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GRAHAM DENTON
North Carolinians for
Jobs and Progress
By: George MacBain
Today we had the privilege to hear from Graham Denton, Market
President for Bank of America, North Carolina President and a member
of the banks Management Operating Committee. Graham, a native North
Carolinian, is a graduate of Wake Forest University and received his
MBA form Georgia State University. He is 33-year veteran of Bank of
America having served in leadership positions in Cash-Management,
Risk Management Commercial Banking and Corporate finance. He assumed
his current role in early 2004.
Graham was here today to educate our membership on the merits of
Amendment ONE, an opportunity we will have on the statewide ballot
November 2nd. As chair of the finance committee for the North
Carolinians for Jobs and Progress, Graham is in support of passing
Amendment One in November. Amendment ONE is a self-financing bond
program that is not currently available to local municipalities and
counties in North Carolina. According to Graham, North Carolina and
Arizona are the only 2 remaining states without this program. The
theory behind self-financing bonds is they will be used to pay for
public improvements that spur private development in small
communities and inner-city areas. These improvements will include
streets, water and sewer service and sidewalks in special
development areas. These are areas that have declined over time and
with this financing, private developers will move in to rehab old
mills or manufacturing facilities(textile and furniture factories),
affordable housing, commercial development, redevelopment of
Brownfields (formerly contaminated property), etc. As these areas
are improved, property values will increase and improve the local
tax base. This is what pays the bonds back over a 20-30 year period.
The bonds are tax exempt and Amendment ONE is being marketed as a
tool to help spur development in economically hit areas to help
bring back business and therefore jobs to these special development
areas.
Currently, local counties or municipalities must go to the voters
with a referendum to create debt (bonds) for specific projects. The
entity is responsible for repayment of the obligation regardless if
the project succeeds or fails.
Head Table:
Catherine Browning, Eric Baldwin,
Shannon Vaughn, Natalie English, Hunter Widener, David Lewis
Visitors and Guests:
Dale LeCount; Visitors & Guests: George
Robinette; Health & Happiness: Frank Watson; Song: Thomas Moore
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PROJECT
UPDATES |
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CLASSROOM
CENTRAL provides teachers with free, donated new or
recycled supplies in a centrally located retail store. These
supplies are given to the at-risk students receiving free or
reduced price lunches in the Equity Plus II schools in the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg system. There are 54 schools with the CMS
district with the Equity Plus II designation. Charlotte Rotary
has supported Classroom Central through contributions and more
importantly, volunteer time. John Johnson has contributed
countless hours to this organization and leads an active
committee of Rotarians helping the cause. A big thanks to the
September volunteers: Jay Deyton, Chuck
Panoff, Hunter Widener, Jim Adams, Kitty Stutts, Rich Campbell,
and John Johnson.
The following note was received from student Elizabeth Scott: “Thank
you for supplying Classroom Central. It really helps kids who
can’t get the supplies they need. My teacher went there and got
some stuff. It is really nice of you to supply them. Like I said
it really does help. Because of your help the kids who can’t get
the supplies they need won’t feel embarrassed and their teacher
won’t yell at them everyday. Thank you for your help. It was
very nice of you.”
NSUMBI ORPHAN CARE PROJECT IN MALAWI was brought
to the club’s attention by Biff Virkler last December. Charlotte
Rotary helped provide funding needed to build an orphanage for
children whose parents have died of AIDS in the Monkey Bay
region of Malawi, which is a small country located in
southeastern Africa, bordering Mozambique. An update received in
August says the house is built and the floor is completely
finished. This was an extraordinary amount of work given that
the mode of transport for floor materials was by ox cart. Also,
a tremendous amount of water was needed and the Zamawa family
themselves carried the water. The family has postponed the
adoption of more orphans, as they are already caring for seven
children, four of whom are orphans. In spite of the day to day
struggles of providing food (crops are being eaten by goats) and
digging a shallow well, the project is moving forward. The
children have not been branded with the same stigma that most
orphans are branded with, because they were adopted at a very
young age and never told they are orphans. They feel that they
are true members of a family, which is the greatest give a child
can receive. |
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Welcome new member
John McDermitt, who was
introduced to the club by John
Galles.
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John Shell, president of Charlotte-based McGuire
Properties Inc., will leave the real estate brokerage firm
in October. Shell, who has led McGuire Properties for eight
years, will join Cornelius-based retail developer Centurion
Partners. Centurion is a turnkey developer specializing in
build-to-suit, single-tenant properties and anchored retail
centers.
þ
Charlotte Center City
Partners president Tim Newman
had a sports fanatic’s dream weekend to kick off his 40th
birthday celebration. Tim, who turned 40 on Monday, took a
stretch limo full of buddies to Chapel Hill for the Georgia
Tech-Carolina Game, then was dropped off in Greensboro where
he jetted Sunday morning to New York City for the
Redskins-Giants game. Happy Birthday Tim!
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A photo of
Alan Barnardt was spotted
recently in the Wilmington Star-News. Alan, executive
director of the Carolina Raptor Center, was releasing a
juvenile bald eagle at Falls Lake in Wake County.
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Susan Hutchins Manning reports she has a new
granddaughter born September 10th. Susan says it’s
interesting being a bride and a grandmother all in the same
month.
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Bob
Webb is the new CEO of Myers & Chapman, Inc.
Please update your Roster: 4020 Old Pineville Rd (28217),
office 704-529-6661,
bwebb@myers-chapman.com.
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Congratulations to Sharon (O’Morrow)
Rankin, married August 21st.
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Pat
Voswinkel was hospitalized last week for heart
problems. She was released this week and is recuperating at
home.
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ROTARY FOUNDATION BANQUET
Thursday, October 28th Renaissance Hotel
Keynote Speaker: Rotary International President
Glenn Estess
Contact Herb Harriss for tickets |
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Attendance
Record |
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9/28/04 |
9/30/03 |
| visitors &
guests |
13 |
9 |
| club
members |
199 |
183 |
| total
attendance |
212 |
192 |
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Wedding
Anniversaries |
05 Debbie and Tyson Bennett
05 Beth and David Lewis
05 Ann and Frank Timberlake
06 Cindy and Tom Senger
07 Judy and Bill Blackwell
10 Tracey and Rich Campbell
10 Joan and Jim Kelley
10 Laura and Charlie Pitts
10 Jane and Chris Thomas |
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New Members | Resignations |
Ruth Castleberry
BG Metzler
Pam Meister
Niels Olsen
John McDermitt |
Bijoy Sahoo
Jerry Orr |
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| Roaming
Rotarians |
Tom Burgess, Branson, MO
Kurt Waldthausen,
Stuttgart-Rosenstein | |
| Birthdays and
Birthplaces |
04 Michelle Fish, Bristol, TN
06 Dick Klingman, Raleigh, NC
07 Dave Adams, Louisville, KY
07 Billy Wireman, Jackson, KY
08 Carol Jordan, Kings Mtn, NC
09 Rick Jackson, Denver, CO
09 Mary Mack, Augusta, GA |
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