Stop the presses: Zurschmiede works it out, will attend the Sept. 24 LWV debate at the Homerdome.

I hope the newspaper is paying attention, seeing as I've been ... never mind.

Don't ask me for details about the change. I only know that with Jeff Gahan announcing his debate schedule with a mind toward avoiding a three-way contest, Kevin Zurschmiede has somehow altered his family itinerary, and will be able to attend the League Of Women Voters event on September 24 at Gahan's home field, Silver Street Park.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters

Great news, our league received news today concerning the debate from the Republican chair and Kevin zurschmead has rearranged his schedule and will be at the debate! So, in both counties all mayoral candidates will attend!

Of course, the LWV won't publicly concede this is Gahan's home field ... and very gently, it's Zurschmiede, and Facebook does allow editing, even hours later.

But make no mistake, this is good news. Voters deserve to see the three of us together on one stage, in spite of Gahan's evasive machinations, and now the great and powerful Oz needs to get real, reciprocate, and honor both city voters and the hard work of Leadership Southern Indiana by rearranging HIS schedule to attend LSI's debate on the 29th at New Albany High School.

Earlier today, long before the breaking news, the South Central Indiana League of Women Voters added event promos on Facebook.

My photo shows me wearing a US Postal Service cap from the Tour de France. Randy Smith gave it to me. In 2008, I was bicycling in Belgium, and lost the cap on the road somewhere. I can't remember the origin of the photograph, but then again, it's been more than seven years.

A healthy discussion then took place on the LWV's page at Fb. Here it is, lest something happen to the historical document. Note again that a few hours later, Zurschmiede's situation changed, and the update above was posted.

Roger A. Baylor
With all due respect, consider changing the date of the NA forum. Gahan's only coming because Zurschmiede cannot. The voters deserve better than this.

South Central Indiana League of Women
Gahan isn't coming to the LSI debate, we really cannot and hope you understand. There are debates and forums happening and canceling it would just conflict with another function.

Roger A. Baylor
I understand you have no interest in accountability, and that is genuinely regrettable. You are actively enabling Gahan's selective irresponsibility, but it's a learning experience -- and I surely wouldn't want anyone losing her city job over it.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters
That is unfair, you question my integrity, Bill Hansen's, Teresa Perkins, and everyone involved in the League. We have been impartial and have bent over backwards to pull off an event that would give voice to everyone equally. If you choose not to come, we will understand.

Roger A. Baylor
I don't even know who you are. I wouldn't miss this or any other event, and I'm not the only one with eyebrows raised. It's a softball toss in the mayor's own building, and he's shirking LSI because he's getting a free ride here.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters
Again, we have worked hard. The questions are coming from concerns expressed by citizens and will come to you at the same time they come to other candidates. We have had commitments from everyone before any other debate was even announced. It is Barb (Anderson), Roger. I respect you and your right to feel the way you do but we do not intend to soft pedal anything but we do intend to hold an event that is fair, impartial, and balanced. Kevin expressed his regret due to his son's marriage and we will read those regrets and respect him a great deal, he was quite the gentleman about not being able to attend. We are asking questions that are pertinent to the community, a two minute response to the other candidate and a one minute rebuttal. To our knowledge and to our seeing there has been no attempt to soft pedal anything, just an attempt to have a civil debate.

Roger A. Baylor
And Barb, my respect for you is immense. The builders cancelled their forum owing to no-shows, which points to the potential for manipulation, and that's my argument: if it is impartial, then one candidate cannot be handed ammo (the building) and also provided a pretext to evade face to face with both challengers. Lots of us already know what it feels like to be used by Jeff Gahan. Perhaps the League will learn this difficult lesson too. Cheers.

South Central Indiana League of Women Voters
I live in Jeffersonville, I loved the public park which is owned by the taxpayers. Kevin as a council person has as much to do with parks as any Mayor. We are not a wealthy organization and thought the venue was beautiful and proud for any forum to be held there. There are three city council candidates not attending. We are offering for educational purposes and opportunity for the citizens of the county to see and speak with their candidates. The questions are being offered by the League and no one else, the reception will be an opportunity for people to ask one on one questions. My respect for you is strong as well, I would never suggest you would participate in an event that wasn't fair and above board, neither would I think you would suggest I would.

Jeff Gillenwater
Kevin actually voted against the expenditure for the park and many others questioned it, including Roger. Gahan, in turn, has been continually using it as a prop for campaign purposes. The League declaring it something beautiful of which to be proud, a very pro-park and, in context, pro-Gahan stance, isn't exactly impartial so it's not difficult to see why many people are questioning venue choice. I think the brewery that Roger helped build is great and an asset to the community but I wouldn't suggest that holding a mayoral debate there would be impartial. The same could be said of Kevin's properties. The park is technically public but the association is plain. Given the low number of New Albany forums involving all the mayoral candidates, it doesn't seem unreasonable that a single alternative date and/or location could be explored without conflicting with another event. Besides the LSI debate, what other neutral events involving all the mayoral candidates are scheduled between now and the November election that would make it difficult to find another date or location? The library, the Carnegie Center, IUS, or any of the public schools would be neutral. Is there really not an alternative date available at any of them over the next couple of months? At best, this is an honest mistake but it's not too late to correct it.

Roger A. Baylor
Thanks, Jeff Gillenwater. That's it in a nutshell.