Community-focused posts
There are 773 posts filed in Raleigh (this is page 57 of 78).
I conducted another CAC meeting last night and came home buzzing. There were 42 fired-up neighbors there: one of the largest CAC meetings I’ve seen anywhere. I’m continually amazed at how passionate people are about their neighborhood. It’s like a jolt of electricity to me to be in that room.
I may one day stumble into political office but I can’t imagine I’ll ever have as much fun as I’m having now as a CAC leader.
I should have known when I read the headline saying “Raleigh woman arrested in prostitute sting.” Why wasn’t that plural, as there are many areas of Raleigh where prostitution is an ongoing problem?
Then I read the article. This particular prostitute was advertising on Craigslist, and set up shop in a hotel room. In other words, she wasn’t standing on Raleigh street corners, or working out of the city’s public parks or neighborhood streets.
If you couldn’t tell I’ve got a much larger problem with one of these scenarios, and what the woman was doing ain’t it. What two consenting adults do behind doors is their business. What they do in public parks is a different story altogether. When Raleigh decides to crack down on this business I’ll be much more impressed.
Just got back from a Raleigh CAC meeting that was delightfully fun and also a bit contentious. I’ve been to a handful of them now and this one by far was the most productive. There are still individual concerns about the body and how it’s supposed to work, though. It’s totally herding cats.
I’m finding myself stretched pretty thin with all I’ve got going on. I’m glad I still have a job, though. For as long as it lasts, at least. There really is no such thing as “safe” anymore.
I came home to a surprise package in the mail from my favorite fifth-grade class, Mrs. Jarrett’s at Conn Elementary. In it was a big thank-you card from Mrs. Jarrett and her class as well as 14 handwritten papers from the kids saying what each learned from my GPS talk.
Here’s a sample letter:
Dear Mr. Turner,
Thanks for coming to my school. From what you taught us I learned that their are 4 satellite signals for a GPS to work. Another thing learned was in 1978 the first GPS satellite was launched. I also learned how the earth rotates 360 times a day. I didn’t know GPS couldn’t be used indoors. On more thing I learned was Sputnik was the world’s largest sat. in space. Thanks for coming!
Sincerely, C
Here’s another one:
Dear Mr. Turner,
Thank you for comeing to are school. I learned a lot from you like 1978 the first GPS satellite was lanched. I was glad that we saw you. I think your teachings will help me in the future. Please come back for the next qurter to show them what you know.
Sincerely, S
Getting a packet full of thank-you notes made me feel like a rock star! The talk sure was a blast, and the kids might actually have learned something. I’m pretty sure, though, that I described Sputnik as being basketball-sized. I’m amused to read how it’s become the world’s largest satellite!
I look forward to being invited back!
I conducted another meeting of the East CAC this evening. It was one of those meetings that sent me home feeling great. I get a rush out of being with a group of people passionate about their neighborhood.
It’s no small amount of work supporting my neighbors through the CAC, but it sure is a blast to see how much it’s appreciated.
The year 2008 was the year that I got much more involved with civic affairs. I’d always been interested in playing a bigger role in Raleigh but it was after the Raleigh Neighborhood College that I began to consider it more seriously. As I mentioned in my RNC post, it led me to become the East CAC chair and a member of Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation, and Greenways Advisory Board.
The East CAC thing seemed like a natural fit for me. I’d been to a few meetings and got a lot out of them. I was also impressed at the large number of neighbors who came each month. When the former chair, Lynette, said she was stepping down, I felt I had to step up. Besides, the easiest election to win is the one where you’re unopposed!
I was perfectly happy being CAC chair when word came ’round that there was an opening on the Parks board. I’d been angling for a spot on a city board for over a year and couldn’t turn down the chance when I finally got it.
Both are lots of work, but the CAC probably takes more of my time. I have a newfound appreciation for the kind of time our volunteers put forth in improving the city of Raleigh.
I did my GPS talk for Ms. Jarrett’s GPS module class at Conn Elementary today. It was teh awesome, just as I expected it to be. I got the kids involved in the talk, gave some examples, and timed it almost perfectly at one hour. I also got to say hello to Hallie at the end of my talk.
My efforts rewarded me with the great feeling I helped kids learn something. I also took home the famed Conn Volunteer Water Bottle With Ribbon, a photo of which I’ll post soon.
I’ve been told I’ll be invited back soon, which is fine by me. It was a blast!
I’ve been dreading renewing my driver license because I never look forward to spending half a day waiting around. Since my license expires in two weeks my options were running out.
That’s why I was glad I went to the N.C. DMV website and discovered the mobile DMV office. It just so happens it would be downtown today and tomorrow, so I figured I’d take my chances there. My hunch was that since this office is mobile there would be no lines. I was right!
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I pity the fool who robs Crazy Fire. He’s lucky he didn’t get a beat-down from all the geeks who eat there.
I wouldn’t be surprised if his rap sheet mysteriously gained a few prior convictions.
I thought there would be at least one David Byrne sighting when he played in Raleigh yesterday and I was right. N&O music guru David Menconi gave Byrne directions to the Raleigh Times yesterday, where Byrne ordered a salad. No word on whether Byrne brought his bike with him.
While I would’ve been thrilled to meet him, I certainly couldn’t afford the $47 ticket price, especially after my concerns in mid-October about the economy came personally, painfully true. Still it would’ve been interesting to meet a talented, unassuming, veteran rock star like Byrne up close.
