year-old man died Sunday following a shooting the night before in the city’s Tolleston neighborhood, officials said.

Christopher E. Mason, of Gary, was shot in the head late Saturday in the 2100 block of W 15th Av, Gary police Lt. Dawn Westerfield said.

Police were called to the area about 11:45 p.m. for a gunshot victim and found Mason and a woman inside a Chevrolet Trailblazer at the southwest corner of 15th Av and McKinley St, she said.  The woman was holding Mason’s head.

Mason was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and later flown to an Illinois hospital, police said.

He was pronounced dead at 6:31 a.m. Sunday at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Former Gary Firefighter Ordered to Repay Union $30K
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Sarah Reese
[18 Aug 2016]

HAMMOND — A former Gary firefighter was sentenced Tuesday to probation and ordered to repay more than $30,000 he diverted from the firefighters’ union while serving as its secretary-treasurer.

John T. Springer, 54, of Indianapolis, must serve three months on home detention during his three-year probation term, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

In his position with the Gary Professional Firefighters Association, Springer was an authorized signatory on general, holding and retiree bank accounts.  The union’s bylaws prohibited members and officers from deriving personal profit from goods and services unless approved by a two-thirds vote.

Springer used $30,315.99 in union funds without permission between Jan. 10, 2008, and Sept. 25, 2012, to pay for personal expenses, including auto-related loans and repairs, his home mortgage, attorney’s fees and school tuition for his children, court records said.

Springer pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud during a hearing in April in U.S. District Court.

Griffith Reaches Magic Number to Request Exit from Cal Twp
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Charles F. Haber
 [17 Aug 2016]
 

GRIFFITH — The Town Council on Tuesday said it has reached the 1,000 residential signatures needed to request a referendum to leave Calumet Township.

"Right now we have 1,190 signatures" certified, said Clerk-Treasurer George Jerome.  About 50 other signatures were disqualified because they were not legible or not valid, said Council President Rick Ryfa, R-3rd.

"We will keep collecting signatures through Friday, Aug. 26," Ryfa said, adding that residents can still sign at the Central Market over the next two Fridays.

After the Aug. 26 deadline, the town will submit the signatures to the Lake County Elections Board to request a referendum in December, Ryfa said.  The referendum will be solely for Griffith residents and require two-thirds of the vote total to leave the township.

Ryfa has said the council will hold public meetings, if the referendum is successful, to gather public input on which township to join.  In conjunction, the board will present the pros and cons of joining each available township, including North, St. John and Ross.

Great Lakes Steel Production Rose by 12,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[16 Aug 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region rose by 1.8% to 675,000T last week, the second straight week it increased.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 575,000T last week, down from 603,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 440,000T, a decline of 1%. In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output fell by 14,000T or 0.82% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.685 million tons, down from 1.697 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 55.9 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.5%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. It was 56.5 million tons at a capacity utilization of 72.3% at the same point in 2015.

U.S. Steel Industry Has Lost 48,000 Jobs Since 2000
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[16 Aug 2016]
 

The layoffs at U.S. Steel's Gary Works on Friday of 38 maintenance workers were just part of an ongoing trend that's afflicted the steel industry, which was once Northwest Indiana's largest employer and a ticket to a comfortable middle class life.

Steel jobs nationally have fallen more than 35% to 87,000 jobs last year, down from 135,000 jobs in 2000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The United States lost another 4,000 steel industry jobs in 2015, as compared to the previous year.

The U.S. steel industry has been declining since the 1970s, but federal data shows job losses have accelerated rapidly in the 21st century.  Health care has since eclipsed the steel mills as the Region's biggest employer.  Since 2000, the U.S. steel industry has weathered two import crises that have resulted in bankruptcies, closed mills and pink slips nationwide.  The United States is however now enforcing 161 tariffs against dumped foreign steel, to try to protect the domestic industry.

Many steelworker jobs were lost during the unprecedented consolidation of the industry during the early 2000s, when more than 30 U.S. steelmakers went bankrupt.  But the biggest issue facing employment at steel mills is automation, ArcelorMittal noted in its 2015 United States Integrated Report.  Technological improvements have enabled steelmakers to crank out more metal with far fewer workers.  "Steelmaking processes have transformed at a rapid pace, reflecting the industry’s improvement in operating practices and investment in state-of-the-art equipment to increase productivity," the report stated.  "In 2015, one employee accounted for approximately 1,000 net tons of raw steel production, an increase of 20%."

Great Lakes Steel Production Rose 7,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[10 Aug 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region rebounded to 663,000T last week, rising 1.06% to gain back the 7,000T in output it lost the week prior.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South also increased.  The 603,000T produced last week was up from 600,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 519,000T, a decline of 0.9%.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output rose by 16,000T or 0.95% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.697 million tons, up from 1.681 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 54.28 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.5%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. It was 54.8 million tons at a capacity utilization of 72.3% at the same point in 2015.

Gary Awaits Maia Co. Aid; Resident Files Suit to Stop Deal
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Gregory Tejeda
[5 Aug 2016]
 

Gary Common Council President Ronald Brewer said he thinks it is an exciting prospect that an outside company will come to the city to help bring in developers.  Frequent critic Jim Nowacki disagrees so much that he's filed a lawsuit to stop it.

On July 29, the Gary Redevelopment Commission approved a deal with Maia Co., a Chicago company that will work with the city to acquire parcels of land large enough for commercial development and provide cash or other financial considerations up front for land acquisition.  The incentive for Maia Co. is that it will receive up to 65% of the proceeds when acquired land is resold to developers for specific projects.

Nowacki says he thinks that's too much.  "You are just waifs.  You can do very little.  You are all helpless without any ability to stop the process," Nowacki said at last week's Common Council meeting.  "I will make sure the (Redevelopment Commission) deal for the city does not go forward."

Nowacki's lawsuit filed Wednesday argues the secretive nature of negotiations between the Redevelopment Commission and Maia Co. amounts to collusion, and he also questions whether Maia Co. is licensed to do business in Indiana.  "They may be legal in Delaware, but that doesn't mean they can come here," he said.

Nowacki is the owner of nearly 300 plots of land across Gary, Redevelopment officials have said publicly.  Nowacki did not dispute the figures.

Redevelopment Commission deputy director Jack Eskin declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Michael Reinhold, Maia Co.'s president, said in an email to the Post-Tribune that he had not seen the lawsuit, but was "not surprised" that Nowacki, "would have issues with what the GRC is doing to reject the status quo, eliminate blight in the city, support long-time residents and transform Gary."

Nowacki countered that his lawsuit is, "not about my self interest.  It's just a bad deal."

Brewer isn't bothered by the criticism and said he approves of the Maia Co. deal, even though the Gary Common Council has no oversight because the Redevelopment Commission is a separate government entity.  "I don't have a problem with it," Brewer said, explaining there is so much of Gary, particularly in the downtown area, that is desolate and in need of demolition.

The executive chairman of Maia Co. is former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.  Gary officials have said Daley could help in terms of raising the money used for land acquisition but that Daley will not be directly involved with Maia Co. operations, which may open an office in Gary in coming months.

Brewer said he'd like to see officials start their work with the business strip along Broadway, saying any improvement there would be a visible boost for the city's image.  If he had his way, his revamping would start with the Palace Theatre, which opened in 1925 at 765 Broadway, closed in 1972 and has sat largely vacant since then.  "That's real bad," Brewer said.  "Something new needs to go there."

Still trying to reach an opinion is Councilwoman Ragen Hatcher, D-at large, who said she is still reading through the agreement.  "It seems to be a land acquisition service.  I still have some questions I have to ask," she said.  Hatcher also said she is willing to take questions from Gary residents about the project.  "As I find out details of the agreement, I will send them out to the public," she said.

School Closure Vote Fails as Gary Wrestles with Deficit
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Christin Nance LazerusContact
[5 Aug 2016]

The Gary Community Schools' Williams Annex and its maintenance facility are still open after narrowly avoiding the chopping block at Thursday's special board meeting, but a $1 million budget deficit still looms that could delay the start of the school year.

The board voted 6-1 with one abstention Thursday against closing Williams Annex, the former Dunbar-Pulaski Middle School, at 920 E 19th Av.  It housed almost 400 students in seventh and eighth grades last year.  The move to close the maintenance facility at 3840 Georgia St, was tabled for further discussion.

Board president Antuwan Clemons said the board normally decides to close schools in the fall prior to the next school year, but the budget crisis means that it's important to act quickly.  "Making a decision 16 days before the start of the school year, I don't think it's fair for parents and students," Clemons said.  "But I do think it's fair to help them understand that if we can't pay teachers, our school doors won't open this fall."

Aug 16 is the first day for staff, and classes are scheduled to begin on Aug 22.  Clemons said the decisions weren't the final say on each building, but a sign that they needed more information on the financial ramifications before making an informed decision.

Gary Teachers Union President GlenEva Dunham said the district can't layoff teachers after July 1, so if the board moves to close Williams Annex later on, the teachers would follow students to whatever school they are re-assigned to.  "We would just pray that the same number of students stay (to avoid layoffs)," Dunham said.  "We never know how many are going to return each year."

Williams Annex has had a tumultuous history.  Dunbar-Pulaski was closed due to low academic performance and flagging enrollment in 2009 and its students were sent to nearby high schools.  It was reopened in 2013, but the district considered closing it in 2014.  The State Board of Education moved to close the school in spring 2015, but Gary kept the school open by renaming it the Williams Annex.

Clemons said he's in favor of shuttering the maintenance facility since there is unused space at the Gary Area Career Center available for employees and equipment and better security on the premises.  "Nothing is off limits," Clemons said.  "The most important thing that we've said is our duty is to the community, but even more so to the students."

Local Steel Production Falls by 7,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[3 Aug 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region fell to 656,000T last week, a 1.05% decrease compared to 663,000T the week before.  It marked the second straight week of decline after a yearly high of 696,000T three weeks ago.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, fell to 600,000T last week, down from 618,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 490,000T, a decline of 0.9%.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output fell by 1.29% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.681 million tons, down from 1.703 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 52.5 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.5%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.  It was 53 million tons at a capacity utilization of 72.3% at the same point in 2015.

Gary Approves MaiaCo Redevelopment Deal
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Ed Bierschen
[30 Jul 2016 ]
 

GARY — The city has reached a deal with a private redevelopment partner with ties to former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley that could impact a large segment of the city.

The Gary Redevelopment Commission on Friday quickly and without initial comment, approved an agreement with MaiaCo LLC.  The quick approval upset several residents who attended the meeting and said the public should have been involved from the inception of a deal that could have a dramatic effect on the city.

The agreement calls for MaiaCo to provide $1 million worth of resources, which may include cash as well as in-kind contributions, by July 29, 2017.  By July 29, 2036, the company is to have provided a cumulative value of $15 million in resources toward Gary’s revitalization strategy.

Michael Reinhold, a former principal at Tur Partners LLC said Tur executve chair Richard M. Daley will will not profit from the deal.  He sall only serve as an unpaid adviser.
________________
[COMMENT -GDY]:  Well, someone is going to profit, and handsomely, and "it ain't going to be the residents of Gary!"

The Flaws in Joe Van Dyk's Plan
Gary Free-Press
[28 Jul 2016]

Van Dyk stated over and over that every year there are 12,000 Gary properties on the tax sale.  He repeatedly said that one in every five properties is on the tax sale every year. 

 So here's a little math —

In total, there are approximately 55,000 parcels that comprise Gary.  To start with, the Lake County Auditor lists around 17,000 in a tax-exempt status.  (A great percentage of this 17,000 number are owned by some government entity, mostly some entity of the City of Gary.  Also, the City of Gary has been acquiring 300-500 parcels per year through various methods, so this 17,000 number is certainly higher by now as the information from the Auditor's office was received over 5 years ago.)  So this leaves 38,000 to comprise Gary's tax base. 

So if as Mr. Van Dyk claims there are 12,000 Gary parcels on the tax sale every year, then instead of one in every five parcels that comprise Gary's tax base being in tax delinquent status, it is more like one in every three parcels!

So what is Mr. Van Dyk's solution?  What is the MaiaCo plan?  What is the Freeman-Wilson Administration's master plan?  To in its first year acquire 5000 more parcels and shift them to a tax-exempt status--indefinitely!

If MaiaCo does what they say in their proposal and acquires 5000 more parcels, then the total number of parcels in the city in a tax-exempt status will soar to 22,000.  And surely they plan to continue acquiring in their second, third, fourth years and so on.  But for now, let's just concentrate on the numbers they stated in their proposal, the 5000.  So then, out of the 55,000 total parcels, 22,000 will be in a tax-exempt status--not tax delinquent, tax-exemp = no possible chance of producing taxes. 

So assuming the 5000 will lower the 12,000 from the tax sale number to 7000 (unless tax default continues to climb) the number of properties which will comprise the city's tax base will be around 26,000.  The number of parcels in the city which will not be contributing to the city's tax base will be about 29,000. 

So what he does not tell you is that his plan--the MaiaCo plan, the Daley plan--depends on eviscerating an already severely depleted tax base.  And what he doesn't say outright, but certainly can easily be gleaned from anyone listening to one of his dog and pony shows is that this "plan" will take many years to bear fruit.  In fact, he implies that it may take ten years or more to come to pass.  (They even say that part of the plan will involve planting trees on vacant lots to be harvested once they mature 15 years down the road.)

So as his team voraciously acquires property from the private sector, and as they do, instantly transfer it to a tax-exempt status, the burden shifts to the remaining taxpayers to shoulder the burden of costs to operate the city.  So in numbers, less than half of the owners of property will be paying the freight for the more than half that pays nothing whatsoever--nor is required to. 

So gutting the city's tax base is not just some unintended consequence, it is the key component of their plan.  And they don't see any problem with it.  They don't worry about not being able to provide the services residents desperately need to survive.  They could literally not care less about that.  If they did, the city would not look the way it does.  The pools would be open.  The parks would be usable.  The police cars wouldn't be falling apart.  The fire trucks wouldn't be running on bald tires.  The sewers wouldn't be collapsing from one end of the city to the other.  The sidewalks would be walkable.  The streets would not be crumbling.  The streetlights wouldn't be burned out or knocked down.  In short, if they cared a bit about the residents of the city, it would not be disintegrating before everyone's eyes. 

So this "innovative" proposal to further destroy the city's anemic tax base has no plan contained within it to provide these sorely needed services.  Nowhere have they even been mentioned.  How are Gary's residents supposed to live while this plan takes shape?  And what if it doesn't take shape?  What if it fails?  What if it turns out to just be another scam like GUEA was?  After all, it is really just a grown-up version of the GUEA plan.  (If anyone doesn't not remember how that turned out, take a stroll through the Emerson neighborhood!)  It was the same thing: aggressive property acquisition; promised redevelopment; all the same buzzwords; but what did we get?  A thoroughly destroyed neighborhood with massive blight and abandonment.  And 15 years after the implementation of the GUEA plan in Emerson, it is virtually a ghost town.  Occupancy of that neighborhood is probably down to 25%.  (When GUEA stated their "plan" it was approximately 75% occupied.)

But while this administration knows full well about how flawed their plan is, they will attempt to spoon-feed everyone the same pap about development this and development that; but what they won't tell you is that even if they were able to attract some development, any new development of any scale will be requesting a tax abatement.  And in most every case a large development would be eligible to receive one; and anyone that has been watching city council meetings knows, is that the city council hands these out like penny candy.  Typical tax abatements are for 10 years, meaning they increase 10% per year until they pay 100%.  In effect, the petitioner gets 5 years tax free over the course of the tax abatement. 

This is not an innovate solution.  This is not creative thinking outside the box.  This is the resurrection of a plan that has already failed miserably. 

An innovative solution would include detailed plans on how to rebuild the city's withered tax base.  And it should not require its further destruction by the city!

Any plan should be able to tell residents how they will be provided for while Joe Van Dyk and Daley and his team work their magic.  Being told everything will be all right and not to worry does not count as a plan. 

Worry people! This horribly flawed plan puts the nail in the coffin.  But that's really what the goal is.  The more unlivable the city is, the more abandonment; the more foreclosures; the more tax defaults; the more prey for MaiaCo to swoop down on. 

Because their plan revolves entirely around property acquisition.  If any development happens to occur, it is a byproduct.  If they really had developers on the hook, why don't they march them in now?  Why don't these developers just acquire the property themselves?  Wouldn't it be faster and easier to just buy it from the people that own it now?  Or will these developers only come if MaiaCo is in control of everything?

More than anything, Joe Van Dyk's sideshow leaves everyone with questions.  But he has no real answers.  And it is hard not to miss the irony of listening to him drone on about how to redevelop the city when he, has never developed anything in his life.  He has never even been directly involved in any development.  To him, demolition is development.  To him, government agencies are development partners. 

His plan leads residents not just down some bumpy road on their way to salvation, it leads residents on a road straight to perdition. 

And finally, Daley should be ashamed of himself.  He came to Gary, according to Freeman-Wilson, at her request.  He came under the guise of altruism.  That he has a thing in his heart for the city.  But now, it seems painfully obvious that he has been making plans to feather his own nest all along.  And oh how all of those starry-eyed University of Chicago students got used to set this selfish plan into motion.  There is no altruism here, more likely sheer avarice.  This plan is not based on charity or compassion as we were earlier led to believe, profits alone are what is its driving force.  This probably will not come as a huge to surprise to anyone. 

So Gary citizens beware.  Because one day you may wake up and the city you now call home may no longer feel like home.

Gary Guard Unit Set for Afghanistan Deployment
Compiled From an AP Report
[27 Jul 2016]

 GARY, Indiana — Members of an Indiana National Guard unit based in Gary are being deployed to Afghanistan.

 National Guard officials say about 30 members of the 938th Military Police Detachment will be recognized during a departure ceremony Thursday in the Guard's aviation facility at Gary/Chicago International Airport.

The soldiers will be assigned to police and security operations in both the Kandahar and Parwan Provinces in Afghanistan.

U.S. Steel Loses $46 Million in Second Quarter
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[27 Jul 2016]
 

U.S. Steel lost $46 million in the second quarter, its fifth straight quarterly loss, though its flat-rolled segment returned to profitability.

The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, which has mills in Gary, Portage and East Chicago, reported losing 32¢ per share from April through June. U.S. Steel however declared a dividend of 5 cents per share.

U.S. Steel brought in $313 million in operating cash flow in the first six months of the year, including $200 million in the second quarter.

"Our second quarter results improved significantly from the first quarter as our European segment posted its best results since the third quarter of 2008 and our flat-rolled segment returned to profitability," said Mario Longhi, U.S. Steel president and CEO.  "Our improving cost structure continues to drive increases in our margins and the recent increases in steel prices started to be reflected in our results.

"Also, our successful debt offering, continued reductions in working capital and increasing cash generation significantly improved financial flexibility and our cash and liquidity position.  While market conditions have improved recently, we remain focused on lowering our break-even point and working closely with our customers to improve our market position and create value for all of our stakeholders."

U.S. Steel said maintenance and outage costs were higher last quarter "due to planned and unplanned outages at Gary Works early in the quarter."  The flat-rolled segment, which includes U.S. Steel’s local operations in Northwest Indiana, however made $6 million in the second quarter after losing $188 million in the first quarter.  Profits were boosted by the rising price of steel, which grew from an average of $611 a ton in the first quarter to $642 a ton in the second.

The steelmaker had $2.4 billion worth of liquidity, including $820 million in cash, by the end of June.

Gary Infant Had No Body Fat When He Died
#28 and Counting
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Elvia Malagon
[27 Jul 2016]

 GARY — There wasn’t any food present in the stomach of a 3-month-old boy when a pathologist performed an autopsy and determined the infant died of dehydration and malnutrition, according to court records.

 Kannon McMillan’s parents, Katherine Holmes, 27, and Jarod T. McMillan, 31, were charged Tuesday with eight counts of neglect of a dependent. Warrants were issued for their arrests.

Police and paramedics were called about 4:50 p.m. July 5 to the 800 block of E 36th Av in Gary for an unresponsive child.  The boy was taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus where he was pronounced dead at 5:35 p.m.

The Lake County coroner’s office determined the boy could have been dead for 12 hours before he was pronounced dead at the hospital.  According to the affidavit, there was no food present in his stomach and there was a small amount of stool in his bowel.  Kannon did not have any body fat.  The boy did have a skin ulceration on his pelvic area when he died, according to court records.

When police searched the home where the couple lived with their six children, including Kannon, they found roaches throughout the Glen Park home.  According to the affidavit, there was garbage, clothes and food containers scattered across various rooms.  In the rocking seat where Kannon slept, there were stains that appeared to be fecal matter.

Holmes initially told detectives the last time she fed Kannon was on July 3.  According to the affidavit, she later told detectives she couldn’t remember if she had any contact with her son from July 1 to July 4.

The couple left the children under the care of an uncle on July 5 while they searched for food.  At a local food pantry, the couple was told the organization wasn’t giving away food.  They traveled to where McMillan’s mother worked so she could take them to buy groceries, according to court records.  When they arrived home, Holmes noticed her infant wasn’t breathing.  The family then called police.

The uncle told police he didn’t feed or change Kannon’s diaper, according to the affidavit.  He said the family had been without food for a few days.

McMillan told detectives that on July 5, he changed the boy’s diaper and gave him a bottle, according to the affidavit.  He estimated that he fed the infant about five times a day, though the boy sometimes didn’t drink the formula milk.

Holmes told detectives that the last time she took her son to the doctor was in April when she was told he needed to gain weight.

According to court records, she had put ointment in the past on a rash he had.  Another time, she called a doctor because the boy had a high fever and appeared to have had a seizure.  Holmes said a doctor told her to put a cold towel on the infant to bring down his temperature, according to the affidavit.

Holmes told detectives she never asked for help because she was scared she would lose her children.

Gary Police Investigating Fatal Double Stabbing
#26 & #27 and Counting
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Lauren Cross
[27 Jul 2016]

GARY — Police were conducting a welfare check on a woman at a home in the 900 block of W 24th Av in the Delaney Housing Complex Wednesday when they discovered she and another individual stabbed to death inside a residence.

A man and woman were found about 11:40 a.m. They were were pronounced dead at 12:50 p.m. and 12:51 p.m., respectively.  They were designated as John Doe and Jane Doe in a Lake County coroner’s office news release.  Drummond said the names of both victims are being withheld pending notification of family.  UPDATE  [28 Jul 2016] - The woman initially named Jane Doe has been identified as 38 year old Aretha Laster of the W 24th Av address.  The male was Michael A. Campbell, 57, also from Gary.

The cause of death in both cases was stab wounds.  The residence bore no signs of forced entry.  The manner of death is pending, but police are treating the case as a homicide, Drummond said.

Great Lakes Steel Production Drops by 33,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[26 Jul 2016]

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region fell to 663,000T last week, a 4.7% decrease compared to 696,000T the week before.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, rose to 618,000T last week, up from 612,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 420,000T, a decline of 0.8%.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output rose by 1.94% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.746 million tons, up from 1.712 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 50.9 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.6%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

1 Killed in Gary Shooting
#25 and Counting
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Sarah Reese
[25 Jul 2016]
 

GARY — Four separate shootings since Friday have killed two and wounded two others, police said.

Lafayette Watters, 25, of the 2700 block of W 10th Av, Gary, died after suffering multiple gunshot wounds early Monday in the 2000 block of McKinley St in the city's Tolleston neighborhood, according to the Lake County coroner's office.

Police responded to the area about 12:30 a.m. after witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots, Gary Cpl. Douglas Drummond said.

Watters was found laying outside near the street, unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.  Emergency workers were unable to resuscitate him, and he was pronounced dead at 1:40 a.m.

Gary Awards $869k Contract for New Airport Master Plan
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Gregory Tejeda
[25 Jul 2016]

 The governing board for the Gary/Chicago International Airport awarded a contract to pay more than $860,000 to an Ypsilanti, Mich.-based company to prepare a new master plan for the airport.

 The airport's master plan is the document that projects airport operations and potential development that could occur in the area surrounding the airport for the upcoming decade.

The airport authority on Monday voted 5-0, with board member Alesia Pritchett absent, to approve a contract with Jacobsen/Daniels Associates LLC – a firm that also has offices in Chicago and works with airports across the nation on assorted aviation issues.

Jacobsen/Daniels will be paid $869,000 for their work, which is expected to take at least a year or more to complete depending on how long it takes the Federal Aviation Administration to complete its own review of the process.  Jacobsen/Daniels Vice President Ed Johnson admitted that a one-year completion time would only occur, "if everything goes very fast and there are no complications."  He said the company will try to have its work complete and a master plan ready for final approval within 18 months.

Jacobsen/Daniels was chosen Monday from among three companies whose work had been reviewed by the airport authority in recent months.  Vicari said Jacobsen/Daniels came out ahead of the other companies because it had already "gone above and forward in expressing a desire to use local firms" as subcontractors for any work connected to the master plan development.
________________
[COMMENT -GDY]:  The city must be rolling in dough, is all I can say?

Man Shot to Death in Gary Home
#24 and Counting
Compiled From a Post-Trib Staff Report
[23 Jul 2016]
 

A 20-year-old Illinois man found shot to death inside a Gary home Friday night, officials said.

Gary police were called to a residence in the 1100 block of Porter St (Tolleston) at about 11:20 p.m., where a man identified as Samuel Williams, of 6 Cottonwood Dr in Mt Vernon, was found, Gary Police Cpl Douglas Drummond said.  Williams was pronounced dead at 12:05 a.m., according to a release by the Lake County Coroner's office.

Williams was found inside the residence, but the shooting occurred outside, Drummond said.

The man was staying with friends or relatives at the home where the shooting occurred, he said.  It's not known if the homicide is gang related, he said.

Property Tax Increase for Gary Schools on Ballot
Compiled From a Post-Trib Report by Carrie Napoleon
[22 Jul 2016]

A referendum question seeking a property tax increase to raise about $7.5 million a year for seven years to help Gary's financially strapped schools will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

The Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration has approved the referendum question for a tax increase of 47.5 ¢ per $100 of assessed value "for the purpose of funding teaching positions, staff positions and education programming."  The amount would be in addition to all taxes currently assessed for the schools, said Michelle Fajman, election board director.

Jim Wieser, Democratic election board attorney, said the school corporation's request for the referendum question was approved by the Department of Local Government Finance.  "It just must be on the ballot," Wieser said.

School corporation officials earlier this month decided to seek the increase in the wake of a new report from state-appointed financial manager Jack Martin that suggests the school district may not meet payroll in September, which could delay the start of school in August, plus 120 staff members may need to be laid off.  He has said the district is overstaffed.

The district is struggling to climb out of a $75 million budget deficit caused by a combination of factors, including declining enrollment, less revenue under state-mandated property tax caps, changes in the school funding formula and low property tax collections in Gary.

Last fall, Martin said the district was "beyond bankruptcy," and the state auditors questioned its future as a "going concern."  A 2015 referendum question on raising $51.8 million over seven years for the general fund was defeated by 56% of voters.

Lake County Assessor Jerome Prince said property tax caps in the city likely will mean the average property owner will not see a property tax increase.  Most of the impact will be felt by the city, which will see its collected levy amount reduced.
________________
[COMMENT -GDY]:  What am I missing here?  Somewhere, someone, has to see a property tax increase, viz., pay more, if this referendum passes.

City Continues to Seek Assistance on Residency Issue
Compiled From a Gary Crusader Report by David Denson
[14 Jul 2016]

The issue of residency requirements for Gary police and firefighters continues to be a subject of concern.  State law allows police and fire personnel to reside outside of the city where they work.  Complicating the problem is the number of police officers leaving the Gary Police Department to seek employment with other Police Departments that pay more than Gary.

Several months ago Sixth District Councilwoman LaVetta Sparks-Wade attempted to sponsor legislation to address the problem.  She proposed to give Gary residents extra points on the entrance exam.  Sparks-Wade asked that the legislation be tabled in favor of working with the city administration and the heads of the police and fire departments to find a better solution.

During a meeting last month with police and firefighters, several ideas were suggested to induce current and future public safety employees to move into the city.  Among the ideas discussed were affordable housing and financial inducements.

Earlier discussions regarding the residency question have centered on ways to address the state law that allows pubic safety employees to live outside the cities where they work.  Several members of the City Council have expressed interest in the issue and a meeting of the council’s Public Safety Committee suggested that the Attorney General’s office be contacted for a legal opinion.  Sparks-Wade asked Rep. Vernon Smith to contact the Attorney General’s office to get a response.

Smith said he sent a letter to the Attorney General’s office two weeks ago but hasn’t received a reply.  Although he thinks the opinion will support the current law, he thinks their analysis may be useful in helping the city solve the problem.

Great Lakes Steel Production Falls by 18,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[21 Jul 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region dropped to 675,000T last week, a 2.6% decrease compared to 693,000T the week before.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 596,000T last week, down from 601,000T the previous week

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the sluggish 2015 pace by about 369,000T.  Overall U.S. steel output fell by 1.4% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.712 million tons, down from 1.737 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 47.4 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.5%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Local Steel Production Jumps 21,000T to Yearly High
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report br Joseph S. Pete
[20 Jul 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region rose to 696,000T last week, a new yearly high and a 3.1% increase compared to 675,000T the week before.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, rose to 612,000T last week, up from 596,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 373,000T, a decline of 0.7%.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output rose by 1.9% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.746 million tons, up from 1.712 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 49.2 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.5%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

While Pushing to Demolish Homes, City of Gary Loses 2 Acre Park to Tax Sale
Compiled From a nwiGazette Report by Ken Davidson
[18 Jul 2016]
 

While the City of Gary Department of Redevelopment moves to create rain gardens by acquiring 25 foot lots, someone apparently missed a 2 acre City park on the tax sale list.  The City has requested, and received, hundreds of properties from the tax sale list in each of the last several tax sales.

The park was clearly identified by both its address and legal description which certainly would have appeared in any notice.  The address of the property is listed as:  4220-43 E 6TH PL PARK.  The brief legal description, included in the tax sale notice, is:  GLENN L. RYAN’S 2ND SUB. L.A B.7 PLAYGROUND.

Lake County records show that a Commissioner’s Tax Sale Cerrtificate was purchased by Oak Grove Property Management, LLC of Dyer, IN earlier this year.  The process will require Oak Grove to go to Court in order to obtain a deed to the property.

City officials also worked in conjunction with University of Chicago students in 2014 to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all property within the City.  That parcel survey did not list Glen Ryan Park.  Most of the homes surrounding the park were listed as "excellent" or "good" with only one property in the entire neighborhood listed as dangerous.

City Council Member Rebecca Wyatt explained that the problem occurred when the deed was not properly transferred to the City years ago when the City purchased the building and park equipment.  It never recorded the deed.  "The property was in the name of Glen & Emily Ryan" she told the Gazette.

Wyatt said she believed the problem would be remedied.  Wyatt did not know how much money the City has spent on the park.   The park includes a building which the Assessor says is used as a utility shed and would cost $126,045. to replace. Additionally, the land is valued at $56,300 according to the Calumet Township Assessor.

More troubling is the fact that Cal Twp Assessor Jacquelyn Collins never brought the matter to the attention of the City.

Older Gary Residents Advised to Take Precautions after Robberies
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Sarah Reese
[16 Jul 2016]

GARY — A 73-year-old man was pistol-whipped and robbed Thursday in yet another crime targeting elderly people, police said.

The man is at least the fourth person older than 65 to be victimized in the past three weeks in Gary.

Police responded about 1:20 a.m. to the 900 block of Matthews St after two men broke in, hit the 73-year-old on the head with what he thought was a semi-automatic pistol and ransacked the home, Lt. Dawn Westerfield said.  The pair left with cash, the man’s handgun and his 2000 silver Chevrolet Impala, Westerfield said.  The 73-year-old was taken to a hospital for treatment of a head injury.

In a 29 June robbery, an 81-year-old man gave a teen money to buy water after the boy showed up at his door in the 2000 block of Wright St.  The boy later returned and snatched money away from the man as he sat in his vehicle, police said.

A 65-year-old man was tackled, taped and handcuffed during a home invasion and robbery 21 June in the 5200 block of Adams St, and a 75-year-old man was threatened with a gun and robbed of his wallet and car keys while tending to his garden 4 July at 15th Av and Colorado St, police said.

Westerfield said families should make sure elders have working porch lights and clear shrubbery around their homes so it’s more difficult to approach unseen.  Neighbors should watch out and call police about suspicious people.

Older residents should not keep large sums of cash in their homes, she said.  "We don’t know if the people robbing these folks have prior knowledge of cash in the house, or if generally there’s a thought that older people do tend to keep some money in a sock drawer," she said.

Daley May Aid in Gary Redevelopment
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Ed Bierschenk
[13 Jul 2016]
 

GARY — The Chicago-based group plan of former Mayor Daley to help redevelop a large section of the city was presented at Tuesday’s Planning Committee meeting by Joe Van Dyk, executive director the city’s planning and redevelopment department.

The proposal came in response to a request for a redevelopment partner that was put out by the city’s Redevelopment Commission earlier this year.  The commission is looking for a private partner that would be willing to invest upfront capital to help the city as it tries to acquire enough contiguous property for development.

MaiaCo. anticipates funding the acquisition of as many as 3,500 parcels in a specific area of the city via tax sale within the first 12 months of the arrangement.  The proposal envisions a partnership with the city leading to the eventual development of such land, which could be eventually sold or leased to a third party.  The city and MaiaCo. would then share in profits generated through the disposition of the land, although the terms still need to be negotiated.

The MaiaCo group originally included well-known planner Peter Ellis, but city officials have said they no longer want to work with him after a video surfaced in which he discussed the plan.  Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and other city officials indicated they were taken by surprise by the video in which Ellis made statements about tearing down large parts of the city.

MaiaCo. in its proposal said it would like an agreement of no less than 10 years with a 10-year renewal.  The first year budget was expected to be about $2.5 million to $3 million with $750,000 to $1 million allocated to General Resources and $1.5 million to $2 million allocated to project specific resources.  The initial proposal from MaiaCo. envisioned an 80-20 split with the city’s development commission on any profits from the deposition of real estate after the firm’s expenses are met.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Van Dyk said the city is not agreeing to an 80-20 profit sharing agreement.  He also emphasized the commission and city were not giving up control of any land.  Officials also will not enter into an exclusivity agreement with one group in regard to redevelopment efforts, which was a concern raised at Tuesday’s committee meeting.

Van Dyk said negotiations and background checks are underway and no agreement has been signed.

Great Lakes Steel Production Falls by 18,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[13 Jul 2016]

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region dropped to 675,000T last week, a 2.6% decrease compared to 693,000T the week before.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 596,000T last week, down from 601,000T the previous week

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the sluggish 2015 pace by about 369,000T.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output fell by 1.4% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.712 million tons, down from 1.737 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 47.4 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.5%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.

Proposed Rule on Saggy Pants Dropped
Compiled from a nwiTimes Report by Ed Bierschenk
[11 Jul 2016]

GARY — The City Council’s interest in a proposed ordinance to combat the wearing of sagging pants in public appears to have bottomed out and it doesn’t appear members will take a crack at passing one this year.

Council President Ron Brewer, D-at large, said there is a "lack of support" on the council for addressing the issue. "A lot of people don’t want to deal with it right now," he said.

Last fall, Brewer brought up the idea of an ordinance in response to concerns he said he heard from residents about people wearing pants hanging down below their waist as well as witnessing the fashion statement himself. He initially suggested such an ordinance might require violators to pay a $25 fine for the first offense, which could increase for subsequent violations.

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson was in favor of such an ordinance and believed it would hold up in court. Various chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union, however, have opposed local laws banning sagging pants.

Freeman-Wilson Acknowledges Daley Destruction Plan
Compiled from a nwiGazette Report by Ken Davidson
[10 Jul 2016]

Gary Common Council Member Ragen Hatcher put Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson on notice that she would have questions regarding the Richard Daley/MAIACO 20 year public/private partnership with the City of Gary at a Council meeting this week.  Ms. Hatcher indicated she had little knowledge of the plan.  Ms. Hatcher stated "over the last few weeks I have gotten a number of calls for the company called MAIA …  I keep calling it Daley’s Company …  We seem to be having a lot of questions and I have no answers.  It has been a big deal over the last 3 or 4 weeks and I think we need to know and I think the community needs to know also."

 "We have issued through the Redevelopment Commission an RFP.  That RFP was responded to" Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said, responding to a question from Council Member Ragen Hatcher

The Mayor played down the role of the public/private partnership, suggesting that the agreement was solely for demolition and title work.  She also never mentioned the name Richard Daley, although he is prominently touted throughout the proposal submitted.  The Mayor stated "it is not a transfer of land or the transfer of authority.  All land and authority will remain with the City.  What it is is a recognition that even with the work that we’ve done with hardest hit funds to deal with demotion, demolition as we know it, in terms of these properties that cannot be re-purposed, is a $40M issue."

In fact, the proposal, submitted by MAIACO and accepted by the Redevelopment Commission, states clearly that "the GRC will continue to own and hold title to all real estate, provided however, that all property shall be transferred to any purchaser upon closing of a third party sale or other disposition."  Thus, the City will retain title to the subject properties as stated by the Mayor.  The City does not appear, however, to retain control or authority over the property.  In the event the City would transfer or develop any property, MAIACO would be entitled to expenses plus 80% of any revenue generated.  Thus, the City would remain responsible for maintenance, would incur any liability and would receive no tax revenue but MAIACO would be entitled to sell the property and receive nearly all of the proceeds of any sale.

"I know that there have been a lot of sideline discussions and most of that information is inaccurate.  I look forward to getting the accurate information to the Council" the Mayor concluded.

We hope that is the case, but let's not forget that this plan has been in the works for years and we would not be having this information if a concerned City employee had not leaked the information to the Gazette.

Gary Air Show:  Notes
Compiled From Info in a Gary Crusader Staff Report
[9 Jul 2016]
 

One year after it returned to Marquette Park after a two-year absence, the Gary Air Show has secured Majestic Star Casino as its new title sponsor.

The Gary Air Show continues to regain popularity after it returned to the city last year after a two-year absence. Last year, city officials estimated some 30,000 spectators attended the event.

The air show will run Saturday, July 9 through Sunday, July 10 at Marquette Park, 1 North Grand Boulevard. It will feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.

Another team at this year’s Gary Air show is the United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed "The Golden Knights." They are the U.S. Army’s official aerial demonstration team.

Other aerial acrobatic teams scheduled to perform in this year’s Gary Air Show are the Aerostars, the Firebirds and Lima Lima.

At Marquette Park, there will be an array of food, beverages and merchandise from various vendors. Coolers, barbeque grills, alcohol or weapons in the park are strictly prohibited. During the air show, vendors at the park will be open from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Admission to the Air Show is free, but the park charges for parking inside the park and at remote locations in the vicinity of the park.  Parking fees range from $20 to $40 depending on the location.

Gary Schools Working to Improve Image
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Carmen McCollum
[9 Jul 2016]
 

GARY — The Gary Community School Corp. is working hard to enhance its image and has partnered with a local social media firm to develop innovative communication strategies.

With mounting pressure from local charter schools and voucher schools, the district partnered with Gary-based Social Media Development Group, a social media and marketing company, in March to develop strategies to better communicate positive school news with the public, Gary school Superintendent Cheryl Pruitt said.

Thousands of Gary students are enrolled in charter schools, which are public schools but operate with different rules.

And 688 Gary students have left the district to use a voucher, called a choice scholarship, and enroll in a private school, according to the Choice Scholarship Program Annual Report:  Participation and Payment Data prepared by the Indiana Department of Education and released in April.  That alone caused the Gary School Corp. to lose nearly $3.5 million.  The Indiana Choice Scholarship allows students to use public school tax dollars to attend a private school.

Pruitt said there is a need to improve the school corporation image and more actively engage the Gary community.  "We enlisted the services of SMDG to guide and enhance the image of the Gary Community Schools and drive its enrollment initiatives," she said.

"As with any influences that children are exposed to, social media can have either a positive or negative impact.  We have to find ways to focus on the positive and use social media to help the Gary schools."

Pruitt said social media such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are three main channels the district will use to get its message out, all to highlight the schools’ accomplishments and increase enrollment for the upcoming school year.

Cal Twp Exit Drive Begins
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Charles F. Haber
[7 Jul 2016]
 

GRIFFITH — Volunteers will soon be going door to door to gather the number of signatures necessary to request a referendum on whether to secede from Calumet Township, the Town Council said Tuesday.

Town officials spoke last week to their legal representatives in Indianapolis and received a recommendation to begin the process of seeking the referendum.

"You have to be a registered voter in Griffith," Clerk-Treasurer George Jerome cautioned about the signature drive.  "There will be people challenging us every step of the way."

The referendum, if approved by the Lake County Elections Board, also would be restricted to Griffith voters.

The council is aiming for about 2,500 signatures, which is more than would be needed, said Council President Rick Ryfa, R-3rd.

If the petition yields enough signatures, Griffith will ask the county to grant a referendum for the town’s residents to vote yes or no on whether to leave the township.  Ryfa said a referendum would not be part of a previously scheduled election day and would take place on a day of its own.

If Griffith residents say they want out, the town would seek to join one of the other townships that share its borders:  St. John, North or Ross.

The town is still waiting for the Department of Local Government Finance to confirm that the township’s budget has exceeded 12 times the average of the other townships in the state.  This would trigger a state law that paves the way for the referendum.  Ryfa noted the DLGF’s methods of calculation already have been applied to the other townships over the past two years and that this method shows that Calumet Township has violated the state law.

To kick off the petition drive, council members said they would be signing their names.

SBOE Approves Funds to Run Gary Roosevelt
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Carmen McCollum
[6 Jul 2016]

 MUNCIE — The Indiana State Board of Education approved $2.5 million in funding for Gary Roosevelt College and Career Academy for the period of July 1 to Dec. 31, 2016.

In addition, the state approved the hiring of two consultants to support a cooperative arrangement between Gary Community School Corp. and EdisonLearning.

Gary Roosevelt is a turnaround academy operated by EdisonLearning, a Tennessee-based private management company.  This is a routine transfer that has occurred twice a year since the private company began operating the school five years ago.

In March, Gary school Superintendent Cheryl Pruitt and EdisonLearning CEO/President Thom Jackson recommended a collaborative plan that would allow the Gary school district, EdisonLearning and the Indiana Department of Education to work together.  Pruitt and Jackson said they would create a transformation zone, allowing the district to look holistically at school improvement.  In April, the SBOE adopted a resolution extending the contract with EdisonLearning for one year allowing the two to develop a formal agreement to operate Roosevelt as a transformation zone/innovation network school.

This move also allows the state to hire two consultants to work with EdisonLearning and Gary schools to design and execute a school plan.  A liaison consultant will serve as a technical adviser and advocate providing vision, focus and unified direction.  A program manager consultant's role will be integral in managing relationships with local community-based organizations, state offices and school districts.

Local Steel Output Rises by 22,000T
Compiled From a nwiTimes Report by Joseph S. Pete
[6 Jul 2016]
 

Raw steel production in the Great Lakes region shot up to 693,000T last week, a 3.2% increase compared to 671,000T the week before.

Production in the Southern District, which spans mini-mills across the South, dropped to 601,000T last week, down from 623,000T the previous week.

Nationally, steel output so far this year continues to trail the anemic 2015 pace by about 260,000T.  In 2015, steel production in the United States declined by 10.5% from the year before to 78.9 million tons, according to the World Steel Association.

Overall U.S. steel output fell by 1.1% last week, according to an American Iron and Steel Institute estimate.  Total U.S. raw steel production last week was about 1.737 million tons, down from 1.757 million tons a week earlier.

Year-to-date steel output in the United States has been 45.7 million net tons, at a capacity utilization rate of 72.4%, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.  Output had been 46 million tons at the same time in 2015.

* There are discrepancies among the various reporting agencies of the total number of Gary murders.  My higher number is based solely on my compilation of homicide reports from all available sources and does include homicides that occur in unicorporated Cal Twp.  By any measure, the actual number of murders in Gary is appalling!

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Created 6 Jul 2016 - 11:47:23 Hrs. 

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