Ms. Carmany,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your insightful Coliseum Updates. I have truly enjoyed reading them and I was wondering if there is a site where we can read about the information that you have provided us. [Sandy's note: not that I know of, that's why I reported on this.]
By reading your column it has really helped me be a huge supporter of The Coliseum because with all the false information that is out there about the complex it is good to know that there is a place where you can get the truth and we can read that it is a
wonderful place and an asset to the city.
Best of Everything to you in the future and although I do not live in your district I will miss you guidance and leadership on the City Council. You were an asset to the city and I really was upset to see that the voters did not re-elect you.
Once again, THANK YOU, for Everything!
Monday, December 31, 2007
A reason to keep blogging
I received the following email over the weekend from a citizen who tells me my blog reports are of some use to him -- guess I'll try to keep on blogging as much as I can.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
THE question
The current City Council is struggling with the same nagging quandary the previous Council did -- how much protected personnel information can be officially released to 'restore the public trust and confidence' without violating the confidentiality protections mandated by state law?
The answer to that question could depend on one's response to THIS question -- Is there a difference between 'in the public interest' and 'satisfying the public's curiosity?'
The first reason is legitimate, the second a product of modern society's 'got to have it NOW' mentality. It's up to the councilmembers to determine which response best fits this latest situation.
The answer to that question could depend on one's response to THIS question -- Is there a difference between 'in the public interest' and 'satisfying the public's curiosity?'
The first reason is legitimate, the second a product of modern society's 'got to have it NOW' mentality. It's up to the councilmembers to determine which response best fits this latest situation.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
"All I Want for Christmas is..."
Grandson Scott personifies the Christmas song "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth!"
His brother Christopher still has all his so far.
Final Coliseum update
Now that I made it through Christmas and all its preparations, I'm hoping to post some reports on various topics that I have not had time to write because I was so busy. Today's article in the News & Record about the energy performance contract reminded me that I had neglected to share updates from the December 6 meeting of the War Memorial Commission (Coliseum), my last meeting of the Commission.
As noted in the newspaper article, many of the energy saving projects identified by Siemens have already been implemented in various parts of the Coliseum complex. An internship has been established with A&T University which will allow students learning about energy and energy conservation to get hands-on experience at the Coliseum and hopefully identify additional energy saving ideas as well.
Other construction projects that have been completed or are in progress include the installation of handicap-accessible ramps into the auditorium from the back parking lot, eliminating the two sets of steps that were in poor shape. Driveways and parking areas will be reconfigured in the immediately adjacent area to provide additional parking closer to the building and these ramps. Nine new permanent concession stands for the concourse are currently in the design phase in hopes of eliminating some of the portable carts that currently serve customers.
Centerplate reported $375,000 in merchandise sales at the Hannah Montana concert averaging nearly $26 per attendee, "off the charts" per the industry standard. Part of this success was attributed to the wireless hand-held credit card devices that made it quick and easy for people to "charge it."
The NBA basketball game in October netted $41,000 over the budget projection, and there was a small operating profit for the month of October. Ticket incentives from Ticketmaster are running ahead of projections.
Scott Johnson reported that concert ticket sales are doing poorly everywhere EXCEPT Greensboro! Greensboro's Van Halen concert was the largest seller in the US, and the Hannah Montana show was the second largest. Two Chris Daughtry concerts sold out in one day. "Success breeds success" and other concerts have been booked, including Bruce Springsteen, R. Kelly, Celtic Woman, Jill Scott, Mannheim Steamroller, and BB King. Dates are being held for numerous other rock-and-roll and country artists. Consumer shows are also doing well with 57,000 attending the two holiday markets. 72 different performances were on sale the first week of December.
The possibility of an ice hockey team is still being explored.
Manus Holmes was elected as vice chair of the Commission.
Matt Brown is reorganizing the staffing to provide a more positive patron experience; veteran employee Doreen Lumpkin has been named as the Guest Services Manager.
Commission Chair Harrison Turner presented me with a beautiful framed picture of the Coliseum depicting the three different arena buildings that have been in service through the years. I actually began my civic career as a member of the War Memorial Commission in the early 90's so I have come full circle.
Good luck to the Coliseum, its staff, and the War Memorial Commission for continued success. How boring Greensboro would be without the variety of concerts, family shows, consumer shows and other spectacular events presented there!
As noted in the newspaper article, many of the energy saving projects identified by Siemens have already been implemented in various parts of the Coliseum complex. An internship has been established with A&T University which will allow students learning about energy and energy conservation to get hands-on experience at the Coliseum and hopefully identify additional energy saving ideas as well.
Other construction projects that have been completed or are in progress include the installation of handicap-accessible ramps into the auditorium from the back parking lot, eliminating the two sets of steps that were in poor shape. Driveways and parking areas will be reconfigured in the immediately adjacent area to provide additional parking closer to the building and these ramps. Nine new permanent concession stands for the concourse are currently in the design phase in hopes of eliminating some of the portable carts that currently serve customers.
Centerplate reported $375,000 in merchandise sales at the Hannah Montana concert averaging nearly $26 per attendee, "off the charts" per the industry standard. Part of this success was attributed to the wireless hand-held credit card devices that made it quick and easy for people to "charge it."
The NBA basketball game in October netted $41,000 over the budget projection, and there was a small operating profit for the month of October. Ticket incentives from Ticketmaster are running ahead of projections.
Scott Johnson reported that concert ticket sales are doing poorly everywhere EXCEPT Greensboro! Greensboro's Van Halen concert was the largest seller in the US, and the Hannah Montana show was the second largest. Two Chris Daughtry concerts sold out in one day. "Success breeds success" and other concerts have been booked, including Bruce Springsteen, R. Kelly, Celtic Woman, Jill Scott, Mannheim Steamroller, and BB King. Dates are being held for numerous other rock-and-roll and country artists. Consumer shows are also doing well with 57,000 attending the two holiday markets. 72 different performances were on sale the first week of December.
The possibility of an ice hockey team is still being explored.
Manus Holmes was elected as vice chair of the Commission.
Matt Brown is reorganizing the staffing to provide a more positive patron experience; veteran employee Doreen Lumpkin has been named as the Guest Services Manager.
Commission Chair Harrison Turner presented me with a beautiful framed picture of the Coliseum depicting the three different arena buildings that have been in service through the years. I actually began my civic career as a member of the War Memorial Commission in the early 90's so I have come full circle.
Good luck to the Coliseum, its staff, and the War Memorial Commission for continued success. How boring Greensboro would be without the variety of concerts, family shows, consumer shows and other spectacular events presented there!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Charter Schools report
We wrapped up the business of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Charter Schools in Raleigh last week with a vote on the final report to be submitted to the State Board of Education. I supported many of the conclusions, particularly the emphasis on better student performance and the quicker closing of poorly performing schools.
However, I was the lone "no" vote on the final product due to my discomfort about the recommendation on the lifting of the cap of 100 schools. I agree that the cap should be lifted in a planned, controlled way, but in my opinion, the compromise reached by the Commission is convoluted and unpredictable. I prefer to "say what you mean and mean what you say" instead of saying high performing schools don't count towards the cap while totally ignoring the reality of an equal number of low performing schools. Given the political climate in Raleigh regarding charter schools, I doubt if this cap proposal will be successful. It certainly does not have my support.
[UPDATE: Pleased to see that the N&R editorial staff agrees with me.]
However, I was the lone "no" vote on the final product due to my discomfort about the recommendation on the lifting of the cap of 100 schools. I agree that the cap should be lifted in a planned, controlled way, but in my opinion, the compromise reached by the Commission is convoluted and unpredictable. I prefer to "say what you mean and mean what you say" instead of saying high performing schools don't count towards the cap while totally ignoring the reality of an equal number of low performing schools. Given the political climate in Raleigh regarding charter schools, I doubt if this cap proposal will be successful. It certainly does not have my support.
[UPDATE: Pleased to see that the N&R editorial staff agrees with me.]
Holiday Wonders
Last night's performance of Holiday Wonders at the Coliseum's War Memorial Auditorium presented a beautiful look at Chinese culture with some some not-so-subtle political commentary interspersed. The dancers were beautiful and graceful, concealing the strength and athleticism the intricate moves required. My favorites were the Mongolian Bowl Dance, Drummers of the Tang Court, and Forsythia in Spring. Well done!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Hooray for the Western Loop!
I had to make an emergency "hamburger run" out to the HondaJet construction site this evening when my husband unexpectedly found himself covering the evening security shift with no food on hand for his supper break. I decided to test drive the newly-opened portion of the western urban loop to get there and was delighted to make the normally 15-20 minute trip across town to the site in about ten minutes. The freeway was practically deserted at 6PM -- guess drivers haven't discovered this new route yet -- but I'm sure that will change as soon as people discover what a time saver it can be.
Great job, NCDOT! Now let's get the other section open.
Great job, NCDOT! Now let's get the other section open.
Friday, December 14, 2007
December harvest
Would you believe my husband harvested these veggies from the Carmany garden this week? Unbelievable!
Grandchildren update
Here are a few photos and updates on my grandkids.
Kammie with cousin Garrett on Thanksgiving
Morgan after her piano recital
Garrett's first encounter with SantaAnd finally, one from my oldest son -- His ten-year-old daughter rushed in from school one day this week without speaking to anyone and slammed the door to her room. When he checked to see what the problem was, she shouted, "I don't want to move up to fifth grade -- I'm going to flunk on purpose!"
He asked, "Why, what's the problem?"
She responded, "They showed us a film today on puberty, and I don't want to do that. I'll just stay in fourth grade so I don't have to do that."
Doing his best to supress his laughter, he gently explained "that's going to happen someday no matter what grade you are in; you'll still grow up."
Ah, children!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Sunday, December 02, 2007
The briefing that almost wasn't
The meeting room at the Kitchen Operations Center was full of city staff at last Tuesday's regularly scheduled City Council Briefing Session, but a bit short of councilmembers themselves with only five of us eventually showing up for the full agenda.
I was the only councilmember who showed up at the right place at the right time. Mayor Holliday and Councilmembers Tom Phillips and Goldie Wells slipped in late after mistakenly traveling downtown to our regular meeting spot in the Plaza Level Conference Room. Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson-Groat arrived about an hour-an-a-half late after a reminder phone call -- she had totally forgotten about the meeting. Councilman Mike Barber did not show up. Councilmembers Yvonne Johnson and Dianne Bellamy-Small were out of town and Florence Gatten was sick.
Those present received an update from Greensboro Beautiful on the proposed Gateway Gardens. They presented an excellent video about the park and the plans for it. They are actively seeking contributions and grants, having raised $2.8 million of the estimated $5 million needed to complete the project.
The most important item was an update on the Capital Projects/Bond Debt. Finance Director Rick Lusk shared great news -- with careful planning about the timing and amount of the sale of voter-authorized bonds, it appears there will be no need for a tax increase for the next three years to cover the debt service on those bonds -- a change from previous estimates. Various department heads reviewed which projects have been completed and/or ones that will soon be under construction as well as needs for future bonds to build unfunded projects such as streets and more fire stations. There were numerous tidbits of interesting information shared -- for example, no additional costs are being incurred to provide fire service to the Cardinal area upon annexation due to previous agreements with county fire service that replaced the Guilford College fire station and transferred that equipment to the city. If the new city council wants to make any changes in the pending bond sale, they must do so by mid-January (which means city staff must brief the four who missed this important information and bring them up to speed.)
Team Greensboro recognized us councilmembers who will be leaving on December 4 with some small gifts of appreciation. City Manager Mitchell Johnson had calculated how many meetings and hours we had spent at city council meetings. Needless to say, we are going to have a whole lot more free time now!
The city's Financial Department was awarded the Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting again, part of the city's tradition.
The morning concluded with the well-deserved recognition of the Water Resources Department for earning the Employee Safety Star Award, one of only seven that have been awarded to the public sector. NC Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry presented the award and praised the employees for their strong commitment to safety.
I was the only councilmember who showed up at the right place at the right time. Mayor Holliday and Councilmembers Tom Phillips and Goldie Wells slipped in late after mistakenly traveling downtown to our regular meeting spot in the Plaza Level Conference Room. Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson-Groat arrived about an hour-an-a-half late after a reminder phone call -- she had totally forgotten about the meeting. Councilman Mike Barber did not show up. Councilmembers Yvonne Johnson and Dianne Bellamy-Small were out of town and Florence Gatten was sick.
Those present received an update from Greensboro Beautiful on the proposed Gateway Gardens. They presented an excellent video about the park and the plans for it. They are actively seeking contributions and grants, having raised $2.8 million of the estimated $5 million needed to complete the project.
The most important item was an update on the Capital Projects/Bond Debt. Finance Director Rick Lusk shared great news -- with careful planning about the timing and amount of the sale of voter-authorized bonds, it appears there will be no need for a tax increase for the next three years to cover the debt service on those bonds -- a change from previous estimates. Various department heads reviewed which projects have been completed and/or ones that will soon be under construction as well as needs for future bonds to build unfunded projects such as streets and more fire stations. There were numerous tidbits of interesting information shared -- for example, no additional costs are being incurred to provide fire service to the Cardinal area upon annexation due to previous agreements with county fire service that replaced the Guilford College fire station and transferred that equipment to the city. If the new city council wants to make any changes in the pending bond sale, they must do so by mid-January (which means city staff must brief the four who missed this important information and bring them up to speed.)
Team Greensboro recognized us councilmembers who will be leaving on December 4 with some small gifts of appreciation. City Manager Mitchell Johnson had calculated how many meetings and hours we had spent at city council meetings. Needless to say, we are going to have a whole lot more free time now!
The city's Financial Department was awarded the Certificate for Excellence in Financial Reporting again, part of the city's tradition.
The morning concluded with the well-deserved recognition of the Water Resources Department for earning the Employee Safety Star Award, one of only seven that have been awarded to the public sector. NC Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry presented the award and praised the employees for their strong commitment to safety.
High Point Road concepts
The draft concepts are now online for the West Lee Street/High Point Road Corridor Plan that were shared at a public meeting on November 15. Feel free to submit comments through the link to the survey on this page.
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