Photo by Todd Luck
Money to up/it the dilapated tennis courts at Carver High School and the Carl Russell rec has been allocated
in the proposed bond packages.
Voters may be asked to consider
millions for new construction, upgrades
BY I ODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The City Council is
deciding on whether or not
to place a bond referen
dum on the ballot in
November to finance
improvements, repairs and
new projects around the
city.
The Council is weigh
ing two possibilities: a
$125 million package that
would require a 1.5-cent
tax increase per $100 of
assessed property value
and a $200 million pack
age that would call for a
3.5-cent tax increase.
Both packages include
$17.5 million in upgrades
to the Benton Convention
Center, but a different kind
of bond, one that does not
require voter approval,
will cover that. The rest of
the money would address
needs in transportation,
economic development,
recreation and public safe
ty in various parts of the
city. The projects and
repairs, some long
deferred, do not fit into the
normal city budget.
"Every so often, when
you look at the needs for a
city, the Council will come
together to discuss things
that are needed to be done
and where we're going to
get the money from," said
Mayor Pro Temp Vivian
Burke, who represents the
Northeast Ward. "...It's
one way to assist a City in
helping to provide better
opportunities for citizens
in the city."
Based on estimates, the
Northeast Ward would
receive either about $14
million or $20 million,
depending on the size of
the bond packages. Burke
said many sites in her ward
would benefit from
improvements, including
recreational facilities at
Carver High School and
tennis courts that belong to
the school and the Carl
Russell Sr. Community
Center.
Parks would also get
needed repairs. Blum
would see improvements
to lighting, shelters and the
playground, while
Bowen/Thomas Park
would get restroom reno
vations. Fairview Park
would see improvements,
too.
Burke said that
improvements in any one
ward will benefit the
whole city as citizens from
all over will use the roads,
parks and other facilities
that are improved.
Southeast Ward
Council Member James
Taylor said Salem Lake is
definitely a place used by
all city residents. It would
see upgrades if a bond ref
erendum is successful. An
updated playground, a new
water park, renovated and
expanded lake fronts and a
new marina center for
aquatic vehicles are among
the improvements pro
posed.
In all, the ward could
see between $15 million
and $24 million in funds
that Taylor said would be
put to good use in road
construction, water, sewer
and grating projects and
other improvements. It
would also fund the cre
ation of a new park at the
former Piedmont, Quarry
off of Reynolds Park
Road. The site was donat
ed to the City by Vulcan
Materials in 1998. The
quarry included a crystal
clear, 12-acre lake sur
rounded by steep, tower
ing cliff walls. Turning the
lake, which is home to
fresh water jellyfish and
other marine life, into a
park "has a chance to pret
ty much revolutionize the
way we do things in the
Southeast Ward," accord
ing to Taylor.
"It's probably the most
gorgeous thing you've ever
seen, I'd say, probably on
the East coast," said
Taylor, who added the ini
tial transformation would
include the construction of
family shelters, a board
walk, parking facilities
and roadways into the
quarry.
"We want to make it an
attraction that brings eco
nomic development to the
Southeast Ward," said
Taylor. "The more people
that come and relax in our
ward and the more money
that's being spent there,
the more jobs that are
being created and the more
money that's recycled."
The East Ward would
benefit the most from a
successful bond referen
dum. Estimates call for the
ward to be infused with
either $24 million or more
than $40 million. Attempts
to reach East Ward
Council Member Derwin
Montgomery before press
time were not successful.
The North Ward, repre
sented by DD Adams, |
would reap up to $35 mil
lion for new projects and
upgrades.
There will be public
meetings and presenta
tions in the coming months
before the Council holds a
public hearing, likely in
August, on the matter.
Both Taylor and Burke
said they expected the
public would support a
bond.
Burke
Taylor
Diggs elected to chair
N.C. United Way Board
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Brenda Diggs was elected chair of the United Way of
North Carolina Board of Directors during the organiza
tion's recent annual meeting in Pinehurst.
Diggs, a retired Wachovia exec- _
utive, is an independent consultant I
who advises about matters of lead- !
ership and board development, I
operational and financial manage- I
ment, organizational planning and I
strategic management. She is a for- P
mer executive director of Habitat I
for Humanity of Forsyth County I
and last year launched an unsuc- I
cessful bid for City Council.
"Brenda's leadership and strate
gic thinking will help sharpen our
Diggt
focus and provide members with the highest quality serv
ices in this challenging economic climate," said Jim
Morrison, president of United Way of North Carolina.
"The board seeks to increase the capability of the United
Way system to improve the quality of human life in North
Carolina. With Brenda at the helm, we will be well posi
tioned to creatively address the unique challenges facing
the United Way system and identify strategies to address
our issues."
Diggs is a current member of the United Way of
Forsyth County Board of Directors, a trustee of North
Carolina Baptist Hospital and is chairperson of the
Winston-Salem Police Officers Retirement Commission.
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