The Great Billboard Controversy

Or "How Charles and Danny wasted our time over nothing":

The famous "missing billboard" has reappeared across the street from it's original location. A tip from Brother John - look for Chris Stewart's billboard at the corner of Covington and West Jefferson; when you see it, quickly look to your left and you MAY see Harper's board before you pass it or rear end the vehicle in front of you due to your careless gawking!

I won't bore you with a rehash of the details, but rest assured that I have it on good authority that the two-hour presence of the Harper board on the same pole as the Stewart board represented a violation of Burkhart company policy. Said policy has been posted on several local blogs, so I won't cover it here in great detail. Simply stated, "competing entities will NOT be placed on the same sign post and facing the same direction". Nuff said.

Chris Stewart would have been well within his rights to object to the placement of his opponent's ad next to his own; however, he was NOT the instrument of change on this one. Burkhart merely followed their own corporate policy on such matters, and moved the ad placement to a nearby location. With less traffic. Okay, I AM gloating a little here. But considering the "throw Stewart into the volcano" response by some local blogs, can you honestly blame me??

At least *I* am willing to post the new old billboard for you here:

Who Ditched Mitch (or The Case of the Missing Billboard)

This morning, as I passed through Time Corners, I glanced over at Chris Stewart's billboard on the corner. I immediately noticed that the billboard to the right of his had been changed since the day before; it now read "IAFF for HARPER". I chuckled and thought how imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and wondered who decided to put it right beside Stewart's. At least the left and right sides were in correct placement. . .

But, when I passed by the same sign this afternoon, it had been changed again! To this:


So now I'm left to wonder why an ad for Harper went up, seemingly in the middle of the night, and then disappeared within a few hours. Was it a prank? Was it installed on the wrong billboard? Does anyone have any information about this that they'd like to share?

Stewart stumps while Harper's hush hush

On October 12, I posed the question "Who's Your Man, Mitch?", in reference to Mitch Harper's exceedingly quiet position on which mayoral candidate he supports. It turns out that Chris Stewart also would like to have that question answered:

From today's Political Notebook:

Chris Stewart, the Democrat seeking the 4th District Fort Wayne City Council seat, last week sent out a statement touting the fact Democratic mayoral candidate Tom Henry and sitting Councilman Tom Hayhurst, D-4th, are endorsing his candidacy.

A Democrat getting endorsements from other Democrats in a general election is almost never a big deal, but what was more interesting was that Stewart questions where his opponent stands in the mayor’s race. While Stewart says he supports Henry – again, no surprise – he said Republican Mitch Harper has been exceedingly quiet when it comes to which mayoral candidate he supports.

“Right now it’s unclear where Mitch stands, and that calls into question his willingness to work with the next mayor,” Stewart said in a statement.

Only in this year’s election would this become an issue. With the local Republican Party split over whether to support embattled nominee Matt Kelty, it is apparently a campaign issue whether Republican council candidates support their mayoral nominee.

Harper could not be reached for comment, but when addressing the Republican Lunch Club this month, the slate of council candidates spoke about the importance to work for the party and to elect a strong council majority. What wasn’t mentioned by any candidate? The need to elect Kelty.

Chris Stewart and Karen Goldner have both run strong grass roots campaigns that have involved lots of time and shoe leather. Neither one of them needs to hope for a ride on Tom Henry's coat-tails. But, with Republican opponents who are afraid to even announce their support for Matt Kelty, they may get that added boost anyway.

Our Endorsement: Stewart for Fourth District

We all know that Jeff contributed to Mitch Harper's campaign in this race; however. . .as a Fourth District resident (Jeff is in the 3rd) and the editor of Fort Wayne Left, I am heartily endorsing Chris Stewart for City Council. Most of you are already aware of my support for Chris, and I was going to present you with a long list of my reasons for that support. But, as it turns out, most of my thoughts regarding the man have already been publicly expressed by people who carry far more clout than I ever will. So I decided to share their endorsements with you:

"Chris Stewart is truly passionate about Fort Wayne and the potential it has to offer. He brings energy, trust, vision, and honesty to the political arena. Having Chris on the city council will ensure our city moving forward."

—Tom Henry, Democratic Mayoral Candidate

“Chris Stewart is a bright, energetic, and motivated young man. He is a family man and a businessman who knows Fort Wayne. Chris will do a great job representing the citizens of the fourth district.”

—Dr. Tom Hayhurst, Fort Wayne City Council

"Chris Stewart will bring energy and independent thinking to City Council. He'll demand that city services are delivered in a timely and efficient manner without raising taxes."

—State Representative Phil GiaQuinta

"Chris Stewart's energy, work ethic, knowledge of business and commitment to our community will be a great addition to City Council. He will listen to the people of the 4th District and be their advocate."

—Karen Goldner, 2nd District City Council candidate

Chris is endorsed by the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association

"Chris will represent the residents and business owners of our community exceptionally well. I have known Chris since childhood, and I can't think of anyone I would trust more to lead this community in to the future. You won't find anyone more committed to making a difference."

—Kirk Ray, CEO, St. Joseph Hospital

"Chris, a life-long resident of Fort Wayne, chose this community in which to raise his family. He has made a substantial investment in this community by owning and operating his local businesses, Frickers Restaurant and ISM. As a city councilman, Chris will use his knowledge of the community and his business experience to help Fort Wayne grow and prosper."

—Robert Eherenman, local attorney

"Chris Stewart will bring a no-nonsense attitude to City Council. He is fair, honest and hard working. His business experience and family values will guide Chris's ability to make Fort Wayne a better place to work and live...and we need it!"

—Todd Stewart, President, One Resource Group

"Chris Stewart is the complete package for the position of City Councilman... business owner, father, husband, and local volunteer. It is refreshing to see someone involved in politics so passionate about issues!"

—Andrea S. Baumer, Co-Owner, One Resource Group

"I have been a business partner with Chris's company for the past five years. During that time, Chris has impressed me with his energy, vision and ability to own and manage a business outside of his regular job. Chris has a passion to be successful and better the communities that he and his restaurants are involved with."

—Eric Morman, Senior Vice President, First Federal Bank

“We have very much respected Chris Stewart and his visionary efforts since we met him years ago. In 2002, He was instrumental of putting together a partnership between the Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club and Fricker’s Restaurants at a time when many others in the community had doubts about the future success of the new downtown ballpark. Chris’ foresight has helped as Fricker’s continues to be a proud sponsor, and the Toledo Mud Hens have re-energized downtown Toledo and have shattered our old attendance records, nearly getting 600,000 fans this past season, with the support of those like Chris and Fricker’s. Chris’ contagious enthusiastic attitude is the equivalent of shaking up a can of soda pop for a minute and then pulling open the tab!”

—Scott S. Jeffer, Asst. General Manager/Marketing, Advertising & Sales, Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club, Inc.

"Chris Stewart is an energetic young businessman with a mature passion for the future of Fort Wayne."

—James W. Fisher, DDS, MSD, President and Founder, Endodontic Associates, Inc.

I am a business owner with Chris Stewart, and have been a working partner with him for over 16 years. I can attest to his character, his ethics, and his loyalty. An extremely dedicated, hard working individual, Chris would be a refreshing addition to government in Fort Wayne . I know of no one with more enthusiasm and energy for whatever the task or challenge. He is a very involved and dedicated family man who manages an extremely active business, and also oversees a well established restaurant in Toledo , Ohio , and another one in Fort Wayne.I would enjoy seeing his enthusiasm and common sense approach at work within the Fort Wayne City Council."

—Mike Keller, President, International Sales and Marketing

"My husband and I have known Chris Stewart for 15 years. He has proven
himself to be an astute professional businessman. Chris has a great
respect for his family and community. A person with integrity,
determination and dedication of such magnitude deserves our support."

—Tamara Braun, Realtor/Broker, Remax Results

The preceding endorsements from leaders in our community carry far more weight to myself and most other voters than the negative muckraking employed by "right wing attack white dogs". It would be very easy to go negative against the opponent in this campaign - there's lots of material to work with. And that's all I will say on that matter.

If you reside in the fourth district, I encourage you to learn more about Chris Stewart. Visit his website, e-mail him with your questions, or ask to meet with him personally. He's open and accessible, and willing to talk about whatever is on your mind.

Stewart Takes to the Air

Seen today on West Jefferson at Covington Road:

Meet the Candidates - Sunday, October 14!

We hope you will join us on Sunday, October 14th when we open our home to our friends and neighbors for a "meet and greet" with Tom Henry and Chris Stewart! Tom and Chris will be here from 2-4 pm to answer your questions and share their visions for Fort Wayne with you.



We will be serving up refreshments and light food. If you are able to share your Sunday afternoon with us, please RSVP to John Good.