The Douglas Block Project, is it worth the Money?

The Douglas Block is a public-private redevelopment project that will result in a thriving commercial center in Downtown Rocky Mount. Phase One of the Douglas Block calls for the renovation of six historically significant buildings, all of which comprised the African American business district of the downtown area in the early to mid-1900’s. The $8 million effort to redevelop this site has been financed by a combination of historic tax credits, new market tax credits, a Section 108 HUD Loan, and public investment. This special financing structure allows for unique and remarkable opportunities for locating your business at the Douglas Block.

Today was the so-called grand opening of this Block Happen. There was nice crowd of folks at this event.

Which by the way is noway finish at all. Yes, Most of the buildings are done and sidewalk is down, however No lamp posts are in yet, The road in front on of the Main Douglas Block Building isn't yet finish at all.  Landscaping is a joke, unless you truly love pine straw.

One of the Building have a large facade area damage, which I guess happen during the brick laying for the sidewalks, which is excellently done. So far the sidewalk are the best part of this Project..

Enjoy the Slide show...

NAACP Sponsors Education Forum to Discuss Possible Legislative Impacts on Public Education

MEDIA ADVISORY

Immediate Release

March 21, 2011                                 

Contact:  Rev. Andre’ D. Knight, President, (252) 544-2949

Reuben Blackwell, NC NAACP Community Coordination Chair (252) 544-3343

    

NAACP Sponsors Education Forum to Discuss Possible Legislative Impacts on Public Education

Rocky Mount, NC – The Rocky Mount Branch of the NAACP, in conjunction with area ministers, will host a discussion with local and statewide leaders in education.  “The NC General Assembly is on a fast track to drastically change the face of public education,” Andre’ Knight, President of the Rocky Mount Branch said. “We want to make sure that our local legislators and the people they serve understand the full ramifications that Senate Bill 8 will have on public schools in the Nash/Rocky Mount and Edgecombe County Public Schools.”  This bill deals with lifting the cap on charter schools in North Carolina as well as their funding and governance.

The Education Forum will be held in the OIC Auditorium located at 402 E. Virginia Street at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 24th.  Reuben Blackwell, NC NAACP Community Coordination Chair stated, “The North Carolina NAACP and the HKonJ coalition has made a clear call to all chapters throughout the state to support progressive legislation that helps every child in North Carolina receive a sound education.  We want to have a good dialogue that might help our legislators craft and support bills that will move our state forward, not cripple and destroy public education opportunities for every child.” 

Confirmed panelists to date are: Rick McMahon, Retiring Nash/Rocky Mount Public Schools Superintendent; Marvin Pittman, Education Consultant and former Associate Superintendent of NC Public Schools; Evelyn Wilson, Chair of the Edgecombe County Board of Education; Michael Pratt, Headmaster, Rocky Mount Preparatory School; Keith Sutton, Wake County School Board Member; and NC Rep. Angela Bryant.  The complete delegation of members of the NC General Assembly from the Twin Counties has been invited to attend and participate.

Andre’ Knight added, “This forum is for everyone. We want to be able to discuss issues related to charter schools, education tax credits and any other issue that is relevant to the education of our children and that will either help our eastern North Carolina economies grow or fail.  We need everyone to be concerned and to attend. ” 

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Hate Crimes Conference with the F.B.I

Time Wednesday, April 6 · 4:00pm - 7:00pm

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Location Lumina Theater-Univeristy of North Carolina Wilmington

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Created By OutReach, Amy Schlag

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More Info

Enjoy us for a fascinating and timely discussion of Hate Crimes and Hate Crimes Legislation. This event is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

INTRODUCTION: Keith H. Bethke Jr., FBI Resident Agencies Supervisor, Wilmington and Raleigh

PRESENTATION ON HATE CRIMES: The FBI's Civil Rights Program from Washington HQ will be conducting an unclassified presentation on Hate Crimes. It will include definitions of Federal Hate Crimes statutes (Ma......tthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009), nationwide statistics on Federal Hate Crimes cases, and examples of Federal Hate Crimes Cases previously worked by the FBI and other agencies.

SERVICES: Victim Specialist Kory Williford, FBI Charlotte Division, Office for Victim Assistance Rapid Deployment Team. Kory Williford will discuss services provided by the FBI’s Raleigh Resident Agency program to victims of Hate Crimes.

HATE CRIMES INTELLIGENCE: Tom Kuhl will conduct a brief presentation on Southeastern North Carolina Hate Crimes statistics and how Hate Crimes affect our local community.

HATE CRIMES PANEL DISCUSSION: Moderator Buffy Ruffin, Coordinator of Multicultural Student Affairs.

SHOWING OF S.P.I.C. The Storyboard of My Life (27mins)

CLOSING REMARKS: Quynh Rcom

Town Hall Meeting host by Equality NC

Please join Equality NC Executive Director Ian Palmquist for a discussion on LGBT rights in our state.

What	Advocacy Event Community Meeting Educational Program
When	Apr 06, 2011 from 07:00 PM to 09:00 PM
Where	Greenville

There's so much going on with the NC Legislature these days that Equality NC is hitting the road to tell you all about it, and to enlist your help in what may be the largest campaign for LGBT rights in our state's history! We'll talk about the anti-LGBT constitutional amendment, as well as other policy that will potentially impact all of us who care about equal rights, and what you can do about it.


It's all happening on Wednesday, April 6th at 7pm at the Tipsy Teapot (409 South Evans Street, Greenville, 27858).



Please join us for this informative and empowering evening.

A Message from Senator Richard Burr

From: Sen. Richard Burr [mailto:info@burr.senate.gov]
Subject: A Message from Senator Richard Burr

About Senator Burr | Constituent Services | Contact Me | Share with a Friend As many of you are aware, this week the Senate finally took up legislation that would have set a budget for the rest of the fiscal year as well as impose cuts to federal spending.  On Wednesday, I voted for the House-passed plan to reduce the federal government’s spending by $57 billion and against the Democratic alternative that fell far short by cutting spending by just $4.7 billion. I am disappointed that a majority of my colleagues in the Senate are not taking our fiscal crisis seriously. I fully supported the House-passed proposal to reduce government spending by $57 billion, and like most Americans I would like to see even more cuts.  We cannot shy away from the fact that cutting spending is absolutely necessary to put us back on the track to fiscal sanity. We have to stop charging our children and grandchildren for our own excessive spending habits. I am hopeful that both parties can come together to start to fix our fiscal mess and make the tough decisions necessary to keep our government solvent, create a strong economic environment and spur job growth. Also this week, the Senate passed a resolution I sponsored to make March 30th “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.” On March 30, 1973, all U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam under the terms of the Treaty of Paris. So, this March 30th, the Senate has encouraged Americans across the country to recognize Vietnam veterans for their sacrifice and demonstrate a warm welcome to these soldiers who returned from war to a politically divided country. I’m pleased that the Senate has agreed to set aside a day to give our Vietnam veterans a warm, long-overdue welcome home. I strongly encourage communities across North Carolina and the country to observe this day with activities and events that honor these veterans for their service. It’s time they receive the recognition they earned and have deserved for so long.  This day also provides our nation with an important teaching moment - never again should our men and women serving in the armed forces receive the same treatment as those who returned from Vietnam. Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Max Cogburn, of Asheville, to serve as United States District Judge for the Western District of North Carolina.  I believe he is an excellent choice to serve as District Judge, and I am pleased the Senate unanimously supported his confirmation. His vast experience - including serving as assistant U.S. attorney, chief assistant U.S. attorney, magistrate judge, and in private practice - makes him a well qualified nominee for this position and an excellent addition to the Court.  To watch a video of a speech I gave on the floor of the Senate in support of Max’s confirmation, click here. Stay tuned to my website and Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter for updates from Washington next week as the Senate continues to debate the budget cuts that must be made to get our fiscal house in order. Sincerely,  U.S. Senator Richard Burr *Please do not respond to this email.  To contact me, please click  or visit my website www.burr.senate.gov.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/SenatorRichardBurr Twitter: @SenatorBurr  Asheville Federal Building 151 Patton Avenue, Suite 204 Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: (828) 350-2437 Fax: (828) 350-2439 Rocky Mount 100 Coast Line Street, Room 210 Rocky Mount, NC 27804 Phone: (877) 703-2087 Phone: (252) 977-9522 Fax: (252) 977-7902 Washington, DC 217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3154 Fax: (202) 228-2981 Winston-Salem 2000 West First Street Suite 508 Winston-Salem, NC 27104 Phone: (800) 685-8916 Phone: (336) 631-5125 Fax: (336) 725-4493 Gastonia City Hall 181 South Street, Room 222 Gastonia, NC 28052 Phone: (704) 833-0854 Fax: (704) 833-1467 Wilmington 201 North Front Street Suite 809 Wilmington, NC 28401 Phone: (888) 848-1833 Phone: (910) 251-1058 Fax: (910) 251-7975

PFlag Meeting Set up

PFLAG Meeting - (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meets Tuesday, Mar 15,. For meeting details, contact pflagrm@aol.com, call 252-443-0345, or visit www.pflag.org.

March 8 Call-in Day: Stop the Grand Jury Witch Hunt

NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY
to Fitzgerald, Holder and Obama

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Grand Jury is still on its witch-hunt and the FBI is still harassing activists. This must stop.

Please make these calls:

1. Call U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald at 312-353-5300. Then dial 0 (zero) for operator and ask to leave a message with the Duty Clerk.
2. Call U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder 202-353-1555
3. Call President Obama at 202-456-1111 

Suggested text: “My name is __________, I am from _______(city), in ______(state). I am calling _____ to demand he call off the Grand Jury and stop FBI repression against the anti-war and Palestine solidarity movements. I oppose U.S. government political repression and support the right to free speech and the right to assembly of the 23 activists subpoenaed. We will not be criminalized. Tell him to stop this McCarthy-type witch hunt against international solidarity activists!” 

If your call doesn’t go through, try again later.

Update: 800 anti-war and international solidarity activists participated in four regional conferences, in Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; Chapel Hill, NC and New York City to stop U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald’s Grand Jury repression. 

Still, in the last few weeks, the FBI has continued to call and harass anti-war organizers, repressing free speech and the right to organize. However, all of their intimidation tactics are bringing a movement closer together to stop war and demand peace.

We demand:

• Call Off the Grand Jury Witch-hunt Against International Solidarity Activists!
• Support Free Speech!
• Support the Right to Organize!
• Stop FBI Repression!
• International Solidarity Is Not a Crime!
• Stop the Criminalization of Arab and Muslim Communities!

Background: Fitzgerald ordered FBI raids on anti-war and solidarity activists' homes and subpoenaed fourteen activists in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Michigan on September 24, 2010. All 14 refused to speak before the Grand Jury in October. Then, 9 more Palestine solidarity activists, most Arab-Americans, were subpoenaed to appear at the Grand Jury on January 25, 2011, launching renewed protests. There are now 23 who assert their right to not participate in Fitzgerald’s witch-hunt. 

The Grand Jury is a secret and closed inquisition, with no judge, and no press. The U.S. Attorney controls the entire proceedings and hand picks the jurors, and the solidarity activists are not allowed a lawyer. Even the date when the Grand Jury ends is a secret.

So please make these calls to those in charge of the repression aimed against anti-war leaders and the growing Palestine solidarity movement.

Email us to let us know your results. Send to info@StopFBI.net

**Please sign and circulate our 2011 petition at http://www.stopfbi.net/petition

 

In Struggle,

Tom Burke,

for the Committee to Stop FBI Repression

FFI: Visit www.StopFBI.net or email info@StopFBI.net or call 612-379-3585.

 

Main Douglas Block Building Almost completed

Yes the Main Building of this Project is almost completed. As you can see it has been giving new windows and doors and roof and inside structure, and a nice fresh coat of paint.

I wonder if there any tenants signed up yet, If so how long before they move in. Since the parking lot behind the buildings isn't yet complete.. 

Some Money Spent at Battle Park, WOW

 It would seem that the City Spent some money to replace the old trail sign in Battle Park, those which were tore up by local vandals

Yet, no money could be found to fill the hole in the walkways of the park. I guess sometime in this fall season if someone steps in it while its cover with leaves and breaks a leg then only then will Rocky Mount do something about it.

City to Recover Cost of tearing down homes in Rocky Mount

Public Hearing Relative to the Preliminary Assessment Roll Prepared to Recover Costs Incurred by the City in Connection with Housing Code Enforcement on the Following Properties:

a. 400 Cedar Street
b. 401 Cedar Street
c. 625 Clyde Street
d. 535/537 Cokey Road
e. 541 Cokey Road
f. 208 S. Howell Street
g. 930 Lancaster Street
h. 937 Lindsey Street
i. 941/943 Lindsey Street
j. 324 Raleigh Road
k. 305 Smith Street
l. 1001 Star Street
m. 1113 W. Thomas Street
n. 319 W. Thomas Street
o. 633 Woodland Avenue

A~ Recommended Action: Adopt Resolution Confirming Assessments.

I wonder how much the city spent and how much they will recover from these properties