Tales From the South Side...
Yesterday, we had some fun at the expense of the societal idiocy that passes for the south side of the city of Fort Wayne (and deservedly so...they pretty much EARNED the reputation), but today, we're back in REAL TIME LAND with some stories that are pretty much typical of what you will find around here on almost ANY given day.
So, put down your popcorn and take off the balloon hat you're wearing (we've plenty of time for the Three Ghetto Festival...all YEAR to be exact), and let's jump into the fray, shall we?
*** First up, some shorts regarding more crime down here (say it ain't so, Bob), followed by some pungent social commentary from yours truly.
(( Seizure causes crash into home
Updated: Saturday, 09 Jul 2011, 2:52 PM EDT
Published : Saturday, 09 Jul 2011, 1:13 PM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A 66-year-old man crashed into a home on Hanna Street Saturday after a seizure caused him to lose control of his car.
According to Fort Wayne police, the man crashed into the home at 4730 Hanna Street, near the corner of E. Maple Grove Avenue around 11:00 a.m.
Family members at the crash said the man has a history of having seizures which actually caused two other crashes like the one Saturday.
Police said there were people in the home at the time of the crash, but they were not injured. The driver only suffered minor injuries. ))
Heard this on the police radio...thought it was a house fire initially, as Engine 11 responded first.
Then, when they rolled EMS, I thought perhaps either a domestic with injuries or a drug overdose.
(oh, yeah, we get them down here a lot...wonder why?).
Later on, they mentioned about needing a hook to remove the vehicle from the HOUSE.
It's a crime in that I wonder does this man DESERVE to STILL be driving???
A little "back story" about this place at 4730 S. Hanna:
It used to have a resident (I'll refrain from calling anyone an OWNER, as I haven't seen a REAL one in some time around here...just renters) that liked to burn ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS outside (stunk to high-heaven), and drove an old 4 door brown POS Lincoln (late 70s) with the words "THE 'Z' MAN" on the doors. I told you there aren't that many around here playing with a full deck.
Anyway, he moves out (my nostrils thanked the city on that one), and the house sits VACANT for well OVER FIVE YEARS...!
It's a nice place, too...used to have a fence (before someone tore it down), and was one of the larger houses around here (bigger than even ours).
Well, last year, some guys started "working" on it, and by that, I mean, removed boards from windows (the one-car garage is STILL boarded up), and did some outside work...and that was about it. Didn't even really touch the ever-growing FOLIAGE around the structure.
Looks to be a Hispanic "family" (only see one woman and two males, maybe H/S age, who love to hit rocks with golf clubs) who moved in earlier this year (Spring), and they've been LESS of a problem than most that move around here.
That doesn't mean they're NOT without issues...it only means they don't HAVE the "means" to be AS BOTHERSOME as damn near everyone else that gets assisted housing and free food off of those who DO pay taxes and work for a living.
I'm sure it won't be long before we change tenants yet again.
But wait...there's more...
(( Shooting victim serious; suspect caught
Updated: Friday, 08 Jul 2011, 8:53 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 08 Jul 2011, 1:41 PM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A Fort Wayne man was seriously hurt in a shooting Friday afternoon at 502 Berwyn Lane. That’s in a neighborhood east of Lafayette Street and south of E. Paulding Road.
He has been identified as Tituse James, 29.
Police said the situation started as a disturbance between neighbors and escalated into a physical fight.
When officers got to the scene, they found James inside one of the homes with gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital in serious condition.
After talking to witnesses who saw a man run from the scene with a gun, a K9 unit and his officer tracked him to 6725 John Street. Police arrested Christopher Norris, 26, on a preliminary charge of aggravated battery.
Norris is being held at the Allen County Jail. ))
Now I can understand having neighbors who will cause DISTURBANCES...I got 'em living ALL around us.
Funny thing, is that whatever nuisance these morons cause usually rate VERY LOW on the "response time" list for the FWPD (most frequent is noise violations). And when a house KEEPS having people come and go to all hours with thumping cars...well, I can tell you I get REAL tired of reading the same paragraph over and over, or turning UP the volume of MY TV.
Neighbors sure aren't the people that they USED to be...that's for sure.
And that is why you will usually see me refer to OUR area NOT as a "neighborhood", but as a GHETTOHOOD.
We lost all our NEIGHBORS (save one) over the past 10+ years, and it's never been the same, as our dropping property values will attest to.
Now, maybe these morons see EACH OTHER as "neighbors"...and rightly so.
They ARE all "birds of a feather", as it were.
And by that, I mean they most likely are ALL "on the government dole", pump out children (mo free money) as frequently as they light up another Newport, have been arrested AT LEAST ONCE, and seem to "be connected" with many of the SAME people from other houses in nearby neighborhoods (inbreeding???).
Many of them also follow the same M.O.
They move into a house, pretend to be "nice"...for a few weeks, and then they start to "feel out" the area, by playing loud music, letting the kids roam all over (many times, into the damn streets), and of course, toss litter everywhere.
They also like to see WHO is going to call the po-po on their law-breaking asses as well (that would be ME), and by doing so, know WHICH house to keep pissing off, so as to force the residents to move out, handing over MORE of the ghettohood to THEM.
Another reason they feel out an area, is to get a handle on the manner in which the police respond to problems, and how quickly they arrive (and with phone APPS that allow one to monitor police frequencies these days, the locals will KNOW where the 5-0 is at any time of day).
This can be anything from a *911* hangup (which is WAY too frequent an occurrence down HERE to be believable), to the garden-variety (and also too frequent) "domestic".
Yeah, it's always fun down here...
But, hang on, we've another story to relate.
(( Police go to 2nd shooting of the day
Updated: Friday, 08 Jul 2011, 9:18 PM EDT
Published : Friday, 08 Jul 2011, 7:30 PM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fort Wayne police are investigating a shooting that took place around 7:00 Friday night in the 4400 block of Winter Street.
Officers aren't releasing many details, but said firefighters told police the victim was in serious condition.
Multiple witnesses told NewsChannel 15's crew on the scene that one man knocked on the door of a home. When the man inside answered the door, he shot the first man in the leg and took off running down the street.
People were inside the home where the shooting took place, but no one else was hurt.
It's the second shooting of the day in Fort Wayne. The first happened in the afternoon at a home on Berwyn Lane. That victim is also in serious condition and police have a suspect in custody. ))
TWO shootings...who'da known?
And I love the way information is so forthcoming.
Again, the SE side of town gets the gold star for crime...as usual.
Be nice if the chief would admit that the department is finding itself further behind the *8* ball than it cares to believe.
Of course, when you have to be PC when it comes to handling minorities WHO CAUSE AND COMMIT CRIME, it takes on a whole new scope.
Our chief hasn't figured out that's it's not really a BLACK or WHITE issue, but a BLUE one down here.
Which means most of the "residents" have an honest disdain for those behind the shield (and I'm being way too kind by saying "disdain").
Again, I'm in the minority when it comes to being on the side of the POLICE around here, but even MY patience has it's limits, and the manner I see policing being pursued down here is not what I would consider beneficial to the ENTIRE community (but self-effacing to the black community, who WILL sue the FWPD at the drop of a sideways-worn ballcap...and usually DO most every damn week).
MY "frustration-ometer" is damn-near PEGGED at this point.
It's as though your ONLY option is to bug out, and kiss off ALL the time, money and "sweat-equity" you've been placing in YOUR HOME over a decade, because some f$cking morons are being allowed to screw up YOUR neighborhood and are still getting away with behavior any sane and normal person would find reprehensible.
And I guess that's as good a segue to this NEXT story as you're gonna find.
Here's the link to the source article:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110712/LOCAL/307129935/1002/LOCAL
This relates a tale of a NEW housing "project" (uh-oh...I know where this is going).
It's another "rent-to-own" venue...with prices for the houses (up to 1600 sq. ft. w/ 2-car garages) going for $120K.
And it's further south on Hanna St, west of the Public Safety Academy.
The good news is that residents at the proposal meeting SPOKE UP, citing that this is NOT a good idea.
To quote from the story:
(( "It’s a glorified project," said Cheryl Williams, who received a smattering of applause when she finished addressing commission members. "This does not bring hope."
Williams said Keller’s plans appear haphazard at best and self-serving at their worst when considering the number of vacant homes already in the neighborhood, as well as a lack of commercial services.
The housing plan would require a rezoning change to residential from commercial.
"Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" Williams said, adding that there is no incentive for tenants to remain in the homes after living in them a number of years. ))
Vacant homes ALREADY in the neighborhood...AND a LACK of COMMERCIAL SERVICES (that would be like STORES).
Sounds just like OUR part of the ghettohood...
And not one word about how CRIME will be addressed.
Keller Development (in cahoots with Community Action of Northeast Indiana...aka CANI - buncha progressives) is already got a gig going in WAYNEDALE (Hopewell Pointe), and I'd like to believe that DECENT PEOPLE will be moving into those houses...
That's what I'd LIKE to believe.
I know otherwise, and we'll soon have the good folks down there leaving in droves.
Sorry, saw my share of "renters' in THIS part of town, and I have YET to find a decent one in the whole damn mix.
I hope the plan falls through for S. Hanna.
We've PLENTY of houses that need a REHAB and then some GOOD people moved into them. Raise the VALUE of the properties, and that WILL increase city revenue...THAT is how you PROSPER...period.
*** Lastly today, what makes a GOOD neighborhood, anyway?
Is it the scenic streets, the tree-lined sidewalks and the manicured lawns and inviting foliage that enshrouds the houses?
To some extent, I'd say YES.
But it's MUCH more than that.
Like you've heard me say ALL the time...it's about....(all together, gang)...
THE PEOPLE....!
Show me a group of citizens that really DO give a damn, and I will show you a nice neighbrohood, a THRIVING neighborhood, and not some slum, wallowing in entitlement-driven subservience to another "massa".
Give me people that CARE about their most MAJOR investment in their lives (their house) and I will show you an area that IS safe...and a pleasure to raise a family in...to grow old in.
When people have been brought up and TAUGHT the meaning of GOOD STEWARDSHIP, that makes all the difference.
When people realize that "what's worth having is worth taking care of, AND holding onto"...neighborhoods will succed.
And when people know full well that "If you want something bad enough, you have to WORK for it"...it's appreciated when it becomes theirs.
Following anything LESS than such values and principles in one's life becomes a journey down the wrong road.
And it's usually the road marked "Easy".
I'll take the OTHER choice, thank you.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.