News & Record circulation down again

GREENSBORO, NC -- According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, circulation continues to decline for the News & Record.

Averages for the six months ended September 31, 2010:

Sunday: 86,087
6 month change:  - 3.6% (-3,188)
12 month change:  - 6.0% (-5,512)

Weekday: 62,074
6 month change:  -8.2% (-5,551)
12 month change:  -12.1% (-8,543)

Since 2005, the N&R's weekday circulation has declined 34.7% from 95,119 while Sunday circulation has declined 23.2% from 112,154.

Uber-conservative picks

GREENSBORO, NC -- Local blogger and uber-conservative Joe Guarino identifies his preferred candidates for local, state and federal races.

Republicans "outperforming" in Guilford County early voting

Comparing early voters by party affiliation to registered voters in Guilford County, NC.








* Early voter turnout reporting from Civitas Vote Tracker, registration statistics from Guilford County Board of Elections.

Early North Carolina voters more white, Republican, male

Early voters in North Carolina have been more Republican, more white, and more male than those demographics' respective representations among registered voters and voters in the 2008 general elections.*














*A comparison of North Carolina early-voting by demographics compared to current voter registration and 2004 and 2008 turnout (through Oct. 27th, 2010). Early voter turnout reporting from Civitas Vote Tracker, registration statistics from N.C. Board of Elections, and historical statistics from George Mason University's U.S. Election Project. (Y axis is percentage of total for data set specified in legend.)

Greensboro police detective inspires blogger to censor post

GREENSBORO, NC -- According to local blogger Jeff Martin (aka Fecundstench), he received a call from a Greensboro Police Department detective that inspired him to remove this from a blog post about nearly getting run over by a firetruck:

"I will fuck up a fireman, if I can every [sic] catch one of the fat bastards alone. Were they in turn out gear it would have been one thing, but to be run over while they were shopping is another."

I would like to know if a legal line was crossed. It might piss him off to hear this, but I take Jeff with a grain of salt and thus find his outrageous outrage frequently amusing. Although it does smart when he takes a swipe at me or one of my friends, I am intrigued by his desire to push the envelope of the medium. Did this particular post cross a legal line or was the GPD detective's intervention intimidation?  I'd like to hear the opinions of people smarter than me.

How to talk to a liberal; or how not to earn the vote of an independent moderate

Jeff Hyde (R), candidate for North Carolina state senate is promoting:

[A]n interesting discussion on the working of the Liberal mind and what [sic] mainstream Americans should handle it.

It is bizarre that people determine themselves to be so alienated from others--find themselves so perplexed--that they need special instruction to communicate with people of their own culture and society--their neighbors--just because of differing viewpoints.

(I imagine a man in pith hat with smoldering pipe and binoculars staring through his window at his hybrid-driving neighbor, taking notes of careful study as he prepares an expedition into her foreign world to ask if he can borrow her rake. "Will she understand me?" "Will she attack?" "How do I talk to the liberal mind?")

That Hyde identifies with a view of a polarized landscape populated with the friendly familiar and the puzzling aliens fits with the reasons I think Hyde would be a less than adequate representative: His inclination towards the ineffective and objectionable "us-versus-them" mentality will dictate his receptiveness to constituents. His line of demarcation puts him in a very condensed landscape too.

I, an independent moderate in Hyde's district, had previously sent an email to Hyde asking him two questions about a campaign fund raising raffle he held and its secret winner:

Was the winner listed on your campaign finance report as having purchased a raffle ticket or tickets?

Was the winner related to you?

Hyde replied by ignoring my questions and asking, despite my name, Roch, appearing twice in the email, if I was some Rick Smith he knew ("Oh, yeah, I mispelled my name. Thanks for correcting that while not answering my questions."). I could only conclude that the nature of any additional response would depend on whether Hyde identified me as an us or a them.

Hyde proceeded to duck and dodge questions about his raffle and the winner even as details trickled out. The winner was Hyde's sister, of different last name. She won with one of eighteen tickets Hyde and other family members bought and put her name on. She told Jeff to keep the $5,000 prize. Hyde refused to put the financial details on his campaign finance reports for public inspection.

Hyde should have just explained what happened and put the information on his campaign finance reports. That would have been transparent and honest, traits we say we admire, if not demand, of our elected officials. Instead, he adopted a bunker mentality. That kind of behavior combined with a suspicion and sense of alienation from unfamiliar people is too small minded and frustrating for my vote.

[Full disclosure: this blogger provides web site design services to Hyde's opponent Don Vaughan for Vaughan's law practice and sold a web site domain name to Vaughan's campaign. This blogger is not involved in Vaughan's campaign in a paid or volunteer capacity.]

Why would a politician lie? (Local reporter gets played)

[Final Update: Joe and I had some good back and forth about this during the day. He takes exception with my characterization that he got "played" and says he wasn't fooled. What I saw that way, Joe says was his attempt to provide some context for Randall's comment, albeit with, as Joe says, "a poor wording choice." Joe explains he was trying to describe where Randall may have got his ideas, not where he got the quote which he now agrees "there's no evidence for" and which will be clarified in tomorrow's paper. I can buy that. Good egg, that Joe: Unafraid and professional.]

[Update: Joe Killian has now cited sources for the "human weeds" comment on his blog:  "The Pivot of Civilization" and "My Plan for Peace." Neither contains the phrase in question. I have asked Joe and his editor, John Robinson, on what page we can find the quotation. Joe has not answered yet. Robinson's reply in its entirety: "Got me."]

[Update II: Joe edited his blog post to say that "The specific 'human weed' language cited by Randall isn't to be found there..." It isn't to be found anywhere. Randall burped up a fable--an urban legend--a tired fantasy of right wing kooks to which Randall added a racial spin.]

Greensboro, NC -- In a candidates' forum Wednesday night, congressional candidate Bill Randall (R) asked what the parents of his incumbent challenger, Brad Miller (D), would think of Miller being endorsed by an organization that called "black people 'human weeds.'"

News & Record reporter Joe Killian gave his reporter's stamp of approval to the accuracy of the statement by writing:

Randall was referring to Planned Parenthood and comments by Margaret Sanger, the founder of the organization that preceded it in the 1920s.

One problem: Sanger never called black people "human weeds." I've asked Joe what was his source for reporting that she had (no reply yet), but it appears as if he just took Randall at his word.

There are plenty of conservative blogs and right wing websites that claim Sanger referred to black people as "human weeds." Most are unsourced. The few that are attribute the quote to Sanger's book "The Pivot of Civilization." But, thanks to Google Books, that tombe is online in searchable form, and "human weeds" just isn't in it. What Randall said was not true. Killian was wrong not to check it out. A correction is in order.

[Yes! Weekly's Jordan Green also reported Randall's claim, but he limited it to reporting Randall's words. Green did not assert, as Killian did, that Randall's claim was founded in fact. Still, there's room for clarification from Yes! too -- that what Randall said is make believe.]

Up is down, down is up; WGHP Fox8 reports the opposite of reality as fact

It seems as if not a day goes by any longer without some reporting error at WGHP Fox8. This time, they just make something up. It is time for the people who care about or have staked their reputations to this station to pay attention.

Today, WGHP reports in "Lower Interest Rates Increase Home Sales":

The increase in home buying is just not happening here in the Piedmont as reports show that across the country new home sales have picked up about 5 points over the last few weeks.

Increase in home buying in the Piedmont? Not according to something like, well, you know, data.

According to Trulia, sales in Greensboro have been in decline since July.

Same thing from the Dixon Hughes Triad Business Index.

"Making it up" is not a professional approach to reporting.

WGHP Fox8 contradicting itself

WGHP's lack of concern for factual accuracy has reached laughable proportions as they currently have two stories online that directly contradict each other. In addition to reporting on the "Guilford County libraries," of which there are no such things (there is a Greensboro library system), a story this evening reports:

"City council voted 8-to-1 last night to add pornography software to computers used by children, but not those used by adults."

"Add pornography software"? Well, you know what they mean. But that part about "not those used by adults"? That is in direct contradiction to their other story from earlier today that remains uncorrected:

"People over the age of 18 will have a choice to use the filters or not."

The claim in the newer story that each of the eighteen reported incidents involved adults is incorrect too.

[View all posts about WGHP's erroneous reporting on this blog]

WGHP Fox8 gets it wrong again

(Greensboro, NC) WGHP continues its recent and disappointing slide towards error-prone reporting.

This time, in "Council Approves Use of Computer Filters at Public Library:"

"People over the age of 18 will have a choice to use the filters or not."

Wrong.

The motion approved by council (video, at the 01:31:35 mark) makes no such provision and indeed, library director Sandy Neerman confirms to this blogger that the approved policy does not give adult users that choice.

Greensboro city council gets it right on library computer filters

Greensboro City Council voted last night to install "porn" filters on computers used by minors at the library. Adult log-ins will not get filtered. This is the correct decision.

There has been no disagreement that children deserve special treatment. The difference of opinion has been over whether to treat adults like children too. The over-protective software solution is right for children. It was wrong for adults.

The idea that software could serve as an appropriate enforcer of "community standards," as councilman Danny Thompson wished for, was misguided. Local online discussions illustrated the futility of identifying a community standard to begin with, as people argued for and against blocking sites about hacking, hate, extreme violence and other objectionable things not about sex. There were some attempts to embarrass people into supporting filters by impugning their morality. Local blogger Joe Guarino even went so far as to suggest that library staff should be arrested if library patrons were found to be viewing illegal materials. That was disgusting and dangerous. We should be thankful that we did not give such sanctimonious self-righteous moralizing any credence by wading into the quagmire of defining "community standards."

The complaint of council woman Trudy Wade, echoed by Guarino, that without filters, people will continue to view pornography is either an intentional canard or, despite the monumental amount of discussion, continued ignorance about the capabilities of filters. Filters can be defeated. Even with them in place, determined users can still view pornography and that imperfection would not only have left Guarino and Wade dissatisfied (and, presumably, looking for additional remedies for a 100% guarantee), it would have come with a heavy cost to legitimate users. As noted here, filters block access to things like Cragislist ads and pictures of bunny rabbits (really--from actual Greensboro library log files). We are better off without a "solution" that would have still allowed porn but which would have had the new requirement that a patron petition library staff should she want to view personal ads. The policies and procedures currently in place to police adult users against viewing obscene material will continue, just without the downside burdens or false sense of security of imperfect filters.

It would have been easy for council to bend to fear mongering and demagoguery on this one--to get scared or try to make hay. I am very proud that they took a deliberative approach to a mature solution. Kudos too to library director Sandy Neerman and library staff who navigated what could have been a minefield with aplomb.

[See all posts on this blog about this issue.]

And now, a bustle in your hedgerow

Rodrigo Y Gabriela

I'm going to let you in on a little secret

I am tempted to keep this to myself, but what good is a life on earth if you don't contribute to the joy of other people? This past summer, when Kathy and I were tooling around the southern North Carolina mountains, we drove past a little gravel driveway on Wayah Road west of Franklin with a modest sign for Wayah Creek Cottages, 800-559-8280. (Wayah is pronounced why-ah). On a lark, we turned around to check them out. When we got back to Greensboro (247 miles, 4.5 hours), Kathy made a three night reservation, guessing when the fall color would be pretty there and just about nailing the peak as this past weekend.

Let me tell you folks, what you get for what you pay at the Wayah Creek Cottages is an amazing value. Our $100/night wood paneled, one-bedroom cottage featured a king bed with linens. The modest but updated bathroom included towels and washcloths. The kitchen was fully equipped with refrigerator, stove, microwave, coffeemaker, cookware, utensils, dishes, mugs and glasses. The living area was comfortably furnished, carpeted with Berber and included a small TV with satellite and a stone fireplace. During the cool-weather months, firewood is included: well seasoned, cut and stacked on the covered porch, organized from kindling to split logs of three increasing sizes. Each of the six cabins has its own creekside parcel with seating, picnic table and grill. Everything, accommodations and grounds, was immaculate.

Husband and wife Jackie and Larry have owned the place for seventeen years and they have every conceivable detail figured out. A handmade guidebook on the coffee table is an accumulation of brochures, menus, clippings and handwritten directions to the area's points of interest Policies and procedures have been refined to assure smooth operation with minimal intrusion on guests. Check out by washing the dishes, unplugging the appliances, shoveling the ash out of the fireplace, taking out the trash and leaving the key on the table.

My only complaint was, when a wind gust brought a tree down on a power line somewhere down the road, the repair stretched into dusk, then dark for about an hour and the battery-powdered "lantern" we were promised turned out to be a closet light not suitable for illuminating a room or even reading. Bring some sufficient battery powered light with you to be on the safe side. A flashlight is a necessity if you are going to use the grill after dark as porch lights are appropriately very dim.

Truly though, the only items you must bring are your clothes, food, toiletries, charcoal, flashlight and books.

Although there is a golf course not too far away, this is the kind of place you stay to relax, read, eat and enjoy God's great creation. There is no Internet access; no cell phone service; the only phone is in the office. The closest convenience store is four miles away. It is a twenty minute drive to Franklin for quaint downtown shops, restaurants and grocery stores.

Franklin weather forecasts suffice for the cottages. Consult the cottage guidebook for area hikes, including the nearby Appalachian Trail. Here are some nearby driving destinations

West on Wayah Road

Going west from the cottages, Wayah Road begins a five mile, 2200 ft. assent.

Rufus Morgan Falls. 2.7 miles from the cottages, turn left onto road 388 to get to the 1 mile trail to Rufus Morgan Falls.

Wayah Bald. 5.2 miles from the cottages, immediately after crossing the Appalachian Trail, turn right on the gravel National Forest Service road to the north for another 4 miles to Wayah Bald. Even with the lookout tower closed for repairs, the vista from this 5,500 ft. peak was spectacular--undeveloped, massive expanses of primordial mountains. (The short trail to the tower is paved and wheelchair accessible. The very fit and ambitious hiker may park at the beginning of the Forest Service Road and hike the Appalachian Trail to the top).

Lake Nantahala. Continuing westward on Wayah Road takes you to Lake Nantahala where Nantahala Marina is on the left, 14 miles from the cottages. Boats are available for rent here (828-321-3001) and there is a popular burger joint upstairs but, for public access to the lake, continue to Junaluska Road (left) then left on Big Choga Road (24.3 miles from the cottages).

Rafting. 24.2 miles from the cottages, Wayah Road meets Nantahala Gorge Road. Turning right, this road skirts the Nantahala river with many riverside picnic tables. There are a number of rafting outfitters too who rent equipment, drop you off and pick you up. We had a great trip last summer courtesy of outfitter Appalachian Rivers and I recommend them.

Hayesville. If you really enjoy driving through the woods, are patient and have a reliable car suitable for some sustained and occasionally steep gravel road, take Tuni Gap road down from Lake Nantahala to Hayesville (41 miles from the cottages -- about 7 of them on gravel). From Hayesville, you can take four lane Hwy 64 back to the cottages.

West on Hwy 64

From the cottages, highway 64 leads to Hayesville, home of the Peacock Playhouse and the Licklog Players, and on to Murphy, home to the John C. Campbell Folk School. Closer to the cottages, at 14 miles, is the Standing Indian Mountain area, with numerous hiking trails of varying difficulty, many along creeks and to waterfalls.

WGHP Fox8, Rush Radio 94.5 punked by local thirteen year-old

It turns out the slickly edited video that made it appear as if a Guilford County Commissioner was insulting a speaker from the floor by taking two unrelated comments and splicing them together--the video that fooled WGHP Fox8 and Rush Radio 94.5 into believing the contrivance--was produced by the thirteen year-old son of the founders of Conservatives for Guilford County.

Here's the kid's handiwork.

WGHP Fox8 manufactures another story

City employee removing campaign signs from right of way on Market St. in Greensboro.

Did something change recently at WGHP Fox8? New management? Rookie hires? Special brownies?

For the third time in a week, WGHP has a politically oriented story in which they fabricate the central premise. This time the headline is:

Theft of Political Signs Increase in Greensboro

The proof of this theft? Nothing. So they just make something up.

The story tells of campaign volunteers "pulling out all the stops..."

"In some cases, that includes pulling up the opponent's campaign signs."

What cases? They don't say. Whose volunteers? They don't say. WGHP makes it up--fabricates it and puts it out there with no substantiation. They get some people to say that signs have gone missing and jump to the unsubstantiated conclusion that "volunteers" are "in some cases" "pulling up the opponent's" signs. No particular volunteer; no particular cases, just a little waltz through the land of make-believe.

Not until the very end of the story does Fox8 hint at another explanation for the disappearance of campaign signs, although they don't bother to flesh it out: If a sign is not on private property with the owners' permission, "it will be removed," by Greensboro officials they report; and contrary to WGHP's erroneous implication, it is not against the law to "steal" a sign that is on public property. Anyone may remove an illegally placed sign. That's not stealing. It's beautification -- and it's legal.

I have no doubt that people steal legally placed campaign signs, but this steaming pile from WGHP is not a report of sign stealing. It is a work of fiction that, like their other concoctions this week, substitutes fantasy for reality..

The fact is, there was an explosion of illegally placed signs over the past weekend. It did not take this blogger long, in photographing them, to run across a Greensboro City employee removing signs from street right of ways (pic above). Unlike WGHP's schlock, this is documented. This you can see for yourself. If WGHP were more interested in reporting news than faking it, they might have looked into the possibility that the "stolen" signs were illegally placed and rightfully removed

Illegal campaign yard signs

In Greensboro, it is against the law to put campaign yard signs on public property, including right or ways and medians. From the Greensboro code of ordinances, permitted signs:

Temporary political signs located on private property with the property owner's permission;

Here are some illegally placed yard signs in my neck of the woods. Congressional candidate Bill Randall's supporters seem to be particularly frequent offenders. The last picture is of a city employee removing some improperly placed signs.

Yon and Hyde to win by ignoring independents?

(Greensboro, NC) I am an unaffiliated voter -- have been for eight years. Our yard has recently accommodated campaign signs for Republicans B.J. Barnes, Howard Coble, Bill Knight and Zack Matheny. I did not support John McCain, but called the Republican party headquarters for a McCain sign to replace one an elderly neighbor had disappear from his yard. I am no partisan. I have voted in Republican and Democratic primaries and for Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians in general elections. I vote for the person who I think will do the best job.

Often my evaluation includes an assessment of a candidate's candor and responsiveness. On that score, Jeff Hyde and Theresa Yon get big fat "Fs" They are, respectively, the Republican candidates for state senate and state house in my districts.

I emailed Jeff Hyde to ask him some questions about the mystery surrounding the secret winner of his campaign raffle. He sent back an email asking who I was and completely ignoring my question.

Theresa Yon has made criticisms of incumbent Maggie Jeffus' support for economic incentives central to her campaign. I have twice asked Yon if she would have rejected the incentives that lured the FedEx cargo hub to Greensboro (see comments in links). She has twice not answered.

Both of these candidates' responses are in stark contrast to Sheriff B.J. Barnes' timely and respectful responses to a recent policy question I had. Maybe Hyde and Yon think they can win without the support of voters like me and maybe they will. I have little confidence that, as secretive and unresponsive, they would be good representatives.

UPDATE: Yon has now replied.

You are continually asking me if I would have voted for decisions and planning which took place at a time when I was not even living here (graduate school, Classical Studies, at Florida State University). I cannot tell you how I would have voted unless I read the reports, studies, etc. from that time period. I am perfectly willing to do that.

According to her biography, Yon has been at High Point University since 1999. The FedEx hub was announced in 1998. Decisions relating to incentives for the project continued through 2002, at least.

I take from her response that Yon's objections to incentives are not absolute, that there may be situations where she would support incentives. I appreciate her answer.

Email to WGHP Fox8

I sent the following to the news desk at WGHP Fox8 and to station manager Karen Adams yesterday. I am still waiting for a reply.
----------------------
Hello,

In two separate stories, you have asserted as fact that Guilford County Commissioner Carolyn Coleman directed a derogatory comment to one Isabella Adkins about Adkin's country of origin. Will you please tell me what evidence or record substantiates your assertions that the comment was directed to Adkins and was about her origin?

Specifically, here are the segments I am questioning:

"During Thursday's Guilford County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Carolyn Coleman didn't apologize for a controversial comment she made concerning a woman's country of origin at a previous meeting."

"'I know where you're from, but I am from America,' said [sic] Coleman told Isabella Atkins during the commissioner's last meeting on Sept. 16."

AND

"Guilford County Commissioner Carolyn Coleman says a controversial comment she made to a woman at a recent commissioners meeting was directed at the audience and not the woman."

"'I know where you're from, but I am from America,' said Coleman during the meeting to Isabella Adkins, a member of the Conservatives for Guilford County.."

From:
http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-story-coleman-101006,0,2009632.story
and
http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-story-coleman-101007,0,2075169.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wghp-localnews+%28WGHP+-+News%29

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,
Roch Smith, Jr.

WGHP Fox8 News manufacturing deception, making up quotes

There is a smarmy tactic afoot in Guilford County. It involves taking two incongruous and non-sequential statements and splicing them together to make one appear to be in response to the other. Conservatives for Guilford County recently deployed the tactic to make it seem as if a Guilford County commissioner was responding to a speaker from the floor (when, in fact, the commissioner's comment was made 90 minutes later on a different subject).

Now, quite unfortunately, WGHP Fox8 has embraced the tactic and employed it themselves in the same affair. In addition to reporting multiple times--never with substantiation and contrary to video record--that County Commissioner Carolyn Coleman directed a comment to a speaker from the floor because of the speaker's county of origin, WGHP takes it one step further and published this yesterday:

Isabella Adkins, who is from Romania and a member of the Conservatives for Guilford County, claims the comment was directed at her. Adkins is demanding an apology.

"Check yourself. Don't ever ask me for an apology," said Coleman. "If I think I owe one, I'll give it. You have gotten off course," said Coleman Thursday evening.

It sounds like Coleman really has it out for Adkins, doesn't it? Except that, despite the way WGHP put one thing right after another, they were not sequential and Coleman was not addressing Adkins. This is the same deception Conservatives for Guilford County employed: take a comment by Adkins and append to it a comment that the commissioner made later and to someone else to make it seem as if the commissioner's comment is in response to Adkins.

The commissioner's comments WGHP quotes immediately after "Adkins is demanding an apology," were actually made nearly two hours after Adkins asked for an apology, they were not addressed to Adkins and were, in fact, addressed to fellow commissioner Billy Yow. WGHP doesn't bother to tell you that, but it's all on video. [Not yet posted at the County website. Link when available.]

That's not all. Even in what appears to be a straightforward quotation of Coleman, WGHP deploys more deception. Coleman did not say, "If I think I owe one, I'll give it. You have gotten off course," as WGHP reports. Coleman said (to Yow) "If I think I owe one, I'll give it." Then she stopped. WGHP added the rest. Remember, it's on video [Not yet posted at the County website. Link when available.]

Heads rolled at WFMY when a reporter fabricated video footage. This is no different. It is the same type of intentionally manufactured deception intended to hype an unsubstantiated suspicion at the expense of the facts. No matter how clever or smoothly perpetrated, it is unethical and not welcomed in our community. The person or people responsible should be shown the door.

---------
Bonus: If the negative implications of this for Guilford County are not clear, some comments from the WGHP website in response to the stories will help (errors preserved):

• No wonder blacks are hated soo much.
• what an uppity b. 
  
• Coleman is black and they don't have to apologize for anything.
• This is he night that we all should be ashame to live in Greensboro with this insane women loose.
• It's all about RACE, yes, I said it!
• Coleman will be excused from her comment because of her race.
• This shows beyond any doubt that blacks are not real humans and never will be.
• It must be general knowledge now that jungle animals are related to those people.
• I'm sure that she is one MAD black women today and I would advise ALL white people attending the commissioners meeting tonight to sit at the back of the meeting room in order to avoid the HOT mouths air that this beast will project into the room tonight.

The Old Rebel

(Greensboro, NC)  Jeri Rowe:

Timm Perry admits it’s hard.He’ll auction off some of his dad Sunday afternoon. [snip]

Timm’s dad was George Perry. Ask any longtime local over 40 and they knew him by another name: The Old Rebel.

The Old Rebel was vintage TV, the Triad’s own Santa Claus. He was the guy in the fake moustache, round glasses and top hat who helped an entire generation learn how to laugh on “The Old Rebel Show.’’

For more than 20 years beginning in the early 1950s, The Old Rebel helped children onto a set at WFMY (Channel 2) and entertained them with cartoons and vaudeville skits.

I remember well my several visits to the Old Rebel Show in the early 70's (that's the 1970's). The Old Rebel would find a few seconds between skits and birthday announcements to put me on camera to announce my Muscular Dystrophy carnivals, which made them wildly popular with the other kids in Rolling Roads. George Perry and his supporting cast were a local treasure the likes of which we haven't seen since. It's too bad his son is having a hard time. You can wear your nostalgia and assist Timm Perry at the same time with Old Rebel t-shirts.

 

Guess who?

A long time ago, I was in a car commercial. So was Billy Ingram, who electronified it for posterity.

WGHP MyFox8 making unsubstantiated assertions contrary to facts on record

WGHP MyFox 8 reports:

A member of a local conservative group wants an apology from a Guilford County Commissioner over a statement the commissioner made about the member's country of origin at city county commissioner meeting two weeks ago.

Nowhere does the unnamed WGHP reporter offer any substantiation that a comment was made "about the member's country of origin." She or he just drops it in there as if it's undisputed. Lazy; and wrong. In fact, that is an issue in dispute, the County Commissioner in question being on the record as saying the opposite. From the News & Record's Joe Killian:

I spoke with Coleman, who claims that she was responding to the hecklers in the closer rows who began shouting her down about capitalism and America, not Mrs. Adkins, who was near the back of the room and had spoken much earlier in the meeting.

So come on, WGHP, if you have some new information to substantiate the claim, bring it. Otherwise don't present things as facts that are not.

An open letter to the Quarter Cent Makes Sense committee

I clicked on the button to send an email on the contact page at the Quarter Cent Makes Sense website -- the site advocating an increase in Guilford County's sales tax. The email was returned to me as undeliverable: "host unknown."

Here is the question I tried to send. It can be answered in the comments here.
---------------
Dear mysterious unnamed person,

Your website claims that "Up to 40 percent of the revenue raised from the sales tax... is paid by visitors who do not live in Guilford County."

Can you tell me your source for that claim?

Cordially,
Roch Smith, Jr.

Ice rink scam?

Does he have this right? Sam at Piedmont Publius: A guy from High Point (identified as the operator of Renovo Designs, a company that is nowhere to be found on the internet -- Roch) proposes to construct an ice skating rink in Greensboro with funds donated by non-profit organizations, on city property, with city-funded infrastructure and utilities, that he will then sell to The City of Greensboro.

RLF Communication's Google fiber efforts went 65% over budget

Remember the City of Greensboro hiring RLF Communications for $10,000 to promote Greensboro to Google for Google's ultra high speed fiber optic internet access? The final invoice turned out to be $16,454.17 (of which the ubiquitously charitable Replacements, Ltd. paid $1,500.)

Docs here:
RLF Communications invoice to City of Greensboro for Google Fiber

Class

Congressman Howard Coble stopped by Claxton Elementary's 50th anniversary celebration, where he got to meet Kathy and her fifth grade class.