Gov. Mitch Daniels will get an unexpected bit of presidential promotion when he visits the Summit City next month – unexpected unless he reads this first.
Daniels is the keynote speaker at this year’s Allen County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser.
The first 400 people at this year’s dinner will receive a button that reads “My Man Mitch MY PRESIDENT 2012.”
During his previous campaign, Daniels said he didn’t want any office besides that of governor, but lately he has become a bit coy on whether he would try to seek the GOP nomination for president. His name has been mentioned as a possible nominee by several prominent pundits.
Steve Shine, Allen County GOP chairman, stressed that the button campaign is “completely unauthorized” by the governor, but Shine thought it would be fun, hopefully.
“He (Daniels) will either think it is clever, or he will kill me,” Shine said. “I hope he thinks it’s clever.”
The event will be April 13 at Ceruti’s Summit Park, 6601 Innovation Blvd.
The VIP reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and costs $150 a person. The dinner begins at 6:45 p.m. and costs $55 a person. Precinct officials can get discounts on the price of admission to either event.
Call 422-1554 for tickets.
Noticeably absent
Mayor Tom Henry last week conducted a rare legislative signing ceremony to commemorate the conclusion of negotiations to merge the city and county 911 call centers.
Attending the event with the mayor were members of the City Council, Police Chief Rusty York and the three Allen County commissioners. But Sheriff Ken Fries, who will split control of the new department with the city, was not there, raising the eyebrows of many in attendance.
Fries did attend a joint city-county meeting Friday where leaders applauded his and York’s efforts to merge the call centers.
A helping hand
Rep. Phyllis Pond, R-New Haven, was a friend to cemeteries last week as she rallied residents concerned about the fate of a small pioneer burial plot at Paulding and Hartzell roads.
She was also prepared to act as sheriff and rail against the auction company if the auction of the property was at all mishandled.
Apparently she was so focused on the task at hand, she didn’t notice she had parked her new Lincoln in a field covered by a foot of mud Tuesday.
A handful of those neighbors, local media and others who gathered for the auction had to push the diminutive Pond and her hefty Lincoln out of the field.
State of New Haven
Mayor Terry McDonald will give his annual State of the City address before the New Haven Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. Monday.
Tickets are $25 a person or $180 for a table at Goeglein’s Reception Hall, 7311 Maysville Road.
The ticket price pays for the event and is not a fundraiser.
The mayor typically gives the report during a dinner event. Residents interested in listening to the speech for free without attending the dinner are invited to arrive at 6:45 p.m.
About 130 people are expected to attend, said Vince Buchanan, Chamber chief executive officer.
In comparison, Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry drew about 160 people to his free state of the city address last month in Rhinehart Recital Hall at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Amanda Iacone of The Journal Gazette contributed to this column.
