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Party to raise awareness of mental healthGambling blues

Jane Novak, a mental health hero, will be honored Saturday as part of a NAMI Fort Wayne fundraiser.

“Walk for Justice, Walk for Love,” begins with registration at 9 a.m. and a two-kilometer walk beginning at 11 a.m. at IPFW. Information is available at www.namifortwayne.org .

Novak, a longtime advocate for the mentally ill, became involved with the Fort Wayne chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness while seeking help for her son Chip, a well-known local golfer who has shared his struggle with mental illness to help others. Jane Novak was instrumental in bringing the Carriage House to Fort Wayne, a rehabilitation program based on the successful Clubhouse model, and she worked to start a Crisis Intervention Team in the Fort Wayne Police Department. CIT officers are trained to recognize and assist in cases involving mental illness. Novak was also on the front lines in the battle to make health insurance benefits available to Hoosiers who suffer from mental illness.

NAMI Fort Wayne’s Kathy Bayes said the event is designed to raise awareness, raise money and for fun.

“We will walk across the new Ron Venderley Family Bridge … and then we’re having a big party, complete with the Left Lane Cruisers band afterward,” Bayes said. “It’s going to be a mental health civil rights rally.”

More bad news for Indiana’s gambling industry.

In addition to the four Ohio casinos planned for Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus, Gov. John Kasich has reached agreement to allow gambling machines at the state’s seven racetracks, including one in Dayton. And if any of the track owners don’t apply for a license for the machines, the state can grant the license to another casino company “in reasonable proximity of the permit holder’s existing facility.”

More gambling in Ohio means less gambling in Indiana.

Indiana’s casinos already are struggling. Majestic Star Casinos in Gary announced this week that it was cutting 50 full-time jobs and closing a gambling floor on one of its boats. There also are reports that half of the Majestic Star’s hotel rooms will be closed.

The AroundFortWayne Blog » Mayor's leadership secures new partners ...

Respected local developers and business leaders, Mark Hagerman, CEO

of The Hagerman Group, and Simon Dragan, President of Whitley Manufacturing Company, Inc., today joined Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and Chris Schoen, CEO of Barry Real Estate Companies, in presenting a progress report on The Harrison, the residential and commercial component of Harrison Square. The Mayor also announced the successful negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding creating a new partnership to move the development forward.

The Harrison is the final piece of Harrison Square, the flourishing downtown project begun in 2006 that has become a major economic-activity generator for the entire community. The signature, private-public initiative is composed of the record-breaking Parkview Field, home of the popular TinCaps; a hospitality-sector boosting Courtyard by Marriott hotel; a convenient 900-space parking garage; and the scenic Robert E. Meyers Park.

“The overwhelming success of Parkview Field, the TinCaps, the Courtyard by Marriot hotel, Robert E. Meyers Park and the new parking garage is a testament to the vision of Harrison Square and its catalytic impact on the heart of our community,” said Mayor Henry. “The new partnership between Mark Hagerman, Simon Dragan, Barry Real Estate and the rest of the team adds new momentum to Harrison Square’s finish-line push and demonstrates our collective commitment to strengthening our community. Working together, we are making steady progress to realize The Harrison.”

The Harrison is envisioned as a four-story, mixed-used building designed to complement its strategic location on the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Ewing Street, overlooking the ballpark. It will offer retail space at street level, high-end office space on the second floor, and 42 fashionable apartments on the top two floors. With 100,000 square feet of rentable space in all, The Harrison will define a desirable new address and a stylish addition to the downtown skyline.

“Representing one of the oldest and finest construction traditions in the Midwest, The Hagerman Group’s roots run deep in Fort Wayne,” stated Hagerman. “To be a partner in helping The Harrison come to life reflects our commitment to this community, one that grows stronger with every investment that we have been privileged to make in it. I look forward to watching The Harrison rise from the ground and welcome its positive economic impact on downtown and the entire city.

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