| Did You Know? |
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Labor Day Closings
City of Greensboro offices will be closed Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day. View a list of affected services and facilities. Municipal Primary
To vote in the municipal primary October 6, you must be registered to vote by September 11. To register, either mail in a voter registration form postmarked before midnight on September 11 or deliver the form in person to the Guilford County Board of Elections office before 5 pm September 11. Pick up a form at any Greensboro Public Library or at the board of elections' office.
Comment on LDO
Residents have until the end of September to comment on the draft Land Development Ordinance, the source for standards and regulations related to land-use and development in the city. For more information, call the Planning Department at 336-373-2144
YLG Accepting Applications
Youth Leadership Greensboro (YLG), a program of the Greensboro Youth Council and the Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department, is now accepting applications for the 2009-2010 school year. YLG offers high school sophomores, juniors and seniors an in-depth look at their local government and community issues. Apply today.
Senior Health Fair
Connect with community resources and learn about organizations that can help seniors achieve an independent and healthy lifestyle at a Senior Health Fair from 10 am to 1 pm on Tuesday, September 15, at Greensboro's Central Library, 219 N. Church St. For more information, call Belinda Lam at 336-373-2169. |
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| City Council Action Wrap-Up |
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Council gets ball rolling on bond projects.
At its regular meeting held Tuesday, September 1, City Council voted to take advantage of the reduced cost of construction caused by the economic recession and start $153.5 million in bond projects. The bond projects, which were approved by voters in November 2008, include street improvements, housing initiatives, and various Parks and Recreation projects.
The City will use reserve funds to accelerate the projects prior to issuing the bonds, and will reimburse itself for any funds spent from the proceeds of bond anticipation notes issued in FY2009-10. The notes will subsequently be redeemed when the bonds are issued.
Some specific projects include a competitive swim facility at the Greensboro Coliseum, street improvements to Church Street and High Point Road, renovations to neighborhood parks and the Smith Senior Center, and down payment assistance for homebuyers.
Council also:
- Held a special meeting on September 1 to vote on the new City Manager. Council approved the appointment of Rashad Young, city manager of Dayton, Ohio, as the new manager. [Read "Council Announces New City Manager" below.]
- Approved the addition of $30,700 for construction of the new Benjamin Library branch for the purchase of furniture such as desks and book shelves. Even with that addition, the project is $50,000 under budget.
- Scheduled a briefing for Wednesday, September 9, at 3 pm in the Plaza Level Conference Room of the Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 W. Washington St.
To view the entire meeting or past meetings, visit City Council's video archive page. |
| Council Announces New City Manager |
City Manager of Dayton named new manager.
 City Council recently announced the selection of Rashad Young as the new City Manager. [ Watch the press conference.] The selection of Young concludes an extensive recruiting and interviewing process. Young will assume his role on October 16 at an annual base salary of $179,500. "I consider it an honor and I look forward to immersing myself and my family in this community," said Young. "I want residents to know they'll see a lot of me and that their City Manager is working hard for them." Young, who is currently City Manager of the City of Dayton, Ohio, will serve as the chief executive officer of the City of Greensboro, charged with providing administrative leadership to staff, carrying out the policies, programs, ordinances and resolutions approved by Council and overseeing all City operations. Read more about Young. |
| Make Greensboro Beautiful with Neighborhood Initiatives Grant |
Program helps neighborhoods enhance community.
Greensboro Beautiful is now accepting applications for the 2009-10 Neighborhood Initiatives Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to provide funding assistant to neighborhood groups initiating beautification and ecology projects that further enhance and/or restore City property. Grants awarded under this program range from $250 to $1,000 and will be announced January 2010.
This program is sponsored in partnership with the Greensboro Parks & Recreation and Field Operations departments. Neighborhood associations, civic groups and clubs are encouraged to apply. The application deadline is October 30, 2009.
Guidelines and application forms may be downloaded from Greensboro Beautiful's Web site. For more information or to have an application sent to you, call the Greensboro Beautiful Office at 336-373-2199. |
| LifeVerse Teams Seniors with Local Poets |
Program helps spark memories and creativity in senior citizens.
When the Greensboro Public Library started its LifeVerse program two years ago, it aimed to keep senior citizens' minds active by having them write poems with the help of local wordsmiths. But after reaching more than 5,000 seniors in 25 facilities throughout Guilford County, the Library is finding that the program is doing much more than keeping seniors' minds active, it's rekindling memories and bringing them joy.
"It's amazing to witness a participant light up when they remember a smell or a taste from childhood sparked by a poem," said LifeVerse volunteer and artistic director of the WORD project, Jacinta White. "That's what LifeVerse provides ─ the opportunity to use poetry as a catalyst for sparking memories, sharing experiences and creating stories."
LifeVerse volunteers meet weekly with participants to present poetry programs and coach them in writing their own poems.
"LifeVerse participants have written some delightful and sometimes poignant poems and verses," said Steve Sumerford, project director for LifeVerse. "They have written about some of their most significant life experiences."
With funding provided by program sponsors, the Library will soon publish an anthology of poems written by LifeVerse participants. |
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LifeVerse is now looking for volunteers. Interested volunteers must attend one of the following groups of training sessions:
- September 12 and September 19 from 3-6 pm
- September 14 and September 23 from 6-9 pm
Both sessions will be held at Central Library, 219 N. Church St. Pre-register by September 7 by calling Steve Sumerford at 336-373-3636. Learn more. |
| Plastic Bottles Banned from Landfills |
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New law takes effect October 1.
Beginning October 1, North Carolina law requires that plastics bottles be banned from landfills throughout the state. People should already be recycling all their plastic bottles, but it will now become mandatory.
Remember to dispose of plastic bottles by putting them in the brown residential recycling containers or dropping them off at any of the City's 17 recycling locations. View a complete list of recycling locations. For more information, call 336-373-CITY (2489). |
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