06-26-06 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING JUNE 26, 2006 have taken to listen. She hoped in the near future any individuals who are concerned about discrimination will have a more appropriate place to take their concerns to the experienced and respected Human Rights Commission. Ms. Abbey Smith, 426 Marquette, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she is a member of South Bend Equality. Ms. Smith is an owner of a business in downtown South Bend, called Intrigue Counseling. It is a small counseling center. She has been a psyco- therapist for twenty-six (26) years. She would like to share a couple of stories. The first is a couple, two men that have been together eighteen (18) years. One is an adjunct professor at I.U.S.B., the other is a Director at one of the non-profit organizations and they both have learned the tricks that we all have learned to hide our preferences our relationship and the need to stay employed. The reason that they came to her was that one was suffering from a long-term illness with no insurance and that caused some stress in the relationship. So discrimination is happening right here in South Bend and we learn how to work around it to the best of human ability. Here are two men that have been providing very important services in South Bend. The second is about a little girl who is seven (7) years old, she goes to one of the public schools in South Bend, she has two mothers. The mothers had to make sure that the public school was going to be tolerant of her family, tolerant of what she came home to, and tolerant of the fact that they want participate in PTA, school conferences and be very active in this little girls education. They had to be strategic and educational, although there are some schools here that have been very open. It is everywhere, its here, you can’t hide from it, you can’t pretend that it doesn’t exist. Ms. Smith stated that they are lawyers, doctors, teachers, everywhere. She stated that they have a right to be protected. COMMENTS BY MS. RITA KOPALA CONCERNING FALSE REPORTING BY THE SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE Ms. Rita Kopala, 66559 Ivy Road, Lakeville, Indiana, stated that she attended the June 15, 2006, meeting concerning the railroad line going to the University of Notre Dame. She indicated that the meeting moved into the Council Chambers due to the large number of people attending. Ms. Kopala advised that she sat in her same seat that she always sits in and tape recorded the meeting like she always does. Ms. Kopala stated that she was shocked when she opened the South Bend Tribune Newspaper the next day following the meeting to find a picture of where she was standing in the Council Chambers had been altered to leave her out of the scene. Ms. Kopala reiterated that you cannot believe what you read or see in the South Bend Tribune.She would like to see better representation from the newspaper. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Council, President Rouse adjourned the meeting at 7:55 p.m. ATTEST: ATTEST: __________________________ ___________________________ John Voorde, City Clerk Timothy A. Rouse, President 19