IS IT TRUE last year it was announced that the National Gridiron League newest addition will be the Indiana Firebirds from Evansville, Indiana?  …it was also announced that the Indiana Firebirds of Evansville Indiana will play there indoors arena football home games at Ford Center beginning in March of 2019?  …that last year Scott Schoenike, the Executive Director of the Ford Center told the Courier and Press; “that he has been in conversations with several leagues during the past few years but waited for the right match.”  that Schoenike also said; “that the city believe they have found one in the National Gridiron League”? ….that a lot of people are looking forward to watching Arena Football at the Ford Center?….we wonder why we haven’t seen any advanced marketing effort by the Ford Center in promoting the Evansville Indiana Firebirds first home game in March 2019 at the Ford Center?

April 3, 2019 IS IT TRUE  the news that the Indiana Firebirds-Evansville will not be playing at the Ford Center this year is no surprise to the City-County Observer and our readers because we been projecting this news for several months?  …looks like the CEO of the Ford Center and our City officials have egg on their faces because they didn’t properly vent this proposed arena football deal?  …they could have saved face if they only read the numerous articles we published during the last several months concerning the legal and financial challenges that the National Gridiron Football Leauge were experiencing?

September 7, 2018  IS IT TRUE we wonder why the former owner of the Evansville Iceman Hockey didn’t send Mayor Winnecke a thank you note to him for forcing him to leave town? …it’s obvious that the Evansville Thunderbolts are losing money and Ron Geary’s Jacksonville, Fla. IceMen is doing extremely well financially? …that the Jacksonville IceMen home games average attendance is around 6,000 patrons per game and are ranked 3rd in attendance out of the 27 teams in the ECHL?  …the Evansville Thunderbolts home game attendance count is somewhere in the 2,000 range?   …when the Evansville IceMen played at the Ford Center they paid around $10,000 a game and it’s been reported that the Evansville Thunderbolts pays a $1,000 for each home game?

September 10, 2018 IS IT TRUE in all of this hubbub we have also learned that there will be another arena football team coming to Evansville and will be called the Indiana Firebirds?…it is expected that the Firebirds will make Ford Center their home and while we wish them well, Evansville has not been a place that semi-professional football has found financial success?…if the Firebirds can’t draw more paying customers than the Icemen, Thunderbolts, or Bluecats have they are destined for a spot on that list of 50 something pro sports teams that have flamed out in Evansville?…with rents what they are and tickets bringing what they will it will take average paying crowds of 5,000 to have a viable indoor football team?…that is a long shot if there ever was one?

We hope that today’s “READERS FORUM” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way? 

TODAY’S “IS IT TRUE” was sent to us by CCO Poster Called Deputy Duck. We find some of the Duck’s  “IS IT TRUE” to be spot on?  Please enjoy!  We post ‘Deputy Ducks” comments without bias or editing.

IS IT TRUE that the criticisms of Vanderburgh County Republican Party Chairman Wayne Parke will soon get more public attention from the mainstream media? …that Mr. Parke has burned a lot of bridges and it is finally catching up with him?

IS IT TRUE that in 2008 Parke participated in the Indiana Democratic presidential primary so that he could cast his vote for Hillary Clinton?  …that just over a year later, Parke sought to become the Republican chairman by challenging and criticizing long-time Republican Holli Sullivan?

IS IT TRUE that Parke has long supported Democrat Stephen Melcher as Commissioner? … that Parke then supported Mr. Melcher when he ran against state representative Holli Sullivan? …that Wayne Parke most recently recruited Melcher to run as a Republican for 3rd Ward City Councilman?

IS IT TRUE Wayne Parke spent $10,000 opposing Republican Bruce Ungenthiem?  …that Wayne Parke’s efforts against Mr. Ungenthiem failed?

IS IT TRUE Wayne Parke has also consistently opposed Republican Cheryl Musgrave, even predicting she would lose in each of her races?  …that Wayne Parke was wrong in each case?

IS IT TRUE that Wayne Parke also drove City Councilman Dan McGinn away from the Republican Party? …that Wayne Parke openly attacked Republican County Commissioner candidate Steve Hammer? …that Wayne Parke also attacked Deputy Mayor Steve Schaefer?

IS IT TRUE that Wayne Parke has essentially attacked every Republican candidate or officeholder and has no friends left in his own party?  …if the election for Vanderburgh County GOP Chairman was held today Wayne Parke would lose badly?

IS IT TRUE that the future success of the Democratic Party of Vanderburgh County is in the hands of Sheriff Dave Wedding, County Commissioners Ben Shoulders and Jeff Hatfield, and State Representative Ryan Hatfield?  …that this core group could actually resurrect their party?

IS IT TRUE it looks like our Vanderburgh County elected officials are backing down on a funding request to do a $40 million jail expansion project? …it looks like the jail expansion money request will be between $24 to $28 million dollars?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council voted unanimously to retain attorney Josh Claybourn?  …that we are not surprised by this result?  …that Mr. Claybourn has developed a reputation of working with Council in a non-partisan manner?  …that some attorneys seeking the job failed to make headway with an argument over Claybourn’s residence since prior City Council attorneys also lived outside of City limits?

Todays“Readers Poll” question is: How do you rank the Vanderburgh County Council job performance in 2018?

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