And They Were Never Hungry Again: MAC’s “Don’t Cry for Me, Margaret Mitchell”
by Jennifer Johnson Produced and directed by Andrea Croskery, Don’t Cry for Me, Margaret Mitchell, written by Duke Ernsberger and Virginia Cate, is loosely based on the collaboration between Gone with the Wind producer David Selznick (Joseph Horst), director Victor Fleming (Rick Croskery), and writer Ben Hecht (George Crowl) during the week they spent locked [...]
Budget, Grants, Plans and Parking: City Council’s June Decisions
by Lisa Wilbourne After the Monday June 10 public hearing on the proposed $84 million budget (how many citizens came to voice an opinion? Zero.), city council passed the budget as recommended by staff on Thursday with a 5-1 vote (Kandie Smith, Max Joyner, Rose Glover, Dennis Mitchell, Calvin Mercer supporting; Marion Blackburn opposing). Blackburn [...]
Tell City Council What You Think: Proposed Budget and More
by Lisa Wilbourne Greenville City Council is meeting tonight. 6 p.m. in Council Chambers. Come see the spectacle first hand. Throw in your two cents’ worth (or three minutes’ worth, however much that is) on the proposed city budget for the 2103-2014 fiscal year. Tonight is for public comments. Council will vote on the budget [...]
Alliterative Academics Assemble
by Lisa Wilbourne Last night, May 31, seven faculty members from ECU’s English department participated in the first Pirate Prof Pack–a group of creative writers interested in reading their work publicly. The twenty or so people gathered in the performance area of the Tipsy Teapot heard a variety of styles from verbal snapshots: poetry not [...]
Educational Opportunity Bill: Opportunity for Whom?
by Lisa Wilbourne Yesterday I received a press release from a group called Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina containing a letter from the president of the organization, Darrell Allison. He begins by asking who should be the “ultimate decision maker” and held “most accountable” for choosing a child’s school. He answers, “the parents.” [...]
Outdoor Market Returns
By Lisa Wilbourne The Uptown Greenville Umbrella Market returns to Five Points Plaza (that’s the parking lot on 5th and Evans) this Wednesday, May 15 from 5-8 p.m, and each Wednesday until the end of September. The market moves to the Tipsy Teapot in case of rain. If you went to the market last year, [...]
Is This Any Way to Run a City?
We were going to write about this, but would rather hear your thoughts. Take a look, then leave a reply below to let us know what you think. Click here to watch the video if the embedded one is not functioning (and it doesn’t seem to be).
Council Goes Green: Environmentally Friendly Policies in April
By Lisa Wilbourne On April 11, city council made three environmentally friendly votes. One will allow for solar farming in the city; another to begin studying the Tar River to preserve it and promote development and ecotourism; and the third, for council to go paperless. They also voted to approve a set of parking recommendations [...]
Grants for Development Approved, Sunset Debated
by Lisa Wilbourne This city council has made no secret about their focus on economic development. Part of their efforts include having staff put together some options for economic development incentives, which they did in December 2012. Of the four options presented in December, council wanted to know more about the Capital Investment Grant program. Staff [...]
McCrory Descends Upon Greenville for Prayer Time
By Lisa Wilbourne It’s not every day you get to see government officials praying on the steps of the county court house. Just today. Governor Pat McCrory, Mayor Allen Thomas, Rochelle Brown for N.C. House Representative Brian Brown, Sheriff Neil Elks and others took the microphone to lead the faithful — mostly Christians — who had [...]
Motions Not Made: Sneaking Words into City Code
by Lisa Wilbourne In February, four residents told city council they are disenfranchised because, not owning their properties, they cannot vote in their neighborhood associations. They argue a significant portion of the city’s population is cut off — not only from inclusion in their own neighborhoods, but from the city’s Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB), a [...]
Changing Bylaws will not Solve Neighborhood Issues
Editor’s note: In February, some city residents expressed dissatisfaction with their inability to participate in their neighborhood associations because they rent, not own, their homes. Since then the city has been looking at creating rules for neighborhood associations wishing to participate on the Neighborhood Advisory Board, a city board that represents the interests of neighborhood [...]
Death’s Place in Life, a Literature-led Conversation
by Lisa Wilbourne To engage the community in conversation about death and dying, two groups came together at City Hall on April 18, the city’s Human Relations Council and the End of Life Care Coalition of Eastern Carolina. The eight-person panel held a televised discussion on Nobel-prize winning José Saramago’s Death with Interruptions, a book [...]
Sunday Nights Get Better Soon: Summer Music Lineup Announced
Greenville Recreation and Parks has announced the summer lineup for the 40th annual Sunday in the Park. If you haven’t been to Sunday in the Park before, check out this great outdoor community event with live music. Kids play in front of the stage. Folks get up and dance. Bring a chair or blanket or [...]
Paddles and Wind to Steam and Gasoline: Work Boats on the Tar
Editor’s note: Look for a second historical marker on the South Tar River Greenway toward the end of April. The new one, sponsored by Grady-White Boats, will be on the history of work boats on the Tar and will be about 250 feet west of the first marker on the history of transportation on the [...]
Transparency, 1; Shady Back Room Deals, ???
by Lisa Wilbourne A “victory for advocates of transparency” is what Councilor Calvin Mercer celebrated in his widely distributed newsletter this morning. The cause for celebration? A decision to record and (eventually) broadcast last night’s workshop. (The exact source of that decision is unclear, but we’re on the case.) On the heels of much public [...]
When Mistrust Rules: Council’s February Split Vote Analysis
by Lisa Wilbourne Debate Over Early Voting Sites The outcome of city council’s discussion on early voting sites for the municipal election this November was reported in February Council Review. It reads, “In preparation for this year’s municipal elections, the Pitt County Board of Elections sought input from the city on whether they would like [...]
Elected Officials Follow the Law? Not in Greenville.
by Lisa Wilbourne Though not part of the agenda, much of city council’s very short meeting tonight (March 4) was spent talking about prayer. Eight residents, largely pastors from local churches, spoke during the public comments period about not being denied their right to practice religion and freedom of expression. (Why exactly they came to [...]
Spanish Moss on the Tar
by Vince Bellis On Saturday, February 22, 1701 adventurer John Lawson was ferried across Chatookau (Neuse) River by his Indian guide, Enoe Will. They entered what is now southern Pitt County. The next day they continued on through the Contentnea Creek swamps toward the Pampticaugh (Tar) River, “finding this day, the long ragged Moss of [...]
Prestidigitation
by Harry Houdini Allen Thomas Step One: Suggest you’ll achieve a seemingly impossible feat, like freeing yourself, with hands cuffed behind your back, from a packing crate submerged under water. getting re-elected despite the continuous exodus of highly talented city staff, the city being sued over revisions to the occupancy code, and the installation of [...]
A Tragic Tale of Twins Separated at Birth, Willy Russell’s “Blood Brothers”
By Jennifer Johnson Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers is a heart-wrenching tale of two brothers, bound by blood and by fate, facing class struggle, crime, drugs and love. This award-winning musical, directed by Kevin Lee and presented by the Magnolia Arts Center, is loosely based on the 1844 novella, The Corsican Brothers, by Alexandre Dumas, but with [...]
But Who Installed the Screws in the Speed Cushions?
Silly-seeming at first glance, issues like the speed bumps in Uptown Greenville, which were discussed at length during the February 11 meeting of the city council, provide an opportunity to review what council is supposed to be doing, and reflect on whether they are doing it. “The Mayor and City Council,” reads the elected officials [...]
Analysis: Making Bradford Creek Work
by Lisa Wilbourne Quick Summary To make Bradford Creek, the city’s golf course, able to cover its own operating costs, a golf course management and operational consultant reports the city needs to do these four things. Hire a general manager. Increase marketing to get more rounds played per year. Increase playing fees. Fund capital improvements. [...]
Commentary on the Management and Operational Analysis of Bradford Creek Municipal Golf Course
Editor’s note: On Monday, March 25, City Council will consider staff recommendations for the future operation of Bradford Creek Golf Course, a city-owned facility operated by the Recreation and Parks Department. The course’s viability has been questioned by some council members. Further background is provided in our coverage of the issue. Staff recommendations and comments [...]
Share this:
Mar 22, 2013 | Categories: City News, Feature, Letters, Op-Ed | Tags: Bradford Creek, city council, Commentary, golf, Greenville, Report, Zincone | 3 Comments »