Elic's Thoughts of the Day...or Week...or Month...

Retreating

2012-01-10T21:56:00.000-05:00

Today marked the first day of the 2012 Franklinton Board of Commissioners Retreat. What a great day! First, the members of our Board and our department heads took a few minutes to get to know one another better. We connected in several new ways in order to build a great team for the hard work we have ahead in the coming months. (In the world of local government, this Board is technically only a 'Board' for two years; even if in 2013, the same three Commissioners are re-elected, it technically creates a new 'Board' because they've been given a new term. Thus, we do teambuilding pieces every two years.)

Following that, we took time to work through our own vision of how we hope the citizens of Franklinton will see their Board of Commissioners. We strategized major issues facing our community and local government in the next six months, and within the next 12-24 months. We heard reports from our police department, public works department, code enforcement, planning and zoning department, and our water plant department. We worked through the process of how the Board will move forward with the Town's takeover of Evergreen Cemetery, and the forward movement of the Town's negotiations with a private company, Envirolink, with managing our water plant.

Tomorrow will be a different kind of day...I'll be training our Board members on how to appropriately use their laptops and software to be able to facilitate presentations on the training materials we've gathered through the past year or two in an effort to provide professional growth opportunities for our local elected officials (and any citizens who want to join!). That should be interesting!

Life on the D List

2012-01-05T23:54:00.000-05:00

I know...odd title. You're thinking, "You're not Kathy Griffin!" No, I'm not...but we've got at least one thing in common. The D List. For Kathy, the D list refers to her non-A-list status in Hollywood. For Elic...it's all about politics, philosophy of life, and how I function in the arena of politics. And after today, my Democratic-ness is enshrined in cement.

Earlier today, the NC General Assembly took (what is at least) an unethical step in their efforts to punish my employer, and my longtime professional association, the North Carolina Association of Educators, for having the audacity to have a voice in the inner workings of our State government. The Republican leadership chose to exact revenge for the Association's efforts to educate our members regarding what Democratic House members were planning to do in regards to voting for or against the State budget last spring. Well, two of them - Reps. Brisson and Crawford - came back to the trough for some more Republican 'hay' last night. They horsetrading their votes for some unknown payoff (like chairmanships, etc.) and throwing the members of NCAE that have worked to get them elected under the bus. The House voted last night to ban any form of payroll deduction for members of NCAE.

Why is this a big deal? NCAE was singled out. No other form of payroll deduction - from other professional organizations to the United Way and health benefits - were banned. The lead sponsor of this bill - a Republican NCAE has worked against because he NEVER supports public education - specifically said that he chose NCAE because he knew he could get it through.

Also, there is a raging amount of misinformation about the Association floating around. NCAE is a voluntary organization. It is not mandatory to join, nor is it mandatory to pay dues. North Carolina is a right-to-work state, which prevents anyone from collective bargaining, which in turn prevents any forceful deduction of dues for anyone. NCAE does many functions of a traditional educator's union; however, we do not bargain contracts. We do a good deal of lobbying for our members, specifically with regards to salary and benefits. Don't get me started on why. NCAE also actually is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. We're as hard on Democrats as we are Republicans...and independents.

Which brings us back to the D List. I've been a Democrat since birth, just about. I have voted for Republicans before. In high school, I even cast my 'vote' in the mock-Presidential election of 1992 for Ross Perot, much though I hold the Clintons in such high reverence as political heroes. But since the moment I could form an opinion, I've been a Democrat.

I'm a liberal. I'm not ashamed of it. I have some rather not-quite-liberal opinions. For instance, I believe wholeheartedly that if you break in my house, I should have the right to blow your head off and ask questions later. I believe in the death penalty. Having had the experience of losing two family members to murder, I have a personal experience which informs my opinion.

I'm very proud to be a Democrat. I'm also proud to support Democrats. This year is going to be a long one. It's going to be a long, long season of political ads and rhetoric. As time goes by, I hope we all take the time to discern between the facts and the rhetoric. While one may not agree with everything the previous General Assembly leadership did, they never took major steps to completely destroy public education. It's time to put North Carolina back on track. The vacaton was nice, but it's time to put North Carolinians first again. Get ready to Rock the Vote in 2012!

Retirement...or Not

2012-01-04T16:17:00.000-05:00

When I left Wakefield High School on January 20, 2006, I had a feeling then that I would likely never return to teaching in a high school setting. However...because I'd vested with the State of North Carolina in the Teachers and State Employees Retirement System, I chose to leave my contributions in the system so that they could A) grow, and B) be there in case I return to the classroom, or some other full time form of government employment.

Well kids...it's the dawn of a new day. In my family, there are three of us who were employees of the State of North Carolina at some point...my dad (as a district court judge), my brother (as local law enforcement) and me (as a teacher). We were all part of the same system, pretty much. My dad and I had long conversations about not withdrawing funds once you leave the state. But...those conversations were had in a very, very different time.

When I started teaching in 1999, the State provided employees and retirees who'd vested with 'free' health insurance through the State Health Plan. At that time, the basic deductible was $250; and there was an 80/20 copay, which was at the time $500. So...to get to 100% coverage, you had to spend $750 out of pocket. Now, mind you, 13 years ago that was a chunk of money - especially when I was only making $27,500 a year. Also, in that mix, was the fact that until 2000, there wasn't a prescription drug plan on the 80/20 PPO. Then, things began to change.

When I left teaching in 2006, the deductible was $500, and the 80/20 copay was $2000. In doing a little research, I discovered that now, the deductible is $700, and the 80/20 copay is $3200!!! I won't file retirement with the State of North Carolina for another 25-30 years...so at this rate, the deductible then would be $1,500, and the 80/20 copay would be over $6,000! In looking at my retirement proejctions...I'd only actually bring home $250 a month from my little bit of State retirement. Couple that with the worsening health insurance from the State...and I made a decision.

I put the final nail in the coffin of my State service today at about 3:30pm. I sent in my paperwork to withdraw my retirement contributions, as well as my old State 401(k). Why? Re-read what I wrote above. It weight heavily on my heart. I purposely left it untouched for six years. But...seeing how things are going...I know it's not going to get better, and that money will allow Ed and I to finish the house, pay a bill or two, and...breathe. So...sayonara State retirement. You've served me well.

It's About Time...

2012-01-02T01:54:00.000-05:00

Well...after taking nearly a year off from writing this blog, I'm back at it. I figured I should jump back in after I've heard so many times over the past several months, "I read your blog." So...here I am!

Happy New Year!

Ed and I have spent the past few days over at VSP (the Vine Street Project...which will one day become a home, if the construction ever ends!). Thanks to my dad, and our never-ending attempts at remodeling, we're almost done with the upstairs! Ed's been working like a champion n the staircase...he's sanded almost every one of the spindles (we still have to do the ones going to the attic) and is working on Kilzing them now. Once that's done, I can do the repairs to the woodwork.

I spent the majority of the week moving from one thing to another upstairs. After finishing the wall touchups in our bedroom, I did the touchups on the crown moulding in the middle bathroom. I cleaned up a bit (though Ed finished that chore up on Friday because his shoulders were killing him from sanding). I painted the door for the back bathroom, and picked up the two single French doors for the upstairs kitchen, and got those painted. I got the hinges up for the cabinets in the living room (upstairs), and got them completely scraped and sanded, and started repairing them. Daddy got the woodworking 99% done in the middle bathroom, and now all I have left to do is finish the touchups and paint the one side of the door facing that he had to replace.

We took New Year's Day off, mainly because my back has been killing me for two days and I just couldn't rock another day over there. So, since I'm off tomorrow, we'll go back over, and I'll get done whatever I can, and then, thankfully, I don't have to work this next weekend, so I can go back then, too. Hopefully, by the 22nd, we'll be DONE with the upstairs!

When I do get back to work on Tuesday, I'm headed straight to a workshop in Greensboro, then back to the office. There's a two page list from Town Hall and a one pager from NCAE that I have to get done ASAP, so that means at least three long days this week! Here's to crossing things off the To Do list!

Remembering my Grandmother...My Eulogy from her Funeral

2011-04-05T23:04:00.000-04:00

I had the privilege of knowing three of my four grandparents. My mom’s dad, Elic, passed away nearly 50 years ago. My dad’s dad, Hubert, died just over 25 years ago. My mom’s mom, as most of you know, passed away just over 20 years ago. And today, we’re all gathered to remember my dad’s mother, and our family’s matriarch, Elizabeth Senter, the grandparent I was fortunate to have in my life the longest. Today marks a turning point in my life, and the lives of so many of us, this transition of living without knowing my grandmother is just a phone call away. That’s what happens when someone walks the Earth for over 80 years, I suppose. I’ve wondered several times what life would be like without grandparents around me. Now I know. It stinks.

When I was growing up, I was asked with great frequency, “Are you going to be a lawyer when you grow up, like your granddaddy and daddy?” And when I responded, “No, I’m going to be a science teacher,” I always got the same response. The person who was asking the question was at one confused and horrified. The only person that never had to warm to the idea of my being a teacher was my grandmother. She, like my parents, supported nearly every decision I made and was there at nearly every milestone event. She was there at my 6^th grade graduation, at honor society inductions, and for awhile, my family’s annual vacation to that Great Smoky Mountain Mecca, Dollywood. Like about a third of Franklinton, I also worked for her for a bit while I was in high school. She helped shape who I am as a person…so if you don’t like it…you know who to blame. Her love was unwavering…and even though she’s gone, I know it’s still there, and today, in this Sanctuary…it’s here.

Speaking of confusing and horrifying decisions…about four years ago I decided that I wanted to run for Mayor of the Town of Franklinton. My father looked at me like I’d grown an extra ear, and said, “Well…it’s a thankless job that pays absolutely nothing.” My grandmother, however, was ecstatic. “I think that’s wonderful, just wonderful!,” she said. She even politicked for me. And on the night of my election, when she found out that I’d won, she sat in the kitchen at my parents’ house crying, because she was bursting with pride. I came in and knelt down next to her, and she looked in my eyes and said, “I can die happy now, Elic.” I was honored, a few weeks later, when she held the Bible at my swearing in ceremony. It’s a moment that I will treasure for the rest of my days.

Now that I’ve been around a minute or two, I know that there’s one thing that mayors get to do, that they don’t have to ask for permission from anybody. Proclamations are documents mayors get to create, just because they’d like to. So today, I’ve got a proclamation to read…and for once, this one I wrote myself.

Dancing

2010-11-02T07:19:00.000-04:00

I know it's random...but I'm thinking about Dancing with the Stars! Over the past five years, I've really grown to enjoy that show! It may seem random...but there is logic behind it. When I was in high school, my grandmother (Elizabeth Senter) decided that she wanted to take up ballroom dancing. So...she did! She began at 71 taking lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studios near downtown Raleigh. And she was GOOD. She had a blast! She went to competitions - and won! - went on cruises, went to dances in different areas...it was amazing to see. So, when this ballroom dance competition began, at first, I thought to myself, "This has got to be the stupidest idea I have ever heard." (I thought the same thing about Survivor, American Idol, and America's Next Top Model...andI feel the same about Skating with the Stars.)

So...I didn't watch the first year. But I've been in it nearly every season since. DWTS does a fall and a spring season. Some aren't that great to me, but they pulled out the stops this year. I vote every Monday night to make sure that NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER! I LOVE watching Jennifer Gray (Team Jennhougher) dance. Except for last week, she has been absolutely amazing. I'm convinced that she was ROBBED last night - her routine deserved perfect TENS! I don't know why she didn't get them! But I'll be watching tonight...and hoping that my 42 votes (6 votes per e-mail address and by text message) pay off!

Training

2010-10-24T19:46:00.001-04:00

I'm in Winston-Salem for the NC League of Municipalities annual conference. I LOVE this conference. It is one of the few real learning opportunities available to elected officials. Yesterday, after serving on a panel of education professionals during Homecoming festivities at Elon, I came to Winston (I used to live here, so I get to call it that) to participate in a workshop called Balancing Your Budget During Tight Times. It was AWESOME. There was a game with real scenarios, and a visioning exercise. It was hands on, and the presenters didn't talk at us. I came away wanting to have this in Franklin County with my colleagues from other municipalities. I think they'd like it too!

This morning, I attended a workshop called Involving the Public in the Budgeting Process. As most of you know, this is a sore spot for me. But - the difference between me and some bitter old man is that I want to learn. I want new tips! I want to find a better way to do things! And after today's session, and some brainstorming at Barnes and Noble, I think we may have a few! Hearing some of today's suggestions was rather validating, because some of the tips they gave were things I was already planning, like having community meetings, doing educational outreach, and doing short YouTube videos. I also liked the idea of a Citizens Budget Advisory Committee. Spread the love! (Or, depending on who's talking...the hate.)

I'm energized. I'm so energized, I updated my website!

Oh...and you can catch a bit of what we're doing here.

You asked for it...so here it is...

2010-10-19T21:21:00.001-04:00

I've been told I need to post something. This will certainly be something.

I am ANGRY. You might wonder, why are you angry? You're usually so positive with your attitude and outlook! Normally, I am. What I'm angry about is the way people seem to feel the need to treat me of late, just because I hold elected office. (It's not you, Annie...) Allow me to explain.

I intentionally ran for this office. I had some idea of what I was getting into. I knew it was going to be a thankless job, and I never got into this by thinking that people would be falling at my feet. I also have no intention of sitting around, bemoaning the work or the job itself, because I asked for it. But right now? I'm about ready to give it back.

I realize that times are tough. I realize that budgets are tight. And I know that the choices that the Board made this year weren't easy or popular. But where was everybody when we were working through the budget? How much more can we do, send a personal letter every time we meet? I can't get five people to show up to a regular meeting where things are being discussed, but give someone an opportunity to complain, and man, they run with it.

For the past three years, I have willingly given my time, my energy, and what little talent I have into this work. Until tonight it was a joy. Until tonight, it was worth it. Time away from my family, time away from my home and my job, having to take vacation time to be at Town Hall. It simply doesn't seem to be worth it right now. I just can't take the sheer volume of hatred, of hatefulness, and of backstabbing from supposed friends and neighbors. I'm tired. I'm sick, and I'm tired. I'm over it.

I know, I know...I just need to step back. I know that it's the 80/20 rule...20% of the people do 80% of the complaining. But would it kill anybody to say, "Hey...it's a thankless job and I see your car at Town Hall at all hours of the night...thank you for spending your free time, your family time, your time away from your dying mother...thank you for spending that time working for this community. It doesn't go unnoticed." I'm not asking for the world...and now, after having said this, such comments would ring rather hollow. I'm venting, and I know it. That'll happen after four straight months of verbal abuse.

I wish for you, those of you reading this, a better night than I've had. I wish for you appreciation for your work, your time, and your life. I wish for you a fantastic day every day. And I hope like hell I wake up and see that bright outlook for my tomorrow. My best to all of you.

A Letter to Time...

2010-09-23T12:22:00.000-04:00

September 20, 2010

Dear Editor:

I read with great interest the articles A Call to Action for Public Schools and How to Recruit Great Teachers. I found many of the author’s points very interesting. However, there were also several points left out that should have been included, and several questions that went unanswered.

Many so-called ‘school choice advocates,’ as well as members of the current Admnistration, quite heavily favor the use of charter schools as an answer to many of the ills facing our country’s public schools. However, charter schools are not always the answer. Charter schools began as an educational ‘experiment’ nearly 20 years ago as a way for traditional public schools to gain new insights and innovations to apply in their own practices. However, nearly two decades later, very few of those innovations have made any form of a transfer to traditional public schools, and as you note in your article in a rather ‘roundabout’ way, many charter schools have become the middle ground between public and private schools and are just a method by which parents can opt out of their local public school.

One major issue that received precious little coverage in A Call to Action for Public Schools is that of the unfunded mandate. The greatest unfunded mandate of the current generation is that of the current Elementary and Secondary Education Act – also known by the misnomer of No Child Left Behind. The entire program of ESEA/NCLB is basically set up backwards. There is, as we are all aware, a heavy emphasis on standardized testing in the current legislation – but where is any notion of student growth? When a student comes into my 3^rd grade classroom on a 1^st grade reading level, and I teach that student for an entire year, and s/he leaves reading on a 2^nd grade level, have I not given that student a full year’s education? Where is the measure of the student’s growth? The answer is simple – no credit is given for such growth, and both the student and the teacher are punished for not being on grade level.

On that same page, there are a (rather well known) series of sanctions built into ESEA/NCLB that quite frankly are constructed backwards. The first sanction is to allow parents to move students to another school – and this sanction is put into place before any supplemental education services (also known as tutoring) are offered at the base school! What sense does this make? Why would you not offer the opportunity to improve at the school where the child has already made social connections and has a support system in place before uprooting him or her? Fixing the broken parts of ESEA/NCLB, and appropriately funding it – or not requiring those components that aren’t funded – is a great first step towards improving public education in the United States.

Throughout the article (and the movie referenced in the article “Waiting for Superman”) much mention is made of the Teach for America program. While Teach for America is a great program and it does show solid results, it is not a stopgap measure for solving all issues with regards to educator recruitment and retention. I had the privilege of teaching in the public schools of North Carolina for seven years before leaving the classroom to become an education consultant with the North Carolina Association of Educators. During that time, I worked with several teachers who were Teach for America fellows. The challenge that I, along with many others, see with Teach for America is that it basically creates ‘educational missionaries.’ These individuals are drawn to some of the toughest schools and have great training – but are only allowed to stay for two years? What sense does that make when one of the biggest issues facing these priority schools that are hard to staff is teacher turnover? Why not let those individuals who have had such intensive training stay? Fortunately, in North Carolina, we have made a provision for those teachers to stay in their schools through a modified alternative licensure program.

In your lengthy discussion surrounding Teach for America and other alternatives to traditional teacher preparation programs, you also omitted several different teacher preparation programs around the country, including one of the most innovative programs which can be found right here in North Carolina. The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, now in its 24^th year, has long been a leader in preparing educators for classroom experience. NC Teaching Fellows are awarded a scholarship of $6,500 each year for up to four years in college in exchange for teaching in a public school in North Carolina for each of those years in which the Fellow receives funding. As an alumnus of the program myself, I can tell you firsthand what this program does for those of us planning to become educators.

Unlike many of my college classmates at the Elon College School of Education, those of us who were NC Teaching Fellows were in schools in the second semester of our freshman year. Getting Teaching Fellows into schools for practical experience actually began the trend of doing such with all education majors that is now pervasive throughout schools of education in North Carolina. The program also provided us with opportunities for enrichment, guest speakers, professional conferences and internship experiences that other education majors were not afforded because they were not Teaching Fellows. As an alumnus of the program, I was more prepared for my first day of teaching than many of my colleagues who began teaching the same year.

The concept of ‘tenure’ is mentioned several times throughout the article. Whenever referenced, it is done so in a very negative light. There is more to the concept of ‘tenure’ than meets the eye. Allow me to explain. Tenure is not a guarantee that ‘bad teachers’ will stay in the classroom…it is mainly a change in status from probationary to career (which is why it is known as career status in many states, including North Carolina). This change in status really only removes the at-will clause, meaning that a teacher can’t simply be released from duty because they wore the wrong color one day, or because of a personality conflict – and yes, both of these are examples of reasons for which probationary educators I know have been fired. If administrators and school boards truly want to remove ‘bad teachers’ or ineffective teachers, they simply need to keep their documentation to prove when issues arise and when said teachers are not taking steps to improve themselves.

While on the topic of professional improvement, I often wonder why it is that we are so quick to throw teachers out into the street just because one evaluator may believe they aren’t meeting the evaluator’s definition of ‘effective’? I’m sure that Mr. Cloud wasn’t a distinguished author when she began her career. Was she supported in her career and nurtured, providing the opportunities for growth necessary to become a top-notch author, or was she simply cast aside with no opportunity for learning to improve her skills? Do we expect that simply because many refer to teaching as a ‘calling’ that every teacher come to work on the first day with every skill set refined to the hilt? Should we in our examination of reform take a look at how we mentor novice teachers, and how we mentor more veteran teachers?

In North Carolina, we have made great strides towards creating an evaluation system that not only recognizes and encourages professional growth, but it also supports educators who are most in need of nurturing and growth. It also has a mechanism for the removal of those educators who are not growing, and are not effective. Our state’s Professional Teaching Standards Commission crafted – with input from educators, parents, and legislators – a set of five professional teaching standards by which all teachers are measured. To further the goal of making those standards a living embodiment in our public schools, those same standards are the backbone of our new Teacher Evaluation Process in North Carolina. Each standard has a series of elements, most of which are demonstrable through an educator’s actual teaching practice. Each teacher will be rated on each element as Developing, Proficient, Accomplished or Distinguished. The evaluation process is truly a growth model, one that will empower teachers to have real involvement in their own professional growth, but which will also encourage teachers and administrators to examine areas in which they need to grow professionally. North Carolina is the first state in the country to have an evaluation system like this in place. Why is it that such a program was not mentioned in this article that so loudly touts other education reforms, focusing those reforms on teachers?

As well, in these highly expansive articles discussing how teachers must grow and how teachers must be effective, why is there absolutely no mention of proven, standards-based and research-driven processes for teacher growth and effectiveness such as National Board Certification. Teachers who pursue National Board Certification must not only deeply examine their own professional practices, but they must reflect on those practices and how their actions impact student learning every day. The National Board Certification process involves four portfolio-based entries which are completed over a series of months, and include an examination of student work samples, videotaped teaching lessons, and an in-depth reflection of the teaching practices that are employed by the teacher. Over the course of the last decade, study after study has shown that National Board Certified Teachers do have a measurable impact on student achievement, and the almighty test score which we have clung to as a measure of student intelligence in this country. Why did Ms. Ripley not examine this process while discussing school reform and teacher effectiveness?

Referring back to Mr. Cloud’s article regarding recruiting better teachers, many good points are made. The byline sums it up nicely – pay and prestige are part of the problem – but there’s one major challenge that he didn’t discuss, and many people for some reason consistently fail to do so, and that is the issue of teacher retention. What good does it do to recruit a teacher if they leave after a few months or a couple of years? As I shared earlier, one of the major issues facing many of our most challenged schools is the amount of heavy teacher turnover. Such turnover exists for a number of reasons – a lack of ‘exciting’ living environment, poverty in the community, an unsupportive administration at the school, an uninterested or undeveloped parent population, and the list goes on. When are we, as a country and an educational ‘establishment’ going to take seriously the issue of teacher retention?

As the article notes, pay is one major issue. When I left the classroom, I made roughly $38,000 per year – and that included extra duty pay. That was after having taught for seven years. Why should someone have to work for ten years just to break the $40,000 per year barrier? I realize that to many, $40,000 may seem way too high to pay “just a teacher,” especially “just a teacher who gets three months off in the summer.” But they are wrong.

The justification? First, I don’t know of any teacher who actually gets ‘three months off in the summer.’ Most teachers don’t end the school year until mid-June, and then there’s a series of workdays after that. Thus, the real “summertime” break for traditional schools is actually two months, not three. School in many states may not begin until after Labor Day, but you can rest assured that teachers are back in schools before then, as there’s also a series of workdays prior to students returning. Most teachers also spend time in the summer months pursuing professional development while school is not in session (for traditional calendar schools), thus the notion of a three month vacation is not only a misnomer, it’s a myth.

Second, if one were to calculate the number of hours an average teacher spends working both in and out of the classroom during the regular school year, it would likely be about twelve hours (time teaching, time planning, time meeting, time grading…). Now…take that twelve hours per day, and multiply it by the North Carolina teacher’s school year – 215 days (180 of which are student contact days). You end up with 2,580 hours. Now, divide that into the base salary of a fifth year teacher in North Carolina, which is $31,290. That gets you $12.13 per hour. $12.13 per hour. Why would anyone want to work in a profession that is consistently beaten down, consistently criticized as ‘not good enough,’ and where the professionals themselves are rarely heard when raising issues about their own jobs for less than one could make as a manager at Wendy’s? That doesn’t even take into account the number of education professionals who must work a second or third job to make ends meet!

Most assume that this issue is where teachers unions come into play, and why ‘all we ever hear is unions harping about teacher pay and benefits.’ But salary and benefits is not all for which teachers unions stand. In full disclosure, I mentioned earlier that I am an education consultant for the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE). NCAE is the state affiliate in North Carolina for the National Education Association. Prior to joining NCAE staff, I was a proud member of NCAE as a classroom teacher, and was a local leader in both Forsyth and Wake Counties. I will always be Proud to be NCAE, because of the work that we do every day to exemplify the mission of creating great public schools for every student in our actions as both a union and a professional association. Quite frankly, I’m rather tired of hearing how unions are bad, how unions block progress, and how unions prevent true education reform. I fail to see how guaranteeing one’s due process rights a bad thing! Such is one of the major functions of teacher unions, and the NEA specifically.

In this country, our legal system is based upon the principle that one is innocent until proven guilty. Why would we run our schools differently? And where is the mention of the good work that unions do? The National Education Association has for decades worked to find solutions to issues such as teacher retention, improving graduation rates, lowering dropout rates, working with students of poverty, and supporting priority schools. Where is the mention (or the discussion) of the work of teachers unions around closing achievement gaps? Where do your authors share thoughts about teaching students of all achievement and socioeconomic levels? Teachers unions are about more than pay and benefits. We are about educating the whole child, and every action we take proves it. As the motto of the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey says, ‘Teacher working conditions are student learning conditions!’ None of these issues, or these viewpoints, were taken into account in the articles published in Time. I fail to see how this magazine can maintain its reputation as a fair and non-biased publication with such one-sided and slanted articles that leave out information.

Very truly yours,

Elic A. Senter

Franklinton, NC

High Speed Rail

2010-09-14T13:53:00.001-04:00

As I’m sure you’re aware…the concept of high speed rail isn’t high on my list of priorities. If we’re going to spend that kind of money…how about give me 2% of what the budget is for this program in our state! $400 MILLION????? Do you know what I can do with $8 million in Franklinton? GOOD LORD! We could completely overhaul the remaining sewer lines, expand down South Main Street and South Chavis Street, AND repave all the streets! Good, good night. I still cannot believe we’re spending this money on such a big fat waste of time!

Now…here’s what I want everyone to understand. This proposal didn’t show up yesterday. In fact, I’m quite tired of hearing about how high speed rail is some liberal boondoggle brought on by the wasteful, socialist Obama Administration. Saying that just means you’re looking for a way to slam the President without knowing your history. This program was actually begun under a different Democrat…Bill Clinton. It was during Clinton’s second term that our region was identified as a priority high speed rail corridor. It was during Bush’s (W’s) first term that the program was accelerated and that’s actually when money began being poured into the program. So to blame a Democratic administration and a Democratic Congress for spending that was accelerated and initiated during a Republican administration and a Republican Congress is nothing more than showing your interest in partisanship and division.

This program knows no politics. It knows no high quality planning. It knows no limits to spending. And in Franklinton, it knows no limits to adverse impacts to our community. Listening to proponents promote the positives (I’m into alliteration) grates my nerves more than nails on a chalkboard. Do not tell me how wonderful it will be to get on a train and get to Washington, DC in four hours from Raleigh when it only takes me FOUR HOURS to get to Washington from FRANKLINTON! That’s a CROCK! Why would I get on a train to drive to downtown Raleigh only to get on the train and ride to Richmond? If the train’s going to take two hours…and then, I’m taking a total of just under THREE hours to get there…when I can just drive myself in the SAME TWO HOURS! Ugh.

I absolutely WILL NOT allow our community and our citizens to bear the cost of constructing substations on the east side of town just so ‘high speed rail’ can be built to separate the east and west sides of Franklinton! That’s simply unfair. It’s also an unnecessary fiscal burden. And as long as I’m sitting in this chair (or with this pin on my shirt), it ain’t gonna happen. Just like Scarlett O’Hara…’As God as my witness, I’ll lie down and die first!’

Mama

2010-08-31T19:49:00.000-04:00

FINALLY, some good news!

But first…the bad. As you know, my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer in late May, and in mid-June, had a tumor removed from the left side of her brain. She has rebounded beautifully, and we truly could not ask for more from that surgery. Following her surgery, a PET scan to detect other cancerous areas was ordered by both her surgeon and her oncologist. Then, the badder news. That paragon of virtue and caring, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, denied my mother’s PET scan, saying it wasn’t medically necessary. Wasn’t medically necessary? Are you serious? WHERE IS DEREK SHEPHERD WHEN YOU NEED HIM???

Fortunately, there are angels among us. My mom’s oncologist made a couple of phone calls, and Rex Hospital paid for her PET scan. Let there never be questions why I will continue to always choose Rex Hospital for my healthcare needs. The PET scan was on Monday, July 26. We got the results on Thursday, July 29. And it wasn’t pretty.

My mom’s base cancer, the root cause of everything else, is lung cancer, from a small mass in the upper lobe of her right lung. Stage 4 lung cancer. There is no survival rate. No matter what measures are taken, she will eventually die from it. Not only that, but it has also spread to her lymph nodes (just above the right breast), the right side of her throat, possibly her liver, and of course, her brain. However, they needed to do more studies on her liver to determine if it was actually cancer. So, an additional MRI was ordered.

Now, for the good news! The spot on her liver ISN’T CANCER! FINALLY! Something good in all of this! There is some concern over a new spot on her brain, but they’re not sure what that is just yet.

For today…I’ll savor that news.

The Late, Great Sadie Cutchins

2010-08-31T19:46:00.000-04:00

In late July, our community lost one of its longtime and most beloved leaders. To some, she was a heroine. To many, she was a friend, a mentor, a shoulder, and a leader. But to my friend and colleague, Commissioner Joe Cutchins, she was Mom. Sadie Bell Fogg Cutchins spent nearly 85 years on walking this Earth, and she certainly packed a lot into them.

Moving from humble beginnings in Warren County, at 17 she married Joseph B. F. Cutchins, Sr. and moved to Franklinton, where he was a well respected businessman. (Of course, as Commissioner Cutchins shared at her funeral services, his uncles – her brothers – always referred to his dad as ‘that bald headed man that stole Sadie.’) Together, they built one of the most venerable establishments in Franklinton history – what is now Cutchins Funeral Home. They also began a journey that would lead them both to becoming two of Franklinton’s most prominent citizens.

Charitable, giving, and most of all, loving, Mrs. Cutchins made great strides in not only bridging divides in our community, but in our region, as well. She was the first African American member of the Franklinton City Schools Board of Education (when we were a separate school system). She reached across our community to foster conversation and understanding, to build the bridges that would help unite Franklinton as one. But most of all, as so strongly evidenced by her homegoing services, she was the matriarch of a family that loved her. For that, and so much more, she will be truly missed.

Godspeed, thy faithful servant.

Twenty Years…It Goes By Fast…

2010-08-10T23:22:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe that today is August 10, 2010. Standing back on the edge of 15 West College Street in the mid-morning hours of August 10, 1990, this day seemed so very, very far away. Today marks twenty years since my mother was called by the pharmacist at Rite Aid (the drug store that once occupied the space now inhabited by Dollar General) and told that the KARTS bus couldn’t get my grandmother to the door. So, my mother traveled down Hillsborough Street and turned into the driveway of the little greenish white house on the corner with the ½ wraparound porch. She used her key to go into the back porch (which was closed in, and united the back bedroom with the kitchen). She walked in, after walking around the yard for a few minutes calling out, “Mama? Mama?” When she moved towards the kitchen door and pushed it, it came back to her. She pushed it again, this time with more force and placed her body in the wedged opening, and there she found, on the floor, my grandmother. Laying face down, her head surrounded by a pool of her own blood.

My mother reach down and felt of MaMa (that’s my mom’s mom) and realized she was cold. The stark reality that she was most likely gone settled in…as did the fact that this was no accident, and the person who did it may still be in the house. (This was also before the commonality of cell phones.) She jogged into the room that once served as MaMa’s bedroom, and knelt by the bed, calling the Franklinton Police Department on the bedside telephone. (There was no 911 in Franklinton then.) Answering the phone was a young man my mom had known for years, Anthony Young. She said to him, “Anthony, this is Levoie Senter. I’m at my mother’s house. Someone has killed her. I need the police here right away.” He immediately dispatched the police to my grandmother’s house, and then-Police Chief Walter Beckham came to the front door. My mother ran to the front door, and Chief Beckham came in, saw the scene, and escorted my mom to the front porch. My mother then returned to the house, and called work, First Citizens Bank in Franklinton. She told her co-worker and friend, Teresa King, what had happened. It upset Teresa so greatly that she had to go home. Another co-worker and friend, Barbara (Pinkey) Kearney (no relation) came to MaMa’s house, and sat with Mama until my dad arrived.

Where was my dad, you ask? With me. Or, rather, I was with him. He had court in Oxford that day, and I went with him (as I did many times when I was a kid…never to see what he did, just to play in the office). I’d taken a walk down the street, went to the Hardee’s and had started back. Something stopped me. My eyes were blurry…dark. I couldn’t really see that well for a few moments. Then, I started to see stars, literally…flashing lights. Then, it cleared up, and I kept walking back to the courthouse. When I got back, I came into my dad’s chambers (Did I forget to share that my dad is a retired district court judge? I take for granted that folks know that…), and it was filled with people. This really tall lawyer told me that there was a family emergency, that I had to leave. Before I could say, “What are you talking about?”, my dad stepped in, and said two words…”Let’s go.”

Driving home along those winding back roads, heading down Green Hill Road over a bridge where my dad had once flipped a Chevelle, I said to him, “Please go slow over this bridge.” He laughed. As we crossed over it, he said, “I think something’s wrong at home. I think it’s MaMa Kearney.” Now, mind you, if he was just ‘thinking’ these things, I doubt he would have been driving 80 miles an hour. But that’s how he tried to tell me. I put my hand to my mouth and said, “No…something’s wrong with Mama. I know it. I don’t know what. But something’s wrong with Mama.” I’ll never be able to explain the connection I have with my mother. I know when things are good, and I know when things are bad…and I know how to read through the BS she peddles sometimes, too. I don’t know what kind of intuition it is…but I’ve got it.

We hit the light at Cheatham and Green, and Daddy squealed tires turning right onto our street. He was headed home…and then I turned my head and realized that home wasn’t where we needed to go. I shouted, “It’s MaMa!” I knew, because I could see the crime scene tape from the intersection of West College and South Cheatham, and her house was visible because it was only a block away. My dad made a u-turn at about 50 miles an hour in the middle of the street, and pulled up in front of the house. We were out of the truck before the wheels stopped rolling. When we got out, Pinkey and my dad’s friend Robert Dale Woodlief, one of the owners of Franklinton Hardware store and a longtime family friend, were walking my mom out from the house under the crime scene tape. When she saw us, she yelled out, “Somebody has killed her Larry!”

That’s the only part that can still truly make me cry. Somehow, over time, I have developed nerves of steel when it comes to such issues. When we found out about my mother’s cancer diagnosis, sitting in the emergency room at Rex Hospital, I had only a fleeting moment of grief, as that’s all I allowed myself. Then, came the pragmatist, the questioning, the facts. Many friends and family have shared with me their worry over these past few weeks and months that I’m holding too much inside, that I’m hurting and won’t share it. The truth? Yeah, I’m hurting. But, I discovered at 13 something that carries me through every low I’ve ever faced…everything’s gonna be alright, it’s gonna be okay. (That’s from Light of a Clear Blue Morning.) I’ll cry when she’s gone, but I'm going to enjoy her while she's here. It’s somethign I gained from the life experiences of my 13^th year on Earth.

I spent plenty of time mourning the loss of a grandmother I didn’t really know that well. (Though I did spend lots of quality time with her, I was too young to know her…but by God, I’m getting that ball of yarn my brother and I used to play with…so Chris, don’t get your heart set on that one.) I spent plenty of time grieving over the experience of a loss that occurred in such a public way. But what will hurt until the day I die, and surely until the day she does, is that my mother had to find her…and that she had to go through it all on display for the world. The pain my mother faced is the only part that still hurts.

When my mother yelled out in her grief, I threw my hand over my mouth and began to cry. Pinkey reached out to hold and comfort me. And that would be the point that the ace reporter from The Wake Weekly chose to snap their cover photo for that week. A picture of my mom, Robert Dale and my dad from behind, and my face, straight on, wearing my trademark 1990 Dolly Parton t-shirt (how were there ever questions?), about to break down in sobs. That stupid picture haunts me to this day. I can see it in my head just like the day it was published. This was before full color was used, so the color highlights for big stories just had a light, pastel color background. That week, they used purple. How appropriate.

We moved to the truck, and my dad got in the driver’s seat. I got in after my mom, and sat on the outside, so my dad could hold her. We drove the four blocks to our house on Cheatham Street, and got out. My mom and dad went for a walk in the backyard, while I went into the house. I came in, and literally slammed a handful of change at the kitchen counter. Pennies flew everywhere. Tigger, my cat, went scurrying off to my room, scared I was angry at him. (For all the things I was, that wasn’t one of them.) I went to find him, and I just held him and cried for a long time. Then, the Charlie Chaplain movie began. We knew there would be a glut of visitors almost immediately…so we had to clean up, and quick. My brother, who was then working undercover for the DEA, came home when he heard the call over the scanner. He, my dad and I began cleaning. And how did we clean? Fast and loose, using a technique I employed many, many years later when I was a finalist for Wake County Teacher of the Year, and the video crew showed up the Monday after Prom. We threw everything in boxes, and shoved it up in the attic.

Within twenty minutes, the well wishers and mourners came. Robert Dale was first. You know, there’s a long held Southern (and, really, human) tradition of bringing food to the grieving family, so nobody has to cook while they cry. Robert Dale was truly a friend of my parents, and he knew their first need wasn’t to eat. He brought two cartons of cigarettes…a carton of Camels for my dad, and Winstons for my mom. If that ain’t friendship…

I laid on my parents’ bed, listening to the scanner. I heard them when they wheeled MaMa’s body out. I heard them when they finished examining the crime scene for the day. I heard every step they took…and couldn’t fall asleep to nap because of it. Then, I heard some commotion. It was my mom’s co-workers from First Citizens. They’d all come together, to see how we were. They all cried when they saw my mom…and again when they saw me. They brought food, of course. But what they brought my mom, and what so many others brought, was worth so much more. They brought love. The brought the village.

The next few days were a blur, but I still remember them all quite clearly. There was a wake a couple of nights later. But the day after Mama found MaMa, we had a mountain of emotion to work through, not all of it ours. You see, my mother has four siblings – Leon, Evelyn, Geraldine, and Betty. Uncle Leon died when I was two, so I have very little memory of him. My aunts, however, fill my memories of my childhood. Visiting Aunt Betty at her house in South Carolina, and playing in her pool. The birthday cake Aunt Gerri made for me when I was three. Aunt Evelyn rolling that godforsaken ball of yarn with me. But, as sisters are wont to do, they didn’t always get along with each other, and for reasons that belong to them, and aren’t mine to tell, my Aunts Gerri and Betty hadn’t spoken in about ten years. On the morning of August 11, however, my Aunt Gerri was sitting in our living room (den), in the overstuffed chair that went with the furniture, crying, and talking about MaMa. Aunt Evelyn and Mama were in the kitchen. I knew that the most difficult of my mom’s connections was going to be with my Aunt Betty, because for all intents and purposes, Betty was her best friend. They weren’t very far apart in age, and they talked like sisters, real sisters, like the ones you see on TV. They shared everything, even after Betty left to follow Uncle Bob as he enlisted in the service.

I knew what was coming with Betty and Mama, but I had no idea, none of us did, what would happen when Betty saw Geraldine. Betty walked in the door, knelt down in front of her, and hugged her. They just cried together. They told each other they loved each other, and then Betty got up. My mom was leaning against the kitchen counter, between the stove and the sink, with a cigarette in her hand. (Surprise!) Evelyn was standing off to her left, in front of the sink. (It’s ingrained, like it was yesterday.) I’d leaned in when I saw Betty walk up on the porch, and said, “Mama, Aunt Betty’s here. She’s coming in.” Mama looked at me and said, “I know. She’ll be in in a minute.” I knew what she was telling me, and I stepped away from her. Betty came through the doorway, her purse on her shoulder, and she just stood there looking at Mama for a second, allowing the emotion to wash over them both. They both burst into tears, and moved toward each other, embracing. They sobbed, and sobbed…and so did the rest of us. (Again…the memory of this brings tears to my eyes, but not for sorrow…for the pain they had to go through…senseless, ridiculous pain.)

They all sat together, talked together, and planned together. They met as a family of sisters in my brother’s bedroom, and talked. They talked about the funeral. They talked about what should happen to the murderer once s/he was found. They talked about MaMa. Then, they went to the wake. I was worn out. I slept right through it. Just as well. What I didn’t know until years later was that Hazel Allen, a good friend of the family, a fantastic woman beloved by most of Franklinton, stayed at the house and sat with me in case I woke up while everyone was gone. Angels among us.

Betty and Evelyn didn’t have a place to stay in Franklinton. At that point, there was no hotel that they’d want to stay at (we’d sold the Rimrock, and it didn’t exactly have a high reputation at this point), and the closest hotels were in Louisburg, and nobody wanted anybody that far away, so they stayed at my other grandmother’s (Granny), out at the homeplace, the house on the hill. When Mama went over with Evelyn, Ray (her husband), Betty and Bob (her husband), as they walked up, Granny hugged them all, told them she loved them and how sorry she was…and Betty turned to her and said, “Will you be our mama now?” Now that…that will just break your heart.

The time came that Saturday for the funeral. We all loaded into cars. Mama, Betty, Evelyn and Gerri were in the big limousine from Sandling Funeral Home. Daddy, Chris and I rode in Mama’s (relatively) new Caprice Classic. I sat in the back, with my head between the seats. We looked at the limo in front of us, and I said, “Wow. Well, Mama’s feeling okay today. She’s talking.” Chris looked up, chuckled, and said, “Ain't no doubt about that.” My dad laughed, and said, “How do you know?” I looked at him, and in the first hints of my adult sense of humor, said, “Don’t you see her head?” And, true to form, there it was, bobbing away in the back of that limo, as she told everyone in that car what was on her mind. Some life patterns don’t change easily. You can witness the same thing today if you’re on the porch at 440 S. Cheatham St.

We headed to the funeral, and that last vestige of polite society was displayed once more. As we drove down the road, cars pulled off to allow us to pass. Bystanders on the sides of the road, on the sidewalks, on the corners, all bowed their heads and removed their hats (there weren’t exactly thousands of them, but a good twenty or so were out and about, and paused in grace). We got to the funeral home, and for some reason which is still not clear to me, we were sat in the room adjacent to the chapel. Likely, that was best. My mother had reached out to the man that was her longtime pastor, and MaMa’s favorite of them all, Jack Sammons. He had been the pastor of Franklinton Baptist Church in the early 1980’s, and for many nights had sat by my bedside while the doctors at Rex Hospital worked to keep me alive through illness after illness. My grandmother loved him, and so did my mom. He joined a Franklinton institution, Dr. C. Ray Pruette, in eulogizing my grandmother that Saturday. I can’t remember much from the funeral, but there’s one moment I’ll never forget. Dr. Pruette talked about how MaMa loved the Senior Center, and how she loved her family. Then he shared how MaMa only had one child left in Franklinton, and her daughter spent many years loving and caring for her. He then turned, and said, “Thank you, Levoie, for devoting so much of your life to your mother.” My mom lost it…and so did I.

Then…back to the house for more food. And more food. And more food. I was a teenager…I was all for that part. I didn’t really understand it all until later on…why people brought the food, what the real meaning of it was. But buddy, at 13, I didn’t care. Bring on the buffet! (Words that came to haunt me later on, that’s for sure.) Lots more hoopla followed. About a month after MaMa died, her sister, Eula Mae, passed away at her home in Granville County. That left only one of my grandmothers eight or nine siblings. My relatives are truly scattered to the wind across Franklinton, Franklin County, the central Piedmont, North Carolina, and the Eastern Seaboard. We’re everywhere. You can’t throw a stick and not hit one of my blood relatives from one side or the other. They're part of that fantastic village that raised me.

Then, nearly four months later, my brother came to Franklinton High School and got me out of school early. Everybody knew what had happened. Hell, it was front page news on The Franklin Times for weeks. The same for The Wake Weekly. It had been a feature story on WRAL, WTVD, and WPTF (the station that preceded WRDC as the NBC affiliate). The immediate world knew what all had gone on. For a long time, I didn’t know if people were nice to me because they liked me, or out of pity or sorrow. I questioned that until I left Franklinton for college. Being at Elon was truly the first time that I knew, really knew, that people liked, appreciated and respected me for me, and not my family or my past. It took that long to move past it.

Chris took me home…and my mom was waiting in the bedroom. December 14, 1990. I came in, and she was crying. I said, “What’s wrong?” She said, “They found the man that killed MaMa.” I grabbed for her, and she pulled me to her, and we both cried. I sat down next to her, and she rubbed my back, and said, “From a distance, baby.” You see, Bette Midler had come out with a song earlier that year called “From a Distance.” It was a hit song, and was everywhere…and I had fallen in love with Bette Midler in Beaches. I played the song for my mom before MaMa died, just in the car, and she didn’t pay much attention to it. But riding in the car one day after Eula Mae’s funeral, the tape played it again…and she teared up. The song took on new meaning. “God is watching us…from…a distance.”

The man that admitted to killing my grandmother is called Terrence Lucas. He had gone to my grandmother’s house in the late hours of August 9, 1990, before midnight. He knocked on the door, asking to use the phone. She let him in. He saw on her dryer a wooden mallet, the kind you’d use to tenderize meat. He picked it up, and hit her on the back of her head, behind the right ear. She stumbled forward, hitting the refrigerator, breaking her nose. It was the broken nose that caused her to bleed so much, and ultimately, that loss of blood is what killed her. For a long time, my mother’s greatest concern was whether or not she suffered. Now, I’m sure there was at some point some pain, because she was struck in the back of the head. However, my mother, and the rest of us, choose to believe that she was struck unconscious, slid down the refrigerator door, and in her sleep bled to death on her kitchen floor. No more of a positive way to go, but it allows us to sleep at night ourselves. My mother did have the opportunity to see her before she was moved. She told us all that she had an expression of true peace on her face.

Terrence Lucas, in part due to my mother’s testimony, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. His sentence for my grandmother’s murder was handed down to run concurrently with his sentence for mugging Mrs. Julia Carr, grandmother of one of my best friends from high school, Adrianne Burnette. Were it not for Mrs. Carr’s quick thinking and health from being a retired physical education teacher, she might have been his next murder victim. But, she saw an oncoming car, elbowed him in the stomach, and ran out into the street. While he was in jail awaiting trial for those charges, the SBI ran his fingerprints against those found in my grandmother’s house, and found a match. After questioning, he confessed.

It took time for us to move forward. In some ways, my mother has never recovered. I know she still has dreams of those days. But, she has come a mighty, mighty long way. I called her tonight, and asked how she was. She began to launch into the treatment of her cancer, and started talking about today’s doctors appointments, and I stopped her, and said, “No, Mama…that’s not what I’m talking about.” She asked, “What are you talking about then?” I said, “What is today?” She said, “Oh…oh. Yeah. That’s why I couldn’t sleep last night! I couldn’t figure it out!” How fortunate we are that she’s reached a point where this day isn’t such a prescient point in her memory…though her subconscious still reigns supreme, I imagine.

I attended high school with Terrence Lucas’ sister, Kristina, one of the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful young women anyone could ever meet. We never discussed it. She’s a couple of years younger than I am. We were polite, and we moved on. A classmate of mine who was his cousin, and a friend of mine in school growing up (we went through all thirteen years together, as so many of my 56 classmates that I graduated with did), and I did have some words on a couple of occasions. But…one day I told her he confessed. She denied it, and went home…and found out the truth. We didn’t talk about it anymore, save for when she told me that she knew, and we're still friendly to this day.

There is a saying, a proverb, and a book, which shares the notion that it takes a village to raise a child. Well, my village is a town called Franklinton. I was already looked after by half the town. Everybody knew who I was…and everybody felt the need to report my every move to Levoie K. Senter, Senior Customer Service Representative at First Citizens Bank Franklinton. But following my grandmother’s murder, and then, eight months later, my aunt Bonnie’s murder (my dad’s sister, a crime still unsolved)…this community wrapped their arms around me and embraced me. Yeah, kids still called me names (some rude, some true, some prophetic), but by and large, I knew I was loved in this little town growing up. It’s one of the reasons that I’m glad I’m here, even though I resented having to come back when I first moved to Second Street in 2002. I suppose we reach a point where those old ghosts don’t haunt us like they used to. I drive down Hillsborough Street and College Street and I don’t see the crime scene. I see my Aunt Evelyn’s house. I see the place where I used to help my grandmother sweep leaves. I see the place where I used to play with my cousins David and Felsie when I was little. And I see the place where Elizabeth Miranda Woodlief Kearney went home to rest.

Twenty years...it feels like an instant. But, twenty years later, I wake up every day with the privilege of knowing angels watch over me. Today, I remember one that was taken before her time. I love you, MaMa.

May Memories

2010-07-20T17:26:00.000-04:00

(I wrote this on May 4...)

I really can’t tell you what made me start thinking about this, but on the way to work this morning as I prepared to observe the North Carolina State Board of Education meeting, I had a flood of memories from about seven years ago. (Actually…now that I think about it, I can tell you. I started thinking about how the current Wake County Board of Education is about to flush the school system down the toilet because certain folks were completely bankrolled by a couple of people who have no more business dabbling in education than I do in engineering. Then, as I was driving through Wake Forest, I remembered that the Wake Forest-Rolesville area Board member when I was teaching was Kathryn Watson Quigg, who happened to grow up next door to my grandmother in Franklinton. She was the chair of the Board of Education when I was Teacher of the Year at Wakefield High, and that’s what brought me to what I was thinking.)

Seven years ago this week, I was about to head to the Embassy Suites in Cary to find out if I’d been selected as Wake County Schools’ Teacher of the Year. (How in the world did I get there?) I had only been at Wakefield High School six months when I was chosen by my colleagues as Teacher of the Year. I came to WHS in February (February 4, to be precise) to replace a teacher who I later found out had spent the entire first semester teaching absolutely nothing. When I came in on the second day (the first day was my rules, procedures, etc.), and I put a few things up on the screen and said, “So, who can tell me about these things?” and nobody answered…and it was Chapter 1…I knew it was going to be a challenge. I think the big surprise for my colleagues was that it stopped sounding like Pee Wee’s Playhouse all day long. My friend Maureen used to tell me that it sounded like they were moving furniture every day (her room was directly below mine).

Of course, the main reason I was effective in those first days was my friend Luther Johnson, who was an Assistant Principal at WHS at the time (I’d followed him from West Forsyth). I had one problem with one kid on my first day – his name was Corey, and he decided to try cursing me out in my first fifteen minutes – and Mr. Johnson, who was standing outside my door at every class change that day, only had to hear me say, “Excuse me?” He walked in, put his hand on Corey’s shoulder, and walked him right on out. Corey didn’t come back for a few days, and I never really had issues with him again. Didn’t get much out of him academically, but behaviorally, he didn’t step out of line again.

The Physical Science End of Course Test Scores I got that spring were the highest test scores I ever had in all seven years I taught. Still can’t explain that one, because I never took Physics…but I’ll celebrate anyway. J The kids I taught that semester stuck with me for the next three years. (Most of them were freshmen, and those that weren’t still stuck around in one way or another.) I had many of them in Biology, Anatomy, or they were in Science Honor Society, Pep Club, or on the Junior Class Council. (The JCC I worked with in 2003-04 were literally all students I’d taught that first semester I was at WHS.) I cried like a baby when they graduated. So, I guess it’s only fitting that it was because of them that my colleagues thought I was worthy of being named their Teacher of the Year.

The selection process was held in September, and even though it was a huge deal to me, my principal at the time tossed it off in an afternoon announcement like it was a bus change. (He wasn’t the biggest fan of compliments, so it wasn’t a surprise.) Fortunately, my friends came and celebrated with me – Amy brought me a HUGE cookie, I got lots of yells and cards and shoutouts and e-mails. Over the three months, I put together my TOY packet…and thanks to the help of my friend Amy Davis (the cookie Amy), I put together what I thought was one fantastic submission. (This was back when you had to put in a video, also…and Marilyn Bushey worked her magic yet again to help with that.) In February, on a random Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Johnson (who we all started calling Dr. J) called me to his office, and rather officially (and kind of coldly, or so I thought) sat me down to tell me something official. I had been named one of the 24 semifinalists for Wake County Teacher of the Year. (That’s right…he played me. I thought I’d done something wrong yet again.) He then called up our friend Vernestine (who had been North Carolina Teacher of the Year several years ago) and we told her. She flipped out of her gourd, and blessed me with her TOY keychain from when she was NC TOY. J A few days later, I had a site visit from a team of five people, one of whom had replaced my current principal when he left Ligon Middle School (where my 8^th grade Social Studies teacher, Sandra Carter Shipp, was teaching…and that same year was their Teacher of the Year). They came, I did the best lesson I could with them (I taught my students about digestion, and specifically how when you chew bread, it starts out tasting like bread but then turns to sugar because you’re breaking down the polysaccharides in the bread…can you tell I miss teaching?), and then sent them on their way. After they left (about fifteen minutes before the class period was over) and were safely out of earshot, my kids all said, “Mr. Senter – were we good enough? Did we do it right?” They were so worried! I told them yes, they were perfect…if I didn’t go any further, it surely wasn’t because of them.

A month or so later, in mid-April, every Teacher of the Year was invited (with special invites to the 24 semifinalists) to a lovely gathering (a very nice reception) at NCSU’s Centennial Campus. Greeting everyone at the door was the Chair of the Wake County Board of Education. I went to shake her hand and she looked at me and said, “Elic, I grew up next to your grandmother.” Mind you – I hadn’t seen this woman in my adult life, so I didn’t make any connection until she said that…and I looked at her and said, “You’re Mrs. Watson’s daughter!” Indeed she was. Her father had built the pond in front of my grandmother’s house, and when his son drowned in it, he sold the land to my grandfather, who built my family’s homeplace there. So, after that fun reunion, we went in, and mingled. The time came to celebrate everyone, and all 24 semifinalists were called up, and given a lovely keychain (which was later stolen from my desk). From that, each team who reviewed the semifinalists named one finalist…seven teams, seven finalists…and my name was called. I almost peed right there. Luther Johnson and Amy Davis were against the wall and were about to explode. (Dr. J already knew it though…it helps to have connections, as I have since found out in my own travels.)

After the pomp and circumstance were over, they took our photos…and if you look at mine, you can see that I didn’t have on a tie originally…that’s how I met my friend Johnny Gatlin. Johnny had a tie…didn’t match, but it was a tie. So, I borrowed his tie and there I was. (Who knew you had to wear ties to these things? I was 25!!!) And that’s how my photo went on the WCPSS website…and in this HUGE ad in the News and Observer that ran three times. Three times with a mismatched tie and a pudgy face. Ugh.

Johnson, Amy, my principal and I went to the Edwards Mill Bar and Grill to hang out and celebrate. My principal bought me a drink, which was nice. We had a good time. (See, I was special and in favor when I was winning awards and bringing home the bacon…but when things weren’t going so swimmingly, I wasn’t worth very much.) Amy and I went out to dinner. Dr. J made a special announcement the next day in the middle of 2^nd period. (Finally, some celebration at school!) Life was good.

Through this process…and the process of working with Junior Class Council, who did Prom, I met Lorraine Miano and Nan Maples, who were the co-presidents of the WHS PTSA. Lorraine and I became rather close because her daughter Jackie was on the JCC, and we spent a huge amount of time together. It was from that relationship that I became the teacher representative on the PTSA, and it’s also how I became the host of the Caring 4 a Cause Variety Show that the PTSA put on each fall. (I only missed one year…they got Lodge McCammon to host, he was a hit, but didn’t want to do it again…and nobody else did either, so back to me it was. Apparently, I’m Billy Crystal.) Nan and Lorraine got an invitation for themselves and me from the WCPSS PTA to come to Meredith College for a celebration of the TOYs and other special award winners. Apparently, they thought it was a bigger deal than it was. We got there…they called me up and gave me a certificate, and sent me back to my seat. My principal was there…and got a “phone call” so he had to leave. Within five minutes, the rest of us did, too. We went to dinner instead. Nothing like dinner and drinks with Nan and Lorraine! (The same can be said for dinner and drinks with Cindy and Debbie…and they know who they are.)

After having spent the entire year planning, the following week was go time for Prom 2003. The theme was At Last. Michelle von Hoene and I had spent a full year (and some change) with our kids preparing. We’d hosted the first Mistletoe Market to raise money for it. (That first year, we raised $6,500. By the fourth year, which was the last year I worked with it, we were pulling in three times that each year.) And we had an AMAZING experience, in spite of the freakin’ rain. (Apparently, any outdoor event I am to work with must involve water from the skies.) We had horse drawn carriages, and even though we had a gorgeous courtyard in the back (where six months later a bevy of beautiful trailers were put up), thanks to some diligent moms, Michelle and Diane Roof, we had a BEAUTIFUL event in the auxiliary gym. After it was over, we cleaned it up, and stored everything in my room. (My room became the storage area for prom for the next three years. I moved twice…and had to move all that stuff twice, too. Ugh.)

All was well and good until Monday morning, when the School of Communication Arts (the three domes in Wakefield) showed up to do a video of me (while wearing a sweatshirt and jeans) for the TEACHER OF THE YEAR DINNER. #!(@#$(&*^! My room looked like downtown Baghdad right after they found Saddam! They came up, said they’d be right in, and asked for a student to follow in. I sent them Jacob Carr. I knew he could stall. I looked at the rest of my 2^nd period Anatomy class and said, “Alright guys, we’re going to clean like I do at my house. Grab EVERYTHING Prom and put it in the closet. Grab everything science and put it out!” And in five minutes, that room was CLEAN. They came and did a lovely video…and while I was ‘teaching’ in the video…I said the same thing five times. Oops.

Two weeks later, we got to the TOY dinner, and had a lovely time. My mom and dad, me, Lorraine and Nan, my principal, and Amy were all with me. They called us up on stage, and gave us each a lovely Lucite plaque (which sits in my office today), and then from the seven of us, announced the WCPSS TOY. And I’ll be damned if it wasn’t Johnny Gatlin. An environmental science teacher from Middle Creek High School, Johnny is a fantastic teacher, and through the process of becoming a finalist, we’d gotten to know each other. He’s a super nice guy. And if I had known that borrowing his tie would cost me WCPSS TOY, I’d have gone tie-less! (Just kidding.) But, as Johnny will tell you, it was kismet. See, the WCPSS TOY gets a brand new Saturn to use for the year…and a week later, he wrecked (and nearly totaled) his own car…so off in the Saturn he drove for the next few weeks while his car was being fixed!

After it was all said and done, there was still one thing missing. I realized that I had nothing that said, “Wakefield High School Teacher of the Year.” I was with Lorraine and Nan somewhere doing something for PTSA later on in May, and offhandedly said, “You know, I love my WCPSS TOY Finalist plaque, but I don’t have anything that says Wakefield on it. You know Steve’s not real big on things like that…oh well. I’ll go make my own.” (And I was serious.) About a week later, right after Memorial Day during the workdays (and the day before my birthday, oddly enough), I was paged to the office. Lorraine and Nan had a cute little gift bag with a Happy Birthday balloon on it. And inside was a Lucite plaque that said “Wakefield High School Teacher of the Year – Elic A. Senter – 2003.” And it sits in front of my WCPSS plaque in my office. After all…it is a little more important…it came from my family.

Memories are good things…especially when they are good memories. Got one to share? (Or are you bored to death after reading this?) Feel free to share it here!

Man...Almost a Month!

2010-07-14T23:40:00.001-04:00

I'm glad I beat the one month mark, at least. So...first, an update on my mom. She's doing fine! Her speech is still a little bit affected...she sounds a little drunk, which is kinda fun for me...but otherwise, she's fine. She is, however, still coming to terms with what it means to have cancer. Her hair is growing back nicely, and she's been released from her neurosurgeon. She will have a PET scan within the next couple of weeks...and that will tell us whether she has major cancer anywhere else. Radiation on her head begins after that. I cannot thank everyone who has sent a card, sent well wishes, called her, me, my dad, Town Hall, sent e-mails...all of those prayers and well wishes mean more than anyone will ever know.

We had an AWESOME 4th of July! Ed arrived on the 2nd. We stopped by and saw a few of my colleagues, and came by the house...new and old. He's really happy with the house on Vine Street...as am I. I would REALLY like to be able to get back to work over there! Ugh! We stopped by the house on Second Street, grabbed a few things, and then headed to the lake. Our family shindig on Saturday was fantastic. Ed and I were both a little sore (because we'd played on the Sea Doo...and were tossed around like fish!), but we had a great time. Being surrounded by friends and family was exactly what we all needed.

We zipped on down the highway on Sunday for a great time on the 4th here in Franklinton. What an awesome event! Ed worked with the volunteers from Town Hall to sell glow bracelets, flashing glowing things, tons of glowing things while I emceed. I had a blast! There were at least 3,000 people there...which means we had visitors given that Franklinton has only 2,497 citizens! How awesome is that?!?! If you were there...and I hope you were...I do hope you had a great time!

The next day, we celebrated my mom's 70th birthday with a surprise party at the lake. Most of my mom's friends were there, and some of our family, too. Being able to celebrate her birthday surrounded with friends and family meant the world. I'm so thankful we were able to have that party...and that my mom was able to enjoy it.

Ed headed back to RI on Tuesday afternoon...and I managed to get a refill on my antibiotics after dropping him at the airport...because alas, my four-month funk came back (thanks to mildew in the house at the lake...and never stopping to take a break so my body is totally confused when I do). So...I spent all of last week trying to come back from the crud. Bright side? I don't have mono again. Not as bright? I've worn out Ceftin, so I'm back to Levaquin to try to get rid of this junk. Brighter side? Four hours after taking my first Levaquin and Round I of Prednisone...the sore throat is dissipating! Yay! So...now, I wait for it to go away, and then I can get back to the house.

I've got more to share...I'll do my best to come back soon and write more!

Success!

2010-06-16T11:15:00.000-04:00

My mom went into surgery this morning at 7:30, and was out before 10:30...and her doctors were able to excise the entire tumor! She's in recovery now, and my dad just went back with her. She's slowly beginning to wake up, and I imagine she's interested in having her teeth and glasses. :) From what we understand, her surgery went fantastic. They will do a CT scan in the morning, and if there's no swelling, she can move from NICU to a room where she'll stay for a few days.

My thanks go to you all for your love, prayers, thoughts and words. It means more than you know!

Elic

Suck It, Cancer

2010-06-15T13:33:00.000-04:00

Apparently, I should have called this Elic's Thoughts of the Year. I beg your apologies. I've had many thoughts about things I could write about...and then I never get to do it. Lots of things get in my way...but the biggest is the fact that I don't make the time to do it. So...for that, I'm sorry.

Most of you likely know by now that on May 29 (and what was supposed to be a lovely birthday of massages and facials) my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer. She has a tumor in the left parietal lobe of her brain, located right in the middle of her speech and vision centers. Turns out, headaches can be a harbinger of something much, much more problematic. Thankfully, the tumor explains what we thought were 'strokes,' because of its location. However, it also means that tomorrow morning, she will be having major neurosurgery.

The path of getting to her diagnosis was a long time coming. My mom actually had been having miagraines and tunnel vision for several years back in the mid-80's and early 90's. Her doctors were finally able to stop them in the early 90's. However, when these started anew, she thought something was wrong, but wasn't sure what. Her doctors this time told her she was having ministrokes, similar to what she'd been having twenty years ago. It went on until about a month ago, when she had a headache so severe that she couldn't walk, or leave the bed. My dad put his foot down, and she went to her doctor the following Monday. He demanded an immediate MRI, which happened the following Saturday - May 29.

I've had lots of folks say to me, "What a crappy way to spend a birthday!" Yes, it was. There's no denying that it was more depressing than the birthday I spent in Burlington after graduating college (I graduated a week before I turned 22) and nobody did anything. I was right by myself. Ugh. But you know what? I look at it like this...I could have spent my 33rd birthday in a funeral home. Being able to spend it with my mom in the emergency room, being there for her when her doctor told her she had cancer...there's no replacing that.

Having this happen to my mom...and to some degree, to me and the rest of my family, as well...has really opened my eyes to the support system around me. At first, she wanted to keep it quiet. Well...that's all fine and good until you tell someone and don't say, "Keep your mouth shut." I told exactly two people in Franklinton, both of whom I can trust with Fort Knox. My mom, on the other hand...she told the world inadvertently. By Tuesday morning, the phone calls started. I had planned to work in the Vine Street house (that's a whole other post) all day that day...and got up and dressed for it. Turns out, I spent most of the day trying to intervene so folks that I'm close to wouldn't hear it out on Main Street...or any of the other WRAL-like institutions that exist in my fair community. All joking aside...that experience is how you know what love feels like.

Twenty years ago this August, my mom's mom was killed in her kitchen by a man who used to mow her lawn. It was very public, very publicized, and very wide-open for lack of a better term. I've always been used to everything I do, and everything that happens in my family, being public knowledge. But I also know how this community can pull together to support one another in a time of need. That happened again in the days following the Memorial Day weekend diagnosis.

I came to Town Hall (still under my mom's orders to keep things quiet, I was being very specific in talking to my colleagues and friends here at Town Hall so they would know before people came in and asked about the First Mother. :) Raymond Bragg, whose daughter Jennifer had had a similar operation last year, not only was very sympathetic, but also made sure that Jennifer knew it so we had a shoulder to lean on, and a voice of experience. I am so thankful for all of you who have reached out to make sure we knew you were there...right down to Jackie Hedrick-Oakley, who will not hesitate to tell you that my mom was her first friend in Franklinton, and she will never forget that.

So...surgery is tomorrow. I'll post updates on my Facebook page, so that's your best best to keep up to date. I'll try to do better in posting here...but don't hold me to it. :)

So It's Been a Month...

2010-03-17T23:30:00.000-04:00

And one CRAZY busy month it's been! I know I shared previously about the first Boot Camp...well...we had a second one at the end of the month, and it was a fantastic success! We had nearly 200 candidates there, many of whom were repeat participants. We had a great time! And now that the two Spring Drive in Clinics are behind us...what lies ahead are only a packing party, because the countdown is on! National Board Certification candidates are mailing their boxes in just two weeks...and I couldn't be happier! I must admit though...I'm a little sad, because I know my life and my work will change dramatically once the new loan program goes into place. That's okay...change is good...but I sure will miss the work I've done with this program in the last four and a half years.

I have continued the work on my house. I'm keeping a list of everyone who's helped out with the house. I have to - otherwise I won't remember them all! So far, we've almost gotten the upstairs ready to completely paint...and then we can do the floors up there. Just as soon as we thought the master bedroom was ready to trim and be done...I decided I wanted the old trim to be taken down...and that jacked up parts of the upper wall, so Kim's gotta go back and do some puttying and fixing so we can then go back and paint it...stupid ideas for grand wallscaping. Ugh.

I had planned to go over to the house this past Sunday and work...but was waylayed by a stomach virus. (More on that later.) So...I haven't made much progress...but what I have gotten a great deal done. We've nearly gotten the last bedroom upstairs ready to paint. The hallways are also almost ready to paint upstairs. Downstairs we've gotta drill the sheetrock back into the walls (it's covering plaster, which is stupid to me, but hey, I didn't do it, and I'm not undoing it because that's a mess I don't have time for), and then we can paint downstairs. I started sanding in the entrance foyer and the Great Room downstairs...and that's where I ended. I'll get back to that this weekend after Convention. Once I get all that sanding done, we can move on!

My uncle HB has come and covered an old vent hole in the upstairs kitchen, and I ripped out an old window up there that was cut in half. (Odd people, those upstairs people.) HB and Candace also corrected an issue with the upstairs rear entry where there used to be a window...now there's just a wall. (No song suggestions, please.) Kim and Terri have been busy destroying things, which is just the way I like it. After I ripped out the shelving and partial cabinets upstairs (man, that was fun), Kim came behind me and pulled out the front wall to the 1/2 bath. (I'm going to convert the room to a full bath with a storage/linen closet). Terri's also working downstairs to help complete the removal of wallpaper in the downstairs bathroom. My brother's going to come over (I know, I can't believe it either, but I'm pretty freakin' jazzed about it) and help me move a wall, lower a ceiling or two, and create a doorway. My HOPE...note it's a hope...is that by Easter or so, we'll have the place ready to work on the floors. There's a lot to be done, and that's one ambitious goal...but I think we can do it. I can see it...I really can see it. Paint helps.

My one wish? Tiling. I wish I knew how to tile. I'm going to learn, though, by God. I'll figure it out one way or another. See, I have this bathroom upstairs that I need to put tile in around the bathtub and shower area. Then, I can just paint the rest of it and call it a day. Then, I've got the other full bath I'm trying to put in upstairs, where I want to put in a tub/shower combo...and I'll likely want to tile the floor because we'll more than likely have to rip up the good, beautiful old hardwoods to do the plumbing. And downstairs...well...whatever mastermind put in the shower downstairs apparently didn't have a level, because the ENTIRE THING is crooked...so, I'm just going to pull it out, stick in a drain, and tile the whole thing...it'll be one BIG shower. I may even put in one of those two headed showers. How hot would that be? :)

So...yeah...that's what's going on in my world. My house is the center of my universe right now. If only the other half would get his whole half down here to help...or at least enjoy watching the rest of us. LOL. Eh...soon enough. :)

Until next time!

What's On My Mind Tonight...

2010-02-10T23:21:00.000-05:00

Good evening fair readers! (Or, reader, as the case may be.) I know it’s been awhile, and there’s a reason. Tonight…I’m not talking Town…and let me tell you why. Most of you know what I do for a living…or at least that I work. LOL. I work for the NC Association of Educators…which, in most states, would be the teacher’s union. I don’t bargain contracts…I facilitate professional development for educators, among other things, in my role at NCAE. One of the biggest pieces of work that I do is coordinate support for candidates for National Board Certification. In the past month, I’ve spent most of my time, awake and asleep, planning for a series of workshops that are occurring this spring for candidates. The biggest of these is our Boot Camp, a get-away to work weekend for candidates to be able to come to Raleigh, sit and work that we held for the very first time this year. We decided to offer this workshop when we realized that there were absolutely not going to be enough spaces at NCCAT for all the candidates – a record 5900 candidates this year thanks to the General Assembly’s threat to discontinue funding – and so we came up with this idea.

So…last week, as final preparations were underway…it snowed. And even though NCAE was closed on Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday of last week…I slogged my behind into my office and worked on Tuesday and Wednesday, after having spent time on the weekend working on different things for the session, getting ready for this event. It was a big deal to me! J Those of us who worked on it, worked very hard. I cannot say thank you enough to Jasmine Hart, Beth Edwards, Monica Webb, Jennifer Elmo, Angela Farthing, Cathy Barnes, Naomi Chisolm, and Sheri Strickland. Without them, it wouldn’t have happened. There were many others involved, and I appreciate you all…but without those eight, there’s no way it would have been pulled off.

For this event I was, for all intents and purposes, the lead. So…if it succeeds, I’m partially responsible…and if it fails…it’s all mine. We did all kinds of little things to prepare. We had tote bags made, and in the bags, we put pens, pencils, Post Its, snack bars, and a folder of materials for candidates so that they could choose whether or not to attend mini-sessions. And God bless my mother, she spent a week baking and cooking and made treat bags for every single one of the 325 candidates that were there. I was intent on making this a special experience for each and every candidate that was in attendance.

So…why am I writing about it?

Well…let’s just say it got a little larger than I planned for it to. It really needed to be about 250 or less…but, when all of the registrations come in on one day, how do you select from the 150 registrations that arrive on one day to determine which 75 to turn away? So, we chose not to, in fairness. And to be honest, in reflecting on the event, I think we did fairly well with the size of the group we had. I had many positive comments from many of the participants – and about 1/3 of them are coming back for a second round at the end of the month.

So why has this gotten me up in arms? Because I sent out an evaluation survey. Now, when I ask for criticism, I’m truly asking for it – but I also ask for constructive criticism. Telling me something sucked (their words) doesn’t tell me anything. Sometimes, for some reason, folks take an evaluation as an opportunity to be as mean and nasty as they possibly can. It never ceases to amaze me…but I sure do look at evaluations differently than I used to.

I don’t do anything that I do – whether it be work, volunteering, my work with the Town as mayor, any of it – for praise. If it comes, great, but truth be told, about 60% of the work that I do will go completely unnoticed or credited to someone else. It’s the nature of the work that I do, and my personality…and I’m just fine with that. You see…my mission in life is to leave this world better than how I found it.

Some folks do all they can to work against such a mission. I could care less if anyone says, “Elic did this.”

However, it’s a hard pill to swallow when you work yourself sick – literally, to the point that you have to take a day off just to sleep – losing time from your personal life, losing time with your family, ignoring other pertinent priorities, calling on others to help keep your life going so this one thing will go off as well as it can, and folks are just mean the very thing you've been working yourself to death on. Just absolutely rude! “I got nothing accomplished.” “I paid $100 just to stay in the hotel room for two days.” “I could have saved $100 and stayed home.” "What a waste of my time." "The food was horrible."

Is there really a need to make such comments? I already knew these things! When the FIRST THING that greets you on the FIRST DAY of something is to be blessed out, it’s not going to be a great day. I also don’t understand why it is that those folks that have such good things to say NEVER FILL OUT AN EVALUATION! I think it’s something along the same lines as the theorem of student attendance…the worst kid you ever teach will never miss a day of school.

It takes a lot to push me over the edge. It takes a HUGE amount for me to write about it. I asked for feedback. I didn’t ask for abuse. I’ve had more than one person tell me, “You know…you have the patience of Job.” Most days I do…because I know what it’s like to work your butt off and have things go awry. I’ve planned events that involve months and months of work and thousands of dollars and hours of preparation and work only to see it rain. (And I’m not just talking about Frankenfest on Main, either.) So, when I go to an event, a conference, a workshop, a concert, a convention, or whatever, and something goes wrong, I smile and ask what I can do to help. Why? BECAUSE I’VE BEEN THERE AND IT AIN’T PRETTY. Take life as it comes…what is the use in getting so angry? The only person you’re affecting is yourself! Anger does nothing to someone else – it only does something to you! Take a moment and remember how far a kind word will go! How far a hug will get you!

My advice to anyone who ever has to complete an evaluation is this..if you can’t be constructive, and you can’t be nice…be quiet. Say thank you, and stay home next time. Don’t involve yourself next time. But don’t be rude or hateful just because the opportunity presents itself. The bridge to Heaven isn’t built with rudeness, but the many opportunities to be rude that you pass by.

Now…for the positivity. Yes, I still have some. J By Saturday afternoon of Boot Camp, I’d reached my breaking point, and when I was thanking the fantastic NBCTs who did such a wonderful job and did nothing but assist me and stopped at nothing to make sure that every plan I’d laid was put into play…I broke. I didn’t mean to…but the emotion blew right past my gates, and I cried for a second. And I meant every word I said…and every tear I shed. But you know what was pretty cool? After I finished, someone shouted, 'Thank you Elic!' and the ENTIRE ROOM stood up and clapped. That was one of the most validating experiences I've had in many, many moons. I couldn't look up...because I'd have lost it if I had. So many candidates stopped me to say thank you. And it's those thank yous, it's those "I think I can do this now!" comments that prevent me from going postal. :)

I shouldn't name names...but I'm going to. Kris Biddle, thank you for bringing me a surprise treat. I didn’t even get to eat it during the weekend. Bring me a refill. I promise, this time on Friday I’ll eat more than a Reese’s Cup. Betty Shirley, thank you for helping out with everything we needed from 2:00 until we got started at 5:00 on Thursday afternoon. I couldn’t have asked for a better assist, and it was truly appreciated – and you didn’t have to do it. Shannan Benton, I received your note. It means more than you know...you are a blessing. Janet Courson, I got the e-mail on Facebook…and I smiled a lot...and I shared it with my mom. :) Krista McGuire, I read your e-mail on Thursday night and literally started crying. Beth Edwards can prove it. It meant the world. To all of you who’ve sent e-mails, sent cards, sent notes...THANK YOU. I’m keeping them all.

I have this thing called a Blue Day file. (Thanks , Judy Darling.) All of these notes are going in it. And when I read comments like, “this just was a waste of my time and money,” I'll pull those out…and they'll warm me right up. As Ashley Montgomery told me on my Facebook page a few days ago…”Just think about the number of candidates you’ve touched, and the number of students whose education experiences will change.” That’s what keeps me going. That’s what puts me to sleep at night.

And speaking of…it’s time for bed.

Annie…I know it’s not my norm…I don’t usually talk about the job. But, that’s what’s on my mind tonight. Hopefully, I’ll get to be a little more regular. But then again…everytime I say that…well, you know the rest.

Night friends. Thanks for being there.

My Big Fat Christmas Present

2010-01-10T16:53:00.001-05:00

So...I decided to give Ed and myself something for Christmas...I bought us a house. :) That's right friends! I've been waiting a long time to take this step. I had planned to be able to do this about three years ago...but you know how it is...one thing gets in front of another thing, and the next thing you know, you're a mayor. So...I started looking at houses a year ago when the big tax credit was announced. (See...it really is a stimulus.) I saw on the Realtor website that the home known around Franklinton as the Nowell House was up for sale...and it was pricy! It originally listed at $149,900...and I knew I couldn't pay that. But I fell in love with it when I walked in. Everywhere I stepped, I could see something cool. Something new. Something...me.

Then, someone made an offer and snatched it right out from under me. So, I figured, eh, it's not meant to be, and moved on. Gave up, actually. Then, about two months later, I got a call from my real estate agent - a local agent named Tanisha Holmes. (I firmly believe that it's important to do as much locally as you can.) Tanisha called and said it was back on the market. We put in an offer immediately...and it was accepted. I had it...I had it! Then...we discovered a HOLE in my credit score blown by a an error in the report from DiscoverCard that Discover wasn't willing to correct - no matter what, and it's my word against theirs. (Again...another reason to shop locally - even for credit.)

So...away it went. I went about paying off credit cards, other debts, etc. Then...I thought...let me check my score. And it had gone up! A LOT! So...I called Tanisha...and we discovered that the Nowell House had been purchased and was essentially off the market. And much though I loved that house...it eventually came to be that it really wasn't for me, no matter how much I liked it. I liked it (loved it) because of the size. I've lived for eight years in a house on 2nd Street - a great little house, good enough for me...rent free - that is 675 square feet. That's right. It's a shoe.

So...that's been one of my criteria. It needs to be bigger...and big enough to have several rooms. And...I wanted a second floor...because I've never had one, really, except for my apartment in Burlington. So the search was on. Tanisha and I looked at nearly every available house in this town! I looked seriously at a cute little house (that would be great for someone without a need for many doors to keep four mischevious cats off the dining room table and the kitchen counters) on Chavis Street. I looked at a house on Oak Ridge Road that just needs a little updating, but just wasn't the right fit for me. I looked very seriously at a house on Green Street - great house, with the possiblity of expanding the lot...needed just a very little bit of work...but ultimately, I decided that I wanted to be in a neighborhood, not on a major thoroughfare. So, back to the drawing board.

And then, I saw it on Realtor.com. I saw a very familiar house - familiar to anyone who's ever banked at First Citizens in Franklinton...or anyone around my age who went through Franklinton area schools. 12 Vine Street. I couldn't believe it. The house where my fifth grade teacher sewed my costume when I played the Velveteen Rabbit in the play of the same name. The house where we built my 9th grade float for Homecoming (the theme that year was soap operas...and I hadn't yet discovered General Hosptial - that came two years later...so our's was The Bold and The Pitiful...and it was...). So, off Tanisha and I go...and I thought she was going to try to wrestle me to the ground to buy it herself.

Then, the dance began. We'll pay this much, but you've got to do this. We'll take this much, but we won't do that. We'll pay this much, but not without this. We'll take this much, but you'll have to handle this and that. Jeez, can't I just get a freakin' loan and buy the place???

It took THREE MONTHS of wrangling between the first offer and having keys in my hand...but on December 28, I closed on it. And boy, it was a hard secret to keep. I told Tammy because I had zoning/permitting questions, and I told Kim because I had HVAC questions and I knew she knew some folks...but as close as they are, they didn't even tell each other! (I mentioned it right before Christmas...and they looked at each other, and looked at me, as if to say, "What does she know?") I didn't want anyone to know it until I had it because I'd already lost one house - and it was rather public because I'd told the world I was buying it.

So now, the world knows. And here's the plan...

We've got to finish patching the holes, sanding the built in bookcases, completely overhauling the informal dining room, and I've got to have HVAC put in...and then I'm moving. I figure, sometime in late February/early March. Why so long? I already have a house. In fact...that's a point I shared with someone when I was looking for homes in the first place. I already had a place to live - and it was working just fine. Even though buying this house is going to stretch my budget to the MAX...it's something I wanted to do...to put down roots. To have a place of my very own - not something subsidized by someone else (even though it kind of was). To have a place to grow...to have folks over...to have an open house!

So...if you like to paint and you're interested, we're looking to have six rooms ready to paint by January 30 so we can get rolling! Let me know if you wanna come hang out with us!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that my partner, Ed, lives in Rhode Island. (Yes, it's a long distance relationship...but at least he doesn't live in California.) Usually, I fly Southwest to Providence (technically, we fly into Warwick) and it's a quick trip. However, I couldn't get a flight for less than $375 this year, so I decided to drive. (Yeah...I only saved $45 bucks, but I got the times I wanted and did exactly as I pleased...and it was glorious.)

I've never driven it. NEVER. And we've been together over four years now. It was fantastic! I had a ball driving! I'd never been on the New Jersey Turnpike. The furthest north I've ever driven is Delaware, and that was an accident (wrong turn in Baltimore for work...long story). I set out on Sunday around 2:00 in the afternoon. I decided that I'd stay overnight in Delaware (mainly because I knew where it was), so I got a hotel in Newark, Delaware, and stayed there for the night. I set out around 9am the next morning, and drove north. I mislicked and went through Philadelphia, but I got out fast so I could get on the Turnpike...and let me tell you...I ended up having to do the one thing I hate.

See...I have a paralyzing fear of heights. And, for those of you who don't know, the only thing between here and Providence is RIVERS...lots and lots of rivers. And guess what crosses those rivers? VERY HIGH BRIDGES. I white knuckled it across one in Philadelphia, and that's when I decided to hit the Turnpike.

I had a great time sightseeing, though. The best part for me was when I hit the edge of New Jersey where you can see across into Manhattan. I knew exactly where I was. Wondering how? Every single landmark has been referenced at some point or another on Law and Order or Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Now you may laugh.

Driving through NYC was a challenge because you s l o w d o w n so much. And apparently, Connecticut is the longest state in the union. Good LORD it took me forever to get through it! (And all I could see in my head was Tony Danza driving up in someone's driveway in a beat up blue van, jumping out to vacuum. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you missed the 80's.) Finally, I hit the Rhode Island state line...and I knew I was home free...except for one problem. Their exits don't match the mile markers like ours do. Eighty four hours more to go...

I got to Providence, and fortunately, I know my way around pretty well. When Ed works at the bar or has long translating assignments, I borrow his mom's car and go wherever I want to go. I like that. I liked being able to drive my own even more! So, I rolled on up to the Providence Place Mall where he works, and waited for him. He came out of the party office, and looked at me (not unlike Will does sometimes...with a look of sleepy bewilderment) and said, "What are you doing here?" I said, "Well hello to you too." He said, "What are you doing here?" I said, "Can I get a little excitement?" He said, "What are you doing here?" I guess that's what happens after four hours of sleep.

I had a great - and somewhat restful Thanksgiving. Although, you'd think I'd learn that I can never take a real vacation. If I put something off (such as preparing the maps, etc., for the Holiday Lights Tour, or writing e-mails to go out when I get home to candidates for National Board Certification), then it catches up to me and I have to work late. Oh well. I slept a lot. A LOT. It was great. Thanksgiving was awesome, too! Ed's brother's fiance (how Southern does that sound?) and her parents make Thanksgiving dinner, and we all meet there and eat. It's awesome, and her parents are wonderful.

On Friday morning after Thanksgiving, I loaded my car up with all the stuff I've bought and left over the past four After-Christmas sales, and headed south. I made it to Franklinton in just under ten hours - and that's with two stops for food, and one for gas.

I really do enjoy long drives by myself. I can zone out, not be around anyone and have to think...and oddly, that's when I do my best thinking. Thank goodness for the Voice Memo function on my phone!

I Know, I Know...

2009-12-14T19:56:00.001-05:00

I know it's been almost a month. I'll both ask for forgiveness and say move on, because it's beena little hectic. Why? Because I've been working non-stop between my paying job, my not-so-paying job, and my volunteer work here in Town (and outside). It's been nutso! So...let's talk about some of it.

I hope you were able to see the Frankinton Christmas Parade! It was AWESOME! A great job was done by all those who worked so hard behind the scenes, including Darrell Chalk, Commissioner James Worley, Tammy Ray, David Robbins, Michael Devall, and Bob Truitt. (And yes...I assisted, also.) The tireless efforts of the members of the Franklinton Fire Department cannot be spoken of highly enough. It is truly amazing to see it all come together - and I really appreciate Darrell getting me back up to actually see the parade this year! (And, the members of the American Legion who carted my big ol' behind back up the road!)

The Arts Alive Committee had two great events back to back weekends, which was wonderful! First, the Community Holiday Concert was a great deal of fun. Commissioner Fuller surprised everyone when she kicked off the concert with a song! Five different acts, including Elvis, entertained a crowd of over 100 people. It was a great night - and we were done by 9:30, which was amazing unto itself! This past weekend, we had our two night Progress Energy Franklinton Holiday Lights Tour. Nearly 30 stops on the tour this year, including of course my parent's house at 440 S. Cheatham St. Should you decide to go visit, feel free to drive through, but if you want to get out, go up to the back door and let them know you're there. Most folks know - my mom packs heat.

We have over 60,000 lights on two and a half acres of house, buildings, land and trees...and grapevines. I'm especially proud of the FHS/NCSU themed CandyCane Forest. :) (Mainly because I spent two days doing it.) My dad worked for the better part of a month on getting the lights up. He started the week before Thanksgiving. I tried my best to get over there several times to work on them...but my schedule runs me ragged...and the worst part is, I do it to myself. I spent the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving working on lights...and in two days, I put up over 25,000 lights. My dad lives to put up the inflatables. The cool part? My dad and I have exactly two things in common besides blood...being elected to public office, and a love of Christmas lights. We'll both be up at 5am on December 26, too...cruising around, looking for lights on sale. If you see any, call 919-702-4814 and keep me posted so I can hit the good sales. :)

Next year, Arts Alive is thinking about doing a Candlelight Tour...seven or eight homes that you can tour - historical homes. What do you think?

The Rest of My Trip to New Orleans

2009-11-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

So…I shared with you what happened on the first couple of days of my conference in New Orleans. Then, it got busy! We had a great start to our conference, with a wonderful speaker, Dr. David Berliner. He was incredible! Then, we had some great conversations on Thursday during the day, and a wonderful night out with folks from my Mid-Atlantic region (mostly Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina). Friday was a little long, but again, great conversations around teacher evaluations and how to utilize them in an effective manner for professional growth.

Then came Friday night. I had a blast! (It was about time for some fun…thankfully, I was in the right place!)

I got to hang out with a former student early in Friday evening. Travis is a medical student at Tulane University – how awesome is that? I’m so proud of him! After that, I met up with several friends, and we took on Bourbon Street. I rode a bull at Bourbon Cowboy. You read that right…I rode a bull! Is that not hilarious? I fell off three times…but I rode that sucker for at least a minute each time! Then, we walked around Bourbon Street…taking in the sights. Ha! I bought souvenirs for some friends and family back home. And then, I headed back to the room. (That’s all you’re getting! :))

NEW ORLEANS!

2009-11-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

Greetings all!

I'm currently in Cajun Country...that's right, I'm in New Orleans! Why? Allow me to explain (why I'm not just here on a vacation, which I never really take).

Most of you know that I work for the NC Association of Educators. How many of you know what I actually do? I thought so. :) My official title is 'Education Consultant,' which is a pretty way of saying, "he does just about everything we can think of except due process cases.' In reality, my work is that of professional development for educators across the state of North Carolina. I lead and facilitate workshops for teachers; I coordinate support for candidates (teachers) for National Board Certification, which is just about a full time job in itself this year with over 6,000 candidates; I work with members who have issues with their teaching licensure; I serve on several advisory boards and commissions; I facilitate leadership training for NCAE members; and the old standby...other duties as assigned. :) There's more to it...but the list could go on, and on.

In North Carolina, there are three of us that work in our Center for Teaching and Learning at NCAE. (In many states, this work is referred to as IPD - Instructional and Professional Development.) There is someone in just about every state's NEA affiliate that does this work. Some states, like Massachussetts where my friend Kathy Skinner leads the way, there are several staffers (like 10-15); others, such as Texas and Alaska, have one person who handles all IPD work, and does other things as well. I'm fortunate - in NC, this is my lot in life. My primary work is IPD work. And I LOVE it. I never thought I'd leave the classroom....but...when the time came, I jumped, because honestly, this is about the only thing that could have dragged me away.

Now that you know what I do...why am I in NOLA? Well...all of us that do this work, this IPD work, across the country, came together many years ago to create an affinity network called the National Staff Association for the Improvement of Instruction, or NSAII. We are nearly 200 members strong - which is a feat given how many of us are doing this work (we are fewer than 250). We come together once a year to share information and work with each other, and to 'sharpen our saws' so that we can continue to improve the work that we do. So...I'm in New Orleans for the annual NSAII conference, which is a joint effort with the NEA's Center for Great Public Schools, which focuses on teacher quality and research.

Did I mention that I'm also the Mid-Atlantic Regional Vice President for NSAII? Yeah. Pretty much since I joined the NCAE staff. I'm not the greatest VP in the world...but I try.

So...that's what's brought me to NOLA. So let me tell you what's been going on since I got here.

The flight down was almost perfect. I wish I could have stayed in Nashville longer...but that just gives me a place to go for vacation, because I would LOVE to be able to spend some quality time in Music City USA! Once I got to Louis Armstrong Airport, memories of my first trip here six years ago (for an NEA National Representative Assembly) came flooding back. Man, we had a great time! Those were good days...and they were good memories until my cabbie decided to try to drive at warp speed to get me to my hotel, and he hit a bump and my head nearly went through the roof of the minivan he was driving. The needle didn't go below 80 the entire time. I was quite happy to put my feet on the ground.

The hotel I'm at is called the Omni Royal Orleans. It's on St. Louis St. (or Rue Saint Louis) in the French Quarter. And just ONE BLOCK away from Bourbon Street! My room is beautiful...and I have a jacuzzi tub. No kidding. A jacuzzi tub. Yes...I've already used it...twice. :)

I had to take a small walking trip yesterday afternoon because I managed somehow to leave all four of the charging cords for my iPhone in North Carolina (work, Town Hall, and home), so I had to find the AT&T store and buy one. The store was literally nine blocks from my hotel, straight down Royal across Canal. Canal Street is amazing. It's so cool to just walk down. I didn't get to spend much time down there...but it was just cool! (When I win Powerball, I'm getting a home here.)

We had dinner last night at Arnaud's, which is a world reknowned restaurant just off Bourbon Street. Bourbon wasn't very lively when we walked to dinner...but Lord, were the beads flying when we walked back. (And how stupid did I look walking down Bourbon wearing a tie?) Dinner was great - I actually ate seafood...okay, crabcakes, but they count - and dessert was fantastic. (You know me...the food is the most important.) The restaurant was pretty amazing, too...because it's 14 different homes cobbled together to create a restaurant that's literally about half a block. (These are big blocks. too.)

This morning, and most of the day today, we're in working sessions. Until about 2:00 today, we're in NEA Research 'Boot Camp,' which is an opportunity for us to hear from some great researchers about current issues in educational research. (I'm not a big researcher...but I always glean a good deal from this part.) This afternoon, we'll have two different pre-conference sessions, and then our opening session that'll run until about 9:00 tonight. (And at that point...I'll likely take care of a couple of things and go to bed. I've also gotta find a place for my region to dine out tomorrow...the work of a VP is never done...)

I'll share more when I get the chance. Forgive me for taking so long to write again...it's been a bit on the crazy side these past few weeks between work, Frankenfest, et al. Annie...you've gotta do a better job...don't let me go for more than a week!

Catch ya soon!

It's Been a Minute...Sorry...

2009-10-25T14:09:00.001-04:00

My reminder service hasn't reminded me that I hadn't written in almost two weeks. I've been at Town Hall today taking care of things I hadn't been here to do most of the week. We are FULL for Frankenfest! I'm so excited! I think it's going to be a great day - and if you're a person of faith, please send one up for good weather. We've got 89 booth spaces filled, with a couple of more possibilities...and who knows if someone will show up on the morning of the event? YAY!

I'm about to head to Greenville for the NC League of Municipalities annual conference. I had planned to go to the session on ethics in government...but I put it in my calendar wrong...and realized it much too late. I needed to be in Greenville at 1:00 for that one...oops. I guess I'll have to wait until I go to the Essentials of Municipal Government class (again) for that piece. I'm hopeful that the entire Board of Commissioners will be able to attend the Essentials courses this year. It's a great class...and great information. I know I learned a lot.

The NCLM Conference is one great place to learn new tricks and tips. I know last year it's where I got the ideas I'm trying to implement for our gang prevention plan here in Town. I'm excited about this year's sessions...and I'm also excited to not be going alone! Thankfully, Commissioner Fuller will be going with me.

It's been a busy week. Monday and Tuesday, I had to get ready for our fall conference at work (NCAE). We had our conference Thursday - Saturday. It went well, if I do say so myself. Very few errors, which was nice. :) That's not always the case when there are five people trying to make everything come together, but it really went off with only a couple of glitches, which weren't visible to the average attendee. We had 300+ there, and most everyone seemed happy - especially my National Board Certification candidates! As of yesterday, there are just over 5,000 candidates for National Board Certification. 5 0 0 0 ! I can't believe it - my prediction came true! (I'll take the winnings of that bet now, Dorsey.) My hopes are high for their certification rate - I hope they all reach out for support! It's crucial not to do it alone!

I also had my ten year college reunion this weekend, which I didn't get to go to much of due to the NCAE Conference. That's okay - apparently, it wasn't the most well attended event in Elon's history. LOL I did get to go to my 10 year reunion party, which had all of 15 attendees. Yeehaw. But - I got to see a couple of good friends from college that I haven't seen in seven or eight years, so that was awesome! No door prizes for me...oh well.

Speaking of reunions...about a week ago, we had a reunion 'meeting' for my 15 year high school reunion. Jeez louise...I cannot believe it'll be 15 years since I walked that stage at Louisburg College Auditorium next June. (June 1, to be exact.) I had a BALL with the folks that showed up. I haven't seen some of them since we walked across that stage - some of them were my very best friends in high school. Time is a beast. My new year's resolution...which gives me until then to make it happen...is to be better about my social life...to ensure that I have one. Relationships are important...and I absolutely refuse to get to the end, where unfortunately God doesn't give credit for wasted time, and realize I've lost touch with some of the most important people in the world. So...it was a good time. :)

Okay...time to head to Greenville. Have a great Monday! I'll write again soon!

Streets and Sidewalks...Again

2009-10-13T21:05:00.001-04:00

You may have heard that Franklinton received a $40,000 grant to create a full Capital Improvement Plan. Why would we need something like this? Because we want to ensure that we have a plan for how to improve infrastructure in Franklinton over the next 25 years. One big piece of this is our streets. As you likely know, there are many streets in Franklinton that are in a severe state of disrepair. So why haven’t we already fixed them? Because we know that it’s likely we’ll have to replace water or sewer lines in those same areas…which is why we aren’t repaving, only to have to patch what we’ve just paved when we replace lines. The Board of Commissioners and Staff are doing our best to be diligent and efficient when it comes to the use of your money – and it’s all your money in one way or another.

One major street I am concerned with, however, is Janice Avenue. It is perhaps the most heavily used side street in Franklinton, and I’d hedge my bets to say it’s likely the fifth or sixth most heavily trafficked street in Town. And it’s falling apart. I’d like to see it repaved at the least, and curbed and guttered at the best. We’re working on it now. Once we know how much it will cost, we’ll bring it to the Board for discussion. We have over $200K in the fund balance (the money left over from previous budgets that hasn’t been spent…effectively, the Town’s savings account) that can only be used for streets and sidewalks. These are important issues to me. And I promise…in the next two years, hopefully we’ll see some movement on them.

Dogs...

2009-10-11T12:46:00.000-04:00

Most everyone knows I have two dogs. My kids are a brother and a sister, Will and Grace. They really are brother and sister…even though they look NOTHING alike. They are WONDERFUL. They just turned five. I adopted them in August 2004 from my aunt’s home at Kerr Lake (which is right beside my family’s place there). Her dog Wuppie had puppies…yes, I know. It’s quite Dr. Seuss. There were several puppies. I originally wanted to have two black dogs, to match my black cat. (Don’t ask…) Well, my cousin Evan gave away the last black male in the litter, so there were three puppies left when I came to get them. I wanted to have at least two, so they wouldn’t be lonely. What I should have done was take all three. It left one poor little puppy that eventually disappeared with her mom! Oh well..

So, I took Will and Grace home…they both fit in my hand…and Will’s feet didn’t fit his body yet. They were dirty…so they took a bath…and the water was RED. I had no idea Will was such a light color of yellowish white! And Grace wasn’t purple! They were great puppies…until they ate the linoleum off the kitchen floor…and the paneling off the wall…and the facing on the door. Yeah…you figured it out. Pets have destroyed my house.

They’re great dogs…even at five. J They’re the neighborhood watch dogs. They don’t bark, unless there’s something going on. They’re just the best!

An Empty Open House

2009-10-10T12:07:00.001-04:00

Can someone tell me why in the world I'd spend time doing something that nobody would show up for? I can't figure it out either. When I ran for this office, many folks told me that they'd like to have an opportunity to talk to their elected officials, to hear what's going on, etc., but they can't always make Board meetings and can't get to Town Hall during business hours. So...we've been having quarterly open houses for two years. For the first couple, people came. Nobody showed for the one we held today...and they didn't show in August, either.

What does that mean? Likely that we're not going to do another one until May. I see no reason to host one in February to disrupt the weekend of our staff members that have to be here for it when nobody's going to take advantage of it.

Your thoughts?

Cats...

2009-10-08T11:49:00.001-04:00

If you’ve ever seen my Facebook page…you know I have four cats. Technically…they’re still kittens. I don’t think they become cats until they’re two. Spike, Sprite, Speedo and Phoenix were born on April 28, 2008 in my front yard. How’d I end up keeping them? Their mom adopted me. I hadn’t planned on adopting another pet after my 16 year old cat Kentucky passed away in January 2007…but Yang (who became Oreo when my neighbor adopted her) showed up on my doorstep. I had no idea she was pregnant when I started feeding her. She was very obviously someone else’s pet. I checked around, and nobody belonged to her…so…I took her in. And then, the last Sunday in April, she followed me around the yard the whole afternoon. It started raining, and she didn’t care…I know now she was looking for somewhere to have her kittens, and she wanted me to help. I woke up the next morning, and my roommate had already left for work…and Yang was laying where the front of his car would have been. When I shook the food canister, she just rolled over and looked at me…and I just knew something was wrong, that she was injured, that somehow, something had happened.

Turns out, something had happened. She had four furry balls attached to her belly. So, I did what any normal pet owner would do. I scooped them all up, put them in a pet carrier, and took them to my mom’s house for safe keeping. I knew I couldn’t take care of them. I visited them nearly every day for three weeks. The smallest of the babies really didn’t like me…even before her eyes opened, she hissed at me, and got her toenail stuck in my forehead trying to fight me. She was two weeks old. Nothing like foreshadowing.

I took them home on Mother’s Day weekend. We kept them in my kitchen, under the table in a little bed. There were no flea issues until much later on, so all was well…until one day in late June when Yang decided that she wanted out…so she bolted out the door and was GONE. She hung around outside, but wanted nothing more to do with her babies…so I let her stay there. And try as I might…I couldn’t get anyone to adopt any of the babies. So…by the time August rolled around, they were there months old, and I was in love. No adoption other than my own would work.

Spike warmed up to me first. He really liked to lay in my lap. (He still does.) Speedo followed. He is one big ol’ cat! He, like his mom, doesn’t like to be held, but he LOVES to lay on you, lay around you, rub his nose against yours…or ram his head into yours. He is perhaps the most loving animal I have ever met. His sisters took a bit longer. Sprite had a moment when she was about four or five months old…she decided to destroy a couple of things in the house…so I decided to pop her little behind. And she had issues with me for the next six months. It wasn’t until this past April or so that she started allowing me to pet her. Now, you’d think she was an attachment. Every time I turn around, she’s walking in front of the couch, waiting to be rubbed or petted…I just wish she’d gain some weight. Somehow, I managed to have four cats…small, medium, large and extra large. Sprite weighs about five pounds…maybe six. Phoenix, my other little girl who LIVES to sleep with me on the bed, weighs about eight pounds. Spike checks in at around eleven…and Speedo is about fifteen. He’s mammoth.

So those are my kids. Their picture is on my website…but the one on my Facebook profile is priceless…they’re following light, but it looks like they’re mesmerized by the family portrait. Entertainment at its best.

Frankenfest on Main

2009-10-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

Yep...it's that time of year again. Frankenfest on Main is approaching. I've spent the past four hours working on preparation here at my office at Town Hall. Things are coming along swimmingly...but wouldn't you like to help? You can! SHOW UP! The biggest help we could have is to have folks come out, shop with our vendors, buy food and raffle tickets, and support the Town and the URC! It's that support that's allowed us to put up new banners in downtown, that's going to promote our being able to do a downtown facade grant program, and that will promote the URC placing a Christmas tree in downtown Franklinton for the holiday season! Isn't that awesome?! We're stoked! So come out and support the efforts of these volunteers! The URC (all 15 or 20 of us) is a hard working group - they pour themselves into this weekend, everybody with their own niche. Let's show our appreciation by coming out and having a great day on October 31!

And Annie...thanks for the reminder. I'll try to do better.

Franklinton Chamber of Commerce

2009-08-18T17:11:00.002-04:00

By now, you’re likely aware that the Franklinton Township Chamber of Commerce has ‘come back to life,’ so to speak. This organization, in existence for nearly 25 years, has been kept alive by a core group of folks in the past couple of years. Thanks to the efforts of past president Darrell Chalk, new members have been brought to the Chamber, as have new, active members. I joined a year ago, and though it took us a few months to get moving, we kicked into high gear in November around the Christmas parade. An event that normally takes six months to prepare was handled in six weeks, thanks to the hard work and diligence of the Franklinton Fire Department, members of the Chamber, and Tammy Ray, Town Planner.

The Chamber next moved to host Fun in the Sun, it’s annual spring festival in downtown Franklinton. Of course, as anything I do outdoors does, it rained. But it was a wonderful day, and we had people from all over the area visit with us that day! Since then, however, the Chamber has worked to try and determine its next course of action. There are several things the Chamber could do – business directories, discount coupons and cards, other events…but when do we do them and what do we do? Of course, the Chamber would be able to do more if we had more members…so won’t you join us? If you’re a business owner in the greater Franklinton area, if you’re a citizen of the greater Franklinton area, or you just want to support the Chamber, become a member today!

Getting Around Town

2009-08-18T17:11:00.001-04:00

I don’t get out as much as I’d like to. I must admit…work has been a bit hectic lately…summer is oddly a very busy time for us at NCAE, because that’s when we do a lot of teacher workshops, conferences, and leadership trainings. Coupled with working with the URC, working with Arts Alive, working with the Chamber…I only get to go where I’m invited. Please invite me! I LOVE to go to events, to visit with people! I just don’t always get an invitation, or an opportunity. If you’ll invite me…I’ll do my level best to be there!

July 4th

2009-08-13T13:51:00.001-04:00

What a great day it was! I had a blast. I managed to enjoy part of the day at the lake, and then headed back to Franklinton for the day’s events. Tammy, Kim, Kate, et al, had already packed everything up, and were ready to head to the athletic complex. I got there, and again, the dunk tank was off the field. (I’ve said it two years in a row now…the dunk tank has to be on the field, otherwise nobody comes over to use it!) We made about $100, which was cool. How’d we do it? Well…I spent three and a half hours being dunked like a fool…and I really appreciated the half hour break Harvey Satterwhite gave me. LOL Several people…mostly kids…came back three or four times with their $1 for 3 throws. One young man threw like he was in the major leagues. The baseballs flew into the tank a couple of times. A couple of folks spent about $10…and never dunked me. They got courtesy dunks, thanks to Anne Deal.

When I finally got out, and headed back to the URC booth to help Kim, Tammy & Kate…they were SLAMMED! Apparently, those glowing sticks, necklaces, yo-yos, and bouncy balls were quite the popular. We sold out of EVERYTHING we had. Next year, Tammy plans to order a bit more, I believe…

The American Legion did a wonderful job orchestrating the day. They had a very popular concession stand, and the entertainment was pretty good, too! (Commissioner Cutchins even got to sing ‘Franklinton.’ ) The brief video they showed prior to the fireworks was very well done – and the fireworks were great, too! I hate that we’re limited by the location we have to do it – but we don’t have any other location, so we’re tied to the athletic complex. But the fireworks we have are amazing, and even the hundreds of folks stopped along US 1 agreed! (That will be a bit better controlled next year.) The most wonderful part is that there has yet to be a skirmish, no scuffles, no issues….everyone just goes with the flow. And there were well over 2500 people there…and when you consider the 2000 census said we had 1745 citizens, and 2005 said 2409…we most ASSUREDLY had folks from outside of town come in! (Thus…tourism!!!)

I’d like to say thanks to all of the American Legion, the different groups and organizations who took part, and to everyone who came – you made it one wonderful event!

The Website and Newsletter in Franklinton

2009-08-05T18:20:00.001-04:00

So…why do we have a newsletter? After all, we have a website, and I have this blog, and my own website, right? Well, yes…but…how many 90 year olds are bloggers? (I think we’d all be surprised.) The gist of it is that we produce the newsletter so that we can maintain constant communication and keep all of our citizens updated. The newsletter is an important tool, but it’s just one tool. That’s why we have the website!

Our website is brand new – and yet, it’s not. We’ve had a website for about four years. However, it didn’t get functional until it got a new address. About four months ago, it went live. And I couldn’t be more proud of our Assistant Town Clerk, Wendy Gilliam! She’s learned, in very short order, how to make things happen with the website. We have most of our minutes from the last year or so posted, as well as all agendas, and important announcements. We put newsflashes there, and other pertinent information. It’s a near miracle that it’s up – because we weren’t sure how that would happen. But it’s coming along swimmingly, so please, please, please – use it! You can also e-mail all of your town commissioners there, as well as town staff! We’re going to be using it to bring more information to you. Look for updates weekly!

Water Discoloration

2009-08-03T11:02:00.000-04:00

By now, everybody knows what happened. The water turned brownish-orange. It happened! I know…why bother talking about it now? Well, because I want to clarify a couple of things. Firstly, I didn’t find out what was happening until Saturday afternoon…so I was as in the dark as everybody else was. Secondly, can I ask for a little bit of patience? I know it's an inconvenience, and I know it was a bit freaky...but...I can't fix anything I don't know about, and I can't snap my fingers to make anything happen...my election didn't come with a magic wand.

Now, here’s where I’ll apologize. I snapped at a couple of people that Friday that I shouldn't have – because before asking how I was, before even greeting me, I was hit with, “You can’t even use the water in this town! We pay an arm and a leg for it, and you can’t use it!” Thus…I wasn’t in the best frame of mind at that moment, especially given things I had going on in my own life at that point. (You’ll read about that later.) So, for being less than cordial, I do apologize. (I apologized then, too...)

Should we have done things a little differently? You bet. Town staff have taken several steps so that this ‘perfect storm’ doesn’t happen again. A challenge of this magnitude hasn’t happened in quite some time…thus, we didn't know that it would get that bad, especially that fast. We did our best to correct it as quickly as possible…forgive us that it wasn’t as fast as it perhaps could have been, and that we didn’t put a notice up right away. But I promise…we’ll be better from now on.

Why’d It Take Me So Long?

2009-08-03T11:01:00.000-04:00

This summer has been NUTS! And it’s AUGUST! What in the world? You’ll have to forgive me for taking so long to post in between. Between Movies on Main, an attempt at a vacation, the funeral of a friend, work, a two week ‘tour’ at three conferences, blah, blah, blah…it’s been busy. And I haven’t taken the time to write. Sorry…but I’ll do better. (I know…I’ve said that a lot.) Won’t happen every day…but it’ll happen. :)

Streets...and Lateness...

2009-06-11T17:34:00.000-04:00

I know, I know...forgive me. It's only been three months! I must admit, after writing that last blog entry, I wasn't that thrilled about writing again...mainly because I was a little bit...face down in the dirt, so they say. Since then, though, I've had many great conversations with local leaders, friends, colleagues, and the like...and I must tell you, I feel a great deal better, even though what was done is done. Oh well. Things happen...but when they happen, it's my perspective that you deal with it and move on...and that's exactly what I've done...or tried to do, anyway. So, now that that's said...I PROMISE to be better about posting. I can't guarantee that I'll post every day...but here's a few thoughts for you today about streets.

I know it…you know it…we all know it…some of our streets are falling apart. It’s no secret. Here’s the silver lining…we have some ‘streets’ money stored away…and can do something about it! Here’s the paradox…we can pave those streets…but…what happens if a water line breaks? Then we have to punch the street we’ve just paved and fix the water line. (I know…I said it too.) So, why don’t we just pave the streets? Well, because we want to do things in a sensible manner…shocking, I realize, but there is a method. We’d like to be able to replace water lines and correct sewer lines before we pave the street. I think the way it was done in my neighborhood was actually the best way it could be done. The sewer line was run, the water lines were fixed, and then the new pavement was laid, and the street isn’t lumpy now!

We’re working on identifying how best to move forward. We’ve set our new budget up so that any capacity fees paid go into our capital reserve fund…which means that those funds are set aside and won’t be used to balance the budget, but will be used to replace water lines, etc. I see several priorities. I see West College Street. I see Janice Avenue, one of the most traveled streets in town. I see the entirety of Mason Street through our city limits. (Whoa. It’s falling apart.) I see Clegg Street. I see South Chavis Street. (That’s a DOT street, thankfully…which means maybe we’ll be able to get done sooner.)

You’re likely asking…why don’t I see Main Street? Well, Main Street is a DOT street/road…which means we have to work with DOT to get it paved. We’re working on it. I know the southern end is falling apart. So does DOT. You may know that they were out patching this morning. It’s still falling apart, though, and I’m working on requesting a repair that will last. Bear with us.

When you just can't believe it...

2009-03-16T21:20:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog during my campaign for mayor, I planned to not really talk about personal issues. Unfortunately, that plan got blown all to hell tonight. So, my friends, my citizens, I ask you to forgive the fact that for the next few lines, I'm ceeding my role as mayor, and stepping back into my role as a private citizen. So, until I'm done, if you've got a problem, call the mayor pro tempore. That's why we appointed her. (You know, honestly, the fact that I don't get to be a private citizen anymore kinda chaps at me...but...that's another issue for another day.)

Tonight, at the Franklin County Board of Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Bob Winters of Lake Royale introduced a resolution to be passed by the FCBOC in support of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of North Carolina that will, in effect, ban same sex couples from every having the right of marriage. The resolution was not on the printed agenda as provided to the public, and the members of the Board (as far as I know) were not provided a copy of this resolution prior to the meeting. Commissioner Winters read the resolution, which took about five minutes of the meeting, as it was quite lengthy, and was apparently a 'form' resolution which was provided by one of the litany of organizations opposed to full equality for GLBT citizens.

Once the resolution was read, Commissioner Rev. Sidney Dunston spoke to the Board regarding his opinion of the issue. While he noted that he personally believes that marriage is the union of a man and a woman, he also believes that such legislation is unnecessary as the State of North Carolina already has such laws on the books (currently known as the Defense of Marriage Act) and would basically be the Board entering into a political hot potato. Commissioner Winters then rebutted Commissioner Dunston's comments, and no other comments were made regarding such. Commissioner Penny McGhee-Young, representing Franklinton (which is my area, making her my representative) then asked about the first paragraph of the resolution, which was very specific regarding the opinion of the Board with respect to the definition of marriage and what it means to Franklin County and the disintegration of marriage unions is a detriment to the quality of life in Franklin County. She noted that she would prefer to have that paragraph removed, but that she was okay with the vote being put to the citizens. After that, there were no other comments.

That said, I then sat in the audience with about 100 other people who were actively avoiding looking at me while this Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 in favor of this resolution. Commissioners whom I have known my entire life, some who are good friends of my family, some who I thought I was fairly close to, all of whom I now have to work with for another two and a half years as the elected representative of my community, voted to endorse the legislation of hatred, bigotry and inequality. The lone dissent? Commissioner Sidney Dunston. Whatever your reasons, Commissioner, I thank you.

Now...you're likely wondering, why is this such a big deal to you? Well, for a number of reasons. I'm fairly confident it's no secret that I'm gay. (If you pay any attention to The Franklin Times, you're well aware. There's a reason my swearing in picture was the above the fold on January 1, 2008...and it's not because I'm so pretty. Until recently, that photo set the record for the number of comments on the Franklin Times website. Some badges we wear with pride, I suppose.) Of course, this impacts me personally. While my other half lives eight states away at the moment, what do we do when we decide we want to get married? The answer is, apparently, nothing in the State of North Carolina. What I can't get anyone to explain to me is, why is it that gay marriage scares religious straight people so much? What are you so afraid of? Are you frightened we'll be better at it? Ya'll certainly haven't managed to do a great job with it in the past 200 years. Take a look at the divorce rates. Are you afraid gays getting married will stimulate the economy? There is OVERWHELMING research to prove that if gays were able to get married, they would put over $5 billion in to the economy of this nation per year with wedding ceremonies alone. From a municipal perspective, that is municipal revenue! Or are you afraid of the 1,151 rights currently afforded to heterosexual couples that are denied to gay couples? Are you afraid I'll get more out of my tax return because I'll be able to claim head of household? Are you afraid I'll be better at being married? What is it?

And please, whatever you do, don't argue the religous aspect with me. Because I promise you, for every sin you cite with regards to sodomy, I'll throw one back at you. Shellfish anyone? I was raised BAPTIST. I know 'em all. Please take me on with that debate.

By now you know, I'm a little upset. Why? Because two hours ago, I sat in a crowded room, with full knowledge by the governing body in the room that I was the only gay person in the room, and that I am the only openly gay elected leader in Franklin County, while this vote was taken. How hard would it have been for someone to say, "Hey, just so you know, this is coming up." At least I wouldn't have been blindsided. The people in the room that were doing their best to avoid eye contact wouldn't have been so uncomfortable. And I wouldn't have had to look good friends in the eye while it happened. I will tell you, though, that tonight's actions explain a lot. I understand certain interpersonal interactions with others across the county a whole lot better now.

At this point, I can honestly say that for the first time in 32 years...I'm speechless. And that, as you know, is saying a lot.

Okay...rant over. I have more I can say. Feel free to contact me, but know that in discussing this issue, I'm not speaking as the Mayor of Franklinton...regardless of the fact that I was elected to serve, I'm still a citizen, I still get to vote (and don't you forget it), and I still get to have my own personal opinion. And NOBODY can take that away from me. NOBODY.

Open House in Franklinton

2009-03-01T14:58:00.000-05:00

If you hold it, they will come. Right? Apparently not. In an effort to open the government of the Town to its people, we held an open house last June, complete with catered breakfast. And you know who came? The Board. That’s right. Not one, single, solitary soul showed up to talk to the members of the Board, to air their issues, to ask their questions – and it was budget time! It almost felt like being back in the classroom – I reach out, and nobody takes the hand. Since then, we've held Open House a couple of other times, and we are committed as a Board to continue these open forums...but...if nobody shows up, why would we continue to expend the staff time to attend, as well as our own?

I’d like to see this as an opportunity for there to be open dialogue in our community. However – others may not see it this way. If this isn’t something the citizens of Franklinton want, it’s much easier to just tell us. But – we want you to know that we want to hear from you! We want to know what you’re thinking, what you have to say, etc. So come tell us! Our third quarter open house was at our February meeting. The fourth quarter open house will be on the same day as Fun in the Sun - May 16. Come and see us! Let us know what’s on your mind! What you think the priorities are! As my mom would say – I’d prefer not to see this as something that tried and couldn’t. So, take us up on this – let’s hear from you!

Water Issues in Franklinton

2009-02-25T22:20:00.000-05:00

What water issues? Haven’t you noticed the rain over the past few months? Only kidding. While the rains of late have been nice, plentiful, and will eventually lead to bounties in crops hopefully, they aren’t really Franklinton’s real water issues. As you may know, we have two reservoirs to serve the water customers of the greater Franklinton area. We also have a contract with Franklin County that requires the Town to sell Franklin County Public Utilities (formerly Franklin Water and Sewer Authority) 350,000 gallons of water per day – and the contract still has 12 years to go on it. If you live in Franklinton, firstly, you should be glad that we have water to provide – some communities don’t. Secondly, we should also celebrate the fact that we’re able to partner with the County in providing a water source so that Franklin County has an additional place to go.

The flip side, however, is that droughts happen. As you may know, in 2007 we had a minor issue in Franklinton while other areas were having major challenges with the deterioration of the water source. This in turn not only prevented Franklinton from being able to provide the County with water, but also cost the Town money in the sale of that water. With this in mind, the Board of Commissioners is very interested in seeing the upper reservoir raised several feet. This would add an additional 700,000+ gallons of available raw water to be processed for citizens and businesses every day. As well, there’s an area on the south side of the current reservoir that could be used for a park once the dam is raised.

Additionally, there’s a challenge with some of the water lines around town, including several that are too small for the areas that they serve. This, of course, will cost money – everyone’s favorite topic! Yay! So what’s the next step? Well, there are a couple.

This budget year, we attempted to lower the basic utility rates, but in turn, we were hit with some higher costs from outside providers, and thus, we attempted to restructure the fees. Previously, the first 2,000 gallons of water cost $20.00, and each additional 1,000 cost $4.50; the first 2,000 gallons of sewer cost $21.00, and each additional 1,000 cost $7.20. The bill has been altered so that now, the first 1,000 gallons of water costs $15.00, the second 1,000 costs $2.50, and each additional 1,000 gallons costs $4.75. Now, your first 1,000 gallons of sewer costs $17.50, and each additional 1,000 gallons cost $7.80. Thus, 2,000 gallons of water costs $17.50, and 2,000 gallons of sewer costs $24.30. Additionally, the cost of sanitation went up, as well, to $16, due to a rate increase from Waste Industries. Folks, we tried. What does this mean for the future? Well, if we’re going to do anything with water system improvements, any number of things may have to happen, including that the debt service fee increases. For the record, the debt service fee brings in on average $72,000 per year. In reality, that isn’t much compared to debts in excess of $300,000 for water and sewer upgrades. So…we may see an increase there, though we’ll try to avoid it – and the same goes for the rates as well. However, some things are unavoidable, and if we’re forced to move on something, we’ll have to do it.

As we always do, we will continue to seek grants and no-interest loans so that we can make things as low-impact on our citizens as possible. I promise you that we do our best. That’s all anyone can do, I believe. As we see commercial citizens increase, the impact on residential citizens will decrease.

What a Week...

2009-02-19T09:50:00.001-05:00

...and it's only Thursday! At least we haven't had any electrical explosions this week...

On Tuesday evening, we opened the new Town Hall Annex, the Town's new meeting space. It's something we are all very proud of, as should be everyone in the Town of Franklinton! I must give credit where credit is due, though - the idea for moving our meeting space was that of our town manager Larry Carver. And a great idea it was! We've effectively tripled our meeting space, our staff (and the media) now have a place to sit, and we've got a mounted location for the projector so that presentations are a little easier now. I even got to have some input on the design of the space! Originally, the deis (where the Board sits) was going to be against the windows; in a conversation with Larry, I suggested we flip it around and put it at the back. Those conversations were the same way we ended up with a half-wall behind the right side of the deis (so no Commissioner rolls off the platform), and with a door on the left of the wall where the seal is so that we have two entrances for the Board to move into closed session. I even got to pick out the chairs! (So when you're comfortable sitting there...just smile and think of me testing out chairs.)

I also want to again thank my friends and colleagues from the Louisburg Town Council who were able to come and participate in our ribbon cutting. (We cut the ribbon in an odd place...we put it on the deis instead of the door - it's February! I wasn't about to make folks wait outside.) It was so nice of them to come! I also appreciate County Commissioner Sidney Dunston for coming to participate. As well, I want to thank each and every citizen who came out to participate and share in the event. This was for you, and I'm glad you were there!

Several folks that evening shared that they're keeping up with me by reading my blog...thank goodness somebody is! I had no idea! Now that I know someone's reading...I'll keep writing. (For those of you not interested...what are you doing here in the first place? :))

Yesterday, I attended the regular monthly CAMPO meeting. (CAMPO is the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization - they are the local group that works to plan for transportation needs in our area. Franklinton is a member, along with most of Franklin, Wake, Johnston, and Harnett Counties and most of the municipalities in those counties.) We heard about the Long Range Transportation Plan (which takes us 2035), and where hopes and priorities are placed. From it, I had questions surrounding the possiblity of bus service to Youngsville and Franklinton. (Maps showed bus service coming to Franklinton in 2035, but a small bus route to Youngsville from Capital Blvd. in 2025...but the entirety of Capital from Wake Forest to Franklinton was showing as coming in 2035, which made no sense to have a small bus route from downtown Youngsville to Capital in 2025 if there was no service to get to Wake Forest or anywhere else...you get my idea.) I got a much better explanation, and hopefully, when bus service comes to Youngsville, they'll be able to just hop, skip and jump on up the road that extra 5 miles and come to Franklinton...and after conversing with a representative from TTA, we may be able to see it sooner. (Buses are easier to relocate than trains, you know.) We shall see.

Today, I'm going to head back to town from work (very early) so that I can be present when Congressman Bob Etheridge speaks about the effect of the stimulus package on school construction in our area at Franklinton High School. He'll be there at 1:30. If I'm not mistaken, it's open to the public. (That's why I'm going!)

See you there!

Why E-mail?

2009-02-16T15:42:00.001-05:00

When you come into Town Hall to pay your utility bills or for other reasons, you may notice that a Town staff member may ask you for your e-mail. If you have one, please consider providing it to us. We will use it to share information with you, to keep you abreast of upcoming events, and to ensure you stay informed as a citizen of Franklinton. The main reason we’re asking, however, is so that we may send you this newsletter electronically. We are looking to do this so that we may reduce the amount of paper used to produce the newsletter, as well as the cost of postage to mail it. We believe the newsletter is an important piece of communication to our citizens; however, we are also seeking to further implement conservation efforts throughout the Town. Please consider helping us! (If you pay your utility bill electronically or by mail, feel free to call Town Hall to share your e-mail, or e-mail Mayor Senter at esenter@franklintonnc.us.) Don’t have an e-mail? Don’t want to share your home or work e-mail? Get a free e-mail address from Yahoo (www.yahoo.com), Microsoft (www.hotmail.com) or Google (www.gmail.com).

Blowing Off Tires...Shoulda Been Steam...

2009-02-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

You know it's going to be an odd day when you walk into the door and are met by your Town Manager who says, "Wanna go see the dump truck that blew up at the Water Plant?" Go see is exactly what I did. Apparently, there was a minor incident with a dump truck unloading concrete at the Water Plant, infilling a few minor holes along the perimeter of the water plant. Apparently, the dump truck struck a power line which resulted in the truck's tires being blown off the truck. As you can imagine, that was a bit of a shock. (Laugh here.) The driver managed to come out unharmed, but it of course caused everyone to step back and make sure that safety was being maintained. Progress Energy has been out, tightened up the wires to prevent such issues again, and the filling in will move forward.

So...why am I writing about this? Well, it was my first real trip to the Water Plant. I believe that I have now seen just about every Town facility that exists. The current water plant was constructed in 1968, and was refurbished with upgrades done in 2005. The pond there, commonly referred to as City Pond, really isn't that large! It's much smaller than I thought it was. If I were a dreamer, I'd love to see the Town acquire some additional land adjacent to the pond so that we could clear it out and grow the size of the pond...and then eventually include a park with the location. I think having a park near a pond is a great idea...so long as we can keep folks from trying to swim in it!

I also got to see the original water plant, that was built in the early 1900's...I think around 1902. Unfortunately, the building is in such bad shape, I think we're going to have to take it down. It's been neglected, and is literally beginning to fall in on itself. I hate destroying historic buildings, but sometimes it can't be avoided.

Once I got back to Town Hall...it started snowing! That's right...it snowed for over an hour here...light, flakes, but it was snow! I love snow...and I'm not the only one. Ask Raymond about his plow sometime.

And you thought municipal government was boring...

Taxes and Budgets in Franklinton

2009-02-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

How many of us actually take a look at the budget? Not our own personal one, but the Town’s budget – a governmental budget. We’re lucky. The budget for the Town of Franklinton fits in a 1” binder and is only about 50 pages long. If we were working with the County, or even the city of Raleigh, our budget would be several binders thick! (During the Inauguration, I went through the Museum of American History...and let me tell you, they have the 1997 US Budget...and it's over A FOOT TALL!)

When you look at the budget for the Town of Franklinton, you’ll notice it’s divided into several funds. The major two are the General and Utility funds. The Powell Bill fund is specific to streets and sidewalks. There’s also a cemetery fund, and a couple of other small funds. But let’s talk big for a minute.

Take a look at the General Fund. That’s where your tax dollars go. That’s where all major revenue goes, except for utility revenue. Your property taxes, the sales tax the town receives from the state, the utility tax proceeds we receive, as well as any other miscellaneous revenues all go into the General Fund. From this fund, we pay for the employees at Town Hall, administratively, as well as the Police Department. That fund is also how we pay for many things, such as office supplies, police cars, ammunition, other police equipment, flags, etc. It’s also how we fund smaller projects, such as the URC, the town’s donation to the Franklinton Recreational Association, as well as how we pay dues to different organizations the Town is a member of, such as the Council of Government, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Chambers of Commerce.

The Utility Fund is where your water and sewer bills go. (The sanitation bill, which is the third part of your utility bill, goes into a separate fund.) It’s also where the payments for the wastewater that the Town sends to the County for processing come from, as well as how we pay our employees in Public Works. We also use those revenues to fund the chemicals needed to treat water, etc.

So there you go…that’s your budget in a nutshell. So how do we make new things happen? Three ways. We can cut expenses, which, given our rather skeletal budget – you may not think it is, but trust me…I’ve spent enough time with it to know, it is – can be a challenge. We can raise taxes, which is never popular, but even more so right now. A one cent tax increase gains the town roughly $8,500. We’d need a three to five cent tax increase to fund new staff. Thus…you can see how that’s a challenge. Lastly, when property values are redone – called revaluation – we have the chance to reset the tax rate, which, when an honest look at it, is a de facto tax increase, just in a different form. So…while we don’t like to raise fees or taxes…sometimes, it’s a necessary evil. It’s a hard choice, and we honestly do look at any way we can cut expenses first.

High Speed Rail Issues in Franklinton

2009-02-09T22:22:00.000-05:00

High Speed Rail Issues in Franklinton

So what’s the big deal about this High Speed Rail? I imagine that’s what a lot of folks outside of the Town of Franklinton are wondering…especially after seeing the story on WRAL that showed little or no traffic running through the Mason/Main Street intersection. Well…a couple of commissioners and I have been around that intersection several times in the evening over the past couple of months…and guess what? THERE’S A TON OF TRAFFIC! There was actually a LINE on West Mason Street turning south onto Main Street! Who knew?

Why was this such a big deal to me? Because I knew that if I was upset about it, you might be too. I’m fairly certain that none of the citizens of Franklinton want to see the east side of town several limited in their ability to get to the west side of town. I also know that closing off entire communities and neighborhoods, as would have occurred with the closure of both College and Hawkins Streets. To me, these things are simply unacceptable. I felt the need to express these thoughts – after all…I figured that’s what I was supposed to do!

In May 2008, I met with representatives from the NC DOT Rail Division, one of whom is our own Jimmy Harris. It was a GREAT meeting, and we had a wonderful time examining the possibilities of safely rerouting traffic while ensuring the safety of railroad crossings. I’m looking quite forward to speaking with Mr. David Foster of the Rail Division again regarding this. I’ll keep you posted!

Inaugural Ball

2009-02-09T22:09:00.001-05:00

So, forgive me for taking so long to get this posted! I got home the night of the Inaugural Ball after 1am, and then had to hop up the next morning and head out so I could make it to my friend's house and get my car, drive back into the District, and go to the NEA's Martin Luther King service, and then drive home. Then...I came down with pneumonia. Yeah. No fun. But...the plus? I went to the Southern Inaugural Ball!

I attended with my friends and colleagues Nancy, Susan (who I still owe money to) and Dawn. We had a great time, but it was kinda boring. It became fastly apparent that such events are really for the politically connected and those who worked on the campaign. And here I thought it was a big party for those folks in town who could afford the ticket. The dancing wasn't great (you know I'm a dancer) because they alternated between a band and a DJ...neither of which were particularly jamming. (I wish we'd done the Mid-Atlantic Ball instead...because I could have met WAY more celebrities! Oh well.)

We did get to say hi to Speaker of the House (NC) Joe Hackney and his wife. They were very nice. Then we took our official Inaugural Ball portrait, which, to be honest...not worth the money. Then...the big ticket came. The band cleared out, and the Army Band came in...and soon, they were playing the Vice President's song. Then came in Joe Biden and his wife, Jill! YAY! He was eloquent, powerful, and most importantly...succinct. He danced with his wife, and they sashayed offstage. A few moments later, the band broke into Hail to the Chief, and in walked President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Wow! Michelle looked wonderful, she was so beautiful, and her dress was wonderful. Barack wore a tux. (He gave me pneumonia, so I'm not that thrilled with him in hindsight. ;)) He spoke to the crowd, everyone cheered him, and then he said, "And now, I wanna dance with the one who brung me." He walked over to Michelle, and they danced to their song - which, oddly enough, is MY song! (It's 'At Last,' which is also the first song Ed and I ever danced to.) It was lovely.

The next morning, I got up, took the Metro into Silver Spring, and then walked a couple of miles up to my friend Jennifer's house and drove back into DC to attend the NEA event, which was phenomenal. Then...I drove home. Now that was a drive. It took about two hours to get to Fredericksburg where I spent Saturday night - which normally is a 45 minute drive. Once I got there, it was easy peasy, and I slid on down the road. I got home around 8:30, and man...everybody at my house was happy to see me. LOL The dogs barked, the cats wound around my feet, and everybody slept in the bedroom that night. Even Sprite - who doesn't like people and feels that she's polite by letting me stay in her house!

So...that's my Inaugural adventure...and thank goodness I had it at 31...because I don't know that I'll be having another one!

Happy Snow Day!

2009-01-20T20:29:00.001-05:00

While I've been in DC, it turns out Franklinton got SOCKED by a snowstorm. (Who's surprised? The weather I love while I'm not even there.) I'm pretty happy for our Public Works Director, Raymond Bragg, though. He finally got to use that snow plow! That's some excitement around town!

Wish me luck as I drive back tomorrow evening!

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

WOW. I think that about covers it.

HA! What'd you think, I was done? MY WORD, I have too much to say! The morning started out at 6:00, when my friends woke up and started getting ready. I got up and got dressed. I discovered later, I should have worn more clothes. I had on a t-shirt, a button down, thermals, pants, and a big coat...and a scarf. I needed at least one other layer. My nifty hand warmers came in handy though! (Thanks to Mitchell Hardware - I'm glad you guys carry those!)

Jennifer (my colleague at NEA) and I set out from the Westin and started rolling down the street. We got down to NPR and picked up her friend Jody, and kept walking. We walked down the 395 tunnel. Jennifer and Jody are longtime locals, and both kept commenting about how weird it was, and how unprecedented this crowd was. Jody said he hadn't seen anything like it since the Bicentennial. I just wanted to sit down. (I'm fat and lazy, so the 4 mile walk wasn't in my plan.) We emerged from the tunnel, and kept walking, and finally managed to find out where the Silver ticket line was. This, apparently, was the big ticket - several thousand were given away. We fortunately got in a relatively short line...with only about 8,000 people in front of us. (A crowd estimate...)

It took us FOREVER to get moving. Once we got close to the gate, we got stopped...by horses. Then, it became a sardine can. I literally just got moved. I didn't do much walking, and the people around me propped me up. I made a lot of new friends. Most of them became friends because they were in very close proximity and got to know me far better than they likely ever wanted to. (Except the one woman who kept feeling me up...that was a little unnerving.) Finally, we got to the front of the gate line...and then we realized it was true pandemonium. The police lost control. They just got out of the way, and we snuck around the side of the gate, and walked right in like we owned the place. That's when Jennifer, Jody and I got separated. They went right when I went left. Glad I did, because that's how I managed to get into the Mall. Apparently, they let a HIGH number of non-ticketed folks into the Silver ticket gate area. Those folks just stood, and thus prevented those with tickets from being able to proceed to our area. I ducked and dived and flowed, climbed two barricades, and made my way to the Silver checkpoint. They frisked me (that was fun) and sent me in...and literally, just as Michelle Obama and Jill Biden arrived, I got close to a jumbotron...blocked by trees.

I didn't really care. I could see, in the distance, the Capitol, where my next President and Vice President were walking in. I stood just beside the Museum of the American Indian. I watched on the jumbotron as the First and Second Lady to be walked out to enormous cheers. I watched as the President walked out, and was historically and LOUDLY booed. Had it been a performance, he would have had to leave the stage. I was AMAZED. I've never seen anything like it. It bordered on disrespectful. Regardless of what's been, the man was still the President, and it was an Inauguration. Ceremonially, he was to be there, and had a role. I was a little surprised. And then it happened again, and again.

Then, Joe Biden walked in and the crowed went wild. Then Dick Cheney was rolled in...and the crowd again booed. Loudly. And then...the moment happened. The President Elect walked out and the nearly 3 million people on the Mall with me went wild, waving flags, screaming, and taking photos. We listened as Dianne Feinstein welcomed the participants and public; we listened as Justice Stevens swore in Vice President Biden, and we cheered. Then we listened to some of the most beautiful and soothing music ever...which wasn't a good idea given we were all sleepy. After it was done...Justice Roberts walked down, and welcomed the new President, who then swore his oath (with a slight abberation, thanks to Justice Roberts). It was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. When President Obama turned to wave to the crowd, everyone went hoarse. We cheered. We cried. I cried. I couldn't believe it. The moment we had all been so excited about for two and half months had finally came true. It was amazing.

Once it was done, we all started to move. I missed the poet. Alas, I needed to start moving, because I had a ticket to the parade! A nice blue ticket! And then I gave up the ghost. I started walking. There was NO WAY in the WORLD I was going to be able to get on the Metro. The Federal Triangle Metro station was closed. Thousands were there waiting. So I set out walking...across 395, behind the Capitol, up New Jersey SE, down, down, down, all the way to Union Station. That's when I got the call from my new friend Chad Flowers over at WRAL. He wanted to know if I could come by for an interview!

It took me a second, but I finally made it down to the building they were in for an interview with David Crabtree, one of the best anchors on local news and the main reason I listen to Bill and Sheri in the Morning on WRAL-FM. Chad met me down on the bottom floor to take me up. This building was where all the networks and local tv stations were headquartered. Chad took me up on the roof, and we passed several local tv stations, even passing BET Networks! As we exited the elevator, Chad says, "Hey Debbie!" I looked to the right - and it was Deborah Norville! (I liked her on Today, even though there was drama.)

We went up, and after David did the live feed for the noon news, he interviewed me. It was nice. I wore my Elon toboggon, so I got to give a shout out to my alma mater, which was crucial! David was very nice, and he even called me Mayor! (Chad was unaware that I was the mayor of Franklinton...so when he asked me where I live, I told him. He said he thought I lived in Raleigh, and I said, "Chad, you kind of have to live in a place to be mayor." Even cold and tired, I try to be witty.) After that, Chad was nice enough to introduce me to Deborah Norville (and I got a picture!). I hung out there for awhile, and then started the trek back. The LOOOOONG trek back. I walked from Union Station back to my hotel at 14th and M. That took me through several tent cities.

What were the tent cities you ask? Literally HUNDREDS of street vendors. It was like Frankenfest and Mistletoe Market merged, multiplied and threw up. I did buy a couple of things, but so much of it wasn't that great in my opinion...it didn't look quality 'Obama' to me. (I'm a paraphenalia snob...) I came back to the hotel and found out about Senator Kennedy, which was a bit of a jolt. After that, I came back up to the room and hung out with the crowd here and watched the parade. I felt like I had much better seats here than I could have gotten fighting my way down to F and 14th where I would have entered. YAY FOR WARMTH AND TV!

Now? I'm off to get ready for the Southern Inaugural Ball. I think if I ever run for office again I want a 21 gun salute with cannons. (Don't know where we'd find them in Franklinton, so I may have to just be happy with my dad and his friends and their 21 guns...) Okay, I'm off! Catch ya later!

So I'm in DC...

2009-01-19T13:14:00.000-05:00

As many folks know by now, I'm in DC for the inauguration. I'm REALLY excited to be here! (Of course, part of that is that DC is one of my FAVORITE places on Earth.) Part of me wishes that I'd known before Tuesday that I was going to be able to make it (and that I had tickets for the standing area) and part of me is just grateful that I'm here in the first place. I have several friends in the area and colleagues that are up for the event. I'm a little jealous of some of them!

I started the drive up on Saturday, and stayed in Fredericksburg, VA. Getting up here was no problem...everybody and their mother told me about how it was going to be traffic, traffic, traffic...and it took me less time than it normally does, and I didn't even speed. (That much.) I got into the District around 11:00, and to my friend Jennifer's house (she works at the NEA, and is a colleague of mine) about half an hour later. Thanks to Jennifer, I have a place to stay inside the District, which is AWESOME. (As opposed to having to stay outside, and train my way in tomorrow...which would be grueling...)

Once I got settled into the hotel room yesterday, my friend Susan and I went down to the Washington Monument for the Inaugural Concert. We both wished that we'd gone earlier! We got there for the last 45 minutes or so. But let me tell you - singing 'This Land is Your Land" with 600,000 people is one amazing experience! It was awesome! Everybody was cordial, people held the chains for other people to go over or under...it was just amazing. (This, as opposed to what I'm used to - 'Get out of the way!')

After that, we came back to the hotel, and went over to the NEA Building for the reception there. Because I'm no longer a classroom teacher (and therefore an active fulltime member), I didn't know very many folks...so...it wasn't the greatest, but I had great food (and GREAT chocolate covered strawberries!). I came on back after about an hour, and had dinner. I didn't really have anything to do or anybody to do it with, so I just kinda stayed in the room. (Sad, I know. I was disappointed in myself. As many friends as I have in this area, and I didn't have contact info for about half of them. The ones I called were all busy.)

This morning turned out different, though. I was up and at 'em by 9:00. I went down to the Mall, and walked around. That's when I got on MSNBC! It ROCKED! Of course, nobody I sent a text message to was able to get themselves to a tv, so I don't know that anybody I know saw it, but I saw myself on the monitor! It rocked! And Morning Joe is actually a nice guy...

I wandered down to the Capitol, where the stage is ready and set. There were hundreds of people down there. I met a nice family from Bethesda who came in for the day to let their children (5 and 7) see it. The older one was all into it...the younger one was crying because she was bored. I can understand that.

I got lots of pictures of the Capitol. It's amazing! Tomorrow, I'll be standing about 1000 feet away, but I'll have a jumbotron to look at, which will make it just as good as being in the orange section. :) I need no seat. I just need to be able to be there while the candidate I voted for and supported makes history. I cannot wait.

Downtown Revitalization

2008-12-07T23:28:00.000-05:00

URC and Grants in Downtown Franklinton

So, you may recall that there’s been a little bit of a ruckus about the Uptown Revitalization Committee and a potential grant program in downtown Franklinton. I can certainly understand some of the challenges therein. I understand the argument that we shouldn’t use public money for private benefit. However…I’d also argue that we’re doing just that all over the place – why can’t the Town of Franklinton? Private contractors build roads – public money used for a public project, but private enterprise benefits. That may seem like a stretch, but it’s real. I’ve always felt like there were times where we sometimes have to make a small investment to realize a much larger payback.

That’s where the URC grants program comes in. For some property owners, fully correcting the problems of a property they own on Main Street (or Mason Street) in the downtown business district may be a challenge they’re not able to tackle. On the other hand, it may also be a property that fifteen heirs own, and none of them can agree, but one is willing to take the lead and try to get the property sold or rented – but they need to do some minor repairs that nobody has the money for. That’s where I do believe the Town of Franklinton could step in, if in a minor role. If, for instance, an awning costs about $2,000, and that amount is not something the business or property owner can afford, but is a major step in securing an occupant for the building, then yes, I do believe that if the Town has a method of providing a grant for up to half of the amount, then we should. The façade grant program that the URC had planned would have provided up to six grants of $1,000 each, or four grants of $1,500 each, to downtown property owners in an effort to improve the façades of their buildings. This is in the continual effort to improve downtown Franklinton.

Contrary to some opinions, all of the business in Franklinton cannot locate on US 1. There is plenty of room for the ‘mom and pop’ shops to come downtown – and for the bigger box stores to head out to the highway. My hope is for both. Sometimes, we have to stimulate the improvement of buildings to make them attractive to those who are seeking to rent them but can’t fully renovate. However, once they have a patient tenant, they’ll be able to fully renovate over time. That’s the purpose of those façade grants.

As well, there’s been an idea bandied about of a downtown special overlay tax district, where the property tax for the downtown business district would be set at a certain amount, but would be frozen at that amount for a number of years. For instance, the current property tax rate in Franklinton is $0.68 per $100; an overlay might add $0.17 to that to bring it to $0.85, but that figure would not change, and the $0.17 would be directed into a fund specifically to attend to the issues and redevelopment of the downtown business district. Even if property taxes went up, the $0.17 would be redirected to the downtown fund. This tax rate could also have a sunset clause in it, as well. So…is this a great idea? It has its pros and cons. Pro – there’s now funds that benefit all of a specific community of property and business owners. Everyone benefits from upgrades to streets, new streetlights, better sidewalks, etc. Con – it’s more taxes, and everybody’s broke. Where do we draw the fine line? That’s the conversation at hand now.

The URC is still trying to figure out how to make things happen in downtown Franklinton. Wanna help? C'mon out on the second Thursday! We could use the help!

Family

2008-12-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

Family is a wonderful thing. I have a great one. We're a bag full of nuts. That's what I love about them. Every person I've ever brought to meet my family...they've always fallen in love with 'em. It's understandable. They're pretty great. By now, you're likely thinking I'm just talking about my mom and dad. (Lord knows I'm not just talking about my brother.) I have relatives stewn across Franklin County. They're all special, in their own way. And most of them are pretty doggone wonderful.

Unfortunately for Franklinton, and for my family, we lost one of our own this past Thursday morning. My grandmother's sister Jean, whom the world knows as Jean Pace, passed away after short battle with cancer. Some of you may know Jean from her time spent working as the bookkeeper at Franklinton High School. For the six years I was at FHS (from 7th - 12th grades...before the advent of Cedar Creek Middle School), Jean helped make sure nothing I did went unreported...because she saw my mom every day around 1:00 at First Citizens. And if something happened at school, my mom knew it.

Jean was a part of that village that helped raise me. During the summers, her family - my cousins Steve and his wife Kim and son Garrett, Randy (also known to us as Possum) and his wife Donna, son Mitchell and daughter Randi Lynn, Rusty and his wife Tina, son Blake and daughter Jenny, and Teresa and her husband Dan - lived across the path from us at our place on Kerr Lake. Summers were spent splashing in the water, and sitting around the table under the canopy or on the back porch. Jean loved the lake, and spent countless hours there. She is so inextricably tied to my memories of the lake, I truly don't know what it's going to be like to go up there next summer and find her not there.

As I mentioned, she was my grandmother's (my dad's mom) sister. I visited with my grandmother tonight, and she said to me so many times how much she loved Jean, and how close they were. They shared many wonderful times - some of which I'll be more than happy to tell you about, but I'd prefer to wait until my grandmother isn't within earshot, as she'd surely die of embarrasment. As my grandmother and Jean were close, so were my own mother and Jean. (Technically, Jean is my great aunt, but I never really paid much attention to that. She and my mom and dad were always so close, and she wasn't much older than my mom, and they spent a good deal of time together, also.) Jean's passing has hit my mom pretty hard, as well as my dad. I kind of expected that. What I didn't expect was how much it affected me. As my grandmother said tonight - I guess you don't realize how special people truly are until they're gone. Sitting at Ebeneezer Baptist Church today, it hit me.

It's odd how small things can affect us in such large ways. I saw my great uncle Willie wiping his eyes. Then I saw two of my own high school teachers standing on the side of the church, because there were so many folks there wasn't any room to sit. Hearing Edward Wheeler sing took me back to my other grandmother's funeral. And then, it began - I suppose it's what I hear Oprah Winfrey call the 'ugly cry.' I have a hole in my bottom lip from where I bit it so hard trying not to cry. But out it came. I realized how much life would change for so many folks. And I realized how much she would be missed.

It stinks that so many folks won't get to meet Jean. It stinks that Teresa, Rusty, Steve and Randy don't have their mom anymore. You will likely never meet four more wonderful people. Rufus and Jean just raised some damn fine people. They, in turn, have done the same. Because Blake, Garrett, Randi Lynn, Mitchell, and Jenny are all younger than me, I've had the privilege of watching them grow. They all have, or will as they grow, made their grandparents proud. It stinks that my grandmother and her sister can't sit and talk on the phone anymore, and can't sit and chatter around the table at the lake anymore. And it stinks that this stupid, horrible, vengeful diseases struck someone so wonderful. My heart simultaneously breaks and goes out to all of them, because I nor anyone else can truly understand what they've lost. For those of you who are people of faith, please keep them in your prayers.

For those of you who knew Jean, I hope you know as I do that she will live on in many truly wonderful memories, and thanks to Teresa, some great pictures. For those of you who didn't, I'm truly sorry. Stop me sometime. I'll be glad to tell you about her. So will the rest of us.

Sidewalks in Franklinton

2008-10-16T23:11:00.000-04:00

What in the world would we need more sidewalks for? Because our citizens don’t deserve to have to walk in the street! Right now, if a child walks from Franklinton Elementary School to Franklinton High School, they either have to walk down Main Street (a DOT highway with speeds of 35-45 mph) to get to a sidewalk, or they have to walk down Hillsborough Street all the way to the high school before they see a sidewalk. Now that the school bond has passed and the current Franklinton High School facility will eventually become Franklinton Middle School, I believe more than ever that there must be safer routes for citizens to travel around the Town of Franklinton.

Until I ran for office, I truly had no idea how big Franklinton really is…and I’ve lived here most of my life! Because of this, I’d really like to see the town become more pedestrian friendly. Of course, that’s going to take some money. I’m not about to raise taxes to pave some sidewalks. We do have, however, a program in North Carolina called the Powell Bill. The Town receives funds from this Powell Bill from the State (from gas taxes). These funds can only be used for streets and sidewalks – paving, maintenance and improvements. This year, the Town received about $78,000 from the Powell Bill funds from the State. We also have some unspent Powell Bill money that’s part of the town’s Fund Balance – the town’s savings account. Over time, those funds could be used to expand sidewalks, a little at a time. A little adds up! What do you think?

Gall and Nerve

2008-10-16T23:02:00.001-04:00

You know somebody is bold when they steal from the Mayor. I am fired up right now! I just got home from my third night in a row of being at Town Hall until 9:00 or 10:00 at night. I went by my parents' house and my dad said, 'Did you know your chime was missing?' I asked him, 'Didn't you take my adirondak chairs?' Apparently, he didn't. I figured he'd taken them to power wash them. I was wrong.

Someone, between Friday morning of last week and Tuesday morning of this week, came to my house and took my two adirondak chairs and the wind chime my father made for me eight years ago. I have to tell you...I am stunned. What in the world would someone want with my two old adirondak chairs that have no value except to me? The wood isn't worth anything. The chimes were though - they were made of copper. Yet, they left both of my air conditioners! WHAT IN THE WORLD? I'm so frustrated...I don't understand what in the world someone would think of in doing this...if you need firewood that bad, call me - I'll GIVE it to you!

I have to say, though...our Town police came right away. I called and reported the theft and asked for an officer to come to check things out...and they were awesome. I have to tell you...I have some serious love for our police force. These folks work really hard for us...and they work hard for you, too. This is the first time I've ever had to call on them for issues at home - and I sure am glad I can. Keep up the good work.

And to whoever stole my chairs - I hope you get a splinter.

Trash

2008-09-17T12:22:00.000-04:00

I realize it's likely something very simple to think about...but trash really has me upset right now. In the Town of Franklinton, we don't handle our own trash pickup; we have it outsourced to Waste Industries, as part of a method by which to save the Town (and thus, our citizens) money. We choose to have backyard pickup in deference to our many senior citizens who can't laboriously pull their trash cans to the road due to their heft. This year, when creating the contract for WI, we had many conversations about this issue, and WI let us know in no uncertain terms that it would be much cheaper (about $4 a month cheaper) to do curbside pickup. While this may be the case...we feel strongly that we have to honor our senior citizens this way. Because of this, we were dealt a $2 increase in the cost of this service.

Now...the last time I checked, when I paid for a service, I expected it to be done. When you pay for someone to mow the grass, you expect it to be mowed. When you pay for someone to cook a meal at a restaurant, you expect it to be cooked to order. Right? Well, apparently this isn't the case when it comes to our sanitation contract. For the past month, every time I've come home on a Tuesday, I've found my green trash bin (owned by Waste Industries) sitting at the side of the road. Now, you tell me what is wrong with that picture. And it's not just my trash can, and it's not just on Second Street! It's ALL OVER TOWN. I'm sorry...the citizens of this town pay FAR TOO MUCH to have service not rendered! If you think I'm angry about it - you're right!

Our Town Manager, Larry Carver, has communicated this issue to Waste Industries on more than one occasion. My patience level has expired. Therefore, I need your help! If your trash container isn't placed back where you left it for the sanitation company to pick it up, please call Town Hall and let us know. Your informing us when there are problems will help us rectify those problems, and can drive how those services are provided in the future. However...please don't yell at us! It's not us doing it! But...it is going to be us fixing it. I simply will not stand for the citizens of this Town being underserved. It will not fly on our watch!

Frankenfest on Main

2008-09-17T11:35:00.000-04:00

Frankenfest on Main

Imagine if you will a very tired individual. Now, multiply that by about 15. That’d describe how many of us collapsed on Saturday night of Frankenfest last fall! J We had a wonderful time. It was stressful, and there was some hairpulling…and a few tables got tossed in the street (literally), but a good time was (generally) had by all.

So what is Frankenfest? FOM (Frankenfest on Main) was initially conceived as an event that the URC would hold to bring folks into downtown Franklinton, so that businesses could stay open, and allow people an opportunity to ‘rediscover’ downtown. It morphed into a festival for all ages, which held something for (hopefully) everyone. At FOM 2007, we somehow managed to have a multitude of vendors and several county agencies who participated. As well, the Franklinton Woman’s Club also hosted a car show in the downtown area, which was slightly affect by the weather, but was a great attraction. Over 600 people attended that first year, and the event received rave reviews.

This year’s event began in the planning stages in January. (A FULL six months prior to when we started planning last year’s event!) We’ve gotten over 30 vendor commitments already, which is VERY exciting! We’ve had a couple of businesses advertise with us already, and though we’ve hit a brief lull, we’ll be kicking back into high gear with planning and organizing in late July. Interested in having a booth? Want to advertise? Check out www.frankenfestonmain.org. Mark the date – October 25, 2008. We look forward to seeing you!

I must be boring...

2008-08-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

...because nobody ever comments anymore! I've got to move my website too, so that I can update it more frequently. It's been since MARCH! I promise to do better by it...after all, I'm paying a subscriber fee. (Smile.)

Alrighty, I'm off to get back to the paying job. If you get a chance, take a minute and call Town Hall to watch the monthly meetings. If there's one you want to see, let us know - we can play 'em all!

Have a great Wednesday!

Sorry It's Been So Long! Now...for the thought...how about a new park?

2008-08-17T01:04:00.000-04:00

Every now and then, I have an idea that may actually be a good one. I think the creation of a park in the East College Street area is one of those ideas. There are two small plots of land on Church Street and Hawkins Street that have basically been donated to the Town of Franklinton. There are a couple of other lots in the vicinity that could be purchased, and when cobbled together, make one spectacular piece of property that could be used for a park. So, by now you’re wondering…what’s your vision for this? And why? Well…let me tell you.

First, the why. Franklin County Parks and Recreation receives a certain allotment from every subdivision built in the attendance area of every elementary school in Franklin County. Franklinton, due to the attendance of Franklinton Elementary, has such funds. Thus, when Commissioner McGhee-Young shared this information with me, I contacted Franklin County Parks and Recreation and spoke with (now former) Director Bob Yeatman. I spoke with Mr. Yeatman and shared with him my thought process. My understanding is FCP&R is in the process of developing a site plan and a cost workup to be taken before the FCP&R Board, who would ultimately approve the project. Of course, the Town would have to partner in this both fiscally and with regards to upkeep, but we both believed in our conversation that the Town’s fiscal partnership could be kept to a minimum.

Now, the vision. When I look at those pieces of property, I see the beautiful trees, I see the historical value, and I see picnic tables, some playground equipment, and a couple of grilling areas. I see a beautiful wrought iron fence along the street to prevent (or slightly derail) car accidents and to reduce proximity to the train tracks adjacent to the west side of the property. I see children playing, families walking to the park that is now in walking distance, and I see an opportunity for our Town to enjoy a new public space. Right now, it might be grass and trees. But I see a future there – and it’s bright.

Wow...

2008-06-26T17:48:00.000-04:00

So, earlier this week, everyone likely received word that the IRS reimbursement rate for mileage went up to $0.58 per mile...which is an eight cent jump. Holy cow! That's huge. That's also going to have a big impact on budgets. Please know that the staff and government of the Town of Franklinton are very conscious of their use of mileage, and of the town's vehicles. That's partly why we went to using golf carts for meter reading. We do our best - but we also know that fuel is an ever expanding item in our budget. One thing that we will be examining in the near future is, "How can the town green itself and save money?" We taken several steps to do such, including ensuring equipment and lights are powered off when not in use, trying to ensure copies are front and back, to use less paper, only printing when necessary, etc. We're also recycling as much as possible, and we recycle cartridges, etc., as well.

That's what's on my mind right now...because I just got the e-mail. I hope you're having a safe and happy week!

Wow, It's Been Awhile!

2008-06-20T11:53:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe it's been eight months since I last posted on this blog! What a slacker I am. And here I'd planned to actually to commit to posting at least weekly if not more frequent! Who knew I'd get so busy? My work (the real job - you know, the one that actually pays my bills and such) has been keeping me hopping. I haven't yet truly found my balance between all the components of my life - work, town government, family, etc. I'm working on it. Somehow, I have a feeling that's going to be a work in progress as long as I'm in office - and I'm okay with that.

It's been an interesting seven months since I was elected. I never did really post a blog to say thank you. (I did on my website, which hasn't been updated since sometime in February. Gotta work on that next.) So - THANK YOU! I still can't believe I was elected - it was truly a surprise! I will be eternally grateful for all of you - friends, family, former students, etc. - who came to support me and be a part of the campaign. (And I saved my signs...you never know when I may need them again.) The community gathering in September was great, and I had a ball getting to see old friends and meeting new ones! I will also tell you - until you walk this town, you can't really know how big it is!

The night of the election was truly a magical night. I could run for the highest office in the land and win and never feel what I felt that night. I think the cap of the night was having my dad there with me. Going back to my mom and dad's house where so many of my friends and family were waiting on one of the coldest nights of the year, waiting just to see me and say congratulations...nothing will ever replace that. That's a feeling I'll have with me until I take my last breath.

Equally as special, though, was the night of the swearing in. That night solidified that we need a new meeting space for Town Hall! Seeing so many of you, my friends, my family, my former students, my colleagues, all sitting in the audience, lined up along the hallway - I'm just glad the fire marshal didn't come out. We'd have all been sent home! Carey Johnson took the most marvelous picture of my swearing in. Somehow, I managed not to cry when my dad started talking. (He's not exactly known for being a man of 1000 emotions...) It was on par with graduating from college - and we only get those special moments once in a lifetime. I don't know that we'll have a chance to have four generations of my family in one place at one time sharing a moment like that. Having so many of you there to share it with me...ugh, words just don't do it! (Fortunately, I still have it on videotape so I can relive screwing up my oath...)

I also wasn't expecting to have some of the challenges that have beset the Town since I came aboard. Who knew the west side of town would catch on fire? Man, that was a tough day. I felt so bad for all of the folks that were displaced that night. Then, it came time to worry - because my grandmother and aunt were evacuated. I continue to be thankful for the Franklinton Fire Department, who continue their legacy of excellence in action. I'm so proud to say that my father was an active member for much of his life.

I've had a chance over the past few months to really get to know our Town staff pretty well. We have some of the best employees in the WORLD. Each and every one of them is truly doing their best for you, the citizens of Franklinton - the people they work for! I realize that nothing is perfect - something that is driven home every time I wake up. But please, when you're given the opportunity, take the time to say thank you to your town staff - they really do work very hard, and it's very seldom anyone says, 'Thank you." We can't pay them what they deserve - so our thanks sometimes has to be payment. It's a currency that never gets overspent.

Many of you have taken time to speak to me regarding issues within the Town. I appreciate every one of you who has taken time to send an e-mail, stop me on the street, in the post office, at the grocery store, in downtown, at a meeting, or to give me a call. (You may not think I do, but if we don't hear from you, we can't answer your questions or address your issues.) I can't always resolve things to make everybody happy, but as I told you when I was campaigning, I'll do everything I can to ensure that the right thing is what's done in the Town of Franklinton. Your Board, of which I am a part (though as you know I have no vote), is committed to you. Our Board is one of great teamwork, collaboration, and cohesion. We are a true team. Your issues are our issues, your concerns are our concerns. We will do our best to address and correct issues and problems as quickly as possible. When I began the process of taking office, my predecessor was kind enough to pull me aside for one great big piece of advice..."You'll never see anything move as slowly as municipal government." It's the truth. It's not necessarily the Town that's moving slow - much of what we do relies on outside entities. But when we can move something along - we do. All we can ever promise you is to do our best - and that we do. Know and understand that my e-mail is always on, my phone is ready, as am I, to hear from you.

There are several items, issues and concerns that have been brought up over and over. I'm going to work to address some of them here. Look for at least weekly blogs from now on - I promise I'll do my best! They'll be topical, and hopefully will engender some community discussion. Know that the citizens of the Town of Franklinton are my FIRST priority when it comes to my work as your Mayor. Have an issue you'd like to see addressed? Let me know. I'll do my best. Don't expect to see everything in the pages of this blog that you may bring to me. And much like some local media websites, don't always expect me to respond to the entire world - sometimes I need only to respond to an individual. But I promise - you'll hear back as soon as I can get you a response.

So...welcome to my 'new' blog. I hope you're having a great summer!

Amazing

2007-10-25T23:18:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if I can be shocked by anything anymore. I thought teaching human anatomy to 11th graders was the end all, be all of shocking for me...but some of the things that have come out in the past few days are truly it.

First of all, apparently some folks from the Franklin Times web blog have seen fit to include me on their personal websites, and claim to have taken me to task. They also (for some reason) report on what's on my website. Folks, I don't have a secret in the world. (Wait...that's a lie. Nobody knows my true weight. I intend to keep it that way.) It's not a secret that I have a partner, and his name is Ed. If someone has a beef with that, then that's too bad. I'm sorry if that's offensive, but my personal life has no bearing on my capability to have an idea, have a thought, be a voice or run a meeting. I've been managing pretty well for the past 30 years, and I think I'll be okay for the next 30.

Also on the FT blog, there've been a couple of folks who have taken me to task for my views on water conservation. Please realize that I'm not saying that we should build water towers all over town. I know that Franklinton is in very good shape - partly because we have more water than water customers...a problem that we don't have when we're feeding Novozymes their water. However, I am also (by vocation and education) a Biology teacher...and if you know anything about what you have to teach in that course, you know there's a full six chapters (and thus about a month on a regular schedule) on ecology...1/4 of which is about conservation and recycling. WHY SHOULD WE NOT BE MAKING EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE PLANET?!? Why in the world wouldn't we do our best to save water...which in turn saves energy? Thus ALL expenses go down for individuals...AND we protect the planet! Amazing how that works.

My point there is that if you've got something you want me to know, say it to me, don't say it to someone else...if you've got something to ask me, ask me, not someone else. I'll tell you anything you want to know...you might not like my answer, but you'll get an honest one.

That having been said, HOW AWESOME is this weekend going to be? I cannot WAIT! I'm so excited. The folks on the Promotions Committee have been literally working overtime - TIRELESSLY - to pull this off. I'm so proud of all of us. What the Times said in their editorial this Wednesday meant a lot to all of us - and is the truth. We have collaborated with so many groups - it's awesome! The plus of it all has been that I've been able to get closer to folks that I've known most of my life, and I've made several new, good friends. Regardless of whether I become Mayor or not - I cannot wait for next year, and I cannot express how much excitement I have at having this opportunity to serve the people of this town. It's a great feeling to finally give something back. Words just can't express it.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! SEE YOU UPTOWN! :)

It's Wednesday!

2007-10-17T10:07:00.000-04:00

Which means it's the middle of the week, and the week's on the downslide. Amen! However, the bad part of that is that there are now LESS THAN THREE WEEKS LEFT before the election! How did time get away so fast? I wanted to try to visit everybody in town - but when? Between travel for work and wanting to give everyone the time they deserve when I'm talking with them, there's just no possible way! So, for those of you I haven't had a chance to visit with yet, please accept my apologies.

It seems that we've gotten ourself a grant for some of our water and sewer infrastructure needs. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! For this, there are kudos to be delivered to our entire town staff and our Board of Commissioners. They've done a wonderful job in securing these funds. But this then also begs the question...do we still need to pay the $6 fee now that we won't need as much of the loan? How many loans do we have outstanding? And what about the excess money that we pulled in a few years back when water and sewer rates increased? Is it ALL being used? Is there something we can do to actually lower our rates or our tax base? Where can we cut anything to either lower our rates or do more with it?

I also know that we're looking at several major projects. I've come to the understanding that they are, of course, going to be done in phases. But in doing these projects (specifically with expanding water and sewer), we should not only be able to expand larger areas of town (with really attractive tax values), we also need to examine providing those services to other areas of town that have become neglected - but have great tax values themselves. There are little pockets all over town that don't have sewer due to the function of the topography of the area - now that we've got some breathing room and flexibility, we need to move forward with bringing these folks in town and allowing them not only to have a voice within the town government, but also to enjoy the town services that other citizens enjoy.

My thoughts for today.

What's up this week?

2007-10-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

What a week! I spent last week out in the western part of our state. I led a National Board Certification Workshop in Shelby, NC. I left there and went to Brevard, NC and led a Stress Reduction Workshop. From there, I headed to Asheville, and had a couple of meetings and another NBC Workshop. On Monday, I worked with a colleague in leading a workshop on antibullying and antiharassment. We had a great time! I'm also VERY glad to be back at home and sleeping in my own bed.

Last evening, the Promotions Committee of the Franklinton URC met and finalized issues surrounding Frankenfest on Main. It's going to be one great party! I've reserved my own booth - and I'm really hoping you'll stop by and visit! I've got lots of family and friends who are planning to come and hang out with me at the booth. I'll be working the event (I'm a co-coordinator) but I'll be at the booth as often as I can. I can't wait! We're going to have a great time!

While I've got your attention...anybody want sidewalks in this town? I'd LOVE to be able to walk from my house to the uptown area. I'd like it even better if I could walk from my side of town to my parents' house! How hard can it be to secure some serious grant funds for that? There are enough great corporate citizens in this town that may donate a little to the effort, as well.

And what's doing with the sewer and water overhaul? I want to see our industrial corridor developed as much as you! Let's get on the move!

Has it really been 2 1/2 months?

2007-10-02T23:33:00.000-04:00

Yep, it has, and I'm so sorry! So much has gone on. One of my colleagues is unfortunately out on sick leave (and will be for awhile) so work kicked up into high gear. Then, I went to Rhode Island for a week to spend some time with Ed, which was wonderful. Then, of course, as is my luck, I got sick. Took two weeks to get past that. All in there, I was planning my reception. The event on September 22nd was GREAT! I was so excited to see the folks that were there - visiting with old friends, and making new ones. I had a great time!

Okay, so I'll promise now to try and do better about my blog. I can at least say hi! For now, it's 11:30 at night, and my bed is calling my name. Actually, it's screaming. So let me go answer it. Have a great night!

Thursday Morning...and I'm Hungry

2007-07-19T10:13:00.001-04:00

Happy Thursday!

I never seem to get to eat breakfast before I jump and run off to work. I'm really quite much off of my routine. My normal preference is to get up, water my flowers, eat a little breakfast (usually Cocoa Krispies...they're my favorite), and then zip off to the gym. My ever expanding belly reminds me that I haven't visited my friends at the gym I'm a member of in about two months. That's gotta change! I want to get myself back in shape...in a shape other than round.

So obviously there's been a lot on my mind lately when it comes to my hometown. The comments that I have been getting from everyone who has sent an e-mail, or commented on the website, have been nothing but positive. Just about everyone I have talked to has expressed their support. My hope is that I can continue to count on that support at the ballot box.

Several folks have asked me why I haven't filed to run for town commissioner instead. Why is it that I wouldn't want a vote? Why wouldn't I want to help make decisions? Well, I feel like I can help make decisions as mayor. I also feel like I can be a voice - a very loud, classroom teacher's voice - for the town. It seems to me that being mayor would be the best place for me to use my talents - my ability to speak to people in a manner in which they can understand what our needs are, my ability to help people to understand how our local government works and why they should be a part of it, etc. These are skills I honed as a public educator. :)

I can try, right?

So It's Tuesday...

2007-07-17T17:20:00.000-04:00

...and I've been thinking. Since I've joined the town's Arts Alive Committee, I've also realized that I don't know that I've ever heard of anyone in our town receiving an award for the Arts. As a matter of fact, I don't know that we've done many awards or citizen celebrations of the like in recent times. Maybe we need a few! I noticed that there are several communities that give a medal for the arts, or somethign similar. Why can't Franklinton? What about a community arts contest? I know we've finally gotten an active community theater program thanks to our high school...should we celebrate that more? How about a Youth Star of the Year award, or a Volunteer of the Year award?

That's what went through my head while I was driving to work this morning. Who knows what the next few months might bring?

I do know that they will bring an election campaign. I was informed today that I'm not the only 'horse in the race' at this point, though I was first to file. Regardless of who may enter the race, I truly do feel like I am the best person to represent our town at this point in time. If I didn't...I wouldn't have filed. I have received nothing but positive feedback and so many people have commented that they feel like I am the right person at the right time for this job. Those of you who have made comments or sent e-mails , you have no idea how much that means! I will be counting on your continued support over the next several months.

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday Morning...

2007-07-16T08:44:00.000-04:00

Who likes a Monday morning? It surely isn't me. At the moment, my office is currently closed on Fridays (during July) so we work 8-6 (or some variation of) during Monday - Thursday. Tell me why my body is rejecting this idea? I'm going to have to get back into my routine of getting up, heading to the gym, then coming to work pretty soon. My waistline has expanded back to where it was four or five months ago. I can't have that...I worked WAY too hard on shrinking it! About three years ago, I weighed just over 280 pounds. Not pretty on my 6'1" frame. I took some drastic measures to drop some weight (specifically, I took a herbal supplement to stimulate weight loss) and after about 6 months got down to about 210. That's actually a pretty good weight for me. But then I took a new job which didn't require me to run around a classroom all day long, and I gained a good chunk of it back. After ebbing and flowing, I got down to about 230...but upon turning 30 I decided to take a break from the gym, which was a monumental mistake that I have paid for to the tune of 15 pounds. Come tomorrow, I'm getting back to my routine. After all, isn't 'tomorrow' the most popular day for starting an exercise regimen or diet?

That actually brings up something I thought Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker did recently that I thought was pretty cool. Back in April and May, there was a campaign for Raleigh to become a 'healthier city' called Raleigh Weighs In. I thought that idea was awesome! I'd love to see something like that in Franklinton. We've got about a mile of sidewalks downtown, and what better way to invite people to downtown that getting them walking there? I see people I know walking all over town all the time. Walking Mason Street, Main Street, etc. Wouldn't it be cool if we could partner with an organization (like BeActive NC or some other such organization) and kick off "Get Fit Franklinton" at the beginning of the year? We could create a website were people share their activities, what they've done to exercise, how much weight they've lost, or how many steps they've taken using a pedometer. We might even be able to find a group to supply the pedometers!

That's what I'm thinking this morning. That, and that I'd like a nap. Yep...it's 8:53 in the morning, and I want a nap. That should tell you something about me and Mondays.

Have a great Monday!

Did I make myself clear?

2007-07-14T13:57:00.000-04:00

So, the article from my interview with Mason Rizzo at the Franklin Times was published today. It was AWESOME that they put a teaser on the front page! I have to admit, Mason did a really good job. When I talked with Kathy Harrelson at TFT (and it was SO GOOD to meet you, Kathy!), I asked her if I could be interviewed by their intern who was a Franklinton native. They were great about that. It was good to be able to speak with someone who knew the town.

My only challenge is in the way a couple of my comments were paraphrased. There was one point of reference to my 'making Franklinton a cohesive community.' Not exactly what I said. His question to me was regarding 'challenged areas' of the town. I shared with Mason that one of my goals and challenges is to ensure that nobody in town feels that they are not a part of the town community. Perception is reality - if one person even feels disenfranchised, then they are. I don't want that in my hometown for anybody! That's just not acceptable to me here.

Another comment was regarding our police force. Ray Gilliam does AMAZING work with the resources he is given - that was quoted correctly. However, my comment was that I want to see our police force become more visible to all of our community - everyone needs to know that they can call on our on-duty police officers anytime. We are a safe community. We've got some challenges...a bit of gang activity, a theft here, a fight there. But by and large, we are safe. That's thanks to our police force.

So...that's what I'm thinking today. :)

So I'm Running for Mayor

2007-07-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

I'm sure someone out there is going to say, "Now isn't that random?" I hadn't thought much about it until I got involved with the URC. As time went by, I began to think, "How else can I make a difference?" I wondered if there was another way I could put myself to use to make where I live a better place. I thought about running for town commissioner. While town commissioner is perhaps the most valuable role in our town's government, I decided that it wasn't the role for me. I serve well as a spokesperson. I also know that one of my talents is making sure the WORLD knows how wonderful the town I love is...and why it should be their town, and why they should love it. I know that I can be a voice...I come from a family of lawyers...I know how to argue. It took me a good bit of time to really feel like it was the best decision for me, and the best way for me to serve my community. I sought the opinion of many people, and took lots into consideration for this decision. Now, I'm asking for my community to support me. I look forward to working with all of you!