On Friday night, May 18, Fort Wayne City Utilities will close a gate on the Hosey Dam on the Maumee River, allowing the City's rivers to rise to their summer pool level. Levels on all three rivers will rise slowly after the gate is closed, making the rivers more conducive to boating.

Typically river levels are raised on April 15, but this year a major improvement project at the Three Rivers Water Filtration Plant required that river levels remain lowered for several additional weeks.

Also this weekend, City Utilities will prepare for the annual task of installing flashboards at the St. Joseph River Dam near Coliseum Boulevard. The flashboards raise the level of the dam causing water in the St. Joe River north of the dam to rise. The adjustment means an increase the quantity of river water available to produce water for drinking and other purposes during the summer months

Beginning at midnight Saturday, May 19, the river level on the St. Joe River north of the dam will be lowered. The lowering is necessary to allow the spillway to dry up so crews can safely install the flashboards at the dam. The flashboards will be installed on Monday, May 21.

Once the flashboards at the St. Joe Dam are installed the river level north of the dam will rise by about 30 inches. This is expected to occur by Thursday, May 24.

Rainy weather and high river levels could delay the installation.

Fort Wayne, Ind. – Mayor Tom Henry will host his second Mayor's Night In for 2012, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, May 21 at Citizens Square.

Fort Wayne residents are invited to schedule an appointment to meet with Mayor Henry, in his office on the 4th floor, to have an open dialogue about any concerns, comments, feedback or suggestions related to City government or services.

City residents may schedule their 10-minute block of time with Mayor Henry by calling 427-1111 before 10am on Friday, May 18th. Times are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

Residents who met with the Mayor during a previous Mayor's Night In or Mayor's Night Out event will be placed on a waiting list to give other citizens the opportunity to have their concerns heard.

"Mayor's Night In provides the citizens of Fort Wayne an excellent opportunity to meet with me and my staff, and to share their issues, concerns and ideas for improvement," Mayor Henry said. "Open dialogue with the citizens I serve is extremely important. Our combined vision of Fort Wayne is what continues to make our city a great place to live and work."

Bike Friendliness Puts Fort Wayne in National Spotlight

Fort Wayne, Ind. – Mayor Tom Henry revealed today that Fort Wayne has won a Bronze Award from the League of American Bicyclists for its forward-looking vision and accomplishments in making the community more bicycle friendly. The accolade enables the City to work with League experts as they perform self-assessments, draft action plans and gain access to other expert assistance.

"We're excited that the League of American Bicyclists has honored our work to make Fort Wayne more bicycle friendly," said Mayor Henry. "By tripling the size of our trail network in just six years and increasing active-transportation opportunities, we are strengthening the fabric of our community, making it easier to get around, reducing our dependence on cars and helping residents stay fit for life."