| Did You Know? |
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Even though winter is halfway over, extreme cold, freezing rain and snowy conditions can occur at any time during the winter season. Take steps now to prepare for winter weather including winterizing your home, checking on antifreeze levels in your vehicle and developing an emergency plan for your family. Get more tips from Greensboro Ready. Learn how to do more to the exterior of your home with less money, time and space by attending Parks & Recreation's class "Landscaping that Makes Sense." The class will be held Tuesday, February 10, at 6:30 pm at the Arboretum Education Building, 401 Ashland Dr. It's free and open to the public. Call 375-5876 for more information. Join the Greensboro Big Band for "Sweet Sounds" on Sunday, February 15, from 6pm to 8 pm at the Oriental Shrine Club, 5010 High Point Rd. Admission to the concert is free, but dinner will be available for a fee. All proceeds from the dinner and donations collected will benefit the Shrine Children's Hospital.
Library Director Sandy Neerman will offer an overview of the progress on the renovations and additions to the Benjamin Branch Library on Wednesday, February 18 at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch at 1420 Price Park Rd. For more information, visit the Greensboro Public Library's Web site. |
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| City Council Action Wrap-Up |
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Downtown development gets green light.
At its meeting on Tuesday, February 3, Greensboro's City Council approved LindBrook Development Services' request to build a five-story building in downtown's central business district. Included in that approval was a $100,000 forgivable loan requested by LindBrook for the purchase of a portion of a city-owned parking lot. LindBrook plans to lease 11 parking spots in the lot and wants to use the rest for outdoor dining.
Council passed the request 5-3 with Mayor Yvonne Johnson, T. Dianne Bellamy-Small and Mary Rakestraw casting the opposing votes. Goldie Wells was absent. The approval came amidst opposition from other downtown businesses who said downtown can't afford to lose any parking spaces. The businesses also said it wasn't fair for the City to give LindBrook a portion of a parking lot, as well as City money when they weren't offered the same opportunities.
Council listened to the businesses' concerns and ultimately decided that the parking issue could be resolved and that the pros of the development outweighed the cons.
LindBrook plans to start construction of the $3.6 million building at 324 S. Elm St. on May 1. Construction should be complete within a year.
At the meeting, Council also:
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Scheduled a Council Briefing for Monday, February 9, at 5pm to complete review of the 2009 Legislative Program, including the items related to the police department.
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Sought to determine why community leaders were recorded by the Greensboro Police Department. Council was first informed of the recordings by Police Chief Tim Bellamy in 2006 after allegations were made that the department was targeting its own black officers for investigation, but it was never explained why community leaders were recorded. Council wanted to know why the recordings took place and if they can be released publicly. The issue was brought up by local blogger Ben Holder.
- Noted that a rezoning request for a new self-storage facility on Fleming Road was withdrawn by the developer.
- Approved water and sewer improvements in several areas across the city including Montcastle Drive, Holden Road and Covered Wagon Road.
To view the entire meeting or past meetings, visit City Council's video archive page.
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| Celebrating Black History Month |
City holds several events thoughout February.
The City will hold several events to honor the achievements and contributions of African-Americans during Black History Month. A few of the events are as follows:
- N.C. A&T will sponsor the screening of the film "American Red and Black: Stories of Afro-Native Identity," on Thursday, February 12, at 7 pm. The screening will be held at Hemphill Branch Library, 2301 West Vandalia Rd. For more information, call 373-2925.
- Learn how African American Inventors continue to impact our daily lives and create your own scrapbook of favorite inventions by attending "African American Inventors and You." The free event will be held Wednesday, February 25, from 3:30 pm to 5 pm at the McGirt-Horton Branch Library, 2509 Phillips Ave. For more information, call 373-5810.
- Join the Greensboro Historical Museum's Kids Club and Bright Star Children's Theatre for the play "Heroes of the Underground Railroad," on Saturday, February 28, at 10:30 am and 2 pm at the Greensboro Historical Museum, 130 Summit Ave. Tickets to each show are $5 per person. For more information, call 373-2043.
Visit the City's calendar for more events.
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| Army Reserve Learns from the City |
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The 422nd Civil Affairs group of the Greensboro Army Reserve recently toured the City's solid waste management disposal facilities to learn about managing waste. When the group returns to Iraq, it will manage solid waste issues there. |
| City Replacing Street/Traffic Signs in Annexed Neighborhoods |
| Signage replacement program improves safety.
The City has begun replacing street and traffic control signs in annexed neighborhoods, specifically the Cardinal/River Hill area, as a way to improve safety. The Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT) began looking into the matter in 2007, when it determined that many of the signs in these areas are old and no longer in compliance with State and Federal traffic sign requirements and could create safety hazards.
To help pay for the replacement of the signs, GDOT applied for a grant from the National Association of County Engineers, an organization that helps communities improve the safety properties of traffic signs. The department was awarded a grant of approximately $27,000 for the purchase of material to make the signs. The cost of a typical new street sign fabrication and installation is $70. By using the grant, the cost of upgrading the signs was decreased by 35 percent. Also to further reduce the cost of the upgrades, crews are instructed to reuse signage posts if they're in the proper location and in good condition.
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| Greensboro's 'Cold Cases' |
GPD seeks to solve unsolved cases.
The Greensboro Police Department continues to try to solve old cases, called "cold cases." Each month on its Web page, different unsolved cases are featured. If you have information on any unsolved case, call Crime Stoppers at 373-1000. Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible. All calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential. No names are used and no calls are taped or traced. |
| Time Left to Scrap Old Analog TV |
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Dispose of old TVs at the City's HHW Collection Center.
The day to ditch your old analog televisions has been pushed back four months to June 12. On that day, all television broadcast stations in the U.S. must complete the transition from analog to digital broadcasting. What does this mean for you? It means if your televisions are analog and use an antenna - as in rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna - you will no longer be able to pick up local broadcast stations. Your options are to:
- Subscribe to cable to receive an all-digital broadcast signal
- Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box for your analog television if it has a built-in digital tuner
- Purchase a new television
If you need to discard your old televisions, please do so properly by bringing them to the City's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Center at 2750 Patterson St. You can also dispose of old electronics and corrosive, reactive, flammable and toxic materials such as antifreeze, batteries and paints.
The HHW Collection Center is open Wednesday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, and on Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm. For more information call the HHW hotline at 373-2196 or visit its Web site. |
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