JeffThigpen.com

The Guilford County Substance Abuse Treatment Center reported that 34 of the 40 residential beds were occupied by 24 males (100% of bed available in male wing) and 10 females (62.5% of available beds in female wing) on July 4^th. In addition, 24 individuals received outpatient services with 3 assessments, 3 admissions and 5 discharges recorded. The Center has initiated an internship program with the counseling department at GuilfordTechnical Community College.   

Chairman Perkins emphasized that the center will offer a service array that was previously unavailable to Guilford County residents at its June 6th opening.  “This treatment center is a key component in the Guilford County Substance Abuse System of Excellence, an integrative, system wide approach to addressing addictive disorders,” said Perkins.

Billie Martin Pierce, Director of the Guilford Center, did a great job of helping give birth to this facility through a collaborative effort with experts from around the country earlier this year. 

SPEAKING OF ADDICTIONS–THIS IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK!

Finding our Way Home: Addictions and Divine Love by Killian Noe.   I met Killian on numerous occasions when she worked with Samaritan Inns in Washington, DC  She’s got a raspy, heart felt voice and brings a powerful message to all of us who are addicted to something, drugs or otherwise. 

There was a bit of horse trading between commissioners in the budget passed last month around allocating $250,000 for  a new health clinic in southeast Greensboro.   In my opinion, that allocation will be a great deal and great service for the City.   There are many low and moderate income families living in that area.  This clinic will help provide medical care for those with limited resources, hopefully catching illness in early stages, and ultimately becoming a vital part of the community infrastructure.  That area has been truly underserved for many years.

Merle Green, Public Health Director, deserves a great deal of appreciation for her efforts to secure an agreement with the Moses Cone Health Systems.   I made a point to mention it to her in a recent Strategic Alliance meeting.   After spending a few years working with and around the homeless population and residents within 27406,  it’s a no-brainer.   I understand Linda Shaw has some concerns about the details about the county’s role in the clinic’s operations and the allocation.  I would hope those details would be hammered out in the negotiations to her satisfaction and the seed money can help expedite the plans for implementation.

The Servant Leadership School of Greensboro has been around for over 15 years.  This effort is ecumenical and has been one of many influences on my own Christian faith and understanding of the ministry of Jesus Christ.   As the coordinator of the School in the mid 90’s,  I was given the opportunity to spend time with Gordon Cosby, Diana Chambers, Killian Noe among others through Church of the Savior and the Servant Leadership School in Washington DC.   

The effort focuses on concepts like servant leadership, contemplative prayer, call, the influence of power and priviledge, importance of exposure and being in a relationship with the poor, and understanding the nature of addictions as we deepen our relationship with God in community.  As Christians, how do we accept God’s love, listen for guidance, and go to the places we’d rather not go sometimes in His service?   This profund effort can be personally troubling and painful if done authentically.  May not be for the weak knee’d, haha, but you can make some good friends.

The works of Henry Nouwen, Ched Myers, Richard Rhor, Killian Noe,  Kayla McClurg, and Walter Wink a just a few that stretch the heart, mind, and challenge the soul as we struggle to realize 21st century christian leadership.   

Here is the Fall 2008 course schedule.

Here’s Scott Yost’s piece on the Register of Deeds E-Recording event Friday June 6th.  

(Interesting note:  My son Aiden threw up all over that suit pictured while attending a wedding in Pinehurst this past Saturday.)

Jehan is committed to end homelessness.  Yeah, that’s right, and why not?  Just ask 55 of her friends. I met Jehan in the Other Voices program a couple of years ago. She is bright and driven to make a difference.  I appreciate her leadership and spirit.  Jehan knows there are many complex forces involved with addressing homelessness but she is inspiring and God can do great things when personal conviction, resources, and a community struggles together to help those left behind.

Here is her conversation with News and Record reporter Joe Killian.

Bill Schmickle has achieved the impossible. He’s kept my eyes from glazing over at the thought of reading a book about historic preservation–The Politics of Historic Districts. Of course, I never doubted that from the first turn of the cover. It wasn’t the topic that made me believe, but the man behind the pages.

I admit, I’m biased toward Bill. Yes, he was my political science professor at Guilford. His wife Charlotte cured my sniffles on several occasions and his sons Andy and Greg are way cool, worldly, and successful cats in their own right. But this book is important for its field in my opinion and I’m convinced it will be embraced widely as a seminal piece . HPC members across the country are already dog-earring its pages and its a great read.

Bill lays down the gauntlet from square one. Historic districts are not about pure preservation, they are about politics “from the get-go”. He “spikes the punch” of preservation nerds with strategy laced with Machiavellian performance enhancing drugs. After a few gulps, he then pats them on the back, and pushes them out the door with good humor and a systematic playbook for guerrilla warfare with City Hall. I’m impressed. As a former county commissioner, I realize Bill has let the proverbial ‘cat out of the bag’ and city councils had better take notice.

Some key phrases and thoughts. The worst thing in politics is to be right and to lose. The political landscape is littered with the bones of just causes. Tell me about it. Bill understands there are two processes at work in designation: the formal procedure and the informal and political. He helps advocates understand the right questions in the formal process through a step by step approach to research, committee organization, and finding professional help. Bill knows the politics is more like a chess game than a jigsaw puzzle. Like chess, the strategy for success must embrace fluidity, uncertainty and general predictability.

And let me warn you, put the book back on the shelf if you aren’t in it to win it.

“It’s often true the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Yet when you’re both watching your adversary you’re not always seeing eye to eye.Thank God for Bill’s wit. Only Bill can quote John Heisman or Sherlock Holmes and get away with it in a preservation book… ” Gentleman, it is better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football”, or “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”.

Historic District wonks kneel before your Messiah…