Greensboro Resident Says All Parts of City Need Crime Meetings

In a recent Letters to the Editor piece Nicole Fauble, a Greensboro resident, points out that all parts of the city need meetings about crime. Read her letter below.

“The homicide that occurred recently in New Irving Park is without a doubt a tragedy. Lives lost due to crime are a serious matter. With this increase in crime, Greensboro must find a way to help the community.The meeting that happened in Mendenhall Middle School Jan. 22 for the New Irving Park homicide is a great first step to educate the public. Yet a question must be raised as to why this meeting happened for New Irving Park residents when homicides and burglaries happen frequently in low-income neighborhoods.

I have not read of any recent attempts of the police department holding community forums to address those issues. We need to address crime as a whole city, a functioning community. To address crime in different areas of Greensboro and not as a whole is just not effective if the police department truly wants to lower crime rates and inform the public.Nicole Fauble
Greensboro

Editor’s note: City leaders and police officials have scheduled meetings in other parts of the city dealing with crime, including the teen gang problem and the East Market Street robberies.”

Should we as a city continue to hold meetings that focus on specific neighborhoods or should we have city wide meetings that make an effort to unite Greensboro as a whole?

Interview with Skip Alston on the Civil Rights Museum

The International Civil Rights Museum will hold its 2008 Anniversary Gala tomorrow evening and individuals will be shelling out $100 per person to attend the annual fundraising event. Melvin “Skip” Alston shares the co-chairman position with Earl Jones and also serves the community as a Guilford County Commissioner.

I had the opportunity to interview Skip this afternoon but before jumping into my questions I asked to get his thoughts on a series of comments left on the News & Records Web site. The comments are below.

Comment 1: “A Concerned African-American said: I believe that Skip Alston and Earl Jones have good intentions.

However, they are hampering the direction and ability of this museum to garner the complete support of the Greensboro community. They should the do the respectable thing and step down as the Co-Chairmen of the Board and allow for newer people to step in and lead the board in a new direction.

Skip Alston Response- “How we are hampering the program? If someone can show me how we are hampering the program then we will consider some of their thoughts. I can’t respond to those statements otherwise.

Comment 2: “James said: The museum would get funding and become a completed project, by simply turning its construction and finances over entirely to the Smithsonian Institute. The reason people are not contributing to this, is because what has happened so far has been a debacle. If Greensboro is to have this museum, it must be done from the outside. We’ve been burned once already…maybe more than once when it comes to funding this museum. I sure hope it happens soon!

Skip Alston Response – “They are misinformed and not involved in the process and are ignorant to the facts of what are taking place with the museum. They are likely reading the News & Record which is full of misinformation and no facts at all who has proven to be an enemy to this project from the very beginning. ”

Ryan: Skip the News & Record is a donor correct?

Skip: “Yes, you keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.”

Update: John Robinson of the N&R has responded to this comment and you can read the response here.

After getting his thoughts on those comments I then moved into a series of questions that stemmed from emails I have received and general comments I have heard time and time again.

Ryan: When is the expected completion date of the museum?

Skip: “We are not really giving a date. I will go with a projected date of 2009 and we are on track for that. We were told it would take 12 – 15 years to complete and this is our 14th year. If we can’t open in February I would like to do an opening in July.”

Ryan: Why is there no apparent progress being made at this time?

Skip: “Because we stopped construction in order to make sure we have all the money in the bank. We started a pay as you go type of renovation but the board said they wanted to stop construction, get all the money raised and then go full steam ahead. We could be getting a tax credit of $6 million in May and we have $4 million that has been pledged that should be coming within the next 3 – 4 months.”

Ryan: Why don’t you attempt to complete smaller portions of construction at one time?

Skip: “We tried doing that but our philosophy is making sure we have all the money in the bank.”

Ryan: Why do you think people think you are a “shady” individual?

Skip: “Again, they don’t know me. If you ask anyone that knows me you will get a completely different answer. Anybody that says I’m a shady person has probably never met me and only knows me by name. I can say Donald Trump is a shady guy but I don’t know one thing about him. I’ve been in the real estate business 26 years and a county commissioner for 15 years… Show me 1 person that can say I have done something dishonest. No one can do that. People just talk without the facts.

Ryan: Would you ever consider stepping down from the museums board if it proved to be beneficial to the cause? If the answer is no, why?

Skip: “I don’t even want to entertain that question. It’s beneficial to say that we have saved the museum. It’s a success because I’m involved… it was going to be a parking lot but I put up my money to save that place. I have worked on it for 14 years… no one else has been doing that. I’m the one who saved it. Everyone had the opportunity to jump in but they didn’t. The same people doing the talking didn’t want those young men sitting down at the lunch counter in the first place either.”

Ryan: Are you saying that race is holding back the museum?

Skip: “Yes in some cases… that’s an obvious factor.”

Ryan: How does it make you feel knowing that you are attempting to do something so great for the community yet so many people voice their concerns over your involvement?

Skip: “You take the bitter with the sweet. You can’t please 100% of the people all the time. Jesus Christ always tried to do good and they crucified him. I don’t expect anymore out of this society. You have to keep your eyes on the prize and doing it for the people that don’t have a voice.”

Ryan: Have you ever considered renaming the museum to the Greensboro Civil Rights Museum?

Skip: “No because we called it international. We didn’t just pick a name out of the air. We chose international because the small act of sitting down and standing up for your rights was duplicated around the world. The event that happened in Greensboro affected the whole world and that is what the museum is going show.”

Ryan: Why is the address not on February One (the road)?

Skip: “I don’t know. I think it should be, that is a good suggestion.”

Ryan: Please add anything else you might like to.

Skip: “I appreciate the community sticking with the museum for the past 14 years. Their struggle will not be in vein. When we open this up it will stay open for generations yet unborn. We are going to do it right and when we open it we want the community to say “wow”. We understand there are people that don’t want this to happen but it is going to happen.

Prior to ending our conversation Skip added “Something people don’t know is that we have Fantasia coming tomorrow night and she will be singing.”

Thanks to Leo Cheek

Note: This post is to show personal thanks to a city employee.

In an effort to help clean up the area near where I live I recently adopted a small section of Lee St that extends from Bennett to Eugene St.  Over the last two days I spent 5.5 hours picking up trash and filled up more than 20 trash bags.  The experience was very eye opening and something I plan to do on a monthly basis.

As I was picking up the trash around Lees Curb Market I asked myself “Why in the world do people not put this stuff in a trash can?”  Then I looked around and realized there was not a single trash can in site and as a matter of fact there are hardly any on the entire stretch of road that I adopted.

Now for the point of the post.  Yesterday I contacted Leo Cheek who runs Greensboro’s Field Operations Department and discussed the trash can issue with him.  He agreed to meet me at Lees Curb Market this morning at 9 am to discuss the possibility of getting some cans put out.  After a short meeting we agreed to put three cans in the near vicinity of the store to see if people actually use them.  I simply want to publicly say thanks to Leo for taking prompt action to help fix this issue that could be one small step towards cleaning up the area.

Has Greensboro Not Realized its Gang Problem?

Greensboro resident Melea Collins has written a Letter to the Editor expressing her concerns that the city has not come to grips with its gang problem.  She writes,

“I have come to the realization that many of us either deny or dream about the reality of gangs in the Greensboro area. I am guilty of being the dreamer: “Oh! Greensboro will overcome this! We just need to get through to the broken and angry youth!” There may be some of you out there thinking, “Gangs in Greensboro? Nah that is just an L.A., Boston, or New York problem.” Both views are wrong.”

Continue reading here.

Do you think residents realize that we have a growing gang problem in Greensboro?

Bill Knight on the Civil Rights Museum

Bill Knight (ran for City Council At Large last year) has responded to this post about the International Civil Rights Museum.  See his comment below.

“Bear in mind that the CRM is a work-in-progess and most funding should be dedicated to capital expenditures. During its construction phase there should not be any operating expenses since it is not operational.

The CRM Board of Trustees (Directors) should insist on impeccable accountability so there is never a question surronunding the nature of its activities. A copy of each year’s annual audit report (back to the inception date) should be a matter of public record at the Public Library, including written comments from auditors apart from the audit reports spelling out steps needed to enhance financial integrity. If there is a business model, it too should be on public display. Projections of operations after completion, including disposition of excess revenues over expenses, should be explained in detail for those wanting to know how the museum will succeed. Compensation of officers or Board members, and expense allowances, should be disclosed.

During last fall’s City Counci campaign, the notion was advanced by candidate Yvonne Johnson, among others, that upon completion the museum will attract national and international visitors, leading to increased air traffic into and out of PTI, more hotel accomodations downtown, and more downtown commerce in general. She cited her experience while visiting Memphis, where she said she could feel the excitement caused by its civil rights efforts. If this is true then bringing the musuem to completion should be fairly straightforward. Perhaps the marketing plan might go after a target audience that would be willing to contribute to museum construction, with free admission on the first visit to Greensboro. Or maybe bright young idea minded local college students be used in the fund raising effort. Greensboro taxpayers did not vote against the museum in the last bond referendum: they voted not to spend taxpayer dollars on it.

I’m not sure what the problem is in raising the needed money to complete construction and open the doors to the public.”

Greensboro Fire Chief Retires

Greensboro Fire Chief Johnny Teeters (joined the department in 1965) announced his retirement this morning and his last day will be December 15.

“My decision to retire was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make,” Teeters said in a release sent out today by the city. “I’ve had a great career and have gotten to work with some of the greatest people in the world — the men and woman of the Greensboro Fire Department. I can honestly say that I enjoyed coming to work every day of my 44-year career.”

Civil Rights Museum Anniversary & Financial Numbers

I have done a couple posts on the Civil Rights Museum during the past couple of months and the News & Record has published an article in today’s paper. According to the N&R the museum is still in need of “$10 million to finish it.”

The museum will hold its “2008 Anniversary Gala” on January 31 at the Sheraton Four Seasons. Tickets are $100 per person with a reception at 6 pm and dinner at 7 pm. I will be attending the event and look forward to finally talking with Skip Alston and some of the museums supporters.

According to the museums 2006 Form 990 the “2006 Anniversary Gala” brought in $158,000 and came with $61,097 in expenses. That means they made $96,903… not quite enough to pay the $100,000 salary of Amelia Parker, the museums executive director.

I should note that I am not an accountant but by looking at line 18 (Excess or deficit for the year) of the 990 it shows that after expenses the museum raised $814,472 in 2006. If that average continues to remain the same (and they still need $10 million) then it could easily take 10 years to complete the project.

Non profits that are highly rated spend at least $.90 of each dollar on the cause itself. I need to double check some figures but I will report later today the dollar amount that the museum puts towards the cause.

Greensboro Beats Raleigh

The statistics below were mentioned Tuesday night at the New Irving Park community meeting as well as last night on WFMY so I thought I would share them with you.

“According to the most recent Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, Greensboro ranks higher than Raleigh for non-violent offenses. The 2006 figures show that Greensboro and Winston-Salem each had more than 4,000 burglaries, while fewer than 3,000 were reported in Raleigh, where the population tops Greensboro’s by more than 120,000.

In the categories of larceny and auto theft, the 2006 FBI statistics show that Greensboro had more cases than Raleigh, which reported 10, 207.

In 2006, the FBI figures also show Greensboro ahead of Raleigh in the number of reported robberies. However, Greensboro had 161 fewer violent crimes than the capital, which reported a total of 2,223 incidents.” More here.

Chief hastings addressed these statistics Tuesday evening by saying “Raleigh always historically had a lower homicide rate,” he said. “They’re a more urbanized area with fewer pockets of high crime. They have an astronomical solvability rate.”

Young Republicans 2008 Annual Kick-Off Meeting Tonight

For those interested, the Guilford Young Republicans (Age 18 – 40) will be holding their annual kick-off meeting tonight at 6 pm.  You can get more information here.

Zack Matheny on New Irving Park Community Meeting & Next Steps

I sent Zack Matheny an email this morning asking if he had “any thoughts on last nights meeting and if there is a “next step” for the New Irving Park community and the City of Greensboro?” His response is below.

“I was very happy and grateful for the large turnout last night especially on such short notice. We were able to pull together a lot of people through email, neighbors calling each other, and putting fliers outside homes.

The next step I am going to take is this Friday. We have our City Council work session and one of my priorities is to develop a city wide initiative for neighborhood watch. We need to get crime off the front pages and put business back on top. If we can pull together as a city and watch each others back, and backyard, combined with police efforts, parks and rec, and others then hopefully these criminals will know we are watching and crime will decrease.

I will have a few other meetings throughout my district and I know other Council members have held meetings as well.

Zack”