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.

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.)

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…

A Problem-Solving Mindset article was featured in the Spring issue of Guilford College magazine. The article featured NC House Rep. Maggie Jeffus; US Rep. Howard Coble; Commissioner Paul Gibson, former Mayor Billy Ragsdale; and Mr. Deeds. 

The Board of Commissioners voted a couple of weeks ago to finalize the purchase of the BB and T building.  There will be the need for renovations to the building.  The expected move date is at least a year away. 

Here is a News and Record article.

 The event went well with over 160 in attendance.  There were two documents recorded- a substitution of trustee and a satisfaction.  I would like to express my appreciation to Secretary of State Elaine Marshall; Business Information Systems, Simplifile, and Electronic Document Logistics (EDL) for making the event a great success!