Check out The Fistic Mystic link, He has results and fight recaps from the South Dakota show held on the 28th.

Press Conference and Protest Rally Postponed

A press conference and protest scheduled for Monday, November 24,
2008 on the steps of the St. Louis County Courthouse at 4:00 p.m. on
behalf of Hortons Gym has been postponed until further notice. Don
Ness, Mayor of Duluth, and Chuck Horton, owner and operator of
Hortons Gym, spoke to each other on the phone and agreed to sit down
with the appropriate parties to discuss the issue during the week of
December 1-5, 2008.

Mayor Ness sent the following email:

I look forward to meeting with Chuck and others at Horton’s Gym on
this

situation so that I can gain a better understanding of the history
and

the issues at hand. This is the first that I have heard about any

disagreement, so I am hopeful that by bringing folks to the table in

reasoned discussion we’ll be able to figure this out. Clearly, the
City

wants to provide access of our public facilities to those proving

programs to the community. Horton’s Gym does a lot for our community

and for area kids - we want them to continue their success.

Chuck Horton commends the Mayor for his willingness to look into this
matter and hopes St. Louis County officials will follow the example
Don Ness has set forth. I understand the importance of working with
our elected leaders and provide the new administration an opportunity
to handle this situation differently than the way it was handled in
the past. Hopefully, Bill Kron and Mark McShane will step up to the
plate and address their role. Our supporters are extremely upset and
confused. They have been assured that their voice has been heard and
with the help of Mayor Ness the situation will be resolved, stated
Chuck Horton.

November 21, 2008

A press conference and protest will be held on Monday, November 24,
2008 on the steps of the St. Louis County Courthouse at 4:00 p.m. on
behalf of Hortons Gym. Chuck Horton, owner and operator, and Chad
Brenna, Hortons Gym Amateur Boxing President, plan to take the fight
from the ring to the government agencies responsible for providing
funding and building space to Twin Ports Boxing, a non-profit boxing
gym. Family members of a St. Louis County Commissioner and a City of
Duluth supervisor have benefited from taxpayer funding to compete
with a local family business.

In 2001, Hortons Gym and Twin Ports Boxing agreed to form a
partnership to help bring affordable boxing to at-risk youth. Chuck
Horton signed a lease with Oneida for downtown gym space with the
understanding Twin Ports and Hortons Gym were merging together.
Signs were painted and hung on the walls. Within days of opening the
doors for business, Twin Ports Boxing pulled out.

A nephew of Bill Kron, St. Louis County Commissioner, had been
working out at Hortons Gym. Bill did not want to have his nephew pay
$30 a month for boxing instruction. In order to provide a free place
for his nephew, Bill Kron made it possible for Twin Ports to operate
with county funds. Chuck and Carinda Horton attended the St. Louis
County Commission meeting in which the St. Louis Commissioners
granted Twin Ports Boxing County money to provide equipment to a gym
that would compete with Hortons Gym, a locally owned and operated
business. The Hortons were not allowed to speak at the meeting and
the decision was made within minutes of the reading.

In addition to the county funds, the City of Duluth gave Twin Ports
Boxing free space. Tim McShane, son of Mark McShane, City of Duluth
Property Manager, is an active participant at Twin Ports Boxing and
benefits from the free use of space as well. Hortons Gym checked
with City of Duluth about the possible use of under-utilized building
space in return for providing free youth recreational space. After a
meeting with city officials which included Mark McShane and Chuck
Horton of Hortons Gym, the City of Duluth denied Hortons request.
Twin Ports Boxing has continued to benefit from taxpayer financing
for the past seven years with minimum community impact.

In contrast, the program provided by Hortons Gym has proven to be
successful with several measurable achievements. They have helped
area youth to achieve success–most notably, Zach Walters. Without
Horton’s Gym and the training, encouragement, discipline and positive
influence of Coaches Chuck Horton and Jack O’Brien, Zach would not
have been able to successfully achieve the world ranking he now
holds. Horton’s Gym infuses money into the local economy with boxing
events both amateur and professional. Hortons Gym and their boxers
have brought positive international exposure to the area. Hortons
Gym has worked very hard over the years to bring these services to
the community despite the governments role in competing with their
business. After much consideration and years of frustration, Hortons
Gym, their professional boxers Zach Walters, Andy Kolle, Gary Eyer, RJ
Laase and Andson Griggs, amateur boxers Al Sands, Jorey Olson and all
the way down to the youngest boxers and their families, has made the
decision to bring this to the publics attention. Hundreds have
agreed to participate in this public protest and rally against the
use of public funding to compete with private business.